This weeks feature is Marcus, @theregoesmarcus who recently released his album Dirtbag. I found out about Marcus through the Grassfed event held a couple of months ago If I'm remembering correctly. I was looking through the musician/vendors list and seeing and asking who these individuals were to my friends. That's when I was told to check out Marcus who is a local musician and the first song I checked out was called "Me" and I was instantly hooked. Then "Crash" released and well now we have the album that I've had on repeat for this feature.
Listening to the album starting with "Mistake" I just love the vocals along with the beats. It all matches perfectly along with the what goes behind the song such as what it's trying to tell. A lot of what the album has to tell we will speak on through out the feature which I do recommend. From tackling as Marcus mentions "Dirtbag at its core is a series of stories and emotions that create feelings that everyone goes through–ups and downs, frustration and appreciation, insecurity and confidence." Which I was able to feel through songs such as "Mistake, Rich, Slap, Crash, Me and Run" I might as well name the whole album, but I came to an understanding sitting down and listening to it rather than blasting it windows down feeling myself as I listened to "Me." Not only is this album revolving around Marcus, but there is a sense of connectivity he makes in the album which he will be explaining in just a moment. This album certainly goes hard, but there is a lot to take even from simple words such as "bread" on the song "Mistake" which can mean "money" but listening to the song along with everything that follows there is much more to it than that as delve deeper with each track. Overall I really enjoyed this album and have heard positive feedback from others who have listened to it as well. I don't want to spoil too much for that's what the feature is about and let's get right to it!
Marcus starts us off by sharing what he's been enjoying as of recently "I’ve really just been enjoying the simplicity of daily life. I’m very grateful to be in good health, and to be surrounded by an amazing creative community. I’m happy that there's a place for me here." That's what it's all about! Enjoying our days and being in good health along with being surrounded by our friends. What else could we ask for? Pos hmm unas cheves con los compas. He continues by shouting out a couple of local individuals "I’d say the people I work closely with. AB Chan (MAD96), Diego San Roman (5K), Carlos Cruz at no─forma, and Lalo Sosa, and David Sanchez with L.jardin. Krystal Narro at In Bloom for always lending a helping hand when needed. Flacucho at Tropicasa for always being there to promote and support the culture. Out in the 956, and Charlie Vela with everything y'all have been doing to draw attention to the talent and culture here in the Valley. C. Diaz, Andres Sanchez, and everybody who came together for the MIRAAA project at the McAllen Incubator; and of course all of the artists that are putting their work out for the public to see. I know I’m leaving a lot of people out. There are so many talented and genuine people here, it's beautiful." Of course! All great members within our community! I've heard, worked, and spoken to some of these people, but for sure I'll check out those who I haven't!
As mentioned earlier the sing song I listened to was "Me," but was there any previous work created by Marcus as he says "Prior to Dirtbag, I released a trio of sample-based beat tapes under an alternate stage name. At the time, I was heavily influenced by Knxwledge, Ohbliv, and Dilla just to give you an idea of how the music sounded before Dirtbag. I would definitely consider myself a producer just as much as I am an artist in a musical sense. I would like to think that the DIY approach to beat making is reflected in my work today. I often relay back to those early sessions to remember the role of soul, jazz, and funk on my current sound pallet. I don’t want to stray too far from the tree." Sometimes you cant stray too far away from your roots as Marcus says. It's like when creative tries something new, but they'll still add their touch to it that makes it THEIRS. You have to leave your mark in a sense its YOU in the work you are creating. What would it be if you do "stray too far from the tree" well it just wouldn't feel right. It's interesting to know the past working of creatives and how they incorporate them to their future as work and how it can benefit them as well.
How long has Marcus been working on the album and what was the process of it coming together? "If I recall correctly, the first song I made for the album was 'Slap'. That session was created in early to mid-2019 I believe. The last song that was recorded named 'Me' was made in early 2020. The whole process just came from me working alone in my bedroom–production, mixing, mastering, and conceptualizing the visual elements. Roughly 50 to 60 songs and ideas were created during this time, but for this first LP, I made sure to go with something short and cohesive with no filler." It certainly crazy to think about as he mentions "roughly 50 to 60 songs and ideas were created" and as the listener we listen to the final product being these 9 songs, but knowing that there its been in the works since 2019 and the numerous of songs/ideas is very interesting to know. He continues by adding "Like a lot of artists, of course I went through my fair share of roadblocks–overdrafts, existential crisis, and just a lot of uncertainty. These feelings played a significant role in shaping the sound of all my experiences that are expressed throughout the album. I started to reach out to a couple of friends of mine, Nathan Rodriguez and Ruben Castilla, and asked if they’d be interested in helping me mix and master the project, and we took it as far as we could, with the time we had." From 2019 to the release of the album in 2021 a lot can certainly happen and things can change as he mentions everything that happened with the album and himself. Marcus finishes off by saying "But when it came to actually getting the project out and presenting to the public, a huge part of that came about after meeting Carlos, AB (MAD96), and David at their office. I came to them with an idea of a world and a visual language to accompany Dirtbag. They helped me ideate, organize, and execute to the level that I needed to feel comfortable with finally releasing." Even with the "roadblocks...existential crisis" a lot of good came out in the end for Marcus and I hope to continue seeing his growth even with the albums release.
Was Grassfed the first show Marcus played as he says,
"Yes, Grassfed was my first ever live performance. The reception was good, and I think that translated to 'The Dirtbag Show'. I’m happy people enjoyed both, and I’m going to continue to work on my live presence. I believe shows are a huge part of an artist's career, and I want to always give the best show possible." Ever since Grassfed he had his own show at Tropicasa along with an upcoming show on September 25th at the Semilla Coffe Lab. He's got shows back to back and what else could he ask for and what else could we look forward to.
What does it mean to be a "dirtbag?" Recently on Instagram you asked "What makes you a dirtbag?" but what do YOU think makes you a "Dirtbag" besides what we can get from the album as he explains
"Okay, so conceptually on a deeper level, inspiration for the name 'Dirtbag' came from the Bible. 'All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.' Ecclesiastes 3:20. I’m not religious in any way but I've always appreciated the idea that we’re all the same despite the societal labels that we are given from birth and carry through life. Dirtbag at its core is a series of stories and emotions that create feelings that everyone goes through–ups and downs, frustration and appreciation, insecurity and confidence. Regardless of how we go through these things the emotions that are felt are universal and shared by all of us. 'Dirtbag' for me is a word that connects us all." As Marcus says "Dirtbag for me is a word that connects us all" in relation to "we’re all the same despite the societal labels that we are given from birth and carry through life." We're going through life and we all go through these set emotions from time to time such as "ups and downs, frustration and appreciation, insecurity and confidence" which can be felt throughout the album. Even if as Marcus explains "'All go to one place; all come from dust, and all return to dust.' Ecclesiastes 3:20" we're all just trying to get through this before we "return to dust."
What would you like to evoke from the listener? Listening to the album and having "Me" on and hearing "that's my shit that's my uh dress like this...don't care what they say about it...gotta be who I is" makes me feel myself especially with this police siren type noise that pulls it in. Making me feel like I'm the shit but then moving to "Slap" and having a transition of softer vocals "ima act right ima walk by your side like a dog tied ima come back home when you say so ima stop being rude i'm an asshole." Again what would you like to evoke from the listener as Marcus explains "As for the song 'Me', it is essentially a conversation with myself, and my inner struggle to accept who I am externally. I definitely foresaw listeners perceiving it as somebody telling them these things and then having them reply with 'I don’t care what you say about it.' I’m very happy with boosting people's confidence when I can haha. 'Slap' on the other hand is about abusive and manipulative relationships that I’ve been through in the past. Whether that’d be with another person, drugs, and or just the way I treated myself. The harsh vocal delivery in the beginning of the track navigates all these topics very quickly. The hook is me telling somebody that I’d change for them if they needed me to. The second verse is them telling me that they’d change. So yeah the ideas are kind of scattered, but to me these relationships felt that way. For the album as a whole, I just really want people to connect to the stories and see themselves in it. I’d love for everybody to feel like a 'Dirtbag' cause like I said before, I think it’s a word that connects us all." When it comes to "Me" it definitely is a "confidence booster" and as someone who struggles accepting myself and who struggles with self love, but not as much as before it really does help. There a lot of moments in the album where I catch myself thinking of something relatable and being like that really hit, but not only does it hit it also goes hard. When it came to "Slap" there really was a transition in vocals, but with this explanation I understand it more clearly especially with the "I can try to be who you want to" and the switch comes around which puts it together perfectly.
How do these songs connect or do they correlate with each other to tell a story? Listening to "Mistake" and finishing off with "Rich." Mistake mentions "got me kneeling at a shrine where the bread at?" With the word I think of money but also forgiveness and the mentioning of fame a bit after to which I move to "rich" as it mentions "what if i can make enough for my ma what if i can make enough for my pa" which makes me think back to "got me kneeling at a shrine where the bread at?" to which the final song mentions money along with "I wish I was rich." With what I have heard and brought up what can you tell us about the correlation of the songs and how they go together as Marcus explains
"They do correlate with the theme of money. You hit the mark with the line on 'Mistake'. 'Bread' to me has multiple meanings other than the actual definition. It’s an offering of stability through finance, and or health. It can also mean sharing, and to be more specific sharing with a community. Like I said before, I was alone for a large chunk of the production process, and I didn’t want to be. The line is manifesting for more than what is shown at face value. As for 'Rich', I look at it as a plea. I’m sure many can relate to what is said in the song. So I chose to leave a blank in one of the 'What if I can’t make enough for my' lines so people can fill that in. So yeah they do relate through a certain theme." As we dig into "Mistake" Marcus mentioned earlier "The whole process just came from me working alone in my bedroom–production, mixing, mastering, and conceptualizing the visual elements" to " I started to reach out to a couple of friends of mine, Nathan Rodriguez and Ruben Castilla, and asked if they’d be interested in helping me mix and master the project, and we took it as far as we could, with the time we had." Which is the community the friends he has along with the creative community is taking a part of in now. From shows in local venues and meetings others! Now if he considers working on something new he doesn't have to work alone as he mentioned "Like I said before, I was alone for a large chunk of the production process, and I didn’t want to be." Moving onto to "Rich" he does mention "So I chose to leave a blank in one of the 'What if I can’t make enough for my' lines so people can fill that in" It's not only that, but you can feel it with the disorienting beat that hits heavy with the drums as well with the song ending with soft vocals but leaving us with "I wish that I was __" and it ends. It's interesting to see how these songs correlate with each other and come together from start to end. It goes to show that we see the final product, but there's more to it than what's to show.
What does this album mean to you as he says
"This album is a diary for me. An experience of time through music. It’s a log of where I was an artist. Call it cliche or whatever, but it was me for a moment." Everything mentioned within the album and shared about it there certainly is a lot in it. Not only is Marcus sharing his "dairy" but also sharing the thoughts that others may be having or maybe experiences we may have had as well.
Do you have a favorite song off of the album? If so, why?
"I would have to say 'Run' because it’s probably the only glimmer of hope on the album haha. I also just really like the bridge on it. It’s my favorite mix too." With the piano touches and what's being said I can see the "glimmer of hope on the album" and the softer tone which is him singing compared to him rapping. We can compare these soft vocals to the soft vocals in "Rich" this is different. There is a difference.
How do you wish to grow from this album?
"I want to make a larger body of work for this next one. Every sound or statement needs to have a purpose or evoke an intentional feeling. I’d also want to add more live instrumentation to the mix and weave through genres fluidly." That sounds amazing and I look forward to what comes next! From his previous work under a different name to "Dirtbag" under his belt he has open possibilities along with others who would be interested in working with him.
There's a very strong masculine aura coming from this album, but there's also this portrayal of vulnerability? What can you say about this?
"I wanted to show the dualities between my masculine and feminine sides. I aim to break stereotypes, and I wanted to show that on this album. I was yelling when rapping and softly speaking when singing. During critique, I was often asked if a female was featured on multiple songs. So yeah, it's really important for me to show all sides of myself, and I’m glad I portrayed that." I really like the difference when it comes to the rapping and the singing throughout the album. It sets the mood and portrays what's happening/the emotion very well. I hope to see more use of it or how Marcus plans to use or experiment with it in the future.
What feedback have you received from the album?
"Only good feedback so far. I’m always open to all criticism/opinions, but I’m glad people are connecting to it, that’s my favorite part." What else could you ask for? I recommend this album if you have not listened to it go for it.
Marcus shares his thoughts on the local valley scene,
"I love it. It’s like we're in a renaissance right now. I believe the art community is growing at a rapid pace. There’s a lot of inspiration. I’m excited to see what’s to come in the future."
Along with one final comment,
"Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who’s helped me throughout the process. As well as everyone who has connected with the music and has shown love and support."
Commentaires