Marlon Craft

Marlon Craft is an American rapper and songwriter from Manhattan, New York. He released his debut studio album, Funhouse Mirror, in June 2019. He had also previously released numerous EPs and mixtapes.

Early life and education

Marlon Craft was born in Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan. His father is a jazz drummer and his mother is a producer for an Off-Broadway theater company. He grew up in Manhattan Plaza, a Mitchell-Lama residential complex in Hell's Kitchen. He attended The Beacon School, a selective college-preparatory high school also in Hell's Kitchen. He also played AAU basketball in the South Bronx. After high school, Craft attended American University in Washington, D.C. where he designed his own major, Urban Education and Social Justice.

Career

After college, Craft moved back to Manhattan Plaza and began making freestyle videos and posting them to YouTube. That project featured a freestyle in which Craft rapped over the beat from "Shook Ones" by Mobb Deep. He followed that with two EPs in 2016: So, What Are You Doing? The latter project featured the single, "Workin'". In March 2017, Craft released a short film that was also called he looked like nothing. The month prior, he was featured in a cypher at Audiomack Studios with Radamiz and Angelo Mota.

In August 2017, Craft released his second mixtape, The Tunnel's End, which featured the singles "The Feels" and "New York Shit" (featuring Radamiz). The album was briefly number 2 on the iTunes Hip-Hop chart behind Jay-Z's 4:44. He also continued releasing freestyles including one that mentioned every NBA team, another on Statik Selektah's Shade 45 radio show, and one that mentioned every member of the 2016 and 2017 XXL Freshman classes. In 2018, Craft opened for Dizzy Wright on his "Golden State of Mind Tour". He also released a series of EPs entitled A Dollar in Quarters. 25c came out in February, and 75c in May.

Later in 2018, Craft partnered with Same Plate Entertainment (a joint venture with Sony Music). One of the first singles he released after signing to Same Plate was "NY Baby" featuring Bodega Bamz. In November 2018, he was featured on the Masta Ace and Marco Polo album, A Breukelen Story, on the track "Wanna Be". In 2019, Craft and his team formed an art collective, movement, and lifestyle brand called "OUR.S". The organization helped coordinate "WORKWEEK", a series of public events in March and April 2019 that highlighted various non-profit organizations. Craft released the single "Do The Work" in support of the WORKWEEK events.

In May 2019, Craft released another single, "Shallow", featuring Dizzy Wright. As part of OUR.S, fans could access the song two days before its wide release. In June 2019, Craft released the single "Gang Shit". The song and its accompanying music video depicted Craft taking on three roles: a racist white police officer, a member of the Ku Klux Klan, and a black man serving prison time for an armed robbery.

The song served as the lead single to his debut studio album, Funhouse Mirror, which was released later that month by Same Plate and Sony. The album featured guest appearances from Dizzy Wright, Nyck Caution, Ricky Motion, and Evan Crommett. It reached number one on iTunes' Top Hip-Hop Albums chart the week it was released. It also received praise from artists and activists like Killer Mike, T.I., Shaun King, and La La Anthony. Shortly after the album's release, Craft sold out his first show headlining at SOB's in New York. The following month, he held a listening party at The Halal Guys food carts on 53rd Street in Manhattan.

In 2020 Craft left his record deal with Same Plate Entertainment/Sony Music and went back fully independent, launching The Center - an exclusive online subscription community of supporters. For $7 a month, fans can directly fund the creation of Craft's content, and in return receive exclusive access in the forms of hidden songs, weekly Zoom sessions, and more.

In early 2021, Craft announced that his second album, How We Intended would release in February. On January 19, a day before Joe Biden's inauguration as president, Craft released "State of the Union", a scathing rebuke of the state of affairs in America and in culture. On January 22, he appeared on The Beat with Ari Melber on MSNBC to break down the video and song with Ari Melber and Michael Steele.

Discography

Studio albums

+ List of studio albums with selected details Title Details Funhouse Mirror Released: June 17, 2019 (US) Label: Same Plate/Sony Formats: Digital download How We Intended Released: February 10, 2021 (US) Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download While We're Here Released: May 22, 2022 Label: Self-released The Internet Killed the Neighborhood Release Date: April 2, 2026 Label: Soulspazm Formats: Digital download

Mixtapes

+ List of mixtapes with selected details Title Details Pieces Released: March 29, 2015 (US) Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download The Tunnel's End Released: August 1, 2017 (US) Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download, CDHomecourt Advantage, Vol. 1Released: September 21, 2021 (US) Label: Self-releasedHomecourt Advantage, Vol. 2Released: August 2, 2023 (US) Label: Self-released

EPs

+ List of EPs with selected details Title Details so, what are you doing? Released: March 24, 2016 (US) Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download he looked like nothing Released: December 14, 2016 (US) Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download A Dollar in Quarters: 25c Released: February 8, 2018 (US) Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download A Dollar in Quarters: 50c Released: March 15, 2018 (US) Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download A Dollar in Quarters: 75c Released: May 3, 2018 (US) Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download Space Released: May 12, 2021 (US) Label: Self-released Formats: Digital download Space 2 Released: January 31, 2023 (US)

Singles

+ List of singles with selected details Title Year Album "Alive'" 2016 "Workin'" 2016 he looked like nothing "The Feels" 2017 The Tunnel's End "New York Shit" (featuring Radamiz) "Friends" 2018 A Dollar in Quarters: 50c "Ain't With Today" A Dollar in Quarters: 75c "Gang Shit" 2019 Funhouse Mirror "Shallow" (featuring Dizzy Wright) "State of the Union" 2021 Homecourt Advantage, Vol. 1 "Bluffin" "Julius Randle"