DAVID BANNER’S CERTIFIED OZONE COMIC BOOK!
MARCUS.! ...THE FIRST ARTIST ON B.I.G.F.A.C.E. ENTERTAINMENT, THIS SLICK-SPITTING MEMPHIS RAPPER IS HERE TO SAVE THE DAY!
INTRODUCING... EAST MEMPHIS IN THE HOUSE, MANE..
I hear you’re a little bruised right now. What happened? Yeah, man, comin’ off Banner’s house there’s a blind turn, and this lady was speeding and she let me have it. She hit my driver’s door. On the real, it was kinda ugly, man. My ribs were broken. It’s been two weeks, going on my third week. They told me anywhere from four to six weeks [to recover], so I’m just sitting around waiting. I’m feeling a lot better than when I first got my ass knocked off. Still sore, but the swelling’s been going down a lot. It don’t hurt anymore. Did your life flash before your eyes? I’ve been in a couple fender benders before, but yeah, a lot of crazy shit flashes in front of you. You can’t take life for granted. A week prior to that, a friend of mine from school was killed in a car accident, and another dude I know died in a car accident recently. I coulda been dead instead of having a couple of broken ribs, so I’m just trying to be a little more thankful. How did you become David Banner’s first artist? I’m from Memphis, and I came down to Jackson State University to play ball but I broke my foot. I was in a group called the Doberman Gang. Banner was in the group Crooked Lettaz with Kamikaze, who went to Jackson State. When I met Kamikaze, we hit it off. We did a couple songs with him and eventually I met Banner. We were at Kamikaze’s house, and we walked a few blocks just talking. He was a real dude. I guess you could say we had a connection. He was out of town at the time, going to school at Southern University in Baton Rouge, but every time I saw him it was on some real cool shit. Originally we were gonna be the first artists out on [Kamikaze’s] OurGlass Entertainment, but that didn’t work out. It was all cool though, ain’t no bad blood. Me and DB had never lost contact, we were always good friends, and one day he pulled me to the side, like, “I know you’re a writer and a rapper, and I make hella beats, all day, every day, so let’s put two and two together.” You were featured on Banner’s song “Gangsta Walk” along with Three 6 Mafia and 8Ball & MJG. Being from Memphis, how did it feel to be a part of history like that? I came up listening to the cats that I’m on the song with. It’s long overdue for gangsta walkin’ to go nationwide. Everybody in the industry has been jumpin’ on Southern music, so now it’s cool to be crunk. We been getting buck in Memphis since I was a little nigga. Niggas been gangsta walkin’ in Memphis ever since I could remember. I think that’s the first dance I actually knew how to do. I give DB a whole lot of props for reaching out and making that song happen. That’s the first time those two cliques got together on the same song, so it was real big. Me, I’m representing East Memphis. The gangsta walk is like one-two steppin’. It’s kinda like a mosh pit, but a little more organized. It’s not just a whole lot of pushin’. When you see any of the Three 6 Mafia videos, you’ll see Crunchy Black gangsta walkin’. Throughout the years, it’s kinda changed and upgraded. There’s a lot of different versions. They leaning like Michael Jackson nowadays. Do you still spell your name with a period at the end? That’s all the time. The period don’t go nowhere. I use my real name, Marcus., because it kinda explains to folks what I’m about. My music is real humble and to the point. It’s me. Ain’t no attitude or no debating. I don’t jump on what’s hot to make me a quick buck. In the rap game, niggas wanna jump on what’s hot and they switch they whole style up. More power to ya, but I couldn’t be nobody but myself. That’s why I do it like that, man. The period is to let them know that’s me and that’s it. When I say “humble,” I mean that I’m just speaking about life, stuff that a lot of folks can relate to. Regardless of what kind of car you drive or what you’ve got around your neck, we all still livin’ in the same world. I just talk about regular life, whether I’m driving a hoopty or a clean-ass Cadillac.
MARCUS.’ VITAL STATS:
ALTER EGO: MARCUS WILLIAMS COSTUME: GOATEE, RUBBER BANDS SUPERPOWER: KEEPIN’ IT PIMPIN’ On the road, you’re Banner’s hype man, barber, artist, and..? Whatever I need to be doing so we can win. I’m an artist first, but Banner supports me like a brother so whatever he needs I’m here to do it. I got a couple mixtapes coming out, and we’re working on my solo album. We got the studio in the back of the [Certified] tour bus, so we definitely doin’ our thing in the lab. Will you be able to establish your own identity as an artist? I’ve got my own sound. Memphis got a lot of different flavors. It’s more than just “Tear Da Club Up.” When I was comin’ up I was listening to the Isley Brothers, Bobby Womack, Isaac Hayes, and Al Green. My music has more of a soulful feel to it. Working under Banner’s wing, it’s gonna hit niggas out of left field. He’s gonna be doing the primary production on my album. When you hear him produce for other cats, his music really goes to another level that they probably wouldn’t have expected. They’re probably used to the crunk stuff he does. It’s gonna be stuff you can get buck to on my album, but I make a lot of ridin’ music first. I definitely separate myself, man, not just from DB. It’s just me. Going back to my rap name, I can’t be nobody but me. It’ll definitely show, man.
FUN FACT: FORMERLY KNOWN AS MR. MARCUS, HE SHORTENED HIS NAME TO “MARCUS.” TO AVOID BEING CONFUSED WITH THE PORN STAR OF THE SAME NAME! OZONE AUGUST 2005
A47