Mazbou Q

Last updated

Mazbou Q
Mazbou Q Festival One 2022.JPG
Mazbou Q on the Festival One main stage.
Born
Hugh Okechukwu Ozumba

(1989-05-12) May 12, 1989 (age 33)
Liverpool, UK
Other namesHugh Ozumba, Unchained XL
Occupations
  • Hip hop artist
  • producer
  • content creator
  • educator
Years active2016–present
OrganizationUnchained XL Production Co.
Spouse
Jess Ozumba
​
(m. 2014)​
Children1
Musical career
Genres Afrofunk, Hip hop, Rap, Alternative Rap, Afrobeat, Pop, Christmas
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • bass guitar
  • piano
LabelsUnchained XL, Mazbou Q, Independent, St Paul’s Music
Website https://www.mazbouq.com

Hugh Okechukwu Ozumba (born May 12, 1989), known professionally as Mazbou Q, and formerly Unchained XL, is UK-born, Auckland-based Nigerian New Zealand hip hop artist, producer, and social media content creator and educator.

Contents

Early life

Mazbou Q and his parents are from Nimo village of Anambra state of Nigeria, which is Igboland also known as Biafra. His parents moved to England, where he and his sister were born, Mazbou Q in Liverpool. The family moved to New Zealand in the early 1990s and Mazbou Q grew up in Manurewa, Auckland. He says there weren’t many Africans in the country at that time, so he saw himself as a pioneer in establishing a Black culture in Aotearoa New Zealand. [1] [2] [3]

Musically, Mazbou Q started with classical piano, then moved into heavy metal, fronting the Auckland band East of Eden. After creating some raps with a friend, he made the switch to hip hop in 2016, with influences from West African Highlife and East Coast-inspired boom bap. [4] [2] [5]

Music career

Unchained XL

Mazbou Q chose the professional name Unchained XL in 2016. He had been producing music for some time and liked the independence he saw in self-producing and performing hip hop live. On the other hand he found the independence isolating and lonely at times, so sought to form collaborations. His metal experience influenced the energy he brought to live shows, which were a priority for him as an artist. [5]

In 2016 and 2017, he released a series of singles, was included in the Alt Carols Christmas albums and events at St Paul's Auckland, and performed live at Festival One at Mystery Creek. [5] [6] Unchained XL called his unique music style "Afrofunk hip hop'' and "Afro-roots hip hop", a blend of the West Africa Afrobeat of the ‘70s and early ‘80s, and modern hip hop, utilising a combination of live instruments and synths. [2] [5] [7]

In 2018 he left his full-time job at music software company Serato to become a full-time rapper. [2] As Unchained XL, he released his 2018 debut EP "Foreign Legacy", including the acclaimed "What You Said". He also toured the UK with shows in London, Bristol, Sheffield, Leeds and Cardiff, performing with artists Mungos HiFi, Afro Cluster and Eva Lazarus, and supported by his live band. [7] [8]

In 2019, as Unchained XL, he continued to produce singles and a second EP titled "The Migrant Mind", and a music video called "2 To The 6". [5] [9]

Mazbou Q

In 2020 he changed his professional name to Mazbou Q which he explained was "encoded from my birth name", but left its meaning unexplained. The change coincided with the release of singles, "To The Gates", and "Blacklight" featuring Mo Muse and Phodiso. The two tracks and their videos received tens of thousands of streams across multiple platforms, and were included in Mazbou Q's distinct Afrofuturism debut EP, "Afroternity", featuring Oklahoma rapper and producer Kevin Posey. At the time Mazbou Q said, “My music remains unapologetic in its political message – one of anti-racism and black consciousness. On previous records it hasn’t left much space for confidence in self, perhaps as a subconscious concession to New Zealand’s tall poppy syndrome. In "Afroternity", I evolve past that – I’m not afraid to shine on this EP.” [10] [11]

Mazbou Q released his self-produced debut album, "The Future Was", in July 2021. Featured artists included Raiza Biza on "G.O.A.T Problems", Jane Deezy on "Letter to My Future Self, Pt. II", Myele Manzanza on "Just Let It Go", and Cee Blu on "Best Of You". The album was noted as a rare New Zealand rap album because it sounded so "focused and fighting fit", helped by the high energy seen in Mazbou Q's live performances. [4]

From 2020 to July 2022 Mazbou Q featured on nine singles, EPs and studio albums by other artists. [12] [13] He was in the New Zealand Womad lineup for 2022 which was cancelled because of COVID-19 disruptions. [14] [15] He is in the New Zealand Womad lineup for 2023. [16]

Musical influences

Mazbou Q has taken inspiration from the likes of Afrobeat artist and activist Fela Kuti, as well as Ghanaian rapper M.anifest, American Afrobeat band Antibalas and 90s hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest. Later inspiration included Wisconsin rapper and fellow Nigerian Jidenna, Tobe Nwigwe, Sarkodie as well as African American rappers like Royce da 5’9 and Propaganda. [5] [2] [17] Mazbou Q has been heavily influenced by his Christian faith, and saw his music being a vehicle for positive messages and redemption. In 2018 he said, “I think that Christianity provides a framework for me to strive for racial justice issues, which is important for me being a person of colour. There’s a lot of issues around black liberation that need to be explored, and for me viewing them through the lens of Christianity gives me an interesting perspective I feel.” [2]

In 2022, his inspiration also includes The Roots and Black Star. [17]

Production career

As of January 2023, Mazbou Q had 161,000 followers on TikTok, where under the title "The Rap Scientist", he had analysed and dissected various rhyme and rhythmic techniques used in hit rap songs, including music theory concepts like syncopation, polymetric rhythms, displacement and micro-rhythms. [17] [18]

Mazbou Q is the lead producer at his Auckland-based audio production house Unchained XL Production Co. and says he has worked with ESPN, Footlocker and Les Mills. [17] [19]

Activism

Mazbou Q was one of the organisers of the Black Lives Matter George Floyd protests in Auckland on 1 June and 14 June 2020. He spoke about the ongoing persecution of the Black African communities, including: "The same white supremacy which has led to disproportionate killings of Black people in the US exists here in New Zealand." He called on Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to condemn violence against Black Americans. He also spoke and wrote about the appropriation of Black American culture, including hip hop ghetto culture born from the oppressed minorities the South Bronx in the 1970s, and the lack of exposure for New Zealand Black African hip hop artists compared to Māori and Pasifika artists. As a result, schools invited him, and other organisers, to speak to their students and staff. [20] [21] [22] [23] [1]

Personal life

Mazbou Q married Jess Johnston in 2014 and their daughter was born in 2020. They live in Auckland. In 2018, Mazbou Q identified as a Christian, which influenced his music and provided a framework for racial justice issues. [2] [24] In 2022 he described himself as being "Nigerian NZ" "from Tāmaki Makaurau". [16]

Discography

Unchained XL [12]

Mazbou Q [12]

Related Research Articles

New Zealand hip hop derives from the wider hip hop cultural movement originating amongst African Americans in the United States. Like the parent movement, New Zealand hip hop consists of four parts: rapping, DJing, graffiti art and breakdancing. The first element of hip hop to reach New Zealand was breakdancing, which gained notoriety after the release of the 1979 movie The Warriors. The first hip hop hit single, "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang, became a hit in New Zealand when it was released there in 1980, a year after it was released in the United States. By the middle of the 1980s, breakdancing and graffiti art were established in urban areas like Wellington and Christchurch. By the early 1990s hip hop became a part of mainstream New Zealand culture.

Moana Maree Maniapoto is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and documentary maker. Widely considered one of New Zealand's most successful indigenous acts, her music is described as a fusion of traditional Māori haka, chants and taonga puoro, with contemporary soul, reggae and classical styles. Moana was briefly married to New Zealand politician and radio personality Willie Jackson, during which time she was known as Moana Maniapoto-Jackson; they divorced in 2001. In 2016, Moana was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendrick Lamar discography</span>

American rapper Kendrick Lamar has released five studio albums, one compilation album, one extended play (EP), five mixtapes, 65 singles, and three promotional singles. Lamar initially performed under the stage name K.Dot, releasing three mixtapes under that moniker: Y.H.N.I.C. (2004), Training Day (2005), and C4 (2009). He gained major attention after the release of his fourth mixtape Overly Dedicated, which was released in 2010. It was Lamar's first full-length project to be released under his birth name and fared well enough to enter the United States Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where it peaked at number 72.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bas (rapper)</span> American rapper from New York

Abbas Hamad, better known by his stage name Bas, is an American rapper. He is signed to J. Cole's Dreamville Records via Interscope Records. His first studio album Last Winter, was released on April 29, 2014, followed by his second studio album, Too High to Riot, which was released on March 4, 2016. Bas' third album, Milky Way, was released on August 24, 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Young Thug discography</span>

The discography of American rapper Young Thug consists of two studio albums, two compilation albums, twelve mixtapes, seven commercial mixtapes, three extended plays, and sixty-nine singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NF (rapper)</span> American rapper from Michigan

Nathan John Feuerstein, known by his initials NF, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He has released two EPs, I'm Free (2012), and a self-titled EP in 2014 with Capitol CMG. His first major-label album, Mansion, was released on March 31, 2015. His second studio album, Therapy Session, was released on April 22, 2016, and peaked at number 12 on the US Billboard 200. His albums have earned several accolades, some of which include: the Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year.

Gamal Kosh Lewis, better known as LunchMoney Lewis, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 2015 single "Bills", which topped the charts in Australia and peaked within the top 10 in New Zealand and the UK.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tory Lanez discography</span>

Canadian recording artist Tory Lanez has released seven studio albums, Twenty mixtapes, four extended plays (EP), eighty-nine singles and more than eighty music videos. In 2009, Lanez began his career by releasing his debut mixtape, T.L 2 T.O. He received major recognition from the mixtape, Conflicts of My Soul: The 416 Story, released in August 2013, which included guest appearances from Roscoe Dash and Kirko Bangz. In 2014, he released Lost Cause which led to his first tour, the Lost Cause tour. Lanez collaborated with the WeDidIt collective on the Cruel Intentions EP in 2015. Chixtape III and The New Toronto were released later that year. He released his debut album I Told You, in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That Part</span> 2016 single by Schoolboy Q featuring Kanye West

"That Part" is a hip hop song by American hip hop recording artist Schoolboy Q featuring Kanye West. It was released on May 13, 2016 by Top Dawg Entertainment and Interscope Records, as the lead single from Schoolboy Q's fourth album Blank Face LP, and was produced by Cardo, Yung Exclusive, Cubeatz and Sounwave. The song was nominated for Best Rap Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. HipHopDX named it the ninth best hip-hop song of 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">XXXTentacion discography</span> Emo rap recording artist discography

XXXTentacion was an American rapper and singer who released four studio albums, one compilation album, two mixtapes, four collaborative mixtapes, seven extended plays and 29 singles. As of June 2018, he sold more than 25 million album-equivalent units in the United States. XXXTentacion was awarded for sales of over 20 million records by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). As of October 2020, he has sold more than 60 million records in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A Boogie wit da Hoodie discography</span>

American rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie has released four studio albums, two mixtapes, 33 music videos, four extended plays (EPs) and 49 singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PnB Rock discography</span> Artist discography

American recording artist PnB Rock has released two studio albums, five mixtapes, one extended play (EP), and nineteen singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brent Faiyaz</span> American R&B singer

Christopher Brent Wood, known professionally as Brent Faiyaz, is an American R&B singer. He rose to prominence after he was featured on the GoldLink single "Crew" alongside Shy Glizzy in 2016, which was certified 6× Platinum by the RIAA, and earned him a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saweetie discography</span> Hip hop recording artist discography

The discography of Saweetie, an American rapper, consists of three extended plays, eighteen singles, two promotional singles and nineteen music videos. Her debut extended play, High Maintenance was released on March 16, 2018. The EP was preceded by her debut single, "Icy Grl", which was later certified platinum in the United States. Her second EP, Icy was released in March 2019, and spawned the hit single "My Type". The single went on to peak at number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified triple platinum in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cordae</span> American rapper and singer

Cordae Amari Dunston known mononymously as Cordae, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He gained popularity by releasing remixes of popular songs, such as "My Name Is" by Eminem, and "Old Niggas", which was a response to the song "1985" by J. Cole. Videos to both remixes were uploaded to WorldStarHipHop's YouTube channel, which led to an immense and immediate positive response from both mainstream media and the online rap community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JID discography</span> Hip hop recording artist discography

American rapper JID has released three studio albums, three compilation albums, two extended plays (EP), four mixtapes and fifteen singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Megan Thee Stallion discography</span>

American rapper Megan Thee Stallion has released two studio albums, one compilation album, three mixtapes, three extended plays, thirty-eight singles, and two promotional singles. In her early career, Megan Thee Stallion released the non-commercial, SoundCloud-exclusive mixtapes Rich Ratchet (2016) and Megan Mix (2017). She made her official solo debut by commercially releasing her first professional EP, Make It Hot, on September 18, 2017, which was followed by her second EP Tina Snow on December 21, 2018.

Michael Ian Olmo, known professionally as Iann Dior, is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer based in Texas. He is most notably well-known for his 2020 hit single "Mood", a collaboration with 24kGoldn. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and became his first and highest-charting song to date.

The following is the discography of Kaytranada. Active since 2010, Kaytranada first released a series of mixtapes and original music under the name Kaytadamus. He released his first critically acclaimed studio album, 99.9%, in 2016, which he followed up with the Grammy-winner Bubba in 2019.

Bronson Price, known professionally as Melodownz, is a New Zealand MC, rapper and urban poet from Avondale, Auckland. Debuting in 2013, Melodownz has released solo projects including Beginners Luck (2014), Avontales (2017) and Melo & Blues (2018), as well as collaborative extended plays with Angelo King, IllBaz and Raiza Biza.

References

  1. 1 2 Hayden, Leonie (June 19, 2020). "Black New Zealanders on their fight: 'I didn't know how unseen we were'". The Spinoff. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Feature - Unchained XL: Giving It A Good Shot". NZ Musician. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  3. ↑ Q, Mazbou (October 8, 2019). "Why Israel Adesanya's victory was a win for me too". The Spinoff. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Music - Mazbou Q: The Future Was - Tāmaki Makaurau". NZ Musician. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Video Premiere: Unchained XL '2 To The 6'". RNZ. June 19, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  6. ↑ "ALBUMS". altcarols. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Unchained XL | triple j Unearthed". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ "RNZ Music Spring mixtape". RNZ. October 19, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Music - Unchained XL: The Migrant Mind EP". NZ Musician. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  10. ↑ Flava. "Mazbou Q - Afroternity". Flava. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Feature - Hugh Ozumba: From Unchained XL To Mazbou Q". NZ Musician. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Apple Music, 1 July 2022
  13. ↑ "Video Premiere: Kevin Posey and Mazbou Q team up on thought-provoking track 'Your Shine'". RNZ. June 11, 2020. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  14. ↑ "New artists added to Womad 2022 lineup". NZ Herald. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Womad NZ 2022 cancelled". Eventfinda. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Mazbou Q: There's always more to do and higher to climb". NZ Herald. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 4 "About". Mazbou Q. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  18. ↑ "TikTok". www.tiktok.com. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  19. ↑ "Unchained XL Productions Co". Unchained XL. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  20. ↑ Junn, Jihee (June 2, 2020). "In pictures: The Black Lives Matter solidarity march, Auckland". The Spinoff. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Thousands join Black Lives Matter protests across NZ". NZ Herald. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  22. ↑ "As it happened: Auckland Black Lives Matter protest in response to George Floyd's death". Newshub. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  23. ↑ Mire, Guled; Wakefield, Rita (April 9, 2022). "The N-word, hip hop, and anti-Black racism in Aotearoa". E-Tangata. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  24. ↑ FIRST (June 29, 2022). "What Mazbou Q's sleep paralysis demon said to him". The Spinoff. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.