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 nameWesley Johnson
Also known as2Play, Wesley J, Special T
Born (1977-07-22) 22 July 1977 (age 47)
OriginLondon, England
GenresDancehall, reggae, R&B, hip hop, UK garage
Occupation(s)Musician, record producer, songwriter, rapper
Years active1997–present

Music career

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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]

Discography

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Albums

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  • Back in Business (2019)

Singles

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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

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Wesley Johnson
Born (1977-07-22) 22 July 1977 (age 47)
London, England
DivisionLightweight
StyleBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Karate
Fighting out ofLondon, England
Rankblack belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
black belt in Karate
Mixed martial arts record
Total8
Wins5
By knockout1
By submission4
Losses2
By knockout1
By submission1
No contests1
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

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Professional record breakdown
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

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  1. ^ 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."
  2. ^ "Wesley 2 Play — Discography". Discogs. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  3. ^ a b "2 Play feat. Raghav & Jucxi — Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  4. ^ "MOBO Awards 2004". MOBO Organisation. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Artists unite to celebrate British Asian Music". Wass-Up.com. Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  6. ^ a b "2 Play feat. Raghav & Naila Boss — Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  7. ^ a b "2 Play feat. Thomas Jules & Jucxi D — Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  8. ^ "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!!
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ "2 Play feat. Raghav & Jucxi — So Confused". italiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  11. ^ "Discografie 2 Play". dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  12. ^ Sherdog.com. "Wesley Johnson MMA Stats, Pictures, News, Videos, Biography, and More". Sherdog.com. Retrieved 22 March 2010.
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