B-13 PEER REVIEW PRESENTS The One to Watch: Marcus "Hopsin" Hopson

Biography

At first, Hopsin was famous for his falling out with the pioneering label Ruthless, but that became a footnote when the rapper, producer, and actor released the hit track "Sag My Pants" on his own in late 2010. 

Born Marcus Hopson, the Los Angeles native signed with Ruthless in 2007, with his Gazing at the Moonlight album following on the label two years later. 

A battle in the press followed with Hopsin claiming he had not authorized the album's release, while Ruthless' owner — and Eazy-E's widow, Tomica Wright — claimed he had, but the end result was a professional split. Self-promotion suited the then independent rapper as his "Sag My Pants" track lit up Internet video sharing sites in 2010. It would be featured, along with some diss tracks directed at Ruthless, on his RAW mixtape, which was released that same year. 

By 2011, Hopsin's image included white contacts that made him look quite ominous, and when coupled with a positive message, the rapper had found himself a welcoming posse with Tech N9ne and his Strange Music roster. In 2012 it was announced that the two were working on tracks for Hopsin's forthcoming album, Knock Madness.

Marcus Hopson is not a happy dude. And he wants everyone to know about it.

The eclectic rapper, producer, and actor who’s better known by his stage name Hopsin is no stranger to expressing himself honestly. His 2010 music video for his song “Sag My Pants” mocked mainstream acts such as Drake, Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and Rick Ross. That particular song spotlights his disdain for today’s music industry, with Marcus spitting lines like, “This industry business is all screwed up / I have no favorite rapper because all you suck”. He’s also released a series of music videos under the title “Ill Mind of Hopsin”, with the fourth installment possessing over 13 million views to date.

Just over a week ago, Hopsin’s “Ill Mind of Hopsin 5″ was uploaded to Youtube on the rapper’s 27th birthday. The fifth edition in his series, this bombastic effort has attracted widespread attention and is already closing in on 6 million views. In this track, Hopsin takes turns criticizing certain groups in our modern society: he first goes after today’s males before attacking modern women. He then closes by stating what he considers to be issues within members of his own race. In all three groups, he bluntly discusses specific ways that they contribute to problems in our current society.Hopsin’s penchant for brutal honesty and his unfiltered views on the music industry have both contributed to his rising notoriety. In fact, “Ill Mind of Hopsin 5″ passed the 5 million views number in just 6 days, which is very positive feedback for such a relatively unknown artist.

It’s true, Marcus Hopson is not a happy dude. But it looks like a lot of people agree with him.