WALKING BY FAITH: MARV PAX

CAROL CITY, FLORIDA | MARV PAX

INTERVIEW TERRELL “REALIFE” BLACK PHOTOGRAPH NICK VEGA

“MY EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP HOP CULTURE WAS GOING TO “CAROL MART” WATCHING PEOPLE PULL UP WITH THEIR TRICKED OUT CARS WITH THE HYDRAULIC SWITCHES PLAYING TRICK DADDY WHILE ROCKING THE PERMANENT GRILLS.” - MARV PAX

VALIDATED: YOU GO BY THE NAME “MARV PAX”, WHAT’S THE MEANING BEHIND IT?

MARV PAX: MY NAME IS MARVIN AND PAX IS AN ACRONYM FOR PEACE AND LOVE WHICH IS WHAT I REPRESENT. 

VALIDATED: YOU’RE FROM CAROL CITY IN MIAMI, FLORIDA, WHAT’S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP HOP CULTURE? 

MARV PAX: MY EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP HOP CULTURE WAS GOING TO “CAROL MART” WATCHING PEOPLE PULL UP WITH THEIR TRICKED OUT CARS WITH THE HYDRAULIC SWITCHES PLAYING TRICK DADDY WHILE ROCKING THE PERMANENT GRILLS.

VALIDATED: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF RAP? 

MARV PAX: TRUTHFUL, PASSIONATE, SOULFUL, ALSO A BIT HUMOROUS AT TIMES. 

VALIDATED: WHAT ROLE DID YOUR GODMOTHER PLAY IN YOUR RAP CAREER INITIALLY?

MARV PAX: I DON’T EVEN THINK MY GRANDMOTHER KNOWS I RAP TO BE HONEST BUT SHE INSTILLED CERTAIN MORALES AND MOLDED MY CHARACTER, SO MAYBE IN RETROSPECT I WOULD NEVER BE RAPPING HOW I RAP IF IT WASN’T FOR HER. 

VALIDATED: WHAT DOES HIP HOP AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION MEAN TO YOU?

MARV PAX: THEY BOTH MEAN EVERYTHING TO ME. THIS THE ONLY WAY I CAN PUT MY JOY, PAIN, AND HURT OUT THERE WITHOUT BEING JUDGED. THIS IS MY THERAPY AND WITHOUT IT I DON’T KNOW WHERE I WOULD BE. 

VALIDATED: WHICH EMCEES INFLUENCED YOUR STYLE AND WHAT IF ANYTHING DID YOU “BORROW” FROM THEM?

MARV PAX: TO BE HONEST I NEVER REALLY LISTENED TO RAP MUSIC LIKE THAT GROWING UP AND STILL DON’T. I LISTEN TO 80% R&B, 10% OF MUSIC FROM OTHER CULTURES SUCH AS AFRICAN OR CARIBBEAN MUSIC AND 10% HIP HOP... SO NO EMCEE REALLY HAS NOR HAD AN INFLUENCE ON MY STYLE. 

VALIDATED: YOU RELEASED YOUR FIRST ALBUM “LIFE’S A FOREST” IN MID 2019, WHAT WAS THE RESPONSE TO THE PROJECT?

MARV PAX: THE RESPONSE WAS OVERWHELMING. I PUT SO MUCH PAIN, SO MUCH MONEY, TIME, EFFORT, AND TRUTH INTO THAT ALBUM AND FOR PEOPLE TO RECEIVE IT AND ACTUALLY ENJOY IT, THAT MEANT EVERYTHING TO ME. 

VALIDATED: RECENTLY YOU DROPPED THE SINGLE “FOR THE CITY” FEATURING PHILO B, PRODUCED BY MOOK ON THE BEATS, HOW DID THE COLLABORATION COME ABOUT?

MARV PAX: WELL MOOK IS A CLOSE FRIEND AS WELL AS PHILO B AND WE’RE CURRENTLY WORKING ON A COLLAB PROJECT. WE FELT THE CITY NEEDED THAT TRACK AT THE TIME SO WE DROPPED IT AND I WOULDN’T CALL IT THE SINGLE PER SAY BUT IT WAS A STRATEGIC RELEASE.

VALIDATED: ANY PLANS FOR A NEW ALBUM IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

MARV PAX: I’M ALWAYS WORKING AND THERE DEFINITELY IS A NEW PROJECT IN THE WORKS.

VALIDATED: IT SEEMS AS IF SPORTS ATHLETES AND MUSIC ENTERTAINERS ARE GLAMORIZED ESPECIALLY IN URBAN COMMUNITIES, WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? 

MARV PAX: I FEEL LIKE THOSE TWO THINGS ARE NATURALS GIFTS IN OUR COMMUNITY SO MOST SEE THAT AS THE ONLY WAY TO GETTING ANY TYPE OF REAL MONEY, ANY TYPE OF REAL FUTURE OUTSIDE OF WHERE WE GROW UP. IT’S SAD AND I’D LIKE TO DEAD THAT NOTION. 

VALIDATED: WHAT’S NEXT FOR MARV PAX?

MARV PAX: WALKING BY FAITH AND NOT FEAR, I CAN SAY THE SKY IS THE LIMIT. I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S NEXT BUT I’M READY FOR WHATEVER GOD HAS IN STORE. THE GOOD AND THE BAD, THE BLUES AND THE HUES. I’M READY... I’M WORKING. 

VALIDATED: WHAT’S YOU’RE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS AND WEBSITE?
MARV PAX: TWITTER: MARV_PAX, INSTAGRAM: MARVPAX, WEBSITE:  MARVPAX.BANDZOOGLE.COM/BIO