Wax (rapper)
Encyclopedia
Michael Jones, better known by his stage name
Wax, is an American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. He became a YouTube
star after uploading several of videos of himself rapping and singing, and signed with Def Jam Recordings
in March 2011. He currently resides in Hollywood.
and grew up watching music videos and live performances on MTV
. His biggest influences from his early childhood were Guns N' Roses
and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
. Soon after in sixth grade he picked up a guitar and started singing
and rapping
Then in middle school he started listening to artists such as - Eazy-E
, N.W.A, and Too Short. Mixing his influences together into a special blend of Johnny Cash
meets Jay-Z
.
in the Midwest, the South, and New England, receiving a lot of local buzz in D.C.
and Maryland
. The group released 2 albums before entering a "super-extended" hiatus. The split was because members had obtained other jobs or engaged in serious relationships. During this time, Wax also released his first solo EP
, Biatch!
and started building a buzz after uploading several YouTube freestyles and rhymes. In early 2008, Wax made a name for himself after performing his song ("New Crack") while simultaneously driving a car over a Stephen Marley
track called Traffic Jam, which received over a million views to date. After he cracked YouTube's Top 100 Musician list, his subscription base tripled and averaged about nearly 1,000 new subscribers each day. To this day he has collectively garnered more than 12 million views from his YouTube
videos. The famous YouTuber Ray William Johnson
then asked him to make an outro song titled "Stalkin Ya Mom". The two later collaborated on a song called "Orphan Tears". The video "Orphan Tears" has received 18.2 million views as of 30, October 2011, and "Stalkin Ya Mom" has received over 10 million views as of 30, October 2011.
In 2008, an East Coast producer named EOM (Elements of Music) and Wax collaborated on a song called "The Adventures of Larry and Tina," written by Wax and produced by EOM. Eventually, they recorded an album, Liquid Courage, at the end of 2008. In 2010 Wax released Clockwise, a collaborative effort with Dumbfoundead
.
by Max Gousse when he released a joint venture mixtape
called Scrublife hosted by DJ Skee
and Dale Firebird. EOM, The Fyre Department, Dale Firebird, Finatik N Zac
and Jim Jonsin
are featured guest boardworks for the mixtape. His lead single is a song called Dispensary Girl and the music video
debuted on Entertainment Weekly a day before Scrublife released. Wax's debut LP with Def Jam Recordings
was hinted to be released in October Wax's second release on Def Jam, a mixtape, Eviction Notice was released November 28.
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Wax, is an American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. He became a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
star after uploading several of videos of himself rapping and singing, and signed with Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
in March 2011. He currently resides in Hollywood.
Early life
Wax hails from Calvert County, MarylandCalvert County, Maryland
Calvert County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It occupies the Calvert Peninsula which is bordered on the east by the Chesapeake Bay and on the west by the Patuxent River. Calvert County is part of the Southern Maryland region. Calvert County's residents are among the highest...
and grew up watching music videos and live performances on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. His biggest influences from his early childhood were Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince is a hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Vocalist Will Smith met Jeff Townes while trying to make a name for himself in West Philadelphia's local hip hop scene. After joining forces with Clarence Holmes the team members became local celebrities...
. Soon after in sixth grade he picked up a guitar and started singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and rapping
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
Then in middle school he started listening to artists such as - Eazy-E
Eazy-E
Eric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California...
, N.W.A, and Too Short. Mixing his influences together into a special blend of Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
meets Jay-Z
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
.
MacGregor
From 2000-2005, Wax was the lead vocalist & guitarist of the 6 piece band, MacGregor. The band toured throughout the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in the Midwest, the South, and New England, receiving a lot of local buzz in D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
. The group released 2 albums before entering a "super-extended" hiatus. The split was because members had obtained other jobs or engaged in serious relationships. During this time, Wax also released his first solo EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Biatch!
YouTube
In mid-2007, Wax and his twin brother Herbal T started posting videos of themselves rapping on YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
and started building a buzz after uploading several YouTube freestyles and rhymes. In early 2008, Wax made a name for himself after performing his song ("New Crack") while simultaneously driving a car over a Stephen Marley
Stephen Marley (musician)
Stephen Robert Nesta "Raggamuffin" Marley is a Jamaican American musician and the son of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife Rita Marley. He is a five-time Grammy award winner as an artist, producer, and member of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers.-Life and career:Marley was born in Wilmington,...
track called Traffic Jam, which received over a million views to date. After he cracked YouTube's Top 100 Musician list, his subscription base tripled and averaged about nearly 1,000 new subscribers each day. To this day he has collectively garnered more than 12 million views from his YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
videos. The famous YouTuber Ray William Johnson
Ray William Johnson
Ray William Johnson is an American comedian best known for his YouTube series Equals Three, in which he provides commentary on viral videos. Many of the videos featured on Equals Three are noted to have received an additional boost of popularity...
then asked him to make an outro song titled "Stalkin Ya Mom". The two later collaborated on a song called "Orphan Tears". The video "Orphan Tears" has received 18.2 million views as of 30, October 2011, and "Stalkin Ya Mom" has received over 10 million views as of 30, October 2011.
Independent venture
Wax and Herbal T released their first album together called Grizzly Season (2006) under AGP Records.In 2008, an East Coast producer named EOM (Elements of Music) and Wax collaborated on a song called "The Adventures of Larry and Tina," written by Wax and produced by EOM. Eventually, they recorded an album, Liquid Courage, at the end of 2008. In 2010 Wax released Clockwise, a collaborative effort with Dumbfoundead
Dumbfoundead
Jonathan Park , better known by his stage name Dumbfoundead, is a Korean American battle rapper originating from the Los Angeles Underground's Project Blowed...
.
Def Jam Recordings
In March 2011, Wax announced that he was signed to Def Jam RecordingsDef Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
by Max Gousse when he released a joint venture mixtape
Mixtape
A Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
called Scrublife hosted by DJ Skee
DJ Skee
Scott Keeney , better known by his stage name DJ Skee, is a DJ and entrepreneur operating out of Los Angeles. Skee manages his own new media music, marketing, and production company, Skee.TV...
and Dale Firebird. EOM, The Fyre Department, Dale Firebird, Finatik N Zac
Finatik N Zac
Finatik N Zac are an Australian duo signed to producer Jim Jonsin's "Rebel Rock Entertainment". The duo consists of Michael "Finatik" Mule and Isaac "Zac" Deboni.- About Finatik :...
and Jim Jonsin
Jim Jonsin
James Scheffer, better known by his professional name, Jim Jonsin, is an American Grammy award winning record producer, songwriter, record executive, and entrepreneur...
are featured guest boardworks for the mixtape. His lead single is a song called Dispensary Girl and the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
debuted on Entertainment Weekly a day before Scrublife released. Wax's debut LP with Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings
Def Jam Recordings is an American record label, focused primarily on hip hop and urban music, owned by Universal Music Group, and operates as a part of The Island Def Jam Motown Music Group...
was hinted to be released in October Wax's second release on Def Jam, a mixtape, Eviction Notice was released November 28.
Discography
- 2003: Biatch!
- 2006: Grizzly Season (with Herbal T)
- 2008: Liquid Courage (Produced by EOM)
- 2009: Clockwise (with DumbfoundeadDumbfoundeadJonathan Park , better known by his stage name Dumbfoundead, is a Korean American battle rapper originating from the Los Angeles Underground's Project Blowed...
) - 2011: Scrublife (Hosted by DJ SkeeDJ SkeeScott Keeney , better known by his stage name DJ Skee, is a DJ and entrepreneur operating out of Los Angeles. Skee manages his own new media music, marketing, and production company, Skee.TV...
and Dale Firebird) - 2011: Eviction Notice
Singles
- 2010: "Stalkin Ya Mom"
- 2010: "Stay Offa My Facebook"
- 2011: "Dispensary Girl"
- 2011: "Two Wheels"
- 2011: "Coins"
- 2011: "Too Loud"