Max Skiba. Also known as Active, is a stylistically diverse emcee, singer, songwriter and producer.

Born in Poland, raised in Ireland, Active grew up in the border town of Monaghan, where the hip-hop scene was inappreciable. Active found his love and outlet in the genre, inspired by Logic, J. Cole, Russ & Kendrick Lamar. Active’s touching lyrics, impeccable production and versatility place him in his own lane, far removed from the constraints of any music scene.

Active’s first taste of success came in the latter half of 2018 with his successful releases, “1645” & “Lobotomy,” paired with visuals, both singles went onto receive hundreds of thousands of plays in the weeks post release. Receiving support on his releases from notable Irish radio stations such as RTÉ 2FM, SPIN 1038, & Beat102103, Active went on to release the Youth EP in 2019. Following this, came “Cry for Me,” a poignant tale which explores issues of male attitudes toward mental health. It premiered on Nialler9 and Hot Press. It was the gradual evolution of his sound, and the first record to provide his audience with a denser lyrical subject matter, “No Object” which got playlisted for RAP IE & came in at the No. 1 spot, was a song about the feeling that the pursuit of your goals provides you with, a feeling no monetary object ever provide. Following these releases, Active took a one-year hiatus to finish his school education, all whilst building on his sound to later return, better than ever.

“It’s not what you think, it wasn’t what I thought (it was going to be). It was great.” – 2FM’s Dan Hegarty on “Lobotomy”