J Moss
Encyclopedia
J. Moss Detroit, Michigan
is an American singer-songwriter
, composer, arranger, and producer
.
as James Moss went to Cass Technical High School
, the son of Gospel star Bill Moss
, Sr., James spent much of his childhood on tours with his father's popular group, Bill Moss and the Celestials, and his cousin's group The Clark Sisters
. As an early teen, Moss was teamed with his brother Bill Moss,Jr. in the singing duo The Moss Brothers. They toured on weekends around the midwest and recorded two major label albums during their seven years together.
In this period James developed as a keyboardist and burgeoning songwriter. He was also learning first-hand the business of music. He attended Michigan State University
for two years, but the desire to write and perform was too strong, and he left to seek a career in music.
label Aviday Records and released two albums to little fanfare. Yet, during this time he became acquainted with Paul Allen and Walter Kearney. The three began working together as PAJAM
. Moss spent the mid-90s touring with The Clark Sisters
and was signed, along with Karen Clark-Sheard, his cousin, to Island Records
in 1996 to record a solo album. While a proper release never materialized for Moss before Island Black Music shut its doors, Clark's became a smash and introduced the Gospel world to the production powerhouse of PAJAM.
team became Gospel music's most prolific hitmakers. However, Moss' desire to perform never went away, and in 2003 he and Allen began writing songs for what would ultimately become The J. Moss Project, released in September 2004 on GospoCentric Records
.
Though PAJAM's work has been seen as a revolutionary blend of gospel and hip-hop style, The J. Moss Project is a surprisingly traditional affair. The set largely relies on familiar arrangements, and keeps its focus on Moss's clear tenor
voice and strong backing choir vocals. The album made a grand entry with the upbeat lead single "I Wanna Be".
The disc includes a number of upbeat gospel numbers such as "Don't Pray and Worry" and "Psalm 150". J. Moss' lithe falsetto at times draws comparison to the likes of Prince
and Tonéx on "Livin' 4". There are also several gentle ballads such as "Give You More" and the album's anthemic single "We Must Praise" that display J. Moss' range as a vocalist and songwriter.
, his cousin Karen Clark-Sheard, Marvin Winans of the famed Winans
family, Byron Cage
, Anthony Hamilton
and American comedian Steve Harvey
. Three bonus tracks ("Florida", "73 Degrees", and "Everybody Ain't Got a Word") were originally thought to be regular album tracks.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
is an American singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
, composer, arranger, and producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
.
Early years
Born and raised in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
as James Moss went to Cass Technical High School
Cass Technical High School
The Cass Tech Technicians football team is a high school football program in Division 1 Public School League, representing the prestigious Cass Technical High School in Detroit, MI. Cass Tech High School has long been recognized nationwide for its extraordinary football program dating back to its...
, the son of Gospel star Bill Moss
Bill Moss (musician)
-Early life:Moss was born in 1931 in Selma, Alabama and sang in a choir led by his sister the late Dr. Mattie Moss Clark. He served in the Korean War and then moved to Boston, Massachusetts where he was an active singer.-Bill Moss & The Celestials:...
, Sr., James spent much of his childhood on tours with his father's popular group, Bill Moss and the Celestials, and his cousin's group The Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters:Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Karen Clark Sheard. A fifth sister, Denise Clark Bradford, no longer performs with the group. The Clark Sisters are the daughters of legendary...
. As an early teen, Moss was teamed with his brother Bill Moss,Jr. in the singing duo The Moss Brothers. They toured on weekends around the midwest and recorded two major label albums during their seven years together.
In this period James developed as a keyboardist and burgeoning songwriter. He was also learning first-hand the business of music. He attended Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
for two years, but the desire to write and perform was too strong, and he left to seek a career in music.
Beginnings
Upon his return to Detroit, Moss signed with a small local ChristianChristian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
label Aviday Records and released two albums to little fanfare. Yet, during this time he became acquainted with Paul Allen and Walter Kearney. The three began working together as PAJAM
PAJAM
PAJAM is an American songwriting and production team, made up of Paul Allen, J Moss and Walter Kearney, all of Detroit, Michigan. The team works with gospel, soul and R&B artists....
. Moss spent the mid-90s touring with The Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters
The Clark Sisters are an American gospel vocal group consisting of four sisters:Jacky Clark Chisholm, Elbernita "Twinkie" Clark, Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Karen Clark Sheard. A fifth sister, Denise Clark Bradford, no longer performs with the group. The Clark Sisters are the daughters of legendary...
and was signed, along with Karen Clark-Sheard, his cousin, to Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
in 1996 to record a solo album. While a proper release never materialized for Moss before Island Black Music shut its doors, Clark's became a smash and introduced the Gospel world to the production powerhouse of PAJAM.
The J. Moss Project
Over the next seven years, the PAJAMPAJAM
PAJAM is an American songwriting and production team, made up of Paul Allen, J Moss and Walter Kearney, all of Detroit, Michigan. The team works with gospel, soul and R&B artists....
team became Gospel music's most prolific hitmakers. However, Moss' desire to perform never went away, and in 2003 he and Allen began writing songs for what would ultimately become The J. Moss Project, released in September 2004 on GospoCentric Records
GospoCentric Records
GospoCentric Records is an Inglewood, California based Gospel music record label started as an independent label by Vicki Mack Lataillade and Claude Lataillade in 1993. The label rose to prominence in the 90's largely on the runaway success of gospel artist Kirk Franklin. The label has grown to...
.
Though PAJAM's work has been seen as a revolutionary blend of gospel and hip-hop style, The J. Moss Project is a surprisingly traditional affair. The set largely relies on familiar arrangements, and keeps its focus on Moss's clear tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
voice and strong backing choir vocals. The album made a grand entry with the upbeat lead single "I Wanna Be".
The disc includes a number of upbeat gospel numbers such as "Don't Pray and Worry" and "Psalm 150". J. Moss' lithe falsetto at times draws comparison to the likes of Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
and Tonéx on "Livin' 4". There are also several gentle ballads such as "Give You More" and the album's anthemic single "We Must Praise" that display J. Moss' range as a vocalist and songwriter.
V2...
On April 3, 2007, after several delays, J Moss released his sophomore album V2... through GospoCentric Records. Appearances were made by contemporary Gospel group 21:03, Moss's cousin Kierra "Kiki" Sheard, Kirk FranklinKirk Franklin
Kirk Dwayne Franklin is an American Gospel music musician, choir director, and author, and is most notably known for leading urban contemporary gospel choirs such as The Family, God's Property and One Nation Crew .- Early years :...
, his cousin Karen Clark-Sheard, Marvin Winans of the famed Winans
The Winans
The Winans are an American Gospel music quartet from Detroit, Michigan consisting of brothers Marvin, Carvin, Michael and Ronald Winans.-Members:Please refer to the Winans family page for more detail on the individual members.-Origins:...
family, Byron Cage
Byron Cage
Byron Cage is an American gospel recording artist.-Early years:Inspired by the singing of the late Rev. Donald Vails and Thomas Whitfield, Cage began singing gospel music as a teenager. Cage went on to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, where he was a member of the Morehouse College Glee...
, Anthony Hamilton
Anthony Hamilton (musician)
Anthony Hamilton is an American R&B, and soul singer-songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame with his platinum-selling second studio album Comin' from Where I'm From , which featured the singles "Comin' from Where I'm From" and "Charlene."-Life and career:Hamilton was born in Charlotte,...
and American comedian Steve Harvey
Steve Harvey
Broderick Steven "Steve" Harvey is an American actor, comedian, entertainer, television and radio personality and best-selling author. He is best known as the star of the WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show, and as one of the four comedians featured in the Spike Lee film The Original Kings of Comedy...
. Three bonus tracks ("Florida", "73 Degrees", and "Everybody Ain't Got a Word") were originally thought to be regular album tracks.
Just James
J. Moss released his third album Just James on August 25, 2009. The album spawned two gospel hits, the double A-side "Restored/I Gave It Up" and "Rebuild" and its 2010 remix single.Albums
- The J. Moss Project (GospoCentric, 2004)
- V2... (GospoCentric, 2007)
- Just James (GospoCentric, 2009)
- Remixed, Rare & Unreleashed (GospoCentric, 2010)
- V4...The Other Side of Victory (GospoCentric, 2012)
Singles
- "We Must Praise"
- "Psalm 150"
- "Operator"
- "Praise On the Inside"
- "I'm Not Perfect" (featuring Anthony HamiltonAnthony HamiltonAnthony Hamilton or Antony Hamilton may refer to:*Anthony Hamilton , Irish classical author, of aristocratic Scottish ancestry, who lived in France where he was known as Antoine Hamilton; intimate of French aristocracy, he wrote, in French, Mémoires du comte de Gramont *Anthony Hamilton , English...
) - "Abundantly"
- "Restored/I Gave It Up"
- "Rebuild"
- "Rebuild: The Remix"
- "The Prayers" (featuring Hezekiah Walker) & LFC
Partial Productions
- 2009 - Michael Jackson Top 10 - Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
- 2007 - Walking MiracleWalking MiracleWalking Miracle is the eleventh overall album of gospel singer Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and first for EMI Gospel.Leading up to its release, Miracle was heavily touted as a comeback effort citing Armstrong's recent family and health challenges that forced a 6-year hiatus from recording...
- Vanessa Bell ArmstrongVanessa Bell ArmstrongVanessa Bell Armstrong is a gospel singer who released her debut album Peace Be Still in 1983.-Musical career :... - 2005 - An Invitation to WorshipAn Invitation to WorshipAn Invitation to Worship is Byron Cage's second release on Gospocentric Records. The album was recorded live at the New Birth Cathedral in Atlanta, Georgia under the production of PAJAM and peaked at #2 on U.S. Gospel charts.-Track listing:...
- Byron CageByron CageByron Cage is an American gospel recording artist.-Early years:Inspired by the singing of the late Rev. Donald Vails and Thomas Whitfield, Cage began singing gospel music as a teenager. Cage went on to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, where he was a member of the Morehouse College Glee... - 2004 - Timeless JourneyTimeless JourneyTimeless Journey is the fifteenth solo studio release by Patti LaBelle and her first release off Def Soul Classics notable for the hit songs "New Day" and "2 Steps Away"...
- Patti LaBellePatti LaBellePatricia Louise Holte-Edwards , better known under the stage name, Patti LaBelle, is a Grammy Award winning American singer, author and actress who has spent over 50 years in the music industry... - 2004 - RamiyahRamiyah (album)-Track listing:# "Intro" # "Here We Go "# "Just Stop"# "The Reason"# "Turn It Out" # "I Told You"# "Power from God"# "Don't Nobody Know"# "Interlude"# "Waiting"# "Don't Look Any Further"# "Things We Want"# "Covered"...
- RamiyahRamiyahThe four members of gospel group Ramiyah consisted of Stephanie Bonner, Tracy Bryant, DeLaurian Burton, and Sherise Staten. The girls were raised in Detroit, MI, and were brought together by the PAJAM production team... - 2004 - I Owe You - Kierra Kiki Sheard
- 2003 - Do You Know - Michelle WilliamsMichelle Williams (singer)Tenitra Michelle Williams , commonly known as Michelle Williams, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress...
- 2003 - The Heavens Are Telling - Karen Clark SheardKaren Clark SheardKaren Clark-Sheard is an American gospel four-time Grammy Award winning singer, musician, and songwriter. The youngest daughter of pioneering gospel choral director Mattie Moss Clark, Sheard began her career as a member of the Grammy-Award winning, gospel legendary female group, The Clark Sisters...
- 2002 - Get With MeGet With MeGet With Me was the first album to be released by the hip hop band 3rd Storee. It was released in 2002.-Track listing:#"Get With Me"#"Clap Your Hands"#"Now I Can Breathe"#"Superstar"#"I'm Sorry"#"All Aboard"#"Type of Mood"#"What Would It Be Like"...
- 3rd Storee3rd Storee3rd Storee was an American hip-hop band, active in the late 1990s and early 2000s.-History:3rd Storee formed in 1997 in South-Central Los Angeles, California and had four members: Kevontay, D'Smoove, Jay-R, and Lil Man... - 2002 - Dru World OrderDru World Order* 1 "I Do " interpolates the composition "Millions", written by Marvin Winans.-Personnel:*Lead and background vocals – Sisqó , Jazz , Nokio , Scola , and Woody...
- Dru HillDru HillDru Hill is an American singing group, most popular during the late 1990s, whose repertoire included R&B, soul, and gospel music. Founded in Baltimore, Maryland, and active since 1992, Dru Hill recorded seven Top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B #1 hits "In My Bed", "Never Make a Promise", ... - 2001 - Return Of DragonReturn of Dragon-Chart and singles history:...
- SisquòSisqóMark Durrell Andrews , known by his stage name Sisqó, is an American R&B singer and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of R&B group Dru Hill, and also for "Thong Song", a song from his first solo LP, Unleash the Dragon, that became an international hit. - Biography :Sisqó was born Mark...