Xavier Marquis
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States | SELF
Music
Press
In a town swimming with contently underground hip-hop acts, rapper/producer Xavier Marquis is an aberration. Throw on a Marquis track and you'll swear it's KDWB - his mainstream aspirations are clear. That's not a bad thing. The skilled MC studied at Flyte Tyme Productions, home to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. It's there that Marquis honed his production chops, arriving at a contemporary Top 40 aesthetic with enough artful swingbeat touches to keep things interesting. From a rapping end, he's got a choppy flow a la Drake, with bars like "go ahead and hate me/'cause you ain't gonna break me." Marquis is celebrating the release of his "The X-Files Mixtape: Episode 2 with Tek, Ceewhy and Gabrielle Samone. -Jay Boller - Vita.mn Magizine
What I've learned by working in the music industry is that music with no depth, artists that are manufactured and have no real talent are disposable. People catch on quickly. What I know is that the first time I heard Crazy Love, i found my new favorite song. When i met Xavier, I saw passion and longevity. I'm positive that he really is the next big thing. You all can thank me in advance for seeing it. I won't hesitate to say, I told you so. - Danni Starr, Radio Personality 96.3 The Beat
Discography
Mixtapes
The X-Files Mixtape: Episode 2 (August 2011)
The X-Files Mixtape: Episode 1 (March 2010)
Singles
Don't Want Know (June 2011)
Lovelee Day (May 2011) (89.9 KMOJ)
Open Letter (November 2010)
Crazy Love (August 2010)
You Killin' Me (July 2010) (89.9 KMOJ)
Paradise (January 2010)
Hate Me (December 2009)
Dangerous (2009) (89.9 KMOJ)
Photos
Bio
Xavier Marquis (pronounced Zay-vee-air Mar-key), was born in Minneapolis, MN. Xavier’s knack for music and rhythm was evident at a young age. At the age of 9, Xavier started writing his first rhymes. In the 5th grade, at age 10, Xavier formed his first rap group that went by the name “The Little XDL” with his cousin Dom Davis aka Dearling Physique. At age 16, he purchased his first keyboard. It was that keyboard that helped Xavier hone his production skills.
In 2002, Xavier was introduced to Ray Seville of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis’ company Flyte Tyme, and immediately started producing for various artist’s. During his stint at Flyte Tyme, Xavier vigorously studied the production of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis past work and created his own unique formula to producing hits that took his songwriting, rapping, and production skills to a new level. "The time I spent at Flyte Tyme was essential to my growth as a music producer and artist. There was so much history there. Just to know that you were recording in the same place that Michael and Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Boys II Men, and Usher once recorded in is breathtaking and motivating."
In 2007, Xavier started his production company, Findin' Muziq. The name Findin' Muziq was chosen because of Xavier's strong desire to find and create a new sound in mainstream music.
In 2009, Xavier focused on his first mixtape, The X-Files Mixtape: Episode 1, which was a highly anticipated mixtape full of original songs and beats that were inspired by many different styles and genre's of music. Xavier understands the importance of versatility, saying, "I like to give listeners' ears a full course meal. A lot of artists are either afraid or unable to step out of the box. People get tired of the same ole' thing all the time, so I attempt to give them a little bit of everything to fill not only their appetite, but mine as well." The critically acclaimed mixtape was successfully released March 9th, 2010.
On July 28th, 2011, Xavier headlined The X-Files Mixtape: Episode 2 Release Show. Accompanied by his backing band, Xavier performed to a near-capacity crowd at 7th Street Entry (First Avenue) in Minneapolis, MN. The Mixtape featured the single "Open Letter" which was awarded the Urban Finals Grand Prize by Ourstage.com.
Now, Xavier is performing and promoting his latest mixtape, Episode 2. He is also working on Happy Kids, a side project with backing-band mate and long-time friend Munqs.
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