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The stigma surrounding young artists in hip-hop today has been one of the most interesting developments in music for the past several years. In the only genre that tends to tell it’s artists what style or standard they should base their content off of, has found itself in its most diverse and complex era in its history. For every MC that bases their style in lyricism and consciousness, there are several MC’s that rhyme about nothing more than the tangible things that their lifestyle has brought them. For many traditional fans and artists alike, this has been hard to process; many believe that the rap game has been over saturated with younger artists with seemingly nothing to say outside of repetitive hooks and braggadocios lyrics about the typical rap music perks. It has gotten to the point where veteran hip-hop figures are questioning if the young generation still has MC’s left. Perhaps they aren’t looking hard enough.
Maxo Kream is one of the most uniquely talented rap artists that many may have not heard about yet. Long and mistakenly overshadowed by many of his fellow young contemporaries, the Houston, Texas native has built up of the more impressive catalogs among hip-hop’s up and comers. He began to received buzz upon the release of his 2015 mixtape #Maxo187, a hard hitting but fun blend of street tales, thought provoking lyricism and comedic lines, usually about his upbringing or his day to day lifestyle. Landing features from MC’s Joey Bada$$ and the late Fredo Santana spoke to Maxo’s reach had as an artist even at that point. He would even land a feature from fellow Houston native and southern rap legend Paul Wall on the 2016 mixtape The Persona Tape, marking the official arrival of the next potential rap star.
In 2018, he would take his biggest step to date, with the release of his independently released debut album Punken. The album would launch the 29 year old MC into star status, due in part to the standout track Roaches, an extremely descriptive account of his upbringing, family ties and even devastating effects of Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area that affected an entire region and his loved ones. He also managed to address the lack of content and substance in hip-hop and the trend of drug induced lyrics that have watered down the genre. The album turned Maxo into a commodity, and an artist with new expectations to grow and develop into the best version of himself. In 2019, he would have his chance to make an impression on the mainstream stage.
On July 18th, Maxo Kream would release his major label debut album Brandon Banks under the RCA Records label. Even before beginning the album, one will most likely notice the album artwork. The image is a split screen photo of the faces of Maxo and his father, near splitting images of each other. That image alone could hint that this project may be very personal, and from the opening track, that is instantly confirmed. The intro track Meet Again is one of the best and unique openers to an album that you’ll ever hear. In a verse disguised as an open letter to an incarcerated cousin, Maxo updates his friend on the current life of their daughter, their child’s mother, and the toll that the streets has taken on their friends, ones locked up, and ones who have fallen. It’s a very raw account of how prison life can detach someone from their loved ones, and puts the listener on the side of justice system that many do not think about. The thoughtfulness, clarity and smart writing or the song make it one of the year’s best so far.
The tales of the streets impact to beyond the introduction, as Maxo uses several track to paint the picture of a successful man who still wears the scars of his upbringing and the decisions he made to survive. Bissonet traces back his roots to his childhood, where he watched his parents and brother serve time and jail time. This lack of stability played into his involvement in illegal activity, and staying ahead of law enforcement as he figured out his next move in life. Brothers is a trap fueled pledge to his family and to the street code, highlighted by a verse from Maxo’s actual blood brother KCG Josh. 8 Figures is warning against the fast paced lifestyle people tend to live when they come into a large amount of money. But although he stresses saving earnings, he can’t help but flex on the best best transition of the album, with a verse about how what he’s going to spend money on. Change is a self-evaluation on how life has gone since money no longer became an issue. While for many, being financially secure in would be seen as a positive, Maxo raps about the problems he still faces as if the money has only made things tougher. He gives an account of a young mother down on her luck in the sobering Brenda, and the dog eat dog mentality he had as a youth while growing up and surviving in his neighborhood on the tracks Spice Lane and Pray 2 The Dope. While many MC’s often tell stories of their past exploits in the past tense, Maxo tells his stories as somebody who has close ties to his old life, and that this newfound fame isn’t sure to change him. That realism and internal struggle runs throughout the entire album. Another notable aspect of this strong debut effort is the impressive selection and placement of the featured artists. He once again pays homage to his neighborhood, gang-rooted upbringing and lifestyle in the A$AP Ferg assisted track Murda Blocc. He teams up with gangster rap superstar and fellow Hoover Crip member ScHoolboy Q on the dark and descriptive 3 Am, where the duo sounds like a group that’s been rapping together for years now. In perhaps the biggest collaboration of the album, Maxo keeps it at home with the help of fellow Houston native and hip-hop’s favorite rockstar Travis Scott for the David Banner inspired The Relays. On a track tailor-made for fans of both artists, the two trade verses about money, woman and the fast paced lifestyle they enjoy. But for all of the quality features on the album, the most impressive may be yet another hometown connection, as Maxo teams up with perhaps the fastest rising star in hip-hop, Megan Thee Stallion. The two would trade bars on the summer time anthem She Live, a bouncy and fast paced track about the idea woman who isn’t exactly the stay at home type. The song is fun, lyrical and showcases two of the south’s most talented and unique MC’s at their best in one of the best songs of the summer.
The album closes out with a pair of tracks that beat show Maxo’s versatility from song to song. The first, the upbeat, boom-bap based Dairy Ashford Bastard is a direct thank you to his father, whose decisions, booth good and poor, had a direct impact on Maxo’s life and his family’s lives as well. For anyone who may have had a distant or taxing relationship with their father, the emotion from the song can be easily felt. But, the song also shows the love a child has for a parent who has loved them no matter what the circumstances may be. Finally, the outro track titled Still is a reminder that the 29 year old MC is everything he has always been, as an artist, gang member and most importantly, a man. Unapologetically active and reckless, that attitude and approach fuels his rhymes, where the listener trusts and believes every word from this rising star. The track is an appropriate send off, as it cautions everybody that this debut is simply just that, the beginning of what can be a special career.
How one begins their journey can speak volumes about the path their life can take. There is no perfect method to success or prosperity in any facet of life, and the decisions one makes at the start of the journey can help mold their success for years to come. For Maxo Kream, he sits as an outlier in a new generation of rappers who have a stigma surrounding them of not being able to have lyrical content and a message in their music. He has been able to do both of those things using elements of hip-hop music both past and present. That has made his music capable of being enjoyed by all ages. His major label debut album Brandon Banks is a project that carries the realism and versatility that many classic debuts have been praised for. That same hunger that many great MC’s have shown out the gate in the careers can be found in this album. It sits as possibly one of the best debut hip-hop albums of the decade and easily one of the best albums of 2019.
Top 5 Songs:
1. Meet Again
2. 8 Figures
3. Change
4. The Relays
5. She Live