Q&A With Los Angeles Hip Hop Artist Max Star
Hey Max Star! Much respect on your new single “Will They Except Me” . We appreciate solid music, especially form true up and coming MC’s from LA. Please tell me how long have you been rapping? Where are you from? Do you remember where you were at exactly when you wrote your first track!!??
That’s dope! I’m glad you guys fuck with that track. It’s definitely one of my favorites that I recorded awhile back…
I starting rapping at the age of 11 years old, even though I tend to think that I was born with the gift of hip-hop skill, and lyricism, I didn’t discover that gift until I was a young teen back in the late 90s/early 2000s. I’m originally from back east (Queens, New York to be exact) so growing up as a child in the 90s, hip-hop was a predominant force in my life, as well as the new jack swing era (For all you super youngsters, if you’re not familiar with the NJS music genre…GOOGLE IT! It was amazing!)…
I was 19 the first time I ever wrote & arranged a rap song, or ANY song for that matter! I was in a rap duo group at the time, which was my first run in the music industry, as far as doing professional showcases, working with industry producers, and meeting and working with record label execs & A&Rs. It was first the first demo I ever recorded in my life. I was nervous, but VERY ready, cause even at that young of an age, I knew that not only did I want to be an amazing hip-hop artist/writer, and lyricist, but I also wanted to be a great music artist. PERIOD…I wanted to be an amazing song-writer.
Your style and rhyme scheme is super raw and different! How do you describe you sound? How long did it take for you to find your sound?
My style is unique because as a hip-hop artist you gotta take pride in differentiating yourself from other rappers, which seems to be the problem with a lot of rappers these days, they for the most part ALL sound the same! I’m not hatin, just stating facts! BUT if you WERE to compare my style to some of the legends in this game, I’ve been compared to Biggie, Redman & Ludacris. All energetic lyricist who have made a tremendous impact in this game, and who have influenced my rap style as well. I can only pray that one day I can achieve the success, and prestige these men have.
Tell us about your Hip Hop and/or music influences? Any West-Coast influences? Was there anyone in your life that motivated your to STEP IT UP when it comes to making dope Hip Hop?
If I were to say what my hip-hop influences are, and have been in my career. Besides the three men I mentioned in the last interview question, the WHOLE backpack, boom bap, lyricist movement of the 90s, and early 2000s would probably be my biggest influence. It’s what molded me into the lyricist I am today. People like Eminem, D-12, Wu-Tang, Meth & Red, Fabulous, 2-Pac, Joe Buddens, Talib, Mos Def, Foxy Brown, MC Lyte, Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Big Pun, Big-L etc etc…The list goes on & on!! And yes, even though I was born & raised in New York City, I was partially raised in Los Angeles as well (the 818 San Fernando valley…Stand up!) So my style was also influenced by the westcoast greats of hip-hop of course!
Please breakdown the creative process of your new single “Will They Except Me”.
The creative process to my track/single “Will They Except Me” was simply this: I had a HUGE chip on my shoulder when I wrote that song a couple of years ago. At the time I was signed to an independent hip-hop label called BROKEN COMPLEX RECORDS, which was run by DJ Hoppa, who a lot of people might know as the producer, and touring DJ for Hopsin & Funk Volume Records not too long ago. Things weren’t going too great with that label at the time, and I had personal shit going on in my life as well that WEREN’T music related. At this time, I was in the middle of recording a mixtape called “FAR FROM ORDINARY” which, btw, the song “Will They Except Me” is on that mixtape. Things were emotionally tough at the time, especially when I was ultimately released from Broken Complex. So I took all that frustration & aggression, and wrote “Will They Except Me”. The word “Except” is a play-on word, btw. Some people were confused…Lol.
What are you looking forward to for 2017? Anything you going to be doing differently compared to past years?
In 2017, I’m mostly looking forward to recording LOTS of music, and shooting tons of music videos. THAT’S IT. NO EXPECTATIONS. NO PRESSURE. I’m not trying to be a “rap star” anymore. Those were my younger days. I’m solely focused on getting a solid, independent/internet core fan base. Just want people to appreciate me & my music.
I’m actually in the studio recording my first ever EP project called “1ST STEP IS ADMITTING YOU HAVE A PROBLEM” they’re will be 10 to 12 tracks, with different producers on it. Trying to drop it early summertime 2017. Hopefully I can get you guys to promote it for me as well. Stay tuned!
Rappers nowadays think by throwing up a few videos up on social media and pushing quick projects, they can blow up overnight! Give us your view on how over saturated the market is right now with so many MC’s/Producers but not to many quality music.
Yes, it’s true. Rappers nowadays are a trip, bruh. A lot of artist these days will have these unreasonable, and delusional expectations of becoming a “rap star”, and they haven’t even attempted to put in any hard work or real dedication to the craft of music. They assume that social media is enough to make them hot, and put them on. Unfortunately, they will learn the hard way that this industry requires way more than that. Only a SMALL few have been able to get that kind of overnight success, and usually “overnight success” artist DO NOT last long. Focus on long-term! Not short-term!
How often do you perform LIVE? Any shows lined up in the near future?
Haven’t done any live shows in a while. Been more focused on recording, and music videos. Trying to create new content & material. But i will be back on the performing circuit as soon as an opportunity is presented to me, so holla at me UGHHBlog!
Where do you see yourself in 5yrs time?
In 5 years I hope to be some type of music mogul. Somebody who can build a platform for talented artist to get their shine on, showcase their passion. REAL ARTIST ONLY. NO PHONYS. Other than that, it’s ALL in God’s hands where my life will be musically in 5 years time.
Here it is! Our most popular question! What is your definition of “underground Hip Hop”?
“Underground hip-hop” to me is what the BLUEPRINT for rap music, and the hip-hop “culture” use to be, in my opinion. When I was growing up, that term meant something. It meant you loved hip-hop. You didn’t give a fuck about the mainstream. It means passion, and ambition for the craft and the culture. It means pure RAW hip-hop STRUGGLE. It meant BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS. It means you are STRAIGHT UP about these BARS! It meant that you didn’t mind being broke, as long as you got that mic, and was able to rock a crowd. It meant “Fuck being on the radio”, let’s just hit up these hip-hop shops. It meant making appearances at PROJECT BLOWED. It means freestyle sessions and cyphers on the corner, or some city block with ill rappers. It means battle rapping, and a pen & pad, NO SMART PHONE OR TABLET. No fakin the funk. No gimmicks. Just raw, unadulterated, pure HIP-HOP. That’s what it means to ME.
Where can people find you on the web? Drop all the vital links.
Yes absolutely! You can find me online at a number of different links:
www.Soundcloud.com/MaxStar83
www.Facebook.com/TheRealMaxStar
www.Instagram.com/TheRealMaxStar
www.Twitter.com/OfficialMaxStar
Snapchat: ThatGuyMaxStar
And here’s the direct link to the last mixtape I dropped entitled
“FAR FROM ORDINARY”:
https://m.soundcloud.com/maxstar83/far-from-ordinary-the-mixtape
Lastly, and shout out?
A HUGE SHOUT OUT to ALL my real hip-hop historians, and hip-hop heads! We are keeping the culture alive! And a big shout out to “UNDERGROUND HIP-HOP BLOG” for allowing me to promote, and showcase my talents on their website! Holla holla, playas! (Yup, I took it old school with that term…Don’t judge me)
