By Bri Renee
From highly sought after rapper to manager of one of the most talented up and coming female R&B singers in the United States, Xan has been making waves in the regional music scene for years.
A Louisville native, Xan grew up in the West end. “I’m from the West end--Market Street--of Louisville, Ky.” This statement was followed by a proud smirk and head nod. He recorded his first song with some friends at age 9 in a 4-H program studio and immediately garnered attention from his elders. And like many other boys growing up in Kentucky, he was a fan of Lil Wayne and the Hot Boyz, Nate Dogg, and Jay Z, and attributes his desire to make rap music to them. Recording that first song lit a small but growing spark in Xan, and a couple of years later, he and his then groupmates recorded several songs on a tape player. After hearing the tape, his father asked if he wanted to seriously pursue music, and of course, he said yes.
His father reached out to their cousin, popular Nashville rapper Quanie Cash, for guidance. In 2003, at the age of 12, Xan and his groupmates recorded their first project. The album sold 25,000 copies just from word of mouth. For Xan, this was motivation, making that small spark into a fire. This success let him know he had what it took to make it in the industry. After doing an episode of Jenny Jones, the group blew up and landed a spot on a tour with Bow Wow and Romeo. Music higher-ups took notice, and several labels were reaching out. But things took a turn for the worst when Xan’s father went to prison. “My dad got locked up and we lost everything, so everything as far as the group got put on hold.” After that, the group went on hiatus, coming back together to do a mixtape with DJ E-Feezy, then Xan went solo.
Xan linked up with the KYMP Kamp, and dropped a mixtape. This led to 3 more mixtapes and a move to Atlanta. He then built a name for himself with the help of family that lived in the area. “I love my city to death but it’s just way more love down there [Atlanta]. Their love for music is a whole ‘nother level.” He spent a lot of time in the underground scene there, honing his craft. And after gaining support, he ended up going on tour with Future. After being on the road, witnessing Future’s work ethic and learning the business at an even higher level, Xan had an epiphany. “I might need to go back home, get back to my roots and record some more music.”
That’s exactly what he did, stockpiling up to150 records. And just before he decided to release some of the music he had tucked away, he met Marzz Officiall. His cousin called him saying he found a dope singer, and she sang for him. He told her to call him, she did, and the rest is history. “I heard her sing and I put everything down.” He hadn’t even heard her first official song, just one of her freestyles. He then met up with her father, and after deciding that Xan had the industry knowledge and Marzz’s best interest at heart, he became her manager.
“I had a feeling that it was time for me to boss up. I had a crisis to where I wanted to help more people. I sat down with them and we had a different type of connection...I know it sounds crazy because I’ve been working all these years towards this dream, but sometimes that dream can be meant for something else.” Though Xan still plans to drop his own music, his current focus is helping Marzz to navigate the industry through his knowledge and years of experience.
As far as the Louisville music scene, he supports everyone, even though everyone may not support him or his artists. “Unity, for one, is the main thing that needs to change. A lot of people think they’re in competition with people for no reason. Why are you competing with the people you can help bring up with you?” He believes Louisville artists need to work at building relationships and not feel entitled to other artist’s resources. “You can stay in Louisville and build, but there’s a cap on how far you can go, and you’ll get to a point where you have to leave.” He wants to put the whole city on but they have to be ready to put in the work. Xan also thinks the DJs in the city have to step up and break more records. “It’s about favoritism. They have who they like and don’t like. But it’s 2019, and we can get past that [with social media] and when she [Marzz] popped then they started spinning her records.”
He considered Static Major a mentor, and following his untimely death, Xan feels like he may be beginning to fill that void through managing other artists. His experience as an artist also gives him an edge that most managers don’t have. “I understand all sides pretty much. From the manager’s standpoint to the artist’s view. That’s what gives me the advantage.” If you had told Xan 10 years ago that he’d be putting his rap career on hold to manage other artists, he would have laughed it off. But now, he’s in his element, helping artists reach the next level. He'll come back to his 1st love but right now Xan is in full sensei mode with his star pupil(s). “Everything that I’ve learned, I’m passing it on to her [Marzz].”