Roc Marciano names his 25 favourite albums of all time
Roc Marciano is one of the greatest underground rappers ever, so much so that he’s earned himself the “Godfather of the Underground” title. The New York rapper started his career in the late ’90s as a member of Busta Rhymes’ Flipmode Squad, and his career has defied the typical formula.
He didn’t release his classic debut album, Marcberg, until 2010, but since then, his consistent output and trademark style have influenced a whole new generation of rappers. Between solo albums like Reloaded and Behold a Dark Horse, and collaborative albums The Elephant Man’s Bones with The Alchemist and the upcoming The Coldest Profession with DJ Premier, Marciano continues to shake the industry.
But the 47-year-old wouldn’t be the trailblazer he is today without some classic albums that influenced him. Marciano has been inspired by rappers all across the US, citing everyone from Wu-Tang Clan members and A Tribe Called Quest to Dr Dre and Scarface as having made notable impacts on his career. One of the first projects he ever owned was Eric B and Rakim’s second album.
“Follow The Leader was my first hip-hop album that I ever got,” he told Complex. “I loved Paid in Full, but I never had the album. Follow the Leader was given to me as a Christmas present. My mom knew I loved Rakim so she got me the album. Follow the Leader was the coldest piece of work. That put the battery in my back. It was like I saw him, then I was like, ‘This is how I see myself doing it.’
“Rakim is the best. What more can I say about The God? That’s why I even rap. From how they dress, to how they put on for Long Island. Are you serious? The Dapper Dan shit, jumpin’ out the Saab with the long coat. Smooth cold killer shit. Follow the Leader, you hear the lyrics on that? ‘Microphone Fiend,’ ‘Lyrics of Fury.’ The R, man.”
He’s also particularly impressed by NWA’s second album, N*ggaz4Life. In his opinion, it’s the best Dr Dre production of his career, and he felt that the group still managed to deliver a stellar project despite Ice Cube parting ways with the group.
“That’s my favourite Dr Dre production,” he said. “I use that album as motivation. It’s not only just hip-hop at its finest, it’s cinematic. It really draws you in, and it feels like you’re watching it, not just hearing it. You feel like you’re watching it and hearing it. Dre was at his rawest at that time, in terms of sampling, and different breaks coming in, and beats changing out the blue.
“It was just amazing because, at that time, Ice Cube was one of the best. Cube’s one of the best that ever did it. But still, how in the hell do you do an album, you lose Cube, and you don’t even notice it when you listen to that album? It’s like, Cube is gone, and you really don’t even give a fuck. The album is that good.”
Below, check out the complete list of Marciano’s 25 favourite albums, all of which have shaped the rapper into who he is today.
Roc Marciano’s 25 favourite albums of all time:
- Michael Jackson – Off the Wall
- Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded
- Public Enemy – It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
- Eric B and Rakim – Follow the Leader
- EPMD – Strictly Business
- Slick Rick – The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
- Ice Cube – AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted
- De La Soul – De La Soul Is Dead
- NWA – N*ggaz4Life
- Main Source – Breaking Atoms
- Dr Dre – The Chronic
- A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders
- Mobb Deep – The Infamous
- Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…
- Busta Rhymes – The Coming
- Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt
- Nas – It Was Written
- Makaveli (Tupac Shakur) – The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
- The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death
- Capone-N-Noreaga – The War Report
- Gang Starr – Moment of Truth
- D’Angelo – Voodoo
- Ghostface Killah – Supreme Clientele
- Scarface – The Last of a Dying Breed
- MOP – Warriorz