Issue 28
Apr/May 2018
10
QUESTIONS WITH
TODD DULANEY
WHO ARE THE
FACES OF PRAISE? P21
BRIAN COURTNEY WILSON’S GREATER WORK
THE TRANSFORMATION OF
+PLUS
THE GOSPEL MUSIC STATE OF THE UNION PHIL THORNTON EBONI FUNDERBURK JAMES ROBINSON BRYANT SCOTT EJ GAINES AND MORE!
CHARLES BUTLER
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IN THIS ISSUE
Editor's Note
CHARLES BUTLER .............................................6 SHINE: MICAH LEE ........................................…9 TODD DULANEY ........................................…..10 ASHAALA SHANAE ..................................…..12 BRIAN COURTNEY WILSON ......................15
Welcome to Issue #28. Next month marks nine years for this little engine that could, as Root was birthed at a time when print magazines were literally closing up shop. All things considered, we knew that we had something special and almost a decade later our readers are more loyal than ever. Dreams really can become a reality if you put action behind it, and that is exactly what both of our cover artists have done.
FLIP COVER
Todd Delaney was fortunate enough to have two paths created for him, one as a professional baseball player and the other as a professional psalmist. We asked Todd ten questions and he opened up about what he thinks the right path was for him.
JEFF GRANT .................................................…..21 LEXI ........................................................................27 THE GOSPEL STATE OF THE UNION .…37 MAJOR. .................................................................39 THE BENEDICTION: HAROLD BONILLA ....42
Editor-In-Chief: Hasan James Senior Art Director Fatima Williams-Burke www.fatimaburke.com Contributors Shaun & Markita Collins Michael Gordon Meta Washington J.S. Williams Martin Williams Chloe Vanderpoole Jr Editors Kayla Johnson Amari Smith Jya Turner
Photography Derek Blanks Jose Cardoza Tara Hauck Management Shawn Gibbs for The Firm Artist Management Shawn. TheFirmManagement@Gmail.com
Sales & Marketing Ricardo Cantrell Printing Shweiki Media
Visit Us On The Web at: www.rootmagazineonline.com
How many times have we heard the term “Tomorrow is not promised”? It’s crazy how we say it but when you are faced with the harsh reality, it hits you like a ton of bricks. I was faced with that reality on Sunday, January 7, 2018, as my Grandfather, the man who I looked up to, took his final bow here on earth. I had literally spoken to him less than 12 hours before he passed, and I must say he did not sound like a man who was about to meet Jesus! But that is how life is isn’t it? Full of surprises and curve balls. Either we are going to let it beat us down or utilize the strength that God has given us. As the scripture says: “Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning”(Psalm 30:5).
When it came to our first R&B artist to grace the cover of Root, MAJOR. was the clear cut choice. He is not only a nice guy but he is a church boy to the core. Simply stated, he loves God, he loves LOVE and God is LOVE. Charles Butler is no stranger to the Gospel Music industry but it seems like it is simply just his time. Our Senior Staff writer, Michael Gordon, caught up with Butler (who at Root press time was over 130 pounds lighter) and talked about his many years in gospel, his epic album “The Blood Experience” and of course his transformation. Such a great read! As usual we are happy to bring you the best in Gospel Music and beyond and we hope that you enjoy our labor of love.
Hasan Love, Live, Life!
So as we celebrate another issue of Root Magazine, Issue #28 to be exact, I celebrate the man who I acquired my love of Gospel Music from, my Poppy, Harold Bonilla. You E-mail: Hasan@RootMagazineOnline.com can read more about this great man in The Instagram & Twitter: @ROOTMAGAZINE Benediction.
Facebook: ROOT MAGAZINE
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Washington, DC native, Charles Butler is the director of the Stellar Award-nominated group Charles Butler & Trinity. Butler and his group have been consistent with keeping choir music alive, in an industry where groups and soloist are in the forefront. Root had the opportunity to speak with Butler as he shared his journey on the road to losing over 100 pounds, being nominated for a Stellar Award this year, his influences and the current state of Gospel Music.
100 pounds down.
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By Michael Gordon Root: When did you form Charles Butler & Trinity? Charles: I formed Charles Butler & Trinity right out of High School and after we graduated, we wanted to keep the group going. We kept singing at various churches in the area and after all of these years, we are still together. Root: To some, Charles Butler and Trinity just burst on to the scene, but you’ve been around for quite some time. Can you talk about the process from when you first started up until now? Charles: The process for us was just grinding, singing locally at different churches in the DMV, which eventually lead to us doing background vocals for majority of the artists that came on the Bobby Jones Gospel. We established so many relationships and did a lot of networking, so when it was time for our album to come out, many of the artist that we did BGV’s for posted about it on their social media pages and that was free advertising. Relationship is the new commerce. Root: What separates Charles Butler and Trinity from other groups? Charles: You can’t put us in a box. For instance, with our album “The Blood Experience,” we have all types of sounds on there, from choir to contemporary sounds, there is a little bit of something on that album for everyone. I think the reason that we are so versatile is because of all of the artists we worked with over the years. As an artist, you never want people to assume what your next album will sound like. That’s the joy of being an artist! Root: What were some challenges you faced during the recording process of “The Blood Experience”? Charles: Most of the challenges for me came post recording, trying to conform to what people thought should be played on radio. So many artists fail because they put out music trying to go with what is popular, but this album was an assignment. I really didn’t think we would be nominated for anything because it really is just a bonafide church record. It feels like we went to church and hit the record button.
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Root: You have been very transparent on social media about your weight loss journey. How has your journey been? Have you had any setbacks? Charles: I have been on this weight loss journey since June of 2017 and I am down 122 pounds (Root press time, February 2018). I am proud to say that I have done it without having surgery. So many people ask me if I had surgery but I am very transparent about that. For some reason, people don’t think you can be disciplined and lose weight without having surgery and although I don’t have anything against weight loss surgery, I decided to lose the weight naturally. I partnered with Decalo, which is a weight loss company in Maryland, and I have become a weight loss ambassador for the company. For me, it is more than just eating right, this has become a lifestyle change. Even right now as I sit in my car while I’m in New York, I could easily go to a Chinese restaurant but I know that is not the best choice, so I will find something that is more healthy. This goes beyond music for me. I believe people connect with weight loss, whether saved or unsaved. I have so many people who follow my journey and bought my album and they don’t even go to church. If I’m being honest, at one point I felt hopeless. For years I couldn’t even fit in a restaurant booth and even flying was uncomfortable for me. Now that I am losing the weight, I feel so much more healthy and comfortable in my skin. I am thankful for Decalo. Root: Who are some of your musical influences? Charles: Some of my biggest musical influences are James Moore, Hezekiah Walker, James Hall and Myron Butler. Before he passed away, I got the chance to sing with James Moore and that is a moment that I will never forget. I am a firm believer in keeping choir music alive and that’s why I love Bishop Hez and Love Fellowship, as well as James Hall Worship and Praise. In my opinion, Myron Butler is the king of BGV’s and when I heard his “Set Me Free” project, it really shaped who I was trying to become as an artist. Those are the artists who helped shape my sound, but believe it or not, Mississippi Mass Choir is one of my favorite choirs from back in the day. Unfortunately, labels and promoters don’t have the budget to bring out a full choir, however Charles Butler and Trinity is a bonafide choir.
Root: James Moore is actually one of my favorites too but I love Daryl Coley. Charles: Don’t get me wrong, on the technical side, I think Daryl Coley is amazing but when it comes to straight church, James Moore can do runs and riffs like no other. He could literally go into a room and change the atmosphere in a matter of seconds. I was recently at a fashion show for a major designer, Fear God. So many Hollywood A-listers wear this brand and during the show they played so many James Moore classics and I thought that was major that a brand of that caliber would introduce one of our beloved gospel artists to an audience who may not necessarily listen to Gospel Music. Josh Copeland, who sings with me, reminds me so much of James Moore, the way he commands a crowd. Once he gets the mic, it’s curtains! Root: Edwin Hawkins recently passed away and he left an amazing legacy in works and in deed. When it is all said and done, what would you want your legacy to be? Charles: I want my legacy to be that I helped people reach their full potential. As a leader of a group of singers, I don’t hold my singers back. If an opportunity presents itself for them to sing with other artists, I don’t hold them back because I want to see them progress to the next level. At one point or another, one of my singers sang with Tye Tribbett, while another one sang with Kirk Franklin on the Kingsmen Tour and I was happy for them. I think that is what’s missing in our genre, we don’t have enough people pushing one another. We are not passing the baton, but dying with the baton in our hands. It is our job to support the people that have labored with us for years.
I don’t have anything against weight loss surgery, I decided to lose the weight naturally.
SHINE
9 | ROOT
Micah Lee
By J.S. Williams His voice is as big as his stature. Dubbed the “Teddy Pendergrass of Gospel,” the 6 foot 6 South Florida native, has a soul-stirring tenor one would fall in love with. His name is Micah “The Voice” Lee. Boasting an eclectic blend of Jazz, Neo Soul, R&B and Gospel, this multi-talented artist, has mastered the art of sound and captivated the hearts of listeners worldwide. His current single, “Heaven,” is #3 on the Billboard Gospel chart. “Music has power in it,” Micah contends. “As musicians, we have a responsibility to bring positivity to the music and with my music, I encourage people to have faith.”As naturally gifted as Micah is, singing was ironically not his first love. As an adolescent, it’s no surprise that Lee was heavily involved in sports. On any given day, young Micah could be found on either the football field or basketball court and through out High School, the dual athlete played defensive end for his football team and center on his basketball. Surprisingly, he didn’t start singing until he was 13 years old, after his grandmother put him on the spot at a church service. He joined the church’s praise and worship team where he spent years honing his craft. After graduation, he enrolled at Florida Memorial in Miami, Florida where he studied Political Science and Public Administration. Little did he know that his life was about to take a turn for
the worse while traveling from school back home, his SUV hydroplaned off the road in the pouring rain and landed in a canal. “Some kind of way, I kicked my way out of the window and swam out,” Micah thinks back. “But my legs were turned backwards.” When Micah made it out of the intensive care unit two months later, he was told that his legs would have to be amputated and he would never walk again. “But God didn’t see it being that way,” he testifies. After a year in a wheelchair, Micah astonished the doctors with a full recovery. Since then, Micah has known no boundaries. He launched a career in print modeling and has been featured in several stage plays including “Soul of a Black Woman,” “Bad Girls of the Bible” and countless others. Micah is currently gearing up for his debut album release entitled “Victory” that includes songs “Forever” featuring rapper Da T.R.U.T.H. and of course, “Heaven”. Both singles have penetrated Gospel radio and the Billboard charts, thus setting Micah up for a stellar career in Gospel Music. Facebook: Micah Lee Instagram: @Micahsmusic Twitter: @micahleemusic Website: www.micahleemusic.com ROOT | 9
10
QUESTIONS WITH
TODD DULANEY
Some people are fortunate enough to have many gifts in life and Todd Dulaney is one of them. He is a singer, songwriter, producer, professional baseball player and he recently learned how to play guitar. At Root press time, his third album Your Great Name was the #1 Gospel album in the country and the title track also had over one million streams, certifying Todd Dulaney as one of the forerunners in this new era of Gospel Music. While Dulaney was on one of his promotional stops for his #1 album, I got a chance to host an EXCLUSIVE listening session at BMI’s headquarters in New York City, where we played a fun game of 10 Questions. As told to Hasan James
1 You are the proud father
of four children. Are you and your wife looking to have more? Uhhhh NOOOO! We are not looking, praying, or even thinking about having another child. Now, can I keep my hands off of her, that’s another question.
2 If you had to choose between being an artist and being a professional baseball player, which one would you choose? I would choose being an artist. I feel like there’s more longevity in music. At this point in my life, I would be coming to the end of my career in baseball, whereas in music, I’m just getting started. 3 If you could collaborate
with any three artists on a song, who would they be? I would have to say: Rascal Flats, John Legend and Travis Greene. I think that would be so much fun.
4 When did you fall in love
with Gospel Music? When I first heard Deitrick Haddon’s Don’t Let Me Fall, that was it for me! How ironic is it that I fall in love with Gospel Music on a song called Don’t Let Me Fall?
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5 How
does your debut album Pulling Me Through differ from your current offering, Your Great Name? Pulling Me Through was just me guessing. When I was recording that album, I had no idea who I was in Christ, how much He loved me or anything. But on this Your Great Name project, I’m sure of myself. I know that I’m called to lead people into God’s presence, so we’re precise with the desired outcome.
6 What do you love most
about being an artist? I love being able to touch the world with something that has potential to change their lives. It’s not just artistry for me. I believe that I’m carrying the most potent and life changing message there is. I don’t think I could’ve been as hands on with the world on a baseball field.
7 If you could bring anybody
in the world back from the dead, who would it be and why? It would have to be Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. With that state of the world and more specifically, our country, we need someone like him on this earth now more than ever.
8 Are you able to give me
three good qualities that President Trump has? Woah! I like that fact that he speaks his mind. At times what he says can be extremely insensitive and just flat out ignorant, but I can appreciate a person speaking their mind because I don’t have to wonder how you feel about me. He doesn’t really care what people think about him and that could be good and bad. Lastly, I’d say he’s a pretty shrewd businessman and that’s commendable to me because not a lot of people in the world know how to flip millions of dollars.
9 What’s your
favorite vacation spot? My wife and I love the Bahamas. We’ve made so many great memories there and that’s one of the places that really stick out to me. 10 Give me your Top 5
songs from your project Your Great Name? • Your Great Name • King Of Glory • Stand Forever • Fall In Love Again • I Can’t Be Stopped. BONUS QUESTION What were you doing 20 years ago in 1998? 20 years ago I was just starting High School, clowning way too much and I really was not serious about anything. I had no clue about life, all I wanted to do was play professional baseball!
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Ashaala Shanae is more than just a pretty face. She is an independent artist who doesn’t play by the rules, but instead, makes her own.
t n e d n e p Ms. Inde
As Told to Hasan James
Root: Talk about the “Love Struck” event that you produce every year. Ashaala: “Love Struck” is an annual corporate worship movement that started in 2011. It’s an Anti-Suicide and Emotional Health Awareness program that I started in the community. I bring in national and local recording artists to come and share their gifts, in addition to health professionals. We talk about the stigmas of suicide and depression specifically in the African American, Latino and Church communities. The vision came to me in 2011 in an effort to educate from a spiritual and professional standpoint. Root: Suicide in the African American and Church community is definitely a taboo topic. Why did you want to start a foundation like this? Does it hit close to home? Ashaala: Yes, I have a company called The Healing Institute and I deal directly with recording artists, public speakers and media personalities who have gone through strokes, vocal health and rehabilitation. Most of my clients dealt with depression and I even have a few clients that had been challenged with suicide. Two years ago, a really good friend was very active in his church as it related to hospitality and ministry. He served at church on Wednesday night and on Thursday afternoon he had a Bible in one hand and a gun in the other and he literally took his life right in front of his best friend. He was only 34 years old. So this has become an epidemic and I literally had to talk some people off of ledge. There was even one point in my life where I was challenged with depression, so this has become personal for me. Root: Wow! I think this is a great segue. How did your current single “Big God” come about? Ashaala: There’s a saying that says, “Instead of telling God about your problems, tell your problems about your Big God” and I think sometimes we go through life and situations just hit us sometimes. We lose loved ones, go through financial issues and even marital problems and sometimes those things look really bigger than what we can fathom and we tend to forget who’s bigger. It doesn’t matter what it is: student loans, tuition, divorce, separation or cancer, God Is bigger than that and He wants us to apply big faith to who he is. Root: I noticed in the beginning of your music video, it said,“Good Girl Music Publishing” and I was very impressed by that because so many artists don’t necessarily take care of the business side. Many complain about being robbed from labels, etc. Tell us the importance of having your own publishing company and owning the rights to your music? Ashaala: Absolutely! I actually have a Bachelor’s degree in Music Business and I did that because I wanted to know both aspects of the music business, which is the creative part and the business part. I wanted to make sure that I understood the difference between ministry, artistry and industry. They are independent, interdependent and codependent. At the same time, I wanted to get momentum and leverage on what it was not only to be the artist and
12 | ROOT
writer, but what It was to be the publisher. I wanted to understand publishing and producing credits. It’s important for me to be affiliated with ASCAP as a publisher and to work as a Co-Publisher with another person through Universal Music. It’s been a benefit because obviously I see where the money is going and I don’t have to split it with so many people. Root: Your last album “Matters of the Heart” was released five years ago. Was the long hiatus strategic? Ashaala: I took a hiatus because I didn’t want to rush the experiences that caused my pen to really flow. There was actually a moment where God was like “I know you want to do this but, the way that I write through you Ashaala, is by the experiences that I brought you through”. The way people consume music now is very different and artists are releasing singles and EP’s instead of full length albums. It’s all about understanding the rise of all things digital. I’m going to release a new single for Easter entitled “The Blood” and I’m really looking forward to it. Being away for a while, there’s two things I learned in marketing called “The Long Hold Strategy” and “The Piggyback Strategy”. Sometimes this is the orthodox way for an artist to release music and other times you take a break, go another route and it comes back full circle. I realized that one of the avenues for me to do music again was to be in demand of my vocal health and focus on writing new music. It’s a whole branding strategy. Root: Living healthy has become very popular. Do you find that you sing better when you eat better? What are some foods that singers should stay away from? Ashaala: I have a saying, “Vocal health is vocal wealth.” I was just telling someone yesterday that whatever you put in your body, will either make money for you or lose money for you. That’s called vocal cash. The three biggest reasons why people end up having vocal Issues is because of vocal health habits that they don’t apply to their daily lives. For example, we eat a lot of acidic foods and you can eat healthy and still be high in acidic levels. Blood levels need to be at a 7.4, so that you don’t get acid reflux. Hot sauce, juices, carbs and meats are also high in acids. It’s very important that people understand their pH balance and what their pH number is. Acidity doesn’t only lead to acid reflux, it can also bring about serious diseases like cancer and diabetes. Mucus is also a major factor, as people think mucus is only enhanced by dairy, but It’s also enhanced by various carbs and meats. The more mucus that is inside our bodies, the more allergy and sinus issues we have, which ultimately affects your voice when you sing. Lastly, you have to stay hydrated. I ask my clients, “What’s your daily water intake?” Vocal dehydration is probably the biggest issue because we don’t hydrate. We drink lots of coffee, tea, soda and juices and all of these things can dehydrate your voice. We must remember that voice is cash. Root: Are you single? Ashaala: (Laughter) Yes I am. Root: Is it by choice or are some men just intimidated by you? Ashaala: No, it’s not by choice. Here’s the thing, I definitely believe in being strong and independent as a business woman, but I also believe in being submissive while being in a relationship. I think it’s a good balance when you can still be submissive while in a relationship, yet still be a boss.
Photographer: Tara Hauck @Taraincphotography Hair: Kevin Jackson @mysterjackson Makeup: Allie Shanel @_blushedmuse Stylist: J. Bolin @stylistjbolin
ROOT | 13
The Making of
A Great Work As told to Michael Gordon
Brian Courtney Wilson has become one of Gospel’s favorite male vocalist. The smooth calming texture of his voice can easily usher you into the presence of God. In 2009, Wilson released his debut album, Just Love and songs like Already Here and All I Need broke Billboard records. With three albums, a Dove and Stellar awards to his credit, BCW’s latest project, A Great Work, offers so much to his fans and listeners, as it relates to style and versatility. Not only does he tackle social issues on this new project, he also offers up some upbeat dance tracks this time around. The Chicago native discussed what the creative process was like constructing his latest offering and all of the variables it took to make it A Great Work.
On A Great Work We recently put out the single and it’s getting a lot of spins at radio and it just goes to show that God is doing a great work. Prayerfully, the songs on this record will touch the hearts of his people. Believe it or not, I prayed and asked God that this time around that this record would touch people in a different way and that people will really gravitate to the songs. I’ve had people come up to me and say, “Man I have your songs on repeat during my devotional time,” and that’s the kind of response I am hoping for with this record. I really feel blessed because God allowed me to work with so many different writers and producers like Marvin Winans, Warryn Campbell, Eric Dawkins, V. Michael McKay, Shawn Martin and Aaron Lindsey. In a way
it was mind blowing because I wasn’t sure how it would work having so many great people co-exist together, but it did.
On The Healing of our Country I wrote the song Healed right after the Philando Castile shooting. As I was watching the horrific video on Facebook with the rest of the world, I felt I needed to write about it, and so I wrote the song to draw awareness to the pain we are feeling and address the hurt that’s going on in this country. There is another song from the project entitled, Increase My Faith, which is basically a transparent plea to God to keep us moving forward.
On The Creative Process The biggest thing for me is always waiting to hear what the Lord is saying. I think it’s important to wait for something that’s worth being said and I can’t always guarantee a formula that will always work. For me, it’s about hearing what’s being said in the spirit and trying to record it. Looking at this new album cover I kinda blush because they’re photos of me. We wanted to create something that says, “I am enough”. So when people see the cover art, they can attest that they’re enough and harvest beautiful things. My last project, Worth Fighting For, we were intentional in that we created the record for church. It felt churchy and it was for Sunday morning worship. With this new record, I wanted to do stuff that felt good to me and was compelling to other people. I told Shawn
with the song, You Make Me Rich, I wanted to create feel good music and we accomplished that. The song One More Praise, takes me back to my days growing up in Chicago when I used to listen to a song called Last Night. I wanted to show Christians that we can have fun with our music, so this record is music I love, and I hope the audience can appreciate it.
On Artistry and Family When I first started, I just wanted people to like and accept my music. Right now I’m at the point in my career where I believe in the message that I carry in Gospel. I always tell new artist to take their time and enjoy the ride. If you’re wondering how you’re going to get to the next level, go to the places that appreciate and affirm you, and those seeds that they plant with help you get to the next level. Whether I receive awards or not, I am genuinely happy with this record. The fact that my kids actually listen to the record makes me feel good. It’s funny because my children see both sides of me, the artist and the father. I appreciate that they’re honest with me regarding my music and they tell me if its good or bad. My kids see when I’m seeking God during my prayer time and my son in particular, was so happy when he saw me ministering at Lakewood Church with Pastor Joel Osteen, in front of over 30,000 people. That was such a great feeling.
ROOT | 15
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possible choice. So, as we started going through the process of elimination and compiling, I would keep what I thought conveyed the passion and emotion that spoke to the overall theme “Faces of Praise”. Root: “Faces of Praise” is more than a collection of photos, there’s a collaboration of writings as well. BJG: Yes, it is a compilation of photos, devotionals and inspirational writings. Root: How did you and author Carol Mackey meet? Did you know each other beforehand?
to see herself as I saw her. Kirk said, “Yo man…you dope wit’ the camera!” Dorinda Clark-Cole in her signature raspy voice said, “Benjamin…THIS is beautiful”. Needless to say, I was humbled... absolutely humbled. Root: If you had to choose one moment that you were glad you caught on camera, what moment would that be? BJG: The one photograph? The one image? My Lord…that would have to be the one of Kirk Franklin at one of his concerts, where the power of God overtook the place. Kirk dropped to his knee, pointed towards Heaven and I caught it!
Root: Well truly, it was the Lord that blessed you with an amazing opportunity to share your talents and to be able to collaborate with such an inspirational coauthor as you’ve found in Carol Mackey.
BJG: Carol and I did not know each other beforehand. We met at my attorney Denise Brown-Henderson’s wedding on Amelia Island about five or six years ago. During the reception, she introduced me to Carol (who was the Editor-in-Chief of Black Expressions Book Club) and said, “This is my friend Jeff and he’s a great photographer and he wants to do a book!” Having been in the record industry for as long as I have, I remembered how uncomfortable I used to feel when I’d meet someone and they’d say, “My daughter can sing!” I’m expecting at any second for them to pull out a microphone and start singing (laughter) and then Denise says, “Show her some of your stuff!” and I’m thinking… some of my stuff ugggh…so I pull out my phone and show her a couple of images and almost immediately she says, “Oh my God these are incredible! These are the faces of praise!” That’s what Carol said five or six years ago and that’s how we met. Root: Well nowadays, we are living in a world where everyone with an iPhone thinks of themselves as a photographer. What sort of camera do you use? What makes a good photo?
jeff grant & Donnie McClurkin
Root: Kirk Franklin actually did the foreword for the book, correct?
BJG: I’m just humbled to even have a book. I’m humbled that after all of these years of doubting my abilities that what I did was worthy to be included in a book. Then the Lord puts His hand on it and connects me with a wonderful person like Carol Mackey to walk me through this process, to calm all my fears and keep me in the right direction…He’s definitely has His hand on “Faces of Praise.”
BJG: I’m a Nikon guy…ALL things Nikon. Having a great eye and the ability to capture a moment that doesn’t need an explanation makes for a good photograph. Root: Have you received any memorable feedback from any of the artists featured in the book, after seeing themselves in a moment they didn’t realize you had captured? BJG: Oh my God…Donnie McClurkin told me he cried when he saw his image because he had never seen himself like that. Yolanda Adams said, it blessed her
BJG: Yeah, he was one of the first artists I called to get a feel for what he felt about me doing a book using some of the images I’ve taken over the years. He said,“Man that would be great, you really have some great images” and then I thanked him and in the middle of the conversation Kirk asked “May I do the foreword?” I have to tell you that gesture right there just shut me down Meta. It shut me all the way down because I hadn’t even thought about a foreword yet. I called my co-author Carol and said, “Kirk Franklin wants to do the foreword” and she literally screamed “Really”? I’ve only read the foreword three times because it just touches me so deeply that I cry.
Jeff grant & Hezekiah walker
Jeff grant & J.J. Hairston
Jeff grant & Ca
sey J
Meta Washington, is a 17-year gospel radio veteran and host of the middays on Kirk Franklin’s Praise on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. She is twice nominated in 2013 & 2017 for the Stellar Award for the “Gospel Announcer of the Year.”
Myron Butler ROOT | 22
1000 A PICTURE’S WORTH
WORDS As Told to Meta Washington
B. Jeffrey Grant-Clark
Benjamin Jeffrey Grant-Clark (or Jeff Grant as he is affectionately called) is the former VP, Promotions/Artist Relations for Verity/RCA Inspiration. He is currently the co-author with writer Carol M. Mackey, of “Faces of Praise!” published by FaithWords, a division of Hachette Book Group. As told to Meta Washington Root: Jeff, how long have you been taking pictures of Gospel artists? BJG: I would have to say between 20 and 25 years, maybe a little more than that. I’ve actually been doing photography a little over 40 years. Root: Did you ever envision publishing your photos one day? BJG: No, I never envisioned publishing them because having been a fan of photography for as long as I have been and having seen the work of so many great photographers, I would always measure my work against theirs, so I figured I was always quite a ways off from having something published. Root: Besides just taking a photo of an artist, what do you hope to capture? BJG: I try to keep in mind that I am taking a photograph of an artist who is giving their gift back to the Lord in worship, so I hope to capture that one special moment when it seems the artist is in the actual presence of God. Root: You’ve taken a lifetime worth of pictures for “Faces of Praise”. How did you narrow the selection down to the 60 gospel artists that were featured?
on
erboy” Johns
Keith “wond
Marvin S
app worship artist michael bethany
ystal lee, & jeff Grant, kr
BJG: Well first, I started off with what I thought were the best images that I had. Over the years, I’ve always kept a folder of my images on my computer and I would have my son, who is a graphic designer, look at what I termed as “the money shots”. He has a pretty good eye, so I would oftentimes show it to him and say, “Is that any good?” My son was the one who helped me not be so attached to an image. He would look at it more objectively and made sure we made the best
, Jr.
willie moore
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called marriage. We were only married two years when we got the diagnosis. Mike was such a good dude so I just didn’t get it. Root: Were you able to resolve those feelings? Lexi: There are questions that still aren’t answered but what I realized was even if I didn’t agree with God, I still needed him and He doesn’t really need me. So, I had to get with the program and find a way to live in this reality. The enemy will make you think that things like this are only happening to you. Quite honestly, I was mad at God and I was like “Why me?” Then I realized, there are people that experience tragedies all over and I didn’t have a monopoly on tragedy, grief, hurt and pain. I knew I needed God to get me through because I couldn’t do it in my own strength…it just wasn’t working. Root: I think a lot of people are afraid to admit when they are angry with God. Lexi: Yeah nobody talks about it. I never felt free to talk about that either because you know the old school church folks tell you “Oh don’t you question God,” yet we’re in this relationship where we call Him our Father but can’t question Him. He’s our Father, but we can’t talk to Him for real? Why would I serve a God that I can’t be honest with and say I’m mad? What’s the point?
real and three times a day I would lay on my face with my nose to the carpet and I would just go to God in the humblest way I possibly could and told Him…”God I’m giving this to you and that’s HARD for me to do because I’m a fixer”. I try to fix things because that’s what I do! My mind kept running until I finally said, “I can’t fix this so this is what I’m going to do…I’m going to get on my face and you’re going to teach me how NOT to worry”. It wasn’t a faith problem it was more of I know you’re going to do it…I just don’t know when you’re going to do it. I know you are God and you are sovereign and I can’t make you hurry up, so I need you to help me out with your timing and that’s what “In the Room” means to me. Root: Who wrote the song In The Room? Lexi: Eric and Anson Dawkins (Dawkins & Dawkins) Root: How did you connect with them for
“ Quite honestly,
Nelson, Terrence Vaughn has worked with Gene Moore and Justin Bieber and then of course Dawkins & Dawkins. Lyrically, I love where we are and I love what it says. You know I believe every artist just thinks the sun and moon rises and sets around their music and that’s not where I am, but I really think that this is a different project from most of the things that are out right now. Root: How old is your son Michael Jr now? What does he think of your new project? Lexi: He’s 16 now and he’s the love of my life! I sent him some cuts from the album because he has a musical ear and I said, “Son…what do you think?” and he said ,“Aaaaah, it’s good…but you could’ve done a bit more on the bridge,” and I said ,“you know what you’re an absolute jerk” and he just screams out laughing. We have a great relationship. Mikie and I can have those conversations but then he knows I’m Mommy and he knows not to disrespect me. He’s very clear that I’m crazy. He knows his Momma is a nut and that’s why he stays on the honor roll because he doesn’t need me up at the school.
I was mad at God and I was like ‘Why me?’ Then I realized, there are people that experience tragedies all over... ”
Root: Speaking of relationships, you now have a new relationship with Motown Gospel. Tell me about your new single In The Room. Lexi: How about that? I love it. In the Room is a great song, it’s passionate and it’s honest to God. It’s absolutely where I am…like in the room! A few months ago I had a situation that had me stressed out to the point where I was losing sleep and I was like… I’m too cool for this because I always sleep. Two of my favorite things to do is eat and sleep. Nothing disturbs those two things. Do you hear me? NOTHING…and this situation was bothering me. So, I finally made the decision and went on a consecration for
this song? Lexi: I’ve known them my whole life. We met through Fred (Hammond), when they were working with Commissioned. I sang on their first demo before they even had a record deal. Root: I noticed your sound is much different than your previous projects. What is different now? Lexi: What makes it different is the writing style. We’re still talking about trusting God but we’re doing it in a slicker way. We just want to have a more relatable approach to it. I’m also not singing as high as I normally do. I’m giving a little more tone, a little more mid-range and I’m working with producers I absolutely trust. Dana Sorey produced a lot of songs for Jason
Root: I’m a huge fan of your social media pages. When I need a good laugh, you’re my go to. Has laughter been therapeutic for you in getting to this new place you’re in now? Lexi: I think laughter works the same for everyone but because I’ve been through so much, I realize just how short life really is. We say it but I’ve lived it. I don’t take life too serious, so I just laugh at everything. When people call me a comedienne, I’m not a comedienne…I do silly stuff. I respect comedians. Comedians have material and can get up in front of thousands of people and tell jokes. I can’t do that…I get so scared. Another thing is, I don’t hold grudges. I can argue with you and have a knock down drag out argument and pay for your lunch in an hour…BUT you gotta gimme that hour! That’s how I deal with life now.
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Photographer: Derek Blanks @mrdblanks Makeup: Keita Moore @kilprity Stylist: J. Bolin @stylistjbolin
Let the Music Play On A Meta Washington Interview
Many people are familiar with Lexi from her controversial interview more than a decade ago with former Gospel artist, Tonex. She’s since re-invented herself when she set social media and YouTube ablaze with her hilarious approach to all things gospel but it hasn’t always been fun and games in the life of Alexis Allen. Just two years into her marriage, she lost the love of her life and the music stopped. But Lexi is back to her first love and it looks like she will be sticking around for a while.
Root: Lexi, I want to talk to you about the death of your husband Michael. He was your music producer and ultimately, he lost his battle to cancer in 2004. What has music been like for you since his passing? Lexi: Music for me after he passed sucked. I lost my passion for it. When people called me to sing I would do it, but I would do it just to make money. I was singing songs about God and didn’t mean any of it. I just sang because I needed a bill paid and I knew that God knew that and I was okay with Him knowing that because I was mad at Him. I was so angry I couldn’t look up into the sky. I was mad to that point and it took a long time for that feeling to go away because I felt like I had been cheated. I didn’t even get a fair shot at this thing
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Re-educating The Gospel Music Consumer Bryant Scott
President, Tyscot Records We remain successful by pointing everything back to God. God actually called our label into existence back in 1976, and because of that, we totally rely on him and ask for his direction. We’ve ben through a lot of things over the last 42 years, including distributors going bankrupt on us twice and we came out of that. God has shown us extraordinary favor with artists and vendors, and we learned that if we do things his way, we will never fail. As far as remaining successful in the digital space, we have great partners, so even though we are independently owned and operated, we are distributed by Warner Music Group, which is one of the Big 3. They’ve kept us apart of the digital game, the change in trends from downloads being the big thing a few years ago, to almost disappearing
in the last two years; to now becoming more of a streaming world. So they teach us how to monetize and properly go after the right accounts and properly exploit the music so that the most can be attained from it. That being said, for the genre of Gospel, it is extremely challenging because our genre is not reaping the same benefits like the other genres that Warner represents. However, here at Tyscot, we think outside the box as far as marketing, production and business models, so we’re exploring doing movies again, merchandising, blogs, podcasts and even television shows. All of these could not only create multiple streams of income, but also create platforms for our artists to be consumed. The key word is not sales, but CONSUMPTION. People are not buying CD’s anymore or even downloading, but they’re consuming. So how do we put our artists in a place where they can be consumed the most? If we are thinking outside the box, I would say movies is a big part of that. We did one very successful movie, Blessed and Cursed, and another movie we produced, A Beautiful Soul, was mildly successful and then after that the movie and DVD space had changed so much in just five years. The same models we used in 2010, were no longer available to us, so we’re reevaluating how to do movies and do
them effectively. We can produce the movies but the key is getting a monetized platform, which in all honesty has become quite challenging. That’s why the role of the millennial as it pertains to Gospel Music, is important because they are the lifeline and the future of our genre. Without being abrasive or racist, when we look at the whole genre of Christian music, they are not suffering as much as Black Gospel is in this season. One thing I attribute that to is, the appearance that in the CCM culture they’re actually training their next generation on becoming fans and consumers of the CCM genre, whereas many of our supporters will listen to Gospel Music on Sunday morning but are also listening to Hip Hop and R&B all week long, so we don’t remain true in our consumption to our genre. I think our consumer base needs to be re-educated. When you see millennials and the ones coming after them, we need to get them to become lovers of Gospel Music just as much as they are lovers of Hip Hop and R&B.
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Is Gospel Music in a State of Emergency? Ron Hill
President, Fo Yo Soul Entertainment I would say that Gospel Music is not in a state of emergency. I say that because we see issues in the industry as a whole. When it comes to Christian Music, Gospel has comprised only three percent of the market for the last 10 to 15 years. We’ve kept that going throughout the
years. This year, Hip Hop has taken the lead as the number one genre in music, while Rock ‘n Roll and Pop have lost some steam. It’s not necessarily that we’re in a state of emergency, it’s just that things have changed. The way that we consume music has changed, the way that we do business has changed, and I don’t believe that really calls for a state of emergency in Gospel Music. The challenge with Gospel Music is that there’s just a lack of platforms outside of your Sunday morning services. I mean, we lost Sunday Best, Bobby Jones Gospel, Joyful Noise and BET’s Celebration of Gospel, which were all major platforms that would put us out into the mainstream or at best, let the mainstream know about us. So what we’re trying to do on our end is build as many platforms as we can and showcase the best and the brightest in this
genre. We have so much talent here that putting them on some platforms to expose that will help the genre as a whole. I love the Hip Hop culture in Gospel Music. I think that many of them had to pave the way for themselves and I think a lot of gospel artists can learn from these Hip Hop artists because although some of the music is not necessarily “Sunday Morning” music, you have to find your own audience. The black church didn’t openly accept Lecrae when he first came out, so when he went to those white conferences and CCM events, they welcomed him with open arms and he took those fans and built a career from it. Gospel artists need to take a page from Lecrae’s book.
Is Gospel PR Handled Differently from Mainstream? Aliya Crawford
Senior Vice President, W&W Public Relations The way you handle a gospel artist versus a mainstream artist is different on many levels. First, there may not be as much familiarity out there with a Gospel artist as there may be with an R&B artist, however, it varies from artist to artist. Obviously there are many very well-known gospel artists who are well-established, so in that instance, that artist may have more leverage than a new R&B artist. On the flip side, if you’re talking about a legendary gospel artist versus a legendary R&B artist, the PR opportunities for said gospel artist are fewer than they are for other genres, which is unfortunate but true. In all honesty, the same can be said for black music as a whole and obviously Gospel Music is composed of mostly black artists. There is definitely equal opportunities in the digital and social media realm because artists have more ways to help market themselves. In that way the opportunities have expanded, I think social media is valuable to all artists across the board, especially the Gospel artist. The digital space has expanded and created opportunities for niche genres like Gospel, Jazz, Bluegrass or CCM. You have digital media which is great, but the way traditional media like television, radio and print has changed, the opportunities have diminished because there are fewer mainstream media outlets.
Are Choirs Still Viable? Gina Miller
Vice President and General Manager, Entertainment One
The choir is not making a comeback, as it is of my opinion, that it has not gone anywhere. A few months ago, we (Entertainment One) released “10,” which was Ricky Dillard and New G’s 10th recording. Last year, we also released Deitrick Haddon & Hill City Worship Camp, which is the church choir of Hill City LA, where Deitrick is the pastor. In the past few years, we released Azusa, the 2nd Generation, which was recorded by Bishop Hezekiah Walker, an album by the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship, and so many others. Currently, we are supporting Dexter Walker & Zion Movement with the distribution of his upcoming album. I could name other artists who are connected to us in some capacity from JJ Hairston & YP (who uses a smaller group, but 9 albums later, they were founded and started as TFT, - Teens of TFT, which was a church choir), Charles Butler and Trinity, to James Hall & the Voices of Citadel. There are plenty of artists that I am extremely fond of, who are not connected to us that still use a full choir. The Bishop’s Choir, Kevin Lemons & Higher Calling and Kadesh are some of my favorites. I celebrate that Kadesh, is not just a large choir, but also one that is lead by a female directress, who has so much energy and passion. I see a lot of choirs still represented in the music marketplace, with projects that they have recorded.
Beyond the choirs who record for “the music industry,” I cannot leave out the number of churches, that we worship in (with our artists) Sunday after Sunday. I’m talking about church choirs that I know exist, as well as my own church, that still have full choirs that sing each week. Church choirs like: Ebenezer, Allen Cathedral, Mississippi Blvd, Brooklyn Tabernacle, First Baptist of Glenarden, and Mt. Zion, to name a few. Perhaps the narrative should not be that there is an absence as much as we have seen an accession. Churches around the country now include Praise & Worship teams or small group ensembles. We know that choirs may not sing every Sunday, but certain choirs (Men, Young Adult, Women, etc), sing on certain Sundays…but all in all, most churches still have a choir. Calling it an ensemble, group or praise and worship team, is a reference to size, maybe even style, but not function. When making reference to a choir that records nationally, or a church choir and praise & worship team that sings locally or regionally, let’s not lose sight while trying to look for the choir that’s missing. Choir is not about size, but how it’s used in service, how is it integrated into the worship experience. Some churches have a moment during service where they minister songs that the congregation cannot sing along with, as does a choir that is providing “entertainment” would during a concert. Much of this is debatable, but simply speaking without regard to anything else other than musical contribution: if it is a group that leads you to communicate with God from your car, or ushers the congregation into corporate worship on Sunday as one body; it is a choir.
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The Naked Truth: Integrity vs. Ministry Jerome Hunt
President, By Any Means Necessary I come from a hardcore background of Hip-Hop, Drugs and Rock n Roll. I sold drugs and I went to prison for several violent crimes. I’ve done it all, but once I came to Christ and gave him my life, my mind began to change and I started to see things as God would see them. I gave up the secular mind set and changed my life and came into the Gospel industry only to be in for the shock of my life! If we are going to talk about why the industry is falling apart, we must address the real problem. Low sales are just a symptom of the problem. The real problem begins with the people in the Gospel Music industry. When I met Gospel recording artist Jermaine Dolly, I thought that I was going to sign him to my label and we would be off to the races, but boy was I wrong. Since I come from the secular side I didn’t know anybody, so I was told to hire a record promoter to promote his song called “You”. I had many sleepless nights trying to break that record, so I hired a so called Christian record promoter and paid between $25,000 and $30,000 to get the record played and didn’t get one spin! Every month they would come back to me for another $3,500 and tell me that the record was doing well and was on the verge of breaking, but nothing was happening. I was unaware of charts and how to track records. When I was selling dope on the streets, if you burnt somebody for $30,000, that was considered a death sentence. Here in Gospel Music you burn people for that kind of money and hide behind Jesus. We had limited resources so I had to learn how to promote records on my own. It took about two years for us to break the record “You.” We sat with every label under the sun, but no one wanted to sign Dolly, but I knew deep in my heart that Jermaine was special. We traveled all over the world from radio station to radio station. We had no appointments because we didn’t know who to call, but I knew that what we had was special. We weren’t being invited in, but we were forcing our way in. Things begin to click when Jermaine and I was at the airport and bumped into Willie Moore Jr. Willie told Jermaine that he appreciated him because when Jermaine was singing background for Tye Tribbett and Willie was trying to get his ministry off, Jermaine treated him like a brother. Willie eventually invited Jermaine on the show and played the song, “You.” The song was beginning to get a lot of attention, but there was still some gospel stations that wasn’t on it yet, so we were still on a crazy grind for spins.
One day on a crazy mission, we ran into a guy named Jerry Smith and at the time we didn’t know who he was. Jermaine was performing and Jerry was in the building and once he heard the song, everything fell into place. I have a special Godly love in my heart for Jerry Smith because he is a good man with integrity. Unfortunately, I can’t say that about everyone in the Gospel Music industry.
Marketing 101 and Taylor Swift Damon Williams VP of Marketing, RCA Inspiration
We need to embrace the new consumption trans rather than resist them. I feel like we wasted more than a decade fighting against streaming, digital consumption, and the more modern ways in which people are consuming media. Labels are finally incorporating this new way of consumption and they’ve realized this is a part of the new business model. Younger consumers are doing just that, consuming! To me, it’s encouraging to sit in on meetings where the narrative is about how the charts now reflect not only digital sales, but streaming numbers. I feel like we have turned a corner and we’re taking ownership. We’re feeding the beast, however, it needs to be said that it’s a step in the right direction. Can someone like Kirk Franklin take a stand like Taylor Swift did when she refused to stream her album for two weeks, and still be successful? That depends on your measurement of success. My short answer is no, because the gospel consumer is a very unique one. Technically, Taylor can do that because she knows her fans will go to the ends of the earth to buy whatever she’s selling. The reality that we are faced with is that our demographic is primarily older than the pop music consumer. Our parents don’t even know how to buy music these days on a digital platform, so if you’re saying that if Kirk Franklin or anybody on this side of the fence was to say, “I don’t want to stream my music,” you’re going to cut off a huge component of your consumption, and solely rely on traditional means of consumption. In that case, you’re doing yourself a tremendous disservice because the Gospel Music consumer is just not educated or committed in that way. They have bills, families, mortgages, car notes, college tuition, vacations and retirements to plan for. At the very end of that list is recreational activity, such as music.
The Gospel Box Phil Thornton
Sr. VP and General Manager, RCA Inspiration I think that Gospel artists put themselves in a box oftentimes because they don’t necessarily see the full spectrum, as it relates to entertainment. They’re not actively exploring some of the opportunities on the tour side, licensing side or any other brand opportunities in comparison to some of their mainstream counterparts. I believe a large part of it is, many Gospel artists don’t have the right team or infrastructure who understand the nuances of the industry. It can sometimes be a bit “Mom and Pop,” which I understand on some level because this may be someone who you trust, but unfortunately a lot of times when you have a family member manage your career, they may not have the knowledge, experience or rolodex that it requires to help navigate in this ever-changing industry. In my opinion, it’s about having the right manager, having that right agency and working in tandem with your agency and record label. Lastly, you need an attorney that understands the overall objective of the team and can help facilitate the business from a legal point of view and to me that’s what’s missing with a lot of the gospel artists. I think the gospel industry has some of the most talented artists in music. Vocally, not many can rival our top gospel artists. Some of them have the ability to do Broadway, as well as expand their brand in other avenues. You have to really know that there is another world out there and while I understand that this is ministry, on the other hand, this is the music business. When I was a manager, I wasn’t just relying on the record label to do all the work. They were a partner in the equation, but I was bringing opportunities. As an artist, you must figure out ways in which you’re adding value, instead of looking to the label to do it all. It has to be a collaborative effort. That’s why I stress that the manager, agent and label should be on the same page at all times. When that happens is when you will begin to see a huge level of success.
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THE GOSPEL STATE OF THE UNION
Things Done Changed: Are CD’s a thing of the past? James Robinson
Sr, VP/General Manger, Malaco Records
I am not an expert and every label and genre is different, but some things stay the same. I don’t know if it’s an emotional attachment to the physical CD’s like yours was, where you just need to hold the product because the same information is accessed online. I believe it is just a natural human reaction to not owning something, and it’s the basic principle that you paid for something and don’t tangibly get to hold it. I think it’s a psychosomatic issue for people that are used to spending their hard earned money and get something physical in return. Right now, you’re paying for something you’re getting digitally, and iTunes is now saying that they’re going to stop letting you download it, so now you’re really paying for something that you’re not going to own. So you tell me, is it music or is it just a natural reaction that you’re paying for something and you don’t get to own it? We tend to make everything so
Back to the Future EJ Gaines
Co-Executive Director, Motown Gospel People see a decline in sales and they believe that the Gospel Music industry is in trouble. But we don’t look at sales anymore, we look at total consumption, which includes sales and streaming. This is the standard of the music industry; even the Billboard charts are now based on sales and streaming, not on sales alone. So in order to assess the health of the Gospel
Is Radio Still Important? Eboni Funderburk
CEO, EFG Radio Promotions & Consulting Here’s the deal, the industry has evolved so much so, you just can’t look at airplay the same way we did 10 years ago. That is mainly because the way people consume music is so different. Once upon a time, we were able to draw a direct line between radio and sales and be very market specific. If a listener in a certain market heard a song on the radio and wanted to acquire it, they would either go buy a CD at a brick and mortar, or possibly at their church’s bookstore, or after
Is Gospel Music in a state of emergency? We asked ten Gospel Music executives their thoughts on the state of Gospel Music and we got some very interesting answers. To all aspiring artists, read and learn. By Hasan James, Jazz Hunter & J.S. Williams difficult and you have to understand that everything that’s a necessity now was just a vision of a need before. When the iPod came out, it satisfied a need. So my question is, what’s the real need? The industry has changed so quickly! Four years in another industry might not mean anything, but four years in the music industry is like eons, especially in this digital world. How can I get ahead of the four years that I missed? I can’t because the industry is ever evolving. The real question is, how, who, and where are we going to service our goods? It’s easy to figure out that you and I have an emotional attachment to CD’s because we were born in an era where we liked to read the credits, and even if you lose your iPod you still have the CD. In church we used to get bulletins and I don’t know about your church, but my church doesn’t give out bulletins anymore because everything is on the screen. You save money on
paper because there’s no printing. It’s just one person putting it on the screen versus the process of the person who typed, the person who printed it, the paper it was bought with, and the person who delivered it. My mind works differently; I try to break things down to the lowest common denominator. I don’t have a problem with nor have I ever resisted change, we just have to figure out how to move within the change. When the internet boom came, I embraced it. When that was over, I was one of the first executives to sign the new, younger artists and a movement was created. It’s about having that gut feeling. I would like to think that I’m smarter than the next person, but I’m not. I think a lot of these labels have extraordinary people, but Joseph’s coat could not fit David, so it’s about what coat we choose to wear. Read full interviews at www.rootmagazineonline.com
Music industry, we have to look at the whole picture. Five years from now, the industry will be even stronger, as gospel consumers continue to move from sales to streaming, and as artist’s catalogue continue to generate more streaming revenue. Our label was able to secure two huge TV bookings early in the year- Tasha Cobbs Leonard performed on Good Morning America and Tye Tribbett performed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. This is the result of incredible music, a focused marketing and PR strategy and the grace of God. Those three attributes are timeless, so in the future, I believe we will continue to see people touched by the message of our music, and those opportunities (if we handle them with excellence, humility, and professionalism) will continue to be available.
a concert, and so on. We could immediately quantify the impact of airplay in their specific market, because the sales in that market could be easily traced. Now, someone can hear a song that they love on the radio, immediately pull out their phone, stream it on their music service, add it to their downloads and get on their computers and go to YouTube and watch it, all without making one music purchase. Because of that, it then becomes difficult to draw the line between them hearing it on their local radio station, to them consuming it online through a subscription service. So then it’s hard to gauge the impact from an album sales aspect. With that said, radio’s impact in the marketplace is still very strong and is essential. According to Nielson,
radio reaches more Americans each week than any other platform. Radio also continues to be the leading reach vehicle amongst African Americans. Combined with the Latino community, we makeup one-third of the total listening audience in America and spend more time tuning in each week than any other ethnic group in this country. With that level of impact, the exposure that you can receive via the vehicle of radio is key in building your profile and brand awareness in the marketplace. The real impact of radio is more directly felt by artists who go into these markets. They have greater opportunities to connect with potential fans and get invited in by churches, because their music is primarily introduced into the marketplace via radio.
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saying. We just had to trust what the Maker told us. God has never steered me wrong as far as the direction I should go and once he says yes to something, that’s all you need. So, for us, the singles have been keeping us moving. My current single on the Billboard charts is “Honest”. The song is the segue to my forthcoming project because thanks to artists like Bruno Mars and Beyoncé, releasing projects like 24K Magic and Lemonade have people excited about buying full albums again. So we’re making way for my debut album entitled “Even More,” that will be coming this spring. I like to call it anthemic life music. Root: One thing I love about you is that although you’re an R&B/Pop artist, you’re an unapologetic church boy. On the flip side, some people will say you can’t be an effective Christian and sing R&B music. What do you say to those people? MAJOR.: Well R&B is simply rhythm and blues. Blues is an expression of journey and struggle, so if you are speaking to the truth of your journey and struggle with the beat, the tempo or movement, since when has that removed itself from the conversation that God would have us speak? The gospel truth…it’s truth with a rhythm, it’s truth with a tempo that’s more relatable to the mainstream. At the end of the day, we’ve crossed the sound of Gospel, R&B and Jazz so much so that honestly these days you just have to hear content to really decipher whether or not it’s Gospel Music. It’s unfortunate that people limit gospel to what they deem it to be but my truth
and my gospel are in many of the songs that I sing.“Why I Love You” came from a God conversation. I spoke to Him and I said,“God, I want to relay what I understand love to be from the exchange that I’ve had with you.” I believe God felt that He could trust me to convey the message of love without dismantling the potency of it’s reflecting kingdom. People feel God when they hear me sing…they feel God when they listen to my words. Root: You’re singing about love and God is love. MAJOR.: God is love, you said it! After learning of me, Stevie Wonder said publicly that,“Why I Love You” would be the wedding song of the year and it ended up happening shortly thereafter. He said, “Major, sing about love and God will always be there.” Being a church boy, I understand God is love. Love is patient, love is kind, love keeps no record of wrong, it does not envy or boast, so they’re going to get my perspective of love, backed by a spiritual understanding that cannot be denied. When people sing “Why I Love You,” they are singing the gospel truth because every single lyric is backed by biblical principle, so now the people have received biblical understanding from a perspective they had no idea existed. Root: Do you think you would ever do a full gospel record? MAJOR.: Absolutely! I have a song called “I Found a Friend” and Mali Music could tell you about it. Mali used to follow me on MySpace. He recently told me, “Dude you are one of the artists that inspired me to be different” and it was crazy because I was like dude, you’re Mali Music! I try to seek out people that connect with owning their distinction, so I’m inspired by Mali and he’s inspired by me. I recently went on the road with Ledisi and Kirk Franklin. Kirk Franklin is a hero to me, not just from a kingdom perspective, but musically as well. I was a worship leader at The Potter’s House at One Church LA, and although as of late I haven’t been able to lead as much due to being on the road, worship is my first love. I’m for God all day. For God I’ll live and for God I’ll die, so you better believe that if the right opportunity came for me to do a gospel project according to what the “genre rules” are, of course I’d do it. It’s my heart. It’s my truth. Root: There are many people out there who want to be artists but as you know, it’s not for the faint at heart. What are some eye-opening music industry lessons you’ve learned so far? MAJOR.: I’ve learned that people move according to the limitation of their greatest experience. You can’t expect people to embrace you, your uniqueness and your distinction right away. Even if your intent is honest and sincere, you have to give people time to learn to love and embrace you. I’ve also learned never to chase the embrace of the uninterested. Continue to do you because the only yes that matters, is the yes from our Creator. I’ve committed my life’s work to being a reflection of God’s light wherever I go and I don’t have to lace it with saying Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, forty times so they can see that. If I’m not living it, I don’t need to speak it.
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MAJOR. EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE IN R&B AND POP MUSIC, WE GET AN ARTIST WHO BECOMES A HUGE STAR IN THOSE GENRES BUT DOESN’T FAIL TO COME BACK HOME TO THEIR ROOTS. ELVIS DID IT. ARETHA DID IT. WHITNEY DID IT. IN FACT, ARETHA’S BIGGEST SELLING ALBUM, AMAZING GRACE, WAS INDEED A GOSPEL RECORD AND WHITNEY HOUSTON’S THE PREACHER’S WIFE SOUNDTRACK, IS THE BIGGEST SELLING GOSPEL ALBUM OF ALL TIME. ALL OF THE ABOVE ARTISTS WERE ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN CHURCH AND R&B/POP ARTIST, MAJOR. IS NO DIFFERENT. WILL THIS BREAKOUT STAR’S ASCENSION UPON THE INDUSTRY PROVE MINOR OR MAJOR? By Hasan James Photography by Jose Cardoza Root: I recently had a conversation with someone regarding the current state of R&B music specifically, and we were talking about how most of the legends except for Stevie are all gone. Marvin, Michael, Whitney and Prince are all gone. What are your thoughts on that? MAJOR.: Well I believe we still have legends. I think it’s easy sometimes to have an out of sight, out of mind moment, but Gladys Knight is still running strong, Patti Labelle is still on tour, Anita Baker is about to be back on tour, Charlie Wilson is always touring, so we still have some legends left. It would be cool if some of the legends would collaborate with the current day R&B stars, that would be pure magic. I am blessed to have somewhat of a public endorsement and co-sign from a few legends like Stevie Wonder, Patti Labelle and Charlie Wilson, who all think I am a dynamite artist. Even Otis Williams, the only original member of the Temptations, recently heard me on the radio and he thought it was somebody else because he was just relating it to a voice he was familiar with and my godfather had to let him know that it was me. It’s awesome to see the legends appreciating what’s happening right now. Root:You released an EP in 2016 entitled: I Am MAJOR.,however, there wasn’t a huge push of the album, yet you stayed in heavy demand. The song “Why I Love You,” was pretty big for your career. MAJOR.: The EP contains “Keep On,” a single I did a music video for and “Why I Love You” is my biggest song to date. The reason we pushed those particular singles first was because of the current space in which we live. People weren’t really gravitating to full albums at that particular season in time. We just wanted to give the people what they wanted and with “Why I Love You” I just had to trust my gut. Myself and my producer Harmony Samuels, had to trust that sound and know in our hearts that’s what radio wanted, in spite of what the so called “experts” were
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THE BENEDICTION Harold Bonilla M Y
G R A N D F A T H E R by Hasan James
M
any of our readers are reading this and are probably wondering “Who is Harold Bonilla?” Typically, The Benediction portion is allotted for people who have made a tremendous impact on the world of Gospel Music or music period; However, my Grandfather, Harold Bonilla, passed on his love for music to me and the rest of my family and thought it would be fitting to honor him on the final page of this magazine. I didn’t grow up with my father in my life. In fact, he lived just four miles away in the same borough and it was almost two decades before I met him. But my Grandfather was always there to fill in the gap and raise me into the man that I am today. I now realize that the way I carry myself, the way I treat my wife and child, and the way I serve God and my church, is all attributed to him. Poppy was a member of one church for over 60 years….60 years. Oh and I gave him the name Poppy, too. One day my family and I was at the park for a family gathering and I heard a Puerto-Rican kid running toward his father screaming, “Poppy….Poppy,” and I
immediately followed suit, running after my grandfather screaming “Poppy...Poppy”! It wasn’t long before the entire neighborhood was calling him Poppy. My grandfather was a “Man’s man” who loved sports and absolutely loved the New York Knicks, no matter how sorry they were. Ever so often when I would call him and ask him what he was doing, he would often say, “Watching these sorry behind Knicks.” Poppy was a sharp dresser too and he had this walk that was just so cool and confident. It’s funny how you notice so many things after a person is gone, and it’s funnier how you just expect a person to live forever. Poppy was one of those people. As much as I want him here, I know he is free from pain and that is a sense of comfort for me. Death has a way of either bringing people together or tearing them apart and I’d be lying if I told you that the devil didn’t try to rip my family apart after Poppy passed but he is defeated and we still win.
as notable as they come in my book. While growing up, his love for music was passed down to all of us. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands of records in his closet right by the front door. Everything from Rev. F. C. Barnes’ Rough Side of the Mountain to Billy Ocean’s Caribbean Queen could be heard on the Solid Gold record player that I received for Christmas in the early eighties. I could go on and on about my grandfather but I’ll just say this: My life will never be the same without you here but I will take everything that you taught me and continue to soar. Thank you for providing. Thank you for teaching. Thank you for living. Until we meet again, we remember and pay homage to our father, grandfather, and husband, Harold Bonilla.
June 20, 1939 to January 7, 2018
I know we usually honor notable people, places and nostalgic things in The Benediction, but Harold Bonilla is
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Issue 28
OUR FIRST R&B/POP ARTIST NOW THAT’S
MAJOR.
Apr/May 2018
LEXI
IS MAKING SWEET MUSIC AGAIN!
MICAH LEE SHINES!
+PLUS
THE GOSPEL MUSIC STATE OF THE UNION JEROME HUNT GINA MILLER ALIYA CRAWFORD DAMON WILLIAMS RON HILL AND MORE!
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