Chris Jackson on Working with Pusha T, Songwriting, and ‘No Chaser’

Chris Jackson is a Christian R&B/pop singer who chatted with Rapzilla about his success as a songwriter and now an artist getting ready to make a big splash. He has penned music for Toni Braxton, Cheryl Cole, and others, as well as just completing a tour as a singer for Pusha T.

In the next few weeks, he will be gearing up to release his project No Chaser, and has already dropped the single, “Never Again.”

Rapzilla: Before landing some high profile writing spots, what were you doing in your music career and what was the plan?

Chris Jackson: Before my focus became songwriting, I was working on an album. I always had dreams of becoming an artist, and always had a love for singing, so before that happened, Dre (A-minor.. also producer of “No Chaser”) and I were working on an R&B album at that. Dre had a meeting with some guys (who ended up later managing me for some time) for his production, and he started playing some of the songs that he and I worked on. That lead to them inquiring about me, and kinda persuading me into doing songwriting, and kinda building with that as a way of getting my foot in the door. They didn’t really SEE me as an artist at the time, and they were kinda right man…I wasn’t really ready then, or capable to be honest…there was a whole lot I needed to learn and develop. But, MY plan was always to become an artist no matter how I got my start.

How did you place that song with Toni Braxton, and how did that change your life?

Jackson: After signing on with them, I started being thrown into sessions left to right. It was extremely overwhelming at first, because I had never done anything like that, and so fast. After about a year of working with them and a ton of sessions, I ended up working with Chuck Harmony one day. He played me that track and I remember the whole room shifting. I wrote and recorded it that night, and left feeling pretty great because I was extremely proud of that song, and at the time, I felt I hadn’t written a song as amazing or powerful as that one. Literally an hour after that session, and as I was about to put my head to my pillow, an email came to my phone stating that Toni Braxton was going to be cutting the record. I was literally almost never home after that because I was either in L.A., Atlanta, Miami, or London (if I wasn’t in NY) in writing sessions. I got to work with some amazing producers, writers, and artists and had some amazing (and NOT so amazing) experiences. Man, there’s a lot of songs that I wrote that were actually pretty dope that will probably never see the light of day, but the beauty of it was knowing I had it in me!

As an artist, do you feel a certain way writing for other people? How does that process work?

Jackson: I feel great writing for other people because it’s a way of helping to get their story out, or even hearing them express themselves over a creation of mine. It’s cool to not only build your own but help someone else along their creative journey as well. It’s a way of sometimes even stepping outside of yourself or your comfort zone, and seeing the world through another set of eyes.

What have you learned from working with superstar artists both in the studio and on tour?

Jackson: One of the main things I have learned, is to be fun, have fun and make everyone feel comfortable. It just makes the whole vibe that much better. I’ve also learned that not everyone’s process is the same and that you should always be open to trying new things/approaches. Also, to be sensitive to their needs as well.

You recently toured with Pusha T. What was that experience like, and did you have any creative input for his live sets?

Jackson: Touring with Push was one of the dopest experiences I’ve ever had in my whole life. I did more traveling and saw so much of the world that I never thought that I would ever see during that time, and I learned a lot about touring and what goes into it. Being a part of that show was such an amazing learning experience for me in that I got the opportunity to see how the crowd interacts with the artist and vice versa, and how much (especially live) music and shows really play a pivotal part in an artist’s life, especially connecting with the fans. I didn’t have any creative input for the set, but he taught me so much (that he might not even realize he did) and I’m forever grateful to him, DayDay, DW, and Push’s whole team.

Sweet Serenade • Splash Festival • Germany …

A video posted by Chris Jackson (@itschrisjackson) on

Tell us about your upcoming project No Chaser.

Jackson: No Chaser is a project that just pretty much takes you on a journey of a young Christian man, trying to really make sense of a lot of things going on in his life. There are ups, and there are downs…It starts off with a song (Story of a Champion) where I’m talking from my uncle’s POV, during his last couple months on this earth. Three years ago he died from cancer, and nothing could have prepared me for that. It actually did a number on my faith. The whole album isn’t based on that one experience, but it was definitely one that triggered a lot of other things, as well as a couple of other things I dealt with that, had the potential to spiral all out of control and make me lose my mind. But somehow through it all, God kept, and is still keeping me. It’s pretty much an honest take on life, as a Christian, talking about real life things. No sugar-coating was involved in the making of this project.

You debuted the single “Never Again.” What’s the response been like, and why was it the lead single?

Jackson: I chose to lead off with “Never Again” because I felt like I had something to say, and that was it. I’m more confident. I’m stronger. I’m better. I’m not invincible, but I’m striving to be unbreakable. I’m more confident in the gift that God gave me, and nothing or no one is going to stop me. I felt like there are tons of people on this planet that can relate and can say, things that used to effect them negatively, or slow them down, or discourage them, can’t anymore. Or at least that it’s going to be harder to do so. I just want to encourage people and let them know that as long as you believe in God, and believe in yourself, who can stop you? nobody. The response has been pretty great so far, and I’m glad about that!

What is the message of this record, and how do you want people to absorb it in?

Jackson: I want people to know, that it’s ok to hurt, and it’s ok to have fun. It’s ok to say “hey man…I’m struggling with such and such…” Sometimes, people are afraid because of whatever judgment may come their way. Sometimes, some people don’t wanna hear the typical “just pray about it” rhetoric. Sometimes, life affects us in a way that causes us to react irrationally. It’s ok. The beauty of it is, you can never go too far that God won’t reel you back in. No matter what ANYONE says. I want people to be encouraged and inspired. I want to motivate people to live their best life!

Will you be working with or reaching out to any Christian artists for this project?

Jackson: I have a few amazing features on this project, all who are believers. Most may not be “Christian artists” but we all have one common ground, and that’s the God we serve! I do want to connect with some Christian artists in the future for upcoming projects, as well as anyone else who is a believer!

What’s next, anything else to add?

Jackson:I’ve already started working on an EP that I plan on dropping next year, but until then I have some other things in store with No Chaser including more visuals, shows, and hopefully a tour in the future! Be sure to connect with me on social media on Facebook and Twitter/Instagram (@itschrisjackson).

Justin Sarachik
Justin Sarachik
Justin is the Editor-in-Chief of Rapzilla.com. He has been a journalist for over a decade and has written or edited for Relevant, Christian Post, BREATHEcast, CCM, Broken Records Magazine, & more. He's written over 10,000 articles, done over 1,000 interviews, and is in post-production for documentaries on Danny "D-Boy" Rodriguez & Mario "Machete" Perez. He's the project manager of the upcoming video game Run the Court and of the media brand Crimefaces. Justin likes to work with indie artists to develop their brands & marketing strategies. Catch him interviewing artists on Survival of the Artist Podcast & creating videos on his social media channels.
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