Image credit: Roc Marciano
Some come into this game and fade away, while others fight to stay relevant through personal trials and tribulations…the best come out on top. Roc Marciano embodies the very meaning of struggle, and through that struggle he arose to be one of Hip-Hop’s most underrated. With a more than impressive catalog backing him, its safe to say that he’s earned his stripes as the grittiest MC in the game. Presenting his new body of work Rosebudd’s Revenge, RESPECT. had the opportunity to link up with him to talk about the album and to get to know him better.
RESPECT.: Now let’s talk about your new album Rosebudd’s Revenge a little bit. So this is your third album since the release of your second album Marci Beaucoup, Did you find that you brought something new to the table with this album? With the release of Rosebudd’s Revenge do you plan on going ghost again anytime soon?
I just felt like I pressed update on the formula, that was the difference between this and anything else that I have done in the past, it’s like it’s more sophisticated than anything that I’ve done pretty much.
RESPECT.: A lot of the production on the album was done by you, Can you talk a little bit about how you narrowed down which samples to use? And Who are some of the artist that you featured on the album? Favor of genre of samples jazz, latin and rock?
It’s just an accumulation of all of beats that I’ve done, I dig through everything when I’m making a track or when I’m making an album that’s why you get the diversity because it’s a part of the process of making an album and getting inspiration from other music, you just soak in the aura.
RESPECT.: On your track “Gunsense,” you present lyricism at its finest, pretty much being verbally abusive. We’re you in a aggressive mind state when you made this track?
I just felt like it was something new. The track was weird, like how it “starts and stops, starts and stops,” I just felt like I had to approach it the way that I did was because it was strange and I felt like I had to do what I did on this track. All my music is gritty, from the beginning I’ve been making gritty music. I’m known for gritty tracks and I think this wasn’t anything out of my element. Now thinking about it, I probably have some of the grittiest tracks ever, just check my catalog.
RESPECT.: I’m aware that you had a very good relationship with Sean price prior to his death, you guys had teamed up to make the remix for “Snow” and also had the chance to do a couple shows with him a few years back, what type of influence did he have one you? What were some things that you picked up that helped you better yourself as an artist?
Big influence, great dude he helped pulled me up. When people were saying they weren’t fucking with me he was one of the people who stood up for me. Rest in peace it’s painful to know that we aren’t going to have anymore of P’s music it’s painful. I picked up a lot from him especially when it came to performing, P was electrifying on stage you know what i’m saying? P Helped me incorporate more humor into my own shit so you know if you’re an artist you know you can take something from him to make you greater He had all the ingredients and he was like Ol’ Dirty Bastard and real funky he had a little bit of everything. He was like the last real rockstar. So yea you could take a lot from P, he’s one of them n****s.
RESPECT.: In the past you’ve collaborated with Action Bronson on a number of records which have always been fire… my personal favorite has to be between “Modern Day Revelations” and “Sincere Antique.” When will be seeing another record with the two of you again? Have you guys thought about doing a joint project?
We recorded something not long ago, we went to the lab had some tracks and some things in mind. We killed a joint recently, I don’t know when it’s going to make the light of day but I have some things I want him on and vice versa. Shoutout to Action, we’ve made some classic records.
RESPECT.: Growing up who’d you listen to the most that influenced you to become an emcee? Aside from spitting how’d you get into producing?
Rakim, Kool Keith, MC Eiht, Nas, Wu-Tang, Slick Rick, Kool G Rap…by the time Nas and the Wu were out, I was already rapping but these guys are the ones that got me started. The first crop of dudes that was my era. They turned rap into a science class, it go scientific at that time. They took something entertaining and upgraded it to rocketship status. If you can rap like Kool G Rap you will make money.
RESPECT.: What is it about rap that has kept you in the game for so long and continuously dropping music? Where does the love for bars come from?
I still love making music and that’s why I do it. There’s really no more to it. The love for rap comes from the era that I come from and to get to inspire others is precious, and that’s something that I would never wanna leave behind. Bar-for-bar, I’m getting better and I’m inspired, and to keep inspiring others and being able to make money and take care of my family through this, I’m just blessed.
RESPECT.: Have you been keeping your ear to the streets with this new generation of music coming in? Who are some artist that have caught your eye that you would say have bars?
I don’t really listen to what’s being dropped nowadays…if I listen to it, it’s because someone close to me puts me onto it. I wouldn’t be able to name 10 new artists off the top of my head. I’m mainly familiar with what I hear on the radio and A-Boogie and Don Q, they’re making good music. Dave East, he got good joints out there and I haven’t sat down and listen to the projects but the tracks that I have heard I would say are good. There are joints on the radio that I do like, and for the most part I like what i’m hearing…I don’t hate on the young boys because I was one of them. Getting money doing what you love to do is a beautiful thing. N****s is actually killing the game with the melodies and now that I was thinking about it, I was listening to a A-Boogie track — I think it was “Drowning” — and it was wavy. I f***s with that, word up!
RESPECT.: Are you into politics at all? If so, what is your perspective on our new President of the United States? What is your perspective on him firing the director of the FBI?
No I’m not political and I don’t like to play the diversion game, “look over here while we’re doing this.” They are telling you to look to put all your attention to the right and I’m going to look to the left. That’s how I feel about politics, it’s just another form of entertainment. The plan does not change: we gotta take care of our families and do the best we can do out here…the plan does not change. We’re supposed to be running in fear because Trump’s in office? It’s simple, if he doesn’t want you there he can replace you, he’s the boss so he has the last say. It’s just business, straight up.
RESPECT.: Finally, I’m going to conclude this interview with my final question, which is: what does respect mean to you?
Respect means let people do their thing, if you respect me, I respect you. Show love until there is hate and to live peacefully amongst each other until we can.
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