Episode #44 - Getting to Know New York Based Singer/Songwriter JOSH X

<p>Join my conversation with JOSH X. The singer/songwriter has worked with Cardi B, Rick Ross among others. He attended the prestigious summer program at The Juilliard School. We discuss his upbringing, his latest singles "I Miss You" and "Creole Love Part 2", meeting his idols Brian McKnight and Stevie Wonder, and his upcoming podcast and cooking show in 2021. Raised in Queens, the singer/songwriter/producer (born Josh Xantus) initially honed his musical chops as a classical pianist at the age of 6. “My mom being originally from Haiti, the thing she loved the most was classical music. My first influences were Mozart, Chopin, Bach, Beethoven,” he says. 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.”</p> <p>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 college, I knew I wanted to be a R&B singer,” he laughs.</p> <p>In college, the wunderkind began to sneak away to late-night studio sessions, eventually meeting rapper Jadakiss. It just felt right. “I knew this is what I was supposed to do. I started doing a lot of open mics and putting my face out there. The dots started connecting.” 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.</p> <p>One of those doors was linking with Shaf