Maze 022 is a 26 year old rapper, who has been honing his craft in the streets of Mumbai for over 10 years, not just witnessing but being a part of the cultural revolution that the city, and indeed, the country of India experienced with hip-hop becoming a big part of the pop culture narrative.
While the scenario has led to a plethora of artists branding themselves as ‘from the streets’ and such, Maze here is the real deal – growing up in the tough but inspiring neighbourhood of Dharavi, an experience that only genuine artists from the area can best share the nuances of, to the world that’s curious about the area and the culture within.
Having been introduced to hip-hop through the classic sounds of Guru (Gang Starr) and his single ‘Feel The Music’ - Maze was hooked, later leading him to artists such as Nas and Eminem, who he credits with the inspiration behind his more personal and lyrical style.
Having been rapping since 2009, Maze 022 has been active in a wide array of events and battles in Mumbai, Delhi and other cities, earning his reputation in the scene through live performances, cyphers, singles and collaborations, even being a member of crews such as SlumGods and Bombay3 Gang previously. As he grew, Maze began experimenting more with the sonic palette that he served his visceral lyricism on, and refused to be boxed into any one ‘type’ of artist or ‘sound’ - often offering the kind of music more casual listeners will enjoy, along with deep meanings within those lyrics for the listeners that appreciated that.
In 2019, Maze felt it was time to take an even more serious approach to the craft he loved and began work on his debut album. Hooking up with Tienas for the beats, a fellow Mumbai rapper with equally tight production chops, the duo spent almost a year and a half working on the album, sessions often stretching to 7-8 hours, carving out what is now Maze’s debut solo album - #OnlyReal.