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Hobo Johnson

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Hobo Johnson
Hobo Johnson performing at Falls Festival in Byron Bay, 2018
Hobo Johnson performing at Falls Festival in Byron Bay, 2018
Background information
Birth nameFrank Lopes Jr.
Born (1994-12-22) December 22, 1994 (age 29)
Genres
OccupationVocalist
Years active2015–present
Labels
Websitehobojohnson.com

Frank Lopes Jr. (born December 22, 1994), known professionally as Hobo Johnson, is an American vocalist and frontman of the band Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers.[2] Hobo Johnson also delivers lyrics in the form of rap and spoken word to create his raw, often self-released music.

Early life

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Lopes is a Mexican/Portuguese American from California.[3] When he was 19, he was kicked out of his house by his father and subsequently lived in his car.[4] For a stretch of time, Lopes worked at a pizza restaurant in Sacramento, but he soon quit to pursue his passion for music.[5] He is a fan of the Sacramento Kings[6] and has referenced them in the lyrics to his song "Sacramento Kings Anthem (We're Not That Bad)", written about the struggles the Kings have in the NBA.[7]

Music career

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Early work and The Rise of Hobo Johnson (2015–2017)

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At age 15, Lopes began performing music and hip-hop.[8][2] He came up with his stage name "Homeless Johnson" but soon made it "Hobo Johnson" while living in his car, a 1994 Toyota Corolla, and named his 2015 debut album in honor of his car.[9][10] Starting in December 2016, he released a series of live recordings on YouTube subtitled "Live from Oak Park".[11] In 2018, Lopes drew criticism from the Sacramento chapter of Black Lives Matter, who accused him of using Oak Park's name without consent and of cultural appropriation.[11] On May 12, they staged a small protest that delayed the beginning of his sold-out show at Sacramento's Ace of Spades nightclub.[12]

"Peach Scone"
A 24-second sample of a live rendition of the single "Peach Scone." Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers performed the song for the 2018 NPR Tiny Desk Contest. The video clip of the performance was filmed in a backyard and went viral.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

In 2016, he released the album The Rise of Hobo Johnson independently, but later created a new version of the album in 2017 which had changes to the production and a different tracklist. After the release of the second version of The Rise of Hobo Johnson, Lopes signed to Reprise Records. That year, he won four Sacramento Area Music Awards: Artist of the Year, Best Hip-Hop/Rap, Best Emcee and Best New Artist.[2]

Tiny Desk Concert, "Peach Scone", and The Fall of Hobo Johnson (2018–2019)

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Further information: The Fall of Hobo Johnson

Hobo Johnson and the LoveMakers released a music video on Facebook as part of NPR's Tiny Desk Contest on March 7, 2018.[13][14] The song "Peach Scone" collected millions of views in just a few weeks.[15] Following the attention of the "Peach Scone" video, their album The Rise of Hobo Johnson charted at #11 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart for the week ending March 31, 2018.[16]

While not winning the Tiny Desk Contest, Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers appeared on Tiny Desk on an episode released on September 12, 2018.[17]

In 2018, the band toured North America and Europe and appeared at Australia's Falls Music & Arts Festival. In 2019, the band appeared at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.[18]

In 2019 he released the singles "Typical Story" and "UglyKid" from the album The Fall of Hobo Johnson, which was released by Warner Records on September 13, 2019.[19] That same day, EA Sports released the video game NHL 20,[20] which featured the single "Typical Story" on its soundtrack.[21]

The Revenge of Hobo Johnson, Hobo Johnson Alienates His Fanbase, and hiatus (2021–2024)

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Lopes released the single "I Want to See the World" in June, 2021. He announced that the album The Revenge of Hobo Johnson would follow later that month.[22] The Revenge of Hobo Johnson was subsequently released on June 23, 2021.[23] On August 1, 2021 he released the album Hobo Johnson Alienates His Fanbase.[24]

In 2022, Lopes canceled several upcoming tours and broke up the LoveMakers band, citing a focus on school over music.[25][26][unreliable source?]

In 2023, Lopes began performing shows again and released a new song on Instagram and YouTube, titled Sacramento 12 Step.[27]

Hobo Johnson Drinks, Untitled Hobo Johnson Project (2024)

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In March of 2024, Hobo Johnson released a double single titled 'Hobo Johnson Drinks', featuring the songs Dad's Bed and Metaverse (stylized in all caps).[28][29] The album hasn't been formally announced, but the band has since released another two songs simultaneously on the 3rd of May titled 'Flood The Earth Again' and 'Jansports'.[30][31] Hobo Johnson has announced an extensive US tour, which begins in June and ends in August.[32]

The sound of the new songs hues a bit closer to the band's second studio LP 'The Fall of Hobo Johnson' compared to the acoustic and satiric detours of his 2021 releases.[33][34] The songs feature more emotionally affecting and less abstract/unserious lyrics[35] than 'Hobo Johnson Alienates his Fanbase', but the satirical and often humorous edge of Lopes remains an important part of the atmosphere. The audience response has not been significant enough to define a consensus on the quality of the new material, though certain critics have spoken of it favorably compared to his output in the last three years.

Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers

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Hobo Johnson performing at the House of Blues in Cleveland, 2018

Current members[36]

  • Frank Lopes Jr. – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, production
  • Derek Lynch – guitar
  • Jordan Moore – guitar, keyboards
  • David Baez-Lopez – bass guitar
  • Ben Lerch – drums
  • Jmsey – keyboard, guitar

Discography

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Hobo Johnson discography
Studio albums5
Singles8
Music videos14

Studio albums

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Title Details Chart positions
US US Heat. UK
Hobo Johnsons 94 Corolla
  • Released: October 14, 2015
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital
 — — —
The Rise of Hobo Johnson
  • Released: November 7, 2017 (Originally self-released in 2016)
  • Label: Reprise
  • Formats: Digital, CD, vinyl
 — 11[16] —
The Fall of Hobo Johnson
  • Released: September 13, 2019
  • Label: Warner
  • Formats: Digital, CD, vinyl
 99[37] — 98[38]
The Revenge of Hobo Johnson[39]
  • Released: June 23, 2021
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital, CD, vinyl
 — — —
Hobo Johnson Alienates His Fanbase[24]
  • Released: August 1, 2021
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: Digital
 — — —

Singles

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Title Year Album Chart positions
US Alt. US Rock
"Peach Scone" 2018 Non-album single — —
"February 15th" The Fall of Hobo Johnson — —
"Typical Story" 2019 25[40] 30[41]
"Uglykid" (ft. Elohim)[42] — —
"Subaru Crosstrek XV"[43] — —
"I want to see the World" 2021 The Revenge of Hobo Johnson — —
"I want you Back"[44] — —
"You want a baby"[23] — —

Music videos

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Title Year Album Director
"Sex in the City" 2017 The Rise of Hobo Johnson Hobo Johnson
"Romeo & Juliet"
"Mario & Link" Frank Lopes, Derek Lynch, Jordan Moore
"Peach Scone" 2018 Non-album single Hobo Johnson
"Father" The Rise of Hobo Johnson Claire Marie Vogel
"DeMarcus Cousins & Ashley" Hobo Johnson
"Typical Story" 2019 The Fall of Hobo Johnson Dan Ospal
"Uglykid" (ft. Elohim) Taylor Fauntleroy
"Subaru Crosstrek XV" Hobo Johnson & The Boys
"You & the Cockroach" Geoffrey C Knecht
"I want to see the World" 2021 The Revenge of Hobo Johnson Adam Rioux
"I want you Back" Hobo Johnson & The Boys
"You want a Baby" Frank, D, and Fish
"Song 9 (The Government's Not Great)" Hobo & the Bois
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Song Year Album Artist
"Feb 20" 2018 A Tuesday Morning Tel Cairo
"Mama's House" The Philharmonik The Philharmonik
"Same Drugs" Non-album single Jordan Moore & Jmsey
"No Toast" Obscura Sparks Across Darkness
"See You Again - Live" Non-album single Jmsey
"Tamales and Sadness" 2019 Pocket Buddha Mixtape Pocket Buddha
"See You Again" Moments Jmsey
"Color Out The Lines (Demo)" 2021 Non-album single Peak Eyes
"Basic" 2022 Hella Just Friends (ft. Lil B)
"Caretaker" Sawubona Peak Eyes
"Color Out The Lines"

References

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  1. ^ "ALBUM REVIEW: Hobo Johnson humanizes himself with third album". September 9, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Ayestas, Jonathan. "Hobo Johnson: Born From A Corolla Into A Life Of Music".
  3. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (November 16, 2018). "Hobo Johnson Is About to Be Huge". www.vulture.com. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  4. ^ Smith, Jordan (June 5, 2018). "Hobo Johnson Is Painting His Future With Train-of-Thought Rapping". Ones to Watch. Live Nation. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  5. ^ Macias, Chris (January 27, 2017). "Hobo Johnson finds his home in hip-hop". The Sacramento Bee. ISSN 0890-5738. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  6. ^ Armijo, Devon (June 21, 2018). "Sacramento rapper writes Kings fan anthem 'We're not that bad'". Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  7. ^ "'We're Not That Bad': New Song An Anthem For Long-Suffering Sacramento Kings Fans". June 21, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  8. ^ Carnes, Aaron (October 6, 2016). "Hobo Johnson's new kind of swagger". Sacramento News & Review. Sacramento, CA. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  9. ^ Lopes, Frank (April 12, 2018). "Who the heck is Hobo Johnson?" (Interview). Interviewed by Fantano, Anthony. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  10. ^ Lopes, Frank. "Fame By The Flame - Hobo Johnson" (Interview).
  11. ^ a b McGough, Michael (May 29, 2018). "Hobo Johnson apologizes after Black Lives Matter calls him cultural appropriator". The Sacramento Bee. Sacramento, CA. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  12. ^ Bealum, Ngaio (May 24, 2018). "About that Hobo Johnson protest". Sacramento News & Review. Sacramento, CA. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  13. ^ Harris, Noel (March 13, 2018). "How a Sacramento 'Hobo' racked up millions of views with his music video". Sacramento Bee.
  14. ^ "Hipster Rapper Hobo Johnson Is Going Viral — & It's All Thanks To THIS Music Video!". March 20, 2018. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  15. ^ Gardner, Kacey. "Sacramento Rapper Hobo Johnson's Tiny Desk Contest Entry Goes Viral".
  16. ^ a b "Heatseekers Albums: Up and Coming Musicians Chart". Billboard.
  17. ^ Miller, Nick (September 12, 2018). "Watch Sacramento's Hobo Johnson On NPR's 'Tiny Desk Concert' (Spoiler: There's Scones)". Capital Public Radio. Sacramento, CA. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  18. ^ Miller, Nick (September 12, 2018). "Watch Sacramento's Hobo Johnson On NPR's 'Tiny Desk Concert' (Spoiler: There's Scones)". Capital Public Radio. Sacramento, CA. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  19. ^ "Hobo Johnson Goes Jazzy On New Single 'UglyKid' From His Next Album". CoolAccidents.com. Cool Accidents. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  20. ^ Mazique, Brian. "NHL 21 Release Info, PS5, And Xbox Series X Details Revealed". Retrieved March 14, 2023. NHL 20 was released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 13, 2019.
  21. ^ "NHL 20 Soundtrack by EA Music". Retrieved March 14, 2023.
  22. ^ Krol, Charlotte (June 2, 2021). "Hobo Johnson returns with new single 'I Want To See The World'". NME. London, UK. Retrieved June 2, 2021.
  23. ^ a b Ju, Shirley (June 23, 2021). "Hobo Johnson | 'The Revenge Of Hobo Johnson'". Flaunt Magazine. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  24. ^ a b Augustine, Olivia (October 15, 2021). "Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers take on the Iowa City bar scene". The Daily Iowan. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  25. ^ Hobo Johnson Fanpage (April 21, 2022). "From Reddit 👩‍💻 -SWIPE- Hobo Johnson canceled his Europe tour to focus on school & he doesn't like touring 🚌 He is wearing a University of Texas hoodie 📚 He still has his Subaru Crosstrek 🚗 | | #hobojohnson #lovemakers #peachscone #hoboherd". Instagram. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  26. ^ Hobo Johnson Fanpage (June 12, 2022). "So Hobo Johnson and the Lovemakers are broken up. They took it out of their bios a while ago so it isn't surprising. I wonder what will happen now, is this the end of Hobo Johnson? Frank once said in an interview with MTV that he wanted to make The Rise, The Fall, The Revenge and The Death. If you count Alienates as the Death, this might be the end. His mom said he is working on new music though, so 🤷🏼‍♀️". Instagram. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  27. ^ Finch, Ruth. "Artist spotlight: Hobo Johnson's getting his groove back". The State Hornet. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  28. ^ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  29. ^ Hobo Johnson: Hobo Johnson Drinks - Single az Apple Musicon (in Hungarian), March 27, 2024, retrieved May 4, 2024
  30. ^ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  31. ^ Hobo Johnson: Flood the Earth Again / Jansports - EP az Apple Musicon (in Hungarian), May 3, 2024, retrieved May 4, 2024
  32. ^ "Shows". Hobo Johnson. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  33. ^ Hobo Johnson – You want a baby, retrieved May 4, 2024
  34. ^ Hobo Johnson – What's the AQI of This Bong Rip?, retrieved May 4, 2024
  35. ^ Hobo Johnson – DADS BED, retrieved May 4, 2024
  36. ^ WEIDENBAUM, MARC (June–July 2019). "The Fall & Rise of Hobo Johnson". SacTown Magazine. Sacramento, CA: Metropolis Publishing. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  37. ^ @billboardcharts (September 23, 2019). "Debuts on this week's #Billboard200 (2/2)" (Tweet). Retrieved September 24, 2019 – via Twitter.
  38. ^ "Hobo Johnson | full Official Chart history". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
  39. ^ "Instagram".
  40. ^ "Alternative Airplay: September 14, 2019". Billboard. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  41. ^ "Hot Rock Songs - Week of July 6, 2019". Billboard. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
  42. ^ "Hobo Johnson Goes Jazzy On New Single 'UglyKid' From His Next Album". Cool Accidents Music Blog. July 24, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  43. ^ "Why Hobo Johnson Didn't Try to Cash In on His 'Subaru Crosstrek' Song, Even Though It's 'Kind of Already an Ad'". Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
  44. ^ "NEWS: Hobo Johnson drops new song, 'I Want You Back'!". DEAD PRESS! | It's more than "just music" to us. June 10, 2021. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
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