Interview: Maxsta - No Compromise, No Regrets - RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture

To understand Maxsta, it helps to know that in addition to being an MC—and a fine one at that—he really knows where he’s going. Ask him about his music and he’s as expressive as any seasoned veteran. But try to suppress or even undermine him, and he will sting like a bee. Not only is his latest EP, The Maxtape 1.5, more mature than his last, but also he is on a mission “to make people care enough” for him to “remain relevant.” While his last record’s genesis was the result of his own creativity, the 22-year-old’s latest project was the outcome of a more explanatory process. Maybe it is the spontaneity that is the special sauce. Regardless, the result is a melodic, sometimes even upbeat EP, which adheres to his experiences growing up in East London, UK.

Ever since he arrived on the scene, Maxsta managed to etch out a career by bringing listeners into his personal space. Surprisingly—or maybe unsurprisingly—since parting ways with his former label, Sony, there’s something unhurried about him now, as if he’s ready to take on the world. Over the phone, Maxsta spoke excitedly about his new record, outlining its influence. He also takes his time answering questions waist deep, expressing his happiness having left Sony, and what he wants people to take away from his music.

Tell me about the birth of Maxsta. When did you first start rhyming or penning lyrics?
At first, I used to play a lot of instruments. Music was always a thing that I liked. When I got to the age of 11, I started writing lyrics because I thought rap was too mainstream at the time. I never really rapped very much, I just wrote lyrics. After that, I guess it progressed with me getting older and finding out that I liked Grime and that I also identified with the culture. I eventually started spitting in the playground but that took time because I always believed I never had enough confidence to really spit my bars to anyone. I would only MC to my friends who would then encourage me.

How much does music play into your daily life? Do you wake up every day and set aside time to write?
Yeah, but sometimes I like to take a break from writing. Not that I felt burnt out, but after I finished this mixtape I realized that I wanted to be more inspired life-wise, do new things and have new experiences. But recently I’ve been writing every day like crazy. I was even writing not too long ago.

Do you find, sometimes, that when you create a record you’re attracted to certain themes because of what you’re going through?
I definitely feel that my music is what I see and do. Sometimes I might say the craziest things and people might think differently, but eight times out of 10, it probably is true.

Did you start out trying to be something you weren’t, or have you always been as you are now?
I have always been the same but with age and confidence, I think about a lot more things now that I’m older. For example, I never used to go out clubbing and I have been through a lot of life situations. So I’m always learning, especially with my behavior and other stuff. The main thing for me now is that I’ve got to use this year to make people care enough for me to remain relevant.

It’s been five years since you released your debut, The Maxtape. Did you know that it was something that would be popular, or are you usually surprised by what people gravitate towards?
I’m definitely surprised. I think as an artist for different reasons you’re going to choose different things and like different things. People always ask me, “Do you have a favorite song?” And I honestly don’t because I like different songs for different reasons.

A lot of artists will do something once and then move on. What’s nice is that you’re providing a concept that takes shape in the form of a journey. Can you describe the evolution of The Maxtape 1.5?
With The Maxtape, I thought to myself whilst doing it of Jay-Z and what he did with The Blueprint. He has loads of other albums but when it comes to that one series there’s like an alignment in terms of it’s uniqueness. I released The Maxtape 1 when I was 17 and I was talking about kids not wanting to go to school to get good grades and I even made a song about my mom. I feel that’s why a lot of people at my age were able to relate to it so much. I’m 22 now and with The Maxtape 1.5, I basically looked inside myself and documented everything that I was thinking—all my points of view. There might be a tune where I mention my brother, or the way I see the area now where I used to live. It’s basically a diary of the current events of my view points.

You seem very comfortable with getting older. I really admire that.
Yeah. I embrace it, definitely. I remember thinking before that it was cool to be young. I was even speaking to this girl the other day and I noticed that I bumped up my age [laughs]. Adult life is cool.

When you were 15 years-old, what did 22 mean to you?
When I heard of someone being 22, I remember thinking, “You’re old, man.”

Was The Maxtape meant to be a one-off, or was it always something that would lead to another?
I added the “1.5” because I felt as though I wasn’t ready to call it The Maxtape 2. I didn’t feel like it was that. I felt like I need to give a quick introduction into my story again and get back in sync with Maxsta. I’ve just come off the back of being with a label for two years and where every tune I was putting out wasn’t necessarily chosen by me. Of course, I made the records, but I was in a situation where I wasn’t as free as I could have been. I’ve come out of a situation where I literally had been kind of controlled. The label was putting out my singles every six months and I felt useless not being able to do anything. So this is just like a little taster of where I am right now. I’m now already working on the stuff that is next to come. After I’ve shot every video for this project, the story is not going away. I’m not on a label anymore, I feel like I’m starting all over again. To standout I’ve got to act like I’m a new artist who is hungry in order to reinvent myself and show people everything they don’t know that I’m possibly capable of.

Did you become jaded with the label side and being told what to do? Is there truth to that, or is it just something that just wasn’t right for you?
You know what, there were many times when I wasn’t happy, especially in terms of picking what tunes I wanted to make. I would get sent a beat and not be too sure about it, but still I would go into the studio and spit some bars over it and just go along with the flow. Usually, when that happens and everyone hears the song they would be like, “Oh my God, this is really cool. The guys at Radio 1 will love this. Max, we think this should be the next one.” And I would be like, “What about this tune?” Then their response would usually be, “That’s not the sound that’s really around right now.” But hold on a second I’m not meant to be following a sound I’m meant to be dictating my sound, you know?

Do you have anything you regret?
I regret the fact that as soon as I got signed I didn’t grow as much as I should’ve and showed my full potential. I feel like I’m back on track, not completely, because I’m still getting used to the fact that I can pretty much do whatever I like.

I’m going to mention a few of your songs and I want your immediate reactions or how you feel about them. Let’s start with “Got Gassed.”
There are some crazy flows here and there – some real Twista type vibe. I really like the energy of the beat, man. It’s an energy tune. Energy is the word for “Got Gassed.”

There is a line in the song where you say, “No tints when I swerve around London, young Max might get clocked by the junction. Think I’m slipping that’s not how I function. I get a little nasty…” Do you think you work more out of anger?
[Laughs.] No, man, that’s not actually anger. At worst, I would say that’s cheek, but I’m surprised that it’s been misinterpreted as anger because even when I have like clashes and stuff I find them funny. I like taking the piss at times and being cheeky. It’s never anger because it’s never that deep.

Your upbringing plays a big part of your music, but it’s not the glamorous side, but rather a different reality that many can associate with. How has that influenced your outlook, and with that, your stories?
I was exposed to people that I can honestly say were evil. That’s what happens you get bad characters in some places and good characters as well, but sometimes it depends what you align yourself with, I guess. Sometimes being a young black boy is kind of weird because the way that the world looks at you. When you’re walking down the street there’s someone who for no reason that will suddenly just clutch their handbag. Why is that? You’re just a black kid who’s walking somewhere. This is something that has happened to me—you walk past someone and they look edgy and start to think you’re going to rob them. I think on that kind of level those kinds of things subconsciously make you end up thinking, Fuck the world and the system. But when you get older you realize that there are a lot of other ways to go about dealing with stuff and it’s not about taking it out on people, or each other. I don’t know why. as black kids. we actually kill each other worldwide. In fact, we help to decrease the rate of our own people ourselves. It’s just crazy. The cycle is constantly repeating itself.

“Brotherhood.” What position does it occupy in your body of work?
Underrated, definitely. Very high-level of lyricism — that is hugely underrated.

On that song, you take a candid look back at your past. What do you want people to take from your music when you do that?
Obviously, everyone talks about the past and stuff but I really am trying to paint a picture of who I am—a kid from East London. And I’m trying to say it in the most truthful way that I can say it.

Do you feel any responsibility in bringing about a change? Perhaps you could be a mayor or politician?
I don’t know about mayor, but I definitely feel strongly about these kinds of issues and why we are like that as young people. In our culture, we glorify the shooter, like we glorify him until he shoots someone. People are driving around in their cars listening to this person glorying these things. It’s all about being bad or identifying with the gangster role – putting up gang signs. It’s sad.

So let me ask you this, have you ever gotten in trouble with another artist for your lyrical expression?
Yeah, loads. The other day someone came up to me all upset because I did a tune last year in which I mentioned their name. It wasn’t even that bad, you know what I mean? I think because I’ve got a cheeky character, people will dramatize whatever I say to them. But why is that everyone loves this thing called grime until they hear their name? Isn’t it not the lyrical sport which we’re all supposed to be part-taking in? It’s all fun and games.

What’s it like for you when people listen to your music and get upset or say bad things about it?
I listen to criticism and I take it on board. I am my biggest hater, so you couldn’t critique me more than I critique myself.

How do you want to be remembered? If you could write your own obituary, what would it say?
He was a very ambitious person who was passionate about his work. He was a hard worker and a loving person towards his friends and family.