Okay, so imagine Miami for a second. Just close
your eyes. What's the first thing you see? South
Beach. Neon lights. Totally. You're thinking
Art Deco hotels, maybe some, you know, high gloss
club music thumping out of a convertible. It's
the Will Smith version of Miami, right? It is.
It's the tourist brochure version for sure. Exactly.
But underneath all that polished, humid surface,
there's always been this... this gritty, sweating,
hustling underground scene. And sitting right
at that chaotic intersection of hip -hop, rock,
and just pure DIY adrenaline is the group we're
talking about today. We are talking about Mayday.
A perfect storm of a band. And honestly, what
we're looking at today, it isn't just a biography
of a group. I think we should frame this a little
differently. Okay. This is basically a business
case study. A case study. Absolutely. It's a
case study in adaptation. If you look at the
sources we have, you know, tracking their journey
from 2003 all the way through 2025. Yeah. You
see a blueprint for how to survive in an industry
that is like actively trying to make you obsolete.
I love that angle because looking at this, the
thing that just jumps out at me is that these
guys were going viral before viral was even really
a buzzword. Yes. They were content creators before
we had a name for it. Right. They navigated the
death of the CD, the birth of YouTube, major
label deals, independent powerhouses, and then,
you know, eventually the shift to the creator
economy where they just bet everything on themselves.
So let's unpack it. The story starts in Miami,
2003. You've got two guys, Burns and Plex Luthor.
Right. They form the group, and right out of
the gate, they make a decision that on paper
looks... Kind of terrible. Which was what? They
decided to blend hip hop with rock. Ah, yes.
The dreaded rap rock stigma. Exactly. In the
early 2000s, that was a minefield. You know,
you had Linkin Park on one side, but you also
had a lot of really questionable stuff on the
other. It was risky. Very risky. You could easily
get dismissed as, you know, cheesy. But they
didn't approach it like a pop act. They came
at it with this really specific underground.
They weren't trying to get on TRL. They were
trying to make something that sounded like the
humidity of Miami. And this is where it gets
really interesting. We have to talk about Groundhog
Day. This is 2006. And context is king here.
2006. YouTube is what? A toddler? It launched
in 2005. Barely. There's no iPhone yet. No Instagram.
If you wanted to watch a video online, you were
probably sitting at a desktop computer waiting
for it to buffer. So, Mayday. releases this music
video for their single Groundhog Day. It features
CeeLo Green, directed by a guy named Jokes, and
the sources say that within one day of being
added to YouTube, it got over 2 million views.
Okay, let's just pause right there. I need you
to really, really understand that number. 2 million
views. In 24 hours? In 24 hours. Yeah. In 2006.
It sounds like a typo. It's astronomical. Today,
if you get 2 million views, it's usually because
an algorithm on TikTok or Shorts pushed it into
people's feeds. It's passive. It's passive consumption.
But back then, there was no algorithm like that.
How? That's the point. It was manual. It was
word of mouth. That means 2 million people had
to physically copy a link, paste it in an email
or an instant messenger, and send it to a friend
saying, you have to see this. Wow. That is a
level of organic engagement. that marketers would
kill for today. It immediately marked them as
pioneers of digital traction. They got the Internet's
visual power before most major labels even knew
how to monetize a download. It's just insane
numbers for that era. And they didn't waste that
momentum. They released their first self -titled
album that same year, September 2006, and they
followed up Groundhog Day with another hit called
Quicksand. which was crucial because quicksand
is what got them out of the garage and into the
boardroom, so to speak. Okay. That track earned
them a deal with South Beat Records. It moved
them from internet sensation to signed recording
artists. So they approved the model, build the
hype yourself, and the industry will come find
you. But, and this becomes a theme with them,
they didn't just sit back and let the label do
the work. They kept expanding. By 2009, the band
had grown into, like, a six -person lineup. Right.
They added recognize on vocals and production,
non -MS on percussion, plus a drummer and a bassist.
And that evolution is so important for their
longevity, right? Right. By adding live instruments,
they could tour like a rock band. A lot of hip
-hop acts back then were just an MC and a DJ.
Pressing play on a laptop. Which is fine, but
it limits where you can perform. Right. Mayday
could play rock festivals. They could jam. They
could improvise. It gives them so much versatility.
But frankly, the most brilliant move they made
came in 2010. Oh, I love this part. This is the
definition of guerrilla marketing. It really
is. So picture the landscape in 2010. The music
blog era is at its absolute peak. And who is
the king of the world? Lil Wayne. Little Wayne
is arguably the biggest rapper on the planet,
and Mayday decides, hey, we want to work with
him. But the normal route is, call your manager,
who calls his manager, who asks for a hundred
grand for a feature. Which, as an indie band,
you do not have. So they just didn't ask. They
literally went up to the roof of a building in
downtown Miami in the middle of the day. They
set up all their gear, amps, drums, mics, and
they filmed unofficial music videos for two Lil
Wayne songs. Da da da da and get a life. Yep.
And because they were a full band playing loud
on a rooftop, it looked like a free concert.
The spectators started gathering on the street.
People were looking out of their office windows.
It created this whole scene. It wasn't just a
cover song. It was a spectacle. It's such a gutsy
move. We're just going to play your songs on
a roof until you notice us. And the payoff, it
actually worked. It did. It's a prime example
of forcing the door open. That stunt led to the
Lords of the Fly mixtape, which had remixes of
those Lil Wayne tracks. It wasn't just for attention.
It was a lead -in to their next album, Stuck
on an Island. They leveraged the fame of a superstar
to shine a spotlight on their own work without
waiting for permission. Talk about manufacturing
your own luck. At that hustle, it caught the
eye of another giant in the independent rap world
tech N9. This is the pivotal moment. Early 2011,
tech N9 reaches out. Now. For anyone who doesn't
know, we probably need to explain Strange Music.
Give us the breakdown because it's not just a
standard label. No. Strange Music is an ecosystem.
Tech N9 built one of the most successful independent
labels in history by completely ignoring radio
and focusing on touring and merch. It's a cult
following. A real tribe. It's a tribe, yeah.
And it was a perfect cultural fit for Mayday.
Because they already had that road warrior mentality.
So Tech features them on his album, Welcome to
Strangeland. And by June 3rd, 2011, it's official.
May Day signs to Strange Music. And this move
from the rooftop gorillas to Strange Music soldiers,
it offered them stability. They released Take
Me to Your Leader in March 2012. And again, look
at the numbers. The key track Badlands, which
had Tech N9 on it, hit half a million views in
just two months. And the critics are loving it.
The Miami New Times put out a list of the 50
best Miami bands of all time, and they ranked
Mayday at number 27. Which is high praise. They
called them Miami Rap's future. In a city with
that much musical history, that's huge. It is.
But if we're talking about their peak mainstream
visibility during this era, the moment where,
you know, your average listener might have heard
them. We have to talk about Fragile. Oh, absolutely.
This wasn't just a Mayday song. It was this massive
collaboration on Tech N9ne's album. You had Tech,
Mayday, Kendall Morgan, and, oh yeah, Kendrick
Lamar. And this is 2013 Kendrick. This is good
kid. M -A -A -D, City, Eric Kendrick. He was
ascending to, like, God -tier status. So for
Mayday, specifically... recognize Ann Burns to
be on a track with him. It's a career -defining
moment. And they didn't just survive on the track.
They thrived. The song is actually really deep.
It's about the relationship between artists and
critics, how fragile the artistic ego can be.
And it did numbers. It did. It peaked at number
16 on the Bubbling Hot 100 and number 38 on the
R &B charts. It proved that Mayday could hang
with the absolute elite of lyricism. It wasn't
just about the beat anymore. It was about the
pen. And while they were getting all this acclaim,
they were just grinding on the road. They did
the Something Else tour with Tech. They even
formed a super group. With the rapper Merz? Yep.
to form, wait for it, Mer's Day. Which is just
great branding. It really is. They dropped the
Mer's Day album in June 2014. They did an EP
sponsored by Boost Mobile. It just felt like
they were everywhere. They were. But, you know,
as with any group that runs that hard for that
long, the dynamic started to shift. It's hard
to keep a six -person band together forever.
Right. By 2015, things start to change. Plex
Luthor, one of the co -founders we talked about,
he leaves the group. And the sources are really
clear that it was on good terms, which is rare.
This was right before they released the album
Future Vintage. But still, losing a founder.
It changes the DNA of a band. For sure. Over
time, the lineup kind of slimmed down to the
current core trio. Burns, Recognize, Anonymous.
But they kept pushing. Search Party in 2017,
South of Fifth in 2018. They just stayed consistent.
However, the biggest structural change was still
to come. And this is where the story circles
back to that whole theme of independence and
business savvy. The date is May 1st, 2022. The
setting. Red Rocks, iconic venue. Can you imagine
the scene? You're on one of the biggest stages
in the country, on tour with Tech N9ne. And you
have to make an announcement that could, you
know, potentially alienate your fan base or your
boss. Rumors had been swirling. Fans notice when
logos disappear from websites, you know. So Mayday
gets on the mic and addresses it. They confirm
that, yes, they are parting ways with Strange
Music. But... And this is the fascinating twist.
It wasn't a flip the table and storm out kind
of situation. No, not at all. It was remarkably
strategic. They announced they were forming their
own label, Mayday Music. But here's the kicker.
Yeah. They're still working with Tech N9ne. Exactly.
This is the key insight for anyone listening
who's business minded. We need to distinguish
between a record deal and a distribution deal.
Okay, break that down for us. A record label
usually acts like a bank. They pay for the recording,
the marketing, the videos. In exchange, they
own the masters and take the lion's share of
the profit. Got it. A distributor is different.
Their logistics, they just make sure the music
gets onto Spotify, Apple Music, and into stores.
So what did Mayday do? Their new label, Mayday
Music, is distributed by a company called It
Goes Up Entertainment. And It Goes Up is? Strange
Music's distribution arm. Wow. Precisely. So
they gained creative ownership. They own their
masters. They are the bosses. But they kept the
logistical muscle and the pipeline of the empire
they helped build. It's a very mature, have your
cake and eat it too kind of business move. And
true to form, they didn't just announce it. They
dropped music. They released the single Own Way.
That very same day. I mean, the title says it
all, doesn't it? It really does. And since then,
they haven't slowed down at all. We saw Minute
to Midnight in 2021. They dropped an EP in February
2024 called The Thinnest Line, Part 3. And looking
at the most recent data from the source, they
released a new studio album, Justice, on March
18th, 2025. 2025. So they are literally still
at it over 20 years after starting out in that
garage. And that's what stands out when you look
at their discography as a whole. Studio albums,
EPs, mixtapes, solo albums, constant touring.
They transitioned from a band that needed a label
to a band that is the label. So what does this
all mean? Why should we care about a rap rock
group from Miami if we aren't, you know, a fan
of that specific genre? I think it's about resilience.
It's about the art of the pivot. How so? Well,
look at the timeline. They started in the CD
era. They broke out in the early YouTube era
before there was even a playbook for it. They
thrived in the blog era with those Lil Wayne
stunts. They survived the streaming transition
while it strained. And now they're in the independent
artist entrepreneur era. Exactly. They didn't
just survive these changes. They used them. They
bet on their own creativity every single time,
whether it was sneaking onto a roof or restructuring
their own contract to become owners. It's a pretty
inspiring story for anyone trying to create something
of their own. You don't always need permission.
Sometimes you just need a roof, a camera, and
the willingness to look a little bit crazy. Precisely.
So before we wrap this up, I want to leave you
with a thought. We usually hear that to make
it, you have to pick a lane, you know. Be a rapper
or a rocker, be a viral star or a touring act.
Be a businessman or an artist. Right. But Mayday
did everything at once. They just refused to
pick a lane. So here's the question for you to
mull over. In an industry that is so fragmented
now, does the story of Mayday. prove that sticking
to one thing is actually outdated advice? Or
is there 20 -year survival proof that versatility,
being able to do it all, is the only real safety
net left in music? That's the million -dollar
question. In a world of specialists, sometimes
the generalist is the one still standing. Something
to think about. Thanks for listening to The Deep
Dive. We'll catch you on the next one.