Vagabond Maurice: rapper and writer

Saturday night’s Cabin performance brings otherworldliness to reality

More stories from Elizabeth Gosling

Photo by Amanda Thao

Vagabond Maurice came to The Cabin Saturday night as part of his Midwest tour. His style of music is a mix between jazz and hip-hop. Soundcloud embed codes :

“Space Cowboy” and “Gangster of Love.” These are two titles artist Maurice Meaway—known by his artist name Vagabond Maurice—calls himself when it comes to his music and mission.

The rapper Vagabond Maurice shared his talents with an intimate crowd Saturday night in The Cabin with messages of self-love and positive vibes.

The Minneapolis-raised artist started recording his own music four years ago, but began his music-making career in 2009. He originally started out with features for his friends and more recently joined an artist collective, where different artists collaborate with their musical endeavors.

Last year, Vagabond Maurice released his first album, “The Dragon Who Devoured The Moon.” He also has plans for his second album “Watching Icarus Fly” to be released on Thanksgiving.

Meaway sees a way he can make his music lifestyle sustainable for himself. He said he has put in a lot of hard work and he has been productive with music for a long time, and can see himself going far in the near future.

“I feel as though I am at the cusp of the come-up and that is like breaking into the mainstream,” Meaway said.

This is the second year in a row he has been following his music routine and he said he feels as though he is gaining momentum. He is currently on his Midwest tour, stopping in Eau Claire after a performance in the Twin Cities, and will soon trek to other regions of the country.

Kurt Wayne, a songwriter and D.J. took the stage about 30 minutes after 8 p.m. and opened with his first song “Where Dragons Dream Part 2.”

 

His music reverberates through the soul, fusing jazzy beats with complicated rhythms for a unique sound of his own.

His lyrics are otherworldly but also relevant to today’s society. Vagabond Maurice speaks of planets, zodiac signs and social movements, like the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

“I want to bring a new narrative to the hip-hop scene,” Meaway said.

Meaway see the world as his canvas, with influences coming from all over, he said. He grew up with a strong affinity for anime books and references back to many of them in his music like his song “Kimchi IV.” His sound is similar to the golden age of hip-hop combined with the greats of jazz, he said.

Vagabond Maurice’s music is free and available on SoundCloud, Youtube, Spotify, Bandcamp and Google Play.