In Rotation: MARCO PLUS

In the video for his 2025 single “OMM,” an army of extras stand behind 26-year-old MARCO PLUS wearing white tees that read *Marco Plus raps better than you*, while he anchors the frame in a completely blank black shirt. That level of arrogance usually masks a deficit. The Southside Atlanta resident actually has the pen to back up the fabric. Born in Pensacola and raised in Atlanta, Marco dropped out of high school to chase this. He was practically baptized in No Limit records on the ride home from the hospital. That deep Southern lineage runs directly through his cadence. His August release, *MARCO PLUS vs tha Underworld*, is a clinic in technical rapping. Listen to what happens on "R2D2." The drums snap with a raw, analog grit. His voice cuts straight through the mix. He bends syllables around the snare until they lock into the pocket. On the Smino-assisted "out my way," Marco matches the St. Louis native's slippery melodies with sharp, relentless bar work. A lot of younger artists get a Dreamville co-sign—Marco spent a week kicking it with J. Cole, J.I.D, and Earthgang—and immediately soften their edges to chase a crossover hit. Marco doubled down on the grit that got him noticed by Roc Nation. Frankly, half of the current "lyrical" resurgence feels like pure cosplay. It's just kids reading a thesaurus over dusty loops. Marco raps like his rent is past due and the locks are getting changed tomorrow. He turns genuine struggle into dense, replayable verses. The algorithms are finally catching the scent. "R2D2" just cracked Apple Music's BARS and New in Hip-Hop playlists, while Spotify threw "Windows 98" onto Most Necessary. He's even getting spins on WXDU down in Durham. The data just confirms what the BACKSEAT! HOUSE collective already knew. The South has a new heavyweight. Check it out below.