New York, NY (Top40 Charts) British musician and rapper Maxi Jazz has passed away at the age of 65, according to a statement released by his Faithless bandmates.
Maxwell Fraser, better known as Maxi Jazz, was said to have passed away "peacefully in his sleep" on 23 December.
His bandmates said they were "heartbroken" at the news and described Jazz as a "beautiful person".
We are heartbroken to say Maxi Jazz died peacefully in his sleep last night. He was a man who changed our lives in so many ways. He gave proper meaning and a message to our music. He was a lovely human being with time for everyone and wisdom that was both profound and accessible.
Faithless are an English band that formed in 1995, with its core members being Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. Their first album Reverence was released in 1996 and their most recent, All Blessed in 2020. They have sold millions of physical records, and after their catalogue was uploaded to streaming sites in 2018, they average over 400,000 streams a day. Faithless' records have charted at number 1 in numerous countries and they were voted 4th greatest dance band of all time by Mixmag.
Their musical style is often political. Their most recent album All Blessed, uses award-winning photo-journalist Yannis Behrakis' picture of refugees on the front, focusing on immigration as its core theme.
Faithless have headlined numerous major festivals in Europe and beyond, including Glastonbury. Their lyrics have been quoted in both the US Senate and the Houses of Parliament.