Welcome to An Archaeologist's El Dorado, a monthly segment that brings you 3 - 5 artists you have had hypersomniac over. El Dorado, or commonly known as the lost city of gold, in this case are the artists you have been searching after. A lucky archaeologist such as yourself, now has the ability to study the specific human activity below through the recovery and analysis of the material culture I have provided for you. I now present to you the files of February 2015: TOPE, Mentality The Redefiner, Marc Goone, & Macon Hamilton.
TOPE
If you aren't too familiar with the northwest and their booming hip hop music scene, then you may never have heard of TOPE. He isn't a new artist by any means, however it seems as if his time has come to finally breakthrough the flux of rappers in that region.
The dual threat producer/rapper hails from Portland, Oregon and has an eye popping 15+ albums under his belt including solo releases, beat tapes and various group projects with TxE and Living Proof.
TOPE takes pride in blending soul and jazz + detailed wordplay to give his music addicting vibes. His latest project, BROKEBOYSYNDROME, has gotten his name out past the northwest and is a favorite to make more noise in 2015.
In the past the up and comer has performed with everyone under the sun including: Nas, Talib Kewli, Mobb Deep, Big KRIT, Bun B, El-P, and Gift of Gab just to name a few. The energetic TOPE is not only a star in live performances, however also a creative mind as can be seen through his music videos. His visual for "Take Your Time" quickly earned praise from Erykah Badu, which has only added gasoline to the fire.
"As an artist I just want to be honest with people. One thing I want people to know is I'm not always trying to be the most lyrical rapper on my songs, but I'm always trying to say something real - something you can quote, something you can relate too. Music is art, art is to be debated. If your music doesn't make people react or feel a certain way that means its lifeless or has no soul. Whether you love my music or you hate it, I always strive to evoke emotion. A lot of people like my music because I represent the potential of what they can possibly do as well, some people dislike my music because I represent what they have already failed at. I'm still trying to figure it all out to be honest. Every project I get closer to doing it right. For the people that have been riding with me since my first solo album in 2010, they see the growth. I used to dream about playing sold out shows, traveling off of my music, working with some of my idols, and now I do that shit. You could do it too, that's all I'm saying."- Tope
Mentality The Redefiner
My knowledge of (formerly known as Mentality) is quite strong. I've seen the Chicago kid, Mentality The Redefiner grow vastly in the past few years and his story is far from up. The 20 year old rapper got his start as a solo artist and then moved on to form a duo (The Redefiners) which had small success. After one project and less than a year together, the two had different ambitions and they split up. Now, Mentality The Redefiner is taking back his solo career and is more hungry than ever.
MTR pairs classic sounds with his own experiences through music. His inspirations aren't just one or a few artists, but rather everything from the rap/hip hop genre. Life also plays a part of what inspires the young rapper as he strives to wake up and fulfill his dreams to the truest potential everyday.
MTR believes that the hip hop genre is in an amazing place and is only going to get better; he loves being apart of the rapidly growing genre and hopes for only further success.
Other than music, MTR doesn't really have an exotic life that some rappers would lead on. The pot enthusiast rarely goes out to the bars/club and you will hear that in his music as he usually only raps about what he goes through, no strings attached. With Chicago being such an up and coming place for music lately, especially rap/hip hop, Mentality The Redefiner might not be on everyone's radar as of now; however with his growing fan base, he is on the rise.
Marc Goone
So, we all know what this monthly article is about - five artists that people should be paying more attention to. Odd that Marc Goone is on this list, isn't it? I mean, he probably is the best substitute school bus driving part time rapper; but able to compete with the other rappers that are making a name for themselves? Nah, no way.
Marc Goone loves rapping so much that he wants to start doing it full time. In order to do that, he is constantly spending time on weekends trying to bribe the office workers at the illuminati headquarters to get his application sped through and accepted.
Alright, seriously though, the chobani greek yogurt loving, spinach, and wrap eating Goone is one of the most slept on guys out there. I always feel like there's more hype around Goone than there really is...if that makes any sense. The creative mind of Marc shines through in everything that he is apart of and definitely has that King Midas touch. With recent low-key powerhouse projects, PLETHORA and The Scrumple King (already has a reservation on my list for top 10 projects of the year), Marc Goone is looking to break through the remaining 2015 by storm. By the looks of it, there's no slowing down as the tires on the bus go round and round for Marc and his illuminati crisp eating sound.
Macon Hamilton
I recall when I heard about Macon Hamilton a couple of years ago; I liked some track he was on and then wen to find out what else he had out. A few projects later, I discovered a gem of a track ("Japanese Game Show") that made me a permanent fan.
I'll be honest, however, not every song is a favorite of mine and it is probably due to how wide of a range Macon is able to achieve. His style is very versatile and "emotion based". There's really no telling what you're going to get from this wildcard, and there is literally something everyone can listen to and be thrilled about from this lyricist.
Macon started out when he was only 12 years old and has had small success since then with numerous works of art. At one time the youngin' grabbed the ears of Waka Flocka and got together to exchang verses. It started to look up for Macon and I too thought he would break through the mold, however, he got left behind for reasons unknown to me.
With all of the projects Macon has released (Macon Going Ham, The Staccato, The Legato, 4, #SecondComingOfHamilton) it's amazing to think that he is still only a teenager.
Today, he is still hard at work with his music and actually just released a new project Wake Up And Smell The Coffee, which you should immediately check out (here).
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