Duane Johnson, Jr., also known as Defari, is a West Coast hip hop artist. Primarily, he is a solo artist, additionally he is a member of the Likwit Junkies, a rap duo with DJ Babu of Dilated Peoples. He was born at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He attended the University of California, Berkeley. He began DJing as a young kid in 1982. He was more focused on emceeing, and by 1995, released his first single "Bionic" on Oakland based ABB Records. With the help of E-Swift of Tha Alkaholiks, by 1999, Defari recorded his first album, Focused Daily released on Tommy Boy/Warner Bros. Records.

Defari taught world history and geography at Inglewood High School in Inglewood, California, and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master's degree from Columbia University in New York City.