I’ve been waiting to make a case for this artist for a while. This forum is the proper forum. One of the things I enjoy most in life is being the middle man. If I come across something I think is exceptional, I get an intrinsic pleasure from sharing it with a friend. I like to see their reactions and note to myself if they laughed where I thought they would laugh or whether they enjoyed the same parts I did. I’m ashamed to say I’ve been guilty of this in the past…
I’m glad to say I’m in remission though and don’t take too personally credit for other people’s accomplishments. However, I would like to be a cultural critic and help expose people to artists who’ve had a profound impact on me. I’d like to chart the career evolution of one of the most innovative lyricists I’ve come across.
A friend of mine enjoys watching Call of Duty tutorials where gifted gamers drone on while demonstrating their virtuosity at virtual mass murder. Amidst, the life advice this gamer suggested this song…
I was taken by its originality. Wax’s verbal acrobatics and clever puns underlying a generally over-the-top persona seemed to gel seamlessly with EOM’s beat. I’m not sure how to describe his beats but he has a distinct style. I wish I had more of a musical background to dissect it like Anthony Fantano, the internet’s busiest music nerd.
Naturally, I did more research to find out more about him. I found out his real name was Mike Jones (fate?) and that he was a Maryland native who has a fraternal twin brother who raps on par with him. He goes by Herbal T and the two share unbelievable chemistry. Chalk one up for nature in the nature/nurture debate. Witness…
The latter song is one of my personal favorites and what really made me passionate about his work. With the over-saturated rap market sprouting internet rappers like sequels in the summer time, I wondered how he’d gain any notoriety at all because he already had a bit of a following when I was first introduced.
He first made waves with a viral video of him freestyling while driving his Camry. It’s a rare moment to capture someone so in sync with a beat with the threadbare production of a car stereo. He destroys the Marley brother’s popular instrumental, “The Traffic Jam”. It’s still by far his most popular video and I hope that changes.
This next video is another one that looks it was shot during the starving artist chapter of his life…
…but it’s still more authentic than most of what makes the radio. His trajectory has led him to a comfortable existence in rap’s middle class (could be lower middle). He’s gained some traction with a slow and steady ride that has included being signed and drop by Def Jam, collaborating with the LA collective, Knocksteady, two mixtapes and an album that was released in February. He also hosts a podcast where he muses on life and recounts strange encounters with celebrities during his travels (specifically, a story about Chris Brown shed a lot of light). He’s a touring artist who has a devoted fan base but one day I’d like to hear one of his songs on the radio. I’d live vicariously through that achievement for a few minutes. I’d feel the karmic energy and the justice has been served by the quality police. He’s one MC that truly uses the booth as a confessional, and I respect the honesty. I hope I’ve put you on to someone you’ll enjoy. I’ll leave you with two of the crown jewels off the latest album. To find out more about his comings and goings, check out www.waxdotcom.com (cheeky).
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