Over the past thirteen years or so Roc Marciano has worked hard to earn his veteran status and he’s truly done it on his own. The Hempstead, Long Island MC emerged like the second coming of Mobb Deep, distilling the essence of the legendary duo into streetwise tales of drugs, pimping, and gun totting, delivered in rhymes that take a relaxed cadence (much like Prodigy), where nothing is missed and intricate bars are woven in subtle formation. It’s not exactly “conscious” rap and the vibes are rarely friendly, but there’s a cool-headed callousness as Marciano has painted vignettes of tension and violence over the years with an impossibly laid-back aura. Another day, another struggle in the life of the flossed out and dangerous.
While Marciano is a fantastic producer himself, having recorded many of his own albums in addition to Stove God Cooks, Flee Lord, and Bronze Nazareth (among others), for his tenth album he teamed up with the best in the game, The Alchemist. While ALC has been making great records for over two decades, he’s been on a wild hot streak over the past five years or so, producing albums and EPs in full for Boldy James, Armand Hammer, Freddie Gibbs, Curren$y, and Conway The Machine. There’s no stopping ALC and paired together with Roc Marciano, the two prove to be at the top of their games, a match made in heaven… or at least the sordid street tales of heaven.
TO BE CONTINUED