HCM. When did you start making music?
Marlon. I remember joining my church choir, Little Folks at the young age of 8 and I was amazed at how the audience responded to my voice. My grandmother was my biggest cheerleader and she purchased this tape recorder and gave me her old piano. The tape recorder was intended to record the minister’s sermon that she could rarely stay awake through, but I would use it to record my unique take on our Sunday hymns. With this new found way of hearing myself I began making noise with the piano and just recording my thoughts and ideas as they would come. This was the birth of the songwriter.
HCM. What are you currently working on and how can the people find you?
Marlon. I started writing for many artists after debuting my first EP “Young Celebrity” years ago and during that time of soul-searching I recognized exactly what my brand was. Now, I’m currently working on a new EP that will showcase exactly where I am creatively. This project has definitely opened doors and I can’t wait until my fans get a glimpse of who I am now. You can find examples of what’s to come exclusively on SoundCloud and iTunes.
HCM. What is your ultimate goal at the end of your career?
Marlon. At the end of my career, the only thing I could possibly hope for is happiness. There are many goals that I wish to accomplish like Grammy’s, popular clothing lines, successful albums, a thriving entertainment company, I mean the options are ultimately limitless but what does any of it even mean without happiness? My music is what makes me happy and if it didn’t I wouldn’t be in this business. I would be working in an office with decent benefits, waiting for the day that I could cash out on my 401K.
HCM. Who was your inspiration?
Marlon. Growing up I had a countless amount of inspiration from my wonderfully outrageous family to Justin Timberlake to Michael Jackson to Marvin Gaye to Luther Vandross to Tupac to Beyoncé. What all of these people possessed was a drive and determination like no other to do what they loved and not only do that, but be the best at it. These Artists weren’t lazy and my Mother wasn’t lazy. At a young age my mother instilled the basics of being a businessman and the importance of carrying myself professionally and strategically. She didn’t want me to pursue music but because she knew how much it meant to me, she supported me 100%. She worked nonstop to provide for my younger sister, eldest brother and me. She sought out to be the best mother she could be and is still the reigning champion in that arena. Michael Jackson was an innovator, an out of the box thinker that couldn’t be tamed. He was like fire when he hit the stage and even now his music and performances are relevant in today’s society. He sought out to be the greatest entertainer of all time and even in death still holds that title. I believe that with hard work, dedication, and honest passion anything is possible and I aspire to be the best me because of the likes of the greatest humans before me.
HCM. What is your favorite song?
Marlon. Every time I’m asked this question I more than likely give a different answer because it varies from circumstance to circumstance. I hear “Billy Jean” by Michael Jackson and it’s like the first time I’ve ever heard it. My head starts to rock then my shoulders take over and before you know it I’m dancing and kicking like no one is watching. The same thing happens when I listen to “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars but I have to say that my favorite song is “I Love You” by yours truly. I wrote it simply because the term gets taken for granted and misused quite often. Love is simple, yet extremely complicated so why not just have fun with it? Let’s drop the walls, move our feet and groove to the beat that love offers. We all deserve to feel it; we all deserve to hear it. I love you!
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