Hip Hop Headquarters Sits Down with Northern California producer Marxx
How did you get your stage name?
How I got my stage name was one of my biggest struggles in music actually. Being that my real name is Marcus it was hard to really think of a name that was near or would make sense of a related alias. I started out as in high school as "Yung Kro", my brother always called me "Krow" so I used it as "Kro" Kickin rap officially. In high school though people would nick name me Jamark just fuckin with me I guess. It wasn’t until I thought of the name J-Marxx that I would take music as a serious career. I thought I was grindin hard by just writing recording and putting stuff out on YouTube and SoundCloud. I wasn't aware of pushing myself in the right direction I still had to dig deeper. I dropped my first mixtape as j-Marxx in 2013 called "long awaited ep" for the longest after that I felt like that name was just plain corny. You would think I would just dropped the "j" in my name, well I actually went a few steps higher, right before I moved to buffalo New York in 2015 I dropped a mixtape called infinity & beyond ep" under another alias known as 'Marxx beyond infinity" this is when I was at the beginning of true progression in my music career, I was still in a dark place dark music and dark intentions. Finally by the time I had moved back to California from New York I started making music again. Once I got back on my feet I met a new friend at a job, Oliver’s market. I asked if he does music, he said he thought about it before guess it didn’t work out but he wanted to give it another go. So we linked up and I showed him the ropes, one day he tells me while we were smoking that I should just drop everything to just Marxx and that’s when my sound transformed at that exact moment everything came together in individual pieces but as well pieced into one person (myself).
What made you decide to become a rapper?
Music has always been a valuable teacher to me since a kid. I started dance class when I was 6 years old. My mother put me and my sister in dance class at a young age. We would perform every year at the Sprekles Theater in Rhonert park, CA. The first time I performed there I had a solo part and I danced well on it that I had hella people clapping during my performance. During the 6th grade I started playing instruments. The flute I first got, I was really good at it to the point that my teacher sent me to honor bands and Cazadero music camp. He continued to do this from 6-8th grade for flute trumpet and trombone. When I became a freshmen I think I started really smoking like a stoner I would smoke in like 7th grade but by freshmen year I was a stoner, once that happened I played sports too and gave up on music for a while, except for sophomore year when I was in a chorus. It wasn’t until I was a sophomore that I even started freestyling. Me and one of my best friends named Marcus would smoke and listen to Wiz Khalifa until we thought of freestylin’ to one of his instrumentals on YouTube. He was the man at the time. He just had dropped Kush and Oj. We would be reppin’ Taylor gang. Subconsciously I started putting myself in the lifestyle as well as my pop was a rapper to who’s on San Quinn’s album "never say die". I started writing and rapping and practicing until a friend from junior year named jay would take me to what would be my first studio session, at this boys and girls club type place called chops in Santa Rosa CA. We recorded our first track together and it was hella dope as soon as I left the studio I felt addicted to making a song. I knew this is what I had to do, to make a change in the world and how I see it and too hopefully tell the world that someday.
What’s the first rap song you ever heard? Describe the moment.
My pop was always slappin when I was younger. I loved Eminem, Pac and mac Dre, and I actually wasn't too much into it at a younger age I really enjoyed pop music back then even still now. Rap grew on me it wasn't anything natural. One of my idols is Michael Jackson, as he never seized to amaze me. Rap stood against what he stood for in music. It’s funny to think now I would be chasing the dream of something I never cared for at first glance. But at that moment I was disgusted at the thought of rap (pretty ignorantly as well)
How did “Equinimity” come together? What was it like to work with a legend like Myka 9?
To work with Myka 9 was a pleasure, I actually was fairly new to his existence through a buddy of mine when were in high school, I didn't understand real knowledge. Myka’s music is one of a kind and has done a number of history to hip hop in the past. The fact that my manager/friend contacted him to work with me on a song was surprising. I guess they talked out the business and then emailing me the information. When everything was said and done my buddy asked me if I had a beat. I actually had just finished making one so I sent it off to my buddy and he sent it to Myka. My buddy told me that Myka was impressed. I couldn't believe it because I didn't think he would like the beat I produced. His genius went well with the language of the beat. The message of the song really struck a chord in me. To work with someone as deep rooted to hip hop as he is, is such a blessing. To hear about someone and then work with them are two separate worlds.
How will you look back on 2017?
2017 was a bit of change for me to find my pace so I guess I’m gonna look at it as the first teacher to give me a chance at a real education. I’m now currently living comfortable for the first time in a while in Seattle, Washington. This was the year that I woke up and I’m gonna stay on coffee until I die so to speak. 2018 is the next step. I can feel my season coming close.
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