SMILEFORMAXO.COM |
Maxo - Photo by Devlin Claroresetar
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SmartLink to LIL BIG MAN on all DSPs
maxo.lnk.to/LILBIGMAN
maxo.lnk.to/LILBIGMAN
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BIO:
“Everybody’s trying to be a superhero,” Maxo says about what he sees around. “It’s weird.” While most artists in the genre are flaunting an impenetrable persona—free of fear, worry or doubt —his approach is different. The Los Angeles rhymer instead chooses to write about the human happenings in his day-to-day life, ones that listeners ideally will connect to with ease.
“I'm not trying to be portrayed as something I'm not.” he starts, I’m me. I’m regular people. I just want to speak for people who are themselves.” Growing up, Maxo split time between LA’s Ladera Heights and Inland Empire sects. Though his music is less based on where he’s from and more about what’s going on between his ears and “how I’m feeling.”
Maxo, 23, started recording his musings just a few years ago, inspired by his older brother's struggles in coping with the world around him.
“That was around the time of Mike Brown and Trayvon Martin,” Maxo recalls clearly. “Just being a Black man will take a toll on you, whether you recognize it or not. That, in combination with trying to find yourself. It will drive you crazy. He lost his shit.” A middle child (he has a younger brother), it was tough to see his older bro—who loved to rap—hit a rough patch. When society stressed him out of his love of music, Maxo picked it up for him.
“It was for very therapeutic reasons,” Maxo says of becoming an artist. “I just needed healing. [My brother] is why I started rapping.” His first project was unpolished winter 2015 mixtape Afterhours, recorded on cassettes, dubbed to digital and loaded up on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. His next project, Smile was released through independent label LOVETURL and featured two videos, Nickel to a Dime and Goldman.
Maxo used his three-week trip to Senegal in October of 2017, to figure out where he’d land in the music world. Maxo opted for DEF JAM. Now he’s gearing up for the release of his debut label release, LIL BIG MAN.
“It’s an album about me growing into a man,” he says. “Living through fickle friendships. Being Black. Just life and coming into my own.”
“I'm not trying to be portrayed as something I'm not.” he starts, I’m me. I’m regular people. I just want to speak for people who are themselves.” Growing up, Maxo split time between LA’s Ladera Heights and Inland Empire sects. Though his music is less based on where he’s from and more about what’s going on between his ears and “how I’m feeling.”
Maxo, 23, started recording his musings just a few years ago, inspired by his older brother's struggles in coping with the world around him.
“That was around the time of Mike Brown and Trayvon Martin,” Maxo recalls clearly. “Just being a Black man will take a toll on you, whether you recognize it or not. That, in combination with trying to find yourself. It will drive you crazy. He lost his shit.” A middle child (he has a younger brother), it was tough to see his older bro—who loved to rap—hit a rough patch. When society stressed him out of his love of music, Maxo picked it up for him.
“It was for very therapeutic reasons,” Maxo says of becoming an artist. “I just needed healing. [My brother] is why I started rapping.” His first project was unpolished winter 2015 mixtape Afterhours, recorded on cassettes, dubbed to digital and loaded up on Soundcloud and Bandcamp. His next project, Smile was released through independent label LOVETURL and featured two videos, Nickel to a Dime and Goldman.
Maxo used his three-week trip to Senegal in October of 2017, to figure out where he’d land in the music world. Maxo opted for DEF JAM. Now he’s gearing up for the release of his debut label release, LIL BIG MAN.
“It’s an album about me growing into a man,” he says. “Living through fickle friendships. Being Black. Just life and coming into my own.”
Press:
Pitchfork:
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/maxo-lil-big-man/
https://pitchfork.com/levels/maxo-in-my-pennys-new-song-listen/
https://pitchfork.com/levels/maxo-time-new-song-listen/
Complex:
https://www.complex.com/music/2019/01/maxo-time-video
TheFADER:
https://www.thefader.com/2019/03/07/best-new-rap-tierra-whack-dababy-nocap
Lyrical Lemonade:
https://lyricallemonade.com/p/lil-big-man-maxo
DJ Booth:
https://djbooth.net/features/2019-03-18-maxo-lil-big-man-album-review
Brooklyn Vegan:
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/maxo-releasing-lil-big-man-ep-on-def-jam-this-week-stream-2-tracks/
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/karen-o-danger-mouse-comet-is-coming-noisem-angel-dust-maxo-bouncing-souls-reviews/
LARECORD:
http://larecord.com/archive/2019/01/28/maxo-smile-interview-time
Pitchfork:
https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/maxo-lil-big-man/
https://pitchfork.com/levels/maxo-in-my-pennys-new-song-listen/
https://pitchfork.com/levels/maxo-time-new-song-listen/
Complex:
https://www.complex.com/music/2019/01/maxo-time-video
TheFADER:
https://www.thefader.com/2019/03/07/best-new-rap-tierra-whack-dababy-nocap
Lyrical Lemonade:
https://lyricallemonade.com/p/lil-big-man-maxo
DJ Booth:
https://djbooth.net/features/2019-03-18-maxo-lil-big-man-album-review
Brooklyn Vegan:
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/maxo-releasing-lil-big-man-ep-on-def-jam-this-week-stream-2-tracks/
http://www.brooklynvegan.com/karen-o-danger-mouse-comet-is-coming-noisem-angel-dust-maxo-bouncing-souls-reviews/
LARECORD:
http://larecord.com/archive/2019/01/28/maxo-smile-interview-time
"LIL BIG MAN" LA DEBUT + LISTENING EVENT
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