Man Bites Dog Records announced to HipHopDX that the label has signed Roc Marciano for his next third release, Marci Beacoup.
The Hempstead, Long Island native is the latest addition to the imprint that currently features Copywrite, Vast Aire, Killah Priest, Kount Fif, and more. Marci Beacoup will be released in partnership with Marciano’s Iron Age label, and is expected to be available internationally in September 2012.
HipHopDX spoke with Roc Marciano about his partnership with Man Bites Dog Records, Marci Beaucoup’s guest appearances, his rumored super group, M.A.R.S., and what surprises him about Hip Hop.
HipHopDX: How did this union between you and Man Bites Dog Records happen?
AD LOADING...
Roc Marciano: We was already doing business as far as working on other projects that they had going on. They were reaching out and had me a part of their projects. We just kept the relationship.
DX: One of the things I appreciate about Man Bites Dog is their commitment to grimy sounding Hip Hop – hard sounding, rugged type Hip Hop. Your style seems like a great fit. Is this a one project deal or a multi-project deal?
Roc Marciano: This is a one project deal.
DX: Word up. There were recent reports that a super-group called M.A.R.S. was formed between yourself, Cormega, Action Bronson, and Saigon. Is that true?
AD LOADING...
Roc Marciano: That’s a misconception that we’re a super-group because we’re not a super-group. We’re not a super-group. It started off with us all just recording one song. The record is creating a crazy buzz. Just the idea of it. So it’s taken on a life of its own, but as far as a super-group, we’re not a super-group.
DX: Are you guys thinking about releasing more than one song? I know you’ve done so as a part of Greneberg [with Alchemist and Oh No!].
Roc Marciano: Nah, that’s not a group either. That was a compilation. Greneberg is the name of the compilation. It was Gangrene meets Marcberg. My songs on one side and their songs are on another side. We’re not a group, it’s just the name of the album. We’re gonna continue on and push it and support each other’s movements with M.A.R.S. There’s some talks about putting a project together in the works, but we’re not going to do it like a super group project. If we decide to sit down and do a project, it’s just going to be all of us contributing our parts.
DX: Are you handling production on Marci Beacoup?
AD LOADING...
Roc Marciano: Yeah. All of the production. This is going to be an album where I’m doing all of the production and I’m featuring a lot of artists that I work with. Every song is me featuring artists that I fuck with in the business. Most of this album is to feature my production.
DX: I reviewed the Greneberg project for HipHopDX, but the Marcberg project is the one that really got me interested in learning more about you as an artist. You’ve been around for roughly a decade. Do you ever feel like a new artist?
Roc Marciano: In a lot of ways I do, because I’m finally actually adding on to the artistic world as a solo artist. I haven’t done that. I was doing it with groups before, like my crew The U.N. I came in signed to Busta Rhymes so I was working with him. I never really got a chance to get my vision across and do it my way. So, finally, I’m doing it 100% my way and people are just getting that. It is kind of new because I haven’t brought this to the business. It is kind of like being a new artist. But do I feel like a new artist? No. The music that I’m bringing to the table and what I’m doing now, is it new in comparison to what I did in the past? Yes. The music that I’m doing now makes me feel like a new artist, but I don’t necessarily feel like a new artist. I have had the time and the experience.
DX: One of the things I appreciated about the Greneberg project was that it was segmented to a degree. You had solo joints and then joints with Alchemist and Oh No! Are you working with other artists from Man Bites Dog on Marci Beacoup – Copywrite, Vast Aire, Double AB for example? Who specifically will be featured on the project?
AD LOADING...
Roc Marciano: All of my features is done already, unfortunately. I hadn’t had them on any of the songs. I had already reached out to all of my features and I’ve already got those done. So the album features Guilty Simpson, Cormega, Evidence, Gangrene, Action Bronson, to name a few.
DX: With everything you’ve experienced, from The U.N., to coming in with Busta, to finding – dare I say – a second career independently over the past three or four years, what still surprises you about Hip Hop?
Roc Marciano: I don’t know if I’d say anything still surprises me. Hip Hop has come from almost like a little secret to everybody’s music. It’s grown so much that nothing surprises me about Hip Hop anymore. It’s everywhere. Nothing really surprises me. If anything, it’s the fact that it’s bigger now than ever. I’m not really surprised by that, but that’s probably the thing that I’m most pleasantly surprised about. I like the fact that it’s come to a point where it’s almost come full circle to the point where dudes are not using the labels like they used to. Dudes are getting their money without labels. I’m digging that.
UPDATE: Man Bites Dog Records notified HipHopDX that this will be Roc Marciano’s third solo release, following an album with Decon Records.
AD LOADING...
UPDATE #2: Roc Marciano released a statement through Decon that this Marci Beaucoup is a “producer’s album,” his first.
RELATED:Roc Marciano Signs To Decon Records
