Rappers are quick to rush out material – often flooding SoundCloud in hopes something will catch on, and play counts will skyrocket. It’s often the opposite – as new music on streaming sites and the web can overwhelm on the daily. I’ve noticed the successful MC’s work on their craft, find their sound, and find comfort in it. It is only then that they are able to truly devote time and energy into planning their releases and understanding what song they want to create next.

Milwaukee’s Marques Carson has gotten this all right. He’s been working on the 10 tracks that make up GLDNCHLD for 2 years. Want proof? Peep track number 2, Hold Me Down. You’ll notice on the top that he uploaded it, you guessed it, 2 years ago. There is a reason for this. The song is about his twin brother that passed away – and I’m sure writing and recording this was equal parts therapy and a coping skill to deal with the tragedy. It’s also a damn good hip hop record. He has a great flow and an impressive way of putting you right in his state of mind. The EP also touches on his struggles with religion, and trying to find motivation to continue making music.

It’s also important to note that the project is divided into 3 sections: songs 1-4 are passion, songs 5-7 are pain, and songs 8-10 are persistence. Putting it at 10 tracks long was smart, as anything more may have been overload. Marques put his heart and soul into this, from the production choice, to the sequencing, to his writing. Give him his due respect and stream above.