Review Summary: Got a phone with like twelve different ways that you could reach me, Why can't nobody reach me?
I spent many years of my younger life in some sort of haze. Be it an alcohol or drug haze, I did my best to not feel much of anything that wasn’t a
buzz. There comes a time when that becomes really ***ing draining and not easy to maintain and in my case, my children needed
me. So I quit everything when my daughter was born. I figured, I need to be clear of mind and put all my focus into this child. It worked, for a while. The problem was I relied too much on others to make me happy I forgot how it felt to be happy within myself.
I’ve completed a lot of soul searching and whilst my alcohol and drug intake has come back, it’s not used in the way that it once was. Now when I sit down for a beer or light up a joint it’s because I
want it, not need it. I no longer shake at the thought of going a week without a beer or a joint and that’s a win within itself.
My boy Marlon must share some of these feelings about alcohol and drugs. Going off ‘SPACE’, Marlon’s soul searching is well underway, and the self-reflective nature of his lyrics hit me right where it matters most.
Hip Hop and me are very hit or miss. I like my hip hop to be very bare and packed full of emotion. Marlon is the prime example of the style that I go for. If you have come looking for innovation or experimental hip hop, LEAVE. Marlon knows where he needs to be musically and stays right there. The beats are basic but hold their own. All tracks have a very simple bass and drum beat with some nice plucked or strung guitars over it. Not a lot more comes into play beat wise, with the backing tracks being just that – backing tracks to Marlon’s laid-back vocal delivery.
Marlon’s wordplay is very tasty. His bars are straight forward, you aren’t going to get hit with metaphor after metaphor. No, you’re going to be hit with the feeling of knowing Marlon and why he is releasing music. ‘Can’t Call It’ was the first track I heard from Marlon, and I was instantly hooked. Everything he expresses in the track I connected with, and I was
shook.
Therapist say I got trauma
Managers say I need commas
I just really think I need solace
Some days, wish I ain't make all these promises
I go for drinks every night that I don't want
At what point am I an alcoholic?
‘Cry For Me’ is the standout track on the whole release. Again, there is nothing
big about the track production wise, but Marlon’s words and delivery carries the track and has some of my favorite bars dealing with Marlon looking at himself and what he contributes to society and the world around him. ‘Off The Knob’ has a bit more of a
arrogant vibe around it, with ‘Cheap Date’ being the closest he has to a pop sounding track on the release.
Everything here is built around Marlon’s vocals and he fits the bill nicely here. His voice is calm and very collected which matches the laidback nature of the beats and the words that he weaves in and out of the tracks all carry a lot of weight with them in the constant battle for happiness.
