Album Notes

Marcus Wayne Simpson, better known by his stage name "Real", (born on September 2, 1986) is a Houston, TX area rapper, singer, and producer. He has built a reputation as a southern rapper. Raised mostly by a two-job working Mother, and running the streets since early childhood, he got caught up in gangs by age 12 and was jailed for possesion of drugs at 16.

His 2008 album "Wicked City Don" was released after a period of drug traffic and use, incarceration, and an attempted suicide. The topics covered throughout the album are crime, poverty, and pain (from various relationships with family, friends, and an unnamed companion.) It sold 1000 copies in the first month with no promotion, despite the fact that the low budget album had less than perfect sound quality.

From 2002-2006 he was struggling to hone his skills and get heard. He was ridiculed and ignored due to race issues. During these years he still released countless low budget mixtapes and hit the streets gaining credibility from the Galveston and Houston areas in Texas (his stomping grounds.) His sincerity and relentless passion established him as a reality rapper, presenting the truth through unordinary viewpoints about his own experiences on a very personal level.

His 2009 album "Heart of the Hood" was released during a show at Al's Ice House in Bacliff, TX (attempting to get close to his homecrowd in Dickinson, TX.) "The purpose was to provide an underground atmosphere, treatin the fans as family," Real says. During his shows he reaches out to the crowd, often inviting local artists to get on stage and perform with him. Songs such as "It's Raining" and "Shes an Outkast" received great attention; as did an unreleased track "Hard Life." The sold out show created a large buzz to lead the way towards his upcoming 2010 release and tour (still yet to be announced)

Timothy Jones, Straight 4 Ward Music Monthly