MoneyBoyMarkk is a hip-hop artist, song writer, and producer born and raised on the North side of Flint, MI, where poverty and crime make being a gangster a common way of life. 1 of 7 brothers, his biological father was street legend and local rapper, Young Kee, of the hit single “Killers on Your Team” fame, one half of the group Skanbino Mob. Markee was only 2 when his fathered was murdered at the height of his career. This year his mom died of covid. Toas of Comatose Entertainment raised him, and makes it clear he is his real father although he is not the biological. He was also a street legend and big stepper.
Moreover, this harsh environment has helped MoneyboyMarkk mold this “murder mitten music” sound since he was 5. He recorded his first YouTube video at 6. His athleticism could have led him to a career in sports, but after hurting his shoulder in varsity football, he decided to focus on music. His debut single, ”Message” is a testament to his determination and the singles to follow confirm this.
Today we had an exclusive chance to interview the artist:
ARN: Where are you from?
MoneyBoyMarkk: I’m from the Northside Flint MI where the water is bad, murders happen almost everyday.
ARN: Why did you first start making music?
MoneyBoyMarkk: I first started making music because I felt that I was born to do it music runs through my veins.
ARN: Who would you say inspired you the most, as an artist?
MoneyBoyMarkk: I would say my dad inspired me also known as toas and my brother chino cash 28. I’m a 16 year old artist that raps drill and pain music.. since losing both my parents, my biological dad who I lost at 2 and my mom at 15 eveyday I been grinding cuz I feel I have nothing else to lose.
ARN: Do you remember the first rhyme you wrote?
MoneyBoyMarkk: Yes I remember when I was 5 there is a video of me rapping the way I rap to show that I been doing this all my life.
ARN: What would you say is unique about the style of rap in the Flint hip-hop scene?
MoneyBoyMarkk: Where I come from it’s not smiles and sunshine’s ppl walk around scared of losing they life , at one point we was the murder capital every night you wake you hear a ambulance or gunshots you just gotta stay out the way and survive do whatever you gotta do to get yo money and help the ones around you., I’m 16 I’m from Michigan and to people our style of music different they say we “rap off beat” but that’s not true it’s just how our beats made everybody in Michigan be talking spicy on the beats riding them. You just have to listen it’s people out here still doing drill raw rap.
ARN: You’re a master of many talents in the music world. How did you manage to learn how to make beats and record, engineer, and mix your own music?
MoneyBoyMarkk: I’ve been recording myself in my own studio since I was 14 and along the way I picked up from others around how to work the platform pro tools , I began to figure how to mix my songs good put Eq, reverb etc.