By: Charlie Rutch
I
like Detroit rap music. I like Detroit hip hop as well (there is a major difference. All rap/hip-hop fans should know what it is). Wait, what am I talking about…I like rap and hip-hop, in general. Period. I like it more than what I did ten years ago (you can’t tell me Jay-Z’s Blueprint wasn’t the be all or end all back then). What I like most about the rap game these days is the demise of corporate backing and the rise of the independent artist (longer more detailed article, about that subject, coming soon). Cue Marcus Filban, known amongst the local Detroit Rap Scene as CrackKillz or Crack.
like Detroit rap music. I like Detroit hip hop as well (there is a major difference. All rap/hip-hop fans should know what it is). Wait, what am I talking about…I like rap and hip-hop, in general. Period. I like it more than what I did ten years ago (you can’t tell me Jay-Z’s Blueprint wasn’t the be all or end all back then). What I like most about the rap game these days is the demise of corporate backing and the rise of the independent artist (longer more detailed article, about that subject, coming soon). Cue Marcus Filban, known amongst the local Detroit Rap Scene as CrackKillz or Crack.
Looking at Crack, you immediately notice that he stands apart from the common Detroiter. This evening, he’s sporting a milkman cap, Bill Cosby-esqe sweater, button-up with bowtie, slim jeans (not quite Kanye, but nowhere close to Jeezy) and some off-brand dress shoes. Before we start the interview, he gives me a preview of his upcoming mixtape entitled, “Two Kings. ” It stars himself and fellow Ivy League Crew member Maz (the IVYLC is a local Detroit band comprised of Crack, Maz, 1021, Dante, SammyBoi, Rico, Lapp, Lo, and A-train). According to Crack, the closest thing you could compare IVYLC to is N.E.R.D. “We try not to put ourselves in a box. We don’t like labels. Society is so quick to label and place you under something. So we just keep everything (music) organic and honest.” He puts the music on and I start to laugh. Crack is very enthusiastic about his music. He bobs his head and recites the words like he’s his number one fan. Some people would dismiss this as being cocky or arrogant. I see it as confidence. “If you don’t believe in your own shit, others won’t either.
Crack performing at The Untitled Bottega
As the music continues, we joke, laugh, and trade philosophies (on life, liberty and the pursuit of everything great). It would be very easy to write him off as an eccentric, extroverted indie-rapper kid that loves to goof off, but soon, the conversation gets deep. “Two of my uncles died in the neighborhood I stay in now. There’s nothing but killers and dealers around where I stay.” Crack lives in a rough neighborhood, on the Westside, where despair and depletion are an understatement. “People die around here everyday. Someone just got held up at the gas station a half-hour ago. I know there’s more to life than this. I deserve more than this. So do my nieces. So does my family.” I get it. Crack’s relentless work ethic and grind comes from a sense urgency. It takes a certain kind of individual to look around his at his surroundings and know that a change is needed. Don’t believe he’s grinding? He’s already put out a mixtape entitled, I.C.E. (I Control Everything). He has performed all around the city, including events like The Air Up There, The Untitled Bottega, The Kick Back, and he just recently opened for The Cool Kids at The Magic Stick. He and The Ivy League Crew performed all summer and fall. They even created an event called The L.I.D. (The Loft in Detroit). It’s like a speak-easy, but way livelier. They offer live entertainment, drinks specials and…a chance to network? Yup. Most of the individuals who patronize The L.I.D. are ages 18-31 and are comprised of local musicians, actors, poets, painters, filmmakers and any other artsy occupations. I’ve seen it. You can even tag your info on the walls. Crack says it best, with a smile, “We like to know who’s out there. Maybe someone might want to collaborate with us. We’re always open to new ideas.”
Being around Crack is inspiring. He’s taking God-given talent and doing something with it. He may not have the most money, the biggest house or the most viewed video on YouTube, but he’s out here. He’s hungry. He’s young and tenacious. “The only difference between me and the next rapper is the hustle. That’s it. Well, I can rap better too!” Want to catch up with Crack? Look below to learn more!
Bandcamp: http://crackkillz.bandcamp.com/
Twitter: @CrackKillz
Find out who Crack labels as his biggest inspiration:
via MOTORCITYRAGERS
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