Xander Biography

His name is Anthony Moore, better known to the world as Xander. With the release of his first underground album The Beginning EP, it became an achievement all to its own. On top of all the hard-edged lyrics written and performed by the artist, the tracks were also mixed, produced and mastered out of his own genius as well. "I've had to learn all the ropes about the [rap music] industry," he says. Over a period of time Xander put in countless hours to "examine" the different flavors and genres under the urban umbrella as well as the business aspect unique to the industry. "I became a critic of the game. I soaked in as much as I could," so he claims. But as truth has it, he has been hooked on rap and hip-hop since his earliest days. [Picture] "I grew up with the ol' school like LL [Cool J] and Digital Underground," says the rapper. By the time he turned 12 he started to pen rhymes to some of the hits of the day. He states, "when 'Pac and The Row came out I started to write seriously. It was in my blood." He goes on to explain, "I wrote to beats like 'California Love,' and 'Gin And Juice', looking back it was sh*t but it was a way for me to express what I was feeling." However the Seattle-area native had no clue he would be able to put those emotions to CD. Fast forward 6 years. Xander moved to California and met up with Erik Gerber, a.k.a Coruna and the duo began to freestyle. To get practice they battled each other and eventually others to gain practice in the rhyme and meter of hip-hop as well as finding their own voice and niche in the game. In less than 3 months Xander wrote more than 15 full-length tracks. Ultimately he found himself in the studio recording at the only time it was available, early in the morning. "I woke up at 2 am to grab some [studio] time just to get my sh*t down... No one was there, it was just me," as he bitterly recalls. This may or may not seem like an accomplishment but when you factor in that he worked 2 full time jobs as well, his work ethic becomes apparent. For about 6 months the one-man machine began to arrange, produce and master his own tracks, distributing the final result out on the streets, at shopping centers and in parking lots. "My music involves the streets so it makes sense that it starts there," he shares. [Picture] The time spent delivering music proves that it is in fact first in his list of priorities. While working on The Beginning EP he took a temporary break from various pleasures just to provide a quality product. Xander reveals "I've stayed off the f**kin', drinkin' and blazin' to keep my head clear and my goals in mind. I'm all about my music so I want people to feel my fire." Xander's style takes away some of the bling-bling, coastal differences and gangsta images of the traditional studio rapper and pours in pure, raw emotion. The concoction results in a rap-style that is radically different from what is out on the airwaves today. As he puts it, "my music comes straight from my core, it is my very self put to a beat." The power in his gruff voice only reinforces the testosterone-packed energy of his delivery. The multi-faceted artist combines intense lyrics about death, crime, spirituality and relationships alongside rap's seasoned topics such as women, cash and the bling-bling. Make no mistake though Xander doesn't preach to a beat. In his own words he describes his style as such: "I say what's on my mind. The dough, hoes and 44's are in my raps but I'm not all about that. Where I came from I didn't have any of that sh*t so I let people know that. We all have a deeper side. I always like to offer the fans something more." << Go Back To Xander Home