* En anglais uniquement
Los Angeles-based producer and songwriter
Blxst seamlessly blends rap and R&B, switching between harder rhyming and more melodic singing over smooth, intricate backing tracks. He became known for his emotive, relationship-themed songs such as 2019's "Hurt," as well as collaborations with artists like
Bino Rideaux and
Mozzy. A deal with Red Bull Records in 2020 first yielded No Love Lost, the deluxe edition of which featured "Chosen," a Billboard Hot 100 entry with
Ty Dolla $ign and
Tyga.
Sixtape 2, his
Def Jam-supported second release with
Rideaux, landed on the Billboard 200 just after he was named to XXL magazine's 2021 Freshman Class.
Blxst quickly returned to the charts in 2022 with
Before You Go, his first solo full-length.
Matthew Burdette began rapping and producing shortly after he finished high school, heavily influenced by
Ryan Leslie as well as
Pharrell Williams and
Kanye West. His first song as
Blxst, "Who Would've Thought," appeared in 2016, and he became more productive in 2018, with six singles appearing on his own Evgle label that year, including "Can I," a collaboration with
Eric Bellinger. In 2019, he released the single "Hurt," which became his breakout solo hit, racking up millions of streams. He also produced
Kalan.FrFr's "Right Wit It," which caught the attention of
Bino Rideaux. The two got in touch, and
Blxst sent
Rideaux several beats, which he used on his mixtape Sorry for tha Wait. The duo then collaborated on the EP Sixtape and performed several sold-out shows throughout the West Coast.
After signing with Red Bull Records,
Blxst released the EP No Love Lost in 2020, as well as singles such as "My Emotions" and "Slip & Slide" (featuring
1TakeJay). A deluxe edition of No Love Lost contained his biggest song yet, "Chosen," which peaked at number 51 on the Hot 100. The next year brought the two-track single Just for Clarity, which featured collaborations with
Drakeo the Ruler and
Russ, and another album with
Bino Rideaux,
Sixtape 2, which was distributed by
Def Jam and reached number 117 on the Billboard 200, mere weeks after he was selected for XXL's annual Freshman Class feature. Later in 2021,
Blxst appeared on the song "Go to War" on
Snoop Dogg Presents Algorithm.
Seizing the momentum,
Blxst completed a full-length project with featured roles for
Rick Ross,
Zacari, and
Arin Ray. He also delegated most of the production, working with ThaRealCStylez and ThaRealJFKBeatz (co-producers of "About You") and Jahaan Sweet and
Sevn Thomas (on "Sometimes," another highlight), among others.
Before You Go arrived in 2022 and entered the Billboard 200 at number 90. Around the same time,
Blxst was featured on
Kehlani's "Any Given Sunday" and
Kendrick Lamar's "Die Hard." ~ Paul Simpson & Andy Kellman