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Trumpeter • Lyricist • Producer • Composer
Maurice “Mobetta” Brown is a Grammy Award–winning trumpeter, rapper, and producer whose boundary-breaking sound fuses jazz, hip-hop, funk, and soul. Born in Harvey, Illinois, Brown rose from Chicago’s vibrant jazz scene to become one of today’s most genre-defying artists.
A protégé of Alvin Batiste and a standout in the National High School GRAMMY Band, Brown first made his mark in New Orleans with his acclaimed debut Hip to Bop. His follow-up, The Cycle of Love, landed on NPR and Huffington Post “best of the year” lists, cementing his reputation as a fearless innovator.
As a member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Brown earned a GRAMMY Award for Best Blues Album (Revelator). His hip-hop/jazz hybrid projects, Maurice vs. Mobetta and The Mood, showcase his dual artistry as both horn player and MC, featuring collaborations with Talib Kweli, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Jean Grae, and Consequence.
Brown’s trumpet and horn arrangements have elevated artists across genres—working with Aretha Franklin, The Roots, Logic, Macy Gray, Wyclef Jean, De La Soul, Lettuce, Ramsey Lewis, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. He’s toured extensively with Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals & DJ Pee Wee, performed alongside Kamasi Washington, and graced the stages of the Hollywood Bowl, Newport Jazz Festival, and Blue Note Tokyo.
Now leading his own label, Mobetta Music (distributed by EMPIRE), Brown is preparing the release of his bold new album Betta Days (Aug. 29, 2025), featuring Kamasi Washington, MonoNeon, Rae Khalil, Cimafunk, OMAR, and more.
“Brown’s music is a cross-pollination between the slicked electric textures of 1980s R&B, the warm grooves of Golden Era hip-hop, the thrashing power of rock and the effortless virtuosity of jazz.”
NY Times
"Maurice Brown always seems to be in the right place at the right time, which is good because he is always welcome and often needed. With his horn he is able to musically go anywhere and he is a pleasure to work with."
Talib Kweli
"Maurice has taken a solid foundation of jazz and blues and turned it into a modern sound that is uniquely his own."
Derek Trucks
"Hearing Maurice Brown play let's me know that jazz is in good hands going forward. He plays with a love of the history of jazz but he's also determined to add a new chapter to the story."
Marcus Miller
“Brown's next stop was New York City, where he produced, arranged and performed with acts such as The Roots and P. Diddy. He immersed himself in hip-hop and then brought what he learned back to jazz”
NPR - Morning Edition
“Chicago, Illinois native Maurice Brown is one of the most important musicians to look out for during this decade. The trumpeter/composer/producer has made waves in the record industry and he’s barely 30 years old.”
The Pace Report
“...Maurice “Mobetta” Brown is one of the best horn players on the planet.”
allhiphop.com
“Maurice Brown has somehow found a way to seamlessly fuse the instrumentation and attitude of a hard-bop combo with R&B romanticism, urban grooves, and hip hop energy.”
Chris - CD BABY
“Brown's new record "The Cycle Of Love" is a powerhouse, a record that should change the way people listen to jazz, while converting those that don't.”
Huffington Post
“Essentially, Brown and his quintet have found the place where jazz, soul and pop converge, shortchanging none of these languages but drawing eloquently from each of them.”
Howard Reich - Chicago Tribune
"Brown—who grew up in Harvey [IL]—always has shown a knack for penning insinuating melodic hooks. Not surprisingly, then, the tunes from “The Cycle of Love” linger in memory."
Howard Reich - Chicago Tribune
"Maurice Brown's musical vision is not only hip, but it's totally fresh and inspiring with enough momentum to carry jazz into a completely new evolutionary direction."
JazzReview.Com
"Brown is one of the most exciting young trumpeters in jazz--be it New Orleans or New York. His improvisations are fresh, his chops dynamic and he's writing what could very well become a new generation of hard-bop-meets-new-grooves standards."
DownBeat Magazine
"The remarkable Maurice Brown"
Chicago Tribune
"When Maurice Brown, the first place winner in the 2001 National Miles Davis Trumpet Competition, "blows his trumpet, folks notice. His irrefutable energy, talent, and focus continually surprise audiences"
Jazz Times
"Brown’s energy almost created the first jazz mosh pit. Audience members were clapping their hands, stomping their feet, and exhorting the trumpeter to keep the fire burning..."
All About Jazz
"His debut disc, Hip to Bop sublimely integrates the intricate improvisational burn of bebop with the pulsating rhythms of hip hop and R&B."
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