Xanubis

Xanubis is an artist who stands out among many due to his unique creative methodology, worldly perspectives, and musical craftsmanship. Last Friday I called him at 4pm for the interview we had scheduled, not anticipating the journey he was about to take me on. The wind rustled through the speaker as he answered the call and said “can you hear me alright?”. We spent the next half hour talking about him, his upbringing, and the careful way he tackles various themes in his art. He paints the picture of his career and lifetime for me vividly, how could he not? After all, that’s what a true artist does best.

Malik hails from the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, California. His interest in music began due to his childhood involvement with the church, where he would play drums and sing. In middle school, Malik got involved with an after school poetry program, where he began to write about the problems he faced. Navigating his life through poetry helped to foment his love for music which he cites as a constant in his life then and now. Malik got more serious about making music his sophomore year of highschool, where he coined the name Xanubis.

Xanubis is a name with a unique story. Malik mentions explicitly that the name is not meant to promote drug use, instead it is a tale of an encounter he had with infamous benzodiazepine, Xanax, which led him to meet an impactful moment of self-realization. When he was 15 years old, his heart stopped after taking Xanax and he ended up in the ICU. Malik recalls this moment in which he “met the afterlife” by honoring his life and experiences in his music – importantly through an artist name that will always remind him of his purpose. “Xanubis” is a combination of the words “Xanax” and “Anubis” – the Egyptian God of embalming and the afterlife. Malik explains that embalming is the “art of mummification and preserving the body after the body has died” similarly, he feels his purpose in the art he creates is to preserve his soul and life on this plane long after he has died. The story which led to the creation of this name is a tragic one for a young person to experience, but the way he transmuted that fearful moment into embers for his creative work is testament to the high caliber of artist that Xanubis is.

In highschool, he began making music using Garageband on his mom’s laptop and recording using his playstation headset. He made it a personal goal to write at least one song a day. He would write wherever he was, even during class. Even though some days he would write more than one song, he always held himself to at least write one song. He would record at home in his bathroom while everyone was asleep. Eventually, his friend introduced him to a recording studio center in the San Francisco public library. When he would get out of school, he would go straight there and record whatever it is he had written the night before. He recounts meeting a lot of cool people at that spot – the Bay community becoming integral to his artistic journey.

San Francisco and the Bay area is a place Malik describes as small, where “everyone knows everyone”. He explains that if you do something substantially and are passionate about it, the community will always show up to support you. He describes the music culture there as competitive, with a relatively small pool of artists. He compares the music scene in the Bay to the one in Los Angeles, which he believes can be disingenuous, “where people will like your music but not necessarily support it”. In the Bay, he chronicles that the competition makes people want to always be on top of eachother, making it slightly difficult for one person to rise, but says with the right amount of perseverance, it is possible to be one of those people who come out on top. He discusses his appreciation for the type of constructive criticism he receives from his community because there are a lot of creatives in the scene to help you along. In figuring out his unique sound in the Bay community, he chooses to be an artist over an entertainer – to focus on maintaining his discipline, creating his own sound, and writing music constantly. He wants to “ make it so that my life and the pain I’ve endured is not for nothing”. He emphasizes the importance of staying yourself in the artistic community because of the society that we live in saying that “ in America, getting a taste of victory in art takes a lot and you have to sell your soul to taste the sweetness, just to find out it’s not as sweet as you think”. Because of this, he must stay true to himself and his greater vision along his artistic path.

Malik breaks down his relationship to himself and the music he creates. He views his music as the “purest reflection” he has of himself. The music he makes are “his children”. In it, he speaks from his heart and a vulnerable place; “I make music for myself first because I need to”. He talks about specific times when people have reached out to him to tell him that his music has helped them through personal situations and finds it amazing, “that’s what music is for”. If it helps you skate better or sleep better, “that’s what music is for”. He lists the artists who have most influenced him “from the day I was born, till now, I’m older of course”. This list is extensive and crosses genres, knowing no boundaries, a reflection of his own approach to music. Xanubis’ influences are a recipe, a concoction: stirring in old-school Usher with Daft Punk, Foster the People with the Misfits and ACDC, Skrilliex and Kid Cudi, the Southern Miami soundcloud scene consisting of XXXTentacion, Ski Mask, Wifisfuneral, and his music-making friends in the Bay.  

Delving specifically into his songs, Xanubis delineates how he “views his life as if he’s in an anime”. He compartmentalizes his life into overarching themes which assist in writing music. One of the biggest themes he thinks about is death. Malik details how he spent a lot of time contemplating his existence, and what would happen after he died – fearing what was or was not on the other side.This fear of death inspired him to use his time wisely, and he doesn’t want to end up old and regret the life that he lived. Death is a recurring subject in his art, and in between his explanation of his afterlife theories he says “you have to remember to die”. To him, there is not enough time on earth to be consumed by negative feelings. He speaks a powerful message: “Make your music, make your money, find what fulfills you”. 

Through his music, Malik aims to hold time still. To be able to immortalize his experiences, his love, and himself. He interprets music like a historical archive, where people will return and look at these moments and know what was happening in society. Personally, Malik says, “ I don’t know what my legacy is gonna be, I don’t know how I’ll be remembered or what for ”. He aims to create something for not only himself but for others, he describes it as “a tree others can eat from long after I’m dead”. Another theme he tackles in his music is resilience. He believes giving up is so much easier than anything else. “Some days will be better than others, this is what you have to understand as an artist and as a person. At the end of the day, what everyone needs is peace.” 

Music for Malik as Xanubis has been a profound personal journey and a dream he works passionately at, every day to reach. “Say less, do more” he says, “eventually you will create momentum and the music alone will take over”. Xanubis is crafting a moment in time for himself and his art – embodying a vision of what music is in the hands of its maker.

Listen To His Music Here: