Word has it that gospel girl group Zie’l has FINALLY returned to the studio this week, prepping for their new album.
I think it’s gonna be dope– I remember that they were planning to work with PAJAM (who will be great for them) and they’ve had some time to really plan their direction and focus in on the type of group they wanna be.
I’m ready. You?
Famed and legendary gospel vocalist Karen Clark Sheard returns to the marketplace with her newest solo project, All In One, tomorrow, April 6th.
I want to start out and by being verrrry clear– the album is NOT in the same style, musically, as her heralded solo debut, Finally Karen. So, don’t expect that type of project.
Fortunately, you won’t be disappointed– the project absolutely stands strongly on its own. In fact, I may go so far as to say that it is one of my favorite solo albums from Karen Clark Sheard to date… it’s just a lil’ different.
With production from her son, J Drew Sheard II, and her cousin, J Moss, the album definitely offers a more contemporary/urban vibe, as a whole, than her previous projects. But it works well, as Karen Clark Sheard, one of the greatest vocal influences across genres of the music biz, commands in-the-pocket performances on each of the album’s 11 tracks.
All In One opens with the single “Prayed Up,” which continues to gain airplay at radio across the nation. I loved it from the moment I heard it, though I must admit that it is not the strongest track on the album. The single is followed by the energetic “Hold On,” before landing at the quartet-reminiscent “Blessings.” Karen soars on its vamp as the background vocals just repeat a heart-resounding “thank ya.”
The project then moves to what may be my favorite song on the album, “I Made A Choice.” The track is urban in all of the right ways– a soulful melody laid over a great beat with straightforward instrumentation… and another killer vamp. It’s got such a mellow vibe to it that you’d almost think it was her daughter, Kierra Sheard, laying the smooth vocals. Up next is “Take Me,” a catchy song that does, in fact, feature her daughter, Kierra, along with niece Angel Chisholm, daughter of Jacky Clark Chisholm.
From there, the album continues– great tune after great tune– with solid performances on “Good,” “Because Of You,” “Crazy Praise,” and the musical ear candy offered on the PAJAM-produced “What He Did.” The album slows again with Karen’s duet with sister Dorinda Clark Cole on “He Knows” before the album wraps up with “Have Your Way.”
I would be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that, in listening, I had a couple of moments where I hoped the next track would be a good ol’ churchy tune like “I Couldn’t Tell It If I Tried” or “Heaven.” But, I’m rather glad there weren’t any to be found. The project is a cohesive unit on its own… an awesome urban addition to her solo library, replete with great songs, great production and staggering vocal performances, “all in one.”
Again, the project drops tomorrow, but you can click here to click here to pre-order
This is from a few months ago, but it still blessed me “on today.” LOL
Check out J Moss singing “Rebuild” from his latest project, Just James. And don’t laugh at how Clifton Davis says “PA-JAM” in the beginning, either. *giggling*
Whatcha think?
Word has it that Isaac Carree isn’t the only gospel artist taking submissions from aspiring musicians via Blazetrak.com.
Paul “PDA” Allen of the hit-making production camp PAJAM recently created a profile on the music site, in which he requests submissions from male and female artists, as well as songwriters.
PAJAM has gotten award-winning placements and production work on albums across music genres, for everyone from N’Sync and Destiny’s Child to Karen Clark Sheard and Shirley Caesar. If you’ve got an opportunity to partner with them, or at the very least, get some feedback about your craft, you should prayerfully consider it… it might be a worthwhile investment.
Whatd’ya think???
On Friday, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the offices of EMI Gospel, where the INCOMPARABLE Karen Clark-Sheard visited with the execs of the company to share some music she’s been working on. (I also interviewed her, so check back here in a couple of hours to read what she had to say in our one-on-one!)
After she shared a bit about her heart, her vision and her new label (Karew Records), she played some tracks for us– REALLY GOOD STUFF.
Some info about the album…
The upcoming album, her fifth solo project, is titled All In One. Her daughter, Kierra Sheard, came up with the title as a way to represent all that her mother does– she’s a wife, a mom, an artist, a pastor’s wife, and now a label president… and she wears each hat well.
Karen played several tracks for us and all were really good. “Take Me,” which features her daughter, Kierra, and her niece, Angel Chisholm (Jacky’s daughter), has a sort of urban/acoustic feel to it. Her son, JDS, produced the track and it captures a great performance from all three ladies.
The styles of music are varied, but she handles each genre well. For example, “Never Let Me Go” is a strong praise & worship track, while another tune, ”Crazy Praise,” starts with an urban vibe before going straight churchy. A sure favorite for the album will be “He Knows,” which is written by J Moss and features Dorinda Clark-Cole. It’s kinda got an ol’ skool soul vibe to it. “What He Did” is J Moss-written, PAJAM-produced, and has so much ear candy that you’ll wanna repeat it just to make sure you didn’t miss anything.
The single from the album, which has hit radio as of last week, is “Prayed Up.” It’s got a tight sound and is written by Karen & her son, JDS.
AS IF that wasn’t enough, Larry Blackwell (VP of EMI Gospel) convinced Karen to do a little impromptu performance in the board room. She kinda tossed out the first verse of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” like it was NOTHING, but managed to leave all of us speechless. I tried to clap for her, but I was all late… mesmerized and what not. LOL
In any event, that’s the deal on the album. It’s expected to drop in early 2010, so save up NOW. It’s Karen Clark-Sheard… it’s worth it.
Major shout-out to Ken Pennell, Larry Blackwell and Cameron Hilson for the invitation and hospitality. Thanks also to Karen Clark-Sheard & Cynthia Ellis for sharing with me.
Word has it that Y’Anna Crawley, the winner of BET’s hit talent competition Sunday Best, is workin’ with the hit production group PAJAM in preparation of her debut project.
Umm… that’ll be hot, no?
J Moss and Paul “PDA” Allen sent me this remix of J’s first single, “I Gave It Up” and I knew I wanted to share it with you guys.
The remix features PDA and PAJAM artist Chris Clark (you’ve heard him flow on other PAJAM-produced projects, including 21:03′s “Time 4 A Change”).
I’ve added it to the PunditPlayer!
Click here to listen and lemme know what you think…
I was very blessed to have an open, honest convo with the staggeringly gifted J Moss.
His newest project, Just James, is due in stores this coming Tuesday (the 25th). It’s his most transparent to date, I think (click here to read my full review) and I urge you guys to buy it when it hits stores.
In this interview, I didn’t hold back and neither did he… he’s a great guy whose sincerity doesn’t end with his music. No need for intros… here’s the one and only J Moss.
* * *
EJ: Hello!
JM: EJ!
EJ: *laughs* How’s it going, man?
JM: Man, I’m absolutely wonderful!
EJ: That’s a good way to be. I really appreciate you for taking a minute to chat with me.
JM: No doubt.
EJ: Well, let’s jump right to it by talking about this new album, Just James. I think it’s incredible.
JM: Do you, man? C’mon EJ! C’mon, man. Go’n and be real with your boy! Let’s have a real session.
EJ: For real! I’m tellin’ you… and I said it in my review. I’m pretty sure that I love it more than any other album you’ve done. You have a way of taking pretty familiar ideas and just makin’ them completely different, completely fresh and completely relevant.
I mean… it made the car. And when we put a CD in the car, that means it’s something special.
JM: You sound like me. *laughs* Yeah! If it can make the car, it works. So, okay, I’m talking to real folk right now. Ok, I’m good! *laughs*
EJ: *laughs* Talk to me about this project– what does it mean for you?
JM: Awww, man… God’s heart. If I can put it in two words– it’s God’s heart. The first record, I was hungry, I was a rookie. I just wanted to be out there. I had a great machine behind me with Vicki Mack & GospoCentric, and PAJAM. And it took off. And I thank God for them because it was really the truth.
EJ: Sure.
JM: But then the next record, V2, was coming off of the success of V1. So, now I’m feelin’ myself. I’m calling all my friends– I got Steve Harvey, Anthony Hamilton, the list goes on. Great record– live strings, live band, all kinds of stuff. But that was MY record.
THIS record, V3, is God’s record. It’s the heart of God. It was probably the record I was supposed to do first. But, it didn’t happen that way. And I can really say that I’ve moved J outta the way, PDA [Paul "PDA" Allen] was able to move himself out of the way, and we just allowed God to quarterback and drive the whole thing.
EJ: Yeah.
JM: And every song, every chorus, every lyric, every stanza was just straight from the heart of God and I’m just glad I was able to nail it with His help.
EJ: Most definitely. Do you have a favorite track on this album?
JM: Man… so many at so many different times. Most of my life right now is dedicated to “Restored,” y’know? It’s portrayed through that song on many facets– financial has been restored, strength has been restored, personal issues at the crib and stuff, that’s restored.
And then, spiritually, when we fall off, God can restore you back to His good graces, so I think “Restored” says the most to me.
EJ: Quick question, outta curiousity: did you write “Anointing” for the Clark Sisters?
JM: No. No, actually I didn’t.
EJ: It sounds soooo much like them to me, especially at the end, when you close it out with “the anointing.” It sounds just like something Twinkie [Clark] would do.
JM: Oh, dude! It was definitely in TRIBUTE to Twinkie.
EJ: *laughs*
JM: I love Nat King Cole and I’ve always wanted to do a loungy, big band, big ballad kinda joint. And I said “I wanna kinda take a little bit of Twinkie’s vibe,” which is in me anyway because of the bloodline, “and mix it with a ‘We Must Praise’, Nat King Cole kinda thing and see what we come up with,” and there it was, you know? But it was not written for the girls, it was actually written for me.
EJ: I love it. Listen, I want to, respectfully, talk about what’s happened over the past year or so for you, because it seems to provide a strong basis for really understanding your album. And I think that if people get that, then the healing that is in this album is more apparent and potent.
JM: Absolutely.
EJ: By now, many people know that there was an extramarital affair that took place, and that a child was conceived from that. When I reported what was happening, I wanted to preempt the rumors and kinda stop people from condemnation. And I said, “guys, don’t knock him, just cover him and his family in prayer because that’s the best thing we can do right now.”
JM: Right.
EJ: But one thing that I said at the time is that your music talked about, or kinda foreshadowed, these struggles and these temptations… like on “Livin’ 4″ and “Florida,” your lyrics talked about how rough it is. Were those songs real for you?
JM: Not at the moment. They were just me being a great writer. A lot of that stuff wasn’t necessarily where I was, it was just me being able to paint the picture. God has given me that gift.
EJ: Absolutely.
JM: But when it actually happened, you get the Just James project. You can feel the heart. It’s not just a story going forth– it’s you. So, I think that when I went through that affliction, it beefed up everything.
I think the writings, at the time, were more prophetic than anything else. With “Livin’ 4,” I was just coming into the game. But after I went through it… And a lot of what I went through, EJ, was my OWN doing. This wasn’t peer pressure, it wasn’t industry pressure… it wasn’t groupies flocking around. This was just J Moss feelin’ himself.
EJ: Wow.
JM: PERIOD. This was simply coming off of “We Must Praise,” being a big dawg, V2 over 100,000 [units]… this was just J being “the man.” Being told he was fine every day, being told he was sexy every single day, being told that people wanted him to be their baby’s daddy… you know? EVERY DAY. You think the R&B people have it hard? The gospel people do too.
EJ: I know it.
JM: So, I began to move further and further away from Christ, and got further and further involved with those temptations. And it led to that situation. And I have to tell you– when I get up now to talk about it, a lot of people say “J, you’re talking too much, we’ve moved on, we’re good.” And I say “nah, man. There are people out here DYING from this stuff.”
EJ: Absolutely.
JM: The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, but I gotta get up and tell people that the wages of sin almost KILLED me, in terms of suicidal thoughts. I was plotting it out, thinking it out… all kinds of depression. I was going through the scrutiny in the media, the blogosphere, everywhere… that stuff was rough!
And when we sin, we chip away at salvation. Every time, we KILL something– we kill faith, we kill credibility, we kill relationships, we kill families… every time, we kill a piece of something.
I realized that people who are not going to Bible class, or to church on Sunday morning, will listen to me at a concert because they love me or they love my voice. So, NOW is my chance to say “you know what? Now that I’ve got your attention, let me tell you what’s really real. Let me stop making you feel good all the time, and let me tell you what’s real.”
EJ: Amen.
JM: It’s been a great ride. I know that’s sort of a paradox, but it’s been a great ride. Very painful, but it’s been gratifying to know that my ministry has been propelled to a different level.
EJ: I hear that. Someone told me, recently, that conflict is just an opportunity, if we can embrace it as such. There’s something to learn from everything.
JM: Yeah.
EJ: Lemme ask you– would you have talked about what you went through had it not been publicized? For you, we saw newspaper reports where a woman was coming forward, charges were being filed in courts… but there are other artists in gospel who are doing the same dirt. They just haven’t been exposed in that way.
JM: Yep.
EJ: Would you have embraced this reality? Would you have talked about it, had it not been publicized?
JM: Well, I’ma be real with you. I tell my wife every day, I say “babe, had it not made the paper, I would’ve never said a word.” You know?
EJ: Wow. That’s real.
JM: For one, I didn’t want to leave that lifestyle because it felt good. And, you know, people say “affair” and they think it was some long-term thing. This wasn’t that. It was something that I got caught up in. But I wasn’t afflicted until it became public.
So, I feel like it was GOOD that it came out like it did because had it not, I wouldn’t have been able to learn His statutes even better. I don’t think I would’ve stopped because I was enjoying what I had.
EJ: Yeah.
JM: But being broken from that– when God broke the chains and broke me from it, I see the importance of making sure I stay on top of it and remain verbal about it. And to say it over and over again.
EJ: Absolutely. How much of this album had you finished before all of this broke… I mean, the album is transparent and reflective, but what direction were you going in? How much of this album had you done before and what did it sound like?
JM: None really. With the exception of a few choruses or some unfinished stuff that we had, I think “God Happens” maybe, but other than that, nothing.
Everything about this project– it’s not dedicated to that situation, but it’s just a celebration of actually being down in the valley, down in the slums, and being able to somehow claw your way out of it and get back to being a person again, back to being a vessel again.
EJ: That’s powerful.
JM: Yeah. Because I gotta tell you– when I was down there, I felt like “why bother?” And that’s why I wanted to kill myself– it was like “ok, all is lost… all is over, I can’t recover from THIS.” And there’s so many people out there going through the same stuff. And that’s what God showed me in that affliction– He said “what you’re feeling right now is who I need you to speak to. I’m going to put you back on your platform, back on the market, to now tell people who won’t listen to anyone else.”
EJ: How are you maintaining this newfound perspective or this clarity? Do you have accountability partners in place? How do you prevent a “V2 mindset” from happening again?
JM: It’s effortless, man. Effortless. Once you go through a deliverance process like I did, the taste I had in my mouth for certain things is just simply gone… where I am, how I greet people now… I’m just very cautious about my anointing, who I hang with, who I walk with. Having to almost have LOST it all, it gives me that much more drive to do this right.
I’m a lover a righteousness and I’m trying to stay on this horse and do it right.
EJ: That’s great, man. One more question on this topic before we move on– we talked earlier about other artists going through similar stuff. It’s not just “the talented J Moss” who fell prey to something… it’s more common than that, where other artists are finding themselves in the same situations. RECENTLY. It’s just not in the newspapers yet. And maybe it won’t be.
But having gone through that, how would you now petition OTHER gospel artists to govern themselves? What is your word to the wise?
JM: Learn from me. I always say this– my brother, 3 years older than me, went through so much stuff that it actually shaped me into a better dude. I knew what not to do because I wanted to avoid those consequences.
So, hopefully, I can be that beacon for them. I’d tell people “you may be in something, it may feel good, but God sees and knows all. When He’s fed up, He’s gonna come and get you.”
EJ: Wow.
JM: So my prayer is that you can use your big brother, your little brother, whoever might be reading… and use me as an example. You can even call my name if it helps you– “I don’t want to be another J Moss.” And you DON’T.
You don’t ever wanna go through what I had to go through with my wife… telling her and seeing her reaction. You don’t ever wanna have to go through what I read daily on the internet screens, y’know, after giving so much to people. You don’t ever want to have to go through people looking down their noses at you as much as I had to. And you don’t ever want to fall out of grace with God.
So, if you can, use your boy’s life as an example and get out. Walk away. It’s not worth it. You’re hurting way too many people and it’s not a good feeling. But thank God for victory.
EJ: Dude. Amen to that. Good stuff. Hey, you’re on Twitter now. You enjoying it?
JM: Yeah! I’m afraid of the internet– and I know that God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear– but the human side of me is very leery and hesitant about the internet because of what I went through. I can’t even Google a movie without feeling like I might see my name pop up and see something negative. That’s how much I was scarred.
EJ: Aww, man.
JM: But on the other hand, it’s been good. I can honestly say that people have really shown love– people like you and other sites, pastors, well-wishers… everyone has just embraced me and said “we’re good.” It’s still a bit of a struggle, but it feels great to be back.
EJ: Well, we’re glad you’re back, man. Any tour plans in the works for this album?
JM: We’ve got a promotional run that’s on the website at InsideJMoss.com, we’re closing up the tour I did with CeCe [Winans] with McDonald’s– we’ve got one more date for that in DC, and that’s just been crazy, man.
EJ: Yeah?
JM: Every night– sharing my testimony with people. And GUYS… lemme tell you, EJ. It was prophesied to me that the trajectory of my ministry would now be at the hearts of MEN– strong men. And that’s who I’ve seen coming up to me after each show or writing in… saying that they’ve been delivered or that they feel better about where they are because of my situation.
So, I just thank God. I’m sitting on top of the world right now. And I don’t say that with arrogance… I’m saying it in a spiritual sense. God has me on something else and I absolutely love it.
EJ: That’s great. I’m so glad to hear that, man. What else? You did Gospel Dream a second time around on Gospel Music Channel… how was it for you, especially compared to last year with Melinda Watts?
JM: Well, I think that what the producers tried to add– with the boot camp, the on-screen sessions with the professionals, the TV portion– all of that was great. I think they really stepped up the show.
EJ: Sure.
JM: Talent-wise, I think it’s just like [American] Idol or Sunday Best. You’re gonna have some years where the talent is through the roof, and you’ll have some years where you have to go with what you’ve got and maybe the talent is not as good as the previous year. I think everyone on the first year that I did it– they were just phenomenal.
And that’s not to slight any of the contestants from this year– they were all good in their own right. I think the winner this year was actually the real winner.
EJ: Yeah, I like him… Tony LeBron.
JM: But I enjoyed it– just to be apart of something like that. Especially in the midst of what I was going through at the time, for them to still back me and say “we’re still gonna use J… we heard he’s accountable and doing what he’s supposed to do, he’s gotten right with his church, his pastor still endorses him” (because I did what I was supposed to do by my church and the Church Of God In Christ). I just thank God that He sustained my TV contracts and my tour contracts, my record contracts… man, it couldn’t be any better.
EJ: That’s a beautiful thing. Man, I am honored that you took the time to speak with me. And thank you for your honesty and your candor. I really believe lives will be set free through your album and your ministry.
It really speaks to the scriptures that say that the steps of a good man are ordered by God, and that all things work together for good… I bet that if someone told you back in October that all of this would work systematically for God’s glory, you probably wouldn’t have believed it.
JM: Right! Yeah! *laughs*
EJ: But, I thank God that He’s all about glorifying Himself through all things.
JM: And you know, man, I’m just assignment driven. I wanna say to your readers– well, to you first of all– thank you. You have been more than helpful in supporting me and letting the public know “hey, we’ve got J’s back, we’ve got PAJAM’s back.” Words cannot express enough how much I appreciate that, man.
Plus, one of the things that helped smooth out the rough edges for me– I have GREAT people around me. I can’t say enough about the PAJAM crew who did not justify what I did, didn’t condone what I did… PDA and Walter [Kearney] are my big brothers, they’re older than me, so I had to take my beatings from them. But at the same time, they covered me.
EJ: Good!
JM: They kept my spirits up because they saw me fall into that state where I wanted to take myself out. People like that, and then my siblings… and my LOVELY wife who, I mean… the interview wouldn’t be appropriate if I didn’t mention that SHE is the one who, ultimately, helped me out of depression.
She is the one who came to me and said “hey, I’m gonna stay with you, honey, even if it’s against my own carnal better judgment… the Lord told me to stay with you because I see where your ministry is going to go. God has spoken to me.” She spoke with my pastor, we prayed together…
EJ: That’s encouraging to hear.
JM: We just have a wonderful, lovely marriage, man. My children love me… and I don’t talk about that much because I don’t want people to go and take that the wrong way, but I just thank those who are responsible for encouraging me and keeping me uplifted.
EJ: That’s real. God is a restoring God, for sure.
JM: Yeah.
EJ: Well, definitely keep in touch, man.
JM: You got it. Thanks, man. Now can I get up on the TwitterRoll? Can I get up on the TwitterRoll, dawg?! *laughing*
EJ: *laughs* You’re on the TwitterRoll, no?! I’ma make sure you’re on it. And I’ll tell some folks to follow you today, cuz I know you just got on.
JM: Yeah, I just got on it.
EJ: Alright.
JM: Ok, cool. Thanks man.
EJ: No doubt.
JM: I’ll holla at you.
EJ: Cool.
* * *
So how about that?! I’m tellin’ you– bump what you heard… good guy, for real. He’s not perfect, but he definitely ain’t claiming to be. And I think he’s in a good place. PRAY FOR HIM and his family, ok?
And make sure you stay connected with him at http://www.InsideJMoss.com and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/InsideJMoss.
And uhhh… what did you guys think of the interview?
I took a minute to chat with Melinda Watts, the 2008 Gospel Dream winner who’s quickly become a rising star to watch.
Her highly anticipated debut project, People Get Ready, is in stores TOMORROW (you’ll recall my full review of it last week– click here if you missed it).
In this one-on-one interview, Melinda shares who she is, how she feels about her first album, what her process has been like, and lots more.
Here’s Melinda…
* * *
EJ: Melinda!!!
MW: Hi!!
EJ: Thanks for taking a minute to chat with me. I know you’re busy EVERYWHERE these days.
MW: Not a problem. I couldn’t wait to do it!
EJ: Ok, well let’s do this. Your debut album, People Get Ready, is in stores on Tuesday, the 28th. You excited?
MW: I am SO excited. I’m a little nervous, but I’m more excited than nervous.
EJ: Why nervous?
MW: I think I’m nervous because, you know… everything has happened so fast. And I think it’s just a big undertaking. You never know what to expect, with so many projections. I just wonder if people will be blessed by the record. So, I’m a little nervous to be an official “artist.”
EJ: I understand that. Well, I’ve heard the project, of course, and it’s a favorite in my household already. I mean, you’ve even made the cut for the car. And you know… if we take a CD to the car… cuz everybody can’t go. That’s all I’m sayin’.
MW: Oh wow! *laughs*
EJ: *laughing* But to me, it’s an album that builds bridges because it has something for both the gospel consumers AND the CCM marketplace. Was that your focus?
MW: It was. I’m definitely a CCM lover, a gospel music lover, and a country music lover. And those are all things that make me up as an artist, or psalmist. So, I didn’t wanna pigeon-hole myself, even though I was advised by so many people that I had to choose.
And that’s the beauty of working with the team that I have. They really let me express myself the way I’ve wanted to. And that’s what I felt, so I really hope people enjoy it.
EJ: Excellent. What’s your favorite track on the album?
MW: It varies from week to week, but overall, my favorite song is “Faith.”
EJ: Why?
MW: Because I think that song ministers to me on different levels. It keeps me focused on where I believe God wants me to go. And so I love that song because it makes me believe, regardless of how things are going.
You know how the industry can be– up and down, unsure, ever-changing. That song keeps me focused on the main thing, which is Christ.
EJ: That’s a great perspective. And it’s great when the music blesses the artist first. Your single, “So Good,” is blowing up at radio and on Gospel Music Channel’s video rotation– talk to me about that song.
MW: I wrote that song and Freddy Washington, Jr. produced it. He and I collaborated in writing it. It was my testimony about being able to have my daughter. The doctor said that I would not be able to have children and when I found out that I was pregnant, that’s the song that God gave me!
And to have that song be the first song… it was like, “wow, God… I know this is You.” It’s just a celebration of what God has done in my life. And the fact that I wrote it was another exciting thing, too.
EJ: What a tremendous blessing. Your daughter is still a baby– how do you find the time?!
MW: It’s very hard. It’s hard being a mommy, a wife, a mentor, and now an artist. It’s challenging to find a balance, but God is good.
EJ: Awesome. Now you’ve got a little of everybody working on this project. You mentioned Freddy Washington, Jr. (out of Philly), but also Bernie Herms, Aaron Lindsey, PAJAM… how does a new artist like you get such a great team of producers on board?
MW: *laughs* You know, I don’t know.
EJ: *laughing*
MW: *laughs* Honestly, I really did want to work with all of those producers. And Gospel Music Channel is a network that strives to produce programming from all types of gospel. So being a part of that family, having Gospel Dream and the coaches and judges, I was exposed to Bernie Herms and J Moss. From the start, that was my heartbeat anyway, so it was a perfect match.
I was available to these people, I got to sit and chat with them and share my heart about what I wanted to do. I developed relationships with them and I said “I want a hybrid record.”
EJ: I like that term. A “hybrid” record.
MW: Yeah. I didn’t want the status quo, I really wanted it to be what I felt God wanted it to be. And I think I got that. I just feel so grateful because it is not commonplace. But God allowed my record company, Razor & Tie, to give me so much freedom… they were literally like “do your thing.”
EJ: Awesome! See, now a lot of gospel artists are gonna try to run to Razor & Tie. *laughing*
MW: *laughs* I think it may have been, like… user-specific because that’s really me. It wasn’t like I was trying to formulate some gimmick– do CCM and gospel– no, it really is what I believe. I believe I have an audience in CCM and it will come in time.
But I think it was God’s divine providence that I would be able to do that and that my label saw that.
EJ: You mentioned Gospel Dream and I wanna step back for a minute– you won Gospel Dream on Gospel Music Channel last summer. In terms of recording and releasing your album, has it been “smooth sailing” from that time until now?
MW: Ummm… No, it has not. One of the biggest challenges was that there was so much to do in so little time.
At the time, I didn’t have a deal even though I had won. And I had my management team saying “let’s get it crackin’,” but it was kinda hard because of the way the industry is right now.
I had a very prominent gospel label turn me down because they didn’t believe… well, I guess they didn’t want to take risks and I was a financial risk. Somebody like me, they didn’t think it would be… well, I don’t know what their reasons were.
But it was God’s will that I would be at a label that wasn’t a gospel label… one that did NOT have “gospel-itis.”
EJ: LOVE IT! *laughs*
MW: And they believed in me. And I appreciated that. So, it was not smooth sailing, but it was all worth it. When God has something to say over your life, it doesn’t matter who says “no.”
And lemme just say this: recording was smooth sailing. Putting the album together… I did the whole record in two and a half or three weeks.
EJ: Wow. Had you had much experience in gospel music before that?
MW: You know, that’s the thing. Because I didn’t come from a strong musical background in my family, I wasn’t the musical girl. I went to school, college… I loved to sing, but I never did the music circuit like that.
So, when I did Gospel Dream, it was like a speeding bullet. I went from just being a regular person doing praise and worship at my church, to being a person on the stage with major artists. That was a BIG adjustment and I felt like “are you serious?!”
EJ: So, you had to jump in, learn it and operate in it all at once.
MW: Immediately! And that was a BIG adjustment. I didn’t even have time to be starstruck. It was like “we’re doing this.” And I had to become an artist in a hurry and that’s something that many people don’t know about me.
EJ: That’s wild. Melinda, what would you say to someone who’s thinking about going to one of these talent competitions– we’ve got Gospel Dream, Sunday Best, American Idol– what would you say to someone who thinks it’ll be a ticket to stardom once they win?
MW: No… no.
EJ: *laughing*
MW: *laughs* I would say you have to research who’s behind everything– it’s true: money makes the world go ’round. Whoever funds it, owns it. And that’s something you need to know. You’ve gotta know the business and that’s one thing, I thank God, that I had done.
I really researched what different terms meant, contract-wise. Have a good team, good management. Don’t just go in there thinking you’re about to be a star. Honestly… you’re the LEAST of them.
EJ: Yeah.
MW: And what I mean by that is that we’re going to SERVE. I don’t feel like a star. I feel like… man, I’m called to serve.
I feel that so much more now than ever. I feel like the responsibility… *voice breaking a bit* Oh, my God, EJ, I think I’m about to cry! Okay… I feel the responsibility, the blessing that He’s given me to serve and to use that platform for what it’s about. It’s not about me and I know we say that a lot, but I really feel like… man, this is serious business here.
EJ: Sure. And you know, people go to these auditions, they sign away SO much in that little release form, and they think it’s a straight shot to the record deal, the photo shoot and all of that. They have no idea what they’ve given away for the long term, and then, they wanna be disappointed.
MW: And that’s why you need a good team– you need a good attorney. In the climate of the industry, you need a good foundation and a good support system.
EJ: Amen. Well, I haven’t done this in a while, but I wanna do a couple of getting-to-know you questions. Cool?
MW: Yeah, no problem.
EJ: Okay, fill in the blanks. Most people wouldn’t believe it, but Melinda Watts is ____________________.
MW: Oh wow! This isn’t something I have to do in 5 seconds or something, is it?
EJ: What? No. *laughs*
MW: Most people wouldn’t believe it, but Melinda Watts is timid. I’m very shy. I’ve gotten a lot better since Gospel Dream, but I’m really shy.
EJ: Hmm… ok. Drop off Melinda Watts in a mall, and the first place she’s headed is ___________________________.
MW: J Crew.
EJ: J Crew?!
MW: Mm-hmmm.
EJ: Not like… some shoe store?
MW: J Crew has the best button-up shirts.
EJ: Really. Button-up shirts is what you love shopping for?!
MW: That’s what I go for. Because I’m a business person too. And when I do business, I like to look like I’m doing business. So, a lot of times, I go to my meetings and I don’t look like an artist. And my manager hates that. *laughing*
EJ: *laughs* Uhh… yeah. I can understand that!
MW: But I came from an educational world, not as an artist.
EJ: If Melinda couldn’t sing, she’d spend her life as a __________________.
MW: I’d still have been a teacher.
EJ: I kinda knew you’d say that. That prolly wasn’t even a good question. Ok, last one. Though she’s only been in the gospel music biz for a short time, she’s already learned that ___________________________.
MW: It’s better to be small and effective than big and not effective.
EJ: Excuuuse me!
MW: *laughing*
EJ: *laughs* That’s a good word for SOMEBODY!
Listen, I pray that God really continues to open more and more doors for your ministry… I know He will.
MW: Oh, thank you, EJ.
EJ: No doubt. And I appreciate you very much for chattin’ with me.
MW: No problem.
EJ: We’ll talk soon?
MW: Sure! Okay.
EJ: Okay, bye.
* * *
Folks, that’s Melinda Watts. I think she’s gonna be BIG in the industry– both CCM and gospel– and I would love it if we could all support her. Her project is due in stores TOMORROW!
Whatd’ya think???
I’ve been a supporter of Melinda Watts since she won Gospel Dream last summer on Gospel Music Channel. From that time, I anxiously awaited her debut album, People Get Ready. The wait is over– I’ve got it and it’s a great album.
This ten-track project (available this coming Tuesday, the 28th) is a solid blend of music that will appeal to both gospel and CCM audiences alike. She covers all bases with a range of production styles– from Freddy Washington, Jr. to Aaron Lindsey, from PAJAM to Bernie Herms. At all times, though, it’s clear that she understands her calling to bridge gaps in the Christian music marketplace. And she does that well.
The danger of creating an album like this– one intended to reach all Believers– is that by aiming at both markets, artists often hit neither of ‘em. Melinda avoids this problem well, but there are a couple of tracks on the project that may be hard to place in gospel radio or CCM radio because they don’t have a clear market sound. That said, I’m not bound by my “market” (neither are many of you), so listen to what you wanna!
Standout tracks for me include: the single, “So Good,” which has been gaining radio airplay and already has a video spot on Gospel Music Channel; “Available To You” her duet with J Moss, which re-works the classic Milton Brunson choir song; “Come Boldly,” an R&B-styled song of restoration; “Happy,” a cross-cultural song that simply expresses the joy of knowing God, with co-writing from Evin Martin of 21:03; “Faith That Conquers,” a classic Vanessa Bell-Armstrong track re-made with a simple piano accompaniment before heading to a worshipful vamp; and one of my faves, “Purpose Driven Life,” a moving ballad at the end of the album, written by Smokie Norful and Myron Butler.
In sum, People Get Ready is a summertime staple. It’s a worthy collection of heartfelt music, from an incredibly gifted vocalist. You’ll want to add it to your list of must-have music this month.
