Last week, I was fortunate enough to attend the Gospel Heritage Foundation’s Praise & Worship Conference in Jacksonville, FL, which is the vision of Gospel Today’s Dr. Teresa Hairston.

I was a featured speaker on two panels for the youth and college division along with Carla Williams (General Manager of Kirk Franklin’s Fo Yo Soul Entertainment), Monica Coates (author/speaker/industry vet), Asaph Ward (super producer), Grant Jenkins (artist manager/artist development consultant, the point5ive agency) and Myron Butler (artist/songwriter/producer).

On the first panel, we talked about the “new” music industry and how the current industry differs from what it used to be.  And we talked about what it means for people, in both the short-run and long-term.  After a quick break, the second panel featured us sharing more about our unconventional careers in this “new” music industry.  Of course, we had lots of time for Q&A, which is generally my favorite part of any panel discussion.

I can’t recap all the nuggets of wisdom that each of the panelists gave– you shoulda been there. In short, we really tried to equip and challenge people to be better, not just to do “business as usual.”  And the audience was of a perfect age to take it and run with it (cuz some of you “seasoned” saints get so set in your ways!).

I’ve been thinking about the panel discussion since then, and I wanted to share some concepts from it with the general readership of GospelPundit.com.  One thing I wanna stress is that it is not enough to look the part– you actually have to be competent.

The “do-it-yourself” theme of the industry is both a good thing and a bad thing.  It’s good because the playing field is being leveled– anyone can promote, market and further their careers from a home computer.  Trust me, I love it.  However, the unfortunate reality is that, of those who do it themselves, only a handful are actually artists or executives of substance.

Don’t be fooled by the current music industry’s resources, now replete with social networking and opportunities galore… you STILL have to do the work, lest you be found severely lacking when the spotlight is on you.  And don’t think that a bunch of views on your YouTube video automatically translates to album sales, ministry bookings, OR (most importantly) impacted lives.  Remember– your shortcut doesn’t speak for you.  You’ll still have to be a person of substance once your arrive at the destination.

That goes for everyone.  It’s not enough to just “look like one,” whatever the “one” is.  Songwriters need to dig deeper; artists, musicians and producers need to be more creative; executives need to actually be educated in what they’re doing.

This is an age of information– but anyone laboring in the gospel industry needs to be more than just informative, they must be transformative.

So, as you’re carving out your niche in this industry, do the gospel community a favor– be a person of substance and refined professionalism, not just someone who grabbed an opportunity and fooled people into buying your hype.  Do your work, beforehand and during, so that you’re actually contributing to, not just taking from, the Kingdom of God.

Cool?

The latest project from The Anointed Pace Sisters, titled Access Granted, is a collection of music that has utterly snatched my attention from among the other recent releases in my collection.  And I’d be remiss in my duties here if I didn’t urge you to check it out.

With more than masterful production from Alex Asaph Ward, the sisters provide tight and intricate vocal harmonies with powerful lead vocals on every track.  Recorded live recently in Atlanta, Access Granted captures an energy-packed experience well worth a purchase.

After opening with a brief musical overture of some of The Anointed Pace Sisters’ hits over the years (i.e., “Jesus Be A Fence” and “Safety Zone”), the album launches into the melodic “A Friend,” before settling at the beautiful worship ballad “Daily.”

The project moves seamlessly into “Finally,” a jazzy groove with a driving churchy vamp that transitions well into the next track, “Praise And Worship” (one of my personal favorites because of the complex harmonies and intense band hits).

Proving that the ladies can dominate in any genre, they lay their vocals to “Jesus Will (Do It Again),” a track prepped and primed for a traditional Sunday morning worship service, before sweetly finessing the inspiring “It’s My Time To Blessed.”  The album continues to impress through the end, with tracks like “Get In His Presence” and the hit single “If I Be Lifted Up.”

The greatest hurdle that I see the sisters having is one that has less to do with their music and more to do with their artistry– it’s one of branding.  With eight sisters in the group, consumers may have a difficult time connecting with any one of them and, as a result, with the sum of them.  It would be nice to know more about them as individuals, rather than simply as one group.  But as far as the music is concerned (and that’s what I’m actually reviewing here), you won’t want for much more than The Anointed Pace Sisters have given.

As a final note, I want to point out an obvious, but oft-undiscussed trend in our industry.  Gospel consumers don’t always seem willing to make room in the industry for multiple types of similar artists.  Such is the case as it relates to the concept of a group of sisters, with similar tones, who sing in unison, then split into harmony.  The average consumer might say “like the Clark Sisters do?”  But the reality is that we can’t allow any artist to have the corner market on a certain style of artistry, especially when God doesn’t dole out grace in limited portions.  As evidenced by the Clark Sisters, the Pace Sisters, the Nevels Sisters, and others, excellence abounds in our industry, in this particular style.  Let’s support all of ‘em.

*steps off of soapbox*

Buy the album.  You will adore it.  Click here to check it out.

I got a chance to catch-up with Jamiene “J Skills” Thompson, one of the most popular brand-spankin’-new producers in the gospel industry.  And, I was honored to have done so– this is GospelPundit.com’s FIRST interview with producer (but it won’t be the last).

You’ve heard J Skills’ work on George Huff’s latest project (he wrote and produced the hit single, “Don’t Let Go,” along with half of the entire project) and, most recently, on the awesome track, “This Is Me,” on Coko’s new album, The Winner In Me.

I wanted to chat with him NOW (before he gets any bigger… and he will), so that we can all say that we knew him “back in the day.”

‘Nuff intro… here’s J Skills:

*     *     *

EJ:  Hey bro, how are you?

JSkills:  I’m doing pretty good, man.

EJ:  Very good.  Thanks for chatting with me, I really appreciate it.

JSkills:  Oh yeah, yes sir.

EJ:  Folks might say that you’ve blown up in a relatively short time.  I think the question on a lot of folks’ minds is “where did he come from?”  But it may not have been a short journey for YOU, so tell us… where did you COME from?!

JSkills:  Well… *laughs*  It’s funny that you ask.  I’ve been around for a while.  I’ve actually been producing for about 11 years and God just allowed things to happen for me in the past couple of years.  But I’ve been around– producing for 11 years, I’ve written for a lot of different artists.

EJ:  You were a songwriter first?

JSkills:  Yeah.

EJ:  Who were you writing for?

JSkills:  Well, at the time, I was doing a lot of ghostwriting.

EJ:  Oh, wow.

JSkills:  Yeah, for different artists.  And I was singing background as well.  If you know of a guy named Carnell Murrell, I was singing with him and his group when I was a little younger.  And I got my start there for singing.

EJ:  Yeah, I’ve heard of him.  Now, you mentioned ghostwriting and a lot of times, we hear about ghostwriting in hip-hop… is it popular in gospel, too?

JSkills:  Well, in some sense, it is.  Sometimes, as a writer, you don’t get full credit for writing songs.  I won’t name some of the artists, but I’ve been in the studio with different artists, wrritten songs, and never did get any credit for ‘em.

In the early days, when I started writing and doing things, I was young and just wanted a chance to write, so…

EJ:  That had to be discouraging.

JSkills:  It was.  It was very discouraging, you know… being in the studio, writing, and you think people will give you credit or tell others about you, but they don’t.  Or, a year later, you hear the song come out, go buy the CD and your name is not on there.

EJ:  Man!  Knowing that you worked on it?

JSkills:  KNOWING that you worked on it.

EJ:  And hearing your ideas on there.

JSkills:  Right.  Right.  So, I would encourage all producers, writers… whenever you’re working with a known producer or writer, make sure you do a split sheet after everything is completed.  Make sure you handle your business.  Make sure you have your information about who contributed to the song.

EJ:  And that’s unfortunate, that we’d have to do it in gospel for fear that someone is gonna steal your stuff, but it’s real.

JSkills:  Oh yeah.

EJ:  How would you characterize your production style or sound?

JSkills:  I would say definitely a lot of vocal harmonies, very urban… in a sense, there’s a church element to it, but a very urban type of sound.  That’s my sound.

EJ:  And I think you do it well.  A lot of people can’t merge urban with churchy, but some of the stuff you’ve done with George Huff and, most recently, with Coko, you managed to pull the churchy sound into the urban gospel genre.

JSkills:  Thanks.

EJ:  How long does it take you to create a track, from concept to completion?

JSkills:  Well, it depends on how I’m feeling the track.  If I’m REALLY feeling the track, I can do a full track in about 30 minutes.

EJ:  No way!

JSkills:  Yeah.  And just to let you know, George Huff’s lead single, “Don’t Let Go,” that track was done in about 45 minutes.  And after I finished the track, I wrote the song in about 30 minutes.

EJ:  And that’s an awesome song, dude.  I remember hearing it and thinking that it reminded me– and I told George this too– reminded me so much of Kim Burrell’s Everlasting Life album and the work she did with Asaph Ward.

JSkills:  Wow.

EJ:  Yeah, the vocal and musical production of it sounded like that album to me.  And I don’t think anyone was prepared to hear George Huff like that… you kinda brought that outta him, I think.

JSkills:  Alex Asaph Ward is one of my favorite producers.  I have really been influenced by his productions.

EJ:  He does some phenomenal stuff.  I dunno if you saw my interview with George Huff a few weeks ago, but he recounted the story of how you two hooked up– how he blew you off at first and wasn’t too sure about you once he saw your studio set-up…

JSkills:  Right.  Lemme just say this… *chuckles*

EJ:  *laughing*

JSkills:  I had more equipment than he really said I had.  It wasn’t just a computer… *laughing*  Cuz I sure did call him, I said “George, what are you talking about?!” *laughing*  He said it was just a computer and a small mixer, but it was more equipment than that!

EJ:  *laughs*  Thanks for setting the record straight!  What was that experience like for you?

JSkills:  Wow.  It was great.  George is a very comical type of person.  He’s very funny, but he’s also very spiritual.  As far as working with him in the studio, it was great.

Vocally, I just feel like he’s one of the best out there and I feel like a lot of people, in the past, have overlooked his true vocal ability.  The Lord allowed me to pull stuff out of him– it was already there, but I think that when you get a good producer and a good artist together, and they have that chemistry in the studio, magic happens.

EJ:  Absolutely.  And I think that a lot of people, though you’ve been around for a minute, a lot of people took notice of you.  Did that lead to your placement on Coko’s latest project, with the track, “This Is Me?”

JSkills:  Yes and no, in a sense.  We did a song together when she was on George’s project, the song “Destiny.”  I submitted a song to her and God allowed me, at the last minute, to get the song on the project.  She heard it and said “this really fits with where I’m going.”

EJ:  Awesome.  That’s one of my favorite tracks on her album, too.

You just announced on Twitter that you got an endorsement deal.  Can you talk more about it?

JSkills:  Yes, I can.  It’s an endorsement deal in the works with an audio production company.  I’m in the process of getting a deal for the software that they’re releasing this year.  So, God is really blessing me, man.

EJ:  That’s awesome, man.  And for readers who don’t know, what is an endorsement deal and why is it important?

JSkills:  With an endorsement deal, the producer endorses the product and the company allows you to use it.  So, whenever you go somewhere, whether you’re endorsed by a drum company, a keyboard company, or whatever, you use their product for free.

EJ:  Good for you.  Can you tell me what else you’re working on right now?  What’s coming up, where are people gonna start seeing you?

JSkills:  Right now, I’m working on my wife’s project.  For those of you who don’t know, her name is Cassandra and she’s an artist in her own right.  We’re working on her project right now.  And I’m actually submitting some songs and doing some work for The Church Girl, Onitsha.

EJ:  Nice!  Wow, that’s gonna be good.

JSkills:  And then I’ve got some other artists in the works.  Let’s just say that I’m producing and working with an artist that was on Sunday Best.  So you’ll be hearing from her soon.

EJ:  Really?  And you can’t say anything about who it is? *laughing*

JSkills:  *laughing*  Well, I’ll say it like this… I’m actually doing something for TWO people from Sunday Best.

EJ:  Okay, now you’re just teasing people.

JSkills:  *laughs*  I’ll say that one of them is out of Chicago.

EJ:  From THIS season?

JSkills:  From the first season.  But you’ll find out soon enough.

EJ:  *laughs*  Fair enough.  Well, this seems to be your year, where everyone is starting to take note, finally.

JSkills:  Definitely, man.  I just believe that when you’re faithful to God, when you’re a giver, and when you pour out to others, God will bring that blessing back to you.  I really believe that.  When you seek God and stay humble– a lot of producers get to a certain point and don’t stay humble… they change in a lot of different ways.

But I believe, if you really stay the same way that allowed you to GET to that point, and you stay humble,  God will continue to bless you.  And that’s for artists, producers, or whoever you are in the industry.  We have to stay humble because we’re just people who got an opportunity.  There’s always somebody out there that can take our place.

EJ:  That’s the truth.

JSkills:  Especially in gospel music, we have to learn how to fellowship with one another.  It shouldn’t be about competition because we’re building the Kingdom of God.  We gotta show more love, man.

EJ:  I agree.  Listen, man, I’m a supporter in a big way.  I think you’re a good guy, but I also love the music.  I’m following your gift because I think you’ve got a lot going for you and the Lord is going to open many doors for you.

JSkills:  Thanks, man.

EJ:  No doubt.  And thanks for taking the time to chat with me.

JSkills:  Man, I thank you for the opportunity.  And I thank God for you and what you’re doing over there at GospelPundit, man.

EJ:  I appreciate that.  And let’s keep in touch.

JSkills:  Definitely, man.

EJ:  Alright, bye-bye.

*     *     *

So, that’s my chat with J Skills.  I’m thrilled that I got to chat with him because I think God has great things ahead for him… excited to watch the progression.  And some great advice for all of you aspiring producers/songwriters– get your business in order!  That’s real talk.

Visit http://www.myspace.com/producerjskills to connect with J Skills.  And follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JamieneJSkillsT.

What do you think about what he had to say?  Holla at me!

A Clark Family Christmas will be the first project released on the newly formed Karew Records, and is expected to drop on OCTOBER 13.  Shout-out to Neily for keepin’ folks informed (and for the great family photo below).  Other industry execs in attendance included Karew Records General Mgr. Darrell Thompson, Assistant General Mgr. Cynthia Ellis, EMI Gospel’s Marketing Team (Larry Blackwell & Karen Jackson), and Walter Kearney & Paul “PDA” Allen of PAJAM.

Am I buggin’ or is anyone else extremely eager to hear this?! *marking my calendar and savin’ my pennies NOW*

Interesting results… It may be because I used the phrase “hottest production” that you picked the producer with a tremendous amount of… (I promised myself I wouldn’t use this word on the site)… “swag.” But I kinda figured he’d win this poll– his music is bananas.

Excluding producers who are also artists, some of the hottest production in gospel music comes from…

Warryn Campbell - 38 votes (41%)

Aaron Lindsey - 24 votes (26%)

PAJAM - 15 votes (16%)

Asaph Ward - 12 votes (13%)

Kevin Bond - 3 votes (3%)

Cedric & Victor Caldwell - 1 votes (1%)

I don’t think I’m necessarily surprised, though I voted for Aaron Lindsey cuz I tend to think he’s incredibly versatile in his approach.  I think we may be sleeping on the Caldwell brothers, too… they prolly deserved a few more votes.  And are y’all just over Kevin Bond for right now?  He’s quite a mastermind, too.

What did you think?  Anyone that should’ve been added that wasn’t on the list?  Lemme know!

And, head over to the sidebar NOW to vote in the next survey, which asks:

Is it okay for gospel artists to collaborate with secular artists in music?

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This project was Virtue’s last on Verity, but it’s definitely my favorite from them.  And I think almost EVERYBODY Slept On it.

I actually wrote a review for this album at NuthinButGospel.com when it came out in 2003.  I mentioned that I hadn’t been a huge fan of Virtue before, but that THIS album had me talking about them nonstop.  From the vocals, to the production and songwriting, the project is on point and I STILL play it like it just came out.

Production on this one came from PAJAM and Asaph Ward, among others.  Standout tracks for me are “Thankful,” “You’ll Win If You Try,” “Worthy,” “Lord, I Lift My Hands,” “Open Arms,” “Nothing Else I Can Do”… I could go on and on.

I couldn’t embed the full songs from this project, so I’m giving ya two 30-second clips–”Lord, I Lift My Hands” and “Thankful.”  But I reeeaaallly want you to buy this album and listen to the whole thing, cuz… my goodness.

By the way, Karima’s solo project is soon-coming and it sounds goooood. I’ma do a post about it soon.

In the meantime, FESS UP! Who Slept On it? Who has it? Do you love it? Talk to me!

Word has it that The Anointed Pace Sisters are doing another live CD/DVD recording on April 25th in Decatur, GA.  This project, titled Access Granted, will be produced by Asaph Ward and should be in stores in 2010.

I think it’ll be good, but am I the only one hoping that LaShun will make a guest apperance on this album???

Word has it that Lowell Pye (of one of my faaaaaavorite gospel groups, Men Of Standard) is preparing for the release of his long-awaited debut solo project, titled The Beginning.  The album, produced by Asaph Ward, is due in August of this year, with the first single expected to be released in June.

I cannot WAIT!  Anyone else???

I think it was better than the show.  No, for real.  Ask anyone who was there and they may say the same.  MAJOR props go to Damon Williams for putting it all together and looking out for me.  I appreciate you!

I sat with Monique Walker and Asaph Ward and chatted a bit before the program started. The post party was a mini-concert showcasing Donald Lawrence’s upcoming album, The Law of Confession, Part 1, in stores on February 3rd.  He, along with a band and 9 of his phenomenal (and unparalleled) vocalists promptly took to the stage and killed.  No, wait.  They did an awesome job!

See, the theme of Donald Lawrence’s new album centers around what we say, and the impact of those things on the life of the believer.  And one of the things he pointed out was that we need to be mindful of how we use so many negative words, especially in reference to singers and music (i.e., she killed, he’s a beast, the band is bad, that’s crazy).  I know I do it ALL THE TIME… So, I’ma try to stop.

Anyway, he gave a praise and worship experience unlike any other.  His singers are some of the best on the planet, his writing and production left nothing to be desired… some of the greatest artists in gospel music were in that room and everyone was on their feet for every song, holding their jaw-dropped mouths and shaking their heads in disbelief. There was not ONE dull moment and each song floored us all!

As for the content of the songs, two words:  the TRUTH.  I cannot say enough about this project.  The songs are relevant, life-changing and refreshing.  Guys, for real… I cannot articulate the magic of that show, but I walked away feeling SO inspired and SO excited.  Dare I say, this album is not going to be easily topped this year.  YOU MUST BUY IT.

By the time he was done, he had given us 6 or 7 songs– just enough to leave us satisfied for the night, but hungry for more.  In fact, I was starving.  Definitely one of the highlights of my weekend!

Well, it’s just about that time.  Crystal Aikin, the winner of the gospel talent competition Sunday Best (on BET) is fixin’ to release her self-titled debut album (on Zomba Gospel) on January 13, 2009.  Incidentally, it’s the same day as the release from Sunday Best runner-up Shari Addison (also on Zomba Gospel).

With production from PAJAM and Asaph Ward, and a guest appearance from CCM artist (and a favorite of my wife) Natalie Grant, Crystal Aikin’s 10-track album is being described as “a unique combination of Contemporary Gospel music sprinkled with a little jazz and rock.”  Me likes.
As for her motivation, Crystal Aikin says “I am a worship conductor and singing for me has so much purpose.  I don’t play around with it.  We all have gifts and talents. Sometimes we take them places we shouldn’t.  But for me, it is so important to honor my gift and to use it wisely.  I believe that God has put a spiritual anointing on my voice to awaken the spiritually asleep and for deliverance and healing.”

Her first single, “I Desire More,” is produced by Asaph Ward (and you can SO hear it in the background vocal arrangements).  She SINGS this song, showcasing her great tone, impressive range and awesome agility.

Hear a snippet of it here:

And check out more snippets of the full album at Amazon.com by clicking here.

You gonna buy it???