Dance artist Jipsta has been turning out the hits nonstop - 'Middle of the Dancefloor,' 'Don't Act Like You Don't Know' and more recently, his re-do of George Michael's 'I Want Your Sex,' which peaked at no. 4 on the Billboard club/dance charts - and currently spends its second week at no. 1 in Brasil!

Now the man behind the music talks with Muzo about everything from his love for Lady Sovereign to what he likes in a guy and his forthcoming single 'Party of the Year' featuring legendary dance diva Sandy B. And keep your ears open for a full-length album coming soon from Jipsta, tentatively titled 'Explosive.' A big thanks to my boy Mikey for getting up close and personal with the dance superstar!


Michael: When did you first know you wanted to be a performer?

Jipsta: I can remember the exact moment. I went to a private junior high school on Long Island for 7th through 9th grade, and I first discovered rap music there. I really got into it and started studying it because I couldn't get enough. The artists that really affected me were Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Salt-n-Pepa, and honestly, the Beastie Boys.  Fast forward to the school-wide talent show which was open to all students through the 12th grade. My "stage name" at the time was...and brace yourself....LL Cool JP. When I was 13, I thought it was hot, anyway.  In any event, I did this really crazy song with these two black girls from my class dancing behind me, and for some reason, the little 7th grade geeky white boy had the entire school (even seniors) totally jumping out of the bleachers and making all kinds of noise.  That bit of attention just awoke something in me that let me know I wanted to do it forever.

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Michael: Where does the name "Jipsta" come from?

Jipsta: I will admit, I get a lot of flack over my name. Many people often mis-spell it as well, and think it is "Jipster" but there is a reason I spell it differently.   Well, my real name is John Patrick Masterson.  In the 6th grade in Elmont, New York (where I spent the first half of my life) there were 4 children named John in the class. In order to differentiate between us, the teacher dubbed me "JP" and for whatever reason, the name stuck. To this day, the only people that call me John are my mother and my partner (when I am in trouble, lol).  But because kids love to torment each other, a lot of the kids in my class used to call me "Jip" (because of the way JP sounds if you say it slurred together).  "Jipsta" ended up becoming an extension of "Jip" at some point.  E.g. "Yo! Jip, Yo!  Jipsta what are you doing this weekend?"  Just kinda stuck.

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Michael: Dance music is a hard business to break into, especially for men. What sets you apart from the Colton Fords and the Jason Walkers?

Jipsta: This is definitely a tough question to answer. I am not sure why the dance music industry favors women with big, powerful voices more than male voices, except for the fact that, let's face it: we have all been on that one dancefloor where a hot buildup with one note repeated by a diva singer just makes people connect and brings an undeniable energy. I do think that there are talented male vocalists out there in the dance industry who are hungry, eager, and driven. You mention Jason Walker in the question posed to me and I will say, there is no denying his talent, soul, passion and delivery. How can you not feel his music? I hope he is blessed with an opportunity to get the mainstream exposure he deserves and which he could easily fall into. As far as how I personally stand out amongst the other male artist, I am the first to admit that I have not yet found my "singing" voice. Rapping always came very easily to me, and I suspect that is how people feel about singing when they are blessed with a beautiful voice.

I do try to remain humble, but I suppose that the reason I am connecting to club crowds and circuit DJ's is that I am very comfortable in my songwriting and delivery, and I can handle saying a lot of words at a BPM of 130. If I had to estimate, I would say that most hip-hop songs (even the ones that make people want to run to the dancefloor) are typically 95-110? (BPM). It is much easier to deliver a lot of information in lyrics at that tempo. Since I can't really "sing" per se, and I am not focusing on melody and key, I feel the only way to make myself stand out is through raw talent of juggling words at a fast pace. If you listen to my tracks, I try my best to incorporate "double rhymes" in each pair of lines. I am proud of my songwriting, and I think that my hip-hop sensibility coupled with my love of circuit music is what makes the songs work. There are a few rappers who also make dance-leaning songs that I admire (Lady Sovereign, Kanye West, Timbaland, Missy Elliott), but I think the way I differ from them is that I tend to record the original vocal over the faster tempo. Plus, I do try to show my personality in my songs. I'm a crazy bitch sometimes, and I like to be witty and cheeky and just put the shit out there that gay boys in the clubs actually think.

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Michael: You recently performed with Kevin Aviance, who is legendary in the NYC nightclub community. Who else have you had the privilege to perform with?

Jipsta: Actually, Kevin's appearance was the first time another artist has ever been involved in one of my shows. The only other time I had a cameo performance was during a show with my good friend Ranny in Tampa at G Bar where two dancers from MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew"  (Matt Frascello and Starr) were my backup dancers. But, on my next single, there is going to be a MAJOR name collaboration, and I suspect we will be doing a lot of shows together to promote it.

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Michael: You recently had a very successful appearance @ SBNY in New York City! Other than SBNY, what are some of your favorite places to perform?

Jipsta: I've been really blessed by how welcoming and supportive various clubs around the country have been to my music and my live show. Performing at Splash was really a life-altering moment for me because it was in front of my hometown crowd, and a lot of friends I hadn't seen in years from high school came out to see me and gave me so much love, which fueled the performance more.

But I have to say, my other favorite venue so far was Hydrate in Chicago. I performed there twice (both performances are on YouTube actually), and both times, the crowd was SO energetic and sang along with me, especially during my first single "Don't Act Like You Don't Know," which really surprised me because not many people knew of me or that record then. I have a few shows coming up for Pride season, but I am really looking forward to performing at Paradise in Asbury Park. The town has a real sentimental value to me because that is actually where I met Chris Cox 5 years ago.

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Michael: You recently did a cover of "I Want Your Sex", originally done by gay icon George Michael. How did that come to happen?

Jipsta: Someone recently asked me this, and it's really interesting how it did come to pass. Last year, I was sitting on my deck just listening to my iTunes on random (a few cocktails were also involved, natch!) and George Michael's version came on. I found myself humming along and saying to my partner "This song really is the shit---someone should do a cover!"  10, 15, 20 minutes go by and then I started doing a few of the lines under my breath in my Jipsta-style. I realized that I could mess with the melody enough to make it a kind of hip-hop/dance hybrid, and I literally opened up a drum track on the computer, did the song in one take (with exception of some background and ad-libs), and sent it to Joey C at Diva Nation who then turned around and did a mix in literally one day. We were both so excited about it, and the rest was history. I was really nervous though because I was scared another artist would have already come up with the same idea to cover it, and I wanted to get it out there fast. Luckily, it all worked out and I feel very blessed at how well it's been received and that it made it to #4 on the U.S. Billboard Dance Chart and #7 on Brazil's version.

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Michael: Describe your ideal date?

Jipsta: Thai food, followed by something chocolate-y, healthy amount of Shiraz, hand-holding, soft kissing, walking around, talking about music (teaching me about hot songs from different genres is a plus, but you gotta know your dance music and hip-hop history!), dancing, talking about places we'd like to travel, going home, Ben and Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk, watching 'Entourage,' let the magic happen... 

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Michael: Biggest turn on in another guy?

Jipsta: Well, like in a bar situation where you first notice someone, I always look at eyes and smile first. I really like someone with a wide, bright smile that shows their personality. I also like a guy who skews more masculine/muscle bear-ish with facial hair, nice chest and shoulders. Beyond the physical, I really am drawn to intelligence and wit. You have to make me laugh, and you have to know how to spell. I hate when guys talk like they are texting. And when you're texting--use full sentences, lol. Be articulate--I'm a rapper, and I always look at the way to use words differently--impress me!

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Michael: Favorite part of your body?

Jipsta: Eyes, maybe my smile. Those are the things I feel like I am most confident about.

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Michael: What artist have you been dying to work with, but have yet to work with?

Jipsta: Lady Sovereign. Simple and plain. Tell her that! I am a MAJOR fan of hers and think that she is just brilliant in all facets.

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Michael: Advice to new guys who want to break into dance music?

Jipsta: I can't lie--the dance music industry doesn't always roll out the welcome wagon for male artists. The new generation of club-going gay boys really enjoy hip-hop and Top 40 album version songs they can sing along to at the club right now, from what I have noticed. I think I happened to fall into the game at the right time. That being said, if you are a singer, there are three things I would advise: (1) Make sure you can SING. And by that, I mean SANG. You have to bring it. Be aware of the range of your voice that sounds good and write songs that cater to it. (2) Build relationships with people. The best way to have a great record is to connect with the DJ's and Producers personally and build a relationship with them so that they create tracks with music you actually like and want to hear repeatedly so you are really feeling it when you sing. If you are going through it half-assed, the ADD audience out there will sense that. Trust. (3) Promote. The days of big labels discovering and developing artists is seemingly gone. You have to make yourself stand out.
 
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Michael: What's next for Jipsta?

Jipsta: Well, I recently signed my deal with Chris Cox and Jeff Johnson's label "Provocative Music."  "I Want Your Sex" just peaked on the club chart, but the Mike Rizzo Radio Mix did just get approved to be included on the June 2009 Dance Radio issue of the Promo Only series, so hopefully it will get added and people who may not go to clubs will get to be exposed to it. Also, we just finished filming the video for it at Paradise in Asbury Park, which is slated to be released May 8th! We are hoping to have some screenings/ video release parties in the city. Check HX.com soon for the specific details.  

The big news is the next single though, which is called "Party of the Year." It features legendary club legend diva Sandy B of 'Make the World Go Round' fame. Joey C of Diva Nation did the original album version & the label and I are in talks to line up the rest of the remixers for the project, but my vision for the song is to be an anthem for any party which gets played every year. Sandy B KILLS IT on the vocal though--she is a true pleasure to work with and to be in her presence is very humbling.


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