By james art WJBF – Boxx The Hungry Genius is a hip hop artist who is very famous in the world of Xtreme Hip Hop.
Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Boxx The Hungry Genius sits with WJBF to discuss his humble beginnings and why he is currently here in the city of Augusta.
Thank you for being here on Celebrating Black Excellence. How did you get started in music?
I started when I was 17 professionally, but I started writing at 13 and fell in love with it at about 16.
What was it about the music that drew you to it?
It was therapy for me. I lost my grandfather when I was about 15-16. He was my father and this was how I dealt with his death. I just fell in love with music and started writing and performing.
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So where did the name Boxx The Hungry Genius come from?
Oh, I was Lil’ Boxx in my town and as I matured, my music matured and Lil’ Boxx just didn’t go with the music I was making. I prayed and asked God to give me a name. After 15 minutes a homeless person gave me this name after I prayed and I knew it was the name that would lead me to the next part of my career.
So you are very famous in your area. Can you tell us the kind of music you make for people who don’t know?
My music is up tempo. I make club records, but I also make inspirational records. A lot of my music helps people as therapy, even if it’s the club records. My music has a message in it, even when I perform my music at a high tempo. So I would say upbeat hustler music and up tempo club music.
Who are some of your musical inspirations?
You know, somebody from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, we got Busey. So I’d say everybody in the local scene, most definitely Boosie, then East Coast rappers Cam’ron and Dipset and West Coast, The Game. So I’m a songwriter. So I studied a lot of lyricism, and as far as storytelling goes, I get that from Boosie.
What advice could you give to people who want to get into music?
Go learn it. Years ago I had a guy tell me I was a dope writer, but he said writers don’t make it because they focus on making the perfect song but never go study the business. This is what led me to become a businessman. So go learn the music business.
You are also big on financial literacy. How important is it for people to know and learn?
That’s huge, man. Economic empowerment is how we set ourselves free. I am also a licensed life insurance agent in my city. I became one to get the money out there to finance my music, but then I fell in love with helping people in this scene. Financial literacy is something that everyone needs, especially the African-American community and especially entertainers. They get a lot of money but don’t know what to do with it.
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If people want to hear more of your music or want to know more about you, how can they get that information?
They can just Google it Boxx The Hungry Geniusor specifically they can go to me Instagram @boxx_hungryI have too Linktree with every way I can touch my music. My name is so rare, googling it will get you there either way or we can get a sample: (225) 380-3765 for bookings and enquiries.
So you’re here in Augusta because you’ll be here for an event on Saturday, October 26ththXtreme Hip Hop with Rach. What can people expect at this event?
High energy man. Shout out to Big Rach. Summon extreme hip-hop with Phil. This whole movement, just the fitness community has been big since I found out about it last year. Rach is one of the people who started breaking my music and I partnered with her. She brought me here. So Saturday is going to be huge. I think we’re celebrating her third year as a real instructor. Shout out to Brittany [Brit The Boss] as with Xtreme. Look, it’s going to be huge: a high energy performance from me, but a high energy step from the fitness community. Big shout out to them just because I know it helps with mental health and all that.
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How has Xtreme affected you?
It taught me a lot about the fitness community. Now, I don’t work out per se, but it made me realize that there is a community. They are serious about it and many people get into it for many reasons other than just exercise. So after doing that, I respect when I go to their backyard and perform for them because I know a lot of people have been on weight loss journeys and they’ve had losses in their lives and sometimes stepping into the gym is their way of coping with mental health.
We also got the tour; it’s called the Make America Move Again Tour. It’s called the MAMA Tour. So Augusta is only one stop, but it’s a huge stop.
So if you want to be a part of XTREME HIP HOP WITH RACH, the event will be held Saturday, October 26th at 3:30pm at 3105 Spring Grove Drive, Suite G in Augusta, GA. $30 if you bring your own board and $35 if you need to rent a board.
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