Rai Jackson
District Heights, Maryland, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2019 | SELF
Music
Press
The need for the church to really be the church, especially during the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, keeps Raimon Jackson up at night.
For Jackson, the leader of the online worship experience “The Well,” discovering, creating, and sharing ways people can “lift each other up” makes his mind and imagination spin.
On Saturday, April 11, at 7 p.m., the fruits of his imagination will be aired when The Well presents “Get Thru This: A Night of Unity,” streaming through the Amplify Network on Facebook and YouTube. (#getthruthis; #GTTCV19)
The event will feature music, spoken word poetry and other performances by artists from throughout the United States and beyond. Artists who are confirmed to perform include radio personality and musician, Ronnette Harrison; singer and recording artist, Lakisha Goldsberry; rapper, Jordan G.; R&B singer, Angel Grant; R&B/Pop vocalist, Chartel; and poet Kim B. Miller and many more.
On Saturday evening, Jackson will also premiere an original song he wrote and is one of the performers on, also entitled “Get Thru This.”
Easter weekend is the perfect time for the song’s release, he said.
“It’s about bringing life back,” Jackson said. “It’s about us bringing love, hope, and light for one another, united, together.”
Jackson worked on the recording with Phase Recording studio engineer, producer, and lyricist, Jamil "Face" Johnson and his wife and business partner Abina Johnson; Terence and Jacq Sams of Amplify Network, and music producer Tony Covay.
“I’ll sleep when this is over,” Jackson said. “For now, I feel called to create the 'Get Thru This Movement' to allow people to have hope in this anxious time. It’s going to be overwhelming. It’s going to be about us being a light to each other.”
After he gets some rest, Jackson will go back to work as pastor of The Well, which was started in 2017 as a missional outreach of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. The online faith community is a “non-traditional ‘unchurch church,’” Jackson said, that centers around the arts and uniting community, navigating purpose, and evoking healthy conversation around spirituality, justice and Jesus. - Melissa Lauber
Discography
- Breathe and Rock http://https//music.apple.com/us/artist/rai-jackson/1477391706
- Get Thru This by Tony Covey featuring Rai Jackson and Face http://https//music.apple.com/us/album/get-thru-this-feat-rai-jackson-face-single/1509065700
- In His Name by Jacq Sams (co-writer) http://https//music.apple.com/us/artist/jacq-sams/1506867659
- Drop Dead Gorgeous by Villian Style ft Raheem Devaughn (producer) https://youtu.be/Bf30KDNb_8I
Photos
Bio
Rai Jackson is a songwriter, singer, producer, actor, pastor and all around artist who is quickly gaining mass appeal. He is a phenomenally gifted and highly conscious individual who draws on his diverse life experiences to create music that crosses cultural boundaries, deepens consciousness, and at the same time simply makes you feel good. Rai's talent is presented best through his lyrical ability to metaphorically challenge his listeners mind while simultaneously exuding melodious and harmonic tones over extremely well produced arrangements of sounds that pull from the influence of multiple genres.
His musical works include collaborations with production partner "Face" of Phase Recording & Media and R&B superstar Raheem DeVaughn. He's written and produced for Universal Records artists which includes R&B sensation Hollywood, and for the hiphop duo 2-Dimensions, as well as Philadelphia pop artist Chartel. He's performed in musicals at the Kennedy Center for the arts (Wash. D.C.), and written for gospel choirs throughout the D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (D.M.V.) area. Born into a family of musicians, Rai started playing the piano at age 5. Inspired by pioneers such as Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Quincy Jones, Diane Warren, Duke Ellington, and Richard Smallwood, Rai has professionally studied classical, jazz, and gospel music. His musical career started early as an accompanist for his elementary school orchestra. From his upbringing, Rai has enjoyed multi-levels of musical exposure. He's won several competitions including the University of D.C. DCPS piano competition (1st place jazz). He's performed for the NAACP and the nationally recognized Gamaliel Network. He's been featured at For Sisters Only (Radio One), The Cotton Club (NY), worked as a musical director for several churches, musical staff for the United Methodist Church (Baltimore-Washington conference), and hosted dozens of workshops.
With so much experience, Rai Jackson's artistry is like no-other. His diverse and distinct sound presents cross over appeal, and presents him as the ideal artist for collaboration with endless possibilities to rise to the top of the music industry.
Band Members
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