Artist profile ·
SOTO THE ACTIVIST ORGANIZES THE ROOM, THEN RAPS TO IT
Johnny Soto II’s music grows out of grassroots rooms, local radio and the 13th Floor culture around Underground Voices.
Soto The Activist’s catalog and his community work live in the same rooms.
The Austin MC, born Johnny Soto II, became a fixture at the Underground Voices open mics at the 13th Floor. The Austin Chronicle’s 2026 write-up on “Cody Rhodes” caught the connection: the song shouts out the venue’s 78701 ZIP code while Soto carries that room’s energy into a set of his own.
The room is on the record
Projects like NO CIVILIANS and songs including “CHEAP GAS,” “MILITANT” and “Cody Rhodes” put political language right next to personal stakes and real city detail.
KUTX’s The Breaks brought him through ahead of its 2026 Summer Jam showcase, one more case of local radio, live programming and independent drops feeding each other. For Soto, organizing a crowd and writing for one are the same job.
