Midwxst

Track star, good grades, plays in the high school band—in many ways, Midwxst is just your typical high school senior.

Midwxst is a South Carolina-based hip-hop singer and underground rapper who helped establish a new school of hip-hop. With his EP “Better Luck Next Time,” he discusses a number of topics and mental health conditions that are typically kept under wraps in the rap scene, but he chose to be honest with himself and express his challenges through his music. 

Midwxst was diagnosed with ADHD at an early age and had a hard time with the medication. Like many young individuals with ADHD, he had an erratic mind and a vivid imagination, which used to frustrate him. 

Midwxst no longer views his hyperactivity negatively. He now refers to it as a benefit, and he isn’t hesitant to mix genres or incorporate outside influences.

One outside influence being police brutality which strikes uncomfortably close to home for Midwxst. Ultimately, he was compelled to record “Wonder” after witnessing demonstrations against Breonna Taylor’s slaying. “How many more Treyvon and Arbery“,”How many more are there gonna be?” Midwxst feels a sense of obligation; if he has the public’s attention, he wants to focus it on something deserving.  He wants “Wonder” to inspire other young people to have challenging conversations. He states in an interview, “I have a platform that I can use to spread a message. I have a platform that I can use to make people aware of what’s happening right now, of what the world is going through.” 

Since Midwxst backed up the lyrics with amazing music and melodies, most of his songs scored five stars, despite the fact that most people would normally consider this to be “uncool” or not “real.” As a result, more underground rappers have started talking openly about their mental health and other struggles rather than trying to keep them bottled up. Positivity and honesty in the rap community, that is the legacy that Midwxst is trying to create.

Citations:

Driscoll, Dan. “Emphatic, Unsilenceable: Midwxst Is the New American Teen.” Underground Underdogs, 24 Sept. 2020, https://undergroundunderdogs.com/2020/09/23/midwxst-interview-indiana-racial-justice/.  Accessed, 15 January 2023

Sarratt Edgar. “I Wonder” Spotifty 

https://open.spotify.com/album/2XLm5YQIXwzqUWxolS3SVQ?si=a217fa635e7a4817