Tony Anhtuan “King Mushu” Mai is of African American and Asian descent. He is the founder and CEO of Under Ground Paradise Records where he contributes as an artist as well as director for his own personal ambitions while also helping other artists pursue their dreams. He was born on May 30th, 1991 in Vancouver, MA. Born under the Gemini sign he learned at an early age to be versatile and the ability to overcome any obstacle he has faced.
Early on Tony’s mother left him in the care of his grandmother to find a better way as a single mother trying to provide for her young son. At the age of 15 his grandmother found him to be too tenacious and sent him to live with his mother in Baltimore, Ma ryland. He was not a problem child by any means just a young man trying to find his way in the world. Growing up with a distant father proved to be harder than he let on at times. There were times in his life where the next meal was not promised to him and the close knit group of young teens, he 1 surrounded himself with. Tony being the problem solver he was he devised a plan to feed his family and his neighborhood kids. Even if it was not in the best way nor most legal, he never wanted to see those around him struggle or starve. Not much has changed for this young man.
Tony Mai began to explore the world of music thanks to a strong bond he shared with a young man by the name of David Murph. While serving their country they found a mutual passion for creating upbeat music to pass the time as well as boost the morale of their brothers. One night at a house party he was given the name “Mushu” by a young lady named Ashlie due to the persona from a very popular Disney movie. A name that she had no idea was more than fitting for this young man at the time. Turns out young Tony had always had a connection to the Chinese dragon. From a young age people had spoken of how he reminded them of a dragon. He was smart, ambitious, fierce, and always seemed to be on the right side of luck. King Mushu even recalls seeing dragons in the clouds during many thunderstorms as a child.
King Mushu did not start off with the easiest of careers. Once being compared to “50 Tyson” an artist he didn’t feel he shared any similarities with. Even though he struggled in the beginning he still practiced regularly to not embarrass his friend on songs that they recorded and occasionally performed together. After being honorably discharged from the military he began to take his passion for mus ic much more seriously. He relocated from the base he was stationed at in El Paso, Texas back to his home in Baltimore. When returning back home he was distraught and felt lost so he turned to the one thing he felt made him feel a sense of normalcy and that was music. Surrounded by a great group of friends back home he was dubbed the title of “King” due to the fact he had been fighting and overcoming the adversities all his life. Thus “King Mushu” was born.
King Mushu did not start off with the easiest of careers. Once being compared to “50 Tyson” an artist he didn’t feel he shared any similarities with. Even though he struggled in the beginning he still practiced regularly to not embarrass his friend on songs that they recorded and occasionally performed together. After being honorably discharged from the military he began to take his passion for mus is much more seriously. He relocated from the base he was stationed at in El Paso, Texas back to his home in Baltimore. When returning back home he was distraught and felt lost so he turned to the one thing he felt made him feel a sense of normalcy and that was music. Surrounded by a great group of friends back home he was dubbed the title of “King” due to the fact he had been fighting and overcoming the adversities all his life. Thus “King Mushu” was born.
The late summer of 2015 King Mushu traveled to New York City and failed to be signed to Roc Nation. This only fueled him more to find a place in the music industry and to find a home for himself as an artist. He then founded Under Ground Paradise Records and began to really develop himself as an artist. Since then, he has had many accomplishments which includes performing on stages in Las Vegas, El Paso, Annapolis, and some local performances in Portland. He has since released an album named “The Rise of King Mushu”, which is part one of a trilogy project. He has tons of thousands of listeners that tune into him on the many streaming platforms that he is listed on, specifically Spotify. Even though music and business are his main passions he also has a huge soft spot for philanthropic work. King Mushu has started and completed a clean water donation project through his label for Flint, M in 2016. He has said multiple times, “The idea is to give back as much as possible to the people in need.”
King Mushu can often be heard saying that his major inspiration intricate artists ranging from Jays are some of the most Z to Andre 3000, J. Cole, Cyhi Da Prince, and Kendrick Lamar. His motivation for music is to simply open up the consciousness of his listeners and liberate melanated people from the mental slavery they endure on the daily. Noticing the suffering and mental anguish of his people most of his songs are based on this core value. He knows that he cannot do it all by himself but he enjoys offering a voice to be heard and hopes to also aid in the relief of the pain that a great song can bring to the soul. He is well versed in a multitude of different genres, whether it be rap, R&B, or even pop. He enjoys telling a good story or even boasting about his talents as 2 a rapper. King Mushu hopes to continue his career and says this is just the beginning of his journey, STAY TUNED.