Roque Marciano built his own world. The Long Island legend operates loosely in the underground, but he’s not actively associated with any of the East Coast staples that dominate the indie landscape. Instead, he shaped the scene in which they now operate in the shadows, joining the ranks of Griselda and Mach-Hommy in pricing vinyl based on what they think it costs rather than what consumers are used to. That was in the mid-2010s. Since then, Roc has created a series of consistently outstanding works. The rollout eschews flash as the music dazzles.
His instrumentals are diamond-sharp, neo-black, and his rhymes are as tight as a rubber band ball. The last project he launched was 2023’s Nothing Bigger Than the Program, a superlative super cruise with Jay Worthy. The title certainly sounds like it. If you want to rock out with Roc, you have to play by his rules. If there’s a culture of heat in rap, it’s the Marcy Method.
On his new record, Marciology, he outlines his business philosophy, updated for 2024. The rules have changed and Marci has adjusted accordingly. If you’re aiming for a king, you better not miss. Massie dodged a bullet, and now he’s making gunmen around the world pay.
Roc handled much of Marciology’s production himself, allowing the album to work on two levels. In bar after bar, no one blends luxury with economy as well as he does, bragging about a generation’s wealth and eating just enough at a time to keep them hooked and wanting more. The cohesiveness of the album as a whole works in favor of it working as a whole rather than a collection of single songs. Standout moments abound, but individual highlights are often deemphasized, preferring instead to present something that moves as a single organism from start to finish. Still, there are a lot of absolutely brilliant songs.
On the eponymous opener, Roc creates a rhythm that squirms with horror movie synths and drums, defying the tenets of traditional rhythm. This sense of unease allowed Marci to create an ominous feeling in the song, paving the way for the upcoming album. He says, “Hey, everything about me is a brand/But you rarely see any brand on me.” When Massie is the program, anything outside of him is secondary. With names like Nate Dogg and Warren G, Ricki Lake, Dr. Hook’s Dennis and Ray, Lil Wayne, Caine and Abel, and a few others, Roc drops a subtle bar that provides insight into his work on the album mentality.
“Break these hoes, make drama, n-ggas gon’ hate to the grave/N-ggas gon’ hate to, uh, n-ggas gon’ hate to,” he spat, frustrated with those who couldn’t Petty jealousy and jealousy aside, he couldn’t even bring himself to mutter “grave” after the first mention. Eternal comfort is too much for these cowards. Throughout Marciology, MC is baffled that no one on Earth can make love to him with unwavering devotion—and he has a point.
These vendetta-themed songs still offer plenty of quotable bars that reflect Marci’s unwavering love of bullshit. He has more money, better taste, better women. Some guys just made it. On “Bad JuJu,” a collaboration with Larry June, he raps, “Just my face demands you pay me big,” before detailing that when he stood up, he Mink coats hit your ankles. He makes life in a Manhattan one-bedroom apartment sound like the most shameful purgatory imaginable. He concluded: “I don’t sleep with cotton, bitch.”
Roc keeps the funkiest beats in place, adding bouncing hi-hats and frenetic synth runs on “Floxxx.” The MC shows off one of his hottest flows on the project, dancing around the playful melody generated by the beat. It’s mostly an excuse for Marci to blow off steam and throw in quips before the beat ends, but as far as palette cleansers go, it does the job. It’s not the most efficient use of space in the Marselan, but then again, the Roc never gets the job done in any particular way.
His work is both an album and an experience, a day in the life of one of New York’s finest artists. He has the soul of an OG but never lets his experience become obsolete – evolve or die. On Marciology, he’s a dizzying 45 minutes straight, whether he’s talking about the Bible or someone’s aunt he slept with. Highbrow and lowbrow are the same thing. This philosophy is deeper than Hegel’s, but can be summarized as follows: Marcy just had it.
Release date: March 29, 2024
Record label: Pimpire Records/Marci Enterprises
Listen to Marciology below:
