Brooklyn, New York has seen the likes of numerous legendary emcees such as Biggie, JAY-Z, and Nas. Working full force on adding his name to this list is an upcoming rapper, King Xerxes. Eager to take over for his borough, the Brooklyn born rapper is hungry to live up to the standards that New York State holds. After listening to his first EP, Hoop Dreams it’s clear that King Xerses is not here to f*ck around. “Music means everything to me,” he recites.
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Xerxes has been writing since he was 11 years old. It comes with no surprise that his lyrical ability has been developing from an early age. Growing up in Flatbush, Xerses musical inspiration came from a melting pot of cultural flavors. We can truly see the influence of many different backgrounds reflect on his musical versatility. He credits the purity behind his sound to his environment; living in such a vivid borough like Brooklyn.
“Try to do everything that you can do yourself because these skills will come in handy if no one is around to complete the task that you need to be done.”
King Xerxes’ advice to aspiring artists.
King Xerses grew up listening to those very same legends mentioned above. In addition, Xerses has explored and studied others in the game both in the tri-state area and across the nation. He’s familiarized himself with the sounds of Philly’s very own Meek Mill, New Orleans’ Lil Wayne, and LA legend Nipsey Hustle. They say your friends are a reflection of you; you are who you hang around. In this case, King Xerses is becoming those whom he listens to. “I make the music that I feel like making and everyone is welcome to listen to it,” he states. Being humble enough to study others and having the ability to step out of his comfort zone has given him an advantage. His lyrical expertise and expressive capability evoke a unique sound for Xerxes. Smash hit records like “Kyrie” and “Level Up” further cement that statement.
In the studio, King Xerxes visually captures his next hit before speaking it into existence. “During these sessions, I choose beats and create the words that are the soundtracks to my life,” Xerxes states. “I do as much practice as I can during these sessions so that when I physically enter the studio, I only have to add minor ideas.”
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As of today, Hoop Dreams has surpassed an astonishing one million organic streams collectively. Very impressive for his first EP. Pay close attention to this Brooklyn native as we will definitely be hearing more of him in the future. Check out his viral music video, “No Long Talk,” below.
