HXNS: A Dragon/Flying-type Music Producer (or Pokémon??)
Get ahead of Spotify’s algorithm with Hummingbird’s Music Feeder, a dose of invigorating and soul-pleasing tunes
This Feeder focuses on HXNS, a producer well-versed in R&B, soul, and hip-hop. Further, check out some of the best new albums, from BIA’s deluxe version of FOR CERTAIN to Zack Fox’s ridiculous new album
Hear from Hummingbird’s Nest: HXNS speaks on Soulection, friendships in music
HXNS was only in elementary school when he produced his first hit song. Sure, it was only a mashup on the now-defunct JamGlue, a music editing website, but he was able to rack up significant plays by mashing together the beat from “Vans” by The Pack and the vocals from “Tell me When to Go” by E-40.
While he didn’t stick with music consistently at the time, it was only a few years later in high school when he downloaded FL Studio “out of boredom” and got to work. Dropping his own beats and remixes to popular songs, he built hype over SoundCloud during his college days, earning over one million streams.
Six years ago, he dropped “Chill With Me,” and it still stands as one of his biggest songs on SoundCloud. Other songs like “Work” and “Rockdaboat” also come from that time period and remain impressive pieces of art.
His earliest songs are some of his most popular, and show a young producer eager to prove himself by taking on a wide range of genres and styles with finesse.
He compared his style to the majestic strength of Dragonite, an ultra-powerful dragon/flying type Pokémon, but said in terms of physicality, he’s far closer to Machop, a smaller, muscular beast.
But he said his evolution came when he earned a co-sign from Soulection Records.
On a whim, one of his friends sent Soulection a link to “Work” on Twitter, and HXNS describes what came next as nothing short of life-changing.
“[Soulection] spread it like wildfire, and the next morning my phone and email were blowing up and my SoundCloud followers skyrocketed overnight,” he says. “Ever since then, we’ve been in contact… Much love to those people.”
Of any co-sign in the industry, Soulection’s might be the most potent. Their deep appreciation for the artistry of music combined with a large and dedicated following make their words all the more powerful.
“They’re all about the music,” he says. “If you go to their shows you can tell the crowd is there for the music. They’re not there to look cool or because someone else is there. Everyone legitimately loves the music.”
The fact that HXNS has been featured on their radio show a series of times is impressive, and he’s used their connections to create a producing portfolio that’s eclectic and thorough.
Beyond Soulection, he gave credit to Kanye West, Tyler, the Creator, and Toro y Moi as artists that changed his perspective on music. But the piece of art he spoke most effusively about was Soul, Disney’s recent movie about a middle school music teacher that wishes he could have another shot at making it as a concert musician.
“That movie low-key changed how my brain works,” he says. “I feel like I needed to see that as a creative. I don’t really cry at movies, but that one almost brought me to tears.”
Check out the rest of the interview on our website!
Tune In: Best Drops of the Past Few Weeks
BIA ~ FOR CERTAIN DELUXE
Filling out what was previously too short of an album, the deluxe version of FOR CERTAIN contains some of BIA’s best raps and takes the focus away from the features. Specifically, “Can’t Touch This” and “Big Deal” with Sevyn Streeter are trunk-knocking highlights.
Zack Fox ~ shut the fuck up talking to me
Securing the highly-touted 3.6 score from Pitchfork, Zack Fox may have just dropped the greatest album of all time. With academically stimulating lines talking about how he’s shitting on other rappers so much that it’s like he’s got two butts, or punchlines that request folks to get their hands off his penis, Fox truly found his home with this album.
Wale ~ Folarin II
Rocking a more focused sound than we’ve heard from Wale in years with the exception of The Imperfect Storm, Folarin II is satisfying and easy listen that’ll comfort DC residents and longtime Wale fans.