| Wax | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael Jones |
| Also known as | Big Wax, Wax, Dale Firebird |
| Born | Washington, D.C. |
| Origin | Dunkirk, Maryland |
| Genres | Hip Hop / Alternative Hip Hop |
| Occupations | Emcee/singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer |
| Instruments | Guitar, bass guitar, drums, keyboards |
| Years active | 2000 - Present |
| Labels | Def Jam Recordings, Scrublife |
| Associated acts | Dumbfoundead, EOM, Herbal T, Macgregor, Prince Ea, Ray William Johnson |
| Website | http://www.waxdotcom.com |
Michael Jones, better known by his stage name Wax, is an American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer.[1] 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.
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Wax hails from Calvert County, Maryland 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.[2] Soon after in sixth grade he picked up a guitar and started singing and rapping [2] 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.[3]
From 2000-2005, Wax was the lead vocalist & guitarist of the 6 piece band, MacGregor. The band toured throughout the United States in the Midwest, the South, and New England, receiving a lot of local buzz in D.C. and Maryland.[4] The group released 2 albums before entering a "super-extended" hiatus.[5] 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!
In mid-2007, Wax and his twin brother Herbal T started posting videos of themselves rapping on YouTube and started building a buzz after uploading several YouTube freestyles and rhymes.[6] 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.[1] After he cracked YouTube's Top 100 Musician list, his subscription base tripled and averaged about nearly 1,000 new subscribers each day.[2] To this day he has collectively garnered more than 12 million views from his YouTube videos.[7] 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.[8]
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.[9] In 2010 Wax released Clockwise, a collaborative effort with Dumbfoundead.[10]
In March 2011, Wax announced that he was signed to Def Jam Recordings by Max Gousse when he released a joint venture mixtape called Scrublife hosted by DJ Skee and Dale Firebird.[11] EOM, The Fyre Department, Finatik N Zac and Jim Jonsin are featured guest boardworks for the mixtape.[12] His lead single is a song called Dispensary Girl [3] 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[13] Wax's second release on Def Jam, a mixtape, Eviction Notice was released November 28. [14]