In this Artist Spotlight, Maeki Maii shares with us his unique journey through the music world. A harmonious blend of French rap influences and his affinity for Japanese culture come together in his artist name and musical style. We delve into his experiences on Audius, his favorite musical collaborations, his approach towards Metaverse and Web3, and his aspirations for the future. Not just a musician, but a dedicated father, his story is one of creativity, resilience, and hope. Dive in to discover Maeki Maii's music world.
▷ First of all I would like to thank Audius for putting me in the spotlight this week. This support fills my heart with twinkling gratitude 💫. My artist name is a play on words with my first name Michael and a slogan from a French mustard brand. I simply played on the spelling to give it an Asian style in coherence with my influences in the Japanese universe and more particularly the cinema of Akira Kurosawa. In terms of music, I always liked to write since a kid. I wrote poems, short stories, etc. But it was around the age of 16, after buying a French rap record by the group Kabal in which there were instrumentals that I started to put my words to music. I haven't stopped since that day. 🎶
▷ My producer friend R$KP first told me about Audius! I also produced two albums with him. Knowing that I am not inclined towards mainstream and soulless platforms, he reminded me of the emerging artistic qualities of Audius. In my opinion, Audius bubbles with so much vitality! It's for these reasons that the platform immediately attracted me. The possibility of meeting and connecting with artists located on the other side of the planet is downright exciting. I never thought I could make music with a Beatmaker in Chile (s/o Ljazz), Malaysia (s/o Stewart X) or a singer in Louisiana (s/o Pauly). This is what I prefer, all these extraordinary interactions that take me out of my comfort zone and encourage me to transcend myself artistically!
▷ I released more than a hundred pieces of music! Here are my top two favorite releases. The first song is 'La Terra' from my latest album 'Sonoran' and produced by my bro Wolf City. It's a long elegiac poem in which I wanted to put all the necessary intensity in order to directly connect with the heart of the listener. The most meticulous writing work was necessary to select the most powerful words and just to reveal what is in my soul. The other track I have to mention it here is 'Late Nights' featuring Pauly and produced by my Neapolitan friend DJ Slyde. This track is my very first collaboration from Audius. I loved Pauly's universe and musical style, which I discovered on Audius. Very quickly we started talking and collaborating on this title which is a Franco-American hit with a smoky atmosphere and feels like you are soaring. It's a piece that for me symbolizes the potential for connectivity that Audius offers 💜
▷ To be honest, I absolutely don't understand any of this! It's my silly side, like Dostoyevsky's book, I go through all these things blissfully without being aware of what I'm stepping into. I think that if I'm in this Web 3 game, it's inherently positive! It's my intention to make the most of it to enrich my artistic experiences. It was only two weeks ago that I learnt that there was an individual QR code on Instagram (thanks Lofi Radio.) On the other hand, I will keep my first two NFTs that Audius artist Khatnipp gave me like Uncle Scrooge keeps his first lucky penny... 😜
▷ At the moment I'm working on a new album with my bro Wolf City. The atmosphere will be very different from 'Sonoran' because after the arid desert and the vultures of Arizona, the album will have the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. For my future it's simple, with my wife we revolve our whole lives around our three and a half year old son who has been diagnosed with autism. All my energy, my love, my strength, my money, my time are 200% devoted to him. All the money I earn from my music goes towards caring for my wonderful son. Which means that I have absolutely no possibility of going to explore the concert halls. God only knows where I will be in five years but my goal is to improve my music as soon as I have the opportunity (two hours a week in the studio is enough for me) and to continue to collaborate with artists who are dear to me, like the ones I met here on Audius! Besides, let's conclude this incredible week with a torrent of 34-carat benevolence for the Audius community which is pure gold 🙏🏼. Thanks again to Audius for giving me the opportunity to express myself. 💜🎶
