Marcus Hopson — the 28-year-old DIY rapper better known as Hopsin — got his start with legendary Hip Hop imprint Ruthless Records, but the relationship soured and the MC left the label under contentious circumstances (something he’s seemingly comfortable with, having dissed the likes of Soulja Boy, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Tyler the Creator and a plethora of others on record). Hopsin (visually known for the spooky white contact lenses he sports in concert and photo shoots) formed his own label, Funk Volume, and took full control over his musical identity, from production to music video editing.
That’s when his career started to really take off, with Hopsin scoring a spot on XXL’s esteemed “Top 10 Freshmen” list in 2012 and working regularly with modern independent Hip Hop icon Tech N9ne. In November of last year, Hopsin released his biggest album to date, Knock Madness, which masterfully showcases the artist’s blend of ferocious Funk and fierce, creative flows with a compelling lyrical approach that ranges from balls-out wildness to deeper emotional musings to hefty doses of humor.
8 p.m. $18. Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St., Corryville, bogarts.com.
This article appears in Feb 5-11, 2014.