To give you an example, there is a stupid song I wrote called “Swagzilla.” I was never going to put that song out, but in the process of the PledgeMusic campaign, I was using older songs to get people to sign up or generate interest. I put the song out and people freaked out about it. They were saying, “I love that song, where can I get it?” But I’m like, “Nobody says ‘swag’ anymore!” But this is indicative of the approach of five to seven years ago.

Eventually, half of the audience was divided on if I should actually release it. That’s the great thing about PledgeMusic, in knowing that it wasn’t going to go on the album but I can still make it a free download if you sign up. Normally in the past, with a major label situation, I couldn’t do any of that. This is what I mean by being “aware of my space.” My approach was listening to the fans.

CCM: You’ve got a great collaboration with Derek Minor, and we know there are a few others on the new album. Did you have a vision of who you want to call in? Or was it a matter of what friends are available?
KJ-52: Well, the thing with Derek was unique. We did a tour a few years ago. I’d already known him, but this tour formed a friendship and a bond. Also, it’s not that I’m unaware of the younger sound, but he’s able to really nuts-and-bolts that sound together for me. He was a sounding board. If I go, “Hey, what do you think about this?” and I’d trust his opinion. He’s a hard person to impress, so if I could get his approval, I knew almost everyone would be on board with the track.

KJ-52, CCM Magazine - image
Even though Derek is only on one song and produced just two, his fingerprints are all over the record, whether you hear it or not. If anybody was the official A&R or the executive producer for Jonah, it was him. In fact, the whole reason I wrote the song “Nah Bruh” is because it’s what he kept telling me when I tried new songs out on him. [Laughs] It was my little revenge song. I told him if he kept telling me that, I was going to write a song, which I did with someone else!

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