Should you ever find yourself seeking a chat-topping sound, look no further than the work of Moshe Reuven. The Jewish-America multi-facet exploded onto the scene when his warmly released debut single “You Are Not Alone” was accidentally released by his former distributor, a mistake that would ultimately kickstart the artist’s successful venture into the world of music. Ensuring that his sound isn’t drowned out by that of his competitors, the rising talent blends the infectious bars associated with hip hop and the intoxicating sound of meandering instrumentation on his latest release, allowing it to stand as a repeat-worthy track.
When speaking on his music, the artist claims, “there are various things I hope people take away from my music. One thing is the feeling of being inspired. I want them to believe more in themselves, their purpose in life, and that G-d Almighty put them here on earth with a purpose that only they can fulfil. That they aren’t just floating about in the world without a reason for existing. I want them to feel and know that there is a Creator who put them here who orchestrates the entirety of creation and that they have a song to sing.”
As he looks towards creating new music, the artist sat down with Wonderland to discuss his journey through music and the success of his debut release. Head below to enjoy our interview with Moshe Reuven…
Hey Moshe, how are you? How has this past year been for you?
I’m doing well. The past year has been an interesting time for everyone. People all around the world have faced trying times, difficulties and many have even experienced loss. It’s a sensitive time for so many.
My year, personally, has been interesting. Through the ups and downs, I’m thankful to be here, and although I have had my own struggles, I do believe it’s with a purpose and has been good in its own way.
With everything that happened last year, was your creativity affected?
Yes. I believe it was in a good way as well. For one, “You Are Not Alone” was released during the pandemic. If the pandemic has never happened, I don’t know if I would have done that.
How did you first get into music, what sparked the interest?
Music always spoke to me. It just didn’t seem like it was something I would actually do. My older brother was actually the talented musician in our family. He could hear a song and play it on the piano right away. Whether it was dancing or singing, he was always the brother who was musically talented. I didn’t really think of myself in that light. I was known in my family for math and other things.
In high school, my friends and I would have jam sessions during our hangouts. It was just what we did when we got bored. A lot of my friends started to mention that I was really talented at speaking. One of my best friends and I would even send each other songs we would make during class when the teacher wasn’t doing anything we felt we really needed to know, like having us watch a movie on whales – whales are important, but it was definitely not the first time we had watched a whale video when there was anything to teach for the day.
I then became more well known amongst our social circles as an artist, and that fueled my desire to do music. When I was a junior in high school, I decided to aim to live a more meaningful life and aim to be a really good person. I had seen how the social influences of our age had led so many of my friends in the wrong direction. I wanted to change that. I started to think about how people listen to me and how maybe I could be a force for good, using music to channel it. I would come up with lyrics that would reflect on the social issues of a high school student as a way of inspiring people to see it from a higher perspective in the hopes that their hearts would be turned in a better direction, as I felt mine was.
You said your hit single “You Are Not Alone” was released unintentionally, what happened? And what was the creative process behind this single?
So, the distributor I had used was really cheap and not so good. When I uploaded all the song details with the release date, they completely ignored the date and just uploaded it immediately. But, I decided to run with it. We charted in four countries (#27 in America for Rap/Hip Hop) one or two weeks after the release. All praise to the Most High.
What do you want people to take away from your sound? Also, who inspires you and who would you love to collaborate with?
That’s a good question. It’s difficult for me to say just one thing. There are various things I hope people take away from my music. One thing is the feeling of being inspired. I want them to believe more in themselves, their purpose in life, and that G-d Almighty put them here on earth with a purpose that only they can fulfil. That they aren’t just floating about in the world without a reason for existing. I want them to feel and know there is a Creator who put them here who orchestrates the entirety of creation and that they have a song to sing. In today’s world, it’s so hard to hear your own sound amongst all of the noise. It’s unpopular to be you, and the uniqueness you are encouraged to have is just the uniqueness that everyone else is showing.
You’ve reached high points on a variety of charts, how does this make you feel?
I’m very thankful. The Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, once said, “the more success a person achieves, the more humble they should become,” which is the complete opposite of a person’s nature. I know it all comes from above. These are dreams and prayers I’ve had for many years. I feel thankful and humbled in the sense that although it’s something that’s been achieved, I know it’s a gift from above more than something I did. Entirely, actually.
What are you most excited for? Do you have any albums or projects in the works?
Working on an EP with Create Music Group now. Recently signed with Create and looking forward to releasing music in the months ahead.
