When MASSEY steps onto a stage, you notice him immediately. The silver pompadour, the ever present shades, the theatrical and fluid movements. He has the presence of someone who knows exactly who he is and what he wants to communicate.

But it’s not just a show of style. Behind the bravado is a deeply thoughtful artist with something important to say – life is short, joy is sacred and music is the perfect vessel to explore both. His debut album Reason For Being is a full realization of that vision.

MASSEY’s music has always been about connection. Before he went full time into music, he built a successful career as a financial coach helping people to navigate their lives and achieve stability. On Reason For Being, he channels the same energy of encouragement, inspiration and sometimes challenging the listener through rhythm, melody and lyrics. “This album is about attaining great wisdom,” MASSEY explains. “Wisdom to experience pure joy, and to truly care about ourselves and others. To live with zest, with zeal, in the limited life we’ve been given.”

The first track “Veil Is Lifted,” is where MASSEY sets the tone. It’s a shimmering exploration of the body mind spirit connection, that rare moment when music transcends language. And it’s definitely a declaration of MASSEY’s core philosophy – music as transformation and music as communion.

Yet MASSEY is just as comfortable getting down and funky. “(Never) 2 Hot!” featuring XOCHI, is an unabashed disco funk celebration. It has an irresistible groove, and the horns and rhythm section propels the song forwards with joy. Yet beneath the exuberance is a clear message. A call to action for climate awareness. This song is where MASSEY blends purpose and passion, where he makes you dance while also making you think.

Perhaps the boldest move on the album is his cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Box of Rain”, featuring Vince Herman of Leftover Salmon. Where most covers tiptoe around the original, MASSEY reconstructs it entirely. It’s soulful, tender and infused with gospel elements that are both homage to the original track but also a complete reinvention of it.

“Tattoo My Heart” brings the bounce of New Orleans directly into the listener’s ears, with brass, rhythm and energy that recall the city’s vibrant street parades. Meanwhile, BOOKIN’ erupts like a horn fueled adrenaline rush, with grooves that make it impossible to stay still.

MASSEY’s versatility is indeed evident. He moves effortlessly from soul stirring ballads to floor shaking funk but the throughline is always authenticity.

MASSEY is not an artist to sit in one genre, and on this album, rock, funk soul and R&B collide in ways that feel natural. Producer JoeBaby Michaels (The Rolling Stones, James Brown, Lynyrd Skynyrd) gives the project a live and almost mystical warmth. Overall, the album flows like a conversation. Sometimes intimate, sometimes exuberant and always human.

The title itself – Reason For Being – is very much emblematic of MASSEY’s journey. He has spent years building his music career, balancing the demands of life with the need to create something meaningful. The album is a message of uplift, of rebirth and a reminder of what is possible when persistence, passion and purpose collide.

MASSEY’s personality permeates every track. There is humor, theatricality and a showman’s flair but underneath is all heart. His music asks the big questions without being heavy handed: how do we live fully? How do we care for one another? How do we find joy amidst the chaos? These questions are explored not with lectures, but with grooves, melodies and a palpable sense of sincerity.

While each track can stand alone on this album, together they form a journey that moves from introspection to real exuberance, and MASSEY really invites you into his world. This is a unique record that marries groove with depth, fun with purpose and heart with theatricality.

It is a statement that MASSEY is not just here to make music, but is here to make meaningful music.

Keep up with MASSEY on his Website

Stream music on Spotify and Apple Music