Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: All right, what's going on? It's from nothing to something else. You know who I am, but I'm sitting here. My boy Jahai, father, husband, pastor, artist, CEO of God First Music.
[00:00:12] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:00:12] Speaker A: Let me know if I'm leaving, leaving anything out. But overall, man of God, I'm happy to sit here and talk with you, but let me let the people know what we sitting here to talk about.
[00:00:21] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. Super glad that you guys are here with us. Yeah, my name is Jahai and I just released an album called Driven to the King and it's on, on all streaming platforms, Spotify, Apple Music, all of it. And yeah, I just wanted to get together with Josh and, and have a conversation around the album. I've been working on this album for over four years now, and it's been a joy to release it and hear feedback from people. And yeah, it's been an honor. I watch your guys podcast, appreciate you. See, you know that you have guests from time to time. And somebody hit me up like, man, you got to do more interviews. And I'm like, I think I know somebody that does it.
[00:01:05] Speaker A: There we go. There we go, man. I'm happy that you called me to do this, man. Like I said, I'm a firm believer and that, you know, we gotta use our gifts and our talents to, you know, pursue and push the kingdom of God and just positive things. So you've been in the game for a minute, man. I remember meeting you on the basketball court back up.
[00:01:26] Speaker B: That must not have been a great experience for you then.
[00:01:30] Speaker A: You know, don't, don't be fooled by the way I look now, man. I had it on a basketball court, man. And, and you talking about your journey coming up.
Why don't you touch in on. On how you got Chico and, and what you were involved in on there. I want to give it away, cuz you guys got to listen to the album. But you know what I'm talking about.
[00:01:48] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, I mean, I came to Chico for college. This is back in 2005, man. That's a long time ago. That's like over 20 years ago. I got an official man. Chico and Stamp.
[00:02:00] Speaker A: Yeah, you hear?
[00:02:01] Speaker B: You know, I've been here longer than
[00:02:03] Speaker A: growing up in the Bay Chico, baby.
[00:02:05] Speaker B: And I didn't grow up Christian, and I came to college and I was full on in the Chico party scene, you know, drinking, smoking, straight west coasting, you know, and man, I kind of. I hit rock bottom, you know, I got into, you know, doing some things, selling drugs and trying to Find my way. And got caught up with the wrong people.
And, yeah, just hit rock bottom. And it was there that I got invited to a Bible study. And it was a fork in the road in my life. Never forget it. It was a Friday night, and I just, man, started to have my eyes opened up to the word of God and started reading the Bible, started having people share the gospel with me. And, man, for the first time, it started to make sense. Things started to come into clear view in my life.
And that was around 2007.
And.
And, yeah, that's kind of where my journey looked like, man.
[00:03:05] Speaker A: I remember we was at balling at Emma Wilson, man. It was one of those late night pickup games. Things got a little rowdy. I think some people almost broke out to a fight. And like I said, I, you know, you was on the journey then. I didn't know it because we met up and play ball and stuff like that. There's new town. But I remember you was like, hey, y', all, chill out. Like, chill out. Like, let's go back to my buddy's place, I think with Brent at this time being his roommate. And he was like. And it was odd to me because usually it's like burgers or hot dogs. It's like, yo, let's. Let's break it up. Let's go chill. Come back to my crib and make burritos.
I was like. Everyone was like, and that's how you break up a fight. We was like, burritos.
I did like, I mean, you know, burgers and ain't fries, but, hey, I ain't gonna turn down no free food. And we went in there, man, and we watched a movie. I think it was a Matri. Streets broke that down, but it was just a good fellowship time. And that's where I seen the switch. And I'm like, all right, Jaha. He's on a different healing, different tune right now. He from different vibe. And so. And I think that led you to being a youth pastor.
[00:04:10] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:04:10] Speaker A: Now you're a pastor and, man, and you got out the game for a little bit because anyone who works with kids, you understand how that goes.
This is busy. Oh, yeah, it's busy 24 7.
[00:04:21] Speaker B: A lot of energy.
[00:04:22] Speaker A: A lot of energy.
And I know you took a break off of music from then, but I remember you came back out.
[00:04:28] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:04:29] Speaker A: With a album party, release party off of Mangrove. I forgot what the style was called then our first music happened.
[00:04:38] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:04:39] Speaker A: Talk about how that. That came into fruition.
[00:04:41] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:04:41] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:04:42] Speaker B: So that journey. So I Started, you know, actually, so I've always wanted to be able to do music even before I met Christ. And it was funny because I would get laughed at, you know, anytime that I would try to write something, try to freestyle something, you know, with my growing up, you know, it was not it. Right. And. And it wasn't until I surrendered my life to Christ that he revealed this, you know, hidden talent that. That I didn't know I had. And.
And so, yeah, I started, you know, doing music, man, early on in my faith in 2007.
Took a break, I want to say around 2012 or so, when I released my first studio album, Driven. And, yeah, I was just going on a journey. And it's funny that you asked that question of what brought me back into the game, and it was actually pain.
Pain brought me back into the game. So in 2018, I went through a pretty traumatic divorce, and I got healing in my journey by telling my story.
And so Still Standing was the album that I came out with in 2018. And it was this mantra and this declaration that even though everything was falling all around me, the church that I'd been going to for about 12 years at that point was falling apart.
The marriage that I had for a couple of years at that point was completely broken and falling apart, but I was still standing, Right. And I remember me and Grayson. Grayson's my videographer and, you know, picture extraordinaire.
We did the picture for that album cover actually in paradise right after the fire.
And it was crazy because we got access to someone's place where we could take the pictures at. The only thing that was standing was the fireplace.
[00:06:44] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:06:45] Speaker B: And that was in the background. And this whole house had been destroyed. And I really think it was really a picture of what I was going through at the time. But there was beauty in those ashes, right? Like, the shirt that I had on was a pure white shirt. And not just saw that God was sustaining me through that process, through that pain, and really catapulted me, you know, in writing that album and producing. That's what got me into, you know, starting the music company and the website merch, and really got me back to. To my roots and glorifying God through my music was something that I kind of laid down for a little bit because it wasn't a priority, you know, in my life. And it was a. A healing process for me to pick that music back up and. And then be able to. To use it to minister to others.
One of the lines that I said on that album from the Song glorious. I said, I used to hide from all my pain. Now I'm recording it.
[00:07:55] Speaker A: Yeah, let's go.
[00:07:56] Speaker B: Right? And it was really an opportunity for me to.
To share, you know, my struggle, share my pain with people that, you know, may be going through similar things, that need to hear how I overcame through the. The son and through his grace and, you know, sacrifice. Absolutely.
[00:08:17] Speaker A: I love it, man.
That's a similar story, man. With me is music changed my life. But then I At a anniversary of my old church, Second Baptist, and they was like, yo, do a song. This is before I had to turn myself into jail. So I was just talking about my own woes, my own problems. Then the lady came up and gave her life to Christ and was like, your song is the reason why I'm up here. I was like, I ain't never gonna rap about nothing except for, you know, talking about journey in life. And our boy Vaughn Tastic used to always say, your mess become your message, and your test become your testimony. And I always sticks with me. And, you know, music is a powerful tool that can reach the people who don't feel like they can be reached.
So now we're here to Driven to Man, talking about this album and how and what all came in with. I mean, four years that happened when your young studs no more.
[00:09:16] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:09:16] Speaker A: You know what I mean?
Like I said, father husband, now pastor, new church that's thriving, doing well over at Promise, Talking about everything that. I mean, maybe not everything, because we ain't got that much. We ain't got that much film. We ain't got that mistake. Y' all don't know.
But talk about this. This journey into making this new album.
[00:09:37] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, it's interesting. I just thought about this as you were talking. I started writing this album when I was still single.
Okay. Some of the songs came before I met my wife, you know, and you see the journey even on. On the album, right?
And really, my last couple of albums, you see a journey of me going from this, you know, traumatic experience to rebuilding and, you know, moving on from there. But, yeah, I started this journey, you know, four years ago, me and my wife in November would have been dating for three years, and I got a chance to grow in, you know, becoming a husband at.
Grow into becoming a father, into becoming a pastor, all in this journey.
And so you see that on the album, you see, I got a song that I wrote for my wife. You know, I gave that to her as a Christmas gift. You know, that she's my future queen. And you know, I had these intentions to marry and all these things. Right. And then the last minute addition to the album was a song called 2am in Chico, where I actually got inspired to write our birth story. And just the welcoming of my son.
I know. And I was feeling like, man, I feel like I need to put this album out. But things were coming up, we were planning a wedding, honeymoon, got pregnant, like all these different things. So I just kept pushing it. And little did I know the reason why I was pushing because it needed that final cap on the story, which is our son, you know, and the song about him. So, yeah, it's been an amazing journey to go on. And as a fellow artist, you know, it takes a lot to produce something to, you know, stick with it, you know.
And I'm old school. I love creating albums and creating stories. I know you love the singles and drop.
[00:11:44] Speaker A: No, that's all. I don't love it. It's just. I don't want to put in the work. Yeah, because you gotta, you. Because the album is a collective, you know, process and a journey and you gotta have thoughts and ideas that go together. I'm just out here, man. That's a lot of work. Yeah, so I'm like little singles, you know, but it took me a while to even put out music that's not getting muted and hijacked. Yeah, copyrighted. So.
[00:12:06] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, no, I hear that.
[00:12:08] Speaker A: Yeah, man.
[00:12:09] Speaker B: And yeah, I actually got blessed in the process of this album by meeting this young engineer in Vallejo by the name of Schmack and just roundabout way, somebody that I met through work, knew him, introduced me to him and fantastic engineer. I did pretty much a majority of this album recording with him. And it was just the way that it came together. You know, songs that I had from different seasons that all told a story. And that's really the push behind my music. If you look at every single one of my albums, it's all storytelling. And I pride myself on being a storyteller, something that Jesus would do. He would preach the gospel through stories, through parables. And so that's what I believe God has gifted me in my music is to be speaking these modern day parables of life and, you know, how I see God and different. Different seasons. So.
So, yeah, that was a journey.
[00:13:17] Speaker A: All right, man. I mean, I love it. I know you got your boy Jared on it too. That roaring song. I need, I need, I need that one. I need y' all to make a video for that.
What is next? I mean, you just dropped the album. You got the kid, you got the journey.
What's going on with you now with. After this album?
[00:13:37] Speaker B: Yeah, honestly, it's rest.
[00:13:39] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:13:39] Speaker B: You know, like, just how you talking about. It's hard work to put something out.
I always have this thought once I'm complete, you know, with the album, it's like, where do I go from here? You know, like, where does it come from?
And I love the verse where it says, the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
And anytime I feel like, well, I don't have anything else more to say, it's always God that then fills me up in order to create again. Right. And so. So, yeah, just waiting for that moment where God will lead me into another direction, you know, musically, you know, I've always wanted to do a collaboration album with the Christian hip hop artist in Chico. I know we have a bunch of songs in the vault that have yet to be released, man. I don't know in the comments or something. I need to ask this guy when we're gonna release on this. This vault of music. I always had this vision that it's the gospel according to 5, 3, 0 now. Calling out Shane.
[00:14:49] Speaker A: Let's go.
[00:14:49] Speaker B: Calling out Marshawn. Yeah. Jones, right.
[00:14:52] Speaker A: Government, young, black.
[00:14:54] Speaker B: And we need to put this album out.
We have some music. We do. I think that people need to hear, man.
[00:15:00] Speaker A: It was also an honor, man. I was at the black extravaganza from the BSU students at Chico State over this last weekend. They put on a cool show.
There's a new cat in town, man, called D Gaff. He just did an open verse challenge on. On TikTok and all this stuff. I was able to join it, but he performed, man. He's young. He's on fire for Christ, man. I'm just excited that there's a, you know, new generation coming up and putting in the music, putting in the work, and understanding the power behind their stories and their words.
So we've been called out. Y' all be on the lookout, man. Cause we ain't done, man. You know, as. As the young folks told me at Chico State, you like I did, you know, okay. And that's all it takes, man. It's really. For me, you know, it's just one person, you know, one person at a time. You never know how your story is going to hit. You never know how you can use your talents for your guys. So I appreciate you sitting here, man, talking about your album.
Tell the people exactly how they can find you, what they can look for.
[00:16:00] Speaker B: Absolutely anything.
[00:16:01] Speaker A: Else you need?
[00:16:02] Speaker B: You search for my whole music catalog just by spelling my name on your streaming platform. J A H A. I been doing music studio quality music since 2011 so all those albums are up there.
Also have a YouTube God first music. I got a lot of my mixtape stuff on there on Reverb Nation. I believe the same God first music. All one word.
[00:16:33] Speaker A: All the platforms.
[00:16:34] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:16:35] Speaker A: SoundCloud.
[00:16:36] Speaker B: SoundCloud. I think I got a little bit on SoundCloud.
[00:16:38] Speaker A: I don't know if I got Reverb Page.
That's crazy.
[00:16:42] Speaker B: Wow.
[00:16:43] Speaker A: That's almost as wild as the last person I sat here talked to. We were talking about my days at Circus City Slinging CDs and Scratch Protection plans. So you, you really ate. Y' all really aging me through these, these shows. But man, I'm looking forward for the work. We're gonna keep on doing what we do.
Something else.
[00:17:02] Speaker B: Appreciate y' all.
