Turns out, Maxey’s been turning silence into symphony for years. From church choirs to Chance the Rapper’s tour, he’s shattered barriers between sound and motion. But his story isn’t just about beats. It’s about a man straddling two worlds—and remixing both. Ready to dive in? Let’s decode the man behind the hands.
Who is Matt Maxey? From pizza delivery to hip-hop hero
Matt Maxey isn’t your average interpreter. Born with severe hearing loss, he grew up relying on hearing aids and speech therapy—not sign language. That changed when his church asked him to sign for the choir. “[It] made it easier for me to understand how to apply the sign language they were teaching me because I didn’t have the opportunity to use it in conversation,” he told Yahoo Life in 2022. By college, he’d fused hip-hop and ASL, creating a style so smooth, even Chance the Rapper took notice.
Credit: @LINC_programme
In 2014, Maxey co-founded DEAFinitely Dope, a platform blending music, education, and advocacy. His viral ASL music videos racked up 30 million views. Brands like MTV and Microsoft came calling. But his big break? Touring with Chance in 2017, signing hits like “Broccoli” with a swagger that left crowds buzzing.
“Witnessing how advocating towards providing accessibilty to the deaf community that had never experienced live music in person and seeing the joy for everybody involved was unforgettable!” Maxey said in a 2021 interview. Yet Maxey’s hustle started humbly.
Before fame, he delivered pizzas for Papa John’s and lifted boxes at UPS. “Drove over 120 miles each shift, dropping off deliveries quickly and efficiently,” his LinkedIn job description read. Those grind days shaped his mission: making culture accessible. Now, he trains companies in inclusivity—and yes, still drops fiery ASL renditions of Tupac on Instagram.
But how does this rockstar interpreter handle love? Let’s shift gears.
Is Matt Maxey in a relationship? Dating on the road
Spoiler: Maxey’s single—and fiercely independent. “I’m a comet in the sky,” he joked in an April 2024 interview. “I just pop up, we have a great time, and then I’m out.” Constantly touring, he admits relationships are tricky. “Who wants to be at home chillin’ while I’m on the road?” Yet he’s open to a partner.
A partner who’s “doing her own thing too,” Maxey added, “If we can both work towards those goals, or even if we can both work on my business together, then OK! That’s perfect! Because that means you understand, we can be a team, and you’re on board with it.” Dating apps? Meh.
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Maxey prefers real-life sparks—like meeting fans at his deaf basketball games. “Most of the time, it’s just something as simple as holding a door open and then striking up a conversation. And I might say, ‘Hey you know what… may I have your phone number?” He says. Surprisingly, most exes are hearing women who know ASL.
“With the deaf females, they’re kind of like ‘no thank you,’ because the deaf community is really small and everybody knows everybody. They know I’m not worth it,” he quips. Pro tip? “I appreciate a woman who can be straight up. Something like: ‘I like you.’”
But love isn’t his only hustle. Let’s talk cash.
What’s Matt Maxey’s net worth? Spoiler: it’s not just money
Exact figures? Unclear. But Maxey’s empire spans workshops, brand deals, and performances. DEAFinitely Dope charges for ASL lessons, corporate trainings, and music gigs. MTV, Cole Haan, and Airbnb have all booked him. Plus, those Instagram ads? “Half the songs I sign [on instagram] are paid advertisements,” he revealed in 2024.
Yet Maxey’s real wealth? Impact. He’s spoken at schools nationwide, pushing ASL as a gateway to inclusion. For Maxey, success isn’t cash—it’s “making sure that I show the message in the right way. instead of as little as possible, because I did not realize that… a lot of times, people don’t listen to the actual message of the song.”
But identity runs deeper than dollars. Let’s break it down.
What’s Maxey’s ethnicity? Bridging black and deaf culture
Black, deaf, and unapologetically both—Maxey’s work celebrates intersectionality. “I never saw a Black man signing hip-hop,” he told Yahoo. So he became that man. At 2022’s UMD Black History Month event, he dissected how race and disability collide. Black Deaf history matters.
His style—raw, rhythmic, rooted in Southern hip-hop—challenges norms. Hip-hop’s poetry to him. “As I was growing up and watching music [performances],” he says. By blending Black and Deaf pride, Maxey’s redefining accessibility. If he inspires one kid to embrace both worlds? Mission accomplished.
Credit: https://phscutlass.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/IMG_2689.jpg
Matt Maxey isn’t just an interpreter. He’s a movement. A pizza driver turned cultural pioneer. A Deaf man amplifying hip-hop’s heartbeat. A single guy cracking jokes about comets. And a Black advocate proving identity isn’t a box—it’s a mosaic. A mosaic that represents the cross-section of identities we all inhabit.
Through DEAFinitely Dope, he’s opened stages, classrooms, and minds. “If I can use my platform to create a ripple and domino effect that would last for the rest of history or contribute to the betterment of everything,” he says. So next time you see hands dancing to a beat, remember: That’s not just signing. That’s Matt Maxey—rewriting the rules, one rhythm at a time.
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