J SQUARE - Real, Raw and Radical! - Part II

We continue our discussions with J Square in this part two as we further discover his dreams, passions and personal convictions. Truly there is more than what meets the eye on stage as we know more of him and his new wife. Read on and become inspired by words of wisdom, life and pure truth as he impart valuable knowledge to his reading peers.

Gospelglobe – Let’s talk about the album ‘Higher Ground’…, what inspired the name and the approach in every song?

J Square – The funny thing is that the album was supposed to be named ‘Higher Level’, and when I did ‘Pressing On’ the video, I told the producer, and that is Rodney Guilarte (Production Manager of ACTS 25), I told him in an E-mail that the name of the song is ‘Pressing  On’ and the album is ‘Higher Level’. I had already sent out the graphics for the album and so forth.

Then while looking at the video’s credits I said, ‘Umm Rodney the album is not Higher Ground’ it’s ‘Higher Level’. Then I just looked at it and something said keep it like that. After listening to the album more, the name was pertaining to it. I really wanted to take people to a higher level, to a higher ground. When they listen they must feel uplifted, hence the reason you will hear songs such as ‘Pressing On’, ‘Weary’ , ‘Stronger Than Ever’ etc. It came about through a mistake by it was really in key with the album so I left it as is.

Gospelglobe – So M.A.D in M.A.Y…, very good concept. Please explain what it was to readers and will there be any more in the coming years?

J Square – The whole thing about M.A.D in M.A.Y is that it is ‘Making A Difference in Me And You. The whole concept came about when I asked my manager Adana McMillian about doing something in May.

I wanted to go about to the churches and the schools and do community events for free because a lot of people wanted me to come to their churches but they were afraid to ask. They always believed that I have a price, which I do have yes, but they thought that the price will be too high.

So I did it so that they will feel free to call me. It’s not a unique name as there were people who have used that concept. So we worked with it and it was tremendous. We went to three or four schools, different churches with youth ministries which were really good. Of course we’ll being doing it in 2010. It will be bigger tremendously! I’m trying to launch my album in May to make it more spectacular so that it can be a tour itself. Big up to Facebook too! Definitely helping to get the music out.

Gospelglobe – Take time to large up the Southland and the Soul Seekers Alliance (S.S.A). Let the people know what you all are about.

J Square – I must big up everybody from the SSA from Koen Duncan, Elisha, Mission Epistle, Silent Sah, Anointed Ones, Carllon Semper, God’s Farmer, Antus Keith, Virtuous, Patrice Daniel, Men On Fire, Darryl Gervais, G Master, J Prince, Kerron Ramsey, ummm EVERYBODY!

All of us really down South have a close relationship with one another. Thanks to the Upper Room Entertainment Center because the helped to feed it. There we finally had a place where we could meet and congregate outside of music, of being on a stage, and just coming out to shoot some pool, relax and drink something.

We do have meetings. Recently we haven’t had any as people have been getting so busy. We still have a lot of meetings where a lot of artistes come together. It has grown beyond South members as we have invited all other artistes across that country to come down.

For example we had Curtis Jordan, Shiselon, Jadee too when we had a session with only men and he was a real blessing to us,  and right now we really changing it from a South thing. Though it started here we really want it as an International thing.

Gospelglobe – Let me switch up now and get a little in your business! Who is Anna Smith Joefield aka ‘The Empress’? Tell us of her impact in your ministry and your personal life.

J Square – I didn’t know that she had and ‘aka’. Well you know the Empress, Anna Smith is my wife…, fellas you know we not good with how long we married…, I married 10 months no, 1 month and some…Please don’t let me check! We married! That’s the important thing!

Definitely she’s a big impact on my life. We started when we were 18 years to like each other and move around. To me she really had a stronger relationship with Christ and she helped to build my relationship with Him. I was deep in Christ too but she was more stern and strict on certain things, so she really helped to really ground me in those terms.

Otherwise I believe that I might have been one of those Gospel artistes who have some girl pregnant, not shooting down anyone who have done that… Everyone has their struggles and brother and sister despite going through that you can still pull up.

The Bible says to restore a brother in the spirit of meekness, and take heed lest you fall. Yet I’m thankful that I didn’t have to go through that phase.

She was really instrumental in that, in times when I wanted to give up and say ‘Let me not sing again na boi, let me get some loving right about now!’

Once again this is J Square and how I talk. If you can’t take it… HARD LUCK!

She was that one that will always make a firm stand and say, ‘No Jason! Remember you’re in ministry, remember it is young people looking up at you’, and she always used to remind me in the times that the flesh wanted to take over.

She has really been a great asset in terms of ministry and I run all my songs by her. She’s the one who’s always supporting me and always making sure that things scripturally correct. She’s a great and big impact on my life.

Gospelglobe – Does she sing, dances?

J Square – She could sing you know! She doesn’t like forefront. She is very good in monolougues! Yes I’m selling out your business baby! She’s one of the persons who could have ever made me cry. The only other was Silent Sah with singing. He sang about his testimony that made Kerron and I cry.

She did a monologue on child abuse, where she was a young child and her father was raping her and she was asking what was going on. It really had the entire church quiet! She’s very very good in acting, BUT, she loves to stay in the back and not really expose her talent. Soon to come I will have her on stage with me doing some kinda thing for ‘Na Na Na. Don’t Touch Me There’.

She can sing. She’s been on the worship team but her gifting is public speaking, with women and young girls. Even preaching and teaching the Word and stuff like that. Once again she likes to shy away from it.., but very good in it and I know that the Lord will take her into great places.

Gospelglobe – So I see that there’s an album coming out in 2010 titled One More Chance, inform us as to what’s to come from that.

J Square – With that one I don’t know if people could take it, but they will take it. It is really an exciting project that I’m doing right now. Almost finished actually. I have four more songs to works on professionally. It may be a fifteen or sixteen track because I’m still working out what songs will be there.

The album will be very, very specific on issues. I have a song telling women that they are more than just their physical appearance; I have a song about Facebook, domestic violence, Gay Christianity which is an oxymoron, there’s a song about checking up yourself and going to the doctor, and I wanted it not to sound like the traditional Gospel album. I never wanted it to sound secular also.

I wanted for when people listen to it they say this not normal, but they should know that this is a Gospel album and that this is a Christian artiste praising Jesus Christ. The ‘One More Chance’ title came about when there was this point in time in my ministry where I had felt like I had lost it. I had lost my vocals and everything went. And I felt as though that was it. I really asked God to give me one more chance to be able to spread your Gospel.

I made a promise to him that if you gave me that one more chance, I going to name my next album, ‘One More Chance’. That’s why the messages now are so strong. I believe that why He took away my voice, and it was that I wasn’t really being obedient in what He was asking me to sing about. He was asking me to sing outside the box.

I’ve also gotten prophecies that the way that I’ll be used is in an unorthodox manner, and not necessarily going to be accepted by all. So with this album I may lose plenty friends and people may stop calling me on a Sunday morning to sing, because they may feel that me messages are too strong but say what! Like Bob Marley, he believed that he could have changed the world through music, and I believe that with the Word in music, that we can change the world

Gospelglobe – I know that you would get high on the Gentile rating with Liv Strong and the meat meter will be up there!

J Square – Well my Gentile meter will be real high! (We laugh)

Gospelglobe – Share with me your thoughts on the state of Gospel in T & T also how can it be improved?

J Square – We don’t have an industry that’s the first thing. We have a rat race or something. Not even a rat race, we just have. That’s it. The only way that it can be improved in Trinidad and Tobago is if we come together as musicians, promoters, as people who love God and Gospel.

There must be vision in it. Everyone has a piece of the puzzle but no one comes together to put it together. Hence the reason why we try to have Soul Seekers Alliance. There are so many things happening in Gospel such as ministers watering down the Gospel and try to make the music more appealing to the masses. That is debatable and some say that you shouldn’t do that. But for someone in full time ministry that’s his only option.

We have on the other side where the church does not support us. When I say support us I mean the brand of Gospel music that may come out such as Reggae, Dancehall or Soca. People’s whole  perception of what worship is, is that it’s an R&B style, contemporary sounding American style, Austriallian like Hillsong jumping type of music.

Hence you have Gospel artistes not getting as much radio airplay as is deserved to make a market and to make an industry. Everyone needs to work hand in hand. We as the Gospel ministers need the radio stations, where as radio stations they,… well they really don’t need us but they can help us. Right now I think that if we can get more of that it would be better, but if I were to come right back down to the source it would be the people of Trinidad and Tobago.

They need to demand more local content for it to change. The people need to wise up and show more love ad appreciation for local content, and really support the local ministers.

No disrespect to anyone but I’ll use for example Kirk Franklin, you don’t know his lifestyle, you don’t know who he is but you have Koen Duncan living right here, Jason living right here and you can see how we living, what we going through, and you can really have an opportunity to meet us face to face and talk to us. So support the music and help us build and industry that we can live off of.

Gospelglobe – If you had the power of God for one day like Bruce Almighty, what would you change or implement in the world?

J Square – (Thinking aloud) The power of Bruce Almighty in one day…

That’s a good question. So many things to change huh…

The only bad thing about it…, you know what I wouldn’t change anything! God is God and Creator and He has the ability to change everything and He didn’t change it and there’s a reason.

You see with change it will affect others. With Bruce Almighty he pulled the moon closer and he affected so many other people. I may make a decision that may seem good to me but may diversely affect other people’s lives.

God has given us all the power of choice and one of the things that I would like to do is have everyone accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, but even God wouldn’t want that because accepting Him has to be a love thing, we can’t force it. Frankly I wouldn’t change it. Maybe get more CD sales I don’t know.

Gospelglobe –  And in closing, impart some advice to young persons who have a desire to get involved in Gospel Music.

J Square – To the young people getting involved, first and foremost make sure that you have a relationship and walk with Jesus Christ. I’m not talking about what you hear your Pastor said but truly have a walk with Him.

Thing is you may have a desire to get into music and that is not what God wants for you. As much as people see me singing and what not, my desire is not to be on the frontline singing, my desire is to be behind the scenes managing an artiste but God has me here now on the forefront.

There was something that Russell Leonce said that really blessed my heart. Someone asked him, ‘Where do you see yourself in the next five years?’

He replied ‘In the will of God’

He as a person wanted to become a counsellor however being in the will of God, he is now a musician with a band. He said when you look at it my music is really as though it counsels people. Look at ‘Troubles Won’t Last’.

So he’s no longer counselling two to three people a day but it’s thousands of people that he’s able to reach. So whatsoever as a young person you want to do in music, you may have a predefined idea as to how you get into music, but once you’re in the will of God He will open up the doors for you.

He opened doors for me that I never catered for and I was never looking for it to come that way, but because I remained in the will of God, that’s what is taking place. So first and foremost be in His will and don’t stop there.

Once you’re there you need to get up and do some work. Anything you need to get involved in you need to do some research on it. Understand as an artiste what type of genre you want to be in. understand the niches and the markets of such. Where is that music type accepted? So that you send music to the right places.

Also work on your craft. I’m tired seeing people who want to be Gospel ministers and they have no talent and they cannot sing. If you want to sing get voice training, if that ain’t work for you, just give it up baby, that is not the will of God!

Be talented! Even David, he was a skilled musician, he wan’t an ordinary one, and anointed at that. And God is looking for skilled and anointed. Not just yes you have th eannointing and all that. Can you play?

Make steps of faith, God is not going to do everything for you. As I say God is not going to do for you what you are not willing to do for yourself. I can be very easy to direct a moving ship than one that is parked up in the docks. So don’t just sit down praying and praying, get up and make a move. Make a step of faith.

Written by :

Esther James

 

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