One of Gospel music’s most distinctive voices, as well as one of the genre’s most exciting and progressive artists, singer/songwriter J Moss’ flavorful blend of traditional and contemporary Gospel music has made him an artist to watch since the 2004 release of his first CD, The J Moss Project. With the August 25 release of his third CD, JUST JAMES, Moss adds to his repertoire a dose of introspection that takes listeners into the heart and soul of the singer. Moss will perform his new single, “Restored,” July 22 on The Gospel Music Channel’s talent contest, Gospel Dream. Moss was also just added to the Essence Music Festival T.D. Jakes Tribute lineup and will perform at the event this Sunday, July 5, in New Orleans.
“Going through challenges that test your faith, test your marriage, and even test your will to live really change you,” adds Moss. “I’ve gone through a lot over the past year and half or so and, in the midst of having a shattered heart, a shattered life, God picked me up and dealt with me on a one-on-one basis…He said ‘that gap, that emptiness that you’re feeling, that’s where you’re supposed to be…you are not by yourself and I have you in this place so that you can be a light; I need you to be that beacon, my messenger to tell them how to overcome this stuff.’”
The 10 PAJAM-produced tracks on JUST JAMES represent triumph and transformation, as well as the delicate issue of remorse for his own shortcomings. “I wrote these songs because, when I was down, I couldn’t find any songs or lyrics to get me through that specific time,” says Moss. “That is when the Lord said to me ‘hey James, that is the void you are to fill. The reason you can’t find a song that speaks to you is because you are the one who has to write that song.’ All of us have our niche, our people, to speak to and God is using me to speak to people in relationships.”
The first single, “Restored,” is Moss’ own testimony about God picking up the pieces of his life and giving him a new purpose. “When I hit rock bottom, I felt like I failed my family, failed God, failed the people that looked up to me,” says Moss. “When I pulled myself up off the floor – I just clung to the word and dealt with what restoration was all about. God showed me, I didn’t allow you to fall to kill you, but to break the outer shell and rebuild you again better and stronger – from the inside.”
"I Gave It Up” is an upbeat clarion cry of repentance laced with the signature head-nodding PAJAM funk; while the lilting, autobiographical title track is inspiring simply by its raw honesty.
Moss pays homage to his favorite singer, Nat King Cole, on the jazz-inspired “Anointing,” and offers a sanctified twist on the colloquial response to life’s unexpected challenges on “God Happens.” “I’m always trying to counter negativity with something positive,” says Moss. “We don’t have to always deal with the shorter end of the stick, we can deal with the longer end of the stick. Just like stuff happens, even moreso, God happens! In the nick of time, God will show His face, and He happens.”
Not without heart wrenching praise and worship tunes, “Sweet Jesus” and “Holy One” will take listeners straight to church on any given day!
Moss says of the project, and this season of his life: “You get to a point where you get it…you get what your target is; what your trajectory is; where you’re supposed to be; where you’re supposed to land. Through all of my experiences, God has been showing me this is where I’m going to be, dealing with marriages and relationships, helping people get through difficulties in relationships; and it starts with these songs.”
