Xavier Marquis Davis (born March 13, 1984), better known by his stage name Ex Marquis is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Career Early years Marquis began writing songs at nine years old. He came from a family of musicians and singers. At age 16, he purchased his first keyboard which helped him hone his productions skills and prepare him for his opportunity to study music and produce records at FlyteTyme Studio, the studio belonging to Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. "The time I spent at Flyte Tyme was essential to my growth as a music producer and artist. There was so much history there. Just to know that you were recording in the same place that Michael and Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Boys II Men, and Usher once recorded in is breathtaking and motivating." 2008-2010: The X-Files Mixtape: Episode 1 In 2008, Marquis began recording his first mixtape "The X-Files Mixtape: Episode 1. He wanted to bring something different to hip-hop, stating, "I like to give listeners' ears a full course meal. A lot of artists are either afraid or unable to step out of the box. People get tired of the same ole' thing all the time, so I attempt to give them a little bit of everything to fill not only their appetites, but mine as well." In the middle of recording the mixtape in St. Paul, Minnesota, he decided to move his operation to Dallas, Texas. Shortly after his move he met rapper AnonymousCulture and immediately began producing tracks for the emcee. One of the many tracks he produced for AnonymousCulture was "PosterBoi. Through AnonymousCulture, he met producer and rapper LehtMoJoe. He later collaborated with the producer on the song "Touch the Sky". Marquis later remixed LehtMoJoe's "Look Around". The X-Files Mixtape: Episode 1 was released April 2010. In November 2010, Marquis released the single "Open Letter". The single was later awarded the "Urban Finals Grand Prize" by MTV partner company Ourstage.com. He finished once in the Top 10 and twice in the Top 40 of ourstage.com's monthly song competition. 2011-Present: The X-Files Mixtape: Episode 2 After moving back to his hometown, Minneapolis, he assembled a band for his live performances and completed "The X-Files Mixtape: Episode 2". On July 28, 2011, Marquis headlined "The X-Files Mixtape: Episode 2 Release Show." Accompanied by his backing band, Marquis performed to a near-capacity