Posted on 05/18/2007
Rawkus Records, perhaps the most famous of independent Hip Hop labels, has released some strong records of late with the debuts of Kidz in the Hall, Panacea and Blue Scholars. The recent release of Canadian-born producer Marco Polo's debut, Port Authority, adds to their track record. The disc is a return to a sound long dormant in the Hip Hop landscape where amateur keyboard arrangements and memorable, if mundane, choruses snag the ears of the listeners.

In a recent interview with Okayplayer's D.L. Chandler, Marco Polo shed some light on his ascent to being one of the most sought after beat makers in the game.

OKP - Although your profile has risen due to all the press surrounding your debut, how did you officially get your start?

 

MP - I think the first thing I did on Masta Ace's Long Hot Summer was the song "Do It Man" with Big Noyd. Yeah, that's the first joint.

 

OKP - Any other records the listeners should be familiar with? MP - I did the entire Pumpkinhead album Orange Moon over Brooklyn. But the most recent thing was the three tracks I did on the Boot Camp's The Last Stand album.

 

OKP - How did the Boot Camp connection come about?

 

MP - I did a Beat Society show out in L.A. and Buckshot was just there checking it out. Then later, we all headed over to Rhettmatic's crib but before we did that I slid him a beat CD. Rhettmatic was actually showcasing some beats and I was just playing the back. A few weeks later, Dru Ha from Duck Down called and told me that some of the BCC recorded to five of my joints and wanted to know if the beats were still open - and luckily they were. The rest is history.

 

OKP - You were born in Toronto, but you've relocated to Brooklyn, New York. What are the differences you've noticed in the musical climates of the two areas?

 

MP - There isn't much of a difference but it's quite a decent sound coming out of there (Tornoto). Of course the West Indian influence is heavy there, as you hear in someone like Kardinal Offishal. But there are some clones in Toronto trying to be everything but Canadian and that happens here in the states as well. And I won't front, that pisses me off. But it's a very east coast-centric sound.

 

OKP - How do you feel about putting this out with Rawkus? Is there any pressure releasing this record knowing how both praised and maligned the label has been?

 

MP - Well Rawkus blew up by being innovative and going against the grain. They ignored what was popular and mainstream and while there is always pressure to sell and be a hit, the blueprint Rawkus stuck to back in the day is what they're best at. Rawkus teaming up with Soulspazm and myself putting this record out is a step in the right direction. I feel like my LP could've come out in their heyday. And the label will tell you themselves, they've not always had great success and everything in this game nowadays is risky. But the fans expect something from Rawkus and that's high quality hip hop.

 

OKP - How was it to have all these legends working with you such as O.C., Kool G Rap, Large Professor and Ace?

 

MP - It was great and I did it one track at a time. It all started with the "Do It Man" song and Ace recorded "Nostalgia" right after. From there, it just kept flowing. I could've been like a lot of guys and shopped around the beats but I reached out to cats and I had a lot of creative control. I reached out to them and cats were just down with what I was doing. I think I crafted beats tailored to the flows of everybody I worked with. I didn't just send out 30 beats and said "pick one". I didn't give them a lot of options because I had a specific direction I wanted the MCs to go in and stick to. And besides that, these are MCs that I respect above anything else.

 

OKP - Looking ahead, do you intend to tour the record at all?

 

MP - I'm trying to get something going with Ace and do something like Beat Society but as far as a tour, I don't DJ or rap but I do think showcasing the record with the artists would work. I'm definitely looking for the summer for everything to do that sort of thing since Ace has a new group and all. But there are a lot of things in the works.

 

OKP - So what's next for Marco Polo? Are you going to go at this full time or is it a game of "wait and see"?

 

MP - I don't necessarily need a million of my joints out there. I'm certainly not going to be stuck on Myspace selling $500 dollar beats anymore, and I'd like to make a living at this. I don't know what's next but whatever it is, I want to produce the whole thing. Think about it, all the albums from back in the day we loved had one producer and a real cohesive sound. As corny as it sounds, I'm about Hip Hop and I want to maintain the integrity of the art. Sure, if I make a ton of cash from this I won't be upset. But at the end of the day, I want to be respected for what I do and just make good, solid joints.

 

OKP - Thanks for your time, Marco You can find more about Marco Polo at: www.marcopolobeats.com

 

- D.L. Chandler