SCARLXRD is the stage name of Marius Listhrop, a rapper and musician from Wolverhampton, United Kingdom, born in 1994. He is known for a style that combines trap, boom bap and trap metal with metal influences, and for a presentation that often uses harsh vocals, distorted guitars and heavy trap beats.

Career

Before focusing on music as Scarlxrd, Listhrop is active online as a YouTube personality under the name Mazzi Maz. He later removes those videos from his channel and rebrands the account around the Scarlxrd name. He says that his time making YouTube videos feels “soul-destroying”.

His music career begins as the lead vocalist of the nu metal band Myth City, before he debuts as a rapper under the Scarlxrd moniker. He releases the first Scarlxrd track, “Girlfriend”, in August 2016, and follows it with a self-titled album and Rxse before the end of that year. In 2017 he releases Cabin Fever and Chaxsthexry, then later Lxrdszn in September. His sixth studio album, Dxxm, is a major-label debut released through Island Records.

Style and image

Scarlxrd’s music is associated with the term “trap metal”, used for a blend of trap music and heavy metal. His work is also linked to SoundCloud rap. His stage name and several song titles use “x” in place of “o”. He often appears in a black surgical mask, which is inspired by the manga Tokyo Ghoul. His visual style and clothing draw heavily on Japanese culture, especially anime, and he also cites Slipknot as a visual influence.

Influences and collaborators

He grows up listening to heavy metal and names Missy Elliott, Nelly and Eminem among his hip-hop influences. He says Linkin Park and Rage Against the Machine help inspire the formation of Myth City. He also appears on Carnage’s album Battered Bruised & Bloody on the track “Up Nxw”.

Live appearances and recognition

In 2018, Scarlxrd is announced for the Reading and Leeds Festivals. NME describes him as an outsider hip-hop artist and as a figure associated with rap metal, with a style built around screamed vocals, claustrophobic trap rhythms and distorted guitar.