Maxwell D was born in Dulwich, South London, and developed his love of music through his father, Natty B, a well-known DJ on Choice FM (now Capital XTRA). Music was always central to his upbringing, and as a teenager he gravitated towards Reggae, Dancehall, and Hip Hop.

At just 17, Maxwell entered and won an MC competition on leading underground jungle and drum & bass station KOOL FM, which led to him being offered a regular slot on the station.

2000 – Maxwell first entered the UK Garage scene after featuring on Ramsey & Fen’s track “Favourite Part of Me”, released by Sony BMG.

2001 – He continued his rise in UKG with the release of his debut single “Serious”, which entered the UK National Charts at No. 38 and became a staple on garage dance floors nationwide. Around the same time, he joined Wiley, DJ Target, Ace, Slimzee, Plague, Geeneus and God’s Gift (Rinse FM) to form the influential crew Pay As You Go Cartel, building a major underground following. Their debut single “Champagne Dance” was signed to Sony Music and reached No. 13 in the UK National Charts.

2003 – Maxwell collaborated with Ms Dynamite and US rapper Ludacris on “Southern Hospitality”, featured on the UK edition of Ludacris’ Chicken-N-Beer album. Following the collaboration, he signed to EMI Publishing.

2007 – He worked with LA producer Ruwanga Samath on the R&B track “With You”, later released on a Channel U compilation album. This also led to his appearance on Kelly Rowland’s “Work It” remix (produced by Ruwanga Samath / Birdcall Productions).

2008 – Maxwell featured on “Make It To The Sun”, a high-profile political campaign track connected to Barack Obama, produced by Ruwanga Samath and referenced on Obama’s Wikipedia page. That year he also appeared on Channel 4’s Friday Night Live, performing alongside Kanye West.

2009 – He moved into the emerging UK Funky House scene with club anthem “Blackberry Hype”, distributed by MI Records. The track became a cultural moment and was widely linked to the surge in Blackberry phone popularity among young people at the time.

2011 – Performed at BBC 1XTRA Live from Ayia Napa with MistaJam.

2012 – Wrote and performed “Soldier”, featured in the No.1 box office comedy TED, starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis.

2013 – Joined Orange Hill (a UK sound system and production company) as Head Mic Man alongside radio presenter Ras Kwame (ex Radio 1 / Capital FM) and producer Jnr Tubby. He then joined US superstar Fatman Scoop on a sold-out UK club tour, and generated major underground buzz with his freestyle on Julio Bashmore’s house track “Au Seve.”

2016 – Two of Maxwell’s tracks were featured on official film soundtracks for Sundown and A Flock of Dudes. Building on the success of “Blackberry Hype,” he also launched his own energy drink, Taboo Blackberry Hype, stocked across multiple UK stores.

2017 – A further alliance with Ruwanga Samath led to four Maxwell tracks being featured on the soundtrack for Netflix film Reality High: “Drop and Get Low,” “Ex-Lover,” “New Day,” and “I Got The Love.” The film launched on Netflix in September 2017, reaching a global audience and trending on release. Another track was also featured on the official soundtrack to Bring It On: Worldwide Showdown.

2018 – His song “Crack the Ground” was featured in Lionsgate’s Blindspotting, starring Daveed Diggs, Tisha Campbell, Rafael Casal and more. Maxwell also made a cameo appearance in The Intent 2: The Come Up, which received a wide UK theatrical release.

2019 – Maxwell founded his mentoring company Music Through The Bars, delivering music workshops across the country in prisons, schools, and higher education institutions. The programme was designed to empower people from all backgrounds to create music through voice, instruments, and creativity. The initiative has been praised publicly, including coverage in the UK’s Daily Mirror, recognising its positive impact within the prison system. That year, Maxwell also became an ambassador for LVN (London Village Network) and took part in a panel alongside MP David Lammy, discussing knife crime in the UK.

2020 – Maxwell signed his classic debut UKG chart-topper “Serious” to Universal’s Motown label through Nicky Slimting and Femi Oyeniran (directors of Intent), after it was featured on the soundtrack to their short film Against All Odds. The “Serious (2020 Remix)”, produced by the legendary Rude Kid, featured grime artists Capo Lee, Tempa T, Novelist, So Large, and Bruza.

2021 – Maxwell was invited to attend and perform at the YouTube Legacy Awards, and released The British Jamaican EP. Navigating lockdown while maintaining momentum — and still making waves.

2022 – Maxwell teamed up with Yung Saber on “Everything Dere”, produced by Zed Bias. They performed at Notting Hill Carnival on the +44 stage powered by Amazon Music, and also appeared at BBC 1Xtra’s 20th Anniversary event. He released “Timeless” featuring More Fire Crew and Dollar, which took off online as the lyrics and dance went viral. Off the back of the record’s momentum, Maxwell toured nationwide with the Timeless Showcase Tour.

2023 – Maxwell D was confirmed as part of the UK Garage Allstars Arena Tour 2024, with dates announced so far in Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, and London, with more expected to follow. He released “Compton” with Ruwanga, and took part in the Kiyan Prince Foundation Celebrity Charity Football Match. He also performed at DJ Spoony’s A House Full of Garage during the Butlins Big Weekender takeover, appeared at City Splash Festival in Brockwell Park, Brixton, and performed Rampage Carnival Classics at the famous Barbican Centre, backed by a 36-piece orchestra conducted by GRAMMY Award-winner Jules Buckley.

2024 – The year of the MOBOs. Maxwell D was invited to perform alongside some of UK garage’s most iconic names, celebrating 30 years of the genre. He also took his mentoring to the renowned Garden Studios in Park Royal, where he created a bespoke programme for young people from local boroughs, sparking a whirlwind year of music mentoring across a wide range of industries. Maxwell D also performed at City Splash 2024 alongside Capleton and Shenseea, and made his debut on DJ AG’s online live sessions. He later entered a joint venture with Ruwanga Samath, a renowned producer and songwriter, launching the sync company Birdcall specialising in TV and film, where Maxwell was appointed Head of A&R UK. Birdcall secured a placement featured in the movie Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Christmas trailer) alongside Paramount Studios.

2025 – Maxwell D performed at the O2 Arena for the Garage Nation concert, in front of over 20,000 UKG enthusiasts. He also expanded his digital presence by launching his TikTok show in conjunction with his events company Comes Vibes Wid Me, creating a consistent platform for content, community and live moments around the culture. He added a major corporate booking to his portfolio by signing the Mears Group for motivational speaking, delivering talks centred on resilience, purpose and personal development. Maxwell was also nominated for “Role Model of the Year” at The Inspire Awards.