For most music listeners, Memoria XI is a name that might be new to you, but it’s a name you’re definitely going to want to put on your radar moving forward. At only 18 years old, his voice carries such power and emotion that you’d think he’s been making music for decades, and although he’s an artist I’m just getting familiar with, this is true from the very moment you press play on any of his songs. Although Hyattsville, Maryland might not be world renown for Hip-Hop or Rap music, Memoria isn’t letting this discourage him, stating “I was just some skinny kid with glasses. No one expected me to do this, but I was self-motivated”. Motivation and belief in your skills are some of the most important things when starting out your career, and I have no doubt in my mind that Memoria’s aptitudes are going to carry him to heights that even he might have trouble fathoming.
The first track I had ever heard from the Maryland native is his most recent offering “Grammy”, but I can tell without a single doubt in my mind that he is a star in the making, and that’ll be clear and obvious from the moment he begins singing on this record. Daks9k and Salore teamed up to handle the production on this hit, incorporating a mixture of touching, deeper piano chords and some higher-pitched, graceful piano keys that combine with spread out, crisp percussion and additional 808s that just come together for the perfect foundation.
Despite the intriguing beat, Memoria steals the show from the moment he begins to sing, showing off his pure, emotive voice that is as powerful as it is incredible. Each and every line he gets into starts out with such command before he ends each bar with some stretched out, clean notes that lead us right into the next lively line. There is excitement behind each word he sings, giving off the impression that he knows exactly how talented he is and can’t wait for the rest of the world to catch on. Despite his melodious delivery, he also quickens and slows his words up in the blink of an eye, showing off his dexterity as well as the sheer passion and effort that goes into each and every word he recites.
All of these emotions come together in a perfectly seamless way, adding even more energy and sentiment to the forefront of his lyrics. When my homie put me onto Memoria, he described him as being a cross between The Kid LAROI and Post Malone, two heavy hitters in the music scene currently, so that’s some high praise that isn’t easy to live up to. However, I can say with the utmost certainty that this description is absolutely correct, although Memoria has some distinctive qualities and talents that separate himself as well, making him as individualistic as he is remarkable.
After getting a little more information on the rising star, he cites Kanye’s 808s and Heartbreak, The Weeknd’s Kiss Land, and Juice WRLD’s Goodbye & Good Riddance as some of the artists and records that inspired him the most. With Juice’s album, he talks about how amazing it was cohesively and how it just spoke to him on a deeper level at the time, before going into how XXXtentacion, in general, inspired him to be real and not fake anything, which is clear throughout each and every piece of music he has released. Finally, he states how Post Malone is his all-time favorite artist, which makes sense because not only does he have similar characteristics to the iconic artist, but he is also as adroit and quite possibly just as skilled, which is unbelievable considering his age and how fresh he is in the music industry. At the end of the day, I couldn’t have higher praise for Memoria XI, and even though my words most likely can’t do him and his talents justice, you’ll understand why after listening to “Grammy” for the first time.