Video: Maxo Kream – “Still”
The Houston Rapper’s Latest Video From His Upcoming Major Label Debut Brandon Banks, Now Available For Pre-Order, Features a Cameo Appearance from His Father, the Album’s Namesake
06.28.2019
Critical Praise:
Punken (2018) Honors:
AV Club Music’s best hip-hop albums of 2018
Noisey’s The 100 Best Albums of 2018
DJ Booth’s 50 Best Hip-Hop and R&B Albums of 2018
FACT Mag’s 50 Best Albums Of 2018
Pitchfork’s Great Records You May Have Missed in 2018
“Over the last couple years, Maxo Kream has established himself as one of Houston’s most exciting young rappers by way of being one of Houston’s least traditionally minded artists.” – Noisey
“All of Maxo Kream’s songs trace heart-stopping scenes, but there isn’t a verse in his discography more gripping than the closer on ‘Roaches.’ It’s like something out of organized crime cinema, full of high stakes drama and involuntary introspection, delivered with the huffed demeanor of someone resigned to a life full of complications.” – Pitchfork
The Video:
Maxo Kream excels at telling stories through rap, weaving his tales into a grim and darkly alluring portrait of his life in the Houston underworld. Giving us an inside glimpse into how the (literal) sausage is made in Maxo’s alleged illicit affairs, Maxo shares “Still,” a cinematic new video. Taking place in a remote warehouse, the video finds Maxo “still” in his element, supervising an assembly line of meatpackers, with his father Emekwanem Ogugua Biosah Sr. (code name, Brandon Banks) barking orders as the factory foreman. Directed by JMP, the video’s atmosphere grows increasingly sinister as it nears the end, revealing the source of the canned contents. Released in May, the ChaseTheMoney-produced “Still” was the first single Maxo released as a newly-minted signee to Big Persona/88 Classic/RCA Records. “Still” is the second video from Brandon Banks, Maxo’s upcoming major label debut, following the prison-set, Shomi Patwary-directed video for “Meet Again.“
The culmination of a journey from struggle to triumph, Brandon Banks brings listeners back into the world of Maxo Kream–a world that contrasts the grim realities of poverty with the luxurious life of a successful rapper. Born Emekwanem Ogugua Biosah Jr., Maxo grew up idolizing his father who spent much of Maxo’s youth in-and-out of prison–in his illegal enterprise, his father used the code name Brandon Banks. The upcoming album finds Maxo grappling with his newfound fame–as a budding star, Maxo has no need to return to his previous life, but he is still very attached to friends and family in the street, who he is not quite able to lift out of their circumstances. Featuring appearances from Travis Scott, Megan Thee Stallion, and others, Brandon Banks drops on July 19th, and is now available for pre-order.
Though it’s heavily informed by Maxo’s past, as depicted in his previous albums Maxo 187 and Punken, which earned “Best Of 2018” honors from Noisey, The AV Club, FACT Mag, and DJ Booth, and others, Brandon Banks is an album firmly rooted in the present, with appearances from some of the biggest names in rap. Always looking for adventurous sounds, Maxo leveled up to complete his musical vision, enlisting A-Listers like Mike Dean and Murda Beatz, as well as previous collaborators like teej and Ryan ESL. The upcoming album gives a home to recent singles, including the “Meet Again,” listed by Esquire, Billboard, and Vulture as one of 2019’s best songs so far, and the sexually-forward and lyrical “She Live,” featuring fellow Houston emcee Megan Thee Stallion.
Watch “Still”: http://smarturl.it/xStill/youtube
Pre-order Brandon Banks: https://smarturl.it/BrandonBranksPO
Watch a trailer for Brandon Banks: https://youtu.be/1MOrKMtbe5M
For inquiries, please contact:
Michelle McDevitt, Audible Treats: michelle@audibletreats.com
Scott Jawson, Audible Treats: scott@audibletreats.com
Kristin Somin, RCA Records: kristin.somin@rcarecords.com
The Background:
Upon meeting him, gangsta rapper isn’t the impression that most would get from buzzing Houston emcee, Maxo Kream, age 28. He has a surprisingly goofy and playful demeanor, often cracking self-aware jokes and displaying a smile which showcases either his gold grin or his trademark gap in the upper row of this teeth. But, make no mistake, Maxo’s backstory is a tale consisting of crime and death that would catch the attention of the most jaded followers of gangsta/trap rap.
Inspired by his college trip to SXSW and the fact that other street cliques throughout Houston such asFDAB (founded by late rapper T.O.Y, a childhood friend and Crip associate of Maxo) and MashMode(which has now resulted in the buzzing careers of Houston rap duo, The Sauce Twinz) were transitioning into music as a form of expression, Maxo and his younger cousin Lyndon (rap moniker Lyndo C), jumped into music. Maxo’s latest album, Punken, takes a deep and revealing look into the rapper’s past, with Maxo mastering his storytelling ability and hypnotic flows atop forward-thinking production. Featuring appearances from Trippie Redd, 03 Greedo, and D. Flowers, and with production from The Wlderness, Beatboy, Sonny Digital, Ethereal, Honorable C Note, $uicideboy$, Tommy Kruise, Wolfe De Mchls, Teddy Walton, and MexikoDro, Punken builds upon 2015’s Maxo 187 and 2016’s The Persona Tape with emotionally and sonically diverse tracks sitting side-by-side with insane drug-dealing bangers.
Links:
official site | twitter | instagram | soundcloud | spotify
Bio, pictures, and streams available here: http://www.audibletreats.com/maxo-kream
“Still” (Prod. by ChaseTheMoney): http://smarturl.it/xStill / http://smarturl.it/xStill/youtube
Watch a trailer for Brandon Banks LP: https://youtu.be/1MOrKMtbe5M
“She Live” ft. Megan Thee Stallion: http://smarturl.it/SheLive
“Meet Again”: http://smarturl.it/xMeetAgain
“Roaches”: https://youtu.be/NFshaFXrfTQ
Punken: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/punken/1327576441 // https://soundcloud.com/maxo-kream/sets/punken || https://open.spotify.com/album/1DQGBofK4pgOylFMRRy7dB
“Pop Another”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGh0op5Bo1E
“5200”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCI6GmGZtg8
“Go” ft. D. Flowers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOT5pvE_ep8
“Bussdown” (prod. by Wlderness): https://soundcloud.com/maxo-kream/bussdown || https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bussdown-single/1309216336|| https://open.spotify.com/track/37ddfWZT6PtJpyKBm6TJy6
“Mars” ft. Lil Uzi Vert: https://soundcloud.com/maxo-kream/mars
“Grannies”: https://youtu.be/0p4S9P1DFrE // https://soundcloud.com/maxo-kream/grannies/s-0DWkP // https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/grannies-single/id1198308266