Mark Flo: Past Reviews

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Just finished listening to "Mad Money" a few times and I have to say I am
really impressed with the song - beat, lyrics, everything! I've actually
got the hook of your son "I've got the Mad Money" stuck in my head now! Shades of Eminem's "I think my dad's gone crazy" - good stuff. I enjoyed the
lyrics particularly all the references and
clever "shout-outs" to various performers - P. Diddy, Beyonce, etc.

I do think the beat background could possibly be kicked up a bit and
tweaked. The hook is fun and very memorable, but the beat behind much of
the lyrics isn't as impactful. Perhaps it needs another layer of sound? I did like the portion where you use the horn/trumpet instrumentation quite a
bit.

Thank you for sharing this with me.

Very good. I like the mad money part the kid sings.
Very cool & catchy.

I like Mad Money- great hook with the kid singing

Mark-
I'll lay my cards on the table and tell you that going into listening, I
thought it was going to be an overproduced, simple track with little 'personal' flavor...I thought this was a hobby you picked up late in life, a little side job if you will. I was seriously proved wrong. I thought the production as well as the lyrics were playful, new and had some stand alone character. This day in age, it's a challenge to stick out from a mass and to create something that people can remember...I thought this is where your hook/chorus served as a PERFECT tool ("I got the maaaddd money!")

I really felt the intensity of your flow (I was surprised), it was natural, not forced at all. You seemed very comfortable...It was like you were up on the toilet, reading a newspaper rapping..hilarious. One thing that I must warn you against...if you're taking music as a serious path, is about branding your 'character.' In the rap game, musicians are categorized into sectors...there's thug rap, natural/organic rap, southern rap...yadda yadda....hate to see people get pigeon-holed into a category they don't belong. Well, I'm rambling. In my book, I give it 8 mics, if that isn't a good review I don't know what is...Tell me when you have another song to listen to..

Good luck and good job

Ivana

Hey Marc,

I liked the lyrics of your song, the beat, your rapping skills. Like we
talked about, it seems a little old school because there are no
instrumentals and the song is very dependant upon the rapping. I guess in
order for the song to hit it big, it needs to be catchier. But I think
there is lots of potential in the song and with the concept of good message
in hip-hop/rap industry.

Um, scale of 1- 10, I give it 6 with lots of room for improvement, I am sure
it will be a 10 after you add all the instrumental stuff, etc.

Good going,

Best and keep me updated, Angela Wang :)

Overall, I like the song. I think it is catchy and it sounds like a throwback to
the better days of hip-hop. (e.g.; when Alicia Keys came out with Fallen and it
sounded like nothing that was on the radio currently so you automatically thought
it was an old school song that had been lost in the crates) I got that type of
vibe.

I don't like the lyric "ushered you into the party" or "i can be what I want to
be" and I would prefer different horns. Overall I give it an 8 for me. If I were
a high school kid, I'd probably give it a 7.

Hope that helps.

Score 7.5/10

Reasoning: Very impressed with the actual flo - correct lingo? No? (look
who
else can rhyme too, yo). You were drop'n a beat like there was no
tomorrow.
I also like the fact that you managed to fit in almost every rappers
name
without it sounding ridiculous. Now, you must remember I'm a folk/chill
music lover but can appreciate a lil hip-hop (said in that voice of
mine, of
course) just as much as the next person. With that being said, I wish
there
was more of a chorus-or repetitive part that gets the listener hooked. I
think your Will Smith attempt by featuring Marquis was brave but I think
his
part could be stronger. We need to get Jlo or Mariah or Usher to bust in
the
middle of your flo and come out with a ballad or more "singing" part to
break it up and get the 'hook'. Hook is key.

Mark, I am VERY impressed. Who knew I was sitting only feet away from
such
talent and a soon-to-be celeb! Think of me when you are playing at the
Grammys.

Hi Mark,

Sorry it took me so long to get a chance to listen to your song!!

I am so impressed, who knew that besides accounting skills you had such
musical and lyrical talent.

I would rate this song a 7. I thought it was really good. I loved the beat
and it had a great hook. Was the child singing your son? That quality
reminded me of Eminem's song where his daughter sings "...my dad's gone
crazy." I also really liked the lyrics and the story they told, that is
what I was most impressed with! It reminded me of an old school rap. It
could be appealing to take it back like that or it could give you a dated
quality. I'm not sure if that's what you were looking for.

I'm excited to hear what you come out with next. Keep me updated. I
promise now that I've heard how good you are it won't take me as long to
write my next review :)

Thanks for letting me hear your work,
Aimee

seriously kicks ass. I'm giving it an 8. But before I give you the reasons
why, let me explain the reasons why you didn't get a 10: 1) I very, very
rarely think something is perfect. 2) From an average listener's
standpoint, I'd give it a 9, but since the song was done in one take, it
might ("might;" I have no production experience) need a few tweaks to reach
"perfection."

Now, let me explain why I'm giving your song an 8: 1) it's CATCHY. It
defintely grabbed my attention; and being the extremely picky person that I
am, that's a very good thing :) 2)The rap is smooth and flows nicely. 3)
I'm IMPRESSED that the song was done in one take. wow wow wow.

You have seriously got talent and you would be absolutely beyond stupid if
you didn't use it and share it. I love the genre of music (hip-hop) and
trust me, from someone who avidly listens to hip-hop/ R&B, I can definitely
tell what's bad and what's good. This is good. And I like the old school
vibe in your music.

Seriously, keep up the amazing work.

"Mad Money" Review by Christina Campisi

I love the lyrics and how you creatively mention other
musical artists on the track. The beat is ok, but I'd
like the hook to sound a bit catchier. Marquis' hook
line is cute, but there needs to be more hook lines.
Overall I'm real impressed with your lyrics and style.


On a scale of 1-10 I give this track an 8.

Much Luv,
CC :)

Mark,

You got a smooth delivery and your lyrics are honest and funny. I give it a 7 out of 10 because I think that the beat needs work. It's a little too
simplistic and needs one more layer in my humble opinion.

Nick

After the initial shock of realizing that was really you "spittin rhymes, "I was able to realize that this is good! Overall I 'd give it a 7. (Please forgive my lack of knowledge of the correct terms.) ok, so I really liked the flo
(pun intended) of the song. I 'd have to say that the only thing that didn 't work for me was the transition from you to your adorable lil boy. Not to say I
didn't like his part, because I did. I don't know what it was but that
little period between your part and his tripped me up a bit. Does that make any sense? Anywho, good job. Look forward to the next installment.

Mark,
Initially, I was immediately struck by the raw energy of the track. From the
start, the rhythmic, in-your-face, vocals commanded my attention, and never
let go! I was actually taking in every word, and wondering what was coming
up next! Another pleasant surprise was the actual context. In my book, you
can never go wrong with such lyrical objective as: "follow your heart"; "be
yourself"; and "fight for community...". I love the message!

With respect toward the instrumentation though, I found same to be somewhat
sparse and uneventful. I personally would have liked a solid bass groove
weaving in & out of the the track, accented with a "heavy-crunch" lead
guitar for emphasized melodic & vocal effect.

All in all, I give this particular tune a rating of "7".


Rock On (or perhaps: "Rap On"!)
JC

So, my rating system is now based on what I gave the first song so, I’ll give this one an 8. No need to fuck around with halves, I’ll just work in one point increments. Keep things tidy. I liked the feel of this song, and the transitions worked well. Though the alarm clock sound at the beginning did make me panic a lil, I think that’s just my own hatred of waking up coming through. It could be my shitty speakers, but I would have liked the background music to be louder. Also, Derek Jeter is gross. Other than that, great job!

Side note: when I played this off my itunes, Eddie Money’s “Take Me Home Tonight” immediately came on after your song. I hate to admit it, but it was a fabulous transition.

ok so on a scale from 1-10, i'd have to give this a 6.  I LOVE the rap, i think it's really good, but the woman's voice sort of ruined it for me. It's totally off pitch. don't hate me please.  i want to be totally honest.  i actually liked the other song better. please please please don't hate me, you are really talented. 

Hi Mark,

you asked me to listen to your song and gave you feedbacks.

I think the song, Latino Pride, is really reallly great!!!!!!

Here are the reasons why.

1) The song has a beginning, a middle and an end. Meaning the song is
not monotonous, it has a crescendo, a climax, a build-up. In comparison
to your last song, Mad Money, I think the reason why Mad Money sounds
more old school is because Mad Money was a little bit more constant
rapping, more monotonous, no crescendo, etc. Latino Pride is more
engaging than your last song because of the variations in tone, rhythm,
etc.

2) The song has various aspects to it that makes it catchy. The song has
great female vocal that is very catchy. The song has a great beginning
that I think many people would related to immediately. The song has
great rapping (you) and variety of beats that could be made more
engaging if the sounds are tweaked more.

3) I really like the beginning of this song, it really is evocative of
many people's morning routine.

4) I really love the contrasting texture created from a medley of your
rhythmic rapping, the melodious female vocal, the instrumental beats in
the background, and the classical instrument.

5) I really love it when classical instruments are mixed with modern
technological instruments.

6) I really like the ending of the song when you switched into another
rhythm and beat, really makes the song interesting.

Things that could be done to make it better

I think the sound qualities could be made so much better ( once you take
it into professional studio ). I wish the rapping is more clear and more
on the dot. I wish the female vocal can also be smoother.

Anyways, it is a great song, lots of potential and looking forward to
see you making it big time!!!

LOVE IT!!!! Mark, this is really good. You're great, love the instrumental,
love the chorus. Well done, my friend. My only thought is the girls
part could be a bit stronger - there were some points they sounded a tad flat or weak. Love the Latino remix.

Hey, I must say... you're definitely getting to a good place with your beats, lyrics, and groove.

Beats sounds nice. Lyrics are strong and story-telling. Rythem is solid and sounds completely professional.

I like the backup singers harmonizing in the background. It flows.. very chill.

Good job. : )

Needs a little work. The female singer anticipates singing the next word and does not focus on the word she is singing. There are many references to current stars (both baseball & music). This is distracting from the song because when listening, I focus on my personal experience and idea of that star instead of listening to your music.

....with your newest creation. You definitely topped yourself. Your sound
is increasingly professional. My favorite part was the remix at the end.
It truly showcased your talent. The beat and the vocals were great. I
especially related to the lyrics, of course. I like that there is such a
personal tone to your music.

Keep it up... Patiently awaiting the next release!

Yo M. Flo!

I listened to "One of a Kind" and on a scale of 1-10 I
give it a 7. I am very impressed with how it sounds
overall as far as the beat, your voice over the track
and the hook. Whoever sings the hook sounds good, I
just wish it was a bit more catchy. My favorite part
is "Mark Flo is at it againnnnn..."

Much luv,
CC ;)

“One of a kind” – I thought the music should be more hard core -

Like the new song, I rate it a 7 1/2. Good job..

Okay I liked the beginning, but the last part, I could not really hear
before you said remix...then it was a little bit to fast the remix
part...

But you are doing great...keep up the good work...

I am very proud of you...REALLY!