"It was kinda like jumping off a cliff and seeing if I had a parachute in my back pocket" pop folkie Jason Reeves says of covering hip-hop queen Nicki Minaj's "Moment 4 Life" for this week's Mashup Monday.

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Jason Reeves at Billboard

But rather than plummeting like a stone and crashing, the midwestern singer/songwriter floats gracefully to earth with his acoustic cover of Minaj's hit 2011 ballad/rap, while still managing to retain its hip-hop flavor by transmuting her flow into a spoken word vibe.

"I did start out making hip-hop music in Iowa when I was in high school," avowed Minaj fan Reeves reveals. "Way before I ever learned how to play guitar [or] started writing songs, I was actually recording raps."

After his 2007 debut, "The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (And Other Frightening Tales), Reeves has notably co-written several songs with pop songstress Colbie Caillat. Watch him perform his latest single "Sticks And Stones" at Billboard's studios below.

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MORE VIDEO FROM JASON REEVE'S BILLBOARD VISIT:

Jason Reeves performs his song "Sticks And Stones" live at Billboard.com's studios.

Jason Reeves interview.