Columbus, Ohio rapper Willie Maxx might look like a schoolboy, but don’t be fooled by his innocent demeanor. This young man is going places.

I took some time to listen to several of his tracks. Now, I am no expert on rap or hip hop, but with somewhat of a background in music (piano and guitar) and as a classically trained vocalist, I recognize talent when I hear it. And Willie Maxx has talent.

I started with “Something Better” (http://youtu.be/Mz2iHRAzFpI) which wowed me from the start with its melodic intro and underlying track. This heartfelt ode to a cheating girlfriend has the expected lines of “you cheated on me, I hate you, you suck, but I’ll be better without you.”

But what really struck me about this song were the very sensitive and poetic lyrics that were interspersed throughout the track. For instance, my very favorite lines in this song are, “I’d rather just move on/Before I face another storm.” I had to listen to it three times to make sure of what I was hearing. To find such a thoughtful lyric was a truly unexpected pleasure.

In “6’7,” (http://youtu.be/ReeXmQh_zWE) his freestyle will knock you out. But again, the unexpected surprise was the great background track. You can tell Willie Maxx has a sense of humor.

In “Never Been”, (http://youtu.be/r8FjlmJX4PY) Willie has a really amazing vocal tone. In H.A.M., (http://youtu.be/S3ZVIlz5ifI) take note of Willie’s amazing sense of timing.

One of my favorites tracks is “Mars,” (http://youtu.be/R2GuXDHD5T4), simply because I love the lyrics, “Wake up on Mars/Catch me in a spaceship/Cause we never drove cars.”

Willie works hard to get the word out about his music. In a clip of his Documentary: Part 1 (http://youtu.be/axKW-nBTEaQ) he goes to a local mall to hand out copies of his tracks and interact with the public. Very smart. He shows himself to be well-dressed, polite and genuinely enthusiastic about sharing his work with the masses.

In the roar of rap today, it’s nice to listen to someone who has found a unique voice and understands that it’s OK to go beyond stereotypical lyrics, that it’s OK to add some thought and sensitivity into their music. These qualities seem to be missing from a lot of rap artists today. Like a quote from Willie’s Facebook page says, “It takes sadness to know what happiness is, noise to appreciate silence & absence to value presence.” And I, for one, am glad for Willie Maxx’s presence.

All in all, the combination of Willie’s lyrics, timing, tone and skill is like getting an instant download of all that I think is best about rap: originality, truth, talent, motivation and style.

Willie Maxx
1. Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Willie-Maxx-Music/146877065329826
2. Twitter – @iamWillieMaxx
3. YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/williemaxx614
4. Email – williemaxx@gmail.com
5. Soundcloud – http://soundcloud.com/williemaxx