Marci Beaucoup

A master of street-level storytelling and monotone menace, Roc Marciano got his start as a member of Busta Rhymes' Flipmode Squad and was also a key part of the mid-'00s crew The U.N. He's been steadily dropping quality albums like Marcberg and Reloaded, impressing listeners with cinematic caper tales and low-key, loop-loaded, minimal-but-soulful beats. Following his recent mixtape The Pimpire Strikes Back, Marci Beaucoup finds Roc spreading his wings as a producer and working with a large guest list. The tracks here are all built on short samples heavy on vocal clips, guitar snippets, tinkling pianos, unconventional drums, and an almost hypnotic repetitiousness. Action Bronson, Knowledge the Pirate, Ka, Gangrene, Cormega, AG, Freeway, Blu, Evidence, and Guilty Simpson all come correct and offer some variety to Roc's understated flow, while the ice-cold lyricism stays firmly in the streets. Don't miss "Trying to Come Up," "Love Means," "Psych Ward," and "Dollar B*tch."