Maybe MaRLo didn’t feel the love before he released his free project, Unappreciated a few weeks ago. However, after listening to the 12 track EP you will gain an appreciation for MaRLo’s Unappreciated body of work.
What Stood Out:
Unappreciated is an unapologetically soulful trap-style album. Just about all the tracks are infused with some sort of soul inspired melody accompanied by those snares and 808’s the we all love so much. One beat that stood out was the one for “Someone Like You” which was produced by Miles Brice. The style of beats throughout the project are all relatively similar in style; which is hard to do since each track has a different producer.
07. Someone Like You [prod. By Miles Brice] by ikilledmarlon
It’s always refreshing when an album (especially a free one) feels thought out and intentional. Unappreciated is not just 12 tracks thrown together but rather a purposeful ensemble of songs with deep story lines and strong lyrics. MaRLo’s lyrics are passionate and sincere. Those attributes are validated on songs like Candles, Bad Decisions, and the flesh-battling song Love X Change where we hear MaRLo says
“And I know it’s all lies, intoxicated by her thighs/ Even Jesus couldn’t save, so many sins on my mind”
06. Love X Change [prod. By TheCrxsh X Young N Fly] by ikilledmarlon
“What ever happened to me runnin’ after Jesus?/Just another hypocritical believer”
It would’ve been better if:
..the album had a more diverse style of beats. Having an album where most of the beats sound the same can be a gift and a curse. On one hand, you get cohesiveness for an album’s central theme but on the other hand, you end up with many tracks where the beats and lyrics from different songs can be interchanged which takes away from the creativity level of a project. Throughout my listening I found myself saying several times “he could have rapped the lyrics from the previous song on this song and they’d fit the style and tempo perfectly” So while the beats on Unappreciated are indeed top-notch a little variety would’ve stretched the limits of the album’s theme.
Summary:
After letting this project sink in it’s clear that Unappreciated is about not caring if you’re appreciated at all. What’s more important and what’s made clear on tracks like RedRum and most certainly on the interlude track Journey to Zion is to appreciate what God does for us on a daily basis and what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. Kudos for MaRLo for putting together a solid project; one in which he recorded, mixed, and mastered himself. That alone is something to appreciate.
Personal Favorites:
Track 3: Candles (featuring GABRL and Genre) & Track 8: Pain (featuring Genre)
Click Here to Listen and Download Unappreciated
About MaRLo:
Better known by his former stage name “Common Knowledge,” Marlon “MaRLo” Vincent (born December 17, 1988), is a West Indian American singer, songwriter, rapper, graphic designer, web designer, and engineer.
Born and raised in Hollywood, Florida, MaRLo never expected his journey in life would be where it is now. Motivated by his faith in Jesus Christ he represents the Lord with all his heart. An undergraduate in college at age 25, working on a Bachelors degree in Secondary Mathematical Education, most don’t expect a young believer like MaRLo to be so serious about his faith but the way he sees it, he has no choice.
His mission statement is simple. “Inspire hope.”
