Photo by Complex
“This The Flow That Earned Me A Bentley...It Came With My Own Personal Fonzworth Bentley...”
While Roc Marciano is, by many measures, established and rooted firmly into the upper echelons and chambers of modern hip-hop culture and the art of rapping, his status and form at the turn of this decade is arguably the greatest ascent of his career. He is hip-hop’s minimalist maestro in a landscape often characterized by bombast and excess in the previous decade. But Roc Marciano quietly orchestrated a revolution.
His body of music is less-so a collection of albums or mixtapes, and more like a live walk through of a timeless film noir. The unmistakeable characteristics of the underground - defined heavily by stripped-down production – coupled with the depth of his narrative and wit, make Marciano a standard-bearer in this niche pocket of hip-hop, and for those who view rap as art rather than product. We are simply enthusiastic extras in his movie, his epic, gazing in amazement as he floats with every syllable, building his songs brick by brick. Whether its Marcberg, Reloaded, Marci Beaucoup, RR2, Behold A Dark Horse or Marcialago, his projects with this distinct, notorious style we’ve grown accustomed to are celebrated and revered without limit.
It’s with The Elephant Man’s Bones however, that this writer feels Roc Marciano tapped into something different. It was here that Marciano was gloating at the apex of his career, arguably barely even hitting his 3rd gear, teaming up with The Alchemist to deliver a perfectly executed piledriver that cemented his legacy as a true, modern great. Marciano had the luxury of doubling down on his rapping, and his lines delivered in his trademark, detached cadence feel conversational whilst carrying the weight of poetry. In his world, simplicity is power, and each rhyme feels meticulously placed. But Marciano has a habit of landing surprise punches with outlandish, over-the-top similes that you just don’t see coming, and they somehow fit the patterns and literature he throws out like a glove.
Throughout The Elephant Man’s Bones, you can piece together a guiding principle, an overall message, or even a firm agenda. Roc Marciano is an anti-hero used to winning. If it’s not his lyrics - often painting gritty, self-assured pictures of street life and luxury, balancing swagger with introspection – it’s in the samples or interpolations that challenge us to read between the lines. His chemistry with The Alchemist, their understanding and connection, is evident the moment you hit play to start off with Rubber Hand Grip. Marciano wrestles with his disdain for various archetypes of characters he comes across in his life, plotting his moves on how to gain his advantage and set himself apart. The song then finishes with a voiceover:
“It seems like sort of a general scientific curiosity
He was eager to show this very unusual taste
But some of his colleagues were critical of that...”
And before you know it, you’re locked into the ride of a cosmic, galactic instrumental that Marciano shreds apart in the second track with his typical, smooth commentary and signature pomp in Daddy Kane, accompanied by Action Bronson. You buckle up and take it all in from here. With Alchemist solely handling production, Roc Marciano comes across as powering up and catapulting into a new realm. Alchemist compliments his artistic needs well by diving in and out of different beat concepts, speeds, and moods. We at times feel like we’re attending a late-night show, an acoustic duet at a black-tie event inside a high-end, sophisticated bar in a downtown, cosmopolitan city of your choice. Déjà Vu, Liquid Coke, and Zig Zag Zig speak to this line of reasoning in particular.
In Quantum Leap, we get the culmination of his rapping abilities in full flow, uninterrupted without any overhead. It’s kind of a Roc Marci beat but it isn’t, but it’s still fire. Even the video portrays this faint deviation. Its classic Marciano with a dash of something new. But consistently, Marciano stays true to the formula that has got him this far with subtle variations. A lot of rappers will write about their possessions (cars in particular), but Roc Marciano finds a way to gear towards his own domain. For me, it’s these little elements of the album – the healthy sprinkles of the unexpected - that makes this his most enjoyable project. Metaphorically and stylistically, it’s this that sets Marciano apart: staunch independence. Operating outside the traditional music industry machinery, he has turned exclusivity into an art form. And while his influence may not dominate charts, the scale at which he saturates the underground makes him a touchstone for artists who aim to defy mainstream formulas. His lowkey aesthetic paired with magnified storytelling can be seen across both underground and mainstream arenas (assuming artists are daring enough to learn from his less travelled route).
“Your favourite rapper send fan mail to me,
Your Lil' LP ain't worth twelve pennies,
Seventeen shells in the semi,
That's the same iron that burnt Penny,
This the flow that earned me a Bentley,
It came with my own personal Fonzworth Bentley...”
Even as an elder statesman of the scene, Roc Marciano remains restless, continuously evolving. His work pushes boundaries while maintaining his unique identity, seamlessly blending jazzy undertones and cinematic samples into his already iconic style. In Roc Marciano’s world, each album is both a homage to his past and a step forward in his legacy; this isn’t something that can be built on viral hits or flashy awards. His fingerprints from his start out with the Flipmode Squad up until now are etched in the DNA of modern underground hip-hop. The blueprint for artists seeking to elevate their craft without sacrificing authenticity is found with him more than any artist currently active. The king of the underworld dominates the celestial realm and mainstream society from the shadows, with some none the wiser, and others eternally grateful.
Written by: @WhosAria
Edited by: @Arriver
In collaboration with Insight.
