Majesty Da God

Emerging hip-hop artist Majesty Da God is sending some love to his hometown of Los Angeles with "My City," the first single off his forthcoming EP The Apollo. AXS had a chance to speak with him recently to learn more about the song, as well as the man behind it.

Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Majesty Da God calls the new single his homage to where he's from. "A lot of folks wanted me to get more in depth about who I am and where I come from in my music. I think that song was a great first step in that direction," he explained in our e-mail interview. "It’s a fun song, but I drop little lines about who I am."

"It seems like there’s this unwritten rule that if you’re a rapper from Los Angeles you have to be affiliated with some type of gang," he continued. "I’m not and I wanted that to be known from the jump."

Raised by his mother alongside two brothers and a sister, he told us that while growing up was a struggle at times, he's thankful to his mother for always making sure the family had enough and for giving him the strength to get through some serious situations in his youth. He took that strength and, inspired by artists like Canibus, Eminem, Lloyd Banks, Jay-Z and Kanye West, found his way into hip-hop.

Since then, he's released the single "All Systems Go" and the album Suicide Sundays Vol. 1, and performed at well-known Los Angeles venues like The Key Club, Whiskey-A-Go-Go and House of Blues. Earlier this month, he opened for Sen Dog of Cypress Hill at The Viper Room, and is in the process of setting up a tour to support the release of The Apollo.

But he's never forgotten where he came from. His rap moniker is actually taken from his brother's first name, Majesty. "Da God" is inspired by his own first name, Melchizedec; several years ago, he met a gentleman who told him some Christian historians believe Melchizedec is the real name of God, and that fact stuck with him ever since.

Majesty Da God's ultimate career goal is to move anyone who listens to his music, passing on the same emotion and feeling that he gets from creating it. He told us that he's known for a while now that hip-hop would be his career and that he can't see himself doing anything else at this point. Based on the combination of catchy lyrics and heart that's in "My City," he shouldn't have to do anything else either.

Except maybe keep working on one fact that didn't make it into the song: "I want to eat at every restaurant that was on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,'" he revealed.

"My City" is now available on iTunes.

For more on Majesty Da God, visit his official Facebook page. - Brittany Frederick/AXS.com

Majesty Da God is a talented hip-hop artist and music producer. Hailing from south central Los Angeles, Majesty brings a unique sound to the genre that is unmatched. His style and creativity show his love of music from all genres and give a fresh perspective from the rap music you hear today.

When did you know you loved performing?
“When I was about 12 or 13, I was pretty confident that I had a gift of rapping and performing. I loved rhyming in cyphers and battling other rappers.”

Was your family surprised when you decided to get involved in the music industry?
“Not at all. I’ve been rapping since I was about 9 or 10 years old so they have seen my progression as an artist and they really want me to accomplish all the goals I have set for myself.”

Who has been the biggest inspiration to your life, and why?
“My mom has been the biggest inspiration. Watching her persevere and go through the things she went through has taught me so much about life and what it takes to be strong.”

What was the first performance you remember as a kid? Can you tell us about it?
“In middle school I was in a music group with another student, and the administration wanted us to perform a rap song about the school at an assembly. We had to do it twice. This was our first time performing on stage in front of a crowd. On the very first performance, my partner messed up on his verse and was so embarrassed that he shoved the mic in my chest and ran off the stage.

“The crowd was dead silent and everyone was just staring at me. I decided to stay on stage and just did my verse as hard as I could. When I was done, I got a standing ovation and the crowd went nuts. I got crazy respect after that moment.”

Are you the only member of your family who performs?
“Yes, my older brother also makes music though. I’m hoping this next generation will take a liking to creating music and performing.”

Tell us about your music. You have a unique genre.
“I wouldn’t know what label to put on it. I just like to create music that I feel strongly about regardless of what type of sound it has. I feel I have the talent to make anything sound good so I like to find tracks that are out of the ordinary and make something special out of it.”

What has been your favorite experience on stage?
“I did a small show in San Diego a couple of years ago. I can’t remember the name of the venue but it was a real nice spot downtown. It looked more like a poetry slam because people were sitting at tables and the lighting was different because I could see everyone in the audience. I was performing this song called Go, from my first mixtape, and I could tell the people were paying attention to the lyrics because cats were banging on the tables and going crazy at their seats while I was rapping. It was pretty dope to see their reactions to the music.”

Tell us about your latest album?
“It’s called The Apollo EP. It’s seven tracks of some of the hottest music you’ll hear from a rapper. I think it’s my best work yet. Among other things, Apollo was the God of Music, so I felt it was only right to give the project that name because that’s how I feel when I’m on the mic. I got more personal on this project and talked more about my life and where I come from. I share some lessons that I’ve been taught and experiences I’ve had. I think it’s really going to stand out.”

Tell us about your family.
“I’ll just say that I have an amazing family and support system.”

What was your best day?
“I don’t think anything can replace watching your children being born.”

Aside from music, what do you deeply care about and why?
“Family first off. Life isn’t worth living without your family by your side. A subject that’s important to me and that I’m going to address in this lifetime is homelessness. I’m not sure why it became an important subject for me, but about two years ago I felt it was something I wanted to tackle and I have a non-profit idea that I have been working on for awhile. I think no person should ever have to deal with not knowing where they’re going to lay their head at night. I hope what I’m planning out can help some folks in the near future.”

Has there been any life event that really impacted your music style? Can you tell us about it?
“My life in general has impacted my music. I was born and raised in south central L.A., but I’ve been fortunate enough to see some things outside of the neighborhood. I’ve had some people in my life that have taught me things about life that the streets couldn’t and vice versa. I feel my music is a mix of where I came from and where I want to be.”

There are some people that believe that hip-hop is a dying sound.
“I have this discussion with friends all the time. I guess it depends on how you view hip-hop. For me, hip-hop is a culture that embodies many things, one of which happens to be music. Hip-hop music is constantly evolving and changing. The hip-hop music from the 80’s sounds nothing like it does today. There are more rappers and producers now than there probably ever have been before, so the market is saturated with material, but I don’t think that means it’s dying. On the contrary, it’s pushing the sound to a different level because a lot of artists are trying hard to stand out from the rest of the flock.”

Where would you like to take your career from here?
“I think the next step for me would be touring in the U.S. and abroad. I’ve done shows in different cities but I haven’t officially toured. I know once I’m in front of people, the music will speak for itself so that’s a crucial next step. I’m working on it now and hope to be on the road as early as this summer or fall.”

Is there anything you would like your audience to know about you?
“I want them to know that my name is Majesty Da God because God lives in me. God lives in all of us. A smart man once told me that we all have a little Jesus and a little Judas in us. Our decisions decide which one we’re going to show to the world. So many people hear my name and they get offended for some reason. I don’t promote any religion — who and what you praise is your choice. But for me, I want to promote living your life to the fullest and creating your world the way you want it to be, not how someone else wants it for you. Be smart and be courageous.”

For more information about Majesty Da God, go to www.majestydagod.com, @MajestyDaGod on Twitter, Instagram and Vine and www.soundcloud.com/majestydagod. - TMM Staff

Hailing from Los Angeles, California, Majesty Da God is a driven, passionate and unique hip hop artist with a personal and in-your-face attitude.

His songs are all about storytelling and sharing personal experiences through music. For instance, his brand new single, “All Systems Go” is closely related to a fight he had with his wife and just recalls that passion and mood.

The sound is a great compromise in between the old school and the new: tight drum machine beats and cool samples over a sharp, consistent and clever lyrical flow that boosts the songs and carries on through and through!

Stream via spotify. - moremoresound

Growing up in the harsh streets of South Central, Chez Bey, also known as hip-hop artist Majesty Da God, was drawn to music at a young age. This talented music artist’s new single “My City” is now available on iTunes and Amazon, and is the first single off his new EP, “The Apollo,” which will be released this coming May. His radio tour for “My City” will begin in mid-March 2015. - theROSAry

Can you hear that? Boom. “God Pt 2” suddenly blows out of your speakers with a beat that can give anyone the confidence to bust a move. It’s a God-like track with that catchy flow and deep bass line—the type of song that gets stuck in your head and makes you feel like a badass. The Apollo II is Majesty Da God’s second EP record and it’s as versatile as can be. From gold-chain-wearing-fried-chicken-eating monkeys to thanking God for his blessings and appreciating life, this EP has it both—tracks to bump to while riding with the windows down and songs where his lyrical prose inspires people to keep their heads up. Brown sugar, baby, give it to me—Majesty Da God made it hot like it’s supposed to be with his song “Brown Sugar” featuring artist Vee Stoner. It projects a sensual vibe that’s perfect for summer loving. In the last track, “I Hope,” his storytelling gives out the imagery of a father telling his sons all the important lessons in life. It’s a track that you want to focus on, because all he said in there is beautifully true.

Trial Track: “I Hope” Ft. De Loa

8/10 - The Concordian