“Aye stop real quick,” yelled Maxo Kream as he motioned towards the audience, pointing out a fan that had just been crowd surfing. The DJ cut the music as Maxo walked to the edge of the stage to get closer to the fan. “Pull him up here. You get the fuck up here.”
The crowd, full of fans rocking Maxo’s Persona clothing brand, screamed as the house lights at Warehouse Live lit the room up. Maxo Kream, fresh off the release of his third studio album, Weight of the World, stood center stage, as camera phone lights reflected off the chains hanging around his neck.
“This is Blue y’all! We’re gonna start this next song and when we start Blue is gonna stage dive!
The audience screamed as the lights went down, the music went up, and Blue jumped into the crowd. The Monday night show, given by Maxo to show love to his fans who have supported him since day one was completely free giving supporters a chance to see Maxo up close and personal.
The whole scene, Maxo in front of a full house at Warehouse Live performing songs from his latest album, showcased the progression of the Alief rapper as an artist on the national scene. Maxo began his career a little over a decade ago releasing a series of mixtapes and garnering the attention of other young upstarts like Playboi Carti and ASAP Mob. As his style advanced so did his introspection, attracting a number of fans with his straightforward demeaner and openness with his own life. He doesn’t mince words even when talking about the history with Warehouse Live.
“Can I tell y’all a story? I used to try and perform here and couldn’t get on. I was selling tickets for other artists just trying to open up. They asked me to sell tickets for the Kendrick Lamar concert. Some people sold 5, 10, 20….I sold 500! Even then people were always worried about me performing. They would say my show incite gang violence. Well me being here just shows no matter what you have to believe!”
It is the belief in himself that has propelled Maxo throughout his rap career and now that he is gaining a solid foothold in the industry his focus seems to be shifting toward giving back and making sure others achieve their dreams. Not only was the show free for fans but he made sure to support local Houston artists. The first part of Maxo’s set was backed by Fade Em All, a Houston-based punk band, who provided the soundtrack for a number of songs from the new album, including Cripstian, 11:59, and They Say. Later on, Maxo brought out up and coming rapper Monaleo to perform their duet Cee Cee.
“It’s good to be back home,” exclaimed an excited Maxo just before bringing the newcomer to the stage. “I’m glad I can do this for new artists because it wasn’t always like this when we were all trying to get on. I’m glad I can help some artists from Houston get a chance to get up on this stage.”
While the beginning of the show focused on the new album, the end left die hard fans more than satisfied as Maxo ran through hits from Punken, Brandon Banks, and mixtape classics like Fetti. Maxo, who’s musical work often focuses on the complex interactions of family, took the time out to pay homage to his recently deceased brother Money-Du, asking the audience to take a moment of silence for one of his biggest supporters.
Monday’s show proved that Maxo Kream is all about progression. His stage show, much like his albums, shows that the MC is looking to improve and grow as an artist. It’s that constant striving to make himself better that should keep fans coming back for more.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2021.
