2Play
Wesley Johnson (born 22 July 1977), known by his stage name 2Play,[1] is an English musician, record producer, and former mixed martial artist.
2Play (Wesley Johnson) | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Wesley Johnson |
| Also known as | 2Play, Wesley J, Special T |
| Born | 22 July 1977 |
| Origin | London, England |
| Genres | Dancehall, reggae, R&B, hip hop, UK garage |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, record producer, songwriter, rapper |
| Years active | 1997–present |
Music career
Johnson first entered the music scene in 1997 as a UK garage producer, under the aliases Wesley 2 Play and Special T.[2] His first single under the name 2Play, "So Confused", was released in early 2004, and featured Canadian-Indian singer Raghav and MC Jucxi D. It reached number 6 on the UK Singles Chart,[3] and won Best Collaboration at the MOBO Awards,[4] and Best Single at the UK Asian Music Awards.[5] A cover of Kevin Lyttle's "Turn Me On" appears on the "So Confused" single. The following single "It Can't Be Right", featuring Raghav and Naila Boss, was also a UK top 10 hit.[6] The next single, a cover version of George Michael's "Careless Whisper", reached number 29.[7] A house remix and a garage remix of "Careless Whisper" were also produced, under the alias Special T.
An album, including all the above singles, was produced and mastered in 2006, but never released at the time. 2Play independently released the album to digital platforms in 2019, under the title Back in Business.[8][9]
Albums
- Back in Business (2019)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [3][6][7] |
ITA [10] |
NL [11] | |||
| 2004 | "So Confused" (featuring Raghav and Jucxi) | 6 | 46 | 44 | Back in Business |
| "It Can't Be Right" (featuring Raghav, Jucxi and Naila Boss) | 8 | — | — | ||
| "Careless Whisper" (featuring Thomas Jules and Jucxi D) | 29 | — | — | ||
| 2007 | "Close to You" (featuring Moni) | — | — | — | Non-album single |
| 2009 | "That's What the Girls Like" (featuring Maxi Priest, Moni and Jucxi D) | — | — | — | Back in Business |
Mixed martial arts
| Wesley Johnson | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 July 1977 London, England |
| Division | Lightweight |
| Style | Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Karate |
| Fighting out of | London, England |
| Rank | black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt in Karate |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 8 |
| Wins | 5 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 4 |
| Losses | 2 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
In addition to his music career, Johnson was also a mixed martial artist. He fought for Cage Rage and Ultimate Challenge MMA.[12]
Record
| 8 matches | 5 wins | 2 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 1 |
| By submission | 4 | 1 |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 5–2 (1) | Kester Mamba | Submission (heel hook) | UWC 23 | 13 July 2013 | 1 | 4:57 | Southend-on-Sea, England | |
| Win | 5–1 (1) | Simon Carington | Submission (guillotine choke) | UCMMA 11 – Adrenaline Rush | 27 March 2010 | 1 | N/A | London, England | |
| Loss | 4–1 (1) | Luke Smith | TKO (punches) | UCMMA 9 – Fighting for Heroes | 5 December 2009 | 1 | 4:09 | London, England | |
| Win | 4–0 (1) | Danny Fletcher | Submission (flying triangle choke) | UCMMA 6 – Payback | 22 August 2009 | 1 | 1:02 | London, England | |
| Win | 3–0 (1) | Alex Harvey | Submission (triangle choke) | UCMMA 5 – Heat | 11 July 2009 | 1 | N/A | London, England | |
| NC | 2–0 (1) | Scott Pooley | No Contest | UCMMA 2 – Unbreakable | 7 February 2009 | 1 | N/A | London, England | |
| Win | 2–0 | Matt Smith | Submission (triangle choke) | Cage Rage 28 – VIP | 20 September 2008 | 1 | 0:44 | London, England | |
| Win | 1–0 | Mark Brown | TKO (punches) | Cage Rage 27 – Step Up | 12 July 2008 | 1 | 0:31 | London, England |
References
- Graham Betts Complete UK Hit Albums 1956-2005 2005 - Page 330 "Raghav Mathur (bom 1983) who was educated at ... He won the 2004 MOBO Award for Best Collaboration with 2Play and Jucxi for So Confused."
- "Wesley 2 Play - Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- "2 Play feat. Raghav & Jucxi - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- "MOBO Awards 2004". MOBO Organisation. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- "Artists unite to celebrate British Asian Music". Wass-Up.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- "2 Play feat. Raghav & Naila Boss - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- "2 Play feat. Thomas Jules & Jucxi D - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- "Facebook post from 2Play". Facebook. 21 March 2020. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
My album has finally been released on Spotify and all leading platforms!!! [...] This album was produced and mastered back in 2006! Wow 14years in the making!!
- "Back in Business by 2Play on Apple Music". Apple Music. 2 September 2019. Archived from the original on 5 June 2020. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- "2 Play feat. Raghav & Jucxi - So Confused". italiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- "Discografie 2 Play". dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- Sherdog.com. "Wesley Johnson MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography, and More". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 22 March 2010.