00:00My guy, Maxwell, how you feeling, brother?
00:03I'm great, man. I'm happy to be talking to you and to be, you know, coming out of Detroit.
00:09Hey, Maxwell, man, we go way back, man.
00:11Actually, I was playing songs on the radio when you started that career, man, with the Urban Hang Suite back in 96.
00:18Yes, yes, I remember.
00:20Man, when you were only 23 years old.
00:22So, Maxwell, that was a lot you had to deal with.
00:25All the number one songs you were putting out, all the notoriety.
00:28How did you stay so grounded doing that?
00:33It was just so hard to get these number ones.
00:36And, you know, I don't know how I went through that.
00:40I'm joking. I'm joking.
00:43I'm not catching it, but I was trying to be sarcastic.
00:48But it was great.
00:50I mean, like, it was a lot of new things that I'd never experienced coming to me every single day.
00:58All my heroes were, like, at a right there, you know.
01:03Yeah, yeah.
01:04It's, like, very unique to see the radio and the television and the cinema be right around you.
01:10Like, it's no big deal.
01:12Hey, Max, I'm going to cut you off.
01:15But, Max, all your shows are dominated by women, too.
01:18What do you think?
01:20What kind of vibe are you giving off, you think, man, to make them still come after all these years, bro?
01:24I think more than anything, it's the music, and I think it's the nostalgia of what we all went through
01:33when we heard those songs back in those times.
01:36And people just want to recreate it and rekindle that experience, and I'm happy to be there to do it.
01:42Okay, so, bro, you stepped away for a few years.
01:46What did you learn, and did it help you gain?
01:49What was the purpose, and what happened during that time?
01:51I just wanted to sort of, like, self-reflect and just, like, you know, go more inward
02:00because sometimes when you're in the spotlight, like, the way we can be at times,
02:05it's very hard to kind of get a true assessment of who you are and, like,
02:12and, you know, you just have to reacquaint yourself with value systems
02:15that may get a little bit blurred with the industry.
02:17So, I sometimes need that space and that time, but I'm just grateful that my music is,
02:24whatever it is, it's strong enough for the absence and the re-entry.
02:34Max, you know, I don't care what you may say, but I'm going to tell you one thing, brother.
02:37You are a generational artist, man.
02:41Thank you, sir.
02:42I appreciate that.
02:42I put a lot of, you know, it's all I listened to as a kid.
02:48I mean, from the Heisey brothers to Marvin to Sam Cooke to Al Green,
02:52it was all about the guys that, and the girls that made those records that lasted longer than even you.
03:03So, that was the goal, and I'm happy it seems to be panning out.
03:07Yeah.
03:07Hey, Maxwell, we're talking like a generational artist like the Luther Vandrossists and the James Browns.
03:13Your name is right up there, man.
03:15Maxwell.
03:16Do you ever, like, drive around and pinch yourself?
03:20Like, man, I'm Maxwell.
03:23Nah, I don't know if I'd say it like that, but I'm more, like, grateful that I get to be in contact with people I admire and respect creatively.
03:32And then, of course, the audience, they're the cherry on top of the cake.
03:39It's like they've sustained my career for longer than I ever thought it would ever last.
03:46So, I'm just super grateful to the people who come to the shows and listen to music.
03:50And so, that's my boss, so to speak.
03:54I hear you.
03:55Hey, so, speaking of that, man, Urban Hang Suite, I was driving, I'm like, man, that's 30 years, bro.
04:01Yeah, I know.
04:02I just found out next year it's going to be that.
04:05Yes.
04:05And how do you feel about them, knowing that generations are still, mama checking you out, daughter's checking you out, and her kids are checking you out?
04:14I mean, it's an honor.
04:17It's an honor.
04:17I mean, I work with great people.
04:19You know, Hot David, Stuart Matthewman.
04:22I worked with Liam Ware.
04:23I worked with Federico Pena.
04:25I worked with Wawa Watson.
04:27And I was very blessed to come across these great people, Etal Shura.
04:34There's so many people that I can mention that are part of my experience and part of the success that I've been so, you know, grateful to have.
04:44And so, when you first came out, Maxwell, we didn't have nowhere near social media right now.
04:49Yep.
04:50Nowhere near.
04:51So, I'm going to bring that up to say, I saw you the other night, man.
04:54You were bug wild dancing, man.
04:59Yeah.
04:59You know what I mean?
05:00I'm always doing some dance, crazy dance moves on purpose so that the comments could get lit up.
05:05I do enjoy it.
05:07Hey, Max, you could tell you were having a ball, man.
05:11So, this Serenade Tour, how long is it going on?
05:15I think we continue.
05:17I think our last real date will be when we come to you in Detroit.
05:22And then after we start the Silent Serenade Ensemble show.
05:26Okay, before we end on that Serenade Tour, I know you're going to come for us for our block party.
05:32August 22nd, you and Marsha Ambrosius.
05:34That's going to be a hell of a show on the water in the D.
05:39Exactly.
05:39In Aretha Franklin's house.
05:41Yeah, come on.
05:42You know Aretha Franklin going to be there looking over us?
05:45I hope so.
05:46I mean, I'm such a huge fan.
05:49Love her.
05:50Hey, Maxwell, great to talk to you, brother.
05:52We'll see you August 22nd, you and Marsha Ambrosius for the Big Kiss Block Party.
05:57Stay up.
