The first line on GrandeMarshall's "Never Change," premiering on The FADER today, is a transparent indication of where his mind is at—Screw the fame as long as my cars is wet/ My garments pressed/ My weed is green, he raps. The sentiment feels almost like a reminder from the North Philly rapper to himself that he's here to do his thing, and that's a good enough approach to making music. As GrandeMarshall emerges from a self-imposed break from music, he's laser-focused, cutting through the frills with dense, thoughtful rhymes over a whirring, percussion-propelled beat.
"All this time I've taken 'away from music' has been in an effort towards self realization, growth in varying aspect of my life, just working on becoming a better me," GrandeMarshall said over email, explaining the break he took between projects. "I'm a greater person than I will ever be an artist, and shit if it takes a year and some change to put that school of thought into an album, so be it. But I'll never change, I'll never compromise."
Listen to "Never Change" below, and stay tuned for My Brother's Keeper, out November 20th on Fool's Gold.