Published on October 9th, 2018 | by Dj Smoke
0Memphis Maccie brings West Coast and South together in new album ‘Tale of Two Cities’
Much like his new album, Memphis Maccie is an artist whose style tells the “Tale of Two Cities.” Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, his Southern grit is a prominent feature on his music, but couples in unique ways with the West Coast style he’s adopted after having moved to Portland, Oregon.
“Tale of Two Cities” is his third project, but the first with any kind of financial or promotional backing. It’s a project that introduces his unique sound and style to the larger world, while also laying some background of who he is and where he’s from in ways that will relate to a wide audience.
“I grew up in Memphis and lived a lot of years gang banging there,” he said. “But I’ve moved to Portland, which has a completely different sound. So now I’m bringing the West Coast and the South together into one project. I’m a Southern dude with West Coast beats who’s putting Southern rap over the top. And within that I’m very versatile, gritty and graphic. I can give you a picture of what’s going on. My sound can be explicit sometimes, where you cringe in a way, but it’s also very truthful. All of my lyrics are based in truth.”
It’s that realism that Memphis Maccie said he’s hoping he becomes known for as more people get to know his name and become familiar with his music. He wants people to know that when they listen to his music they’re going to get more truth and facts and real-life situations, occasionally mixed with metaphors for real-life scenarios.
“I believe that you have a responsibility when you’re rapping and people are listening to you,” he said. “You have a responsibility to tell the truth, not just some bullshit music to listen to for a while and ride around to and perpetrate a whole different lifestyle. That only lasts for as long as that one song. True truthful music can last for a lifetime and you can take it wherever you go.” That mindset is one that was developed within him at a young age as he watched others around him build careers within the music industry. He said he has fond memories of growing up around Beale Street watching artists such as BB King, Isaac Hayes and Al Green embrace the idea of realism in their music and literally build a genre around storytelling. As a teenager he remembers hearing Bone Thugs N Harmony, and when he first tried to spit lyrics as fast as they did, he got a lot of encouragement from friends and family – which eventually led to him pursuing music as a full-time career.
“Tale of Two Cities” is due for wide release across all digital distribution sites on Oct. 15.
To listen to Memphis Maccie’s music or to follow him on social media, please visit:
https://twitter.com/memphmac
https://www.instagram.com/memphmacc/
https://www.facebook.com/memph.macc
https://soundcloud.com/memphis-maccie