R&B Artist Marcus Rosario Shares Latest Single “Nightfall” Alongside New Interview

Marcus Rosario is a 22-year-old multifaceted artist/producer with sonic elements similar to those felt while listening to genres like boom-bap rap and R&B/Soul. His musical journey began during elementary school, writing lyrics in notebooks in between lessons. These same notebooks would become a place to sharpen his skills and develop his sound as an artist. We talk about his inspirations, his latest single “Nightfall” and more:

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Dami: What inspired you to start making music?

Marcus Rosario: I was always hearing music on the radio or seeing videos on MTV as a young kid. The power of expression and creating something that people can enjoy themselves was always intriguing. Listening to early Drake and Kanye, seeing Odd Future take off around 2010 really got me into Hip-Hop/Rap and creating music in general. But even beyond that, I had notebooks all through elementary and middle school that I’d write lyrics in. Music was always around me in the house growing up also.

Dami: When did you decide you wanted to take music seriously and become an artist?

Marcus Rosario: I think that idea has always been in my head but I really started diving into it in early 2022. I was always releasing music but I just feel like I’ve gotten better in every aspect. I still have a lot to learn and more skills to develop. I’m excited to see where the music takes me.

Dami: Who are your biggest inspirations?

Marcus Rosario: Immediately I think of Odd Future, Kanye West and the big 3 of my generation; Drake, Kendrick and J. Cole. Even deeper than that I discovered all the artists I love through “Odd Future Radio” on Pandora around 2012. Guys like Rocky, Kid Cudi, they had some gems like Jay-Z and Nas in the rotation too. I fell into the rabbit hole that is Hip-Hop and music in general and I’m inspired by so many.

Dami: When making music, where do you grab inspiration from?

Marcus Rosario: I’m inspired by experiences I’ve been through myself, stories I’ve heard, or stories I’ve been moved by. I pick pieces of different things to put something together for the sake of song. So, it may seem as if these songs are about one person, when in reality I’m just pulling from a bunch of different bags to create a story that I think would sound good in the form of a song.

Dami: How much do you think your artistry has evolved from when you started making music?

Marcus Rosario: I couldn’t even scale that. 17-year-old me would be thoroughly impressed with the music I’m making. I started out in my bedroom rapping with a microphone in a sock, then went the studio time route but realized how taxing that is. Now I’m doing everything myself from my room. Saving money, coming up with ideas and being able to record whenever I want is great.

Dami: What’s it been like making music from your room? Have there been any downsides to it?

Marcus Rosario: The only downside I’d say is I’m a bit isolated, but in ways I like that. I do enjoy the studio environment but I’m most comfortable when recording and creating by myself, unless I’m working directly with a producer or another artist on a song.

Dami: How would you describe your sound?

Marcus Rosario: I’m still trying to figure that out myself. I’m kind of all over the place and like to navigate through Hip-Hop/R&B while blending the two together. I’d say my sound is nostalgic, fresh and versatile. I have elements from the old school and new age of Hip-Hop/R&B scattered in my work, when it comes to flows, subject matter and lyrics.

Dami: You just released a single titled Nightfall. Can you tell us more about it?

Marcus Rosario: I had this series called “Bedroom Songs” where I was releasing biweekly loose tracks out of my bedroom studio, Nightfall was entry #20. Originally the series was made for content to share across social platforms, but the response was so great I decided to clean it up and release it on all streaming. I started with just the guitar, built on to the beat after that… and the only line I wrote was the first one. “Oh, I couldn’t believe it.” After that, the words felt like they fell into my lap.

Dami: Are “Bedroom Songs” still on?

Marcus Rosario: For now, I’m taking a break from them, working on a collection of demos to put on all streaming. That series will last forever though. Wherever I go I want to keep it going so people can deep dive through it and see the progress.

Dami: What are 3 words you’ll use to describe “Nightfall”?

Marcus Rosario: I’d say heartfelt, refreshing and relatable. It’s like a combination of sad/energetic because of the subject matter and production.

Dami: What artists are you hoping to collaborate with?

Marcus Rosario: I got a couple of friends that are super talented that I have some things in the works with. Biishop the Artist, Tampa based singer and my guy IsaiahLaRoi out in Nashville, got some unreleased songs with them both. I’ll collaborate with anybody as long as we can create something that we love.

Dami: What’s been the most stressful part of being an artist?

Marcus Rosario: Most stressful part has to be managing everything myself. Sending emails, making content, scheduling releases and all that can get tough but it’s all a part of the process.

Dami: If you weren’t making music, is there anything else you’ll be doing?

Marcus Rosario: Something involving writing for sure, maybe film industry things. Writing scripts, directing. Something like that. Or maybe even an author. I used to write stories as a kid, before writing lyrics.

Dami: Where do you hope to see yourself 5 years from now?

Marcus Rosario: Still making music, have a demo tape out, an EP out, a lot of music to show for the 5 years of progress. I’m producing and mixing/mastering everything myself now and I still have so much to learn and work on, just want to get better in all aspects of creating. Establish strong connections along the way and build myself up while inspiring others.

Check out his latest single “Nightfall” here: