Live Forever

Photo by Shedrick Pelt

The laws of attraction are a motherf… Last Wednesday, I was playing middle man, doing my usual good deed to connect friends for a branding opportunity between a sneaker company and a rapper. The missing piece was Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, who I hope will bridge this gap between music and fashion. My ears soon tingled when someone said “Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire is coming through.” Seconds later, the man of the hour walks into WNYU’s radio station. He’s flanked by his manager and a camera man. The stars are aligning.

We proceed to talk like old friends. Family, rap, video games, just shooting the shit, along with frequent loud banter Brooklynites have between each other when they see eye-to-eye. Ex eventually shifts his focus on his interview for the Halftime Radio Show with DJ Eclipse, Mazzi (Soul Purpose), and Sucio Smash. I eavesdropped on their conversation which touched on the evolution of his career: going from underground hype, major label signing (Universal/Republic Records 2012-2013), to his current independent status. I’ve never see him more focused.

This morning, the first post on eXquire’s Instagram is the cover image to his new album, Live Forever. He has an arrogant smirk on his face that says more than words can muster. It’s a type of confidence Brooklynites carry. No one works harder than us; especially if you have West Indian heritage—Jamaican in eX’s case—they’re used to juggling more than one hustle. There is no chip on his shoulder, even though he is giving you his back. He believes he is “unfuckwittable” because his talent has never wavered. Then of course his namesake speaks for itself.

Peel back the layers of eX’s album and you’ll find the raw. He is at his most unfettered in content and delivery. I lost track of how many times he uses the “b” word. Past the expletives, there is spirituality and an infinite imagination, which brings me to the number “8.” Today, marks eX’s album release day, also my late mother’s birthday. It’s not a strange coincidence, just the way the universe intended it. He also pays homage to the late-great New York Knick, Anthony Mason, on the standout track, “Ice Cups.” The Knicks won their first pre-season game last night. It’s an appropriate time to celebrate on a Thursday. Today is the perfect type of Throwback Thursday: Instagram posts from yesteryear, moments that have never gone forgotten, photos that live forever in our memory’s museum. We have artists like eXquire who dig into the past, and fertilize it with their own ingredients. The results just came into bloom.