Sy ShacklefordMarlon Craft – Soft
Marlon Craft is no stranger to rapping about social issues or his own skills on the mic. Another area the Hell’s Kitchen emcee is adept in is his vulnerability. His latest single, from his upcoming “SPACE 2” EP, explores shades of having of hard personality versus having a soft heart. Produced by HaqqMav and CoopTheTruth, it’s a soulful number by which Marlon exposes his own past, “I grinded for whoever, that was my target demographic / that’s why it’s taken me so long to truly draw my inner atlas.” Check it below:
Marc 2Ray – Tik Tok Tik
DMV emcee Marc 2Ray’s most well-known song may be “1915”, but he’s grinded in the past ten years to hone both his pen game and his rhyming ability. His newest single, “Tik Tok Tik”, is produced by LOZ BEATZ (Eric “eGogh ” Erusiafe and Sonny “Ghost” Tran). Making use of time-related imagery and sounds, Marc waxes lyrical about the passage of time while also taking shots at the titular social media app and its misuse (“Chasing Clout over Content/ Ain’t Bout’ that Nonsense, take it Out in the Comments”). Check it out!
Pete Santos – my ting
With longtime collaborator, producer Berat Cimili, Europe-based rapper/singer Pete Santos has released “my ting”, which talks about the dual goal of being successful while also trying to make an impact on the world. A pop song by the press release’s own admission, Pete playfully rides the bouncy beat and shows vast improvement in his flow and cadence, a testament to his grind as a musician. Stated to be part of a series of singles this year, this is in anticipation to his album “aligned.” Check out the single: