Chicago MC Iomos Marad’s love for hip-hop began with a cassette he kept breaking.
In the late 1980s, his cousin Leon played him The Jungle Brothers’ album “Straight out the Jungle.” Iomos played it so much, he said, that he had to repair the broken cassette until it was completely trashed.
“I begged my mother for money to buy the tape. I listened to it over and over and said ‘this is what I wanna do,'” he said. “It’s embarrassing how much I listened to that tape.”
The 35-year-old, born Marcus Singleton, didn’t pick up his own microphone until 1990, during a stint at Oral Roberts University. He calls himself the “social worker” MC because his message-laden flow and performance style are inspired by conscious rappers like KRS-One, De La Soul and fellow Chicago rapper Common.
“They don’t seem rushed. They always take time to get the crowd involved,” he said. “But a lot of that probably has to do with the fact that they’re big. When I perform, it may be in front of a crowd that’s never seen me before.”
In 1995, he linked up with local hip-hop collective All Natural, Inc. while working at a law firm and recorded his first single, “Deep Rooted,” with rapper Cap D.
Iomos can be found rocking venues such as Subterranean and Metro. His duet album with Cap D, “The Believer’s Project,” is scheduled to drop in September. His solo debut, “Monumental,” is slated for early 2008.
Listen to Iomos Marad’s “If Ever” at redeyechicago.com/chitunes.
