Comedian A.J. Johnson passed away Monday morning at 56 years old. No cause of death has been released.
A native of Compton, California, his father was a stuntman and a founder of the Black Stuntmen's Association.
Johnson began his acting career by landing a role as E.Z.E. in House Party, after which he started performing stand-up comedy in Los Angeles. He also appeared in Lethal Weapon 3 and Menace II Society.
In rap videos, he was featured in Dr. Dre's "Dre Day", playing Sleazy-E, a parody of Eazy-E. He appeared again as Sleazy-E in the video for Eazy-E's "Real Compton City G's."
His breakout role came in 1995 in Ice Cube's Friday where he played Ezal. He starred in Panther, The Players Club, B*A*P*S, I Got The Hook-Up, Def Jam's How to Be a Player and Repos, and most recently, I Got The Hook-Up 2.
A GoFundMe was established for his homegoing celebration.
“One of our favorite and beloved comedians, A.J. Johnson has gone to be with the Lord,” the fundraiser’s description read. “Please help us by donating for his homegoing service and ongoing support for his children and grandchildren. We want to honor him the way he deserves.”
Details of Johnson’s passing are still developing.
We send our prayers and condolences to his family and friends.
