Growing up out of two of the most notorious hoods in Memphis (Orange Mound and North Memphis) Madd Raxx has seen his days in the streets which contributed to his hustle and built his “I can do whatever” mentality. Raxx started his music career as a young teen going to the studio with local artists like Don Vito and underground Memphis hip hop Legend Dj Zirk. This is where he began to network and stretch his reach all across the city.
And while hard work and determination takes a big role in him being focused during his day to day routines and road to success, when people question him on what his motivation may be, he simply answers “I just want to get rich…and get money quick!”
Of all artists in all genres, rappers often most plainly show their evolution. Many start making mixtapes in their young teens and unashamedly employ their craft for decades, their topics of interest staying constant, yet changing too. Although daily struggles and passions they talked about in their youth don’t necessarily go away, their approach to them alters.
Madd Raxx topical preferences (bitches, money, brotherhood, weed) probably haven’t changed all that much between his latest single “Interception” and his previous releases, but I’m certain how he thinks of and lyricizes them has progressed.
Memphis is, historically, one of America’s greatest rap cities. It has its own local legends, guys like Al Kapone and Playa Fly. It has 8Ball & MJG, early self-made Southern rap stars whose slick pimp-talk and narrative focus were like nothing the genre had ever heard.
It has Three 6 Mafia, who turned movie-like scores into rowdy anthems and changed the sound of rap forever. Memphis has its own sounds, its own secret histories, its own dances, its own language. And Memphis has its cocky and confident underground artists like Madd Raxx.
This rapper’s biggest asset is obviously his storied mindset, which he so effortlessly turns into quality rap music. He is also an artist, who values rock solid production and “Interception” is a guaranteed speaker blower; this is a banger that should be bumped at loud decibels.
Trap-influenced snares and thundering basslines provide Madd Raxx the foundation to outline his notorious street rhymes in his singsong style. “Interception” finds Raxx sticking to his roots. His street-acclaimed catalog is what got him here in the first place and this single doesn’t veer off course.
Raxx turns a track like “Interception”, into a grimy symphony, thanks in part to the well-crafted beat and his candid lyrics. The track succeeds best when Madd Raxx conveys his emotions authentically, whether they’re brash or vulnerable.
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