About 6 years ago, I was lucky enough to get hired as an intern at Universal Music Group. (UMGD) It was then that I met Moses, the talented and inspirational artist who graced us with his gift in Season 2 of The Voice. Except, I don’t know him as Moses Stone – I know him as MoMo. I didn’t accidentally bump into him on his way into a meeting or while fetching him some coffee, either. Moses was an intern, like me, hungry to learn the ins and outs of the biz as he devoted the rest of his time to pursuing his dreams of being an artist.

Once our semester ended, we were both hired to become project managers.. and that’s when I truly fell in love with Moses. No official interview can shed enough light on this guy’s soul. Now, I may be a bit biased here because I’ll be the first to admit that when everyone went home for the day, Moses and I, along with a few other coworkers, would hang out, dance and rap as we wrapped up the day’s work. I’d like to call that insta-friendship.

I couldn’t be happier for his success. Not only because he is a friend, but because he really worked hard to get to where he is today (and he’s still climbing). I am thrilled to be able to feature him as the launch of our Indie Dick column. He is the epitome of the message we are trying to leave behind.  So go ahead: Listen.

Moses Stone: “Stronger/Power” from Moses Stone on Vimeo.

When did the music bug bite? How did you know this was it for you?

MS: I started music at the age of 10 rapping, singing and dancing, It was something that I always did and I enjoyed it. I use to stay up all night and I self thought myself piano and how to produce beats. I was always practicing and working on my craft as a kid it came so natural to me.

How did you develop as an artist since we first met?

MS: I know who I am as a artist, my sound, my style and I know my goals & what I want for my career. I realized that it’s about building your brand and Moses Stone is my brand and I know what my fans and demographic want from me; what makes them tic; what gets them excited; what type of music and things they want to hear from me. Musically, I’ve transitioned into a singer which you will hear more of that side on my new mixtape “RESILIENT”.

Tell us about your journey before The Voice 

MS: The hurdles I’ve been through built me to be the artist and person I am today, losing my older cousin who got me started in rapping, to street violence. Moving to California by myself with no family or friends and having to learn [everything] on my own. Struggling but keeping a smile on my face while chasing my dreams – all of these things made me who I am. In life it’s about your experiences and I’ve learned and am still learning from all of mine.

When you decided to audition, did you think you had a chance?

MS: Hell No…. Haha kidding.  I was extremely confident in my talent and my abilities but I didn’t think they would accept a rapper on a singing show & I knew that the coaches were expecting singers and they couldn’t see me and my performance. Fast-Forward to now, I made it on Christina Aguilera’s team and was the first ever rapper/singer in the history on the show! God is great! 

Tell us about your experience on the show

MS: My experience on the show is something I will never forget; the people I’ve meet, the performances in front of Adam, Cee Lo & Blake and getting the critics good or bad all helped. It taught me a lot as an artist and the entire show was a learning experience. I would say the biggest thing is working with legends like my coach Christina Aguilera and an icon like Lionel Richie, which pushed me more as a singer. I found my Voice being on that show.

And now that you’re onto the next chapter, what have you learned about yourself as an artist AND as an individual?

MS: What I’ve learned is that both as a individual & artist, I am strong and resilient. I experienced a lot over my last year in California from failure to success. I’ve ended a bad management deal and removed negative people from my life. The entertainment industry can be a tough filed but you have to have a lot of heart and thats what I have no matter the situation. My goal is to reach the success I see for myself. Period.

What drives you and inspires you?

MS: What drives me is my passion and love for what I do. I love to create music, create content and I love performing. I am a
perfectionist and I strive to be one of the greats in music so I always push myself to the limit, no matter what. Life & my fans inspire me everyday. I learn something new or encounter different situations that spark an idea for a song. When I talk to my fans and I hear their stories, it lets me know I’m helping someone’s life out there with my music… and that’s a tremendous feeling.

What keeps you on point when the journey gets bumpy?

MS: My family keeps me on point. Without them, I would not be where I am right now.

What would you say to men and women who are pursuing this career?

MS: What I would say to anyone pursuing a career in music is you have to truly love it and be passionate about it. You will hear no’s before you hear yes’s. You will fail at some point in your life, but don’t be afraid of that because everyone who is successful has too. Don’t ever give up on your dreams; work hard, work smart, perfect your craft and never stop believing in yourself!

What other generally inspiring things would you tell our readers, regardless of their passion?

MS: Live as if you already have success. If you live like you’ve already made it to the point you want to be at in your life or career, you will naturally start to attract all of the things you want in life and you will succeed.

Where can they find you, support you, and buy your music?

MS: For all info and Inquires about me go to my official website: http://Iammosesstone.com

If they tweet you, will you answer?

MS: Yes, I will answer! HAHA and follow back. I love and support everyone who loves me and my music.

RESILIENT will be released this tuesday November 13th exclusively on WWW.IAMMOSESSTONE.COM as well as site’s like Datpiff.com, HotNewHipHop.com, Amazon.com and more….

It will be for free download features the single’s “Young & Invincible Featuring Lisa Scinta” & “Pray For Them”

Website & Social Website Links:

http://Iammosesstone.com

http://onesheet.com/mosesstone

http://facebook.com/iammosesstone

http://twitter.com/iammosesstone

http://Instagram.com/iammosesstone

Moses Stone & Christina Aguilera

Team Christina’s Moses Stone turned heads and kept viewers glued to their TV screens on season 2 of the hugely popular singing talent competition,The Voice. He showed to everyone his impressive talent with a unique mix of hip-hop, pop and soul.  In an exclusive interview with Celebrity Jabber, Stone gave us the scoop on what feeds his passion and what it was like being on The Voice.

Stone told CJ he got an early introduction to music around the age of 10 when he was introduced to rap music by his cousin Jamar J Adair.  Adair was already working on his own music and lyrics, and picked up on Stone’s keen interest in producing original work, and encouraged him to start trying it himself– quite a perceptive idea as Stone is becoming one of the hottest new talents in the industry!

Like many youths pursuing pop music, Stone was heavily influenced by Michael Jackson.

“All of the greats in music have inspired me, Michael Jackson’s artistry & being an entertainer, as a kid whenever he would have a live performance on television I would run and grab my penny loafers and mimic his dance moves in front of my whole family,” Stone reminisced. He also went on to give major props to Bob Marley and what the iconic songwriter did for Reggae, as Stone is Jamaican himself.

Stone has been steadily amassing a body of work including singles and mixtapes over his recording career, but he told CJ his proudest achievement is his current mixtape out now, called ‘RESILIENT.’

“The recording process for this project has been such a beautiful experience from working with the artist I’ve worked with and all of the producer’s that are on the project, I had the chance to vent and share my emotions with my fans and let them into my life over the last year,”  said Stone.

Stone called his time on The Voice “amazing” and specifically praised his coach Christina Aguilera.    The young rapper/singer had high praise for the the A-list talent sitting at the judge’s table,as well.  Being evaluated by top singers like Adam Levine and recent celeb gossip headline maker Cee Lo Green was a very humbling experience for Stone.

“It was a honor to perform in front of artists of that caliber. They all have toured the world, have successful career’s and are all great talents and entertainers. Being an artist you can never stop learning and perfecting your craft. Performing on stage in front of them each week hearing there critiques good or bad they’re all thing’s that grow and build you into be such a great artist. So it meant a lot to get the chance to perform in front of them and all of the viewers who tuned in and watched at home each night.”

Stone’s current mixtape ‘RESILIENT” will be out November 13th and you can find out where to catch this amazing rising star at  iammosesstone.com

Listen to his latest single Young and Invincible below;

As for Stone he has been hard at work in the studio for the past couple of months working on this tape and experimenting with his music and voice. Fans can expect to get new music from Moses November 13th when the new mixtape releases also fans will be getting another new official single from his upcoming EP slated for 2013.

Photos By: Annie Gleen Photography | Cover Designed By: Aaron Conney

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