Images: Tommy Vo

Oxymorrons embodies the essence of New York City, a melting pot of sounds, styles and cultures that can never be succinctly defined or shoved in a box. Comprised of vocalist brothers KI and Deee, drummer Matty Mayz, and guitarist Jafé Paulino, their diverse backgrounds, eccentricities and flawless imperfections blend together to create the soundtrack of our big city lives. Always with an eye on the bigger picture, Oxymorrons use music as a catalyst for change, an opportunity to help craft a global movement that never fails to put community over division.

The Queens-bred brothers, KI and Deee, were touched by the power of music at a very young age. “When you’re raised in Queens, you’re exposed to a melting pot of cultures, which shed light on multiple genres of music. Our dad would be bumpin Prince, Bob Marley, Lionel Ritchie, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, etc. Our older brother would have artists like Biggie and Metallica on repeat. Queens birthed many hip-hop superstars like Nas, 50 Cent, Nicki Minaj, RUN DMC, Onyx, while also birthing rock stars like the Ramones, Anthrax and Bayside. It’s no coincidence that when it was our turn, we would create something so hybrid.” For the brothers it was always about finding their own sound and carving their own path, taking inspiration from acts like N.E.R.D, Jay-Z, Lincoln Park, Kid Cudi, Outkast & Lupe Fiasco to be unapologetically themselves. The eventual additions of drummer Matty Mayz and guitarist Jafé Paulino have proven integral parts of carving that path, and Oxymorrons have not looked back since.

The band’s upcoming album derives its name from the concept of melanin as a unifying force transcending mere skin tone. After years of being told they were too rock for hip-hop or too hip-hop for rock, they committed to creating music that defies the arbitrary rules of genre classification. The album features guest appearances by Hyro the Hero, Kid Bookie & Troi Irons.