"...Speakin through the face of Ronald Reagan" Roc Marciano

Rolling Stones recently came to a Fenway Park and damn near shut the city down. Weeks later, Jimmy Buffet came through and had they whole area wasting away in Margaritaville.

It's no secret that this genre, unlike another, eats its old. Hell, it even devours it's young...sometime irregardless of talent and skill level. (see Ali Vegas, Elzhi, Charles Hamilton)

Since every motherfucker that saw 8 mile, and Hustle and Flow think they can rap, we are faced with a severe overpopulation of "MC's" in the game. As a result, many real quality lyricists get lost in the shuffle.

My first example of such neglect/oversight is Roc Marciano.

I first herd dude back in 98 as one part of the flip mode squad (that album STILL knocks!). He stood out among a couple of nice spitters (Rah Digga, Lord Have Mercy). A couple years later I head him on a Busta track featuring Ghostface Killah, and Raekwon. The Heist is a robbery narrative, featuring three cats who are certainly no strangers to crafting compelling crime tales. Despite the presence of greatness, Roc Marciano more than held his own:

"Hate to see me commin like gray skies, on day of judgment..."

Skip to 2:02 for Marc's verse

Yeah we in mine out west
Somewhere in Africa
The Feds is after us, vest on my back
Whippin the Acuras, feel like a mac bustin
A ? Preston on percussion
I'll bust in your gate, nigga it's nothin
A hail storm, ice rainin, mind containin
Info, nigga what you in for? Complainin
Sick bars deep in this language
Did I tell you how my day's spent?
Speakin through the face of Ronald Regan
Iceberg History, calligraphy
Kaleidoscopecolors, hollow-head shells and flarin gunmen
Hate to see me comin like gray skies on day of judgment
Makes you wonder where the love went
Hit a nigga, feed him to some buzzards
Put up numbers, plus I'm one to push his mug in
We duck in the safe, check what I'm huggin
Rocks the size of some shit, out in the Congo
My arms full, let's get the fuck out, Busta I got you

Shit looked promising for him but then I heard he left the group. I heard a single or two from hin years later but was not sure what his status was. A couple of years later I was listing to Pete Rock's instrumental album Petestrumentals, and heard his signature cadence over a couple of tracks. He was with a group called the UN and they all sounded decent but Roc Marc stood out with his show stealing flow. Check these printed jewels from the "printed jeweler":

A verbal contract out on your life is put on you
now the harsh facts circle your world at
Allah you like a wise author
sci-fi writins and novels
ridin ova potholes
play King Arthur inside my brothel
the size of waffles gunshot holes
blowin like the U.S Marshall, or Luis Armstrong
and when the fogs gone, your spotted
and at the same time he shot it
Brolic with raps and fiber optics
like 4,5,6
hard to get at
sharp as an axe
order jockage
armored trizzack
tryin to be modest
fiery thoughts burn like L's of chronic
make ya lungs black, sip gold hell in a bottle
blow L, send em a hollow, that's on the house
compliments on my corner moral
how I get down
chase his ass round like cat and mouse
you feel my passion?
(f-ck life) if I ain't mackin
niggaz wanna see me stagnant
similar to two magnets
we can never be a package
a printed jewla
show my crew love
before this rap *ish
who can fool us
beautiful lust
don't think I'm too cool to bust
loot and do drugs
who's who
few knew it was fool proof but true it was
crime organiza
forty fiva
hit ya Porsche up, (f-k) you in lava
hit them to my product
just a taste was life threatenin
stretch his limbs out
to 5 separate ends
prey on my fall and every cent
...like I don't know it
I hold macs posin in flicks like Dinero in Ronin

In 04 I he came back with his crew spitting fire over tracks that seemed like they were tailor made for more veteran rappers. UN or U out is one of the best albums of the decade in my opinion. Hard beats and hard rhymes, decidedly raw and uncut hip-hop music at its best. Picking a standout verse from that album is tough but I picked one from a joint called Golden Grail. I am too lazy too type up the lyrics for this one but peep anyway. Roc Marc bats lead-off on this one.

"Run up in your son's humble abode, and let one go"

Marc also popped up on the Wu based project, Think Differently. He bodied this track:

Skip to the 2:51 mark

YoPoverty stricken, fried chicken, fly rhyme kicking

Blind visions from the mind's wisdom, in this crime religion

Niggaz listen, what I'm spitting is hard as prison benches in the trenches,grim intentions
twin Doberman pinchers

Leather trencheslead drenches for bread endless gats eleven inches, ya neck slit it,your head spin it

The epidemic will spread infiniteSo once the thread is knitted

For seven digits, it's just business, no disrespect intended

To he who feel offended, a beat down cannot be prevented

Begin it, the game I'm deep in it, up to my Yankee fitted

Switch three Lee Hayney niggaz,squeeze three eighty triggers

Used to fuck my babysitters,now I whip Mercedes-Benz'

I stand alone, cause I'm grown, for me to crush the Walkman

Gang lover supporter, of any sort, when I'm New York

Rollin' for dolo, the Willie Bobo gotta go bro

Word to JoMo, the kid in the polo, got the world in a yo-yo

Your happy meal skills is still, no frills

Cook crills, sign deals, when you see me...just kneel

Or rocking mills, your hospital bill

Blood from your nostril spill, it's not looking well

When I lick off shots, the hostages yell

Chopper fell like ox tail, your optic's swell

Given the background you know I was more than pleased to not only hear 3 singles, but he is finally dropping a solo album (think its out now!).

If his track record is any indicator, then this should be an album full of heat. Welcome "the return of the fly bum"

"He played the art of war like like a chess champ, the best in his camp, lets give the man a hand"