Thirty-one year old Ottawa musician and rapper Mxlclm X (Malcolm X) sat down with the Ottawa Reflections podcast at Up and Up Studios on Bank Street to talk about how producing music helped him through some of the toughest times in his life. He started writing when he was thirteen years old and as he always had a good vocabulary, writing lyrics came naturally to him. “I enjoy reaching deep down inside, and putting down on paper whatever I’m feeling. That’s the most rewarding part for me. And second to that is having someone say ‘hey, I feel like that too,'” Mxlclm said.
We asked Mxlclm if he finds opening up that way in front of hundreds or thousands of people a little intimidating, considering that it’s a vulnerable position to be in. “I’ve always found that I’ve been a pretty open book; I’ve been able to allow myself to be vulnerable. But yeah it can be scary to reach down into those dark places, confronting things you wouldn’t necessarily express to other people,” he added. “It’s not only rewarding when you do it, but it takes a heavy weight off you.”
Interview with Mxlclm X at Up and Up Studios in Ottawa.
Mxlclm shared that a lot of people consider to be both rhythm and poetry combined. “It’s just two sides of the same coin,” he said. Growing up, Mxlclm had a rhyming dictionary and he would always keep it close by. He would also read pages out of regular dictionaries, all to sharpen his mind and pen.
While lyrics often come to Mxlclm spontaneously, he doesn’t want to rely on that, as inspiration may not come for a long time during creative dry spells. So, it’s a matter of being disciplined and writing even when the inspiration isn’t clear. Just like any other skill, Mxlclm said, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Everything he writes is personal to him in some way. In some cases, his songs are based on things that he’s been through or experiences that his friends or family have faced. “Sometimes I call what I write ‘struggle music,’ and that’s where I get the most rewarding,” he said. He spoke about how rewarding it is to hear from his listeners that others have felt the same way or have experienced the same things, and that they found his music relatable.
Mxlclm’s music delves into some heavy topics and experiences, including his past run-ins with homelessness, addiction, gun violence, and death. “I’ve lost a lot of people,” Mxlclm said. “I’m grateful to still be here, but I do hold some guilt for friends and family who aren’t.”
Mxlclm speaks about his process for producing elaborate music videos in the Ottawa area, many of them available on his YouTube channel, as well as his inspirations both in the world of music and in a broader sense, and his ambitious plans.
Listen to the full podcast here.