Last time we heard from Maxine Ashley was back in 2013 when she dropped her debut EP Mood Swings. Now Pharrell’s protege is back with new music, the Joe Janiak-produced “Lobster.”
It’s a chill trap tune that has the self-proclaimed “Puerto Rican misfit” asking “Why they hatin’ on me for?” over entrancing production combined with mouth-created sounds by Maxine and Janiak. The inspiration behind “Lobster” originally derives from her grandma’s love for cooking Lobsters, which allowed the family to bond, congregate and express of all round love.
The video was filmed in a building in the Bronx where the majority of her family lived; the clip offers a special effect as she moves backwards through the apartments.
“My cousin on the 2nd floor, cousin on 3rd, myself on 4th and my grandma on the 5th and to me it was like living in a big ass mansion. I wanted to people to feel the love and fun I felt living there before I left,” she said, describing the video as “Maaaaad Latino Bronxness.”