An Interview with MCG
These days a lot of music sounds the same and it’s not easy to hear something that stands out. However, driven by conceptual complexity and all things unpredictable – rapper and artist MCG brings an edge of visionary lyrical exploration and uninhibited musicianship to modern hip hop. Outside the box and impossible to pigeon hole into one; every song bears his signature lyricism but utilizes a different musical style. Aestheticism, eclecticism, super-versatility, and mercuriality stand supreme yet not without a strong sense of persona and individual identity. Influenced by David Bowie, Organized Konfusion, Norm MacDonald, Salvador Dali, MF DOOM, Ludwig Van Beethoven, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. In short, when it comes to MCG; expect the unpredictable and predict the unexpected. Learn more about MCG in this interview.
Hey! Introduce yourself. Where are you from?
Eternal nothingness, the whirling, somnambulant, pitch-schwartz abyss from which all newfound things spring! And then New Jersey.
When did you start making music?
The womb. My first heartbeat. That was The Great Life-Symphony’s opening note and I’ve been blowing on that rusty ol’ trombone ever since like Louie Armstrong with Botox lips. Nah seriously I’ve been writing poetry and freestyling since 14, rapping seriously since 18 just when I started college, and have been working with beatmakers and releasing music, mostly on Soundcloud, since 2015. Had some medical bullshit, then got back into the game in 2022 with my new YouTube Channel. Check it out!
Who inspired you to start making music?
Bob Dylan. Greatest singer-songwriter of all time. Thankfully, I don’t sing.
How would you describe your music style?
That is a little difficult. Every song is a radically different musical style, concept, and theme, sometimes even with multiple vocalists and varied instrumental arrangements – but all with my signature lyricism. I don’t believe the human soul only makes one kind of sound and I hope my art reflects that.
Who are you listening to now?
the4realMCG is a pretty unknown but fascinating artist, but besides that guy, I would say in terms of modern-day music it would be Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator, the bands Gunshee, Igorr, the Flobots, though they haven’t released anything in a while. I wish I could name more, however outside of others I may not have heard of I do not find the current hip-hop scene particularly interesting.
What’s your best project or single so far?
Hornhead (prod. grieg) is my best project. Loserboi (prod. dsktkg) is my best single.
Any upcoming releases from you to look out for?
Shadowside, It’s going to be a Frankenstein monster of pop-single catchiness and horrorcore pandemonium. Some other songs currently in the pan; Impossible Plausibles, a quixotic, cerebral mad scientist-type of lyrical experiment and darkdog, a somber and heartfelt meditation on depression.
Have any shoutouts?
Grieg, my beatmaker and drummer from the band “Gunshee.” I think he’s one of the most lethal, cutting-edge producers in hip-hop right now, not to mention one of the most acclaimed drummers in the Romanian prog rock scene.
MCG coins catchy, poignant singles and epic long-form lyrical ventures that delve into metaphysical and relatable stories in an engaging, accessible manner. This blending of the complicated and the comforting connects on both a profoundly human and cosmic level, combining intellectualism and primal emotion to create a genre all of its own. Want more from MCG? Check out all of his music on his official YouTube channel.