by Dan O

I’ve always believed we don’t spend enough time talking about how gifted Roc Marciano is as a producer. Credit to him as a lyricist for distracting us to this degree. Think about the legacy run Roc has…he’s the only reason you know Stove God Cook$, gave us the best Ka ever sounded,, Blame Kansas by TF, and on and on. Roc doesn’t just understand how to showcase and mutate sweet sounds, as a lyricist he’s mindful of the space an important MC needs to move on the track. You won’t find a cluttered Roc beat, they sound like they had to sound that way. I love his production so much I desperately want his umbrella to expand. If I were to pitch the king of nice sweaters 5 full album collaborations here they are in order:

1.Lukah-All I would have to do to sell Lukah to Roc is have him listen to any Lukah album from 2021 to now. During that time the Memphis spitter has carved his name in stone with jaw dropping word usage, snarling dark albums that feel like early Nas and early Scarface swirled together. Roc’s production would infuse additional focus and energy into Lukah (which is an incredible thought) and having such a powerful MC on his production would push Roc to dive even deeper into Rosebuds Revenge era production experimentation. These two would fit like a glove.

2.Fly Anakin-The Richmond VA Mutant Academy chief is on the best run of his career. Last years Frank was totally undeniable. Anakin transitioned from talented consistent artist to someone capable of making moments that define the year in music. This one is a no brainer. Anakin is unique in delivery, content, stays slick and ready to present his best verse at any time. This would give Roc Marciano the ability to build in any direction comfortably.

3.YL-How NY is YL? His new album is called Don’t Feed The Pigeons! This would be a custom fit. YL has an exquisite ear for beats working well with Roper Williams, Zoomo, NoFace, Junie, Argov always getting the best they offer. His writing and delivery are as smooth and conversational as anyone doing it. I love when YL surprises you and gets angry or disappointed and comes out of balance. I would want Roc to do what ALC did for him on Elephant Mans Bones and pull the curtain back so we can feel the dark side of this fly @$$ world.

4.Gifted Gab-I consider this an out-of-the-box pick but I enjoy it. Born in Seattle Gab knows how to rock a party, beautiful flow, stunning voice, and an absolute top tier sh_t talker. Her last project was released in April (G-Body Music) fully embraces the Larry June opulent West Coast conversational pimp flow (Suga Free is on it). This is no problem for Roc who just gave Jay Worthy a fitting soundbed. I would love to see Roc lock in with a clever emcee who can sing and spit on equal par while cracking jokes and having fun. I think Gab would bring out the brighter side of his production spectrum.

5.Patty Honcho-Not just a certified feature killer, the New Jersey spitter has shown major growth from 2022’s Brawler (Round 5) to 2023’s The Blaxploitation. The 70’s Acid Jazz backdrops on his newest album allowed his mind and mouth to become a dangerous instrument. Roc would dial in on Patty’s timing; build on it, challenge it. In the process of building that relationship I am very sure Patty would make the most cohesive album statement of his career. Roc has a supernatural sense of album cohesion, track sequencing, beat switches. Molding this raw talent would be a joy for Roc, I’m sure of it.