James "Mississippi" Marshall: 'Country Raised' and Proud Of It

by Cyrus Webb

Three years ago I was introduced to the artist James "Mississippi" Marshall with his single COUNTRY RAISED. In fact that year---2017--- there were many individuals who made their mark, introducing themselves through their talent and letting the world know they had something to say. James "Mississippi" Marshall was definitely one of those people.

I connected with him initially through Facebook, and when he told me about COUNTRY RAISED I was excited to hear what he brought to the table musically. Believe me when I say the single didn't disappoint. Marshall and I are both from the state of Mississippi, and the single is all about embracing where you are from, what made you who you are and more importantly how it helps us in making our mark in the world. Being 'country raised' is not something to be ashamed of. He feels as I do: it's something to be celebrated.

In his first-ever interview I was able to talk with Marshall about the release of his single and the response from listeners. "It's been a great experience," he told me during his appearance on Conversations LIVE the radio show. "I was just happy to get the music out. Now that it's available I'm hoping that it touches a lot of people."


Marshall says he knew that COUNTRY RAISED would "represent where I'm from" and that it would be the perfect single to introduce him. "A lot of artists sound so much alike that you don't know where they're from. I wanted to make sure people knew when they heard me who I was and that I was from Mississippi."

For some it would be a surprise that James was venturing into music. As someone who has been around the industry it wasn't until 2017 that many knew he was an artist himself. "I just felt like there aren't that many Mississippi artists being recognized right now," he told me. "We do have good artists, and I want to make sure that people around the world remember that."

For Marshall the other thing about being raised in Mississippi is that it keeps you humble. That is an attitude he has taken with him even as he has moved outside the state. It is also something that speaks to the bigger message and mission of COUNTRY RAISED. People all over the world can hear the song and celebrate where they are from and what makes them who they are. One thing that has helped him reach the masses has been having his music on all the major online retailers and having an active presence on social media.

"The internet is helping a lot," he told me. "Once people hear the song they are surprised," he says mainly because they might not expect something like that from Mississippi. That suits Marshall just fine. "I want them to remember the music that is still coming from Mississippi," he says.

It is his hope that people will listen to his music and realize not just his talent but that they can have a goal or dream and do the work necessary to make it a reality, no matter where they're from.

After COUNTRY RAISED he released other singles like WATCH ME DO MY DANCE, SHOW ME REAL and in 2020 he has given us GRIMEY.

Stay connected with him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jamesmississippimarshall, Twitter at www.twitter.com/jameskom601  and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/james_mississippi_marshall.