Jungle Buzz: Who Is GrandeMarshall?

If you look up any definition of the word “Wave”, the definition will surely have the word “motion” in it or “movement”. That’s just what an upcoming rap artist out of Philadelphia by the name of GrandeMarshall is doing. He’s building up momentum and introducing a new wave of music to his hometown and surrounding cities. With two bangin’ singles circulating the net, there is no face to his music. If you went searching for a GrandeMarshall music page, all there is to identify him was clues in his music. His beats bang pretty hard and some are even chopped up like they do in Texas. His slang is mixed up but his accent is definitely Philly accent. That’s all I could uncover about his origin from his music, but with this interview here I reached out to the young artist to put the face to the voice. In this interview we get to know a little bit more about the man behind the music.

Words by Logan Jean

Photos by Aliyah Sahar

JGM: Who Is GrandeMarshall?

GM: Shit I can’t even tell you who I am, I’ve never been too good at describing myself. I would say I’m just a young ass rapper from Philadelphia who grew up between there and the DC area. And I be rapping and shit. I think I said that but yeah, I be rapping.

JGM: What music  do you listen to and what inspires your music

GM: I listen to just about everything. I’ve always had an open mind on music and what I listen to. If you just listen to rap music, or just one genre of music period, your sound will never progress. And I haven’t always been a hip-hop listener. Well I have been, but there’s been portions of my life when I just listened to like punk and rock music strictly. Back when I first started skating and all that. What inspires my music can be anything, but mostly women. I don’t know it’s just always been my main source of inspiration. Not to like impress women or use rap to pull women, but I just find inspiration in them. And then just things I’ve experienced, all the traveling I’ve done. All that shit.

JGM: How would  you describe your style of music?

GM: Not to sound cliche or like some “Artist Formerly Known As” type of person but I just wouldn’t categorize my music. The characteristics of it vary between song. I can make music about just about anything and always stay true to who I am and how I sound. I would never put out something to conform. So if anything, my style is authentic. If that makes sense.

JGM: What is your definition of the new wave of music, the “trillwave”?

GM: The definition of the “trillwave” is just authenticity at its highest. A lot of people have it confused as it just being 40 ounces and gold grills. That’s not it, that’s just rap culture period. It’s not a southern thing, east coast thing, it knows no coastal boundary. As does the trillwave. The trillwave is just a raw, uncut and sometimes blissfully ignorant way of living. The grills and all that other shit is just an accompanying look to it.

JGM: Two of your latest singles which were “Robert Earl” and “V- Nasty” sound like they were Houston inspired. But not all of your music  sounds like that. Do you plan on going the “trill route” in music?

GM: If you mean by “southern inspired” then no. Robert Earl was more so just a tribute to the legacies of Pimp C and DJ Screw (hence the title Robert Earl). Pimp had really been a huge influence on my music and really just who I am. I took a lot from his music and the things he said on and off wax. And Screw is just an innovator, I love chopped-n-screwed music. I just felt like paying homage to them. And I had just met Bun B recently and sat down and spoke with him so something like that, after that experience it just seemed appropriate. But as far as me taking the trill route, as far as southern inspired? No. Authenticity and so forth? That goes without saying. I’ve been writing car music or trunk music way before all this “trill shit” caught on like it did. People hear me and songs like Robert Earl and know it’s authentic. I’m not doing it just because it’s hot. That’s why the people who enjoy my music enjoy my music. It’s real.

JGM: What’s the reason behind naming your single “V-Nasty”?

GM: V-Nasty came about through watching Kreayshawn’s tour videos on YouTube. Kreay is actually the homie like pre-rap stardom or whatever you choose to call it, I’ve always just fucked with them. But in regards to V-Nasty and her relation to the song title it just came about. When I first spit that chorus when I came up with the song I figured I would call it that. And I knew it would catch people.

JGM: What can we expect from you in the future?

GM: In the future? I’ve got 800 dropping in January, I’ve got the Robert Earl video coming soon, promo stuff for the tape, more shows. More money, more murder, more homicide. There’s a lot coming, I’ve got features lined up with some heavy hitting folks in the works. There’s a lot to expect.

JGM: What are ur goals as an artist as of now?

GM: As of now as an artist, I just want to have my foot in the door. I wanna start touring doing shows extremely consistently, whether it be in state and out of state. Radio shit like Crack Distributors and all that other good stuff. I just want the work to come more frequently. I think with the new year and the tape dropping that’ll surely come. Getting paid for shows and such would be pretty cool too, because right now I’m not fucking with performing for free. I’ve got bills to pay.

Follow  GrandeMarshall on twitter

Listen to his latest singles below.

GrandeMarshall – E&J

GrandeMarshall – V-Nasty

GrandeMarshall – Robert Earl