The Complex Life Of XV

ABOUT ME

I am a 21-year old Wichita, Kansas native and a fresh face to the music industry. But I have been working towards becoming a household name for nearly 5 years. That work just might pay off with the release of my highly anticipated debut, "COMPLEX", in which I've been working on for a year and a half.

I was born and raised on the Northeast side of Wichita, Kansas, and was not your average kid on the block. Of course I played basketball, rode my bike and reenacted scenes from Power Rangers, like any other youthful spirit would. But my interests varied from those of my three brothers. With a born love for music like my father, who was a record label A&R and an employee at BET, I began writing songs at the age of 9. Although I was raised by my Mom and Step-Father, the love of music was instilled in me, as well as various other talents such as, writing screenplays and designing websites.

"When I said I wanted to be something, I mean't it! My Grandmother would take me to the library on the weekends and get me every book I needed to learn how to make a movie. I was far from your average kid. When kids were at recess, I would be in class using the school camera to shoot fake news reports. I'm a big dreamer."

The title 'COMPLEX' was created when I was trying to describe my album to Bling. It was like being told to describe a three-dimensional piece in two-dimensional form. The title also reflects a characteristic carried amongst most prodigies. I feel the most abstract and idealistic people in the world are complex, because there's so many different layers to them. Albert Einstein was complex, Picasso was complex, Tupac was complex. This album is basically my search for clarity. With 13-tracks laced with thought-provoking, clever and sometimes cocky lyrical content, my search seems to come to a happy medium. With fresh and original topics varying from stereotyping to the differences in urban and suburban america. COMPLEX is my first major album.

It is a constant struggle for an artist to find himself, and many get lost in the search. It's also a battle for a brand new artist to come out and just be themself. With an album filled with honesty, positivity, humor, vulnerability and hardly any obscenities, finding clarity may not be an issue any longer. I'm a regular human-being. I get mad in traffic, I curse, I think about sex 98% of the day. But, in the end. When they read about me or find my time capsule 500 years from now. I want them to say that I was a positive dude. And that's who I am in my music.

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ENTRIES

Saturday, April 7, 2007

10:03 PM

AN ALL NEW CLIP OF "XV:TV" FOR YA'LL!!!!!

This clip features me and Seven, at Olive Garden in NYC with some friends. Seven, drunk, and me, being goofy, bust out in an acapella version of "My Only Girl", featuring Seven. Seven raps his verse to the person it's about (also, the camera woman). It WAS kind of an inside joke...now you're all a part of it. LOL! Check it out!

Tuesday, April 3, 2007

9:25 PM

FRESH FROM THE STUDIO...
here's an exclusive joint from the upcoming mixtape, "Royalty City Vol. 4", featuring myself and RocStar.

EXCLUSIVE!!!!!!!!!
XV ft. RocStar - Rearview (from "Royalty City Vol. 4")
http://www.royaltycity.com/music/XV&RocStar-Rearview.m3u

2:42 AM

Due to a major change in my lifestyle I have developed a cool hobby that I used to cherish as a teenager. READING!!!! Though I admit, I read and wrote a book report about "Lord Of The Flies" every year since 6th Grade, I enjoyed reading WHAT I WANTED TO READ in my spare time. Including, scripts, autobiographies, and (my favorite) comic books.

My Grandmother used to take me to the flea market every Saturday when I spent weekends with her and would buy me any comic books or vinyl records I wanted. I picked up an infatuation for Batman and Spawn comics and collected every Spawn issue up to date.

I wanted to bring back that joy in my life, so, I started my comic collection back up. Spending hundreds of dollars at my local comic book store already, I've gathered the entire Marvel Civil War collection, including ALL TIE-INS, (god, I'm SUCH a nerd) and began my Frank Miller collection (my favorite comic illustrator) with all of the Sin City's. I plan to RE-collect my Spawn collection next. Aside from reading "books with pictures", I have began on Sun Tzu's "Art Of War" which has been sitting on my bookshelf since I moved out (in 2003). But, i'm going to finish it this time.

Wish me luck on my quest for a life :-)

In Music News...The charts for CMJ go up this Thursday, and it looks to be a promising one. I am already #1 on Canadian College Radio (even topping J. Dilla's new album "Ruff Draft"), and have already received adds on various college stations across the U.S. I'm also planning a college tour stretch with Manhattan's R&B sensation, Mardell Maxwell, which will include a show at Hollywood's "Knitting Factory". More news on that soon.

For the past two weeks, I have been in the studio working with my "Partner In Rhyme", Bling, on his debut album called, "The Fingerprint". We have already mapped out 6 joints for the album, and it's coming along preeeeetttttttyyy nicely!

"Royalty City Vol. 4" will also begin production this month. With the Royalty crew all heading to Chi-Town for my homegirl, that you perverts and porn lovers might know as, Jazmine Cashmere's, birthday party. I'll be sure to take pictures, lmao!!!! So, Royalty City Vol. 4 will most likely start production the same week, with Me, Sez, Bling & our latest signee, RocStar, all together, in one room. We just gotta crack the door and let God in, right Bling? So, more news to come on that. And we'll have another surprise for ya'll this month as well, so stay tuned.

COMIC I'M READING NOW:

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO:
"300 - Soundtrack"

Sunday, April 1, 2007

3:15 PM

Another XV:TV exclusive for ya'll!! Check out this crazy clip of me on vacate at "World Of Fun" in Kansas City, MO, riding the 180 foot high, "RIPCORD"!

12:44 AM

I FEEL GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!

Okay....other than having over 1500 plays on MySpace yesterday, maddd messages and comments, and props from alot of dope artists, I received probably the coolest Friend Request in the ENTIRE world!!!!! (FYI ... for your information ... "The Office" is my favorite television show, EVER!) "The Office" actor B.J. Novak (as "Ryan"), sent me a friend request on MySpace!!!!! All of "The Office" actors from the show don't accept friend requests from bands on MySpace, so, it was exciting too look in my Friend Requests folder and see B.J. NOVAK!!!!!

I've met alot of famous and well-known people in my career, but, at that moment, I was the most star struck person EVER! And, I didn't even meet him. He just sent me a friend requests!!! LOL! Am I a fan of "The Office" or what!?