Introducing... Muggsy Malone

mmallone-wide

Martin Jackson aka Muggsy Malone is from the talent rich DMV (D.C./Maryland/No. Virginia area) and has a story to tell. Without a mixtape flooding the market or a strong internet buzz the D.C. native was able to secure his deal with Warpath Records after a label executive heard his music on his MySpace page.

Muggsy’s road to this point in his career included homelessness, a life changing event while in the US Military, and other road blocks before reaching this goal. Muggsy’s passion and work ethic shows in his music and his mindset regarding this game.

Hit the cut to hear what the man has to say…

Where You Reppin:

Northeast DC, 26th N Franklin, Langdon Park. I also represent the entire DC/Maryland and Virginia area a.k.a The DMV and our movement we got going on over here being that I’ve lived in almost every part of it and can relate.

Introduce Yourself:

My name is Muggsy Malone a.k.a (T)he (P)arkwaykid (K)id a.k.a TPK. I’m part of the DC Underground rap group Product Of The Streets with me and my cousin Fats and a member of 95 Connect. That’s my family right there. I’m a lyricist, military veteran, learner, cool ass thinker and all around grinder. A guy that’s muggsymalonebanner-200 outchea foreal and handles his business the best way he knows how to.

My name is an acronym that means Motivation U Gain Grinding Surviving Yesterday. I’m just a man talking about things as he sees it and lives it. Point blank period. I started rhyming at the age of 8 years old, and haven’t looked back since then. I started gettin serious with it when I was around thirteen as if my life depended upon it and wrote sixteen bars a day then I graduated to sixteen and a song a day. Then i just wrote till I fell asleep. I got entertained by a lot of labels since the start of the 2000′s, but things weren’t looking right exactly. Currently, I’m signed to Warpath/Fontana/Universal tho. Got signed back in April 08. A song I wrote called “Be Alright” made it to the radio. Shoutout to the Hometeam (Flex and Rayne) up at WPGC for that. I literally just been focused. Either in the streets or in the studio. One of the two.

Current projects we should be looking out for:

Well, we have my album Probable Cause which is due out in Fall 2009 or the First Quarter of 2010. It’s pretty much done as of right now, but I know I’m gonna do some more tracks for it pretty soon. Can’t really tell you too much bout the album other than the producers who lent me a hand; Amadeus, Infamous who just won a Grammy for his work on The Carter 3, Mario Winans, The Academy (DJ Jay Cas and Young Fokus) outta South Carolina, Bigg Vic who signed to So-So Def, Best Kept Secret who’s worked with Bun-B, Wale, Rhymefest and Talib Kweli. He’s from the city too. Timeless Beats who produced “Be Alright” Kajmir Royale outta Colorado is tough as nails tho. He’s done work with Hell Rell and Crooked I. Lots of people don’t know about him but ya’ll will real soon. Young Fire is on the album as well. Cheri Dennis is on my song “Survivor” which Amadeus produced.

My debut single “Somewhere To Be At” produced by Infamous is out right now and available on iTunes and all digital formats right now. High on adrenaline I’m about to start my TPK mixtape series this summer too. I been taking a slow approach to it. With good reason because I like the outcomes I’m getting.

Previous work that we should know about:

I was on a mixtape called The Mayor which was like a collective mixtape and a solo mixtape for my other group members. Had a song on there called “‘I Ain’t Runin For Nothin,” which a lot of people might remember me for. We put it out independently along with the shows that we used to sponsor at the old U-Turn on U Street. I’m on my mans very own producer J-Scrilla’s project Culture Of Honor with DMV artists Lyriciss , Proverb and K-Beta on a song called “Chillin Like A Villian.” I think he’s close to closing a deal with someone too. He puts on for the city too hosting events all around town. I’m also on the Crank Brothers “DC Symphony” feat 32 from the legendary Rare Essence Band, Mo-Millions, Deyo from Lissen Band, Killa Kal from the What Band and the nigga Mo-Chips put together by the homie Preston from Bag Of Beats. Check the video for it on my myspace page. I’m also featured on 32′s new album coming soon. We gotta joint called “‘On Point” that we did together and “‘Salary Cap” coming off his new joint. To keep it a million with you I really can’t sit here and honestly say that I’ve worked with a whole slew of folks in the past like a lot of folks yet. But I got some plans.

Main musical inspirations:

Scarface is number one cause I felt like he always kept it real in his music. From winning to losing, he kept it real as possible and I could relate to things that he said. I wrote so many verses to Never Seen A Man Cry when I was younger I cant even remember. akim is another one of my all-time favorites. Every MC that has passed on before they’re time inspired me too. I think that life is the biggest inspiration that I have out of everything tho.

If you had to pick one song that defines your career to date, what song would that be?

I can’t really name one man. If its outta my current catalog I wouldn’t even know where to begin with that one but I guess it would be “Be Alright” since its the song that got me to where I am. It talks to a lot of people. I’m shooting a video for it soon. But if a song were to define my career I think “Slippin” from DMX really speaks a lot for me. Everything fit from the track to the lyricism.

Why should the readers and fans give you a shot and listen to your music from here on out?

mm-bw I think that you should give me a shot because I’m really giving you me. Not only that but its how a lot of people feel on a daily basis that I base my music on. If I don’t know about it I can’t talk about it. Simple and plain. I’ve been in a lot of peoples shoes before man, from having a job to throwing rocks at the penitentiary, losing friends, family to being homeless with nothing, to having it all or at least feeling like you do and whatever, I just live life like you do, write about it, get on that stage and let you feel me. They say that music is supposed to be an escape from reality. I think that if you escape from reality too long, you’ll lose your grip on whats real and whats not.

Musically, everybody is at the club right now, which is all good. I’d be a hypocrite if I said I don’t go there wit it. You can catch me at Love, Ibiza, Adams Morgan, The DC Tunnel which is now DC Star, used to be called Envy, The Legend at a Go-Go or at any one of those letouts on any given night when I’m not working on something. RIP to The Paladium cause we had a lot of good times. They recently just closed H20 in Southwest. Zanzibar is still open. Even on my joint “Raise Your Glasses” I say “forget about the past like you caught amnesia” three bars into it. But when you get to wherever you sleep at the most, you’ve got some things that you can’t escape and problems that you’re gonna have to deal with eventually. Like for me for a certain period of time it was like, aight…. how am I gonna eat today where am I gonna sleep at night? I was fucked up out here at one point in time, I mean really fucked up. But who hasn’t ever been in some sort of way and I guess that’s the point I’m making in my music. You ain’t invincible. You’re not God and things get real when them bills need to be paid Joe. Believe you me I know. I ain’t got the time to throw peoples names all in my songs and start downing the next nigga or fakin on Youtube to carry some bamma I don’t even know or never shook a hand with. For what? Where they do that at? I’m not from that generation and I ain’t gonna mislead people like a lot of these rappers are doing nowadays, setting up these beefs and shit.

What’s next for you?

My mixtape series, TPK pt.1: 2 Legs And 10 Toes hosted by DJ Heat (Slip-N-Slide All Star DJ’s, and the DJ for WPGC 95.5 in DC) and DJ Panic (owner of mixxbosses.com) coming in June. The production on this joint is serious. Instead of me callin to get a rack of features I strictly just wanted to depend on me and the people I knew and could possibly get a hold of. I got folks I could’ve called but I think they respect the angle that I took in the end I got a joint called “The One” from Infamous, Best Kept Secret on “Life I Need”, Chemist from Richmond , Kajmir Royale. There’s a joint from Streetrunner I hopefully should be able to throw on there, Judah a.k.a Mr. In High Demand straight from the city. He’s done work with a lot of people man, Skyzoo and Wale are names that are fresh on my mind tho. He produced “Keep Pushing”. My cousin Nautilus Prime is on there on a joint called “295″ and Enduhstreatz who produced “I’m Gone” and that’s just the list that I got so far. This is the first one so its going to be the toughest thing in a CD deck, iPod or anywhere. I feel that confident about it. I’ve been working on it for a long time since like January 2008 cause I wanted it to be right when it came out cause a mixtape is like your demo tape to the world now and I wanted to give TPK pt.1 the attention that an album gets so you get to know me. I really put myself into it so that the world can like it. Look for it in the streets and online all over the web this June. Its a lil something for everyone on the tape and I think I did a good job on it. Its like 80 percent finished. So get ready.

Desert Island Hip Hop: If you could only take one record on a deserted island with you, what album would that be?

Devin The Dude’s 2nd album: Just Trying To Live.

Any shout outs or last words?

There’s too many people to name. We’ll be here all day. So I gotta thank God first and foremost for being my foundation, my family, my neighborhood, all four corners of the District , Maryland, Virgina I love ya’ll. Thanks to everybody who helping me get to the top and rooting for me. Everybody supporting me….I love ya’ll to the fullest extent that I can give. Anybody who’s hated on me or hatin on me currently, I love ya’ll too, cause soon you WILL understand. If anybody wants to get in contact with me or hear some more music till the mixtape drops you can reach me at my myspace page to hear some more of me. Other than that, I’d like to say that I love this game and won’t let anyone down who is trynna find what’s defined as good music. Shoutout to KevinNottingham.com for the interview. Through whatever stresses and blessings your going through in life, I wrote a song about it. And if you’d like to hear it, well here it go. Peace N Love.