A chat with Moses Stone from The Voice:
 
I had the pleasure of speaking with the multi-talented, Moses Stone who was a contestant on “The Voice”, where he made history being the first rapper/singer ever to perform on the show.  He was picked up by Christina Aguilera for coaching (Team Xtina) before being eliminated after the first round.  
 

 
He has a hot new single just in time for the Summer entitled, “Gone”, which filmed on set of a mansion in Malibu capturing the beach waves.
 
Monika:  So tell me about your single, “Gone”.
 
Moses: “Gone” is an uptempo kick back song, with reggae tones and a twist of a country sound. It has a laid back beach vibe. The producer for this song is Hero Delano, with artist Shwayze on the record. It’s a fun breakup song where you’re with a girl, doing everything you can to make her happy, and she doesn't appreciate it. He’s fed up about dealing with a “gold digger”, and decides to move on with his life.  
 
It talks about what I’ve experienced in LA.  Many women here are used to being showered with gifts, and it doesn't matter how much you do, many don’t appreciate it.  So it goes into the Summer break up situation.
 
Monika:  It’s that whole, “believe what you wanna believe” weather? (Laughs)
 
Moses: (Laughs) Exactly. I’m currently working on my solo EP, and a fellow artist, Shwayze is working on his album for the Summertime as well.  It’s really perfect timing for an artist collaboration.
 
Monika: What's your process when you create?
 
Moses:  It’s all about the vibe that's going on at the time.  I pull from my and other people's situations when writing. It usually begins with a guitar and/or piano playing from scratch.  Hero Delano came in with a guitar, and I started freestyling lyrics.  It’s a very natural process.  I love creating things that aren't forced and very real.
 
Monika:  I’m aware of your brand, Artsky Entertainment. What is your vision for this?
 
Moses:  Artsky Entertainment started back in 2013 after being on the Voice and working with Christina Aguilera and Lionel Richie.  I learned the importance of owning your publishing and guiding your own career.  I wanted to work in more areas of entertainment after my experiences on 106 and Park, and Showtime at the Apollo as well.  My mom managed me before that, and it was like a family mission.  
 
Artsky started as a record label and music publishing company.  After years of doing different things like commercials and etc, I had a desire to work in different lanes.  
 
I created Artsky Enterprises where we have different brands under this umbrella. Artsky Entertainment is the record label/management company, dealing with music publishing.  Artsky productions is where you can order original beats online. At Artsky studios, artists can focus on their original work and producers have a space to create music.  The studio location is in Clinton, Maryland, and I plan to add a studio in LA soon.  The marketing and branding side is called IZZIO, and we also launched another company called Lux G that is an Emoji app.  We are connected with influencers on IG such as Karla Jara (with over 600k followers) and Justina Valentine who will be seen on the upcoming season of the show, “Wildin Out”.
 
ArtskyEnterprises.com is the website. The brand is about bringing new innovative ideas and people to industry.  The goal is to recruit artists in different lanes that want to push the envelope and be great.
 
Monika: What valuable advice did you get from Christina Aguilera?
 
Moses: I learned about being a strong artist, believing in your vision, and setting goals.  She pushed me as a singer instead of a rapper to expand my image.  My artistry evolved a lot under her guidance.
 
Being a young Black man, I am building a legacy for my family so they don’t have to start from nothing.  
 
Monika: Being from PG county, as a DC Native, what have your experiences been compared to other areas like LA…what's the diff in climate and experience?
 
Moses: It's better now for independent artists than when I was coming up. You had to bust your ass.  I had to wait in long lines for auditioning on a regular basis.  I remember waiting with my mom for hours outside of Apollo in NY.  Nowadays there's a lot more opportunity for people to get their foot in the door.
 
I was performing on U street, Bar None, and high schools at 16 and 17 years old.  Nowadays there's more traffic and people scoping the DMV area for talent.  The industry was not really checking for people out here unless it was gogo music.  Now artists can build a following to establish a niche and take it elsewhere.  LA contains tons of competition from different areas.  It's not a niche environment.
 
I've made musical contributions to Rihanna’s Puma line and McDonalds campaigns as well, so that was pretty dope.
 
Monika: Artists could truly benefit from learning aspects of your journey.
 
Moses: Thanks I appreciate it.  I don't believe in comfort zones.  I look at myself as being more than an artist.  I'm an all around entertainer.  I love to connect with people through music and different businesses and industries.  I want to make the world a better place through great content and ideas.  I'm always ready to put something new into the forefront.
 
Monika: Who do you want to collaborate with – Dead or alive?
 
Moses: Being Jamaican and American, I want to work with Bob Marley, Tupac or Biggie. I’d love to do business with Diddy and Jay-Z. I would also love to produce for Beyoncé. Working with dope young talent and helping to cultivate ambitious go getters is always a mission of mine.  That's what I do with Artsky Enterprises.  
 
Monika: I truly appreciate you taking the time to speak with me.  Please run down your project information one more time.
 
Moses: The EP is dropping at the end of June.  ArtskyEnterprises.com is the company website. And you can also visit MosesStoneOfficial.com
 
@MosesStoneOfficial is the name for my social media outlets as well.

Monika:  I can't wait to see the greatness destined to come from this awesome company and label.