Marco Restrepo

Last updated
Marco Restrepo
Marco Restrepo Live.jpeg
Marco Restrepo performing at Eddie's Attic in 2014
Background information
Birth nameMarco Antonio Restrepo
Born (1989-10-22) October 22, 1989 (age 34)
Marietta, Georgia
Origin Atlanta, Georgia
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Guitar
  • vocals
  • bass
  • drums
  • keyboards
Years active2007-present
Labels
  • Farsyde Entertainment
Website marcorestrepo.com

Marco Restrepo (born Marco Antonio Restrepo, October 22, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. He is best known for his single "Get Up & Go", recorded under A.Tone Da Priest, which has been featured on MTV programs Scrubbing In (TV series) [3] and Follow the Rules . [4] He has since focused on more rock oriented material under his given name. [5] His style has been described as "highly melodic", [6] "sing songy rock funk", [7] or self-described by Restrepo as "riff driven moon rock". [8]

Contents

Life and career

Marco Restrepo was born in Marietta, Georgia, and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He grew up listening to Jackie Wilson, other Motown acts and commercial radio. [9] During high school he adopted the name A.Tone Da Priest and began rapping with friend Sean Spellz in a group called 1Up. He began self-producing material in 2006 and eventually put out his first mixtape online titled Still A Rapper Pt. 1. [10]

While a senior at Chamblee Charter High School [11] in 2007, a recommendation from hip hop production team J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, landed him an internship at a premier Atlanta recording studio. There he learned how to record and engineer and began to take his craft more seriously. [9] Since that time, he released one EP and four full-length albums, [12] The Address EP (2011), [13] Stand By My Words (2011), The Fi King (2012), [13] October Sky (2012), [13] and Come Fly With Me (2013), under his A.Tone moniker.

In 2012, bored with rap music and looking for new outlets, Restrepo taught himself how to play guitar and began incorporating it into his music. [14] The Fi King and October Sky would both prove to be guitar heavy albums. [14] Soon however he shifted focus from his rap persona and began working on material under his birth name, Marco Restrepo. [15]

In late 2014/early 2015, Restrepo released two albums, 1989 (2014) and Lonely Hearts Club (2015). [16] He took on the task of playing all of the instruments featured on the projects. He was credited with guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and percussion. [17] Although general consensus of his new material was positive and even at times boastful of his genius and originality, he was criticized for his "garage band sound" which some critics felt held him back from his full potential. [17] [18] [19] In the summer of 2015, he announced that two LP's titled Promised Land and Change were in the works. [6]

Restrepo has long been a content creator on YouTube for his material and has gained well over a million views cumulatively across his many videos and channels. [14] His first national break occurred in 2014 when his song "Get Up & Go" from his Stand By My Words album was featured on a short lived MTV series called Scrubbing In (TV series) [3] and again in 2015 on a reality show about rapper Ja Rule's family life called Follow the Rules . [4]

Style

Restrepo has mentioned Sum 41, Nirvana, The Beatles, Nick Drake, Buddy Holly, Eazy-E and T.I. as favorite artists. [8] [17] His compositions have spanned from southern style conscious rap works [2] to his newer instrument based material which reviewers describe as "new age psychedelic rock". [6] His music overall is said to be "an unobstructed view into the heart of an artist who embraces each moment". [1]

Personal life

In 2012 Restrepo graduated from Georgia State University in Atlanta with a bachelor's degree in Marketing. [20] He is the nephew of The Detroit Cobras long tenured guitarist Mary Ramirez. [21]

Discography

A.Tone Da Priest

Marco Restrepo

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lil Wayne</span> American rapper (born 1982)

Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and is often mentioned among the greatest rappers of all time. He was signed by American rapper Birdman to his record label Cash Money Records at age eleven, becoming its youngest member. In the following years, he emerged as the flagship artist of Cash Money Records before ending his association with the imprint in June 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BET</span> American basic cable channel owned by Paramount

Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is currently owned by the BET Networks subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched as a program block on January 25, 1980, BET would eventually become a full-fledged channel on July 1, 1983.

Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., doing business as Harmonix, is an American video game developer company based in Boston, Massachusetts. The company was established in May 1995 by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy. Harmonix is perhaps best known as being the developer of music video games series Dance Central and Rock Band, as well as being the original developer and creator of the Guitar Hero series before development moved to Neversoft and Vicarious Visions.

Don "Magic" Juan, is an American preacher, hip hop personality, actor, fashion designer and former pimp, from Chicago. He is also the founder of the Players Ball, an annual celebration of his former "pimp" lifestyle.

<i>Graduation</i> (album) 2007 studio album by Kanye West

Graduation is the third studio album by the American rapper Kanye West released on September 11, 2007, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. Recording sessions took place between 2005 and 2007 at several studios in New York and Los Angeles. It was primarily produced by West himself, with contributions from various other producers, including DJ Toomp. The album features guest appearances from recording artists such as Dwele, T-Pain, Lil Wayne, Mos Def, DJ Premier, and Chris Martin. The cover art and its interior artwork were designed by Japanese contemporary artist Takashi Murakami.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eminem</span> American rapper (born 1972)

Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in Middle America and is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. His global success is considered to have broken racial barriers to the acceptance of white rappers in popular music. While much of his transgressive work during the late 1990s and early 2000s made him a controversial figure, he came to be a representation of popular angst of the American underclass and has been cited as influencing many musical artists. His best-known songs include "My Name Is", "The Real Slim Shady", "The Way I Am", "Stan", "Without Me", "Lose Yourself", "Mockingbird", "Not Afraid", and "Love the Way You Lie".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keri Hilson</span> American singer and songwriter (born 1982)

Keri Lynn Hilson is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, she began her musical career as a songwriter and backing vocalist for other artists under the wing of record producer Anthony Dent in 2002. At the age of 14, Hilson secured a record deal with the girl group D'Signe, which ultimately disbanded. She attended at Oxford College of Emory University while contributing to material for popular artists, including Britney Spears, Usher, Ciara, The Pussycat Dolls, and Mary J. Blige; she joined the songwriting-production group, the Clutch in 2004.

Rene Francisco Sotomayor, better known by the stage name T-Bone, is a Christian rapper. His father was Nicaraguan and his mother is Salvadoran. His name came from being called 'Bones' as a youngster because he was very skinny. The 'T' was "added to give the name a little slang edge."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rihanna videography</span>

Rihanna has released four video albums and appeared in 62 music videos, 12 films, 13 television programs, and several television commercials. In 2005, Rihanna signed a recording contract with Def Jam Recordings and released her debut single "Pon de Replay", taken from her first studio album Music of the Sun (2005). Like its lyrical theme, the music video for the song was inspired by disco and dance; it was directed by Little X. Three separate videos were released for "SOS", the lead single from her second studio album A Girl like Me (2006), all of which contained various dance sequences. The same year, American director Anthony Mandler directed the accompanying music video for the second single "Unfaithful", which featured Rihanna in a dangerous love triangle with her lover and her husband. "Unfaithful" was Rihanna's first collaboration with Mandler; they later worked together regularly. Also in 2006, Rihanna played herself in the third installment of the Bring It On film series, entitled Bring It On: All or Nothing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Rock</span> American rapper

Johnny Reed McKinzie Jr., better known by his stage name Jay Rock, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he signed with local independent label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE) in 2005. He secured a major label joint venture deal with Warner Bros. Records and Asylum Records to release his 2008 debut single, "All My Life ". Failing to chart, the mergers fell through and Rock departed from both of the latter labels shortly after. He then signed with Missouri rapper Tech N9ne's label Strange Music in a joint venture deal with TDE in 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Empire State of Mind</span> 2009 single by Jay-Z

"Empire State of Mind" is a song performed by American rapper Jay-Z featuring American singer Alicia Keys from the former's 11th studio album, The Blueprint 3 (2009). It was released on October 20, 2009. Produced by Al Shux, the song features a music sample of "Love on a Two-Way Street" performed by The Moments. Angela Hunte and Janet Sewell-Ulepic originally wrote it as a tribute to their hometown, New York City. The following month, they submitted it to Jay-Z's label Roc Nation, whose reviews were discouraging. They later took the suggestion of an associate of EMI Music Publishing and resubmitted it to Jay-Z, who kept the "New York" singing part on the hook, changed the verses, and recorded it. The song's title, similar to "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel and "N.Y. State of Mind" by Nas, is a wordplay and tribute to New York's nickname "Empire State".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Say Something (Timbaland song)</span> 2009 single by Timbaland featuring Drake

"Say Something" is a song recorded by American producer Timbaland, for his third studio album Shock Value II (2009). The song features vocals from Canadian rapper Drake. It was written by Mosley, Jerome Harmon, Graham, Timothy Clayton and John Maultsby. The production was helmed by Mosley under his stage-name Timbaland while Harmon served as the assistant producer, under the stage-name Jroc. The song was tailored to Drake's sound and when the rapper wrote to it, he contacted the producer about the lyrics. Despite the verses feeling more like Graham's record, Mosley gave his blessing and went the product. The song was solicited to digital retailers on November 3, 2009 in the United States as the album's second single.

<i>Warrior</i> (Kesha album) 2012 studio album by Kesha

Warrior is the second studio album by American singer and songwriter Kesha, released on November 30, 2012, by Kemosabe and RCA Records. Its music incorporates a wide range of genres, including pop, EDM, rock, punk, rap, country, and folk. Kesha described the album as more personal than her previous material in addition to mentioning it was her attempt at reviving the rock genre, calling it a "cock pop" record. Its theme is said to be magic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">O Music Awards</span> Music and technology awards show

The O Music Awards was an awards show presented by MTV to honor music, technology and intersection between the two. The 1st O Music Award ceremony was held on April 28, 2011 on Fremont Street in Downtown Las Vegas. The 3rd O Music Awards was held on June 27, 2012. The O Music Awards brand continues year-round through a combination of a music and tech blog, called 'The O Music Blog', and a New York–based live events' series called 'Unboxed, which features music, tech, art, and interactivity. The fourth and final edition was held on June 19, 2013.

"Gorgeous" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The track features a hook provided by Kid Cudi, a recording artist formerly signed to West's label GOOD Music, and a rap verse provided by the Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon. The song was written by West, Cudi, Raekwon, No I.D., Mike Dean and Rhymefest, and was produced by West, No I.D. and Dean. It contains elements of Enoch Light and the Glittering Guitars' cover version of The Turtles' song "You Showed Me". "Gorgeous" received mostly positive reviews from music critics, who generally praised the intricacy of the production, the quality of the guest features and the rock music-inspired aesthetic of the song. Several critics cited West's verses as a highlight of the track, complimenting his lyricism and delivery.

Paramount Global is an American multinational entertainment conglomerate that was the subject of criticisms and controversies about its products and services. Criticism of Paramount Global has included the former Viacom Inc.'s announced plans of looking into splitting the company into two publicly traded companies. The company was not only dealing with a stagnating stock price, but also the rivalry between Leslie Moonves and Tom Freston, longtime heads of MTV Networks. In addition, the company was facing issues after MTV was banned from producing any more Super Bowl halftime shows after the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Usher videography</span>

American singer Usher has released six video albums and appeared in forty-one music videos, eleven films, nine television programs, and four commercials. Usher released his debut single, "Call Me a Mack" in 1993 from the soundtrack Poetic Justice. Directed by Bille Woodruff, Usher appeared in the video for "You Make Me Wanna...", the lead single from his break-through album My Way (1997). The video shows Usher flanked by four dancers, to which the scene is then replaced by five clones of Usher performing dance routines around chairs. The latter song was sung by the singer on the sitcom Moesha, where he made his television debut. Usher appeared in four episodes for the show, portraying his character, Jeremy Davis. Live (1999) was released to keep Usher's fans satisfied during his four-year break between My Way and 8701 (2001). The video album version was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of 50,000 units. During his musical break, he made his film debut in the 1998 science fiction horror film The Faculty, which received mixed reviews, but was a box office success. Following this, he starred in three films: She's All That (1999), Light It Up (1999) and Texas Rangers (2000).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicki Minaj videography</span>

Rapper and singer Nicki Minaj has been featured in 89 music videos, nine commercials, and four documentaries. Additionally, she has featured in four films: the animated The Angry Birds Movie 2 where she plays as a pink bird named Pinky, the animated Ice Age: Continental Drift in which she voiced the woolly mammoth, Steffie, Barbershop: The Next Cut in which she plays a sassy recruit named Draya, and The Other Woman, in which she played Lydia, an opinionated law-firm assistant. In 2009, Minaj signed a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment, and released her first solo music video under the label in March 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">50 Cent videography</span>

American rapper 50 Cent has been featured in 88 music videos, 31 television programs, 25 films, and 3 video games.

References

  1. 1 2 Holmes, Rupert. "Marco Restrepo". IndieArtistsAlliance.com. Rhodes. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  2. 1 2 Moore, James (4 March 2012). "Fans of Big K.R.I.T and Big Boi will love Georgia rapping phenom A.Tone Da Priest". independentmusicpromotions.com. Independent Music Promotions. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  3. 1 2 W., Karly (13 December 2013). "Music from Scrubbing In: Episode 7". MTV.com. Viacom. Archived from the original on April 1, 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  4. 1 2 K, Chase (16 November 2015). "Music from Follow The Rules: Season 1, Episode 5". MTV.com. Viacom. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  5. ↑ "About Marco Restrepo". MTV.com. Viacom. Archived from the original on December 12, 2015. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 "BandBlurb"Katz, Douglas (29 May 2015). "Marco Restrepo". bandblurb.com. BandBlurb. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  7. ↑ Loomis, Trey. "Marco Restrepo releases Lonely Hearts Club". Gashouse Radio.com. Cyrus. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  8. 1 2 Sanderson, Chuck. "Interview: Marco Restrepo". PenWeb.org. PenWeb. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  9. 1 2 Entertainment, PDS (20 February 2014). Hottest New Artist (R) - How to Succeed in the Music Industry. FriesenPress. pp. 29–30. ISBN   978-1460223499.
  10. ↑ Entertainment, PDS (20 February 2014). Hottest New Artist (R) - How to Succeed in the Music Industry. FriesenPress. p. 28. ISBN   978-1460223499.
  11. ↑ Restrepo, Marco. "About". Facebook.com. Facebook. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  12. ↑ Entertainment, Farsyde. "A.Tone Da Priest". marcorestrepo.com. Farsyde. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 Music, Rovi. "A.Tone Da Priest: Credits". AllMusicGuide.com. AllMusic. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 Entertainment, PDS (20 February 2014). Hottest New Artist (R) - How to Succeed in the Music Industry. FriesenPress. p. 31. ISBN   978-1460223499.
  15. ↑ Entertainment, Farsyde. "The Story". marcorestrepo.com. Farsyde. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  16. ↑ Music, Rovi. "Lonely Hearts Club". AllMusicGuide.com. AllMusic. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  17. 1 2 3 Rhodes, Cyrus. "Marco Restrepo". RockNRollView.com. Blackwell. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  18. ↑ Graves, Stephen. "Marco Restrepo – Lonely Hearts Club". AllWhatsRock. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  19. ↑ Bentley, John (29 May 2015). "Marco Restrepo". MusicExistence.com. Mindy McCall. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  20. ↑ Restrepo, Marco. "Marco (Antonio) Restrepo". LinkedIn. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
  21. ↑ Restrepo, Marco. "Marco Antonio Restrepo". Facebook.com. Facebook. Retrieved 5 December 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.