Rap is the name of the game, and freshman Mark Starks is an up-and-coming player. With a natural talent for rhyming, he is moving from hallway freestyles to a full length mixtape.
“I started rapping for fun [because I was] curious. I wanted to see how my voice sounds. It just went on from there,” Starks said. “My biggest inspiration is NBA Youngboy–he just puts out music that inspires you and stuff that really goes on in my life. His grandma died; my grandma died. He’s relatable.”
Starks first started dropping freestyles with his friends, then started to release snippets on his Instagram under the name @M_loc48. “M” is for Mark, ‘loc’ is for what he and his friends call each other and the 48 is for his neighborhood: 4800 block. Although he hopes to make profit off his music, he does not know whether he should choose rap as a career.
“I’m just a squirrel trying to get a nut,” Starks said. “I want to try to pursue sports [football] as a career, and if that doesn’t work, well, shoot.”
Although they disagree with some of the strong language, Starks’ family has been supportive of his music. In fact, music runs in his blood as his uncle, Matthew Davis, is a producer and makes beats for Starks, and his cousin is also a rapper. Because Starks’ music has been limited to Instagram and the hallways, his family has not gotten a large taste yet; however, he still has fans looking forward to it.
“When you listen to Mark, you get in this happy mood that just makes your day,” freshman Andy Volz said. “It’s not just his music though–Mark is an all around funny guy.”
Starks’ first mixtape is set to release in March. Starks is currently shooting a music video, but he is unsure of its release date.
“To other aspiring rappers, keep going because you’re going to make it. I’m also going to try to make it,” Starks said.
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