Txx Will

Unlike most artists venturing into a solo career in the music business, TXX Will a.k.a. T- Will has already made music history. TXX Will hails as a member of the 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians, who’s single “Let’s Get Fucked Up” proved to be the crucial crossover success that put Kansas City on the hip hop map. Since the anthem’s release, Kansas City has been recognized as a legitimate force to be reckoned with. No one could predict that five childhood friends who gathered on a porch would create a classic with the help of some music and alcohol, but they did, and now TXX Will’s call to “open the window, I need some wind!” is a line recited from the hood to the suburbs. With his debut album Maximum Volume, TXX Will is finally venturing into solo territory, taking with him a flow that swings with confidence, a sharp eye for detail, and the rare gift of dropping lines that become part of our everyday life.

“That’s what I want. I want people to hear something I say and tell themselves ‘I’m going to start saying that!’” Says TXX Will. Growing up on the corner of Kansas City, Missouri’s 56th and Highland, TXX Will has seen his fair share of street life, but never lost his touch when it comes to having fun in the recording booth: “I don’t come in and always try to be tough and mean. I got a sly sense of humor, so even on a mad song I’ll always slip in a punchline that gets that across.” The rewindable-phrases that TXX Will peppers throughout a verse serve his purpose in rap, a pure-hearted pursuit that amounts to more than than just the dollars: “I want people to relate to my music and get something from it. In my music, I want people to find joy and entertainment. I want to make people smile and repeat what I’m saying.”

For the release of Maximum Volume, TXX Will saw the potential of joining forces with Bryan Singleton and his production company Sticky Icky Entertainment. The two initially met when TXX Will recorded the anthemic “KC Clap” for the 2008 Sticky Icky compilation album, Middle of the Map. Recognizing the supreme business acumen in Singleton, the caliber of talent that was on the Sticky Icky label, and the follow-through of the company, TXX Will saw the move as a no-brainer: “With the combination of the music abilities of Roguish records and the business savvy of Sticky Icky–this is a deadly combination!” Quick to collaborate with the up-and-coming company, TXX Will features Sticky Icky’s Houston on ”Ball Til I Die” from Maximum Volume.

TXX Will has had the good fortune of working with some of the best recording artists and producers in the midwest, so when it came time to decide who would work on his debut solo album Maximum Volume, decisions were easy. Veteran producer Don Juan, who laid the beats on such midwestern classics such as Tech N9ne’s “Mitchell Bade” and “Einstein”, along with Boogie Man and Goodro, provide him with the sound he needs: hard-pounding and aggressive drums along with smooth baselines that fit in the pocket. For rhyming assistance, he brought along none other than the fellow Rogue Dog, Big Scoob himself. Neighborhood friend and independent rap king Tech N9ne also appears on Maximum Volume to throw his lyrical weight around. Listening to the school peers turned rap stars, it becomes clear that they’ve made plenty of hits before. The old-school camaraderie of the 57th Street Rogue Dog Villians also shines through on “Last Call”, the lead single and music video from Maximum Volume. With the help of Rogue Dog Villian Bakarii, who collaborated on the song’s concept and hook, TXX will has another party anthem on his hands, dropping verses with lines that make you ask “did he just say that?”

With Maximum Volume, TXX Will’s infectious flow and personality will finally be on full display for a solo release that allows him to shine in ways previously unseen on group albums. Look out for Maximum Volume on March 15, and for TXX Will to keep leaving lines that you find yourself saying on the daily.