Grant JonesAs we continue to mop up albums from 2022, I wanted to revisit Marlon Craft’s third album “While We’re Here” which was released back in May last year. The Manhattan emcee has been generating buzz for more than a New York minute now, after impressive performances on radio shows such as Sway in the Morning (a rite of passage at this point) and successfully collaborating with a who’s who list of legitimate hip-hop heavyweights. Naysayers may dismiss the visual appearance of Craft as fairly unremarkable, perhaps wondering whatever happened to Nickelback lead-singer Chad Kroeger, but the single “HANS ZIMMER” immediately convinced me of not just his rap ability, but his penchant for catchy, witty bars. The inflection he adds on certain words clearly displays some influence from Joey Badass and Westside Gunn, but his album “While We’re Here” shows a versatility I didn’t expect.
That’s Mobb Deep’s Havoc on the beat – you can kind of tell, but I love the saxophone interlude that’s been included. That’s something that Craft has added to his latest album – more interesting production. His earlier freestyles and collaborations with Statik Selektah certainly serve a purpose, but threaten to pigeonhole him as a throwback rapper, so it’s great to hear his range.
Aware of his elevated status, while wrestling with hitting hip-hop’s pension age (30), he ponders his progress, status, and mindstate throughout what is his third studio LP. Time is the theme, but Craft has achieved a lot in his short career, owing to a perfectionist attitude which he cites on “Something Wrong In Heaven”. Well, he’s fussy if anything, an overthinker, with lines like “I’ll be pointing out the bad, in good faith” adding some welcome nuance. “I’ve seen too much by 14 to ever be an optimist” (“Hans Zimmer”) again hammers home this negativity, and yet, Craft tackles his verses like he’s got the bit between his teeth. Fearing the worst seemingly drives him forward, and songs can even be fun (this isn’t as miserable a listen as an NF project).
“Getting Wasted” is perfectly catchy, possessing such a vague premise that it could be about alcoholism, or you could sing it as you empty your fridge of food past its best-before. Because Craft is talented enough to turn the miserable into something infectious, most songs can work their way into your ear in a manner that gives this record a Pop quality.
After a strong start, the album does lose momentum. “BREAK” combines warped bass with a delicate guitar, which just about works as a beat, but the monotonous flow Craft uses just didn’t keep my interest. The second half of the album in general just loses something – a combination of less energy and it struck me how Craft over a whole album just didn’t possess enough charisma. This was only heightened by the lack of any guest features.
The track “Cocky Humble” personifies modern rap stars in general, not just Marlon Craft. It’s melodic rhyming, but if you think about J Cole’s success, it rides the wave of a vulnerable personality being unafraid to share the side emcees have historically hidden from listeners. He follows a long line of modern rappers using their real names, being themselves, and creating personal albums. A song like “World Champ” would traditionally be self-aggrandizing, yet here the boasts and references come via his father’s feedback. I like the concepts at play here, and the flirtations with Pop didn’t hurt or negate the message, I just found “While We’re Here” started so strong, but falls under the weight of its own pessimism. When the song doesn’t come with a radio-friendly hook, Craft’s personality, particularly when paired with some numb delivery, simply lacks enough warmth and charisma to keep me coming back. Whilst he had me though, I was nonetheless, impressed.