Marcus Yates weekly update: February 2015

I got a moment to sit down with Marcus about his plans for the new year and what 2015 has in store for him. Take a moment to check out what's coming ahead for Marcus Yates. 

Lettey: Let's take a moment to step back into 2014 and see what's been going on with you. How was your thanksgiving? Any special traditions your family takes part in? 

Marcus: I had a cool Thanksgiving, had a blast with my family. Me and some of the older cousins went to a bar, turnt up, and I don't remember much after that. 

Lettey: Sounds like a fun time. How is the album coming along and what are you currently working on? 

Marcus: I'm currently working on a video for my first single. Getting that knocked out here soon. The song I'm on right now is one that I'm doing with my homie Gee Watts from here in KC and another one I'm working on is with my sister Queen Eboneesaid. It's gonna be real FONKY. 

Lettey: Any new artists jumping on this album we haven't heard about yet? 

Marcus: Haven't gotten that far into picking artists except the obvious artists who automatically fit. 

Lettey: What does the new year have in store for you? Any plans for changes, improvements, or new ventures?

Marcus: I'm gonna finish the album and then learn the bass guitar. 

Lettey: That sounds like a great venture. Moving forward past the recent holiday season, is there anything about the Christmas season your particularly fond of? 

Marcus: Nothing out of the ordinary, just spending time with family. 

Lettey: Will the new year bring new merchandise for your fans? Maybe t-shirts or hoodies? 

Marcus: I've been in the talks, but almost everyone I talk to about it has wack ideas so far. I hate that shit. SMH. So still working on that.

Lettey: Well hopefully you find something that works. Your fan base has increased from 250 likes on Facebook to 1114 in the past year alone, how do you feel about this and what do you hope for going into 2015 and beyond? 

Marcus: I just wanna give the fans some thing new to listen to. 

Lettey: Do you have a New Years Resolution?

Marcus: To do an joint EP with Tech N9ne. For the new year I plan on having more of my work outside of rapping displayed on a major level. And it just goes up from there. I really wanna show people how free I was when I was away with my friends in Florida. That freedom will be show cased actually, I'm letting it be known. 

Lettey: When you say make that freedom known, how do you mean? Musically or in other areas? 

Marcus: Musically, but music is my life. We, as musicians ad artists, are good at symbolism. So someone can find freedom, in something, from hearing our music without limits. 

Lettey: Looking back at 2014, what would you say was the most memorable times you'll never forget? Any memories your glad to leave behind? 

Marcus: The mini tour, run during the summer, was cool with Krizz Kaliko and Makzilla. That was in the Northwest. I never would have found out about Port Townsend without that tour. There's nothing bad that I would wanna leave behind though. 

Lettey: What did you do at midnight on New Year's Eve? 

Marcus: I recorded some vocals for my album. Holidays Schmolidays haha. Like, they're there and a good way to stay connected with family, but everyday is a holiday. No cliche. 

Lettey: Let's give the fans something new about you to start 2015 with. What's something the fans may not know about you that would surprise them? 

Marcus: I took ballet for four years. Best thing I ever did to my body. 

Lettey: Well 2015 is already turning out in your favor. With talk about your upcoming album and EP with Tech N9ne, your new years resolution is already coming to completion. The fans are anxiously waiting what you put out this year and we see a bright future for Marcus Yates, a man with a vision and the freedom to make it a reality. 

On a quiet Saturday afternoon, Marcus took some time to share with me some ideas for the new album and where he is at this time in his life. The information was mind opening and will lead Marcus down a new road of discovery, in himself and in music. 

So I asked Marcus, "What is your inspiration for this album and what is running through your mind?"

Marcus had a look in his eyes of self discovery and intuition. He unloaded some information on me that changed my idea of what it means to be a person in this scene. 

"I really have been reading a lot lately, about the black male in America. The book I'm on now is 

The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson. 

I would have talks with my close friends about things that I am seeing. Like how, for example, guns for black males are tools for escape from truth and true mental freedom. It's like the gun IS their confidence tool or compensation for their lack of patience and identity. Also the financial slavery of the black collective. I walk my neighborhood every day. I see check cashing businesses and liquor stores, but I never see these things in the "higher class" neighborhoods. I also observed the black women's role in degrading the black male. Making him feel lesser of a man or subconsciously teasing him by relating with white males because of the scarce opportunities for him in America. I'm starting to understand that this subject matter is a road less traveled because of fear of backlash and or worse. I honestly am embracing the ignorance of my surroundings to see what simple truths I can find within it. I also will be more unified in the production side of the project. 

I'm working with all my friends who appreciate the soul of hip hop." 

This answer really hit the spot. I asked, "Marcus, how do you hope to use your music to change mindsets and our environment?"

Marcus replied, "I just honestly wanna push the boundaries of expressing what you've learned from music. It's the healthiest thing to do and it can save lives!"

"Tell me what you think music can do to change lives and if you could make one big change in your neighborhood what would it be?" asked Lettey. 

Marcus gazed like a man formulating a great plan and said "Music is the noise we hear everyday in perfect harmony, so if it's done right and with good intentions, it can subconsciously bring others together. And I can't name nothing I want to change off the top of my head. I love my neighborhood." 

Lettey takes a moment, pondering her next and final question. Wanting to know much more so choosing her words carefully. "Marcus, with knowledge comes power and responsibility. What do you recommend people do in regards to getting that knowledge and how they should use it. How can music help spread that freedom?" 

Marcus gives himself a moment to truly think this one over. Then replies, "People need to use it in an empathetic way. A helpful way. We know there's gonna be cruel things in the world and that's just there to decipher from. I personally don't wanna be one of those cruel outlets for the people. If you honestly believe in justice, then you need to do it and speak it."

The world we live in will influence our music and our mindset so much. It's good to see people open their mind to what is truly around them without worrying about how P.C. they have to be. I recommend everyone take the time to open your minds to something new today. Truth is Gold! 

DARK TAUPE SCHEMATA TO RELEASE IN NOVEMBER!

Marcus recently announced the name of this new project, "Dark Taupe Schemata" to fans over Facebook. 

The project is slated  to release on November 12th 2013. There will be 100 limited copies of the project in vinyl, and the rest available for download via ITunes. 

When asked, Marcus said, " The name fit so well. Taupe color is really the color I imagine when I think of November. It fits well." Marcus is very excited to release this project into the world. 

Many artists compare it to giving birth. As an artist you spend months growing this project, caring for it, protecting it, and then when its birthed into the world, you want everyone to see this amazing thing you created and you are so proud of it.

Stay tuned for more info about the project, upcoming album art, and links to purchase the album.