ARTS MUSIC
Moshpxt Keeps It Reel By Amari Newman Contributing Writer JayJay Thakar has been transforming the local underground music scene ever since he created the video production company Moshpxt in 2017. He’s directed, edited, and shot more than 100 music videos for hip-hop artists throughout the DMV and other metro areas. But here, his distinct visuals paired with creative storylines have made him a favorite videographer among local creatives such as Shy Glizzy, Gleesh, Baby Fifty, Q Da Fool, and Big Flock. Thakar’s unpredictable style contributes to his growing popularity. Every video contains new visual elements, including 3D animations, comic book layouts, intense green screens, or digital Lego characters. They also have intricate plotlines that span multiple videos, and can be as comical as they are genius. I spoke with Thakar, a Silver Spring native, at his friend’s apartment in Koreatown, while we were both visiting Los Angeles in October. The laid-back videographer greeted me at the door wearing a shirt with “MOSH’’ across the chest, a Ralph Lauren jacket, and a glistening yellow B.B. Simon belt. He brought me to a two-monitor setup, where he was in the middle of editing a music video he shot a couple days prior for the artist CLIP while he was in New York. Thakar flew from the East Coast city to L.A. for another project with rappers Yeat and DMV native Yung Kayo. Despite being on the West Coast, we quickly returned to Thakar’s roots. He grew up in the Maryland suburbs just outside D.C., and says he felt removed from city life. “The further you go from any city, to be honest, the influence of the culture from that city just fades away,” says Thakar. “I lived deeper in Silver Spring, not on the border, but still like 20 minutes from D.C.,” Thakar adds. “Where I’m specifically from, there was no public transportation. We were close to D.C., so we got a lot of influence from there, but I didn’t have direct access into the city because it’s hard to get to certain places on the Metro as a kid.” Although he wasn’t able to explore the city, young Thakar was still an active traveler. “In third grade, I went to India,” he says, noting his Indian American roots. “I also went to Europe, Canada, and other parts of Asia. It made me feel like I was always on the move. Even now, I always feel like I have to be outside traveling and doing something. I don’t feel comfortable being in one place.” Despite seeing different parts of the world, Thakar was a sheltered child. He had limited exposure to American music, cinema, and the general culture. “Before high school, I was one of those kids whose parents always tried to look out for their best interest,” he says. “I’m the
@djinhuman
Local videographer JayJay Thakar combines unpredictable style, intricate plotlines, and a love for the artists in his game-changing music videos. JayJay Thakar, aka Moshpxt
oldest kid, I have two younger siblings, so I had to be a role model, but I didn’t like having that type of pressure on me.” After he graduated from high school, Thakar began experimenting with vlogging car videos. “I was really into JDM [Japanese domestic market] culture back in the day, and I still am,” he says. “[It’s] definitely a time period in my life that I draw a lot of inspiration from to this day.” When Thakar decided to start shooting music videos, he asked his friend KashnDoja for connections. “He told me he knew this rapper named WifiGawd that needed some music videos, and he tapped me in on Twitter,” Thakar says. “Mind you, I never did a music video.” Thakar shot the video with a friend’s camera that he didn’t know how to use. “[The footage]
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was all blue, I didn’t know about white balance ... I tried to edit it, but I didn’t know how to edit like that,” he says. So he went online to learn editing techniques, and continued making more music videos. “I learned a lot more about music, culture, and everything happening in the city and the world,” he adds. “Making videos became an outlet for me.” Thakar found a passion in music videos during a time when he was struggling to find a purpose. In college, he couldn’t decide on a degree and found himself working numerous odd jobs. None of them worked out, he says, but music videos connected him to the community. “One day I quit my job and stopped going to school and decided to go all in with making music videos,” he says.
Afterward, Thakar elevated his work ethic. But what stood out to his contemporaries was his genuine personality. Hailing from uptown D.C., rapper The Khan was one of Thakar’s first collaborators. “I met JayJay in the summer of 2017,” the rapper tells City Paper over the phone. “I had a song with WifiGawd and he shot the music video for us.” The two continued collaborating—forming a friendship. “[JayJay] became a close friend of mine. I’d have him come to L.A. and New York with me to meet different artists. I saw how culturally important his position could be among artists. So I pushed for that.” Another artist who locked in with Thakar at the beginning of his career was Rockville rapper Lil Xelly. Thakar liked Xelly’s song “OK” so much that he reached out to shoot a video for it.
