Christian Andrew Berishaj, better known by his stage name JMSN, is an alternative R&B and soul artist who was raised by Albanian immigrant parents. JMSN has collaborated with big name rappers such as J. Cole, The Game, and Ab-Soul, and has also worked with renowned producer Sango. His striking vocal range and eccentric discography has infiltrated the music industry since 2005.
Berishaj’s introduction to the music world was before he created the moniker JMSN (pronounced Jameson). Berishaj was originally a part of a band named Love Arcade. He took on the name Snowhite and was recognized as the frontman of the group. At the age of eighteen, Love Arcade signed with Atlantic Records in 2005 and released their self-titled album. The band broke up after three years, but Berishaj still pursued a music career despite the division.
In 2010, Berishaj signed to Universal Motown Records and adopted Christian TV as his new stage name. This contract was short-lived since the label shut down a year later. After this mishap, Berishaj started his own label, White Room Records, and espoused the name of JMSN.
JMSN has released numerous EPs, LPs, and albums which include Priscilla, Pllajë, JMSN (Blue Album), It Is., Whatever Makes U Happy, and the most recent one, Velvet.
JMSN’s music consists of jazz-saturated instrumentals, inflections of electronic tones, and textured vocals. In Velvet tracks “So Badly,” “Inferno,” and “Talk Is Cheap,” JMSN’s piercing falsetto conveys his desire and expectations that he directs to an unnamed lover. In Whatever Makes U Happy, the heavy lyricism in “Drinkin’” and “Patiently” shows the daunting reality of addiction and heartbreak. JMSN’s discography can only be described as a scrapbook composed of kaleidoscopic snapshots, percussive reverbs, and erratic love ballads.
— Patricia Damocles, Asst. Poetry Editor; Asst. Layout Editor; Communications & Media Editor