Crowd Control - Reaux Marquez

Written By Michael Minton

Artwork - CROWD CONTROL

I didn’t intend to write exclusively about Tennessee Rap this week, but I’m not mad about it. I have a fondness for my state and anytime, anyplace in my Chicago life, I was proud to be a Tennessean, but never really too proud to be from Nashville, which a lot of people in the Midwest thought was strange. People could stereotype Tennessee in the blink of an eye, but Nashville seemed like some sort of cool place to be from. There are definitely cool things about any city, and Nashville has such a deep entertainment history that, you get things you might not find in other places, but then you see the gentrification and the elimination of Nashville’s stalwarts, and you start to wonder, what’s really happening right now?

“Say you want crowd control, this a street sweep aight?”

Bordeaux’s Reaux Marquez knows these streets need cleaning, and he seems like somebody well-equipped to help light the way for the home team. From the card games to under the overpasses, Reaux maneuvers, both physically and spiritually, with an omnipresence that’s amplified by the people who came together to help make this happen. With production from the talented SEJOHFROGI. and Malone, and the visual’s handled by veteran videographer Josh Nachoz, this entire work is scintillating.

“I’m trippin on everything,” and I’m grateful he is. At least he cares. So many people want to make fast, quick singles, and it’s exhausting having to listen to them time and time again. You can feel the level of effort Reaux puts into the aspects of what he’s doing, with SEJOHFROGI. and Malone really giving Marquez the foundation to street sweep. The pacing combined with the sound selection, along with the heavy-hitting drums creates the arena for Reaux to battle in, and he’s a warrior, no doubt. This song is a little bit less than two minutes of straight battle music, with even the horns at the start resembling the sound of a war-horn. It creates that anticipation, like butterflies in your stomach, and you can feel that jolt of energy when it all comes together. It’s savage yet calculated, brash yet beautiful; the duality of art really is breathtaking.

Reaux is a man of many talents, but his biggest talent is his creative direction. His ability to, once again, translate the concepts in his head into a tangible medium is what really sets him apart for me. You can be the greatest rapper, producer, or whatever you want, but I really gravitate to those people who are able to take their ideas, refine them, and make them a reality. Those are the things that stand the test of time; art that’s encased in amber throughout history. Da Vinci, George Washington Carver, The Wright Brothers, Jay-Z, all will be known throughout history until the Earth explodes. Honestly, once the aliens come, that history might be remembered longer, and it’s only because they did it to the best of their ability and didn’t cheat themselves.

I’d argue that Reaux does it at that level, and this isn’t a one-time deal. His last project No Roads, is an incredible piece of work, that features a lot of the talented people that Nashville has to offer. From concept development to medium execution; his direction will stand the test of time.

Man, I love Tennessee.

Watch the video for “CROWD CONTROL”

Michael Minton
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