Mazbou Q, formally known as Unchained XL, is a UK-born, Tāmaki Makaurau based Nigerian-Kiwi rapper, singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. His music journey began at the age of four when his parents encouraged him to take classical piano lessons.

Since then Mazbou Q has modulated from classical music, funk and heavy metal. During university, he transitioned to hip hop. By then he had learned a lot about composition, performance, keys, guitar, bass, arranging and music production.

In his latest album, 'The Future was’ Mazbou Q reflects on his journey coming to Aoeteroa as an African child and having to navigate the third culture experience. In his single ‘Best of you (feat. Cee Blu) Mazbou Q tells us “I need to be the best of me, and the best of me is to embrace that third culture experience... at the end of the music video you see me turn into an African superhero, and that represents the fact that I’ve fully embraced who I am now. Because I’ve embraced this identity I've got this power beyond anything I could have imagined. That was the journey and underlying theme of Best of you."

Make sure you check out his new album 'The Future Was'

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