Roc Marciano – Rosebudd’s Revenge
Released: 18 February 2017
The more I listen to this album the more it reminds me of Madvillainy.
INFLUENCES
Rosebudd’s Revenge is part-biography, part-relentless braggadocio. I hear influences of MF DOOM and Madlib’s cult-classic Madvillainy LP. The obscure samples and jazzy, soulful feel like on “Pray 4 Me” reeks of Madlib influence and Roc’s multi-layered rhyme schemes and slightly off-kilter, non-sequitur flows screams MF DOOM. The crux of MF DOOM’s lyrical prowess is his ability to stack internal rhymes on top of one another while still maintaining a standard of flow and extraordinary wit. Roc is able to take DOOM’s foundation and build upon it, spitting quotable after quotable in his signature low-flow, while still maintaining a steady stream of signature “tougher than you” gun raps. My MF DOOM comparison isn’t too far off, Roc Marciano shouts out MF DOOM on “Already“.
“I couldn’t speak, the OG said chew your food first/
Spoon was burnt, my shoes is worth an MF DOOM verse/“
I also hear the swag and vocal conviction of Raekwon in Roc Marciano, as well as the smooth, laid-back, accented delivery of Erick Sermon (of EPMD). When Roc Marciano says shit like, “Pimpstead boyyy/ Shit is jewlery nigga/ You could wear this, nigga/ You could wear my rhymes boy!/” it SCREAMS Raekwon and his extravagant way of brag-rapping; the beat sounds like it could’ve been played during the Only Built 4 Cuban Linx sessions, reminding me of “Heaven or Hell” or “North Star“.
FAVORITE MOMENTS
Pray 4 Me” is one of the standout songs on this album. The “my father is dying” vocal sample pierces through Roc Marciano’s verses, and the slightly hopeful, sing-songy hook is reminiscent of J. Cole. “Killing Time” is another moment that stuck out to me – the beat sounds like a page out of Dilla’s playbook, I LOVE how the sample is cut and rolls. Also, sidenote: is that the “Exhibit C” vocal sample on “Gunsense”?
VERDICT
The intro to the album, “Move Dope“, is quite ironic because it begins with a sample of Rosebud from “Citizen Kane” preaching about how rappers are stealing swag from pimps. But two-seconds later, Marciano begins spitting “pimp” and gun raps with the entirety of Rosebudd’s Revenge sounding like a Blaxploitation film soundtrack. But that’s neither here nor there. Overall, Rosebudd’s Revenge is a great album!
Avid listeners of Hip-Hop often yearn for true lyricists to spit over good production, with the stereotype saying that rappity rappers rarely have good production or songs. Roc Marciano manages to put together a very sonically visual album with some of the most clever raps I’ve heard from him. The album drags a bit at 15 songs of Roc Marciano over similar production with his same-y signature low flow, but fans of Roc shouldn’t be too surprised.
Favorite Songs: “Killing Time”, “Move Dope”, “Burkina Faso”, “Pray 4 Me”