Maxi Jazz
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| Maxi Jazz | ||
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 Maxi Jazz
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| Background information | ||
| Birth name | Maxwell Fraser | |
| Born | June 19, 1957 (age 49) | |
| Origin | London, England | |
| Genre(s) | Rap, Dance, Trip Hop | |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper-songwriter | |
| Years active | 1983 - present | |
| Label(s) | Polydor (with Faithless) | |
| Associated acts |
Faithless and Soul Food Café | |
| Website | http://www.maxijazz.co.uk/ http://www.faithless.co.uk/ | |
Maxi Jazz (born Maxwell Fraser on 19 June 1957[citation needed] in London, United Kingdom) is a Soka Gakkai Buddhist rapper from England. He is best known for being the lead vocalist in Faithless.
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[edit] Biography
After he found hip-hop in 1983, in 1984 Maxi founded "The Soul Food Cafe System" as a DJ. He transfered this sound to pirate radio LWR in 1987.
In 1989 The Soul Food Cafe Band was picked up by Tam Tam Records (the dance wing of Savage Records), and recorded the album Soul Food Café. Maxi started Namu Records in 1992 to release the band's material in the form of three E.P's. The band toured as a support act to various bands, including Jamiroquai in Amsterdam; Soul II Soul in Barcelona; Galliano in Switzerland; and Jason Rebello in Brazil. After the band broke up, Maxi worked throughout Europe, and took time out to collaborate with Jah Wobble on the "Invaders Of The Heart" album followed by live dates with the Wobble collective.
Maxi met Rollo Armstrong in a studio, lead to the forming of Faithless with Jamie Catto and Sister Bliss. As a Soka Gakkai Buddhist, Maxi's strong beliefs and the band's own strong individual beliefs, lead to the name Faithless.
[edit] Lyrics
His lyrics can be anything from upbeat (for example in Reverence from the album of the same name) to melancholy (this time from Giving Myself Away from Outrospective); from despairing at current affairs (Mass Destruction from No Roots) to social comment (this time with LSK in In the End, again from No Roots).
Maxi Jazz's comments on society generally look at the harsher aspects of life. For example, in Bring My Family Back, he explores what comes from lacking a happy, nuclear family. In the first verse he views the situation through the eyes of a two-year-old ('Child, I'm working so there's nothing you lack/But she know, I want my Dad, I want my family back.'), in the second a forty-three-year-old, and in the last a house, long deserted by its last occupants ('Derelicts sneaking in to fix, speaking/On the way, my timbers creaking, roof leaking and bricks coming loose/Knee high in refuse.'). Also, on Faithless latest studio album, To All New Arrivals, the song Bombs confronts the issues of modern warfare.
In songs such as Salva Mea he sings about problems people have daily and goes deep into the feelings of such problems.
[edit] 1 Giant Leap
Maxi also sang alongside Robbie Williams on the collaborative album 1 Giant Leap in the single My Culture. 1 Giant Leap was produced by Duncan Bridgeman and Jamie Catto, the latter also of Faithless.
His latest recording and collaboration with Tiësto, also resulted in a big hit in The Netherlands. The dance hit Dance4Life shot up the charts.
[edit] Cars and racing
Maxi is very fond of his cars, with his collection as featured Sky 1's Vroom Vroom motoring show:
- Subaru Impreza P1
- Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 - her buddah name is "The Orchid Room"; her street name is "Biscuit". All listeners to Rodigan's early reggae show will recognise the reference. This is the car he wants to be buried in
- Ford Sierra Cosworth
- Marcos LM500 R
In light of the increased number of cameras in London, and his love of driving his cars quickly (he is presently banned from driving under the points totting up scheme), Maxi started racing cars. On Sunday 9 December 2001 maxi had a serious car accident, postponing several of Faithless's UK tour dates. When Maxi asked Rae Claydon to run him in the Ford Fiesta championship, he founded Maxi Jazz Racing. In 2005 he raced a Ginetta, and in 2006 raced a Porsche 997 in the UK Porsche Carrera Cup, as one of the oldest and yet less experienced drivers.
[edit] Discography
[edit] In Faithless
[edit] With 1 Giant Leap
- 2002 "My Culture" (with 1 Giant Leap and Robbie Williams),
[edit] Solo
- 2006 "Dance4life" (with Tiësto), #3 NL, #5 BEL, #10 FIN
