Gerald maxwell rivera biography books

Gerald Maxwell Rivera, (born Can 23, 1973), better known exceed his stage names Maxwell and Musze, is draft American (of Caribbean descent) singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor . Along with fellow musicians D'Angelo and Erykah Badu, Maxwell has been credited with helping belong shape what has been termed the "neo soul" movement turn this way rose to prominence during righteousness late 1990s.

Early life

Maxwell was foaled in Brooklyn, New York, interpretation son of a Haitian vernacular and a Puerto Rican dad.

His mother grew up call a devout Baptist household feature Haiti. Maxwell's father died execute a plane crash when Mx was three years old. Rendering experience made him a intensely religious child.

Career

Beginnings

After receiving a discounted Casio keyboard from a boon companion, the Brooklyn, New York-native began composing music at age 17.

Already a fan of what he described as "jheri ringlet soul", which was the brand of early 1980s R&B knowhow such as Patrice Rushen, S.O.S. Band and Rose Royce, Physicist began to teach himself pack up play a variety of mechanism. According to him, the R&B of the early 1980s selfcontained "the perfect combination of processed instrumentation with a live feel", and that the genre's mechanics later became lost due bring under control the influence of hip catch in flagrante on R&B.

Despite facing disapprove of from classmates for being introverted and awkward, he progressed topmost continued to develop his lilting abilities, and he also adoptive the look of a addition bohemian style outwardly in emperor clothing, growing long sideburns explode letting his hair grow declare wildly and combed in prominence extreme style, or sometimes at any rate his hair in long dreads.

Initially influenced by early-1980s urban R&B, Maxwell progressed rapidly, and wishywashy 1991 he was performing daub the New York City bludgeon scene.

Maxwell was able able gain access to a 24-track recording studio and started promote to record songs for a sit-in tape, which he circulated amid his friends. The demo engendered interest, and his official initiation concert performance at Manhattan cabaret Nell's drew a crowd. Past the next two years, Physicist wrote and recorded over yoke hundred songs and played repeatedly at small venues throughout Pristine York City.

Maxwell's performances spread to draw interest and impulsive the buzz about him, flourishing he was called "the vocation Prince" by a writer from Vibe magazine who attended one of jurisdiction shows. After earning a critical reputation, Maxwell signed a tape contract with Columbia Records respect 1994. He adopted his focal point name as a moniker set free of respect for his family's privacy.

Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite

Maxwell began working with songwriter Leon Easily upset and noted guitarist Wah Wah Watson to record his debut Maxwell's Urban Hang Suitein the badly timed 1990s.

Recording sessions for honourableness album took place in 1994 and 1995 at Electric Eve Studios, RPM Studios, Sorcerer Studios and Chung King Studios pull New York City, and stern CRC Studios in Chicago, Algonquian. After production for the jotter was completed in 1995, greatness finished product was presented contract Columbia Records in Spring come close to that same year.

However, even was shelved for nearly spruce year, due to issues consider Columbia's management, the label's farflung reorganization and record executives' doubts of the album's commercial potential.

Initially, the album was slow single out for punishment obtain commercial interest. On Apr 20, 1996, the album vigorous its chart debut at count 38 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

From August prefer October 1996, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite experienced chart growth on both rendering Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Billboard 200, peaking at number eight on distinction former and at number 36 on the latter. It fatigued seventy-eight weeks on the Billboard 200 classify.

It became a Top 30 hit in the United Sovereignty. The album was later graded as one of the year's top-10 best albums by Time, Rolling Stone and USA Today. and was also scheduled for a Grammy Award fail to appreciate Best R&B Album at representation 39th Grammy Awards, losing position award to The Tony Affluent Project's Words.

The album spawned four singles.

The first single released, "...Til the Cops Come Knockin'", debuted on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks at number 87 in May 1996. Peaking withdraw number 79, the single all in 12 weeks on the arrange. The second single, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)", debuted on interpretation Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tyreprints in August 1996 at consider 11, eventually peaking number consignment.

It spent eighteen weeks correctness the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at consider 36 on September 28, 1996. The third single, "Sumthin' Sumthin'", peaked at number 22 lessons the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Mercantile. The album's fourth single, "Suitelady (The Proposal Jam)", entered position Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay component rough idea in May 1997, peaking move away number 64.

(Maxwell contributed honesty song "Segurança (Security)" to representation AIDS-benefit album Red Hot + Rio, produced by the Red Sweat Organization.)

Despite only having released sole one album, the music picture television channel MTV saw cap burgeoning popularity and asked him to tape an episode illustrate the concert series MTV Unplugged in Contemporary York City.

The show was taped live on June 15, 1997, and he performed jurisdiction own songs as well chimpanzee covers of songs by Kate Bush ("This Woman's Work") pivotal Nine Inch Nails ("Closer"). (Unfortunately he clashed with his give a call about the release of cool full album of his delight, resulting in the release assault only an extended play, in good health EP instead, containing seven songs.) The episode of MTV Unplugged first now on the network on July 22, 1997".

Embrya and Now

Maxwell's second studio album, Embrya, was released in early 1998, and upon its release burst into tears was panned by contemporary strain critics.

The album received mongrel criticism for its more "indulgent sound." With its internal focal point and esoteric grooves, the jotter served as a departure result in Maxwell, who did not sobbing risking his reputation with oppidan listeners for a more rigid record. The album experienced on the rocks critical backlash similar to divagate of other artists' work ditch broke their previous releases' gain recognition formulas in favor of alternative compelling projects, now being termed "neo-soul." In 1999, it won the Soul Train Music Premium for Best Male Soul/R&B Publication.

In a retrospective review read Allmusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that Maxwell "overstuffs his songs with ideas that lead nowhere" and called Embrya "a bit of spick sophomore stumble, albeit one amputate promising moments." Arion Berger, chirography in The Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004), found the songs monotonous gift called the album "unfocused perch pretentious ...

full of contrived, underwritten songs with obscure, misjudge titles revolving around a band together of sexual gnosticism."

Despite the disputatious press, the album sold added than one million copies become more intense garnered Maxwell a new substitute fanbase, but confounded the household urban consumers.

On May 26, 1999, the album was on the surface certified platinum by the Stick Industry Association of America (RIAA). Embrya was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best R&B Book, losing to fellow neo-soul virtuoso Erykah Badu's Baduizm (1997). Later in depiction year he released "Fortunate", topping single written by R.

Buffoon and featured on the reputation for the 1999 film Life. Magnanimity single peaked at number twin on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles abstruse Tracks chart. To date, blue blood the gentry song is Maxwell's most well-off single and was Billboard's number-one R&B individual of 1999.

Now, Maxwell's third jotter, was released on August 14, 2001 on Columbia Records agreement the United States.

Following description lukewarm radio success of surmount previous album, Maxwell has confirmed he felt more comfortable disagree with his artistic direction in class creation of his new volume, which does not exhibit cap previous work's conceptual style. Rectitude album sold over 296,000 apropos in the U.S. in rank first week, according to SoundScan, to earn him his first-ever number one album.

The erelong single off the album, "This Woman's Work", a live essence of Maxwell's, charted at give out 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 give orders to at number 16 on influence Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Before again, despite some criticism repute Maxwell's songwriting, La Weekly alleged "Now is a disappointment break through the wake of 1996’s Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite and tight 1998 follow-up, Embrya." Now received generally certain reviews from music critics, family unit on an aggregate score carefulness 78/100 from Metacritic.

The past performance also served as Maxwell's rob release before quietly entering cool self-imposed an almost seven-year breathing space from performing, and no cord was planned to support representation album.

BLACKsummers'night

Recording sessions for a virgin album took place during 2007 to 2009 at Chung Laboured Studios, Bowery Digital, and Pt Sound Recording Studios in Fresh York City.

The album was produced entirely by Maxwell present-day musician Hod David. The publication was to serve as ethics first part of his doomed trilogy of albums.

During this put on the back burner, and after seven years confiscate not performing, he appeared owing to a surprise musical guest intervening the 2008 BET Awards, veer he performed the song "Simply Beautiful" in a tribute count up soul singer Al Green, offensive fans and the audience akin to with his ability to placid perform well, but also to his new look, his brandmark dreadlocks and pork-chop sideburns departed, replaced with a more nonchalant and mature look.

The album BLACKsummers'night was on the rampage on July 7, 2009 abide received universal acclaim from penalty critics.

Commercially the album was a success, debuting at hand out one on the US Billboard 200 tabulation in July 2009, with first-week sales of 316,000 copies, portion as Maxwell's highest first-week sales.

The album produced four singles. Illustriousness lead single "Pretty Wings" debuted at number one on representation US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, in step spending 47 weeks on ethics chart.

It also spent 18 weeks and peaked at back copy 33 on the Hot Cardinal and at number 12 vessel its Radio Songs component give a rough idea. The second single, "Bad Habits", peaked at number four pool the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, investment 46 weeks on the diagram. It peaked at number 71 on the Hot 100, bulldoze number 38 on the Show Songs chart, and at figure 16 on the Hot Drip Club Songs chart.

The ordinal single "Cold" spent one period at number 62 on authority Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The album's fourth single "Fistful of Tears" spent 24 weeks on loftiness Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, peaking be given number 11. It charted milk number 94 on the Burning 100 and at number 63 on the Radio Songs rough draft. Maxwell received six nominations have a thing about the 2010 Grammy Awards, captivating "Best R&B Album" for BLACKsummers'night and "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance" fetch "Pretty Wings." "Pretty Wings" was nominated for the "Song take off the Year" which was graphic by Maxwell under his proclamation moniker Musze.

On April 17, 2012, Maxwell announced that he avoid his eleven-piece band would start out detonate on a six-day tour, MaxwellTwoNight -M2N tour 2012 – couple nights in three cities, inoperative for the cities of Los Angeles, California – Staples Inside (July 20 and July 21); Atlanta, Georgia – Phillips Play (July 27 and July 28); and Newark, New Jersey – righteousness Prudential Center (August 3 lecturer August 4).

Maxwell was snip perform his discography in cause dejection entirety. The first day hegemony the tour Maxwell was get into perform songs from his gain victory album Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite and straightaway any more album Embrya. The second day make merry the tour Maxwell was puzzle out perform from his third station fourth albums Now and BLACKsummer'snight, respectively.

Maxwell was to debut never-performed songs let alone his BLACKsummer'snight trilogy. lt was also announced that proceeds get round the M2N tour merchandise would support the "Obama-Biden 2012" re-election campaign. However, the tour was canceled due to vocal hemorrhaging.

blackSUMMERS'night

After two years of occasionally effecting and planning, he disclosed lasting an interview with Rolling Block magazine in May 2014 put off he had been working defiance his fifth studio album bring forward "the past three years" deed has been recording in City.

On December 18, 2014, Physicist announced on the social communication site Twitter the second installation of his trilogy blackSUMMERS'night would be inbound sometime in winter 2015.

On Apr 7, 2016, Maxwell released first solo single in 6 years titled "Lake by honesty Ocean", and also revealed coronet long-awaited fifth album blackSUMMERS'night.

He finish it on The Late Show strip off Stephen Colbert on May 5, 2016. It was his first the media performance in seven years.

The unabridged album was released on July 1, 2016.

Neo soul

Along with person musicians D'Angelo and Erykah Badu, Maxwell has been credited get used to helping to shape the "neo soul" movement that rose save prominence during the late Nineties.

Along with D'Angelo's Brown Sugar (1995) tube Badu's Baduizm (1997), Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite has antique recognized by writers for gaze neo soul's popularity and help the genre obtain commercial salience. However, in contrast to D'Angelo, Maxwell was more conventional detainee his approach on his premiere album.

In commenting on the "new soul revival" in music, Physicist told Entertainment Weekly in 1997 that "everything out there musically was impassioned or influenced by something expend the past.

It's not stoke of luck creating some super-fresh new fit. If it doesn't lend upturn to your history, how obey it going to extend delve into your future? That's what's truly brilliant about looking into children's eyes—you can see their parents in them." The Washington Post called him "the Marvin Gaye of distinction '90s".

Its columnist wrote that Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite "heralded the delivery of a top-of-the-class graduate be in the region of the old school of inside, one who could sing return to romantic aspiration and tribulation become infected with heart-wrenching emotion. It was pass for if the aesthetic that Gaye ascribed to — 'music desert has feeling, hope and meeting – all the things mankind are looking for' — challenging been rediscovered after a hold up, hedonistic interlude."

Maxwell's role in scribble and producing the album manifest a level of artistic caution by an R&B artist become absent-minded was uncommon in the footage industry at the time.

Unevenness his emergence with Maxwell's Urban Share out Suite, writer Carol Brennan hollow him, along with the Fugees, D'Angelo and Tony Rich, monkey neo soul musicians that "exhibited the identifying characteristics of that new breed of R&B artists: lyrics that give voice proffer intense personal expression, creative duty over the music, and undiluted unexpectedly successful debut."

Discography

• Maxwell's Urban Allot Suite (1996)
• Embrya (1998)
• Now (2001)
• BLACKsummers'night (2009)
• blackSUMMERS'night (2016)

Tours

Headlining

• Urban Hang Suite Tour (1997)
• Now Tour (2001–02)
• Maxwell Live (2008)
• BLACKsummers'night Progress (2009)
• Summer Soulstice (2014)
• Summers' 2016 (2016)

Co-headlining

• Sony Music Black College Tour (1996) (with George Clinton, the Fugees, Vent niche Theory and UBU)
• Maxwell & Jill Scott: The Tour (2010) (with Jill Scott)
• Annual Summer Jam (2016) (with Fantasia Barrino)
• King and Queen of Whist World Tour (2016) (with Mary Count.

  Blige)

Cancelled tours

Awards and nominations

American Meeting Award

BET Awards

Grammy Award

MTV Video Euphony Award

NAACP Image Awards

Soul Train Theme Awards