5 Songs I Love w/ HyenaXXL

Following the release of his latest single MR.XXL (Remix) featuring Ne-Yo, Flex caught up with New Jersey alternative R&B artist HyenaXXL to find out what influences his eclectic sound. If you enjoy HyenaXXL's picks, be sure to check out MR.XXL (Remix) at the end of the article.

1. Prince - Darling Nikki

"Darling Nikki" will always hold a very special place in my heart. It is a core song as to what made me...well me, and the direction I wanted to go with when it came to music. As a kid I watched the movie "Purple Rain" a lot and still now I do. But what is important about this specific song is what actually happens after he performs it. The owner of the place that Prince works at comes in and tells Prince how no one understands his music but himself. That scene between the two has always stuck with me and is what made me pursue music so much; that I didn't want it to be some hobby- but instead make it my life. 

2. Prince - Incense and Candles

"Incense and Candles" is perfection. When it comes to the mix of having both female and male vocals together, it is just incredible. I really love how easy it is for Prince to go from singing to then rapping. I feel like many songs have struggled with that where they have a singer and rapper together, and one or the other will just feel out of place with the rest of the track. Here though, he does it himself and does it so seamlessly. 

3. The Weekend - Love In The Sky

"Love In The Sky" is a big song for me because it is the track that introduced me to The Weeknd. The "Kiss Land" album overall is my favorite album from him, which might be a bit biased because that album is what got me into him, but it was the lyricism that really made me stay and listen. Because of how young I was, except for Prince and a few other artists like Rick James that was introduced to me by my parents, I was surrounded by radio music that at the time was just about having a good time and partying. So to find a modern artist like The Weeknd who actually had a story and is an amazing lyricist, he was a breath of fresh air for me.

4. Childish Gambino - Terrified

Childish Gambino is a top 5 artist for me overall. His album, "Awaken, My Love!" has some crazy soul to it and is just beautifully blended with R&B and psychedelic feelings to it. It is a big inspiration to my blues music. "Terrified" specifically though, I don't know what it is about that song, but it always hits for me. 

5. Muse - Dead Inside

Muse is my favorite band of all time. I've listened to their entire catalog and I never came across a song where I felt the need to skip it. A song by them that I listen to very often would be "Dead Inside". They all killed it with that track.

Listen to HyenaXXL - MR.XXL - Remix