Meet 24-year-old Marc Bravo residing from Bowie, Maryland.  Bravo Grew up in North Caroline. Soon moved to Maryland to where his dreams of pursuing music gave him the push to begin his dream of being a musician. Last year Marc Bravo released his “Allure” album from collaborations with; Planet Dru, Rashad Stark, and Coastwilde. Bravo like, many had goals he wanted to accomplish before the pandemic hit. Marc Bravo had the opportunity to go on tour with Q Da Fool, Dem Franchise Boyz, and Mario. It was supposed to be an HBCU tour. However, Covid-19 restrictions ended up making Bravo decide to do a virtual concert. Marc Bravo wanted to play it safe by following Covid guidelines and drop music visuals, and of course, a full-length album. 

I had the opportunity to sit down with Marc Bravo over Zoom to discuss DMV Culture, his thoughts on being an artist during the pandemic, and what the process was like to make his album “Allure.”

Do you think the pandemic not allowing you to be face-to-face performing in front of large crowds has thrown you off your game within being an artist?

I would say it's my smile. My smile is my main marketing piece. Performing and later meeting with fans after the show. I can see that my smile is what draws people to me. I've had to try to exemplify my energy in different ways and the way I talk. On stage, you can somewhat try to see me smiling through my mask. However, the number of concerts I have been performing in smaller group settings nowadays with Covid, the crowd is just away from me. I do have my mask off when I am performing. Soon as the concert is over, I put it back on after.

When dropping your album “Allure,” did you feel that the pandemic had Affected you whether having second thoughts on releasing "Allure" or feeling motivated to drop your album?

I was having a lot of confidence in myself. I feel like you can always reroute yourself. When you get nervous, that's when you start to bring fear into this situation which you never need to do. You just have to be a solution-based person. If there's a problem, figure out the solution. That's just how I was during the lockdown. I did have a few moments that brought me down along the way. 

I just used it as fuel to put all my energy into my music in my career. 

Can you tell me what inspired you to title this album "Allure?"

"Allure" means a masterpiece, that it's an unusual attraction. I felt connected with the title for how I see myself.  I view myself as unusual because I'm like no one else. I feel that everyone is their own individual. We all have what we bring to the table. Allure was uniquely being attracted to my style. That's the meaning behind the album's name; I feel like it really encompassed everything that I wanted to bring to the table because of how I view myself as different.

What was your favorite track to make off the "Allure" album?

I say the "Bravo show" was my joint. The song itself is actually named after the album I had back in the day I dropped when I was in high school. I called it "The Bravo show." I chose that song because I felt this was a way for me to exit my album detailing there's a lot more to come after this. Pretty much telling you the next wave of what I'm into. I liked the beat and everything; it just reminded me of performing at a live show. That's why I chose that song to perform at the "ONLe ViBez" virtual performance. I chose to perform that song there, and you can just feel the energy in that song. I just really loved that song.

Do you feel as if the DMV's culture gets taken advantage of? 

I actually heard someone from New York the other day say that New York started something that we started. Once they were proven wrong that we started it, they were like, "Well ya'll start a lot of things but will keep it over there, and we just take it and make it universal." We don't really care to get notoriety from our stuff which sometimes can hurt us because once it gets big and then we want the credit for it. But if we didn't put it out there initially wanting the credit—we need to put it out there that we want things that come from us credited to us. There are even talks of who really started the New Balance Wave DC or Baltimore. Even with small stuff like that, we don't always set stone which area started what, and that's something we're gonna have to fix in the future. Also, if you’re not from here and someone from the DMV calls you “champ,” just know it’s not what you think. You lost some cool points.

When you go back and listen to your old tracks or your previous album "The Bravo Show" to "The Bravo Tape," what feelings do you get when you go back and hear your older songs?

It makes me feel amazing. Each project I put out, I try to grow from. The Bravo tape, I love that album still. Hearing that album hits home for me. The was the beginning for me. It symbolizes as "I've been making music for a while, but it's time for me to take off." I dropped the "The Bravo Tape" when I was in college; I threw a big album release party. It was really dope to drop that. Just watching my transformation from then to now, even just how I get people to hear about it and listen to it. I didn't have a label or anything back then, so to just watch my growth and figure that actually got me to my situation that I'm with now. My confidence and my growth to even the transformation of my voice on songs mean everything. I really do love that transformation from "Bravo Tape" to "Allure." That was a great question you asked too.

If you could make a playlist of mixtapes, albums, and songs that you have been listening to while on lockdown, who would be on it?

I'm going with Jay electronica. He's my favorite rapper. Next, I got Curren$y. I will probably have more Curren$y songs than anything; his music is my favorite music to listen to.  Earl Sweatshirt, he's, in my opinion–like bar for bar–he's one of the best to ever do it in terms of his flow. It's just crazy. I'll add Max B; he's is one of my favorite rappers as well; he is one of the best vibes I've heard we got. Q-Tip also is one of my favorite rappers because of his voice. That’s who I envy in terms of how I want my voice to sound like. I have a weird voice, and he has a weird voice too, and he was able to make it sound pleasing.And that's someone I study in terms of making my sound, and I change my voice all the time on music cause it's just I don't know sometimes it sounds good sometimes. Then I would add Joey Bad$$'s "Long Live Steelo" or "95 Till Infinity."

You can listen to Marc Bravo’s “Allure” album on Apple Music out now.