Up-and-coming rapper, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer WAX has gone from YouTube sensation to Def Jam Recording artist since the start of his career.
Born Michael Jones, WAX had a love for music since he was a child. He grew up in Dunkirk, Maryland watching MTV on a daily basis.
At the age of 10 he started playing the guitar and now, in addition to the guitar, plays the bass, drums and keyboard.
“I have always been into making music since I was a little kid, but it ended up turning into a career rather than a hobby when I started putting videos on YouTube a few years back,” WAX told The Pioneer in an interview.
In 2000, WAX put together a band called MacGregor, which toured around the country and released two albums.
Following the break-up of the band, WAX continued to work on perfecting his craft while also holding down a number of part time jobs.
On a whim, he made the decision to venture out to California to see what it had to offer. He moved to San Diego and soon after, he unfortunately suffered from a bad break-up that sent him into a state of depression.
At this point, WAX had put his music on pause and was throwing all his money away on alcohol to cope with his problems, according to ReverbNation. When it got to the point where WAX was living in a garage, he decided it was time for him to make something happen.
He and his twin brother Herbal T started putting together a collection of videos, showcasing their talent on YouTube.
Before long, their videos had over a million hits. In addition, WAX also won a video contest on VIBE.com.
“My videos got pretty big and eventually allowed me to quit my job,” said WAX. “Some industry people saw me on YouTube and ended up getting in touch with me.”
WAX made YouTube’s Top 100 list of  most popular music videos with his song “Stalkin Ya Mom” which has received over 10 million views to date.
In 2006, WAX and his brother released their first album together titled, “Grizzly Season.”
Two years later, WAX and East Coast producer EOM (Elements of Music) collaborated and recorded the album “Liquid Courage.”
Not missing a beat, he teamed up with Los Angeles rapper Dumbfoundead and put out his next album called “Clockwise.”
WAX signed with Def Jam Recordings in March of this year and then released his “Scrublife” mixtape, which received several hundred thousand downloads.
WAX’s music is a combination of rock and hip-hop with a splash of funk, described by the performer as a mix between “Johnny Cash and Jay-Z.”
He enjoys a wide range of musical genres as well as artists, including NWA, Guns N Roses, Public Enemy, James Brown, Bob Marley and Prince.
Currently WAX is on a 14-city tour promoting his latest mixtape “Eviction Notice,” which was released last month on Nov. 28.
He hit the Bay Area this week, performing at The New Parish in Oakland last Monday night.