Meet MOJA. The New Jersey based rapper is one of the freshest risers from the tri-state area. With a relatively young career, the budding artist has already worked with Grammy-nominated producer Keonthetrack and opened for Lil Gnar in Tampa. With a music career dating back to 2014 when he was making bedroom-curated tracks, it wasn’t until 2020 when he released his debut EP, Earthquake. This was followed up by 2022’s Arboretum released on Earth Day. Finally, in his most concise and revised body of work to date, I Was Curious, he is a rejuvenated figure that is a electing the promise of a future superstar.
Get to know MOJA
Brought up in a musical family, MOJA played the trumpet from a meek age and was involved in the church choir. As a result, this nurtured his talent until he was ready to record music of his own. Now primed to be one of the rookies of 2023, we catch up with him on his spacey and well-knitted project, ‘I Was Curious’.
In today’s music landscape, standing out amidst the noise is key. And that’s exactly what Jamaican native MOJA is an embodiment of.
“Music and art have always played a significant part of my life. I have always had an affinity towards creating music. Above all, playing an instrument and singing in the church choir when I was younger were very influential. Moreso, I would always be the kid doodling something when I got the chance. Visually, I’ve always wanted to express myself with a bold aesthetic” he ruminates.
The New Jersey helmed artist who grew up in Teaneck, NJ is a brazen example of a creative that colors out of the lines.
His September 2022 helmed project ‘I Was Curious’ is a breezy, summer-friendly record that incorporates his curiosity of love, adventure, and more as he wades through synth-heavy production, bass-riddled drums, and kaleidoscopic melodies that allow him to be articulate.
Why MOJA Is Up Next
Even though he is a rapper, he is far from coy when it comes to employing his singing arsenal.
“I’ll call it Neo-Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop with a balance between singing and traditional rap” he mentions of his unique sound. “Tracks like “Guatelinda,” featuring fellow Colmado Music Group artist, 1OAKJason, are a good example. The outro is one of several moments that show the more playful side of my music. However, it also continues my pattern of seamlessly bringing an international feel to the music. I love to sprinkle hints of French and Spanish influences, as well as nods to my native Jamaica.”
Incredibly vocal, he is confident in relaying his true emotions through song. Using music as a conduit to express his true intentions and his most complex feelings, ‘I Was Curious’ has a chronicling essence about it in that it feels like MOJA is recording his doings to recall them someday in the future. However, the beauty is in how he doesn’t play by the typical Hip Hop rhetoric of being Alpha, and instead he is comfortable in his skin in telling a love interest how he truly feels her without any compromise.
What’s Next For MOJA
“For my latest project, I Was Curious, it features a narrative about summer romance, curiosity, and adventure. I recorded these songs myself over the entirety of the summer of 2022. My inspiration was to make my most cohesive record sonically with themes that felt the most compelling for me at the time.”
Throughout his discography, continues to evolve, yet now he has found a pocket in which he sounds custom to. It’s safe to say that on this record, he is Lebron going for the All-Time scoring record only 36 points short. However, he can see greatness in his retina, but how he scores is important. This reference is parallel to how clear his path to greatness is in relation to how well he has arranged the project, the cohesion, and seamless nature of how his vocals blend with the instrumentals.
If you enjoy artists with sounds similar to Pierre Bourne, Lil Tecca, Destroy Lonely, and SoFaygo in terms of beat selection, stream his music.
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Listen to the project on all streaming platforms below:
