Sean Musial, Staff Writer  

Former Philadelphia resident, Matthew Christopher Grau, more prominently known as ‘Matt Ox’, is a young rapper who rose to stardom with his 2017 single “Overwhelming”. The year prior, he collaborated with now deceased rapper, XXXTentacion, on the song “$$$” in his sophomore album. He has even collaborated with artists like Chief Keef, Key!, and Vallee with his debut Album “OX” later on in 2018. 

On April 5, he was arrested in Burbank, California on drug charges following a traffic stop that had two other individuals in the car. According to authorities, they had pulled the Lexus over initially for vehicle code violations. They then found probable cause to search the vehicle because they then searched and inspected the vehicle. Police stated that they found several cups that contained oxycodone, Xanax and a cocktail of promethazine-codeine, also known as “lean.” Ox was released on a citation and ordered to appear in court on April 30. 

Even with these serious charges, the 20-year-old posted his mugshot on social media. The caption reads: “F*** THE SYSTEM! FREE THE KIDS! NEW MUSIC SOON! LOCKED ME UP FOR NUN IM BACK THO!” This controversial post and reaction to something that should scare others adds to Ox’s persona and public image as a rebellious rapper that goes against the system. Not condoning these actions, the young rapper stays true to what he’s trying to convey– an image resemblance of ‘Emenem’ and what has become of the former child star in recent years. Ox has his own demons to deal with, but he’s here to stay to continue his creative form and garnish the controversies he has become known for. 

Ox, just like many other kid stars that came before him, have been affected greatly from everything that comes with fame and fortune. Other former singers that started in their youth, like Demi Lovato and Justin Bieber, got involved with drugs and other scandals later on in life. Micheal Jackson is one of the clearest examples of this, taking the matter that he was robbed of his childhood to a whole other degree once he made it the 90’s and 2000’s. Since they are more in the hip-hop field, rather than rap, it’s a clear representation to see how they got from point A to point B. The lifestyle that comes with ‘rap’ is much different from other song genres, still having remedies of the partying that rock garnished or the beats that Hip Hop has made mainstream. 

A deeper examination into Ox’s career reveals where he went from a young ambitious kid to a full-blown thug rapper. Ox was only 12 years old when he rose to fame, giving the world his catchy beats and music. Due to the amount of time that went into making his music videos, he eventually dropped out of school to pursue his music career more full time but his mom made sure to homeschool him so he could continue his education. As the years progressed and he got involved with more popular rappers in the industry, his craft grew into something new and even darker. Some people labeled his music as “dark trap music,” taking inspiration from some of his favorite artists like Soulja Boy and Lil B. Trap music is a subgenre of rap that explores themes of street life, drug culture, violence and ambition on top of the hard- hitting beats, aggressive melodies and candid lyrics. This music he has become most known for only contributes to the changes he has gone through throughout his early career, for the better or worse. 

The take away from this is to stay true to yourself when fame enters the picture, and money only adds to the individual’s new life. In its essence, music is a form of art that can help individuals gain recognition. People can lose themselves. The best thing someone can do when found in this situation is ask what they would have done in their lives when things were much simpler, rather than going in head first in the situation before thinking it over. Pursue your dreams but don’t lose yourself in the process.