MARCUS CHRIST

Q What inspired you to write “Get The Haters Back” and what moment made you feel like you needed to say this?

Honestly, shoutout to the producer Morte Beatz. This instrumental was so dope, I had to get the lease! The song “Get The Haters Back” was really just me being myself. I said what I felt people were wondering about me. I don’t like to be around big groups. I don’t like or trust new friends. I have a lot of enemies I keep at bay. So the hook was just me telling people that I don’t need the fame, nor am I chasing it. I’m just being myself, love me or hate me. The second verse starts with my reimagining of Jesus’ return in today’s age. I said, “Holes in my palms, now my palms rock stars,” talking about the resurrection of Jesus. I don’t know whether that makes the song gospel. I just apple from the heart, and Get The Haters Back wasn’t the first song or single from the album The American Pharaoh, so this song was inspired by me being myself, but the album was inspired by a female I had a crush on in High School.

Q When you talk about “the old me” in the song, what parts of your younger self are still present in you today?

I think I’m more laid back now that I’m a little older. I was more aggressive or assertive in my 20’s and 30’s. I was never the most assertive, but I had my moments. Now I kinda know more about how life goes. I gained friends and lost friends since my last album, Prince of the Universe. So this album should show growth. I recorded it in a professional studio, mastered the songs, and gave my best delivery. It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough. I think this will probably be one of my better albums in my catalog. The “old me” would’ve name-dropped other rappers, talked shit about the government, and verbally floss on the game. Now I just want to speak my piece and collect my check. I’m appreciating the peace more and more each day.

Q Do you feel like this track is more about proving something to others or reminding yourself of who you are?

I hope it’s doing both. I want others to know I got my own style. The dubbed vocals give my sound a uniqueness, but sometimes people say it’s off-beat. In all honesty, sometimes it may be, but most of the time I’m delivering lines with different emotions, so the words don’t always line up. I want my music to be authentic, and I don’t want to sound like a robot. So, I think that those critics will actually drive more people to my music to critique it. There’s no such thing as bad publicity. Music is art and open to interpretation. Edgar Winters sings, “I’ve heard it said there’s beauty in distortion” in his song Dying to Live. I said, “The clearer image isn’t always a gain” in the song Mama Said. I think both quotes point to the abstract interpretation of art. Jackson Pollock threw paint on a canvas, but Picasso deliberately made strokes, and I gave my music emotion; whether people like it or not, I stand behind it. It can be said that art imitates life and life can imitate art, but I think my music encompasses both life and art. As far as reminding myself who I am, the music is a part of my life. The calm, easy, and fun part of my life is music, but behind the scenes, it’s a business. I am writing to collect a check and retire at some point, but in the meantime, in between time, I have something to say, again. I know who Marcus Christ is already; it’s the audience that’s trying to figure it out.

Q The hook feels like a direct message to people watching you now. Who exactly are the “haters” for you?

Haters come in many forms. The most recent public hater would be this guy at church who told me to take off my hat, but ignored the other people wearing theirs. That’s a hater. I stopped going to that church because of that usher. Family members can be haters. Friends can be haters. Coworkers can be classified as haters in certain situations as well. A hater to me is anyone trying to stop my shine. Anyone or anything that won’t let me be myself. Jesus said. “If the world hates you, remember it hated me first.” I see people giving Jesus lip service, but if he were to come back, what would they change about their lives to be more acceptable to god? Would they even change? These people who praise Jesus with their mouth on the street, in church, or at the dinner table may genuinely feel that they are good people, because people listen to them, or because they have a new car or house. However, I say that those who put their words into action are more loved than those who simply use conjecture or religious rhetoric. Personally, I have a list of haters in every category, and I have remedies for them as well.

Q There’s a strong sense of confidence in the lyrics, did that come naturally or was it built over time?

I suppose the confidence is from doing this for years. My first time in the studio was in November 2004. I didn’t know I needed to bring beats, so John and I at Omnitone Studios produced 3 songs using Reason. In the beginning, I was average. I rapped every night with my friends, which we call “freestyling.” I found writing to be easier than coming up with words on the fly. The ease of writing gave me confidence. Now I’m working on my delivery and production. Also, some of life’s challenges made me a better artist on and off the stage. Watching others who came before me maneuver helped me learn my game, too.

Q You reference having “a dollar and a dream,” how important is that mindset in your journey?

Well, to do music professionally, you need a dollar and a dream. I think the dream is more important. I can record at Jester’s studio for free, but if I’m not motivated, nothing gets done. So the dream is the motivation to complete the project, whereas the dollar is a tool you can use to accomplish the project. All the promo for this new album cost me something financially, but without the dream, there would be no album, promotion, or interview. The ultimate goal of my dream is to make money, so hopefully my project, The American Pharaoh, will not only put money in my pockets, but also put money in the pockets of those around me as well.

Q How much did classic hip hop influence the way you approached the lyrics in this song?

Classic hip hop from the 90’s highly influenced these songs. Especially southern acts like Three 6 Mafia, UGK, Scarface, and Outkast all gave me inspiration for this song in particular. I think I just heard the beat, and that was the way it sounded to me. I liked the hook and the southern accent, so I kept it. I wrote this song about 4-5 days before recording. I’ve had mixed reviews from some curators and audience members, but on the whole, I think the music is authentic to the way I was raised. I also wanted to come with bars like a lot of artists from New York used to do. I had something to say, but I want people to also notice the way I said it.

Q Do you see this track as a bridge between your past and your present as an artist?

I honestly see this song as any other of the over 100-200 songs I’ve written since 2004. I write every song by hand with my perspective. I just really like the production by Morte Beatz, which helped my delivery come off a little stronger than normal. If anything, this song is more about the future than the past or present. Get the harters back because I’m bubbling, or blowing up, and they all want to know me. I really hate that music must be public because I don’t want to deal with the public in the form of big crowds. Maybe one day, once I establish a larger catalog, I can just sell to a private collector.

Q You mention not being crowned but still getting your success, how do you personally define winning?

I’m winning now! I live the life I want. Winning is overcoming adversity, and I’m still in the midst of some adversity, but I celebrate the big wins. There is very little failure to discuss, thanks to God being my rock and savior. I have been crowned in the sense that I know my worth and who I am and where I come from, but I have been crowned by God, not mankind. Mankind won’t even give me a hip hop crown, so I’m just gonna take it! Like a thief in the night.

Q Was there a specific experience that made you stop waiting for recognition and just focus on your own path?

Maybe jail. It slowed a lot of the motion I had going in my direction. It made me reassess where I was in life and who I wanted in my life. I wanted to go to trial to prove my case, but after spending months in jail, you don’t care about how the public perceives you because you just want to preserve the time you have left on earth outside of a cage. So I’ll take the time now to address my court issues for vandalism, theft, and evading police. I spray-painted a sidewalk. I did that, but did the property value decrease or increase? I never saw a proper audit of the property to really know. I took an orange juice from 7/11. Stealing is wrong, but I wanted to prove it was partly my orange juice, which makes it a civil matter, not criminal, and still ongoing at this point. Lastly, I allegedly evaded police, who lacked jurisdiction. After I drove home, I surrendered, and no one was hurt. So those are my charges, which could have been easily defended if I had effective counsel in all my cases.

Q Some lines feel intense and raw, do you use writing as a way to release pressure?

Sometimes I do. I usually have a lot to say, but I don’t know what it is. Furthermore, all of this writing is taking my mind off the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine. I pray those people affected can end their conflict and resolve it so that it never escalates to that point again, but I want no part of the bullshit. I enjoy my quiet, peaceful life in Compton.

Q There are moments that hint at struggle and sacrifice, how much of that is drawn from real experiences?

Life is all about struggle and sacrifice. Every parent should be able to relate to those two elements. I wasn’t trying to get too deep with this track in particular because it may go over most people’s heads. I struggle like everyone else. I just went to Burger King today and used a coupon, and I also sacrificed. I sacrificed my time to trumped up charges, I sacrificed my girl to the game, and I sacrificed my freedom for others’ safety.

Q How do those past struggles shape the way you move today in your career?

I feel that I’m more realistic. I’m not trying to make the album go viral, but I am looking for consistent radio and internet plays/streams. I have a promotional strategy, and we’re implementing it. It’s not just freestyling in the car for me anymore; it’s a business that I take more seriously. It’s like losing the love of your life to another person. You’re gonna move differently after that point, especially if you’re in love. Every album is like my lover who has been shared with the world, and now it no longer holds a special interest to me because everyone has heard it. So, I’m already working on a concept for the next album after The American Pharaoh releases on April 7th called King of Kings.

Q The song also touches on trust and people not being honest, has that been a big lesson for you in the industry?

Not only in the industry but in my personal life as well. Family members overstepping my boundaries, friends that move like snakes, and girls that are nowhere to be found. This industry is crazy because the music needs to be public in most cases to get sales. That fame can attract the wrong kind of attention from the people closest to you, or who were close to you.

Q Do you feel like success has changed how you see the people around you?

No, because at the end of the day, we’re all human. We are all just trying to provide for ourselves or our families. People are just trying to get to the next day, week, month, or year. I have to watch and examine people because it makes my music more relevant. I would say I learned more from watching people than I thought I would.

Q When you say people need “ears to hear and a mind to see,” what do you wish more people understood about you?

I wish people understood that people change if enough time has passed. The old me is still me, or who I was, but I’ve grown a lot since then, too. I finished college, grad school, got a decent car, and dated a few girls. Ten or twenty years ago, I prayed for the life I have now, and two thousand years ago, who knows, I may have prayed to be a good criminal or soldier for God.

Q Do you think this song represents your most authentic version of yourself so far?

Yes and no. Yes, it’s authentic as far as me writing it and giving my perspective, but it’s just a song. It doesn’t accurately give you my exact feelings at the time. It lets you know how I see things, but you’re still blind to most of the activities that surround my life. Things I cannot discuss in this interview because people may feel uncomfortable with my truth.

Q Was there a specific message you wanted listeners to take away after hearing this track?

Yes! Get back if you’re a hater. I don’t want to hurt anyone.

Q Do you feel like this song marks a new chapter for you or a return to your roots?

I think this song does show that I can come back into the ever-changing industry of music when I need to. It also lets people know I’m not a rapper or a singer, I’m an artist.

Q How do you turn negative energy or criticism into motivation when you create?

I just ignore the negative energy, unless it is so pronounced that I must address it. This album came on the cusp of going through trials and tribulations with haters and wanting to start a new relationship with a special lady at some point. I guess both of those events factored into the creation of Get The Haters Back.

Q Looking back at “Get The Haters Back,” what does this song say about who Marcus Christ is right now?

Single and lonely, but happy.