In the 80s, shortly after the birth of hip-hop culture, the lyrical art of storytelling held rank at the forefront of this phenomenal movement. The most revered and enlightened emcees guided listeners on a poetic journey through the twists and turns of a dramatic saga coupled with the uncanny skill of verbal gymnastics. Over the years, that true talent of crafting rap verses has been misplaced in the sea of expeditiously manufactured hip-hop. Thankfully, the legendary Ruthless Records has signed a brand new, bright talent by the name of Hopsin, who, as a young hip-hop artist, beholds the genuine gift of gab.

Twenty-two year old, Marcus Hopson, known to the world as Hopsin because his flow is so sinful, grew up in Panorama City in the San Fernando Valley of California. As a creative and self-proclaimed isolated individual, Hopsin spent his teenage years drawing, skate boarding, and writing rhymes while periodically leaping from clique to clique. “I’ve always been in my own world, living as my own person, finding friends in different circles but not being confined to one group,” says Hopsin. At the age of 14, Hopsin headed to Maryland for a year. It was in this state that he began to grasp his flair for rapping. “I started rhyming to beats I had made on this video game I had, so when I got back to California, I bought a tape recorder and started recording freestyles and downloading instrumentals off the internet.” In some ways, Hopsin soon became a local Weird Al Yankovic, remaking popular songs with a sarcastic edge and playing them for his friends and growing fan base. “People were saying that my (parodied) songs were really good and I should make my own records,” Hopsin recalls. Open mic shows, internet showcasing, and perpetual recording and producing soon led to the growth of the Hopsin buzz.

Working with BH Confidential production team led Hopsin to Ruthless Records. After shopping his demo, he landed a meeting at the renowned west coast record label in early 2007. “I always wanted to be signed to a label that I could carry on my back,” Hopsin declares. “I really want to take Ruthless to new heights.” By the summer of 2007, Hopsin was signed with a bunch of banked material and more studio time ahead of him.

As a contracted artist, Hopsin aimed to block out the fact that he was signed and stay in the mental state of when he was broke in order to continue to make the elite, lyrically profound, anecdotal songs. “I didn’t upgrade my personal studio or buy all this hardcore equipment because if my environment changes then I might start making softer music and I wanted to keep it grimy in my basement,” Hopsin says with complete conviction.

“It’s the way hip-hop should be,” Hopsin says with confidence when talking about his debut album Gazing at the Moonlight. A combination of hip-hop narratives, irreverent edge and optimally self-produced beats, Gazing at the Moonlight could quite easily be considered hip-hop’s premier audio book. Songs like “Who Do You?” tells the story of being the male “friend” to a girl with boyfriend problems. Hopsin creatively and humorously delivers a slightly sadistic account of how the male “friend” actually feels about the girl of his dreams crying on his shoulder. Likewise, the cautionary tale, “Sexy Cyber,” engages the listener in a story of an internet predator all over a slower-paced bounce tempo. Meanwhile, one of the lead singles, “Pans in the Kitchen” carries a quintessential throwback party beat, with pots and pans embedded in the percussion arrangement. And as if that were not enough, the title track “Gazing at the Moonlight” closes out the album with a dramatic organ introduction followed by intermingled rock and pop riffs that creates the ending to an ultimate masterpiece.