We talk with Marco Pavé about the history of Southern Rap, his career in the often misunderstood music industry, and how to take control of your life and music. Marco is incredibly knowledgeable on a ton of subjects, and we loved this conversation.
Born and raised in North Memphis, Pave started rapping seriously to articulate the dangerous day-to-day realities of his neighborhood. Pavé has built an unprecedented career that uses hip hop culture not only as a means of personal expression, but also as an educational tool designed to make an impact on both individuals and systems of power.
In 2013, Pavé was a 20-year-old budding rapper and community activist working a demoralizing dead-end security job at Kroger to make ends meet. When his son was born at the end of the year, he made a choice that would change the course of his life: to define success entirely on his own terms and build a wholly independent career in the arts. Since 2013, he has forged a twin identity as a champion of indie Southern rap and as an educator working to stimulate community activism and entrepreneurship through the lens of hip hop music and culture.
During the same period, Pavé blossomed as a recording artist. He opened for Mobb Deep, Waka Flocka Flame, and Young Dolph and worked with GRAMMY Award-winning producers like Carlos Broady. In 2015, “Black Tux,” the Mike Brown-inspired lead single from his EP Perception, aired on Ebro Darden’s Beats 1 Radio show and MTVU, paving the way for press coverage from The Source, The Root, and MTV News. In 2017, he released his debut album Welcome to Grc Lnd, which cast a documentarian lens on Memphis’s grassroots activists who were raising their voices in protest of the city’s endemic racism and poverty. In 2018, he was commissioned to turn the album into Memphis’s first-ever rap opera.
Check out Marco's new single, 'Dirty Benz', wherever you listen to music. It's as serious banger.
Find Marco online at kingofmarco.com
Follow Marco on IG: @kingofmarco
Deyus Life is a show about interesting people and interesting conversations. Have a question or want to be featured on the show? Email deyuspod@gmail.com or visit deyuslifepod.com. We read and respond to EVERY email - including yours.