Maxsta

Ian Koromah, who records as Maxsta, first appeared in Lewisham, South London, during 1992. While still attending school he acquired both piano and guitar, sparking an enduring interest in music. A short-lived fascination with rock and skateboarding prompted a relocation to East London, where he joined the expanding local grime community through the Mucky Wolfpack crew. Opting for independence, his debut single “East London Is Back” attracted the attention of BBC urban outlet 1Xtra and later received airplay on BBC Radio 1. The mixtape Maxtape surfaced in 2010; although the project cultivated a committed audience, certain lyrics provoked threats that led him to settle in Essex for safety. After reconsidering his creative direction, he finalized a recording agreement in 2011 with Just Jam Records, an imprint of Sony Music. Subsequent brand work for Adidas and Google elevated his profile, paving the way for the August 2012 release of the single I Wanna Rock. He continued in 2013 with Pop Off and the U.K. top 40 single Wanna Go, positioning his debut album for an early-2014 launch.