Manolo Rose

In the artist’s words: Describe one of your earliest musical memories in detail. I remember seeing Jay-Z perform live inside the Marcy Projects, where I’m from too. The energy was unreal everyone knew every word, and it felt like the whole neighborhood was part of it. Watching that made me believe I could make it too. What are your top 3 all-time favorite albums on Apple Music, and why? Why did you choose these three albums in particular? AZ, Doe or Die II Mobb Deep, The Infamous Mobb Deep (Deluxe Version) The Notorious B.I.G., Ready to Die (The Remaster) I grew up on them; those were the sounds in my environment, what molded my ear and my mindset. I was really into basketball, never even planned on rapping, but hearing them made rap feel natural to me. Find a song of yours on Apple Music that you love and tell us what makes it special. Tell us why you chose this song. “Winter Wars” I love “Winter Wars” because it really feels and sounds like NYC. It got that cold, gritty energy. It’s special to me because it captures the mood, the struggle, and the hunger that come with where I’m from.