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Xavier Simmons is the son of world-famous rapper DMX, but that's not why he's agreed to meet me at the Museum of Natural History on a drizzly week day. The 20-year-old lives with his mom, DMX's estranged wife Tashera Simmons in Mount Kisco, NY, and has begun pursuing music on his own. There's no traces of his dad's swaggering, loud rap in his music—in fact, it's not rap at all. Xavier's music is introspective, largely acoustic, and sung, not rapped.
His influences come from current artists like Coldplay's Chris Martin, and of course, he has a healthy respect for current rappers like Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar. But for Simmons, the desire to create music as art quickly superseded his desire to become a rapper. Producing, writing, playing and recording all his own music, Xavier has developed a set of songs that are fully-formed and stand on their own merit. He took the time to sit down with P&P and reflect on his musical process, his family, and what comes next.
When did you first start doing music?
I would say, 14. Well, as a kid, looking back on it now, I would hear songs and make up my own melodies to them. I could hear what chord progression was coming next before it actually came. So like I said, 14. There was a local guy who had a studio and my friend went there, he told me to come down one day. So I did, we were like rapping, and I loved it. I was like ‘Wow, what is this?’ But it wasn’t until I broke up with my girlfriend and I became suicidal that it came down to either expressing myself through music or taking myself out.
When were you first aware of the fact that your dad was a famous rapper?
That’s a great way to ask that. He’s been famous for most of my life, he got on, I think when I was like six or seven. So I can’t really remember a time before he was famous. Kids would ask me “What’s it like? Did you see that video? It’s my favorite song!” I was a quiet kid so it was kind of like culture shock.
You started off on the rap route, which you soon abandoned, what was the shift there?
It was my junior year of high school, I was about 17. I felt myself reach the end point with the rap. I’ve said everything, I’ve done everything that I possibly can. I started off as a gangster rapper, then like a conscious rapper, then a romantic, emotional rapper.
I want my music to be heard everywhere. In ballrooms, in clubs, movies. I didn’t feel like I could do that with the rap. So once I heard the Kanye West album 808s & Heartbreaks I was like, "wow." It got me, it made me want to start singing. Once I heard Coldplay, it made me want to pick up the guitar, piano, and actually take singing seriously, not fooling around with it—as an art. I can play both guitar and piano.
Some of my longest friends didn’t even know who my dad was until I told them. I never bring it up because people just want to be friends with you because of that, they treat you differently.
When you’re sending people your music or talking about your music, do you tell them who your dad is from the beginning, or do you try to go on your own merit?
Always, the latter. Some of my longest friends didn’t even know who my dad was until I told them. I never bring it up because people just want to be friends with you because of that, they treat you differently. So any open mic that I go to, I don’t even mention it. I want to make it all my own.
Is there plans for an album or an EP or an official release?
You know, it’s really hard now, because sometimes you get creative and sometimes, you’re just stuck. I’m at this point now, where every song is like one meaning. But now that, I guess I’m not having that many experiences, or any worth writing about. I’m just kind of making them up. Making songs that are more obscure or abstract, meanings could be all over the place. But a release? I might re-issue Morning Truths to give it better studio versions.
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What is your favorite of your own songs?
Probably “Everything You Love.” As a songwriter, there’s songs that you write and it’s like ‘Okay, this is how I was feeling at this point in time.’ And then there’s others where, you can always say more. It’s always in a state of growth and progress, you can always keep writing it. I feel like, even when I’m thirty, that song will still resonate with me.
That picture on your Soundcloud, what is that significance of it?
I was hoping you’d ask that, or if you’d even notice. It’s a court jester mask. The court jester had a role in the king’s court—but not really. They were allowed to address but also make fun of him, as long as it was through joke. They couldn’t just outright say things.
Is that how you feel about music?
I feel like I’m a court jester in society, because yes I’m in it, but I’m also making fun of it, kind of. I’m a part of it, but not really. It’s not even a sarcastic kind of thing. I guess like I said, not making fun of it, but pointing fingers at it. Being a part of it, but outside looking in.
Have you spoken with labels or managers?
Totally independent. I’d like to go with a label, but I still want to have complete control of what I write, what I’m able to say. I feel like I’m too closed in at times to just reach out to people.
Do you think you would ever bring hip hop back into your music? Like pair with a rapper? There’s so much cross over lately.
I feel, I’m actually working on that more, because I love really old hip hop from the ‘90s, you know the boom pap style. Like I said, I love classical hip-hop, classic rock. Zeppelin, Beatles, Eminem, Kanye, Jay-Z, and Radiohead. Coldplay, Sade, Mazzy Star, the stuff that she did with Warm Inventions.
If you were going to collaborate with someone in rap, who would it be?
You know this new guy, his name is Kendrick Lamar. Oh. My. God. “Sing About Me.” Yeah, his lyrics, wordplay! I’d want to work with him. I listen to a lot of rappers because the way they play with words—I just have such a love for words and puzzles. So I get a lot of that from them.
Would you ever work on a song with your dad?
Anything’s possible I guess. Right now I could probably say most likely not, but, I don’t know, maybe in the future.
I read that you like Lykke Li. What is your favorite song by her?
"Melodies and Desires." I had the biggest crush on her a couple years ago. I love weird vocalists, I don’t like the traditional, like I don’t even care if you have like a two range vocal style, but it’s all about the emotion. I know I don’t have that much range, but like Billie Holiday. She didn’t have like a five octave range, but it was the tone, and so emotive! That’s what it’s all about.
What is your favorite record that has come out so far recently?
Probably the most new stuff I listen to, most current, is Atoms for Peace. Lately I’ve been getting into blues, like old stuff. And even further than that, like African slave work songs.
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