Meet Lexxi Meshan | Arizona’s Female Lyricist of the Year

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lexxi Meshan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lexxi, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success, is the mantra I live by:
Never. Give. Up.

I began my music career in 2011.
Since then, I’ve worked literally every single day on my craft and also the business side of things, which allowed me to start my own music companies and hire or “sign” myself; resulting in me writing my own checks.
I remember the first 3 to 5 years of my career, doing everything I could to get signed. Eventually I decided to learn the actual business for myself.
In 2014 I studied Music Business and when I graduated the degree program with a 4.0 I opened my own music publishing llc, and began releasing my master-owned, original music under it.
These where the days of SoundCloud, Datpiff and Reverbnation. I was amongst the very first local artist to have music on iTunes and Spotify in my city.
I began performing at shows across Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New Jersey, Puerto Rico- and MANY in Phoenix.
Even then, I still did not feel my career was where I believed it deserved to be.
My career didn’t really start to pop until my major rebrand in 2020 – 9yrs later.

Now, I am a full time music entrepreneur; comfortably able to pay my bills, pay my parents bills and live the dream I’ve worked so hard for.

I often ask myself.. “During those 9 developmental years… what if I would’ve let the discouragement get to me? If I had stopped then, where would I be now?” And honestly, I’m glad I’ll never know.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I currently hold the title of Arizona’s Female Lyricist of the Year, and it really is an honor because before an artist, I am, and always have been a professional writer, first.

For me, Lyrics have always been the most important aspect to a song because, what are you feeding other peoples minds? Words are powerful. If they like your song, what are you having them repeat to themselves daily? Is it meaningful? Healthy? Progressive?
Yes, I love a good beat like the next millennial, but what are you leaving the listener with? A bunch of s*x, violence and lies? Or stories and truth?
As a female lyricist, it hasn’t been easy trying to navigate through an industry that leaned more toward the visual and s*xual representation a woman can have, as opposed to an intellectual one; but I do believe the industry is finally shifting back to its origination of creative talent and lyrical ability.
If I wanted the world to know anything about me- it’s that I am not “the best”. I am not perfect. But I’m authentic. I’m ME.

Speaking of being authentically me- One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is to never ever sell my soul- and I know we all hear that cliche, but no, seriously.

A few years ago I was approached by another publishing company and they wanted to work with me, specifically doing sync licensing songs.
They offered me literal pennies and crumbs of what I’m worth, but at the time I really needed the money, so I took it and tried to make the best of the situation.
They ended up breaking a verbal agreement that we had, and released an entire album under my name and my discography without my permission.
I actually didn’t know, nor even hear the album until a month after it was already released to the public, because local media outlets starting dragging my name and music across the blogs. (Understandably so because it sounds nothing like what I would usually do)
So when I finally saw it and listened to it, I was absolutely mortified with what was coming through my speakers.
Multiple songs they had changed without my permission- the lyrics, the audio, and it wasn’t even ME or MY voice on most of them… it was just like an entire album was put out under my name with my face on it- an album title that I never chose, a cover photo of ME, that I never approved on…

That situation was such a heartbreaking wake up call because as we all know once you put something on the Internet, it’s there forever and to have something released that has my name and face on it, that I had absolutely no control over, is devastating… but it taught me, on a small scale, to never ever ever sell my soul no matter what.
So luckily this happened before I got to the “big scales”… because no one or no company will ever be able to play me like that ever again.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Being from the east coast, I have family, friends and business partners that fly out to visit me. If they were visiting this month, I would have them come watch me perform front row at the AZMT 10yr anniversary show and then also watch me kill the stage the very next day at the Phoenix HipHop Festival.
If it’s a Wednesday night, there’s nowhere else we are going except Poetic Soul. If it’s Thursday we’ll head to Mesa to enjoy some football and seafood at SoHo Lounge, then head to BarSmith. Hopefully it’s first Friday because if so, we’re going straight downtown to Roosevelt row. Saturday we have to hit up every brunch spot we can, specifically brunch house in Phoenix or sugar jam up north. Then we will get up early Sunday and head to Tempe town lake for the AZ BLK Run.

Arizona has come a very long way culturally, and I’ve enjoyed witnessing that.
In addition, I host shows and club events around the city almost regularly, so they would more than likely be in town for any one of those as well.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I wouldn’t be here with my dedicated Day-1 fans.
I have a decent following right now but the important part is I engage with almost ALL of them.
Across all social media platforms combined, I’m sitting right under 10k followers, but the fact that I make a connection and each and every one of them feel like they know me, is what’s important.
I’ve always looked up to the way certain celebrities treat their fans; like Taylor Swift asking her fans to send her their Christmas list, and then she actually goes live, Boxing up their gifts she bought and sending it to them.
Or, the way Chris Brown allows his fans that once in a lifetime moment to really meet him and get his undivided attention while they take a silly and cute photo with him after the show.
That’s so special; and as an artist you have to understand you wouldn’t be there without them!
So yes, it’s special but it should be the norm.
I love all my fans and will always think outside the box to find ways to keep them entertained and knowing that they’re important.

Website: https://www.MerchByMeshan.com

Instagram: @lexximeshan

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thelexximeshan?feature=shared

Image Credits
SAMTHEDABMAN ENTERTAINMENT