Who is George Moss? He is currently on tour with KJ52, is an evening radio personality for WAYFM 89.9, has just released the video for his single Go Hard or Go Home, is a single father, and last but not least, is from my own home town. Graciously George took time out of his touring schedule to speak with Holyculture.net so that we could become more familiar with the artist George Moss.

Shine: You’re somewhat new to Holyculture.net, right? Have you had any write ups before?

George Moss: Naah, I’ve never been featured on Holyculture.net which is crazy, because for you to call me… (Pauses) I’ve known about Holyculture.net for years and I never thought I was good enough to get on, but I always thought maybe one of these days I’ll arrive. (Laughs)

Shine: (Laughs) How long have you been doing Christian hip hop?

George Moss: Ever since I was 14, like way back as I started high school. Not by choice though, but by circumstance. I had to go to church and I really didn’t want to. They started a Christian rap ministry at my church called G.A.N.G. Ministries (Gods Anointed New Generation) and I thought it was real corny for people to rap in church. There was no way of me getting out of going to church, so I thought I might as well go and do this thing. So that’s kind of how I got started. I was real reluctant of doing any music at all. At 14 all I wanted to do was go fishing, watch cartoons and stuff like that. (Laughs)

Shine: I read that you started out in a rap group?

George Moss: Yeah it was the church’s rap group, so anyone who wanted to rap at church basically wrote a verse to a beat. We had this thing called J.A.M. (Jesus and Me) every Saturday night…

Shine: (Laughs) I remember J.A.M.

George Moss: Yeah, that’s how we got started. We did our verses every Saturday night, yet it wasn’t anything professional it was more of something I started to do because I had to be there.

Shine: Besides having to be at church, what made George say “I want to do this”? Was there a change in your life?

George Moss: Yeah, at the time I felt like there wasn’t any point in going to church. I had grown up in church all of my life and I knew that God was real, but after seeing others and their relationship with God, I didn’t see any point in going through all of the motions if it wasn’t going to be a real part of my life. But as I started to do ministry and as I was up on the platform in front of our youth group kids, I all of a sudden felt this responsibility to not only do this on stage, but to actually live what I was saying. Going through the ministry and talking to people about my faith is what actually sparked the growth in my relationship with God.

George Moss: It got me motivated to want to know more about God and my relationship with Him and it just became more and more real to me.

Shine: What are some of your views of Christian hip hop right now?

George Moss: Wow, There are so many different facets to Christian hip hop right now that I don’t even know where to begin. (Laughs) It used to be like 5 years ago it seemed like there was a big divide between the KJ52’s, the John Reuben’s and the Cross Movements. But know, I’m seeing that gap shrink quite a bit. I’m seeing it from a different perspective because I’m out with these artists. Just last night I was out with Grits, KJ52, Sho Baraka and Lecrae all on the same stage and just a few years ago there was such a divide between all of those ministries. I think everybody sort of has a mutual respect for each individual’s ministry. It’s no longer that you have to do ministry this way or that way. I think its becoming a lot more unified than what it use to be.

Shine: Right. Now let’s talk about your project. Are you currently working on an album?

George Moss: Yeah, well right now I’m working on just recording a bunch of songs. I’m writing and recording a lot of songs. I’m looking at kind of putting that into an album, but that’s off in the distance right now. I want to do the best job of making the best songs that I can.

Shine: I’ve seen some of your Youtube clips and it seems like you have a lot of fun when you minister. How important do you think it is to have fun when ministering?

George Moss: I can’t tell anyone else how to do what they do, but for me it is fun. It’s just what I enjoy doing because to me getting on stage is fun. Just be real with people and be who you are. That’s what I really try to be on stage. I joke and I laugh, I also joke and I cry. All of it comes out in my music and on stage as well.

Shine: Your single Go Hard or Go Home was filmed in Grand Rapids right? What’s the concept behind the song?

George Moss: Yeah, downtown Grand Rapids.

Shine: I’m so proud of you (Laughs) it looks very professional. You had G.R. looking real nice. Who shot the video?

George Moss: (Laughs) Thank you. It was shot by my man Chris Fugitt of Chris Fugitt Photography’s. The footage just looked amazing. It was just a cool song and a cool way to come back and re-release the song. The whole purpose behind Go Hard or Go Home is that this whole walk with God needs to be taken so much more seriously. Go hard with this thing or go home. Don’t be lukewarm. Either be hot or be cold, but be one of the other.

Shine: You mentioned that you felt like it was time that you stepped up your game. It seems like God has honored that decision because I’m hearing a lot about you. (Laughs) One thing I have noticed is your professionalism in ministry from your website, videos, blogs, etc. Do you think that’s important?

George Moss: Absolutely. We have the most important message ever delivered to this planet. So why would we take it any less serious than what anyone else does? I am a professional because this is what I do and I take it as such. I want to do everything that I can in excellence. When I was on a local level, I treated it as such, but when I got to a level where I realized that this was my profession or that this is what I do, it became very important. With me it isn’t intentional, but just logical. I’m treating everything the same way from every note that I sing, every blog that I post, every twitter message that I tweet, I keep all of it in mind that all of it is to influence people to live for Christ. You can’t influence someone to live for Christ by doing things half way.

Shine: I was reading that you are a single father. What is it like being a single father and doing what you do at the same time?

George Moss: It’s nothing but the grace of God that has allowed me to have the life that I have and the relationship that I have with my son. You hear so much about baby mamma drama and dead beat dads and things like that. All I can say is that God has truly taken the situation that I have and blessed me incredibly. I have so much family in Grand Rapids and there is an old saying that says “It takes a village to raise a child,” well it has never been more personified than in my life with my son. I say that I’m a single father because I’m not married or have a girlfriend or anything like that and I’m a father, but I definitely don’t do everything alone. Everybody has a hand in raising him. That’s just how we are.

Shine: You’ve been touring with KJ52. For the readers how has that been, being on tour with him?

George Moss: Man KJ, (Pauses) There’s no question as to why he’s been around as long as he has. For him to be around as long as he has and be doing what he does proves he’s a really smart dude. God really does bless what he does. The proof is in his longevity, you don’t just get to where he’s at for no reason. He’s very professional and very much grounded in the Word and the whole spiritual aspect of what he does. I’ve learned a ton from this guy.

Shine: That’s cool. Ok so give us something that you might want the readers to know about you.

George Moss: I love fishing. (Laughs) I’d go fishing where there were no fish. I love the simple things. If you made me a pan of Rice Krispy treats, you wouldn’t need to put any chocolate on them or nothing. I just want the plain Rice Krispy treats. I love simple things.

Shine: (Laughs) Well George I want to thank you for taking this time out of your touring schedule to talk to Holyculture.net and as always, continued success.

Go Hard or Go home video: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9kXB2qacx0

Follow George: www.g-moss.com | www.twitter.com/georgemoss

Written by Shine: Shineis@ymail.com

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