Press:

“YMCMB better watch out because our boy Big Cheese is about to take the rap world by storm. Talking about alligator seats with the head in the inside is good and all but that’s just not hot enough. That’s where Big Cheese picks up the slack and makes it sizzle with “Gimme Dat Bacon”.”
@THESPORTSJUDGE - Bacon Sports

“You can say Big Cheese is many things, but he's consistent at being entertaining.”
Matt Reinstetle - The Ledger

“Wow. Wow. If you are a fan of "Bandz a Make Her Dance" by @therealjuicyj AND @Pillsbury Grands biscuits, watch this: http://youtu.be/CQhKSUOOc9w?t=43s”
Aziz Ansari - Comedian/Actor

“Tampa Bay’s award winning Big Cheese is an American rapper who performs hip hop, gaming and parody music. His success started after making a parody called "Gimme Dat Bacon," which had over 800,000 views On YouTube, radio play across the U.S., and is #2 On G4TV's Attack of The Show and Comedy Central’s Tosh.0. His Latest parody “Grands A Make Me Dance” Caught the attention of Aziz Ansari and Pillsbury Today! Aziz tweeted Big Cheese video to his 2.6 Million followers and Pillsbury posted on their Facebook wall of over 2 million fans. Big Cheese having over 95k Fans on his Facebook, 15k Subscribers on YouTube and over 5 million views, Big Cheese can entertain you in more ways than one.”
Kidd Leow - 93.3 FLZ

“Tampa hip hop and parody artist "Big Cheese," aka Jakeem Johnson, distributes his music and videos in a similar way. "I love the fact that I'm able to do my own thing without anybody telling me how to control my music," said Johnson. His hit "Gimme Dat Bacon" have been on iTunes for a few years now. "It's faster for those independent artists and if they have a fan base behind them, why not?" said Johnson. Even though Brea has a small studio, he's keeping the music flowing in a tough economy. Up and coming artists can also take advantage of Brea's recording studio. It's a big selling point because artists get to keep most of the money associated with their songs. ”
Josh Gauntt - Bay News 9

“Last month we asked you to submit the best local commercials that your community had to offer. The local ads that made you stop and think to yourself, "That commercial is The Worst. It should get an award!" You responded by nominating the best of the worst of the best local commercials and we got a treasure trove of talking animals, (badly) animated babies, and the Best. Jingles. Ever. Then you voted on the finalists. Finally our very own Commercial Kings cast their ballots and picked the winners. So who were the big winners in the first ever LoCo Awards? For a complete list, head here, but here are some of the highlights: Best Jingle or Song goes to ... Big Cheese Car Credit:”
Melissa Locker - IFC

“Last month, local hip-hop hero Big Cheese was nominated for Best Original Song or Jingle in IFC’s The LoCos Awards for his Car Credit Tampa commercial. The good news keeps coming for Car Credit Tampa and the Cheese. Following the month-long entry period after June 24 in which fans were able to upload and vote for their favorite local commercials in 10 categories, the Car Credit Tampa commercial featuring Big Cheese was announced as the winner last Wednesday. Car Credit asked Big Cheese to write a song for the spot in May 2011. Impressed by Big Cheese's flow and creativity, they asked him to appear in the ad. Thus, local commercial history and an IFC LoCo winner was born. Big Cheese isn't the only big winner from the Car Credit camp. Their Mini-Credit Superhero commercial, starring a miniature caped crusader who fights bad credit, won in the Best Costume or Mascot category.”
MELANIE WIESEN - Creative Loafing

“BIG CHEESE: Tampa hip-hop artist Jakeem Johnson, aka Big Cheese, has won honors at the first Independent Film Channel LoCo Awards. His parody video for Big Cheese Car Credit was named Best Original Song. The LoCo Awards honor offbeat local commercials made in the spirit of IFC's new series "Commercial Kings," which follows filmmakers Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal as they travel the country making goofy commercials. See the Big Cheese at www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ4-WCfObPk.”
WALT BELCHER - The Tampa Tribune

“Hot off the heels of being nominated for Best Original Song or Jingle in IFC’s LoCo TV commercial awards, Big Cheese has released another sure-to-be viral classic — a fun birthday send-up of Krispy Kreme. In his new video, the local jokester and rapping parody master Big Cheese waxes rapariffic to his "fetish for the glaze," to the tune of "Just a Dream" by Nelly. As usual, the production value is better than your average slap-dash humor vid. In 2009, Big Cheese (a.k.a. Jakeem Johnson, from Tampa) went viral nationwide with his parody of Plies’ "Becky," "Gimme Dat Bacon." With more than 750,000 views on YouTube, the ode to the pork breakfast side has been featured on G4 TV’s Attack of The Show, G4 TV’s Web Soup and Comedy Central’s Tosh.0 Below is his fun new video ... oh, and Happy Birthday, Krispy Kreme!”
JULIE GARISTO - Creative Loafing

“Tampa’s own Big Cheese has been nominated for Best Original Song or Jingle in IFC’s The LoCos Awards. The awards honor the best and bizarre in local late night TV ads and their stars. The star at the helm of Car Credit Tampa’s success is none other than hip-hop artist Jakeem Johnson, better known as Big Cheese. Big Cheese stumbled upon viral-video stardom with his comedic collection of YouTube videos and parodies. Aside from maintaining his booming YouTube Channel, which plays host to a number of hilarious parodies, gaming videos and commentaries, Big Cheese has released several mixtapes and continues to perform live around Tampa. Big Cheese’s latest gig, rapping about car loans and finances in Car Credit’s catchy commercial, landed him The LoCos nomination. You can vote for Big Cheese in the Car Credit Tampa commercial through July 22 at locos.ifc.com. Winners will be announced on July 27, and both finalist and winning businesses will receive an IFC LoCos Awards Med”
MELANIE WIESEN - Creative Loafing

“Big Cheese, This is Nes of Summa Cum Loudly based in Tampa. Just letting you know my artist Mizzori coming for your #1 spot so lace the boot straps. Fan us if you feeling the music and know we should be top 10. Respect, Nes”
Nes of Summa Cum Loudly - Nes of Summa Cum Loudly

“You seen me on G4TV's Web Soup, Attack of The Show and Comedy Central's Tosh.0. Radio Interviews, First hip hop/parody artist to perform at a Krispy Kreme Doughnuts franchise, First Black Artist To Perform At The Tampa Underground Comedy Fest, Number 1 On ReverbNation in My city for 11 straight months and Im STILL Going!”
Big Cheese

“Hey cheese.. I just wanted to take the time to thank you for this video its really a wake up call for me. I'm only 6 years younger than you with high bp. In the last year I've put on 40 pounds from lack of activity, I'm up to 220 or so now and seeing this has made me realize how easily I could be in your position in 6 years. So again I thank you and wish you luck in your health and music goals.”
xinsanefighterx

“I LOVE your music, that show at evolution last friday was so great. best I've been to since I started going to Evolution. ♥”
Karissa Weaver

“Often I text LOL in Facebook or on Twitter, but at the Big Bang Show at Nova 535, I actually did LOL -- and so loudly -- that fellow audience members turned their heads, as well as some of the acts on stage. “I was thinking about them, thinking about me, thinking about how many I’m gonna eat. I open my eyes I was in front of Krispy Kreme…” contestant Big Cheese rapped to the tune of Nelly’s song “Just a Dream.” Big Cheese may have not been the winner of this adult-only variety show, but if I were one of the judges, he definitely would have moved onto the next round. This hysterical St. Petersburg native is a parody rapper with more than 2.7 million page views on YouTube and is referred to as to “the black Weird Al Yankovic.” “And I realize I’m addicted to Krispy Kreme. Every time I wake up and I think about the glaze. I fell in love with them after my first taste.” I guess I’m getting ahead of myself, but honestly I’ve replayed his video so many times I”
Jen Straw - Miss Vi Noy's Social Scene

“Does anyone know how to get in contact with The Big Cheese. Want him to rap at my comedy fest”
Gene May

“hey big cheese im only 14 nd so far hav not done anything close to a gig ecxept rappin in my mirror haha im only 13 but wen i grow up i wana be a rapper lyk u :D cud u post advice on my wall please :) thanks man coz im irish kno any irish rappers ?? i dont :/”
Warren Doyle

“just caught wind of you man from Tv on web soup nice job bro keep up the nice work lovin the songs here so far!!!!!!”
Nic Carroll

“you sir, are a true American hero. your going to be really famous one day dude, and im gonna buy every album you put out! keep up the great work”
Westley Hay

“Hi Big Cheese your just a dream parody (krispy kreme) is one of the best parody song on youtude I've seen. keep up with the good work.”
Chris Murphy

“Cheese i am a huge fan of your music and bacon. I will have to get you this recipe i found for what is called the bacon explosion. keep doin what you are doin providing us with songs that remind us of what is important (to our bellies) and i am glad that wasn't you that got picked up by dog. one of your biggest caucasion fans - jason "bighorn"”
Jason Horn

“ur music is the shit... def 5 times better then that hide ya kids dude. Good luck to u”
Ray Lombardo

“A new Big Cheese video is always a wonderful thing on a Monday morning. It's called Krispy Kreme, and it's a parody of Nelly's Just A Dream. Have at it, dude!”
Jay Cridlin - TBT SoundCheck

“I've always took people telling me "you're weird" as an insult while growing up. I apologize to all of you who told me that because that was the best compliment I've ever received. I love being different. The oddball. That what makes me....me.”
Big Cheese

“The first contestant was Big Cheese himself. As a hip-hop parody artist, he had members of the audience both dancing and laughing. He opened with his song, “Gimme Dat Bacon,” which already has over half a million views on YouTube. As soon as he started performing anyone can see why. His lyrics are hilariously clever and his performance is so high energy; it’s an act that’s fun for anyone to watch and enjoy.”
Heather - Got Jokes? Improv

“‎"The acts finished with YouTube sensation, Big Cheese. His parody songs are always a hit. Hosts Chuck and Gwiggy showed their personal appreciation for his “Return of the Fat” Parody, as well as the audience who were laughing along."”
Got Jokes? Improv

“On the straight and narrow: Johnson gives props to the Christian ministry Young Life for helping him find Christ while he attended Largo Middle School. Youth worker Edward "BeBe" Hobson became a father figure to Johnson and nicknamed him Cheese because he was always smiling. Johnson added the Big part. In 2003, Johnson's friend was fatally shot, and his older brother was shot and paralyzed from the waist down in a dispute over a basketball game. He unleashes his anger in the song I Blame You. Be real, get a deal: Rather than rapping about bling he doesn't have, Johnson spits about real life and believes honesty is the fastest way get to a record deal. In Homeless Thanksgiving, he recounts his family's eviction on the 2005 holiday. "In my opinion, if you put out music and people understand what you're going through, they're going to like it."”
Delia Colon - TBT

“Jokey local rapper and song parody man Big Cheese goes all Weird Al on fellow Tampa rapper Plies with his track Gimme Dat Bacon (in response to Plies’ song Becky): “Belly’s so big I can’t do Yoga / Have two sandwiches with some soda.” Cheese, a.k.a. Jakeem Johnson, will perform Thursday at Skye, and he says high-flying Harlem rapper Jim Jones will also appear.”
Jay Cridlin - TBT Soundcheck

“Over the last couple of weeks, though, we've stumbled across a handful of notable videos starring local musicians that we thought were worth sharing. So here, in the first of a new, occasional (and possibly one-time-only) series, we present a roundup of video news about Tampa Bay music. First up: Big Cheese, above. We're not sure if this qualifies yet as a beef, but the big, cheesy, fun-loving rapper has gone all Weird Al on fellow Tampa rapper Plies. In response to Plies' new single Becky, Big Cheese has put together a pretty entertaining parody called Gimme Dat Bacon. It's pretty amazing that it took us this long as a society to come up with a song about how awesome bacon is, but Big Cheese pretty much nailed it on the head. ("Belly's so big I can't do Yoga / Have two sandwiches with some soda.") Anyway, if you like meat bikinis and extreme close-ups of Oscar Mayer packaging, this video is for you.”
Jay Cridlin - TBT Soundcheck

“Rapper and YouTube provocateur Jakeem "Big Cheese" Johnson has been releasing outrageously creative and funny songs and videos for several years now. The St. Pete native and Riverview resident has compiled a nice YouTube catalog videos and commentaries. Here's Big Cheese talking about Michael Vick signing with the Eagles. Here's Big Cheese dancing to the Black Eyed Peas' Boom Boom Pow. Here's Big Cheese communicating with birds. And he's not afraid to dip into the quirky waters of nerdcore, either -- in 2008, he released a collection of video game-themed songs like You Got Owned and Nintendo/Xbox 360 Is the Ish, which sample music from Gears of War and Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, respectively. His latest work is has been one of his most popular: A Weird Al-style parody of Plies' single Becky called Gimme Dat Bacon. Yes, it's a tribute to the salty, cured breakfast meat. Click here to listen.”
Tampa Bay Times: Soundcheck

“The cable gamer channel G4 threw St. Pete rapper Jakeem "Big Cheese" Johnson over a pork barrel when he found out his parody video, Gimme Dat Bacon, made it on the popular program Attack of the Show Wednesday night. The show, which highlights the latest news in viral Internet humor, video games comics, and other staples of the 18-24 male demographic, aired at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Johnson had just missed his national television debut when he arrived home from his day job as a network administrator. He logged onto his YouTube account and got news from a friend that his homage to breakfast meat and parody of the Plies hit Becky had been on TV. "I went on their Web site to see if it was on there and it was on there!" Johnson said. "It was a big surprise!" The clip features uber-hottie hosts Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn laughing and chatting up Cheese’s humorous video about "pig parts" – as Pereira so eloquently put it.”
Julie Garisto - Tampa Bay Times Sound Check