Atlanta, GA-based Recording Artist-Producer Jevon Dewand has spent years collaborating with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, but now he’s finally hit No. 1 on Mediabase and Billboard’s Gospel Airplay charts with a soulful, urban track, “With You.” The song pairs Dewand with dynamic vocalist Zacardi Cortez, and super-producers Jazze Pha and Gasner the Artist. “We’re like the X-Men,” Jevon says. “We all have superpowers, and we come together for one common goal—to inspire and spread good energy and God-like oxygen.”
“Without You” was birthed from Dewand’s grief after his father Moses M. Sims’ death in the summer of 2023. In his darkest moments, Dewand felt God gave him a message to inspire others. The 16-track Without You: There Would Be No Me (Black Smoke Music Worldwide) album is dedicated to Mr. Sims who was known throughout the Atlanta community for his warmth and generosity. The project artwork features Dewand encircled by a montage of photos of his father. Bits of his last conversation and a prayer with his father are sprinkled throughout the album as short interludes. “It’s a reminder that life is the number one blessing in the world,” he says. “Don’t take it for granted.”
Dewand gives credit to his posse, the Trap Starz: Talent Revolving Around Purpose, for making the album happen. “We write and produce everything you hear from our hearts, our pain, and our struggles,” Dewand adds. “We listen carefully to people’s stories so that we can write songs that feel personalized to their lives. It’s so important to showcase real situations in our music, so that when people hear it, they can relate to it.”
The Trap Starz have had their share of trauma. Aside from his father’s recent death, Dewand had blood clots in his lungs and survived a shooting. Gasner the Artist endured a horrific marriage and lost a son to gun violence. Jazze Pha has suffered his own anguishes. The trio feels God brought them together for a reason. “God needed me to go through all of this to build me for my purpose,” Dewand reflects. “I never thought about being a gospel artist, even though we all come from the church. But sometimes, God calls you over and over until you finally pick up the phone.”
One person who picked up a phone is Houston-based CEO of Black Smoke Music Worldwide, Kerry Douglas. He signed Dewand to his label and arranged to have powerhouse vocalist Zacardi Cortez to sing on the track and take it to the next level. They produced a poignantly memorable hit that has spent 33 weeks on Billboard Magazine’s Gospel Airplay chart. The spin detections increased 12% to move the song from No. 3 to No. 1 for the week ending February 14, 2025. “We all have a purpose, and it may look different, but our goal is the same,” Dewand explains. “God is the pilot of our plane, and we’re about to land safely into the people’s hearts.”
