EvolutionHipHop : Featured Artists : Marco Polo & Torae

Marco Polo (Canadian producer) and Torae (Coney Island emcee) are not officially a group. However, they both were signed to Duck Down Records in 2009. They got together for the album Double Barrel.

Marco Polo and Torae first worked together on The Newport Authority mixtape by Mick Boogie on the tracks "Casualty" and "Good God Interlude".

Marco went to audio engineering school. He made the move to New York City despite not landing a job initially. Eventually, he got a job at The Cutting Room Studio. Through this job, Marco's beats were eventually heard by Masta Ace who wanted to work with him. Additionally, artists employed him to mix their albums as he proved to be even better than expensive studios.

Marco Polo's production is heavily influenced by DJ Premier. 90s boom bap. High-tempo. Powerful drums. Heavy use of samples.

Marco Polo released debut album Port Authority in 2007. In 2010, he released The eXXecution w/Ruste Juxx and The Stupendous Adventures of Marco Polo. He produced "A Long Hot Summer" for Masta Ace, "Casualties of War" for Boot Camp Clik, "Survival Skills" by KRS-ONE & Buckshot and most recently "W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)" by Pharoahe Monch.

Torae was on the NY scene dropping mixtapes since the mid 1990s. He first appeared on "Just Dat Simple” Unsigned Artists Vol.1 (1996). Torae's first mixtape was Coney Island’s Finest in 2001. First heard him & Skyzoo on "Get It Done" produced by DJ Premier in 2007. Torae has also made appearances on "3 Kings" with Chaundon & Skyzoo, "Merchant of Dreams" with 9th Wonder, "Lyrics Is Back" with DJ Spinna and "24" with Little Brother. He dropped Daily Conversation in early 2008. His most recent effort was the mixtape/EP Heart Failure released on February 14, 2011. Torae has his own label Internal Affairs. He also serves as an A&R for Soulspazm Records. Torae hosts a weekly show on Sirius/XM radio called "Rap Is Outta Control" with DJ Eclipse.

Torae is a very technically sound emcee. Unique voice. Wordplay. Distinct rhyme delivery. Cinematic lyrics. Street-based. Very intelligent. Introspective. One of the best emcees in the game.

Torae is working on solo album due late 2011. Marco Polo is producing some of the tracks on that project.

-Dogmatic

Marco Polo Twitter

Torae Twitter