Marcel P. Black and Alfred Banks have both earned dedicated fans around the nation after years of impressive releases and extended touring schedules. Both musicians perfected their sounds in Louisiana - Banks in New Orleans and Black in Baton Rouge. Their Southern state neighbors were steady touring favorites before the pandemic, and both artists are excited to be back in the Magic City Thursday, July 14th, at The Nick along with Birmingham favorites Michael Kure and Beezie Conwell. We were able to catch up with Marcel P. Black to learn more about his thoughts on this most recent tour.
“It’s been a good experience. It’s pretty ambitious. I pretty much told four regions of the country that I wanted to tour,” Black shares, “It was good to be back in a lot of places where I have a lot of friends, family, fans, supporters, and things of that nature.” In a normal pre-pandemic year, these stretches would have been spread out more evenly over the 365 days, but in 2022 the entire tour is being completed in 5 weeks. That means impressive (and tiring) feats like being in four time zones over the last two weeks. From New England to the Bay Area back to the Midwest and the South - Marcel is thankful to be visiting them all.
Part of the reason Black is so grateful is because there was a stretch of time when he thought he might never tour again. “The pandemic took everything away on top of me losing my father. It was a time that I thought I was going to stop rapping and stop touring.” When he finally did get the hip-hop bug again, Marcel was humbled to learn that his old touring spots were waiting with open arms for him to return. It was a blessing to be back outside, or as the tour is called “Black Outside.”
The Southern stretch closes out the tour, and the artists are happy to be back on hometown turf. Marcel P. Black moved back to his original hometown in Southern Oklahoma last year, but his decade in Baton Rouge is what made the artist we know today. “When I left Oklahoma the first time I wasn’t Marcel P. Black. The artist Marcel P. Black was born and cut his teeth in South Louisiana. Specifically as a touring artist, I just bled those markets. I bled the Gulf States and tried to get everything below the Mason Dixon,” the musician explains, “Get back down here with the food. It’s been really, really good to be back. I missed the accents. I missed so much about being down here, so it’s good to come back and get a quick glimpse of it. Every time I come to Birmingham in the daytime I got to find a place to get some wings and no night is complete without the Purple Onion afterward.”
Another reason Banks and Black enjoy visiting Birmingham is the local musicians. Carlos Charm and Paco of The Monastery have been like younger brothers to Marcel after playing an incredible show in Baton Rouge. “I told them if I had a million dollars I’d give the 250,000 dollars and we could go take over the world.” Fans and musical peers have been made during sets at venues like Firehouse, The Nick, and the gone but always loved Secret Stages festival. “I love Birmingham. It’s a lot of talent. A really healthy scene. Big shout out to Kure, Beezie Conwell. Big shout out to You Gene Write.”
The Black Outside tour also marks a decade since Alfred and Marcel first hit the road together. “We’ve been through so much together, ups and downs. Regardless of the fact that he took off to another level, he never left me,” Black shares, “It’s deeper than money. It’s a real brotherhood and friendship and bond we have. We started out together and we still rocking together. If we stop it’ll be because I’m old and gray.” Marcel P. Black laughs while recalling how he used to give the younger carless Alfred rides around the city, and now he often gets to ride while Banks cruises the cities they visit. Then Black gets reflective, stating “To get to go to these places that we struggled in together years ago, and now we’re coming back as veterans. We’re coming back as accomplished legends with records and all these things under our belt. It’s that much sweeter.”
The tour is a continuation of Marcel P. Black’s well-known “Real MCs Don’t Rap Over Vocals” movement, which encourages musicians to break away from leaning on pre-recorded backing vocals during their live performances. Music is a craft, and Black believes it needs to be taken seriously. “At this point, fans want to come out and be entertained. We’ve been in the house for two and a half years, so we want to come outside. It’s our duty to make sure that people who bought concert tickets and they paid their cover-they get the best show possible.”
The tour will also give live performances of “Everything iLuv”, Black’s most recent release which was centered around grieving during the pandemic after the musician’s beloved father passed away. It’s a raw musical necessity that Marcel P. Black considers his back work yet. Alfred Banks makes an appearance, as well as Mississippi legend Big Sant and other great musicians. Black encourages people to go to Bandcamp to support but to also remember the things that most help an underground hip-hop artist. “Streams don’t pay shit so come to concerts. Buy concert tickets and buy merchandise. If you really love and support what we doing as artists, that’s the way that you keep us intact,” the artist states, “Whenever you support an artist you’re voting for some particular piece of culture, so make sure you vote in a way that’s gonna keep alive what you enjoy. What you treasure and cherish.”
Show up and vote for underground hip-hop!
Cover image from allGodbuddy
