From the album cover to the title, this becomes a record that I want to dive into before I even listen to the music itself! It reminds me of the classic 2000s ‘No Limit/Cash Money’ designs on their artwork, and that gets me hyped!
But when you have a producer of this caliber on the beats, you know this is going to be an international success! Let’s talk about it!
This is the brand-new EP by MC MARQUISE! And legendary producer Grubby Pawz, and together they drop this five-track project which features the likes of
– Michael Christmas
– Luke Bar$
And I gotta start with that production, because once again, and as he’s proved the whole year, he’s able to incorporate and execute a variety of different sounds while working with a range of different artists, and this time is no different!
So on track 1 ‘BAOW!’ we have this funky, short yet explosive burst of jazz instrumentation on loop!
You’ve got the combination of those plucked strings and those jazz horns working in unison, as well as those light and methodical drums! As well as these keys towards the climax of the beat that brings all the sounds together in this groovy and energetic composition!
The best intro to utilise the unique sounds of MARQUISE!
On track 2 ‘YOU KNOW!’ we have this beautifully orchestrated instrumental that features a lot of elegant elements!
You’ve got those high-strung guitar strings that loop ever so gracefully! On top of that, we have this squeaky-sounding what sounds like a synth chord running through the background!
On top of that, we have some subtle bass lines and this time some funk-inspired drum patterns to give the impression of a beat I could imagine Bobby Brown or maybe even James Brown would fuck with! It’s colourful and flavourful in every second of the track!
On track 3 ‘YA DIGG!’ This is probably the most soulful, jazz-inspired track out of all of them and definitely my favourite beat out of all of them. The subtlety of this song is gorgeous. This track consists of those smoothly executed jazz horns that scream prime Miles Davis while we have those ever-so-soothing drum beats and gentle piano keys that are in the background in the most delicate way possible.
This track has few layers but the ones that appear work perfectly with each other. This feels like walking through a bustling city where you hear live jazz playing throughout the night, perfect.
On track 4 ‘SHAWTY!’ We go for a more ambient and atmospheric feel to the instrumental which feels like the natural sequel to the track that just came!
On this song, we have these glossing keyboard keys that have a spacey/sci-fi nature to them that I can’t help but adore!
Very light bass to match which provides this song with its skeleton to bring it all together! Again I’d say this is the more looming track of the lot and it’s absolutely fantastic!
For the final track ‘DAWG’ we have a more energetic cut to bring us to the finale! In this song we have a few layers to discuss such as those choir/orchestra vocal samples that breeze through the background in an almost haunting way!
On top of this we have these sharp synth chords, methodical drums and thrilling keyboard that all come together for this big energy track that is also the only song with features on it!
In which Michael Christmas and Luke Bar$ absolutely kill the verses and provide this song with that extra level of heat to close the EP off with a bang!
As far as the vocals go, MARQUISE! Is unlike any other rapper I’ve heard. This man raps like every day is his last with the amount of charisma, eccentricity and personality he floods every track with!
The whole time I was listening to this I was blown away by his performances, he has a truly mesmerising cadence that forces the listener glued to his words!
Across this EP he truly does rap like he’s paying homage to that golden 2000’s where aura, swag and high energy was the thing to do. I’m thinking of the Lil Jon’s or the Busta Rhymes or even Prime Lil Wayne or the Mystikals, Gucci Mane name your artist he pays respect to them while providing his own originality on the beats!
From filling the track with his unique adlibs to his short bursts of colorful verses with enough character to overwhelm the listener and culture alike!
With performances like these, it makes you realise how tame the rest of the artists are in comparisons. He’s a man who couldn’t care less about the next man, he’s hear for him and his verses show!
He has a chaotic flow, his lyricism is fresh and exciting and his rhythm is unpredictable which provides an extra level of fun and spontaneous to the songs!
His performance alongside his features went well! As I said they elevated the track and I felt their chemistry was as chaotic and fun as he was! Couldn’t ask for two better features to match the vibe of MARQUISE!
Another SOLID EP by Grubby Pawz and a fantastic showing by MARQUISE! I can’t wait to hear more of him! Definitely a project unlike anything you’ve heard yet! Go listen below!
https://open.spotify.com/album/0M85QObB3iKnvatQPphXTD?si=j7p0OBEPSdSznwaW275QFw
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