We recently connected with Monique Massey Jefferson and have shared our conversation below.
Monique, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
This music journey has been a serious risk. It is stepping out on faith and knowing that God has me. It is sharing my heart, soul, pain, and victories with the world. To step out and be vulnerable is hard. To take a risk and hope and pray that the words that God put in my heart ministers to people on a relevant level. While you say taking a risk, I know it’s stepping out on faith, that will get me into places that only God can open doors for. And people think I’m crazy because gospel music doesn’t pay the way that secular music does. But I’m not in it for the money. I’m in it because this is ministry. This is the path God put me on to use His gifts and tools for His glory. To show people in situations where I’ve been that they too can survive and thrive. Taking a risk as an independent artist is also a challenge because you must balance everyday life with booking studio time, buying beats, promotions, Podcast hosting, and all kinds of other stuff. My granddad said you don’t wanna be in the house passionate in the dark unless you’re making kids. Your passion should never supersede responsibility. As a widow, it’s all on me. So, I must make sure that the bills are paid before I do anything. But that’s also time-consuming and it’s a balance.
I began in 2020 releasing Gospel Music at 40. I started the Gospel Drip Podcast in 2022 and Cya on the B-Side in 2023. Stepping out on faith to share other indie artists music and show the love of Christ in Business. God showed me in a dream that I was gonna go on tour and I stepped out on faith and did it. We began to take the people from the podcast whose music we had played and gather for a night of worship in their city with the Gospel Drip “Our Best Praise” tour. In 2 years, we have been to Baltimore, MD Riverdale, MD, Rockville, MD, Atlanta, Ga, Montgomery, AL, and Sacramento, CA. You can find the replay on YouTube on the Monique Massey Jefferson Page.
I took a risk in the prison system to help my good friend and brother and music Richard Evans and we created the “Guitar Workshop and M.U.S.I.C Theory Program at Corcoran SATF prison. We started with one guitar that was left-handed for him because no left-handed guitars were available. He and I took music theory books and what he’s known as a guitar musician for over 30 years. We developed a curriculum for a 16-week ILTAG program that brings light to other inmates in a dark place. But it also gives them hope. Once they get out they have a skill and they can read music. In our first year, 20 men completed the course and in our second, we currently have 40 participating.
By stepping out, I have changed the trajectory for a lot of people and I’m proud of the work that we have done. I have been blessed to win 43 International Film festivals, my music under Monique Massey Jefferson is being played on the radio in the US and overseas, Gospel Drip and Cya on the B- Side podcasts reaching the audiences that they do. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a 44-year-old gospel artist, writer, author, actress, creative, comedian, podcast host and show promoter. I am originally from Sacramento CA. I’m a proud alumnus of Alabama A&M University. I am a public servant and the servant of the Lord. I grew up under the tutelage of my grandmother, Lula Peaches King Massey for promoting shows and singing for the Lord. I grew up in a band with Raevans, Solo, KeeBee, and Aguny Ace that enhanced my music-writing skills and I sang backup for a lot of people.
I created Gospel Drip podcast that spotlights holy hip-hop, choirs, quartets, gospel Gogo, gospel soca and more to use all of the instruments to give God honor and glory. I created Cya on the B-Side: where the groove lives, to show folks that we can enjoy good music with great lyrics and no cussing. Both podcasts showcase new, independent, emerging, and returning artists on YouTube: Monique Massey Jefferson page, Facebook Live, and VTV television weekly.
I’ve been a show promoter for over 23 years. All our productions are clean, from Kingdom Komedy and Jokes for Ya Folks to our poetry shows. I don’t believe you have to be vulgar to be funny or entertain and get a message across.
MOMJ Music and MOMJ Music Foundation are my performance arts and music education company and non profit. they were created to be a door and collaborate with others to go new levels for those who want a non-traditional route.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, it is traveling the journey and then sharing ups and the downs,as well as the victory. Without God, I couldn’t do any of this. So, to see how my music, how my books, how my shows, and plays affect the hearts of the people to inspire hope is awesome. And I’m grateful for the opportunity to do it the way that I do it authentically me.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Amid surgeries, illnesses, and complications I have been blessed to create and grow MOMJ Music and MOMJ Music Foundation, release Gospel music, create 2 podcasts Gospel Drip and Cya on the B=Side, and write 2 books From My Heart to Yours and Jaime’s Blues. I pressed on so others could see they could to..
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.momjmusic.com
- Instagram: @Gospeldrippodcast_official @mo_mj_music @cyaonthebsidepodcast_official
- Facebook: @MoniqueMasseyJefferson @gospeldrip @cyaonthebside
- Youtube: @MoniqueMasseyJefferson
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1nNgEoatoTalLrXFJ58XQu?si=645O7kQZTMWZwwvTEqe5vg
