Josh X on True Love, His Classical Music Roots & Stevie Wonder Asking Him To Be An Artist That Changes The World
Initially honing his musical chops as a classical pianist at the age of 6, Josh X has steadily made a way for himself, carving out his own lane in an often crowded space. Although he’s trained in the Western canon, when he got around to listening to R&B, he fell in love with Brian McKnight. “He was a piano player and a singer. I wanted to learn his songs so I could do it too.”
Josh studied at the prestigious summer program at The Juilliard School and graduated from Five Towns College. Realizing that classical music just wasn’t in his heart, nor getting him attention from the ladies, he decided to pivot.
By 2008, he was making the rounds as an independent artist (under the moniker Josh Xantus) and released “All For Love”, featuring Jadakiss. His network grew, working with notables like Swizz Beatz (co-writing “Ready to Go” for FOX’s hit show Empire), Jerry “Wonder” Duplessis and Bryan “Birdman” Williams from Cash Money Records.
2009’s “First Time” even caught the ear of Stevie Wonder and led to a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with the legend. “I’ll never forget that song. He took interest in me. That song opened up a lot of doors,” says Josh.
One of those doors was linking with Shaft of The KSR Group, a NYC-based record label that was working with then-fledgling artist Cardi B. Josh was tasked with writing and producing for Cardi beginning in 2015. “I saw the vision. I was the first person to produce Cardi.” The two collaborated on her single “Selfish” as well as his “Heaven On My Mind” in 2016.
After working tirelessly behind-the-scenes for three years to help shape Cardi’s astronomical rise, Josh X is ready to emerge as a star in his own right. Dropping “Xantus” from this stage name, Josh X is ready for this new chapter in his life.
He signed with Epic Records in early 2018 and released his first single, “All On Me” (featuring Rick Ross).” The song is an ode to triumph and perseverance; something Josh knows all about.
“Man, so I’m in Miami. I’m cutting the record—not on pen—all in the booth. I heard the beat and the track has over 60 brass instruments alone!” he says. Immediately he was hooked. “It just came out of me.” The song serves as a fitting introduction for a career a long time in the making. “At that moment, I wanted to show everyone who has been patient waiting for me the man that I’m going to be. This moment is how we’re going to celebrate life. It’s about elevation. It’s about achieving the goals you set for yourself.”
In 2019, Josh released his "Piano Confessions" EP to rave reviews. All in preparation to the upcoming release of "The X Project". “A blend of that new age R&B with bits of trap-vibes sprinkled throughout, while giving my fans the traditional Josh X sound with records as “One Last Time“. Musically and symbolically, it’s a full-circle for Josh. “I’ve been patient. It’s my time to shine.”
And that’s exactly what Josh X has been doing. Aside from having his single, “I Miss You” hit the Top 20 of the Billboard charts, he is expanding his artistry to acting, on the new Amazon Prime series, "Sister's Keeper", playing the role of Derrick.
So, it was only right to catch up with the talented singer/songwriter/producer for an exclusive interview. Tap in below for Josh X’s thoughts on true love, making a difference in the world through his music, the romanticism of classical music and the best piece of advice Stevie Wonder has given him. Then, be sure to follow up @joshxantus to witness history in the making 👊🏾
Thanks for coming through! How has 2021 been treating you so far?
I’m feeling blessed and I’m grateful for having a great year so far, as my single hit the top 20 on Billboard chart. My year’s off to a good start and I’m happy to see that something I’ve worked hard on is doing very well. You see the growth and the results of your hard work, and you’re like, “Wow, i’m doing it!”.
2021’s looking like it’s gonna be a great year for me as I have a lot of things in store including a cooking show with my uncle Manny called “That Guy Can Cook”, a virtual tutorial series where you can learn vocal lessons and how to develop your talents, and i’m acting in the Amazon Prime Video series, “Sister’s Keeper”.
Did 2020 find you doing a lot of plotting and development?
Actually, yes. I had to recalibrate my focus, tweak my sound, make sure my songs hit more, and make sure I had a lot of ammo for 2021. I also took time to rest and recharge, because those are very important to the creativity. The pandemic really gave me the time to reflect on content I’ve released and the shows I’ve performed at, and see where I need to fix, and what I should be doing next.
It’s a good thing to say now that I have the time because it can get so busy, and you lose out on so much. All that you will see come out in 2021 is a result of me taking advantage of the downtime and carefully putting everything together.
The song is very heartfelt. What type of emotion did you want to convey while making the record?
Being young and not really knowing about love from the first sight point of view and not getting that advice from an elder, I never really got a chance to witness what love’s supposed to be like. I made a lot of mistakes and while I learned from them, in the process I hurt some people that I really wanted to say sorry to.
The best way I can communicate is through my music, so from there I took pen to paper and made “I Miss You”. That was a dedication to someone I never knew the importance of till I lost her. I wanted everyone listening to “I Miss You” to learn from my mistakes and keep it pushing because when you get someone who really loves you, you hold on to them tight. True love comes once in a lifetime.
I believe a lot of people don’t know what love really means, and that’s why there’s a disconnect in so many relationships. What does love mean to you?
It’s patience and understanding, dropping the ego, dedication to that person who is really all about you, all the things from a spiritual point of view as God is love. We’re supposed to teach love and nurture love. Pain comes with love as well, and many of us are scared of the pain that comes with love. The pain however, comes with a lesson to help you grow. You’ll go through ups and downs, but if it’s true love, it’ll endure. For those still searching, your soulmate will find you, and that love will last a lifetime.
You have to be able to ride that wave when the tide is low.
Aside from holding your own, you have collabs with Cardi B, Rick Ross and Swizz Beatz, amongst many others. How do you choose which artists you want to work with next?
Honestly, for me it’s about what I love doing. I love making music, and I write a lot of songs, but thinking about who I want to collaborate with doesn’t come to mind very often. When I did “All On Me”, I really wanted Rick Ross to be featured on it. For the other artists, I just put it into the universe that a specific artist would sound good on a song I made. If I have the contacts for that artist, I reach out, and we see the possibilities.
You have a work ethic that’s respectable as you will make 3-5 songs in every session. That’s a special gift. When did you know that music was your gift?
I didn’t always know it was a gift really because I started out playing Classical music, and I hated it (haha). My mom lied to me saying that playing Classical music would get me all the hot girls when I was 6 years old, and by the time I got in High School, I realized it was all cap (haha). Classical music got me the kind of girls I wasn’t into. I liked the girls you’d get into trouble with, but they weren’t checking for the guys who played Classical music.
I used to tell my mom I hated music, and fast forward to today I’m studying the type of music I didn’t care about, and learning the purpose of it. I also had a strict upbringing as my mom would be like I either play, or get out of her house. I grew to love music from a musician’s point of view, and the Piano was the first instrument I ever played. From there I studied music in college and got my degree, and discovered a love for R&B music.
I started studying Stevie Wonder, Brian McKnight who is my favorite artist, Alicia Keys, and many others who played the Piano and who could incorporate it while performing. I never thought I would be a singer because my mom would tell me that I would be a Classical Pianist and play at Carnegie Hall. While I haven’t found myself in that, and a few tattoos and dreadlocks later, she’s still happy for me and proud.
Stevie told me that I should be making music that will take people from these trying times and provide healing, instead of talking about the thots or cars or something crazy that’s not helping anyone.
As a trained classical pianist, how does growing up on classical artists like Mozart, Bach and Beethoven allow you to create music from a different perspective?
Creating music frees my mind from having restrictions. Classical music is beautiful and very romantic, not many people would know that as many of the compositions are immensely inspired by love of many forms. I use the emotions from playing Classical music into making R&B music, and while the emotions from Classical music can be intense, they help to build the compositions.
With Classical music I have to see from a point of view from a composer like Mozart and follow old rules, with R&B I have my own point of view with no rules, but when I put them together, I can create a new sound that’s mine. My background helps a lot with rhythm, songwriting, and many other aspects, and I’ll always recommend artists and musicians to study Classical music.
It also helps with your mental health as Classical music can make you happy. I’m very grateful that my mom pushed me to play it, and I’m blessed to be able to use it in different aspects of my life and music career. One project that you can see the synergy between R&B and Classical music in my music is my “Piano Confessions” EP I released in 2019.
Your 2009 single, “First Time” opened a lot of doors for you, including catching the attention of Stevie Wonder and being his protégé. What is the best piece of advice he’s given you?
When he endorsed me, he asked me to be an artist that will change the world. He mentioned that many artists forget that they’re blessed with a gift to help lives, and I should use my lyrics to uplift and heal people. He wouldn’t endorse me if I can’t do that. I wouldn’t say that was advice, but more of a mandate in order for me to get his blessing. So, he took me under his wing and I experienced what he really meant as there was a lot of music out there that wasn’t uplifting and healing people.
In this pandemic when people are going through various struggles, you can’t be putting out music that doesn’t have meaning. Stevie told me that I should be making music that will take people from these trying times and provide healing, instead of talking about the thots or cars or something crazy that’s not helping anyone. That’s more like living in a facade. Stevie Wonder left me with jewels that I’ll always cherish, and I’m very grateful for his blessing.
You’ve said that you’ve been patient and it’s now your time to shine. Why do you feel it’s important to wait your turn when it comes to success?
I think it’s important because you never know when your time will come really. We’re working on God’s time, and I feel like he’s giving me that time now as I’ve been helping artists like Cardi B to hone her skills, and to become a great artist, and I should be applying what I’m teaching them to my own career now. I’ve been shining before don’t get me wrong, but now I feel like it’s my time to really shine with my music, my artistry, and my Josh X brand.
Speaking of Cardi B and helping artists, what was that time like, watching and helping her vision grow?
I’ll be 100% about this, my bro Shaft who is the CEO of the KSR Group, the label that I’m on and where Cardi was signed to, had a huge vision where Cardi was gonna be the “It” artist. Back then I was unsigned and working with a lot of great artists and assisting on projects, and Shaft reached out to me and told me about his first artist Cardi B who he had high hopes for.
I really liked what he was saying, and I followed my gut feeling and rocked with him. I made some changes on my ends and put a lot of my attention into the situation he had, and it popped. It’s a blessing to not only be a part of something great, but to watch it move from nothing to something.
Classical music is beautiful and very romantic. Not many people would know that as many of the compositions are immensely inspired by love of many forms.
What is your vision of success?
Happiness. I never witnessed happiness as a child, as we grew up with a lot of financial struggles. My father wasn’t there, and my mom was doing everything for 5 kids so it was tough growing up in New York City. I always saw that when you don’t have a lot of money, your health is affected because you’re always stressing out about making ends meet, and making sure food in on the table.
My biggest thing is that it didn’t matter how many houses or cars or wealth you have, they can’t bring you true happiness. So, my definite definition of success is happiness, and I will promote that moving forward because many people chase what they think will make them happy, but when they get it, it doesn’t provide it.
Any message for your fans?
Stay positive, never give up, and believe in yourself even when it seems dark in your vision because there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ve applied these things to my life especially while being a part of this industry, as there have been dark times.
These three things I’ve mentioned have helped me in great ways, and I recommend anyone reading this Interview to apply them to your career and life overall. You have to be able to ride that wave when the tide is low.
