Today, Los Angeles born, Inland Empire raised rapper Maxo is back to share a new video. “Strongside” is one of the most striking moments on his debut album Lil Big Man, released earlier this year via Def Jam. The accompanying visual is directed by Devlin Claro-Resetar and is a beautifully shot black and white video starring Maxo and Liv.e. “Strongside” has a timelessly buttery sound, reminiscent of West Coast rap without feeling overly nostalgic or dated, and its video is appropriately classic in its settings: a bowling alley and an open park.
Lil Big Man was released on March 15th of 2019. Building on the grass roots momentum Maxo had established with his 2018 mixtape Smile, Lil Big Man saw Maxo elevate the style he had staked out with a fully realized vision across the project and three videos (“Time” and “In My Penny’s” in addition to “Strongside“). On his latest album Maxo employs a relaxed and distinctly Californian flow over melancholy beats comprised largely of soul samples. His laid back tone is a juxtaposition to the heavy subject matter in his lyrics: themes of depression, the pains the come with the transition from boy to man, and the harsh reality of being black in America abound. Lil Big Man leaves Maxo poised to achieve lasting greatness with his follow up project, due next year.
On January 15th, Maxo is set to perform at Baby’s All Right in Brooklyn alongside Medhane and Mavi. Tickets are available here. Watch “Strongside” above, see below for full details on Lil Big Man and to read more about Maxo, and stay tuned for more from him in 2020.
