Recording Artist Zexzy talks his life, career, and music

What's up? The artist is Doug E. Fresh and you're watching We Talk Weekly. You're listening to right here? Why won't you let us know? Who do you have to day? And who do you have to day? All right? I hope I'm pronouncing it right? Is it? Zex Z or zex Zy well? Zex Z zex Z is a fearless musical maverick whose genres bending fusions of afrobeads, pop and R and B has earned him global attention and millions of viewers, including over twenty two million on Promised Land alone. Rising from personal adversity to international acclaim, he continues to push creative boundaries with charting hits, high profile collaborations, and a sound rooted in resilience and reinvention. Y'all already know what to do. Let's give a warm We Talk Weekly. Welcome to zex Zi. My guy, my guy, How are you guys? Thank you guys so much? Sex D I was right, okay, that's. How my friend? How are you? Oh man? I feel so good just listening to you guys talk and then you know, like the whole I think it's just it's something that I I discuss with people every day and you know it's it's for me, it's it's one invention I would have loved to stop. If I. Because you know, I every every advertising now on YouTube is AI, every everything, like you could you can't tell it's not real. It's not they're not real humans because they look almost perfect. Yeah, even even if they've gotten this synchronization of the of the mouth and you know, the audio. But I still there's just something if I if I think that it's not a human being that is there, I just don't. It just takes away my appeal for that. Think anytime I call Costo my care and I I'm here, I'm like, if AI is talking to me, you know, and you know, asking me questions before it moves me to a customer care representation, I just don't like it. Yeah, but yeah, I think it's just it's just the state of the world right now. We have to roll with the punches and accept the changes as they come. But for me, it's one invention that if I had the powers to stop it, I would stop it. I just don't like a. I I got your answer. Now, let's let's let's start from the beginning, man, Because one you know, I think in listening to your music, I was, I was pleasantly surprised with hairing your music. It's it's really different because it has this afrobeats feel, but it's it's like a fusion of like Caribbean with I can't I can't even put my point. So how would you define the genre of music that you're in or do you classify it as your own kind of you know, fusion genre. Okay, this is how I this is how how I see music is. First of all, let me start by saying, I'm an eclectic musician. Okay, I've had so many influences in my life when it comes to music. I started off like when I was a little boy, my elder brothers buy you know, reggae reggae music, bring them home, they play them. Even back then, I wasn't so music in clan, but I just knew that there was something about reggae reggae sound. We had guys like man, you know, I was in Nigeria and then, so reggae was a big sound in Nigeria. Afro beat fella was doing afrobeats. So afrobat was also like the music for the streets, for the struggle of you know, the emancipation of you know, Nigeria from Western Stronghold. So that was there, you know, playing that role. Reggie was there talking about life and no reality of what's going on, Bob Marley and all of those guys mandators. And then you know, with time, hip hop started to you know, become a force, and we all wanted to you know, we will go to our barbers show. You see Black Americans with their you know hair cast. Everybody wanted to cut their hair like, you know, their favorite rapper and all that around the stars. So because I love music so much, and I love all genres of music. I love rock and roll, I love jazz, I love hip hop, I love around because they all have different sides of me that they touch and they bring out. And being somebody who writes music, if something touches me is going to express itself in the form of music. If if I, let's say, I have it be for someone over time, one day a song is going to jump into my head and it's probably going to be this song as a hip hop song, right because I listening to Tupac and you know, Kendrick Lamas and all of those guys, and if if if I fall in love with a girl. Because I listened to Usher Chris Brown, there is a tendency that a love song will come up somewhere from my self conscious so and because I'm very open minded, I don't stop. I don't say no, this doesn't sound like, oh, this is not what I should be doing. I just let it flow. I just for me. I mean, I'm a vestal for the music to just flow. And I think it's a disservice for me to for a song to come to me, and I don't I don't want to work on it because I think it's not what I should be doing. You understand, like there are people who think, oh, no, you know, as a black person, you're not supposed to do country music. As a black person, you're supposed to do rock and roll, leave out for the white guys, right, But but I don't. I don't think music should be like that. I just I just feel people should be able to express themselves in whichever genre that is best for that emotional rather than stifle them and put them in pigeon holes and just say, you know, you stay with other music, you stay here with country music. And I personally just don't like the fragmentation of music. No, I appreciate that, and that makes a lot of sense. And I would argue that a lot of the music when we talk about black people, people of color, we all of the music originated from us anyway. So the point you just made now, and I just don't like the fact that we've we've been pushed to, you know, accepting that it has to just be hip hop for us and it has to just be ran before so just affrobeat for us. I want us to be able to, you know, flex our creative muscles and defy the industry that tries to keep keep us in one spot and say no, you you guys, you know you have to keep doing this if if you do this other general, we're not going to promote it. Because I see that's what's happening, right When you do something in the genre that the industry doesn't dim fit for you, they don't want to give you the playlist, they don't want to give you the promotion. They don't want because they're trying to discourage you, right. You know, It's it's like when you don't want somebody to buy a house in an obscure neighborhood, right, even if he has the right credit score and it has the right everything, You're not going to give him that. You're going to make an excuse why he can't get a house there. But somebody with the right you know, comes and you know he just came. You're giving the loan to get the house because you want people of that type to be in that area. So I've figured out the game. I've seen how how it's been played, and I kind of understand that there is this even in music, there is this there's this segregation. I wanted to put people in boxes. I wanted to put people where they belong. And I'm just somebody who wants to defy that that line that has. Been Let's let's back up a little bit, right, because I want people to know you and who you are, right you? How did you or what was the moment when you decided to say music is for me and I'm going to become this creative artist? What what was the aha moment? Okay? I think I think it was because I did Night A five for a while, and for me, the reason I came back to music was even all of those times I worked, I was still having like I was still being inspired by these things happening around me. You know, if in Africa there is there's a whole lot of stuff going on. There's the good, there's the baddies ugly, and I like to write about all of them. But then when when COVID happened, and you know, it felt like the world was coming to an end, a lot of people had resigned their faith that okay, this is you know, we've been hearing that the world is coming to an end. We think this is it. So everybody was making their exit plans, you know, and for me, what I what? What? The question I asked myself was if if this world was to end and God is asking everybody to, you know, give an account of they've led their lives, what am I going to tell him? What am I gonna say I did with the talent I haven't given? And there was no I couldn't answer that question because I was walking in the place and I didn't I didn't like the job. I liked the people, but I didn't like the job. Because I'm a creative person. I wake up with a new song every day. So it was at that moment I said, Okay, you know what, I'm going to go back to music. I picked up my big. I wasn't beingeing because that's my hometown in Nigeria. I picked up my big and I went to legers, worked on a song, did the video, and that was how this whole thing just started and a recordly came along. I got signed, and you know, in twenty twenty three, that was when I came to America just to be able to meet people and do collaborations and all that. So that has been just a briuefe summary of how it started to where I am right now. That a harmlement like I think I should go back to what I'm passionate about. Yeah, I was twenty twenty one. Were you ever scared when you had to make that transition? I mean, they say a man who's down for here is no for all? Right, it was it was COVID, and we all felt like we don't even know who's going to die and who's going to come out on the other side of this COVID. So so when that happened, it was for me. It was a door that I think, like, I mean, what do you start to lose? The world is coming to an end anyway, so just give it your best shot, you know, go out in a place of glory. So that was I. I just put myself together, walked on a couple of songs topped an ippy. That year, I did a video, I started doing the promotion and you know, the boat has just kept rolling from then. Now. Yeah, so you're from Nigeria, correct? Yes? Now you you mentioned covid uh for those who who are from because we're in the States and I appreciate you charming in man. You you right now, let me give you a roundom Applaus for that. There we go, and so how's how's the music? Uh? The acceptance of I guess Americanized music right in Nigeria? Is it? Is it a fusion over there that's accepted? Is it a specialty? Like? How does music perceived in Nigeria Americanized music versus you know, the cultural kind of rhythm and drums from in Nigeria? How how is that that nuance? You know? When I when I joined the when I joined your lifetam and I heard you guys talking about d d and yeah, and you know it was it was I had mixed feelings because you know Dideo was as a young boy. Did it was that guy like the Shinese Superman. Nigerian music is like most of our influences comes from American music. You know, we just give it like a more Nigerian touch. It's still it's still like American music, but just within Nigerian flavor. Right, everything that that mixed afrobeats today is from like the experience, the kind of music we're hearing, you guys doing the States jazz music, so we fuse a little bit of jazz and a little bit of you know, something from the Caribbean. So it's a blend of so many things. So American music, there was a time it was like American music on our radio, but over time we had to start building our own industry trying and also you know, push our own thing promote. So so there's more of a balance now between American music and Nigeria music on our radio. But in terms of influence, you know, the PDD fifty cent, all of those guys with people we all looked up to and wanted to like, Okay, even if we can't wrap like the Americans, let's let's do something in our own way. But using the model that you guys had until today, American music is still it's still very big in Nigeria. It's still very influential everything. I just wants to work with somebody from here because because this is like the global stage where if you work with somebody here, the world gets to see. So so American music is very very well received in Nigeria. Just be dressing. Everything is something that we've always loved and tried to, you know, do in our own way. Fantastic And sorry for my ignorance. You know, I'm not familiar with you know that that region of music, and so I really appreciate you kind of you know, expanding on that. You You have an interesting style. That's something that's something that I notice, you know, and so let's talk a little bit about you know, your style and what you know pushes you to be such a because not only is your music creative, but your look is just as creative. And so what what motivates you to be So? I guess eclectic. You use the word eclectic, So what pushed you to be that in your look as well? I'm just somebody who is in the rule bond, I don't. I'm the type of person that can just throw things together. This can come from somewhere else, and this from somewhere else, as long as it looks good to me if I imagine it, then I try to physically put it together. Even with the making of my music, when a song comes to me, I'm thinking about the guitar line, I'm thinking about the piano line, thinking about a whole lot of stuff. I may not be able to play them by myself, but I could tell the producer I think if we did this sound, and then he does it and it sounds good right. So for me, I just don't use rules. I just let things flow as long as they look good together. Like even when I'm putting together, I look if I see something that I really like and I think, okay, so if I put this on my jaw, I think it will look good if you wear it against you know, you just think and you let you just do. I think the part that makes it all flow well is the confidence to do it, because some people will think of it and they'll be they'll be scared to look weird. That there are times when I go to I go to the place and everybody's like, why is this guy wearing this stuff? Is this job falling off? But it's just it's just the way I like to express myself because I like to stand out. Even when I started doing like so many different genres of music, part of it was I wanted to be able to show people that it doesn't have to be. It doesn't have to be or it can be ANDed out. Explain it doesn't have to be hip hop or R and B or country or country or rock and roll. You can have hip hop and country and rock and roll and jazz music and you know all in one. What is wrong in having it? Or why does it have to be one or the other when you can have one and the other. I like that. I'm taking it from you. Yeah, I'm taking it, and not for I love it. I love that. I love that. I'll make sure I give your credits for that. Now the time is spending. I can't believe how fast it's moving. When your Maple Grove, because I want to get into that, the Maple Grove Entertainment. Why don't you let everyone know what that is? And uh, how does that fit within your whole brand and your music and everything? Yeah? Yeah, Maple Grove Entertainment is a living assigned me. Great company. They help to put my sound together. They they critique the music. We discussed about, you know, the next level, what song we're promoting, and you know, this just been there like a family pushing the music so that they're basically like the and walk that holds ZXY together. That's apart from God, that that is above all. But Maple Grow Entertainments is the framework that is that is the level pushing the music and that it also got me in front of you today. But I really appreciate all that they've been doing. And yeah, Peple Growth is a level that I'm signed to. Fantastic. What what is the legacy that you would love to leave as it relates to the music in all of your creative you know, space and environments that you have established and created creative for yourself. What is the legacy that you would like to leave. I want to be when it's all said and done, I want to be the most eclectic musician that ever lived. There is a classical song on my on this album that I dropped August twenty nine, trunk Quality. I mean, when you listen to it, you you probably would think it is it's a song by Beethoven. H But I wrote that song. And there's another one there Bitch Waves you would think is a song by what's the name of this famous jazz His name is eluding me. But for me, I want to be remembered as somebody who did all genres of music at its best, not just doing it because I'm attempting it, but doing it the way it should be done. So when you hear me rap, you would say, yes, this guy can hold his own against an EMC. And when you hear me do an Arambi song, you can feel my soul, you can feel the emotions, and you see me as a loverboy. And when I do with pop song, say this guy, you know he's rocking the mic. So I want to be that person who who you would say was able to jack all the traits and did it well. Fantastic. We talket weeklies after to talk with WPPM r P Philadelphia one o six point five film. We talket weeklies after to talk with your boy Charles Gergreen and beautiful and a beautiful Lawrence. And you are here right now with a dynamic interview with my guy, international artist z Exy in the building with his dynamic music and interesting, as I use his words, eclectic style. I love this guy. I love this, gentleman, what would before I let you go, what is some of when you think of where you want to be with all of the things that you're doing right now, what would you tell the audience that's listening this is who I am and this is what I want from you, especially in where we are, you know, on the East Coast, and the people who's listening to this music, what would you like them to know about you? Okay, I just dropped. I dropped two Christmas songs about two weeks ago and I want you guys to stream the song half one with it. I did it for the holiday seasons. So that's my recent project. You can find me on Instagram at missus x m r z e x x y, on Facebook x z e x z y, on tiktoking xy k i ang z e x z y. Feel free that I have so many songs, love songs, jazz, athrobs, rock and roll. So whichever suits your vibe you want to do, content with it, Feel free, enjoy yourself and just half one with the music. But you know the Christmas songs, two of them every Christmas and every day is Christmas very lovely. So one is very fast and the other one is very slow. So depending on who your temperaments, pick and choose the one you would like to, you know, do some content with and just have fun with it. Fantastic, fantastic. You're a great guy. You're a great guy. Like you. Two questions real quick? Who inspired? Who inspires you in terms of like writing and as an artist? Who inspires you? And and keep that on your uh in your you know, your parking lot. Who would be the person you would like to perform with if they said, come on, you can go on tour with me, I want you here. Who would that person be? Yeah? Yeah, yeah, most important person that you can't wait to be or perform with. Who would that be? Yeah? That's the funny thing right now, one of those guys that I would I would have all always wanted to meet and just down sweet or is in jail right now? That's the that's diddy. You know, I've a I've always wanted to like. I love that so much. I just you know, in spite of everything that has been reviewed and espose and whatever. You know, you have people you just love. You just like them, You just like your style, you like the way they move. You know, this is somebody that I've har like, I always thought about some day, like you know, being on stage with him and just just doing all of those moves. Another guy I loved so much. It's also in jail. I don't know why I love that guy so much. He inspired my my earlier around big days, and just how probific he was able to write music and write for other people, Okay who honestly, honestly, I don't have many new school guys and I like that music. I don't like new school music because they don't feed my so I don't learn anything. If two Pak was alive, that's one genius I would have loved, loved. I loved about Marley so much. Then my rock and roll side Brian Anas is somebody that I have always wanted to do something. I just I just like his gravelly voice. And I don't have any new catamon. I'm not passionate about the new music that is out there. I don't even listen to them. If I'm honest with you, all of them I would say. I would say Kendrick Lamar because he has he still has that message and that that vibe. But I have him maybe Drake Drake. I love the two of them. That's why I said you can have them both. It doesn't have to be one or the other. So I like to I like just to gez ah, there you go, yes Jesus, Oh god, I have a song I wrote some time ago. I would love to feature z Okay, those are the ones I can't remember right now. That's a nice Let me get you around these, my friend. Well, look, I just want to thank you for coming on, and we talked weekly. Uh, we really appreciate you, my brother. This was a great interview. I think you are artist that we can you know, look forward to seeing big things from uh. And so one thing that we say is once you come to the show, you're a friend to the show. So you're always welcome to come back, my friend, and any new music that you had sent it down. We'll make sure that we're playing on the radio station, and uh, we'll try to get you out there and amplify your voice. My friend. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Soone. Where are my beautiful ladies? Yes, thank you guys here, thank you for coming on. My name, Yes, I'm Sparkle, yes. X it's a beautiful name. I mean the song Fairy Christmas I was thinking about focos when I did that song. So wow, we got uh, you know, Lawrence over there, and you know she's preparing her stories and so I mean, we're just excited for all of the guests that we have. One and one more time before we let you leave, Why don't you let everyone know how they can get in contact with you and all that. Yes, on Instagram it's at mister m r z e x z y on TikTok king x k i ang z e x z y, facebook z e x z y X. From Twitter is at mister m r z e x z y. Fantastic, fantastic. But there you go, ladies and gentlemen. Another round of applause, and so again, thanks for coming to the show, my friend. You're always welcome to come back, and we wish you much success, my friend. All right of us, Merry Christmas and advance, Thank you so much. Happy holidays, my friends. All right, there you go, ladies and gentlemen. We talk weeklies after the talk on w P P M O P Philadelphia one O six point five, and we talked weeklies after the Talk with your boy Talks German and beautiful, beautiful Lauren Hey, this is saying, if we cannot be complete unless. You listen to your watch. We talk complex, believing, bail