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Wax is in an interesting position. The dude has been going hard on YouTube for years, and he’s proved, through a virtual library full of freestyles and free music, that he’s got a lot of talent with words and no problem reeling in dedicated fans. Technically speaking, when Wax is in the zone he ranks way above most in terms of delivery and manipulation of language. But making that transition from a word-twisting spitter to a major label artist is tricky.
In March, Wax announced that he had signed to Def Jam. At this point, it’s hard to map out the direction his career will take. It seems like he’s the most impressive during his stripped down freestyles, but his most accessible music leans more towards pop, where much of what makes him stand out is watered down to clear the way for choruses and a well-defined song structure. He’s built an identity around “scrublife” (also the name of his mixtape and imprint), positioning himself as a beer-guzzling slacker with a quick wit – possibly a good niche – but it doesn’t seem to be the sort of thing that he can build a career on. Then again, there are plenty of rappers we know who basically just rhyme about smoking weed, and they seem to be doing just fine.
On his latest track, “Coins,” Wax links up with producer EOM for a raw cut with a simple beat that shines the spotlight on Wax’s core talents. It’s cool shit, but not the kind of song that’s ever going to be a hit single. So what will Wax’s next move be? No word on when his debut album with Def Jam will be out, but it’s going to be interesting to see how this all plays out.
Hit the jump to watch the video for “Coins”…
