Notable Person from Johnson Houses

1. Dep (Trevell Coleman)

Career: Rapper

25 Trevell Coleman was born on November 19, 1974. His grandmother raised him in the James Weldon Johnson Housing Projects. 24 Better known by his stage name G. Dep (which stands for “Ghetto Dependent”), he is an American rapper from Harlem, New York City. He joined Bad Boy Records in 1998 and released his debut album *Child of the Ghetto* in 2001. 31 He is best known for his hit songs “Special Delivery” and “Let’s Get It.” 30 G. Dep played an important role during Bad Boy’s “Saga Continues” era, being second only to Black Rob as Diddy’s right-hand man. 26 G. Dep released his debut solo album Child of the Ghetto in 2001. Child of the Ghetto peaked at #106 on Billboard 200 and #23 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. 31 At the end of 2023, after serving more than 13 years in prison, G. Dep was shown mercy. With the original prosecutor’s and judge’s support, New York Governor Kathy Hochul granted him clemency. He walked free in April 2024. 31 Coleman now works in music production at SCAN-Harbor, a nonprofit organization serving at-risk children and families in Harlem and the South Bronx. He speaks to young people and shares his story to motivate them to avoid a life of crime.

About Johnson Houses

19 The James Weldon Johnson Houses were finished in Manhattan in December 1948, a collection of ten 14-story buildings housing nearly 3,000 residents on nearly 12 acres of land. 2 The development is named after James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938), a poet and civil rights leader who played a vital role in the civil rights movement as a poet, teacher, diplomat, and NAACP official. He is perhaps best remembered as the lyricist for “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the poem that is often referred to as the Black national anthem. From 1916 to 1930, he was the key policymaker for the NAACP. Johnson Houses is located in Manhattan’s Spanish Harlem.

My search primarily found G. Dep as the most prominently documented celebrity who grew up specifically in the Johnson Houses. While many notable figures have come from East Harlem and the broader NYCHA system in New York City, the documentation specifically linking other celebrities to the Johnson Houses development appears to be limited in available sources.

James Weldon Johnson Houses (often called Johnson Houses) is a NYCHA public housing development in East Harlem, Manhattan, consisting of ten 14-story buildings completed in 1948.11

The most prominently mentioned famous or notable people associated with it are boxer Héctor “Macho” Camacho and rapper G-Dep (G. Dep). Comprehensive lists of NYC housing projects and notable residents (such as a 2013 Complex article) highlight these two; broader searches of East Harlem notables and specific queries for residents of the Johnson Houses did not turn up additional widely famous figures in entertainment, sports, or other fields. A longtime community activist, Ethel Battle Velez, was also a dedicated resident leader there for decades (the community center was renamed in her honor), but she is more of a local figure than a celebrity.12

Here is brief information on the main two:

• Héctor “Macho” Camacho (1962–2012): Born in Puerto Rico, he moved to New York City as a young child and lived in the Johnson Houses with his mother. He became a flamboyant, highly popular professional boxer and three-division world champion (super featherweight, lightweight, and junior welterweight). Known for his exceptional hand speed, flashy style, trash-talking, and showmanship, he fought legends including Roberto Durán, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Julio César Chávez. He was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and remained a cultural icon in Puerto Rican and Latino communities until his death by shooting in 2012.13
• G-Dep (Trevell Gerald Coleman, born 1973), also known as G. Dep: He grew up in the Johnson Houses (raised largely by his grandmother) and was part of the East Harlem hip-hop scene. Signed to Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Bad Boy Records, he released the 2001 album Child of the Ghetto, which featured the hit single “Special Delivery” (and a remix with P. Diddy). His music career was interrupted when he confessed in 2010 to a 1993 murder he had committed outside the Johnson Houses during a robbery attempt; he was sentenced to 15 years to life. While incarcerated he became involved in advocacy and reflection; his sentence was later commuted and he was released in 2024. He has discussed his upbringing in the projects in his music and a memoir.14

These individuals are the primary ones tied to the development in public coverage of notable NYCHA residents. Like many NYC housing projects, Johnson Houses has produced many residents who contributed to their community, even if they did not achieve widespread fame. Local history and resident stories often surface on community pages or in reporting on East Harlem.