Markee Steele has dropped off a new song, titled “Stop”. The output of lyrical and experiential rapper Steele (fka Mark Steele), is cast in the kind of self-assuredness attained only by hard-fought successes. A native North Carolinian, Steele has collaborated with some of North Carolina’s most influential hip-hop artists, including his mentor and former college professor 9th Wonder and BET’s “Lyricist of The Year” Rapsody. Steele also collaborated with YMCMB artist Cory Gunz, and released numerous projects through his independent Evolution Camp label, including a biennial trilogy of albums capped by his focused, engaging It’s Been a Minute (2018) project.
[embedded content]
Steele’s latest offering is a jazzy, smooth cut featuring buttery production from @TrussOner centred around immersive keys, rich, infectious bass, and punchy, organic percussion. Steele shines on the mic with flows that match the beat’s silky feel, with a laid-back assuredness that draws the listener in from the get-go.
January 5, 2024 will mark two years and 364 days since rapper Markee Steele‘s Vet & A Rook EP. It also serves as the release date for the NC rapper’s next project, Sophomore Slump. Since Steele’s last offering to his fans nearly three years ago, he admits that, because of life’s trials and tribulations, he’s often ignored his calling as an artist. Yet Steele finally answers the call (quite literally) in a phone booth in the music video for his new single “Stop”, letting everyone know that the only person who can get in the way of his success is himself.
“Life, depression, and distractions clouded my mind more than creating, which has been my calling since I was a young teenager… The past three years I’ve just been ignoring the calls. The phone booth represents my purpose actually calling me, and the moment I answer the phone, I’ll be released from the extended slump I fell into… Pursuing something that is further than your reach is always associated with challenges difficult enough to give you a valid excuse to discontinue. The catch is that when you’re just as disciplined and dedicated as you are talented, the only thing that can stop you is you.“- Markee Steele.
Markee Steele offers a poignant preview of his upcoming project Sophomore Slump with “Stop”, an engaging, refreshing new joint from the North Carolina emcee that puts his lyrical skills on display atop warm, relaxed production.
