Maxwell (originally his middle name and now his first was born in Brooklyn, New York on May 23, 1973. His mother is of Puerto Rican decent and his father, who died when Maxwell was 3, was West Indian. After his Father's death, Maxwell’s mother rarely allowed him to go outside of their apartment because of the rough east New York City neighborhood they lived in.

Religion played an important part in his life. A devout Baptist, Maxwell often attended the church five times a week. Much of his childhood was spent alone as Maxwell was unable to interact with children in his neighborhood.

Maxwell will often referred to himself as a nerd who had a rough time fitting in at school. He describes himself as being into books, having the glasses, being in the back of the class. He said he knew the answers but was afraid to answer.

At this time in hi life, Maxwell sported a shaved head and did not live up to his current reputation as a lady charmer. In fact, he only had 2 girlfriends all the way through High School and didn’t even attend his Senior Prom.!

Later:

It wasn’t until Maxwell got into music that he began to feel more comfortable with himself. A friend gave him a keyboard to borrow when he was 16 or 17. The first day he came home with the keyboard, he played for around eight hours before he even took off his jacket.

He would himself in his room for hours just playing music. Over the next couple of years, he played music and worked to purchase several other instruments and musical equipment, including a guitar. Completely self-taught, Maxwell soon honed his skills as a musician. In his early years, Maxwell did not have any musical friends and did not share his music with others.

At 19 years old, Maxwell was readying to play the New York City club circuit, supporting himself as a waiter. Through a friend of a friend of an owner of a 24-track studio, Maxwell recorded several demos, which he began giving out to people he knew. Soon, people took notice of Maxwell's talent, including a representative of Vibe Magazine. The publication ran a piece in which Maxwell was dubbed the "next Prince”. He hooked a deal with Columbia Records in 1994.

Now:

Maxwell and Columbia Records did not quite connect on the vision for his debut album. However, the label was willing to give him the independence he desired. Maxwell had a clear vision for his debut album that most of the musicians involved understood.

"Urban Hang Suite", released in 1996, introduced the unique sound of then 22-year-old Maxwell, and became a huge success. It succeeded in making Maxwell a household name amongst music fans. Maxwell had a fresh sound that stood apart from standard R&B fare and hard hip-hop beats, the album attracted a growing audience, garnered several radio hits--including "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder), "Whenever Wherever Whatever" and "Till the Cops Come Knocking". The album is now double platinum worldwide.

On his second album, "Embrya", Maxwell's smooth, sensual vocals ride on warm keyboard tones and honeyed strings, not to mention funky bass lines and strong grooves. While firmly rooted in the timeless foundation of soulful rhythm & blues, “Embrya” also shows Maxwell looking ahead, with idealized lyrics and detailed production pointing to the future.

With each song, he creates a symphony of sounds, layering instrument upon instrument as a rich bed for his smoky, sultry voice. Throughout the album, Maxwell explores a range of moods, from the pathos of ballads ("Drown Deep: Hula," "Know These Things: Shouldn't You") to Latin-tinged grooves ("Submerge," "Gravity: Pushing to Pull,") to smooth soul ("Everwanting: To Want You to Want," "Luxury: Cococure") to deep funk ("Arroz Con Pollo," "I'm You: You Are Me and We Are You").

The first single off of Embrya "Luxury: Cococure, "exemplifies one of the phases in Maxwell's artistic ­ and personal -- intention. "That song is a goodbye to the ailment of the love affair that inspired Urban Hang Suite" he says "and a hello to the pursuit of internal luxury. "Like most of the songs on Embrya there are double meanings as there is always a subtext to the actual title.

The irony is not lost on Maxwell that he ­ the suggested embodiment of a sensuous soul singer ­ has yet to find true love. "What I do is so difficult for most woman to deal with sometimes, "he says." I immerse myself in my work to such a degree that there's no time. But I've learned a lot from women. I've learned about subtlety, and that intimacy is also about the spiritual and mental connection that occurs. It applies to everything, to how you view art and listen to music and deal with your friends and make business decisions."

Applying that concept to the recording of the album, Maxwell says, "A friend, after living with “Embrya”, said that if "Urban Hang Suite" was one room, then “Embrya” is many chambers, many different rooms. "The entry to those rooms is found in "Gestation: Mythos," a poetic fantasy loosely based on Maxwell's life that is included in the album notes but was not put to music. "That text is a short story that's my own way of expressing what I've been through in my life, "he says.

"This album is definitely about "within, "about my outlook on the inner thing I'm desiring. And most of it is truly a love letter to God. A lot of the lyrics may seem very sexual ­ I know the line "Lay on top of me'" in "Everwanting" may mean another thing to other people. But to me it's like saying to God, you can be here, you can take control, and I'm always wanting you to want to."

As for what lies next for Maxwell, he refers to the title track of the album ­ an experimental instrumental piece with dissonant strings and backward tape looping -- as an indicator. "Embrya" is a summation of the album, and a hint of what's to come."