Maxwell (1973- ) is an American singer of neo soul, the sort of R&B that Erykah Badu, D’Angelo and Jill Scott sing.
His top ten hits on the American R&B charts:
- 1996: Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder) (#8)
- 1999: Fortunate (#1)
- 2001: Lifetime (#5)
- 2009: Pretty Wings (#1)
- 2009: Bad Habits (#4)
On this blog he was voted the ninth most gorgeous black man in the world – and that despite having a bad picture in the poll.
He does seem to have an effect on women. Jeannine Amber of Essence magazine went to one of his shows in 1997:
One woman jumps up and waves her arms over her head. Maxwell smiles, touches his fist to his heart, his fingers to his lips. The woman hits her friend on the arm over and over. “Did you see, did you see?” she cries and collapses back into her seat. A whole theater full of women and this young man – this suit-wearing, crazy-haired, looking-like-he-walked-out-of-1974 young thing … the first one since Teddy Pendergrass to ship women into such a frenzy.
His appeal is not merely physical. He told Rolling Stone:
It bothers me how women are treated in pop songs. I’m doing my best to pay some long-overdue respect to African-American women.
His music in both style and content was so out of place in the 1995 R&B scene that Columbia Records did not put out his album at first. Not till the success of D’Angelo’s “Brown Sugar” (1995) did it know that it could sell. And it did: his first album, “Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite”, sold 2 million copies.
Maxwell is half Puerto Rican and half Haitian. He grew up in East New York, a rough part of Brooklyn in New York City. When he was three his father died in a plane crash. His mother gave him a religious upbringing. Fearing for his safety, she kept him indoors much of the time. So he turned to reading, studying the Bible and music.
He grew up on the Jheri curl soul of the 1980s, stuff like Patrice Rushen, the S.O.S Band, Rose Royce and Loose Ends.
He sang at church but did not become serious about music till a friend gave him an old Casio keyboard. He learned to play it and several other instruments. Later he was singing at clubs at night while working as a waiter by day.
A friend of a friend knew someone at a record company. One thing led to another and in 1994 he landed a record deal with Columbia. He liked Columbia because they did not try to force him to be someone else. They even let him write and produce his own music.
His first three albums each sold over a million copies. Then he took a six-year break. He was sick of the music business and he loved being a nobody again. But now he is back with an album trilogy, “Black Summer’s Night”. Part one came out in 2009, part two is due out in 2011 and part three will follow a year or so later.
See also:
- songs
- The most gorgeous black man in the world
- Alicia Keys – also had a record deal with Columbia in the 1990s but had a very different experience.
His music isn’t my cup of tea, but I respect the hell of his message. He seems to be a very down to earth person without projecting I’m holier than thou mentality.( coughJillScottcough) Love his hair.
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He’s also been sort of under the greater Sade umbrella, having worked a good deal with Stuart Matthewman on his first album.
Wherever, Whenever, Whatever is a great song to learn guitar to, as the arpeggios aren’t complex, and the song sounds good.
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God I love Maxwell. Glad to see he stuck to his roots and wanted to do his own music. Not to mention he is fine! We need more people in the industry like Maxwell.
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Oh so sexy!!! I love me some Maxwell! Oh yeah, he sings real good too!
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Adore Maxwell. Always have.
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That hair.
Enough said.
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Maxwell’s music makes me feel good and I absolutely enjoy watching his live performances!
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Still the best MTV Unplugged performance Yet.
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Ahhh Love Maxwell! Urban Hang Suite will stand the test of time. Embrya is a gem that shouldn’t be ignored. My only wish is that he would tour with Sade. In my mind, I know it could work. lol!
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Urban Hang Suite was a fixture in my CD player in the late 90s. Particularly when I had a girl over.
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I knew someone from college who loved his song “A Woman’s Work”. To this day everytime I hear that song I’m reminded of her. lol
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Here’s something we can agree on. Maxwell Unplugged helped me to get girls for years. I think it’s the only R&B album I ever owned.
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Oh Yes!
@Randy
SMH, LOL
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No matter whom I voted for in Abagond’s poll “The most gorgeous black man in the world” — among celebs, Maxwell is in my top three of overall sexiness.
A friend said several years ago that if Maxwell were just walking around without the suit, I wouldn’t give him a second look, to which I vehemently disagreed. I don’t know about all this “swagger” people are talking about (until we come up with the next overused trendy word), but “M” has a presence that is strongly sexual and spiritual (which go hand in hand when the sex is meaningful). And then there are his eyes and his lips and that chin … and his height.
As I told my disbelieving friend in 2009, right after BLACKsummer’snight was released, Maxwell could’ve been sitting on the subway (in his “nobody” stage during his hiatus) and I would’ve been staring at him so hard, his clothes would’ve melted off his frame.
My friend’s comment made me think of all the guys in middle school and high school who were budding with handsomeness yet got overlooked or c**kblocked by the jocks. I never went for the jocks, but for the guys with beautiful minds and non-darting, soul-searching eyes — like Maxwell’s.
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@Usagi: I respect your right (and all of our rights) to express a thought, but, really, when are we going to stop putting down Black women singers whose roots are in poetry? (coughUsagicough) I love Jill Scott’s voice, but I’ll always think of her as a poet and songwriter first and a singer second.
Spoken-word tradition is not for everyone. But “holier than thou mentality”? Wow. I guess an intelligent person who happens also to be positive is “holier than thou.” If I had a dollar for every time a person told me “Stop trying so hard” in the workplace or asked me, “What are you trying to prove?” I would be rich. Only weak-minded people and/or people fearful of expressing their own personal power get intimidated by another person’s (or other people’s) intelligence and influence. Jill Scott has both, and much inner and external beauty to boot. Let’s not forget that she is a mighty fine actor, too.
Jill Scott, for many of us, is our sister-mother-daughter-aunt-cousin-friend all wrapped up in one. It’s a family thang. I’m not intimidated by your “holier than thou comment,” but offended, as if you insulted a family member.
Live *your* life like it’s golden, and do *you.* Jill Scott is doing herself just fine and enjoying the success that comes from authenticity. Thank you.
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[…] It figures only an Abagond post can coax me back onto the Internet while I’m still nursing an injury. Check out this link to read Abagond’s blog post titled “Maxwell” (February 11, 2011), here on WordPress: https://abagond.wordpress.com/2011/02/02/maxwell/. […]
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“I respect your right (and all of our rights) to express a thought, but, really, when are we going to stop putting down Black women singers whose roots are in poetry? (coughUsagicough) I love Jill Scott’s voice, but I’ll always think of her as a poet and songwriter first and a singer second.”
He music is okay. The song I like the most was the black brother song. I don’t know the name. Meh. I like what I like. Lauren Hill’s singing is way better. Plus, I don’t think she’s all that attractive. I’m not into obese women. I didn’t really care for some of her views on certain things. Her article in Essence about interrecail relationships came off as a guilt trip. She’s was never a slave and I don’t see how she use that to feel weird about it. The person she was talking about wasn’t ever downing bw, he just fell in love with a ww. I don’t think she’s that great. There are artists that do the excat same thing but better. Again, what’s with the herd mentality among black americans? I know Nigerians that don’t like Nollywood movies or Japanese people that can’t stand anime. Why do I have to support anyone that’s vaguely the same color, regardless of my feelings? I don’t praise everything thats non-black, but I not going to love everything that’s black, either. My peronals tastes will always came first.
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Maxwell cames off better because he expresses himself, but in a way “This real because I’m so smart”. Plus, he has fun with himself.
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“Jill Scott, for many of us, is our sister-mother-daughter-aunt-cousin-friend all wrapped up in one. It’s a family thang. I’m not intimidated by your “holier than thou comment,” but offended, as if you insulted a family member.
Live *your* life like it’s golden, and do *you.* Jill Scott is doing herself just fine and enjoying the success that comes from authenticity. Thank you.”
Still would listen to Kittie, Living Color, Jero and Miyavi over Jill Scott. They singing more to my soul. I don’t see why it offends you. I don’t think Jill cares. I’m pretty sure that she accepts that some people aren’t going to get her music and accepts that she’s fat.
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Interesting.
A friend of mine met him after a show he did in my hometown a couple of years ago and while backstage, he and his band were extremely nice and chatted up all the beautiful Black women ( my friend included), he went back to his hotel with the skankiest white chicks she had ever seen.
For her, he had lost a few fans. Not because she wanted to be the one to go home with him, or that the girls were white but apparently his ‘selection’ was so gross that she wondered if he might have an STD….or would get one after that evening. She was a bit miffed because the almost sold-out stadium was filled with thousands of the most gorgeous Black women she had ever saw at a show, yet……..
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“A woman’s work” and “Whenever, wherever” didn’t make the charts????????????
I remember a few years ago, some people were mad because he was seen holding hands with Dutch supermodel Doutzen Kroes. Ha!
Anyway, glad he’s back. I love his much. I have the new album.
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I really admire Maxwell’s talent and style. And my goodness is he attractive or what? I have a thing for men like him. Casual, deep, and a smile that makes the sun jealous.
If you didn’t know by now I am a gal, just in case.
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[…] citations: 01, 02, 03 LD_AddCustomAttr("AdOpt", "1"); LD_AddCustomAttr("Origin", "other"); […]
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I still love you Max, you got me through the hard times!!!! God bless you! Jem
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Maxwell is one of my favorite neo soul artist. Smooth and breezy vocals. He is very sexy.
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Maxwell, your music is great! I’m your biggest fan in South America…I wish you all the best…Keep up the good work! I can’t wait to listen to your new songs! ! !
Take care!
Love,
Esmeralda Pessoa, Rio de janeiro, Brazil
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Marry me, Maxwell!!!
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I think Maxwell’s music is ta live for!!!! He has a sexy body ,with the V-Shape thing going ….. Awesome singer , his music sets the mood any and every time… No matter when or where…. God Bless you and keep you safe Maxwell!!!! Can’t wait to see what God had for you next…..
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[…] citations: 01, 02, 03 This is a post from Alice in […]
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I LOVE “This girl’s work” absolutely beautiful. I’m sure “Kate Bush” would approve!! Absolutely BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL, BRILLIANT and a man who is some WONDERFUL EYE CANDY😁😁😁😙😙😙😎🎹🎵♩🎶🎸V
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