Today we’d like to introduce you to Moriah Scott.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I went to college and majored in Mass Communication, originally aspiring to be a filmmaker. Ultimately, being a filmmaker is still in the plans but I decided to initially go a different route which involved me being in front of the camera. The relationships I had built throughout college and with different opportunities and internships I was apart of, I realized I knew a lot of talented people. I just thought there has to be some way I can utilize these relationships and connections and showcase them to the world. The world needs to know these people like I know them because I know how fascinated they would be if they knew their story and their different walks of life and why they pursue the particular crafts they pursue.
In addition, there are so many artists that I have fallen in love with through there interviews. I’ve never heard a lick of their music but I hear this very intriguing back story in an interview or I pay attention to their unique perspectives & way of thinking and why they think the way they think, I hear about their upbringing and somehow we relate or I’m impressed with how exactly they played the cards they were dealt, and it just peels back another layer of this artist that the music didn’t reveal — which makes me want to go back and listen to the music now. Now, I’m intrigued. Now my ears are open. Now, I know why you make music like this or why you express yourself like this or why your story was told like this.
Put it all that together and that’s how I found my passion and launched Classified with Mo. I figured out I want to be the person who introduces you to new talent that deserves to be seen and heard. I want to be the person who is influencing the inspiration you receive from these artists. I want to be the platform that allows these artists to be as transparent as they feel they can be because transparency breeds motivation and inspiration. I want to be the influence that moved you to listen to an artist’s music and become a fan. I want to make sure their stories are being told the right way.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. In fact, the road towards success won’t be smooth at all. A lot of my struggle at the beginning of my journey was transitioning from a local freelance media personality to becoming credible enough to be paid for my work, as well as credible enough to start booking celebrity interviews. Pursuing your passion and not getting paid to do so can be discouraging at times but if it’s something you’re truly passionate about giving up isn’t an option because you honestly can’t see your life without it. But it is true, follow your passion, do the work, and the money will definitely come.
Another major struggle along my journey was choosing to move back to Dallas from Los Angeles. Los Angeles was filled with opportunity and contributed to so much elevation in my career but it’s such an expensive city that I almost couldn’t even afford to actually live comfortably enough to even pursue my dream. It was a tough decision to make but I chose my intuition over my pride. Although it didn’t seem ideal it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made in a while. The blessings and opportunities I’ve been receiving since I’ve been back in Dallas reassure me that I definitely made the right decision.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about MoClassified – what should we know?
Classified with Mo is a media platform that highlights different artists and influencers through a documentary style interview series that allows them to tell their story their way in hopes of inspiring the next person to overcome and be fearless in pursuit of their dreams. No matter the artist or influencer and despite their actual career type, viewers can take away key elements of the conversation to apply to their particular hustle.
I think what separates me from others is that in this social media are we are in now, a lot of platforms tend to depend on drama and negativity to garner views and bait for clicks. But, I am most proud that my company takes pride in presenting these influencers in the best light possible. We don’t want to fabricate the story. We don’t want to discuss any negativity. We don’t want to discuss anything that they don’t want to discuss. We want to highlight your accomplishments. We want to present our influencers in the best light possible so that viewers are guaranteed the full truth and interested in their stories for the right reasons.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Yes, I have had major support from the beginning. When I first started my interview series my childhood friend, Elijah Thornton, recorded and edited all of my interviews for free. We both knew we had an ultimate goal that was worth more than money so we just wanted to help each other out in any way we could.
I am a part of a creative collective called 808 Entertainment. We specialize in curating music industry events from educational panels to performance showcases, and even a Hip Hop trivia game show. Each member of the 808 Entertainment family has helped me tremendously. Although we are an overall brand we all do whatever we can to help each other continue to advance our individual brands whether that be social media promotion, graphic design if needed, video recording and editing, and so much more. I’m super grateful for each of them.
In addition, I have a friend, Butler, who is also a music industry professional who works for a major record label. He is a helping hand not only when I need it but even when I didn’t necessarily know I needed it. He sends me opportunities at least once a week, a majority of the time I did not even ask him to. That’s so amazing to me and I appreciate him dearly.
Lastly, I always explain how my first celebrity interview booking came about. It was me going out on a limb and reaching out to one of my favorite rapper’s wife, Dreka Gates. Most people were only interested in hearing her husband, Kevin Gates, story. I was interested in specifically hearing her story because no one had heard from her as her own entity outside of being his wife. Surprisingly, she accepted my interview request. After conducting the interview, I pitched it to so many magazines until one editor finally budged. Long story short, I have now been writing for The Source Magazine for two years now in which also lead to many more celebrity interviews from Nick Cannon, Russell Simmons, Steve Aoki, and more. I credit the jumpstart of my professional career to Dreka Gates all because she took a chance and accepted my request even without me being a credible journalist yet.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLXBZ8MDvwj4fPMt7wJ0hZA?view_as=subscriber
- Email: classifiedwithmo@gmail.com
- Instagram: @moclassified
- Twitter: @moclassified
- Other: www.thesource.com/author/moclassified
Image Credit:
Genuine Shotz, Bri Dezel, Bry Jones
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