Subscribe
The Daily Grind Video
CLOSE
Blxist key art

Source: Brandon Hicks / Courtesy Redbull Records

The name Blxst has been circulating quite a bit lately as friends began sharing his breakout debut EP, No Love Lost, to the timeline. My interest in this gifted artist peaked after hearing “Wrong or Right” ten times consecutively for a few days straight. That single easily became an obsession that later allowed me to take a deep dive into the 8-track project. I was ecstatic to hear we were getting a deluxe edition of the EP with 6 new additions and collaborations that caught my eye like his latest track “Got It All” featuring fellow LA rapper Dom Kennedy.

Before becoming a familiar name and debuting as a solo act, Blxst quietly worked as a producer and songwriter with some of your favorite artists like prominent West Coast figures Kendrick Lamar, YG and Mustard. Blxst’s creative genius supersedes the surface level of being an artist who simply records the music and puts it out there. He is an overall talent who enjoys each step of the process often editing his own music videos, creating his artwork and mixing and mastering his sound.

Red Bull Records reached out in preparation for the deluxe edition release of No Love Lost and thankfully, Blxst was able to answer a few questions for us about his latest project, his signature West Coast sound and a few of his inspirations.

Your latest single “Got It All” features Dom Kennedy, how did you two link up on this record? 

We met through mutual friends, but Archie Davis [Dom’s manager] is the one who played him the record and it took off from there. 

It’s definitely a fun record to ride to, and as a LA native you’re used to long drives and lots of traffic I’m sure, why is this record and the music you make overall perfect to cruise to? 

I just feel like the sonics in the music is the right amount. I like to make my beats simple with clarity, same with my lyrics.  

Who/what inspired the EP? 

What inspired the EP was me realizing I owed something to myself which is my dedication to my career. 

You have been quietly working behind the scenes producing, writing and working with some of the greats. Was your goal to always make music for yourself? 

My first priority was always myself, but I don’t mind taking the backseat too. 

Did you produce and write most of the EP yourself? Who else did you work with on the project? 

For the original it was all self-produced but for the deluxe I wanted to work with some other producers. I brought in a couple homies that I usually work with. 

Have you received more traction since teaming up with Red Bull Records on this release?  

Yeah, I feel like they added fuel to the fire we already started. It definitely picked up the pace. 

 No Love Lost has already earned over 33 million streams to date, those are some impressive numbers. How does it feel to reach so many people across the world with your own music?

It’s humbling to know I can make something from my bedroom and it reach people across the world. That’s a dope feeling. 

Surely, you’re working on something to follow the success of your debut EP and deluxe release, where would you say you hope to take your sound with this new momentum? 

I just want the music to be bigger and better. I want to bring in live instruments on my next body of work. 

People compare your melodic hooks and quintessential West Coast sound, blending R&B and Hip Hop effortlessly, to the likes of Nate Dogg. Is he one of your influences? Who inspires you and influences your sound?

Yeah, I would definitely say Nate Dogg is an influence of mine as well as D’Angelo and Erykah Badu. They use rhodes a lot and have that melodic sound with an edge to it.  

Blxist key art

Source: Brandon Hicks / Courtesy Redbull Records

Blxst did not comment on any upcoming releases, but noted that he hoped to incorporate more live instrumentation in the projects to come. His seemingly innate ability to blend Hip Hop and R&B sounds is evident by the artists he expressed influences him to create such as legends Erykah Badu, D’Angelo and Nate Dogg. I am eager to hear more from the LA native and surely his fans are ready for more music to cruise to. Look out for this breakout talent and be sure to stream the deluxe edition of his No Love Lost EP here.