When most people think of Chicago, they probably associate the city with Michael Jordan, the Chicago Cubs, Oprah Winfrey, Taste of Chicago, or the Sears Tower. But much like the two larger U.S. cities⎯New York and Los Angeles⎯Chicago is identified as much for its crime as it is for its commercial activities. (Chicago is a city with a rich history of high-profiled gangsters: Al Capone, Sam Giancana, Jeff Fort, Larry Hoover, et. al.; and gangs: Vice Lords, Gangster Disciples, Latin Kings, et. al.) While fans of urban music have marginally come to know Chicago through the musical efforts of R. Kelly, Kanye West and Common, a diminutive rapper with boyish features intends to provide audiences with a more comprehensive portrait of “the Chi.”
Ralph “Marvo” (short for Marvelous) Metcalf grew up in Harvey, Illinois, and was raised in the streets of Chicago. Living in an environment where gang culture is very prevalent and pretty much customary, Marvo found himself at a young age engrossed in the lifestyle so accustomed to his neighborhood. After being shot and realizing the route he was traveling would eventually lead to a tragic end, he chose to seek salvation in his pen, turning his penchant for creative writing into songwriting.
The song clearly displaying Marvo’s promise in the rap game is the cleverly written “Dreamz of Kidnapping an Industry Exec.” Composed in the tongue-in-cheek style of The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Dreams” and 50 Cent’s “How to Rob,” the Chicagoan’s opus expresses his frustration with the unscrupulous investors he’s encountered throughout his quest for a record deal, and the music industry’s lack of recognition for his talent. The concept of the song describes Marvo’s cunning plot to kidnap Jay-Z (the track was recorded during the rapper’s tenure as President of Island Def Jam), just to get the former label executive to hear his demands as to why signing him would be a wise investment. Upon completing the song’s final verse, Marvo boldly emphasizes his worth by craftily tagging it with the audio of “Hov’s” dialogue from the movie “Backstage,” where Jay-Z mentions: “it’s a n—a right now somewhere, he at the table with a bowl of Apple Jacks, and he’s reading the back of the cereal, and in between eating the Apple Jacks, he’s writing some s—t, and he want my spot.”
While “Dreamz” highlights Marvo’s aptness as an MC, the introspective and pensive “Just Breathe” showcases ‘Vo’s depth, as he reflects on the psychological and internal struggles of trying to escape the pitfalls of life in the slums, rhyming: “puffin’ sticky for stress/only to find out I was better off if I start smoking less.” What distinguishes Marvo as more than a “rapper from the ‘hood” is his keen perspective and ability to articulate the rampant socio-economic problems occurring within his native Chitown. The track “Step Into the Bad Side” offers listeners a detailed account about life in the street of the Windy City via his vivid rhymes and poignant commentary.
Marvo’s “supreme money maker” mentality and distinct understanding of both his value and purpose as an artist set him apart from many of his fellow unsigned contemporaries, as he states: “my main goal is to go down in the books—go down in history as one of the best MCs ever.” Despite being a new artist on the come-up, Marvo possesses the poise and confidence generally associated with veterans, and has an ability to compose songs with the clarity and insight usually exemplified in the material of great artists. If Marvo partner’s with the right producer(s) to streamline his sound, serving as the Puff to his B.I.G., Dre to his Snoop and Eminem, or the Preemo, Just Blaze and Pharrell to his Jay-Z, then he too can be remembered as one of the legends that he so desires to be, enabling music executives to breathe a sigh of relief from the thought of being abducted.
