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Maxwell
Maxwell
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Along with fellow founders D'Angelo and Erykah Badu, Maxwell was enormously important in defining and shaping the neo-soul movement that rose to prominence over the latter half of the '90s. Drawing his greatest inspiration from the concept of the R&B auteur (looking to artists like Prince, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, etc.), Maxwell recorded some of the most ambitious R&B of his time, becoming wildly popular and often earning critical raves in the process. What was more, his recurring theme of romantic monogamy set him apart from the vast majority of his bump'n'grind lover-man contemporaries.

Maxwell was born May 23, 1973, in Brooklyn, NY; he adopted his middle name as his stage moniker, keeping his real identity a closely guarded secret out of concern for his family's privacy. Born of Puerto Rican and black Caribbean stock, Maxwell suffered the loss of his father (in a plane crash) when he was just three years old. The experience made him a deeply religious child, and he first began singing in his Baptist church. Still, he didn't really get serious about music until age 17, when he began writing his own songs using a cheap Casio keyboard given to him by a friend. Initially influenced by early-'80s urban R&B, he progressed rapidly, and by 1991 he was performing on the New York club scene, despite ridicule from classmates who couldn't imagine the shy, awkward teenager doing anything of the sort. After making a name for himself, he signed a recording contract with Columbia in 1994.

Maxwell recorded his debut album that year, working extensively with several collaborators: songwriter Leon Ware (who'd co-written much of the material on Marvin Gaye's I Want You album in 1976), guitarist Wah Wah Watson (who'd also worked with Gaye), and multi-instrumentalist Stuart Matthewman (a longtime cohort of Sade). Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite was a romantic concept album in the vein of Gaye's greatest '70s work, with a more modern flavor courtesy of Prince's influence; inspired by a brief but intense affair, the record's giddy celebration of committed monogamy could have come off as old-fashioned as its classic influences, given the marketplace dominance of hip-hop soul at the time. Partly for those fears, it wasn't released right away, although a series of shake-ups in Columbia's management played a bigger role in the delay. It wasn't until the spring of 1996 that Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite finally appeared. Sales were slow to take off at first, even though Maxwell scored some airplay with "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'." The gold-selling second single "Ascension (Never Wonder)" lit the fuse, however, and Urban Hang Suite went platinum before a year had passed, also earning a Grammy nomination.

Now elevated to sex-symbol status, Maxwell capitalized on his breakthrough with the MTV Unplugged EP, taken from his live MTV performance. It attracted attention and acclaim outside the R&B community with the left-field cover choices "This Woman's Work" (by prog rocker Kate Bush) and "Closer" (the Nine Inch Nails hit). Additionally, the Unplugged version of "Whenever, Wherever, Whatever" earned him another Grammy nomination (for Best Male Pop Vocal). Anticipation for his second full-length album was high, and when Embrya was released in 1998, it entered the charts at number three. Reviews were more mixed this time around, with some critics charging that Maxwell's ambition had crossed the line into indulgence; still, the record duplicated its predecessor's platinum sales. In 1999, Maxwell scored his biggest hit to date with the single "Fortunate," an R. Kelly composition he recorded for the soundtrack of the film Life; it was a mammoth success, ranking as the number one R&B hit of the year in Billboard magazine. Later that year, he also cut two songs for the soundtrack of The Best Man.

In August 2001, Maxwell returned with his third full-length album, Now, which was touted as a return to the more straightforwardly romantic atmosphere of his debut. It entered the album charts at number one and quickly launched a hit single in "Lifetime." ~ Steve Huey, All Music GuideMore

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Songs: 11, Videos: 8, Playlists: 1, Blog Posts: 0, Polls: 0, Battles: 0

Most Popular Music Videos (12)

Lifetime
(Duration: 4:03)
Jun 20th, 12:07am
This Woman's Work
(Duration: 3:57)
Jun 20th, 12:31am
Pretty Wings
(Duration: 4:15)
May 3rd, 10:04pm
Whenever Wherever Whatever
(Duration: 4:05)
Jun 20th, 12:57am
Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)
(Duration: 4:15)
Jun 20th, 1:00am
Get To Know Ya
(Duration: 4:02)
Jun 22nd, 8:05am
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Fan Comments

Dec 3rd, 7:56am
have you guys checked out wyclef's new mixtape? it's called "From The Hut To The Projects To The Mansion", pretty awesome
Nov 19th, 11:23pm
Dumplin'..I told you...I'm so proud of you...;)
Nov 7th, 8:12pm
One of the best of our time.
Oct 1st, 11:00am
that is good singer
Aug 29th, 6:58pm
Maxwell will be in BOSTON on 9.2.09 at the Houes of Blues. Who's goin??
Aug 24th, 3:27pm Last edited Aug 24th, 3:31pm.
Muah! Love you! you are the heart of Grown folks music, Maxwell Thanx and keep it coming
Aug 5th, 6:36pm
You do a great job
Jul 22nd, 9:03pm
MAX IS BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!! I JUST LOVE IT!
Jul 22nd, 5:59pm
Maxwell- you are all over the place now. I am so happyfor you and loving all this music!!!!! :)
Jul 20th, 9:53am
This is exactly what the airwaves need! So Necessary! Real music, real talent, real passion for the art! LOVE IT MAXWELL!