print: J. Moss - Interview (July, 2007) | BlackGospel.com, Your Gospel Music Ministry Source!

Interview with
J. Moss
July 2007, BlackGospel.com by Christopher Heron

Motor City has long been considered, by many Gospel aficionados, the ‘Mecca” of Gospel music. The 80’s smiled on Detroit, showcasing some of the most recognizable recording artists of our era, such as The Clark Sisters, The Winans, Commissioned and Vanessa Bell Armstrong, to name a few.

Remarkably enough, Motown continues to produce some of today’s most respected psalmists…a new generation of music ministers that are solidifying Detroit’s reputation as the epicenter for sacred music. Motor City natives like Dietrick Haddon, Kierra KiKi Sheard and at the head of the pack, Mr. jam-maker mogul himself, J Moss, are part of a new crop of Christians turning out a 2.0 version of Gospel music for the i-Pod generation.

The ministry and music of J Moss is particularly fascinating. With ancestral ties to the legendary Clark Sisters, a professional music career that spans over a generation and music credits that run from Motor City to Music City to Hollywood, California, J Moss is the quintessential insider in the music world. His impact on the sound and style of Contemporary Christian music cannot be overstated. With publishing credits on more hit songs in Gospel music than anyone else today, J Moss and his production team – PAJAM – is single-handedly creating a shift in the music model.

So, with so much at stake and J Moss clearly in the driver’s seat, BlackGospel.com shined the spotlight on the man whose reputation seemingly overshadows his humble personae and modest mission to save souls for the Kingdom.

Christopher Heron: J Moss, your latest album – V2 - is filled with a lot of hype and Holy Spirit. Is your music a good reflection of your personality? Are you always hyped and “jumping off the hinges”?

J Moss: Absolutely not! Actually, the music is the total opposite of how I really am. It’s so funny, because people who know me, when they come to the show and they see me demonstrate all that – they’re like, “Wait a minute! Was that really you up on stage?” Because everybody who knows me knows that I’m a homebody.

I like to stay home with the kids, play, and roll around in the carpet with them. Me and the wife love to spend a lot of quiet and quality time together. So I’m really a laid back kind of guy…a nerdy, computer, techie guy. But when it’s time for ministry, you know, it’s time to put on the J. Moss hat and flip it, PAJAM style. All of the energy and everything comes out at that point.

CH: You were featured on Kirk’s last album – Hero - and you produced Byron Cage’s last album. Was it automatic that your boys were going to do something special on your album as well?

JM: Well, that’s what we’re trying to get more into. I definitely think that there is a need for more of us artists to get together and just collaborate; even if it’s just for 2 or 3 bars on a song. It’s just good to bring Byron Cage’s audience into my realm; it’s good for me, Tye Tribbett, and other artists like that to be featured in Kirk Franklin’s realm. And, it just adds so much effort in trying to win souls, which is really what this is about.

CH: Did you have something specific in mind for each of those artists or did you let them bring their own creative ideas to the singles and to the project?

JM: If you know anything about PAJAM, we’re strategists. We strategize about everything. So, of course, we definitely sat down at the drawing board. We then took it to the label (Gospo Centric); we took it to Monica Bacon and others as such. We said, “Hey, look. We think such and such a person will work well on this particular song. What do you all think?” And we basically all just kind of pulled together and made this happen, strategically. It was definitely strategy to put 21:03 and KiKi (Sheard) on, “Jump, Jump, “ and Karen Clark Sheard on, “Know Him”. Those songs just matched with their voices. Whether it was the hype behind them or the message behind it, everything was completely strategic.

CH: As you mentioned, you have family on the album - KiKi Sheard and Karen Clark. You know these two better than most of us. When you think of Kierra and Karen, what do you think of, in terms of their artistry and their personality? And what did you want them to bring to the singles on your project?

JM: Well, first I want everybody to see and know that our families are still together. We’re alive, well, and kicking. We’re moving towards the family tour. A family label with the PAJAM. Family is important. You can’t get up on the stage and talk and preach every night about how important family is, sticking together and loving your neighbor, without first showing it yourself. So, I definitely wanted to show that togetherness among our families.

In terms of their artistry, we all know Karen Clark-Sheard. She’s moving into different things. She’s taking steps into the silver screen. And, she’s also writing right now. She had the number two song in the country right with, “Blessed & Highly Favored.” She’s the writer of that song. So, she’s really being lifted and thrown into another dimension in Christ with her success.

And then, of course there’s KiKi Sheard. I’m taking her under my wings and her mother is taking her under her wings and we’re just guiding her along. She’s just growing so fast. And in a lot of cases, she has more talent in one finger, than all of us have in our whole being. We’re just trying to groom her and lead in her in the right direction.

CH: V2 definitely shows a lot of growth and maturity in you, both as an artist and as a music minister. How would you describe the evolution of this album versus the J Moss Project?

JM: PAJAM just grew from the J Moss Project. We took the seeds that fell off of the J Moss project, replanted them in ministry and God just flourished the V2 project. That’s just what happened.

We used the same prayer, “God lead us in the direction that you want us to go. Give us the messages that you want us to say.” And the Lord spoke to me. He responded, “J, you’re going to feel a little awkward doing this album. You’re going to feel a little weird and uncomfortable with some of the messages. But don’t worry about that. I’ve already set up the audiences to hear this particular message. And they will only receive it from you.”

So, I’m like, if that’s what my commission is, if that’s what my calling is, then let’s go for it. I thank God for that commission because it led me to follow Christ and it makes my dream and my vision come true. I love that about PAJAM. We all come together and make it happen once the vision is actually stated.

CH: The story of PAJAM is quite remarkable. But there’s a distinctive calling on you, not only as a writer or producer, but also as an artist. Do you feel a greater calling to minister in song or to produce and write songs?

JM: You always get joy out of production because that’s your baby. You see the baby at conception. The song comes together and it grows into being a full-blown entity. Then you see it published on somebody’s artistry. And then it’s in the stores, and then there’s a video behind it or it ends up in the movies. That’s always…man, I can’t really explain…the adrenaline rush that comes from just that…just the personal high on seeing something being birthed from the beginning and then watching it flourish and impact the world, like certain songs do. That’s an unexplainable pleasure.

But, I know what my calling is, what my commission is, and what my actual strong points are. And that’s being a vocalist. It’s being a minister of the gospel. So, I’m putting all my energy into that and then everything else is like a second priority.

CH: This is definitely your season. You’re doing remarkable things. Ten years ago, most Gospel fans did not know of J Moss. How do you explain the evolution of J Moss and PAJAM?

JM: Ten years ago, we were more content to stay behind the scenes. PAJAM was heavily in production, producing acts like Kelly Price, all the top mainstream boy bands, movies like The Rush Hour Soundtrack, all types of things.

We were really comfortable being behind the scenes doing that because you didn’t have to watch what you wore, you didn’t have to watch what you ate, you were always under the radar. The biggest challenge and the biggest change in being an artist is that you’re out front in the public’s eye. Thank God, it happened like it did.

We got a lot of the networking done when we were producing. We got a lot of the experience under our belt when we were producing. I saw a lot of the do’s and the don’ts. So when it was time for me to come to the forefront and do what I’m doing now, it was easier because God had taken me through a journey to this point.

CH: And finally, you’re another product of Motown, the Motor City. How influential has Detroit been on your ministry versus growing up in a city like New York, Atlanta or even Chicago?

JM: No disrespect to ATL, NYC, Chi-town or any of those cities, but growing up in Detroit…man, if I hadn’t been here, I would not have had the opportunity to learn from The Clark Sisters. I would not have been able to watch the late Thomas Whitfield, and The Winans, Commissioned and Vanessa Bell Armstrong. There are just so many gifted artists. Being able to see the late James Moore and Rance Allen on stage was a blessing. These ministers are mentors of mine. I don’t think it would have been the same J Moss without them. I think all of this exposure really happened for a reason and God knew exactly what he was doing in my journey. All of these personalities definitely made up J Moss and Detroit had a huge impact on me, as a producer, writer and artist.

For more information on J Moss, visit the official website at InsideJmoss.com. To contact J Moss and PAJAM for bookings, production or general information, email him at pajamadv@msn.com.