Maggz was recently brought to my attention as producer of Zero Star’s recent EP, Don’t Look Now. On Maggnetic Opposites, he steps in front of the mic and lets Optix handle the production duties. The Rochester-born Columbus-based artist shows that he’s just as talented on the mic as he is with the beats. In an EP that clocks in under twenty five minutes, we get to know him very well.

Maggz isn’t going to wow you with verbal dexterity, but it doesn’t matter because his ability to open up and tell personal stories is so moving. In a few short songs, I’ve reached a deeper connection with him than I have with most emcees I come across. He discusses how rough it was growing up in Rochester, but hopes to live as an proof that you can overcome the situation you’re born into. He also knows that he can be introverted and antisocial, but tries to work through it in his music. In the song “Born Alone, Die Alone,” Maggz explains “I’d love to take it easy, do me, work on beats, and spend time with the two seeds” and that “Now I’m sitting here all alone/ I minimized the dead weight to keep this shit goin’.” I feel like I know Maggz before I’ve ever met him. Optix lays down the perfect complimentary backdrop for this EP, with mid tempo grooves heavy on jazz guitar and keyboards with sparse drums - a nice bridge between Pete Rock or Prince Paul and RZA.

Maggnetic Opposites is a very pleasant surprise. Creating a hip hop EP with this level of intimacy is no easy task, but Maggz pulls it off without a hitch. I’m definitely excited to see where his career will go.