This video does not belong to the Ke Alaka'i or BYU-Hawaii. It is the property of James The Mormon.
Utah-based rapper James The Mormon said he worked alongside Taylor Bennett, the brother of a Grammy Award-winning rapper Chance the Rapper, to create a family-centered message through rap.
The singers collaborated their talents and experiences to make the new single “Holiday,” which was released on April 13. According to Jesse Ross, James’ PR intern, the lyrics were written to express that people should celebrate those they love and those around them.
“We should not wait for holidays to roll around but instead should live each day like a holiday. When surrounded by family, friends, and loved ones, we should celebrate each day with them like it is a holiday,” Ross said.
Ross said the lyrics emphasize making an effort to celebrate and cherish those around you because you never know how long you will have with them.
To portray this message, James and Bennett wrote these lyrics, “No time baby you gon' live it like a holiday. Anytime they give it ya, they gon' take it all away.”
James the Mormon came to BYU-Hawaii for a concert in the CAC on Dec. 3. Kristi Krause, a junior from California studying vocal performance, went to his performance and said he put on a great show.
“I thought that he did a great job of pumping up the audience and getting people excited. I feel like his music video for ‘Holiday’ does the same thing. I respect his lyrics and the stories that he tells through his own unique music form.”
The new music video for the single stresses the importance of recognizing and celebrating the memorable moments occurring every day. The video depicts an average day for a woman in Chicago, Illinois, Bennett’s hometown. The woman goes around her city taking photographs of simple, special moments such as a child with their dog, a happy couple, or a smiley cashier.
She uses a Polaroid camera and can instantly show each person the happy moment they have given her.
Ross continued, “James and Taylor wanted to show that even in the most mundane of circumstances, one can find something beautiful to appreciate. This happens especially when you take the time to step outside of yourself and appreciate something about someone else.”
Cheska Bañez, a sophomore from Illinois studying vocal performance, said she was impressed with the new song. She is from Chicago herself and felt connected to the music video as she recognized the locations it was being filmed. “I like rap and it is always satisfying to hear a rap song that is uplifting and wholesome. I was impressed by the message.”
James said he chose to work with Bennett because he is an up-and-coming artist just like himself. According to Ross, James also was impressed by the ease of collaboration while working with Bennett.
“As James is known for keeping his content wholesome and uplifting, he knew that it may be a challenge to branch out and collaborate outside of the Mormon world. Bennett, however, was great to work with and totally understood the aim of the project. Bennett also said he was willing to modify and rewrite the song if anything came out too suggestive or vulgar,” said Ross.
James started his career in 2014 with videos he created and posted on YouTube, according to Ross, and this helped to grab the attention of the LDS community.
Ross said James has spent the first few years of his career based out of Utah, where he lives. He said one of his main goals for the year is to branch outside of Utah and expand his music to other parts of the country.
“James really wants to grow nationally and have a better understanding of music outside of Utah. He has loved everything that he has gotten to do here, from working with his alma mater (BYU) to performing all around the state. One of the main reasons for connecting with Taylor Bennett was for James to share his music in Chicago. He is excited to see how it will grow.”
James and Bennett said they were grateful for the opportunity they had to work together and look forward to hearing feedback about their song, according to Ross. The song is available for download online.
Writer: Alyssa Odom