Nicole Brice
May 8, 2024
RobenX is promising a legacy of influence that transcends music alone.
Who is RobenX? He is a fearless artist, a beacon of authenticity. His life is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit, drawing inspiration from the depths of human existence here in the School of Earth. With a profound narrative of resilience, talent, and empowerment, Roben is not just a musician but also an author, model, anti-bullying advocate, and advocate for albinism. His journey took him to Geneva, Switzerland, in 2018, where he spoke and performed at the United Nations during their Human Rights Day Celebration, a testament to his unwavering spirit.
RobenX, originally Robdarius Brown, hails from Memphis, Tennessee, a city steeped in the rich musical traditions of blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll. His early life was marked by significant challenges, but it was through these trials that he discovered his refuge in music. It became his voice, escape, and a way to share his experiences with the world.
RobenX's music is a unique fusion of genuine expression and profound emotional depth. It resonates with the vocal stylings of two hip-hop legends, Onyx and Eminem. If these two had a musical lovechild, it would be RobenX. His music is a return to intelligent hip-hop, reaching into the depths of your soul with its raw emotion. The energy he infuses into every song is palpable, radiating from every note and lyric, creating a powerful connection with his listeners.
His newest single – “Blood on the Leaves,” – was released on April 3, 2024, and is a journey from the depths of pain and existence. It’s dark. It’s gritty. It’s honest. It is exactly what we need in music because it is authentic. On my favorite track, - “Dial Tone,”- released in 2022, Roben changes things up and sings a little more while going through the real emotions associated with disassociating from someone. The words are intense and full of pain, culminating in the chorus with the words, “This shouldn’t be the price of love.” So true, my friend, so true.
Another favorite song of mine, “Devoid,” was released on the Mental Interlude EP in 2020 and is pure poetic genius because I’m sure many can identify with Roben's feelings of just being over everything in a moment of frustration and anger.
However, what truly sets RobenX apart in the hip-hop community is his unwavering commitment to advocacy. Through his lyrics and public presence, he not only raises awareness about albinism but also challenges the stereotypes and misconceptions that surround individuals with this condition. His advocacy is a beacon of light, illuminating the path toward a more inclusive and understanding society.
Mixed Alternative Magazine recently had the opportunity to catch up with the extraordinary RobenX, and we enjoyed chatting about anything and everything. With so much depth to Roben’s character, we had a good bit of ground to cover, so take a moment to read more of our conversation below to learn about the phenomenal artist, RobenX.
MaM: You’ve released a ton of music since 2012. What was the first song that you ever wrote? How did it feel to bring your musical vision to life via song?
RobenX: I was a freestyler when I first started, and I was doing that when I recorded my first song, “They Love Me,” which is still out there, probably buried on my YouTube, but the first song I wrote was a song called “Just Maybe,” but I never released it. That was the first time I had decided to hone my craft. Writing was such a weird concept to me regarding writing music. I used to write stories all the time, but I had never written a song. I had to catch all the words flying by me with all these fleeting emotions, but once I started crafting a song, I realized how much more potent it could be and how much control I had over what I could say.
MaM: How old were you when you wrote that?
RobenX: I was 13 or 14.
MaM: Who would you say has influenced you the most when making music? I noticed you have quite a bit of diversity in your music.
RobenX: I’m just going to rattle off a bunch of names because there are so many, but they are near and dear to what I do: Korn, Three Days Grace, Tupac, Tech N9ne, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, System of a Down, Breaking Benjamin, Disturbed, Thousand Foot Krutch, Mindless Self Indulgence, The Temptations, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem. I almost forgot Michael Jackson and David Ruffin, too.
MaM: There is such diversity. What mission statement would you like to convey to people discovering your music for the first time?
RobenX: I want people to take my stories and use them to help themselves. I want to use my pain to heal the pain. I experienced a lot of different scenarios and got to experience things I probably shouldn’t have at a young age. Still, I want to testify that your past helps define you, but don’t let it limit you. The world is yours to do what you want, so use my words to appeal to you. Use my stories and find yourself in the music. Take my words and apply them to you.
MaM: How do you approach the songwriting process? Take us through that.
RobenX: It’s different every time because I’ve written some songs in five minutes. Some songs, though, can take months. Sometimes, I have an idea that I’ll record or write stuff down, but sometimes, the concept is there, but I just haven’t found the right instrumental. It all must align with the universe. I try not to do things the universe doesn’t need, so if the idea doesn’t speak to me, I usually discard it or set it aside until it’s time. Usually, I’ll hear a track and listen to what it is trying to get me to say, and I listen to the universe and the higher-ups who give me the stories I need. For example, a lot of what is going to be on “Shoulda Died” is just internal and reliving some of the past trauma that I experienced as a teenager and as a young adult.
MaM: I like to call those universal happenings when you listen to the divine guidance given. So, the next question I have for you is funny but one that will get you thinking. You’re headed to live on a deserted island and can only bring CDs by five artists. What are you bringing?
RobenX: Believe it or not, my list would be small. Ok, Smino’s “Noir,” Tupac’s “All Eyez on Me,” Kendrick Lamar’s “Good Kid,” Three Days Grace’s self-titled album, System of a Down’s “Hypnotize” or “Toxicity”.
(laughter)
Man…I can’t forget about Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”, too. That’s hard.
(laughter)
MaM: I love that. You are such an inspirational individual. So, what are you working on currently? You released a new single in April but must have something else in the pipeline.
RobenX: I am working on a new project, and I’ll go ahead and give you the title; it’s called “Shoulda Died.” We’re also working on a coloring book inspired by my book, “The Colors of Olleh,” a children’s book, and Teiyonna Douglas is the illustrator of that book. She created all the pictures. She also did the cover art for several of my releases, including “The Mental Interlude” EP and for a mixtape I have on YouTube called Moldy. Her artwork is on that cover, too, and she’s been helping me a lot. She is creating the coloring book all by herself, though, and I give suggestions here and there, but I will also be releasing some songs from “The Mental Interlude” EP in their live versions.
MaM: Wow! So much is going on! So, when do you anticipate some of that dropping?
RobenX: If I can, I want to have something out by June, but my goal is June or July.
MaM: Let’s discuss your book, “The Colors of Olleh”. What was the process like putting all of that together?
RobenX: The inception of “The Colors of Olleh” was simple. I wanted to write a book and tell a story about a child with Albinism but not have Albinism be the main focal point. I just wanted a character who had Albinism. He sees colors and lives in a world of black and white. I called Teiyonna immediately to pitch the idea to her, and she loved the concept. However, she thought about making each page monochrome to show that Olleh can see color when others cannot. The idea started snowballing to where colors were representing differences. When people don’t see people for who they truly are, they are living in black & white. To see the beauty of difference is to see in color. If you say you don’t see color, you live blind. It’s all subjective. Richard Hervey is the producer. He goes by the name of Enigma, but he has helped on numerous tracks of mine, and he was the one who helped turn the entire concept into a book. He took Teiyonna’s ideas and made them bigger, and then “The Colors of Olleh” was born, and Olleh’s name is just “hello” backward.
Olleh is a traveler, though he could be anyone, and he meets a young lady in the story named Vye, who ends up being the leader of the story. Her character is to show people that they can step up and not wait for a change, but they can be the change. Olleh goes to this town to tell people that he can see color, and they can see color if they accept him. At first, people are hesitant, but then Vye decides she’s curious, so she accepts Olleh, and when she does, it’s easier for others to do so. It shows leadership. Step up and be the change. Small note: Vye’s name is taken from the color violet.
MaM: You’ve done so much, a true Renaissance man, but I read you’ve also worked with the United Nations on some things. Tell us a little more about that.
RobenX: I was doing some Albinism awareness and anti-bullying work and was asked to be part of a video educating people on Albinism. However, I didn’t think too much about it afterward. Years passed after I had done the video, and I didn’t hear from them. They didn’t have my e-mail, so they tried to reach out to me via my social media, but the messages went to my spam box for some reason. One day, I checked my spam folder, and there were many messages. I would have missed the opportunity if I had just waited a day later to read the messages.
I was flown to Geneva, Switzerland, and I got to meet the High Commissioner of the United Nations, and it was insane. I was 18 or 19, and coming from Memphis, with growing up how I did, flying to a different country was wild. For reference, my grandmother has never left Memphis. My mom was the first in her family to graduate from college. This was a huge deal. Once I got there, I was allowed to speak about Albinism and human rights and what we could do to make a difference in other countries. See, in other countries, people with my condition are considered spiritual or magical and are often killed because of this. Their body parts are then used in rituals and incantations, but if the poachers don’t get them, then they are dying from skin cancer because of overexposure to the sun, and they don’t have access to proper healthcare for their conditions. I wanted to use my voice to see what we could do to help them. I was made a Human Rights Champion and allowed to meet other leaders from all walks of life. It was amazing. Very powerful.
MaM: Where do you see yourself headed in the future?
RobenX: I want to do so much, and I know I can’t save the world in a day, but the goal is to reach as many people through as many mediums as possible. I want to flood the market correctly with the right things. No matter where you turn, things aren’t full of love labor. I want to create mediums that speak to people, help people grow, and give people power. I believe we are on that journey, too, and I hope that in the next five years, we can reach people with positivity through all mediums.
RobenX exemplifies the powerful intersection of art and advocacy with each new track, performance, and interview. His journey underscores the potential for music to entertain, enlighten, and provoke change. As his message spreads further, he promises a legacy of influence and change that transcends music alone.
To check out Roben’s work catalog, hit the link below and be sure to follow him on social media.
*cover photo by Andrew of Ejji Studios
*videos provided by Extreme Dreams USA
Questions or comments? Reach out to mixedalternativemag@gmail.com.