PJ Morton: From Pastors Kid to Maroon 5| Faith, Fame & Finding Your Calling

In this episode of Thee PK Pod, we sit down with Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and Maroon 5 keyboardist PJ Morton to talk about faith, fame, and building a music career without losing your identity.

A preacher’s kid from New Orleans, PJ Morton has built a rare career that bridges gospel credibility, R&B artistry, and pop stadium touring with Maroon 5—all while staying grounded in faith and family.

PJ shares the story behind his newest collaboration, “Heart of Mine” with Darrel Walls, created during a three-day creative lock-in at Studio in the Country. The project came from a desire for a fresh muse after years of releasing albums and captures a sound that feels warm, honest, and full of soul.

We also dive into PJ’s upbringing in church, the pressure of being the only son and namesake in a pastoral family, and what it takes to pursue purpose without turning it into rebellion. PJ connects the themes in his book Saturday Night Sunday Morning to his music, explaining how love songs and faith songs often come from the same place.

The conversation also explores major turning points in his career—from signing with Young Money through authentic relationships, to navigating major-label systems, to the audition that led to 15 years touring with Maroon 5.

Finally, PJ reflects on becoming the first Black composer to write an original score for Disney’s Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and honoring gospel legend Richard Smallwood.

If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone navigating calling, creativity, and expectations—and follow Thee PK Pod for more conversations at the intersection of faith, culture, and purpose.

Transcript

Welcome And PJ’s Grammy Run

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Welcome back to another episode of the PK Pod, where we all have platforms, but that may not be the pulpit. Hello, somebody. It is your host, Jason So Classy. And today we have the GOAT, the most decorative PK artist that I know, the most talented, my favorite male vocalist, and he is literally one of one. He is a father, he is a husband, he's a producer. He is nominated every year for the Grammys, and I'm just trying to figure out what's on his life. But we're about to get into it right now at the PK Pi. Make some noise for PJ Morton! Thank you. I didn't know I was your favorite vocalist. I never told you that. I mean, I thought you would know by the amount of shows I go to. Oh no, you you have been down. You have been down.

SPEAKER_01 1:08

And I'm not nominated every year.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

You're nominated every year, P. Just about. You're nominated this year. This year. Best gospel album.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Best gospel album with Daryl. Yeah, Heart of Mine. Crazy. Uh and Christian Performance. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

Last year you took home one with Susan Carroll.

SPEAKER_01 1:23

Uh that was the year before. Year before? Yeah, I skipped, I skipped the year. You skipped the year. Yep, yep, yep. But Susan, we won uh best traditional performance as well. Um, that was my first one with with Yebba as well. You know, uh, How Deep Is Your Love? No, it's been beautiful. It's been beautiful. Uh and uh, you know, but I guess you know, people missed the first 10, 15 years where it was zero now, you know what I mean? Zero wins, zero nominations. But I'm grateful, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:53

Because this goes all the way back to like the emotions record. Like yeah, like the OG, like in the beginning. You know what I mean? So you've been in the game for a while and have evolved into a beautiful like producer, like artist, just all of the things. You got your own label now. Like, you really, you really doing big things, Pete.

SPEAKER_01 2:14

I'm trying to do something.

SPEAKER_00 2:15

Like you, you do, you're doing more than a little something. Okay, but let's get into it because heart of mine is probably tired of me playing it.

Creating Heart Of Mine Together

SPEAKER_00 2:23

It's like a no-skips record.

SPEAKER_01 2:25

Thank you.

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Like, legitimately just a beautiful body of work. And I'm curious as to what led you to want to do this collab with Daryl, who is just an incredible vocal beast.

SPEAKER_01 2:36

Yeah, I mean, it it speaks to kind of what we were saying a little bit of like, you know, I was being prolific. Like, I it was an album every year. I mean, for eight years straight, I think I released a project, you know, from starting from Gumbo on to uh Watch the Sun, Cape Town of Cairo. It was just like an album every year. It was Gumbo, Gumbo Unplugged, piano album, Christmas album, you know, piano uh album. And um, and I actually was just kind of like sick of myself. I just wanted a a break to get inspired, you know. But I was getting all the things that I had wished for. Yeah. So I didn't want to stop. I was scared, like if I stopped, like maybe it would all stop. Uh, but for me, I wanted to get inspired again. And and that involved like stepping outside of myself, you know, as an artist and getting back to like my beginning, which was production, you know, and like writing for other people. Um, that's how I got started, you know, with like let go, let God for Dwayne Woods and stuff like that very early on. Um, and so I, you know, Daryl Walls is just one of my favorites, you know, and he we had collaborated on on things before with like Better Benediction and stuff like that. Um, I'm so in love with you, with him and Zucardi. And so I was just like, I wanted a muse of some sorts. I started with Larisi, uh, this young rapper in New Orleans who's who's blowing up. And then I said I wanted to do a gospel one, I wanted to do a hip-hop one, I want to do an RB one as well. Me and T Dra Moses are working on music as well. Um, and yeah, I just wanted to be inspired and not have to think of PJ per se. But I wanted to like what what record do I want to hear? Like, what kind of album do I want to hear Daryl Daryl sing? Like, if you know, if it were up to me, what type of songs do I want to hear him sing? And man, we we locked in. I have a studio out in the country, it's actually called Studio in the Country. Okay. Um, it's a historic studio, like where Stevie Wonder did Secret Life of Plants and many historic albums there. Uh, but I I purchased it a couple years ago. And it it's a it's a studio that's been there since the 70s, and it sits on 20 acres. So it's like you in a national park. I mean, there's nothing but trees. And and so we locked in for three days, and and that's the heart of mine was basically the result of us just hanging out there. And I didn't know this, but he was, you know, Daryl was talking about, you know, getting his real estate license and and like chilling on music, you know, this industry can be really frustrating, you know, not the music, but like the business of it. And so it kind of re-energized him. And for me, it gave me an outlet. And I think that's why you feel the you know, the warmth of it, and like, and and that's why it's no skips in a way, because these are like some of my favorite songs, you know what I'm saying? Um, we just had fun doing it, and uh I'm I'm I'm really proud of it.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Yeah, y'all did an incredible job, like the lyrics. Like, I felt like y'all were talking to all of us, like literally, like I felt like y'all were testifying for us. I'm like, right, how you know my story? I didn't tell you that. Yeah, so that is fantastic. Like, honestly, I feel like Daryl needed this. Yeah, you know what I mean? I think you were the perfect person to push him to like to help create this body of work.

SPEAKER_01 5:54

And we we all wanted, we all wanted yeah this for him. You know what I'm saying? Like, I for me, it would it was from it was from the the the position of a fan. Like it's like, no, I want to if I I want to hear this, I want to see Daryl do this, you know what I'm saying? So I I think as a collective, we all know how cold Daryl has always been. Yeah, and I think it it was time for him to have a moment.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

Yeah, yeah. And he deserves this moment, like really and truly.

SPEAKER_01 6:19

Yeah.

PK Childhood And First Musical Spark

SPEAKER_00 6:20

Okay, so we gotta go all the way back. We gotta go to PK growing up in church page. Yeah, yeah. Were you bad? Like, did you get whooped? Did you get whoopings like growing up? I did get whoopings. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:31

It was more like I was like curious, you know what I'm saying? I would just do dumb stuff.

SPEAKER_00 6:36

That's what Lamar Lamar says curious. I just I call it bad. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

I think it was that creativity trying to get out though. I would cut up stuff and like break stuff and um, you know, burn ant piles, you know, with nice cans. And like I was just, I was just, and I was the only boy too. I had two sisters. Well, my my younger sister came later. Uh, but it was just it was just me in that house expl exploring.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:02

You know what I'm saying? And I I would get in trouble in that way. Um, but then like I became like a good kid like early though, because once the music came, it was like all the focus went there, and I didn't really care about doing much else, but like yeah, locking in on some music.

SPEAKER_00 7:17

When did you know like you wanted to do music? Because obviously, like your dad is a singer and looks super talented, but when did you know like I want to do this?

SPEAKER_01 7:25

Like when I got serious probably about like 13 is when I got like clear. 14 always rings like in my mind, because I think that's when stuff started to happen, like when I actually started to feel like I could play for real. Uh but like around that 12, 12 is kind of like when I discovered like not the big Stevie songs, but like discovered like old albums and stuff like that. And I started to get inspired, like, oh, writing, and my mom started telling me about the Beatles, and it was just kind of like that, it just started to, it just started to go. But I feel like 14 is when it like started to show itself for real.

SPEAKER_00 8:03

I love that. So, did you ever feel like called to preach, knowing what your dad's occupation was?

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Like, did you feel like oh um am I supposed to do this? I don't know that I ever felt called. I did like want to be my dad, you know. I I used to say I was gonna be a uh drumming preacher or something like that. Like this is this is before Keys, but I would walk around with drumsticks. But it was more just me wanting to be my dad. Um, I never quite felt like the call to to preach. It was always like um once the music, it was just like that was the best way for me to communicate.

SPEAKER_02 8:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:42

And um, yeah, no, because people would ask me if I'm running. I mean, and it was a lot of that because again, I was the only boy. Yep, I'm his namesake.

SPEAKER_02 8:51

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Uh so it was almost like, duh, like that's that's your path. Like you locked in. You should know now. You six years old, you should know. Here's your future. Here's your future. Yeah, crazy. Paul Morton Jr., you're gonna take over the church. And I'm like, hold on, like what, hold on. But no, I actually never like felt called, you know, to do that. Um, it was always like put it into this, to, to, to this music. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

And was your parents like super supportive of you pursuing music?

SPEAKER_01 9:20

Um, eventually, I think, I think I felt, even if my dad didn't try to do it, I think I I I knew that it would make him happy. Um if I if I would were to become a preacher and like come, you know, uh be under him in that way. Like I used to envy, uh, we just did, we just did a show with um with Jasper Williams. Um and I told him, like, man, I used to, I used to wanna just be like you because I saw you with your dad and like you, you know, but I just uh and I'm my father probably put this put this there, but I like I couldn't go far enough to just go against what I felt like my purpose was to to please, you know, people, even him. I like it, it was gonna hurt. That's why eventually he became so supportive. Yeah. Um when I I think they were trying to figure out whether it was just rebellion first, you know what I mean? So I I wouldn't say they weren't supportive, but they like, I this is just a phase. It's just a phase. You know what I'm saying? It's just a phase. But once they realized that I was like, no, this is really who I am, and what then they became my number one fans. And when my dad kind of released me when I was like, uh, this was even because I went as far as not wanting to preach, but then it's like, I don't even want to do gospel music. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? And that was like, dang, man, we you know what I mean? Like, we were okay with you not preaching. Yeah, now you don't even want to do gospel music. And um, my dad like basically freed me and was like, you know, you you don't have to be like me, and and you're you're the way you, you know, converse through your gift is just it's gonna be different from me, and that's okay. And um uh that kind of like emboldened me, you know. Uh and uh and it's been it's been up, it's been up since then.

SPEAKER_00 11:15

Oh, it's been up.

SPEAKER_01 11:16

It's been up since then.

Purpose Without Rebellion

SPEAKER_00 11:18

What advice would you give PKs navigating this like moment of wanting to please their parents and follow in their footsteps, but also trying to pursue purpose that they know doesn't align with taking over the church?

SPEAKER_01 11:34

Yeah. Um I mean, I guess like I I was grateful for my dad really helped me with that because I imagine it was gonna be just a little tougher um to like go for it if I didn't have that support there. But um for me, it is um, I'd say, you know, I was pushing towards that, I was like in secret, you know what I'm saying? I was writing my RB songs like on the low. Yeah. And uh, you know, before I actually like presented and told him, look, man, I I'm trying, me and my my sister were doing an album. I I'm trying to do this, you know, as contemporary as I can, but it's just that I want to say more. I want to say more. Uh so I would say, you know, the main thing for me was to make sure that it wasn't rebellion. You know what I'm saying? Um, I'm happy that I was challenged because they had they made me go and like actually look at these things. Like, why do you want to do it? Why do you want to do it this way? Uh so I would I would tell them to like like look inward and really see like, is this just something I want to do? Uh, because a lot of times we we put things on purpose, you know what I'm saying? And they really just what we want to do. Um, so I think it's important to know that. So I started asking myself some really hard questions, like um, you know, that that's where why can I talk about love, why can't I sing about love eventually came from. Um and writing that book was because I wanted to challenge myself, like, if this is not what I'm supposed to be doing, then like show show me that. I I really, I really want to see that this is not what I'm supposed to be doing. And everything I did to check myself was like, oh, you know, it's when I discovered Song of Solomon, it's when I discovered uh people using scriptures wrong, you know, uh two two big ones, like you can't serve two masters, right? Which was totally out of context, you know. And uh uh just just you know, these different things that people use. Um and uh and once I discovered that it empowered me even more, you know. Um and it on the foreword of that book, my dad basically apologized, you know, um uh because you know, faith comes by hearing, right? But that's even if you hear the wrong thing over and over and over. And the way we were taught in church about this music, um, about relationship, about talking about love, uh, all these different things, they were just repeated, you know, and um and not really founded in in uh in doctrine, you know what I'm saying? So I would tell people this is a long way to get to it. I guess I had to really think about it, but it's to really search inward to see what that purpose is. And sometimes that changes, but I think it's important to check in in a real way. Um uh to make sure it's not just rebellion, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 14:34

Yeah, yeah. I love that. Yeah, I'm so glad that you had supportive parents eventually, yeah. Um, because we are now able to witness you in your full totality, and it didn't limit anything, like you still have bounced and paid your dues with a gospel album right now, like you've gone through through every genre and you don't allow your faith to be quiet. Like it shows up in your shows, like it's who you are. And I think that's more people need to like need to literally look inward and hone in and cling to faith versus feeling like I don't want nobody to know about that, or you know, yeah, or one or the other.

SPEAKER_01 15:14

I mean, that's what that's what people have done, you know. They they made you choose in that way. Yeah, um, it's something I'm dealing with right now, and something that I'm gonna be focusing on on the next project, you know, that Saturday night, Sunday morning thing where you had to choose. So it had to feel like rebellion. It's like Sam Cook maybe didn't want to just totally leave the soul stirs, you know what I'm saying? But it's like you made them choose. Yeah. Um, because for me, that was my whole point. It's like, no, these songs they come from the same place. Like this love song comes from the same place that Let Go Let God comes from. And so I don't want to necessarily give up doing gospel music or like contributing to gospel music. Just as an artist, I wanted to say more, you know. For me, it was, you know, Stevie or Marvin, when they wanted to talk about Jesus, they wanted to talk about God, they put it on them on them RB albums. They didn't have to say, now this is the gospel album. And I'm you know what I'm saying? So um I think it's important for us to be well balanced. It's something my dad would always say, you know, balance is one of his favorite words, but like it's important for us to understand that these things exist together. We don't have to like put one down to to pick up the other one.

SPEAKER_00 16:22

Yeah, yeah. I

From Gospel Roots To Young Money

SPEAKER_00 16:23

love that. Okay, so now I gotta hear about young money because oh my lady got it. Listen, Young Moolah, you saying Young Moolah baby on the track was literally like PJ, how did we get to freaking signing with Young Money? Like, how in the world? From let go, let God to Young Moolah Baby, what happened?

SPEAKER_01 16:46

Um what's T. I mean, honestly, you know, I think because Young Money was viewed as a crew um and not a record company, you know. Like if I would have signed the Universal, if I'd have signed the Motown, I don't think it would have been viewed the same way because it looked like I was joining Gang Gang. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Um, but to be quite honest, I'm from New Orleans. Um I went to high school with MacMain, who was the president of Young Money.

unknown 17:14

Got it.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

And so there's a relationship there. It wasn't like random. I know it seemed random, but for me, I was at a place where I wanted a I wanted a record deal. And um, and I mean, Drake was on fire, Nikki was on fire. It's crazy saying it now. But like all, you know, it was Wayne, Tiger was going crazy, and MacMain was like a true fan of mine, like a fan of my soul music. Like he wanted me to be exactly who I was. Even that album, with they didn't, they didn't pick anything from me. I got to choose everything. I mean, Stevie was on that album, you know what I'm saying? But Buster Rines was one of my favorites. He's the first hip-hop concert I ever went to. He was on that album. So I got to choose these certain things. Um, and uh, yeah, so so it really was through relationship and them believing in me as is, you know, and it was Young Money, Cash Money, Universal Republic. And I was actually trying to be clever because I was like, you know, I'll probably be dealing with the universal people more because of what I do. Um, and then I got under the hood and discovered, you know, I couldn't move exactly how I wanted to move, which is why, you know, I probably just did that one project there and asked to, I asked to be released, you know. Uh, but it was a learning experience. Like, I don't, I don't regret it at all. Like, um, it was amazing like being around that success. And like actually, you know, because I had been totally indie up until that point and and and have been indie, you know, since then. But I did want to, you know, sometimes until you see the thing you actually want, you know what I'm saying? You'll still be reaching for it. So it's like I got to see and look under the hood and say, oh, you know what? I actually let me go back to doing it like the way I was doing it. I thought I wanted that, um, and I got I got some success with that. You know, that was my first solo Grammy nomination with only one with Stevie and stuff. So like that just got me to experience certain press I never experienced before. I did 106 at Park, you know what I'm saying? It's like goals. Yeah, it was like, yo, this is this is amazing. And for me, for my journey to to to for me to continue in it, I gotta, I gotta change things and and challenge myself and go to these other places to keep on discovering myself. I never want to get super complacent, you know. I always check in in that way. And so um, it was random, but not as random as people think, you know. Yeah, um, and honestly, Wayne was just getting out of jail at that point, and they were trying to rebrand in a way as well. So I was a part of that, of them showing that we're more than just this. And so, but no, shout out to my my young money family, my YMCM. Man, I had them hoodies, man. They I couldn't keep those YMCMB hoodies because like they were so going so crazy at the time. You couldn't even buy them, you know what I'm saying? But uh, yeah, shout out to them.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

Okay, so shout out to the YMC days, yeah, for sure, for sure.

How Maroon 5 Happened

SPEAKER_00 20:10

Now, how did we get to Maroon 5 from that? Oh, talk about extreme, like we over here, like what in now? Yeah, Maroon Five is like our version of like the Beatles, like y'all on fire, like y'all, y'all stay touring. The people love y'all.

SPEAKER_01 20:26

Maroon is maroon is is huge and like wow, like, yeah. So, what's so funny about that is young money. So, um, I was supposed to sign a young money before I joined Maroon 5. Uh, I started having those conversations. I was actually in Miami. This is so funny. I was still playing for my dad on the road, you know, when he would preach on the road, and we were in Miami, and uh a MacMain pulled up on me. And this is no lie, I was in his car and uh he was playing Maroon 5. MacMain's favorite band is Maroon 5, right? This is I didn't know Maroon 5 at all at this moment, but this is probably a month before I got the call. And he's playing, and I was like, you know, they just came out with a new single. Um, it was Misery. They were just working on their new album. I was he was like, I haven't heard it. And then they called me for the tour for this new album, like a month later, and I go come to LA to do the audition, my first audition ever. Uh, their first audition. People think Maroon popped up and was this huge. They've been together since eighth grade, you know. They they they went to middle school together and everything. And so they never auditioned a new band member, but they wanted a keyboard player that could sing. Adam Blackstone was coming in um uh to help Quest Love. Initially, they Quest Love was gonna come in and uh work on the tour. Black came in and he was like, Oh, I know the guy who could sing and play. And so initially I was just in. He was like, Yeah, you got it. You got this, it was supposed to just be a tour, and then uh he was like, Oh, they want you to audition, they just want to make sure you vibe and everything. So I had three more dates on this walk alone tour. I had walk alone out my album, and uh, I I postponed three dates, went to LA. They just wanted me to learn Sunday morning, and uh, and yeah, and then that that same night, they was like, All right, you in. They canceled that second day of auditions, and uh, I mean, it's been 15 years now. Uh, but then we continued that conversation, Mac Main, and that took about six months for me to actually sign to Young Money. So it was almost like these things were all happening and you know, out of order and everything, but then it all just was like random. But for me, I think I was at a place where um, because I started writing heavy on that walk-alone tour because I was just like, like I said, I don't like to be stuck. I uh and it was fine, my independent. I was playing the same venues though, and I was like, it wasn't growing, it wasn't necessarily dying down, but it just wasn't growing. And I always just like to, I like to move and grow and and and um and so for me, Maroon came at a time where I just really wanted to kind of pause on what I was doing and and and recalibrate. And man, it I mean, it changed my life, it changed my life, you know, being able to tour the world, being able to play these venues that I I mean, that's when I got to play SNL, that's when I got to play the Grammys, you know, Madison Square Garden, you know, the forum, all of these things. Um, that were again bucket list stuff. Um, and then they were so supportive of me. So that Young Money album, I was opening up for Maroon 5. Wow. They let me open up on the US tour. It was me, then Kelly Clarkson, then Maroon. And on the European tour, it was me, Robin Thick, Maroon. So I was doing double duty. So it was more than just the job, it was their character and like them being family and and and giving me a platform. Of course, Adam was on the on that album, on Heavy, on that Young Money album. So um they they've become like my brothers for life, really. I mean, I I didn't have uh, you know, I had my oldest son Jacai, but no P3, no Peyton. This has all been since I've been in the band. So um they've grown up with those guys, and and uh it's it's been a beautiful like family.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

That's incredible. I did not know that.

SPEAKER_01 24:30

Yeah,

Touring, Marriage, And Staying Visible

SPEAKER_01 24:31

yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:31

How do you juggle it though? Like Maroon 5, PJ Morton, the artist, being a dad, being a hood, like how do you j juggle all of these hats at one time?

SPEAKER_01 24:40

Yeah, I mean, it it it it it's been challenging, you know, at times. Um I mean the family thing in general is challenging when you when you're touring like I do. Um, and a lot of times people thought that the maroon thing maybe made it easier for me in some way. Um, but it wasn't like they lifted in. It was like I had to use every gap to fill in with PJ stuff if I was gonna remain relevant, you know? Um, because it was also two different worlds. It's not like, you know, that was in my clever mind. I thought, oh, I'm gonna get all in my room five fans, you know. Um, so let me do this because they will like this. And it it did the opposite. It wasn't until Gumbo where I said, you know what, let me be my actual full self that I started to see some of those fans cross over and stuff. But um it was like I had to go 200%. I remember it like hitting uh I don't call it rock bottom because it was like rock top, but like I ended a maroon five two-month tour, had one day at home, and then went on an Asian, went on a Japan tour for my solo stuff. And it was like, yo, I'm so tired, but this is what I, this is what I asked for. Um, and of course, like, yeah, Courtney was so helpful with a lot of that because she held it down, you know, when I had to be away for so I missed so many things. Like I miss uh, you know, I tried to do birthdays, but I missed some birthdays. I I definitely miss weddings and I miss, you know, graduations and and games and things like that, trying to get to a place. Um, but I knew that like you got to do it at some point. It's like you want to do the hard work on the front end or you want to do it on the back end. And for me, it was like, let me go as crazy as I can so I can be at a place at some point uh where I don't have to go this crazy, you know. And I'm I've experienced some of that where I'm able to be more uh strategic in like having family time and like really being home. Um I can do that in a different way that I wasn't able to do, you know, at the beginning of this. But it was, I was going cra I was going crazy. Like it was like, I mean, just not not in a bad way, but just like non-stop, non-stop. But um it really, I really started to see the fruits of all of that though. So it was like, man, I'm happy this wasn't in vain. Like I actually, you know, um, you know, won five Grammys solo while I'm in Maroon Five, you know, and that was probably eight years into Maroon Five, you know, that didn't happen at the beginning of Maroon. Um, and so for me, it was like, I'm glad it paid off because it doesn't all there's no guarantee that it's gonna pay off, but I just knew I wanted to see what would happen if I went as hard as I can go. Yeah, you know, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:33

Oh, we're seeing what's happening, Psycho.

SPEAKER_01 27:35

No, it's amen.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

We are seeing the fruits of your labor. No doubt.

Scoring Disney’s Tiana Ride

SPEAKER_00 27:40

You literally, you have a new title, like you're the first. I was reading up on it, you were the first black composer to do an original score for a Disney ride. Yeah, like what in the world for Princess Tiana? Like, yeah, I feel like that's crazy amazing. And then to be able to share that with your family, right?

SPEAKER_01 28:01

Yes, yes, taking Peyton there for, you know, I mean, Tiana is the first black character, period, you know, for Disney. Um and yeah, for me to get that call, and you know, people didn't know that I'm like a Disney head. Like, oh my God, like me and my sister, we were harmonized with all those, all those movies, you know, then Lil Mermaid and all of that stuff, those were so important to us. And we heard the we could hear the the goodness in those songs, you know, that melody was oily, yeah. Exactly, exactly. And so I was at Disney, so like when I got that call, um, and usually on the rides, they bring in songs that exist already, songs that are from the movies, but for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, they wanted it to be a continuation of her life. So they say, we need a new theme song. And uh, yeah, I mean, there's no reference for this. Like, I couldn't talk to anybody. Like, what are what what what should I do? It's like you the first. I don't I don't know. Like, uh, I don't what should I say? And just that process of like being with the uh being with the Disney team, um, and seeing how they, I mean, because this is what I've always wanted is to not fully grow up, you know. It's like to to to be a kid, like as far as the creativity, is to not let life uh become so real that you can't dream, you know. Um and that, you know, their engineers are called imagineers. And like to see these grown-ups like getting excited with me about and just the process of like changing this word, and okay, we need to, and because you got and captured this whole theme in in two minutes, you know. And uh it was just like a learning experience. I mean, I got to uh, you know, ride uh you know, do the ride over and over. Um, and then when it came out, I got to bring the kids and everybody there, and we just we could go through the back doors of Disney World and Disneyland and like Wait, tell me about it.

SPEAKER_00 30:00

What is it? So crazy.

SPEAKER_01 30:02

I mean, like had we had like a VIP guy with us, and he would, you know, what what makes Disney World and Disneyland so tough is those lines and like dealing with that. We didn't experience any. I that's I kind of probably ruined it for my kids because they like we don't know nothing about lines, but like hitting these back that you don't even know exist. And I mean, this, you know, Disney in general, um, I mean, just Walt Disney, just the way he thought. I mean, it's always been someone I like looked up to to his mind. But just seeing how those parks work, and yeah, just being there and they're like, you want to do it again? And then we get on it just right, just back to back to back. One of them we just wrote like four times back to back. Um, and no, it's just it's just amazing because like I said, a lot of that hard work on the front end, and then it's like stuff I didn't even imagine I I could have. Stuff I couldn't dream, I couldn't dream that up. I, you know, it's like I always thought I would write for a Disney movie. That was my dream. I I didn't know to shoot for a a ride, but I mean that'll be there for 30 years, you know. That'll be my grandkids will be able to ride that and hear my song. Yeah, you know, so it's pretty it's pretty amazing.

SPEAKER_00 31:15

It's legendary, P just legendary. That's fantastic. So basically, whenever I need to go to Disneyland, I'm gonna call you, got it. Um, no, how my people call you people?

Dream Collaborations And Bigger Projects

SPEAKER_00 31:29

Um, okay, so you've worked with so many incredible people. I feel like, is there anybody still on your Mount Rushmore list of like, I want to be able to collaborate with them or work with them on a project?

SPEAKER_01 31:43

Yeah. I mean, yes, like peers now, because um yeah, my answer was always Stevie. I was gonna say you worked with Stevie. Yeah, and then now like El Debarge is like I've I've like I've like hit so many of them. Uh Charlie Wilson and I were talking. I I love to work with Uncle Charlie. But like my my peers that I like uh uh see out here that like Kendrick, you know, I would love to do something with uh Tyler. Like I just just the creatives who who are the ones that kind of stuck to the to the creativity. Um, you know, those are two on my list, I would say. Um but I kind of just let it you know let let it organically happen at this point because it's like, man, I shot for like I got a dream bigger, you know, at this point because it's like um I I've I've touched so many that I that I dreamed about. Um, you know, so then it becomes, it turns into other things. It's like I I want to develop a hotel, you know what I'm saying? Though those are my artists now, where it's like these projects, like I said, I got 20 acres in the country. I want I'm gonna develop a festival and uh be the first artist to to do their own festival on their own land, you know, stuff like that. And so um it is the music, of course. I mean, the music is what keeps everything going for me and keeps me inspired, but like when I think of collaborations now, it's it's stuff like that, you know. Yeah, yeah. Beyond the music. Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 33:13

I love that. Okay, I like to play a game with all my guests.

This Or That Artist Battles

SPEAKER_00 33:16

Okay, you have been featured on about probably 70 to 90 percent of my games. Okay. Yes, you have. All right. Um, this game is basically this or that, okay? Okay, or who do you have? I'm gonna give you some artists, and you're gonna tell me just you're gonna think quickly, who do you got in the battle royale?

SPEAKER_01 33:36

Oh, battle? Okay, battle, battle.

SPEAKER_00 33:38

Battle, battle, battle, you know, like real battle. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 33:41

All right.

SPEAKER_00 33:42

I'm uh, I mean, it's a pretty decent list. Okay. I think I think I know who you're gonna pick, but you do?

SPEAKER_01 33:46

Maybe. Let's see. Okay. It's pressure.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

Past, present.

SPEAKER_01 33:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 33:52

We'll start easy.

SPEAKER_01 33:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 33:54

Doce versus gorilla.

unknown 33:57

Glow.

SPEAKER_01 33:58

Glow Rilla. Glow. I know I love glow. Okay. Let's just talk about glow, but no, Dolce for sure. Yeah. Okay. Dolce, okay. Yeah. I like, I like the I like the left or center usually.

SPEAKER_00 34:10

Yeah, okay. Take six or the whinings.

SPEAKER_01 34:14

Oh. I mean, I got I gotta go with whining's full, like full, full out. Cause it's just, I mean, that that I mean, take six changed my chemistry too. But yeah, wine is first, you know. Uh no take six without the winings, probably. So I'll go, I'll go winin'.

SPEAKER_00 34:30

Okay. Um, J Moss or Daryl Coley?

SPEAKER_01 34:35

Hmm. Man, I used to have, you know, the cool thing about being a preacher's kid and like the type of church my dad had, which was like musical. Yep. Yeah, and one of them, is that I got to, as a kid, Daryl Coley was one of the ones that like encouraged me, like, and you know, told me how much he listened to jazz, and that's how he learned to sing that way. And that's where he would get his inspiration. I mean, this is me as a probably 12-year-old, and him like saying, You, I I could tell you different, and da-da-da. And so, I mean, it almost makes me emotional. Jay Moss, though, also, I mean, produced my first song on Ministard. Uh, I was 15 years old. And, you know, pajam is what pushed me to be a producer or push me to have the confidence to be a producer because I made this beat on my SY85 keyboard for uh uh Don't Lose Your Candlestick. Uh, the first, my first placement ever on Mina Standard. Uh, I had to bring the CD cover that to school because they didn't believe that I was on an album. I was like, Yo, my name, I actually but uh what encouraged me was like my keyboard would get overloaded and drop out at certain sections, and Pajam, they they reproduced my mistake. And so my mind, because they were telling me, like, you're too young to, you know, like we're gonna use Pajam for this album. Because I thought I was a producer, but when they produced my mistake, I said, you know what? I I'm a producer, like I know, you know, and uh, and then Jay Moss became my brother forever. So I don't even know how to answer that one. That's a tough one. It's a draw. Um it's kind of a draw. I I like to not take the easy way out. I'm I'm gonna shout out, uh, I never got a chance to work with with Daryl Coley. Um Jay Moss was on my on my on my first gospel album, a gospel according to So I'ma just say Jay Moss. Okay, yeah, yeah. All right, yeah. I like that story. And the stuff he did, like, you know, with Kelly Price with N with N Sync. I mean, they they I watched him, you know, it like it wouldn't be any wouldn't be me if I didn't if I hadn't seen them do what they were doing. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:51

I love that. Okay. It's Kim Burrell, can't you tell? Right. It's against any, I mean, who? Or Twinkie Clark.

SPEAKER_01 37:02

Oh, Twinkie, because but man, yeah, nah, I I gotta go with Kim. Kim is, dang, that is a tough one though. But I I mean Twinkie was, I was young. I was young. Like, but when when Kim Burrell's album came out, my sister went to Houston. Um, I'm giving like full stories. No, tell us. But I was 14, Jasmine, uh, my sister's name is Jasmine too. She went to Houston to record her album, and Chris Dave and and uh and these guys who played on that first Kim album were all working on my sister's album. Wow. And they had a cassette tape of that first Kimberrell album. I mean, that they was like mixtapes back then. I mean, like you couldn't find that. And I brought that back to New Orleans. So many people copied that tape. It like Kim, Kim went platinum in the streets like with that first record, because you couldn't even find it. And um, and when I say it like I knew every single thing, every run, every yeah, so like that like changed me. Like I talk about that chemistry, like it's like changed me. And um to get to work with her so many times, you know, through through the years now, I just gotta like Twinkie for sure. Like, you know what I'm saying? Those arrangements and all of that, but I will just because I was a little young, I'ma say Ken, I would say Kim had had a bigger influence on me. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:30

Um Kiara Sheard or Anasha Figaro.

SPEAKER_01 38:34

Why are you gonna do that, baby? My friends, uh because they're talented. Yes, yes. And fly away was one take. Was it really? I was trying to be, I was trying to be grown and fly here in, you know, for my emotions. I was like, all right, you know, for the day. And when I tell you it, as long as that song is, with uh with three minutes or whatever, she came in, sang it, and then I was literally like, uh, uh, I don't know what we do for the rest of the day. Um but Kiara was my was that very like second placement basically after Minnesota um when I worked on her uh what This is Me album. Uh and yeah, Tommy Sims fought for me to be on that album because they were still telling me I was too young to be a producer. Wow. Um and Tommy, I think he tricked the label because he was like, nephew, just come to Nashville. And I was in the room, and the the executives were like, because I written the song, but they didn't want to let me produce it. And so he kind of like forced them to let me produce it. And Ciara, um, yeah, I mean, she's she's gone on. That was early on, and she just she just kept doing it. Um that's gotta be a that's gotta be a draw. That's a draw for sure. Yeah, that's gotta be a drawing. We'll make it a lot of it. That was like both firsts of my, you know, my first solo album, yeah. Basically, my first as a producer, because this was still that men's standard thing, but I didn't produce that song. Yeah, so this was Kierra. This this was my first time being able to be a producer, you know, uh, on one of my songs. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:13

Okay, we'll we'll let that be a draw. Thank you. Given given the circumstances, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 40:17

My only my only one.

SPEAKER_00 40:19

Uh only one. Okay, Thomas Whitfield or Richard Smallwood. Man, that's tough. I know it's tough.

SPEAKER_01 40:29

These are tough because, yeah, so time, so we called him Uncle Tommy. I know him as Uncle Tommy my whole life. Uh he he was dating my aunt, my aunt Gwen, my whole life. So Thomas Whitfield would come to the house and like really and and stay at our house. Yeah, I'd never forget he he broke my dad's car. And it was like a whole thing. It's like Uncle Tommy broke broke dad's car. Um, and uh, yeah, because my my aunt sang, I'm encouraged. Um and so there's like that's like my uncle. Doesn't mean that's that's history. Um, and he produced my dad's first album. This is the year I was born. Um commission singing background on that album. Uh it's amazing that that that first album. And uh of course, Richard, I mean, changed the game. Changed the game. Uh, I feel like uh Uncle Tommy didn't, he didn't, he didn't have enough time you know, to to to really get there, but his impact just in that in that short period of time, you know, we need a word. Like, I mean, and so I mean, because that's family, because I got to be around him and like really spend time, and you know, I gotta go with Uncle Tommy for sure.

SPEAKER_00 41:47

Yeah, when I tell you that is my father's favorite artist still to this day.

SPEAKER_01 41:51

Yeah, he's a he's a bad guy.

SPEAKER_00 41:53

He would wear out the records every day of the week. Like, that's how me and Lamar know gospel music is Whitfield and Company. Like, my father would make us learn it. Like, I mean, he would like that is like the holy grail.

SPEAKER_01 42:10

And I'm like, dang, we lost him too soon. We did lose him too soon. Yeah, and Detroit, you know, that's like that's my my family. My dad's from Windsor, um, right across the tunnel. So, like that Detroit, I mean, because my Aunt Denise was saying with Uncle Tommy as well. And so, like, that was that was real family. And I didn't necessarily know I didn't know the impact back then, but it was just like there, it was just like a part of our makeup. And so I'm like, I knew those songs so well because they were always played, you know. And um, I wish more people like knew, like, knew knew, you

Honoring Richard Smallwood’s Genius

SPEAKER_01 42:46

know. We we're gonna get it out there even more. But my dad's first record is is crazy, and he produced it.

SPEAKER_00 42:52

Yeah, I love that. Yeah, okay, and then Richard Smallwood, obviously, we just lost him recently. Yeah, and that was such a blow to the gospel community. If you could uh pay tribute to Richard Smallwood on the PK Pod, like what would be like the song that you would be like, this is the one that was most impactful to me. Because his repertoire is like no, it is crazy.

SPEAKER_01 43:24

Crazy. And you know, uh sometimes the cliche is is right though. You know what I'm saying? Sometimes it's like like with Stevie, I go, I go super B-side and I go super like rare. The records you might not know, or you but for me, you know, Total Praise is his it's his masterpiece. And it's and it's his masterpiece for a reason. I mean, he's got so many. Yeah, he's got so many, but that one, it's almost like it's just was like the perfect everything. And I think we'll we'll be the one that. really like stands this I just I just saw uh Donald Lawrence post them using it in a fashion show and it's just like it's the ultimate it it it um transcends everything and and you know I hate to be cliche but like I think it's it's the it's just that's the one you know that's the one that really like embodies everything. Um it's just it's a perfect song. It's timeless. Yeah it's it's a perfect song because he's he's got many timeless songs I think right but sometimes you just sometimes it's just every word is where it's supposed to be and every note is where it's supposed to be and I feel like that one it's just it's just it's just it's just the one. It is different.

SPEAKER_00 44:47

Yeah yeah it's the one I'm so sad that like at first I wanted to be at that service um but I it's just like man his penmanship and his impact is just one of one.

SPEAKER_01 45:00

Yeah and it's in I start seeing old interviews and stuff and it's like you know you he's so celebrated now but you think about those challenges in the front end and them telling him it's too classical this won't work on gospel radio and then him never winning any awards really you know um because sometimes you when you're so far ahead people don't get in it in in the moment you know it's almost like you know not to go here but like it's almost like a lot racist people using MLK it's like y'all hated y'all hated him when he was doing this you know like like you literally made his life hell when he was doing this and now you're saying oh he's peace and using MLK quotes but like not that extreme but for Richard I'm sure he felt like dang man I know I'm different but y'all don't get it but sometimes you know you just have to be okay with that like I'm I'm before my time and I think he was because and and the way I I know he would you know understood his own convictions is he didn't stop being himself. He didn't conform he wasn't like okay they don't get it let me try to do something that that that makes people understand um easier and so I think we'll continue to discover even you know even through the years more of his genius and like just you know because it it maybe wasn't even some of it wasn't made for right then it's made for like eternity you know and so I'm just I'm so grateful to be able to you know that I was that I was alive to even see him you know and and watch him do his thing and like be able to hear those songs. Because those who got it got it. You know like those who understood understood yeah um I always appreciated it and for me you know being a church musician you had to learn those songs so you knew how complex they were and like trying to get them right and trying to play them like they had them on the record and stuff.

Birthday Shows And Fan Requests

SPEAKER_01 47:01

So what a what a genius man what a true genius absolutely you have three birthday shows coming up because you love Los Angeles so much obviously you love LA yeah you're gonna be at the blue note yes yes yes uh my birthday is March 29th um and so I'm gonna do a six shows okay it's gonna be two shows every night but March 28th March 30th March 31st um and yeah LA you know um I got love for LA I did my first live album here I mean we did piano album here yeah uh we did live show killer here yeah uh LA has been like the live place for me and um I thought it'd be cool also what Glasgow's done over there at Blue Note and you know I've been able to pop up a little bit on other shows it's it's such an amazing venue it's such a good vibe I feel like LA needed that um and uh so I thought it was a good opportunity like a perfect time for me to to to experience you know do my own shows there it'd be my first shows there and uh I'm excited man I'm excited we are super excited it's gonna be a good time can we put in some requests from like the emotions album when you say we is we the people yeah okay because I feel like it feels more like speak for the people for the day ones only for the day ones like the day one is right you can you can wretch back yeah I've been I've been I've been doing a little bit of that yeah you know what's crazy is the it's a gift and a curse when you make a lot of music you know what I'm saying because it's like we'll be in there three hours and I don't I'm always thinking from a fan perspective too and I even my favorite artist I don't want to be in there for three hours you know like I could love you like you my favorite and I so I try to I try to balance it but like what like what kind of like what what do you want to want me to give you my list it's a list because I got I have a list okay obviously you do all of the hits like go through your phone but I'm like take it back to please don't walk away from me you feel I'm saying like don't even that used to be that used to slap it used to that used to slap I'm thinking gibberish you know what I mean like all right blah blah blah blah blah blah you know like we can yeah yeah we've been doing we've been doing superstar a little bit we've been doing superstar uh here there okay yeah you know don't ever leave would be nice to nice to bring I mean six shows I probably got a little room to sprinkle yeah you know what I mean we're gonna try to sprinkle everybody sending the list yes yes send the list and I'm a I'm gonna try I'm gonna try my best and I and I will send the master lift of everything we want to hear he's gonna sprinkle in maybe one per night I mean let's just let's just see you know what I'm saying let's just see I generally don't like requests you know what I'm saying uh I'm gonna be in the crowd play my job yeah but no maybe it's a lot of time that's a lot of shows so maybe maybe I'll take a like a request from the audience for every each show that'd be cool and and we we just see my problem is too I I forget my own lyrics if I don't sing it really for a long time. Okay it's like wait how did this one go again?

SPEAKER_00 50:17

Because you write so many songs.

SPEAKER_01 50:18

It's a lot of songs so I just gotta yeah but let's do it that'd be a fun exercise though all right let's I'm I'm committing to that committed I'm committing to taking a request one request per show per show let's do it I'm gonna be at every show with my request I might not take yours though every show maybe tonight I want to hear that's that's lit I think yeah no let's do that let's do that that's fun I think they'll like it and then you have all like your features will all be here so it's like you know no LA makes that that that that becomes easier because a lot of people are here you know who knows I mean Stevie popped up at my last LA show he sure did and I was high and I I can't I would love to take credit but like Stevie I talked to him earlier that day like just letting him all know I'm in LA because Steve he responds to you what you know if he wants to yeah sometimes he don't yeah he's and it's no problem ain't no problem you know what I'm saying but like he hit me I said Steve I'm gonna be in LA and uh yeah and then he stopped responding to me I was like well he asked me how much tickets were I was like bro like come on what he's never done before is what he did that last LA show which was he was there without me knowing he walked through the front door wow so you didn't and just sat down yeah I didn't know somebody joked and said yo Stevie's in the I thought they were joking but he was actually in the balcony chilling and so I can't take credit I can't say that he's gonna be there or not it's gonna be up to him okay okay okay it's gonna be up to him but yeah we got we got a lot I need my friends to pull up for sure yeah and um you know let's see okay yeah got it peach thank you for stopping by the PKP of course you have a book out you have music out tell the people where all to get all of the things yeah Saturday Sunday morning is the book um and uh I mean all of it's on my website PJmortonmusic.com we got the gumbo store.com um where all the merch and stuff is all the vinyls and all of that stuff um you know I'm out here you out here I'm out here he he working yeah yeah we out here working outside yeah and new music coming soon too like I'm working I've been in the studio all all month this this new year and um yeah hopefully something something sooner than later we're excited you know we're gonna be ready for whatever you drop in last year we are supporting you we're cheering you on and we just want to thank you for who you are and you know what you stand for for us PKs that don't always get it figured out but um we are literally cheering you on and rooting you on loud and proud thank you man and I'm proud of you I'm proud of you doing your thing thank you finding your space you know what I'm saying I think it's needed I think it's awesome you know um we used to have the PK conference and I just remember it is wasn't it like the PK Connect

Where To Find PJ’s Work

SPEAKER_01 53:19

or something? It was the PK Connection and me, Lily Jamar Crystal and um yeah and and we saw how needed it was you know that's when you know Bishop Jones Noel Jones talked about Grace Jones and you saw the you know the different sides of their family but he he was able to have a conversation with us that he wouldn't have anywhere else and I think this gives that platform because you know our experience while people can relate to pieces of it it's just a very unique experience you know um being being a PK and uh so I appreciate you and and proud you know because I've been knowing you for a long time and and you found you found your space and that's that's a beautiful thing man.

SPEAKER_00 54:00

Yeah thank you for sure listen we're gonna have to do a PK Connect uh reunion soon because Jamar where you at pull up let's go Jamar yes all right well listen thank y'all for tuning in be sure to like share and subscribe my best and until next time peace