Story by Aaron Lucela
Staff Writer
The room is dimly lit and quiet. The swift sound of pencil against a paper and the rhythmic tapping of feet to an unknown beat is the only sound in the room. There is nothing new to this scene. It has been repeated thousands of times ever since senior Marcus Avellaneda discovered his passion. He is not just a student, he is an artist. His medium is rap and has been for a while. ‘Marvelast’ hasn’t put out new music for a while.
However, that’s about to change. As a high school student, putting out music has been a challenge for him. Yet he still pushes through his Advanced Placement workload to come up with new material for his fans. His first original album, which is still untitled, will drop early next year and will be available for free download. I had a chance to sit down with him to better understand what drives him.
(This interview was conducted from several face to face interviews and exchanged emails.)
AL: When and why did you decide to make music?
MA: If I had to go back to the time I decided to make music it would be around the age of 14, or the summer going into my freshman year. I had been writing poetry since the age of 11 and I had always loved hip-hop/rap music so I saw it as a smooth transition. And why I started writing poetry? I’ll be honest and tell you that it was over the feelings I had for a girl. The rest, as they say, is history.
AL: Who are your influences and inspirations?
MA: My major influences are Jay-Z and Kanye West. They are trendsetters and pioneers in the rap game, and they inspire me to be the best I can be without jeopardizing my creativity. I aspire to be on their level one day. Whether or not I become as famous as they are is still in question.
AL: Who is your support?
MA: My main supports in my musical endeavors are my parents and my close friends. They give me the strength to keep going when I feel myself slipping or doubting my abilities.
AL: What makes you different from the “typical” rapper and how are you unique?
MA: Being “different” or unique is what I strive for and I don’t have to try so hard. You see, what makes me different is the way I lay out my tracks. There is no typical rhyme scheme in my songs and I always do my best in trying to incorporate double, triple, and even quadruple entendres when I write. Simply put: my goal is for a fan of mine not to be able to memorize my song and it’s funky format until about the 13-14th time.
AL: What are the things you communicate through your songs?
MA: I try to communicate positive messages in my songs. For example in one of my older songs, “The Cool Kids”, I talk about the negative effects of drugs, what they can do to harm your relationships with others, and how to prevent yourself from falling into an addiction with drugs. That’s just one of many positive messages I try to put out.
AL: What do you rap about the most?
MA: I rap about relationships with people the most. Sometimes I delve into boyfriend-girlfriend topics such as, break-ups and love songs. Other times, I rap about how some people have left my life and how they have impacted it — whether positively or negatively.
AL: I noticed the motif of a girl that either broke your heart or the one that you have been looking for in your lyrics. Is finding “the one” an important inspiration for you lyrics?
MA: Great observation! I can see you listen well. Anyways, finding “the one” has always been an important inspiration in my life because it is a catalyst for my romantic emotions. Every time I write about love I put my heart and soul into the lyrics. I try to be as real as possible and leaving nothing out of question.
AL: What is in store for the future?
MA: I am patiently waiting for a lot of things: my success in a given career, my music to hit it big, my family to be well set, and to find that one girl who will make it all worthwhile. Patience is key, and I’m in no hurry. Also my album is in the works scheduled to come out on my birthday! This happens to be on Friday, January 13th. It will be an independent album and I will have it available for free download that Friday. I hope those who are reading this will take the time to download it. They won’t be disappointed.