THE UPTOWN BLUES

Unpack (ft. Aced Spade)

The most unexpected collab of the year turned out to be a banger!

RIOT (feat. Katie Got Bandz)

Will I find someone that truly understands?

Truly Understands (ft. Akeem)

The Circle & Ciphers Mixtape is an introduction to "Circles & Ciphers".

We are a hip-hop infused restorative justice organization led by and for young people impacted by violence. Through art-based peace circles, education, and direct action we collectively heal and work to bring about the abolition of the prison-industrial complex.
credits
released June 21, 2023

1. Hide or Seek (ft. MARKO STAT$, ANAMLI, Chris, Akeem, 7b9, Ann Marie, Nikia & SHAYN.)
2. Today (ft. Kofi Diamonds, MARKO STAT$ & ANAMLI)
3. FREEDOM IS A MINDSET (ft. Alejandro, ANAMLI, Pressure, Akeem, MARKO STAT$, SHAYN. & Rashad)
4. Can’t Wait (ft. CelloSoReal, Rich B, MARKO STAT$)
5. Passing Through (ft. ANAMLI, Akeem, SHAYN. MARKO STAT$, Pressure & Alejandro)
6. Call Me (ft. SHAYN)
7. Big Dog Freestyle (ft. Kheshun)
8. Charles Darwin (ft. Pressure, MARKO STAT$ & Kofie Diamonds)
9. Anti Snitch (ft. MARKO STAT$, Kofie Diamonds & Rich B)

Charles Darwin (ft. Pressure, MARKO STAT$ & Kofie Diamonds)

I took a break but apparently the game needs me!

WHO?

OH WOW

MARKO STAT$ - Chosen (ft. Femdot) (Prod. By Aced Spade)

We the real ones chosen
World never seen our kind 
Cause these streets been so grim(y) 
Search hard you and might find 
We the real ones chosen 
We the real ones chosen 
We the real ones chosen 
We the real ones chosen 
This here is written in stone 
This everything I been told 
I don’t really care about your race 
I just really care about your taste 
We the real ones chosen 
We the real ones chosen
We the real ones chosen 
We the reel ones chosen

Chosen (ft. femdot.) (Prod. By Aced Spade)

Marko Stat$ - Hit Record (feat. ANAMLI)
(Prod. By BeatsByTrain & Aced Spade)

Track 1

Aye I’m recording this from the church by the way, You know Circles & Ciphers, aw man we do our thang don’t we? 

When I’m stressed out I just gotta hit record, what do I do with all these feelings that I can’t ignore, the industry is more taboo than a ouija board, the most talented most likely won’t see an award, when I’m moving it forward that’s just me upping the score, it was 4 in the morning we rolling up on the porch, and I was afraid to open 
up cause you might use it against me, my trust been broken immensely, they never threw back the frisbee, some of my best friends turned out to be murderers, and some working at dollar tree the streets never heard of em, and some learned how to take full advantage of the net, that Nigga in his mid twenties and he got a patek, I’m born to really hold the game by its neck, in 5th grade frees-tying with my boy SHAQUON, he became one of the best, we came up with some of the best raps the northside has ever seen, and when they talk about them legends tell ‘em mention me 

And you ain’t really from the northside if you ain’t never witness Young Pappy spit a hot 16 on Lawrence Ave, Ova there on Sheridan, S&L Pantry, The Grille

My 7th grade teacher popped out to a couple of shows, wasn’t surprised when I seen her in the 4th row, passed all my classes with more finesse than a finger roll, she always knew I was born here for a reason though, I got the key to your heart it’s in a finger four but I was thinking though, my life sound unbelievable, I took the path that was less structured, got punctured right there in my soul now I’m stronger than all you cock-munchers, a bidding war for my life story, and I can tell she really love me the way she making that rice for me, what’s the difference from a gangster and a solider? I learned to kill my prey while I still keep that composure, my ready for a rally my energy Sharapova, told em’ to find himself but he lost it inside a sofa, I’m used to writing all my raps down but now I punch it in, I punched and really made the record spin, 

And I ain’t start rapping so I can let a motherfucker tell me what to do, nigga I gotta be as free as possible, it don’t matter what the fuck I’m doing, 

I’ll rather be at war with the world instead of hurting myself, spread my wings on wax so my presence is felt, just hit record as I channel the feelings I keep inside, I’m forever scarred by all of them nights I couldn’t provide for my lil seed, feeling like less of me, hindsight 20/20 God really testing me, now I’m second guessing these strings that he pulling, feeling like I’m playing Russian Roulette who catching bullets? Cause I got a lot of shit up on my mind now, who said I should calm down? But I’m trying to chase commas fuck what they talking about, 9 to 5’s will never get me, word to what Keemo said, family or funds? Guess a Nigga gotta chose the bread, cause who gon’ love a black man if he ain’t got the cash flow? Ain’t laughing to the bank, that’s cringy like some dad jokes, my legacy is everything I’ll never see but so, my people come from chains I need everything I’m owed, are you friend are you a foe? Keep it solid, let me know, give a fuck about your dreams if you don’t ever reach a goal, too many times I’ve seen em go, Niggas dying for some hope, to see some rings like an Audi or a chain dripped in gold motherfucker, 

They say resilience is very different from being numb, resilience means you experience, you feel, you fail, you hurt, you fall, but you keep going 

I’ll exploit myself before you maggots get the chance. Marko don’t forget me when you make it , he told me in advance, Marko just fucking all these beats without a slow dance, Hip Hop just became just bitch and I love watching this romance, love watching this pornograph, experimented make a graph of all these co

Hit Record (feat. ANAMLI)

MARKO STAT$ - Sasha Marie( Prod. By ODDstatus)

Track 2

Alright, next stop is daycare. When we on the way there let’s have a little story time, I know that you.. kinda young right now, you may not understand everything that I tell you baby but I know that it’s gon’ seep through your subconscious, yeah, this dedicated to your mama too. So we gon’ talk about the story of how you was born, how you came to pass, use for future reference too baby


I met your mother when I was crashing its perfect timing, first day I seen her my intuition just start alarming, I’m just a vessel my god is showing me how to wrestle, we took a trip to Los Angeles tryna dodge the weather, plus it’s your mama birthday need somewhere to celebrate, took her to mansions in Hollywood what a great escape, Looking at stars from this rooftop look at our fate, baby I think it was something magical bout today, endorphins released the moment I plant that seed in her, lord please protect us I know your holding the key, darling let’s have this baby we’ll name her Sasha Marie, just like when Jesus was born she’s here for all to see, I went through series of transformations when you was pregnant, but I was pressured the universe was giving me presents, I got offended when you was dealing with emotions, I’m faced with anxiety everyday I’m smoking, girl I know that you noticed, too caught up in the moment, I know she felt like her life was pausing just for a moment, hate I made you feel alone I’m going right through the motions, Promise won’t leave you broken I’m here right now and you know this, welcome baby Sasha she was born after a full moon, she look just like her father her grandma blessed her mama womb, and I can just assume her light will shine in all these rooms, the nurses looking at me like I’m so happy for you. Now everything that I do, I’m doing it all for you, nobody really knows all of the answers, so when you in parent mode remember be understanding, and if she scrape her knee give her more than a bandage, baby you know that you tried to walk before you crawled, and I wasn’t appalled most beautiful thing that I saw, and even when she fall she get up and try another time. She give me more motivation to write another line, and her first words was Da-Da, she playing on the swings when she gave her auntie a high 5, we working on her speech but I keep saying Gugu gaga, causes she’s so cute, there’s no creation better than you! This for all my fathers out here doing it for their daughters, universe threw you a blessing right there and you caught it, learning as you go, cause that’s just how it go, your presence is security nigga if you

Sasha Marie

Marko Stat$ - Energy (Prod. By L. David Beats)

Track 4

Distracted by you all the time 
I’ve been waiting for you
You been on my mind (mind mind) 
I’ve been restless 
Battle Tested 
I’ve invested all and what’s my return? 
I got nothing from you 
Wasting my time 
But it don’t have to be this way oh naw 

Trying steer my focus but I’m aware
Smirk on her face cause she don’t care 
You sabotage me you get instant karma 
Her baby with her new nigga look retarded 
I’m the full package bae 
Trying to throw me away, live a life of an empty tray 
Hell is a recurring phase of a bitter old soul
And they want you to feel the same 
And I know I came in this world solo dolo 
Distractions will fade cause I do not play 

They want my 
Energy (13x) 
Nigga they see your light 
Trying to take your light 
Trying to take your time 
It’s like taking your life 

Distracted by you all the time 
I’ve been waiting for you
You been on my mind (mind mind) 
I’ve been restless 
Battle Tested 
I’ve invested all and what’s my return? 
I got nothing from you 
Wasting my time 
But it don’t have to be this way oh naw

Energy (Prod. By L. David Beats)

Marko Stat$ - African King (feat. Chai Tulani) (Prod. By Aced Spade)

Track 10

The Uptown Blues 
Yo I can’t Believe I just met you bro 
I’ve been a big fan of your shit for the longest 
Bro remember “Lost Souls”?
Like back in 2015? 
“BEE-4 I FLY AWAY” 
“Color Blind” 
“Jubilation” bro! 
These are all classics bro 
Aced Spade on his motherfucking track you know? 
Swayze 

It’s time for the African 
Do it yeah I’m back again 
Walkathon, you know I’m the greatest from here to Pakistan 
I don’t give a fuck 
What you thinking lil homie 
I do me lil homie 
MVP lil homie 
Undefeated young African King point made 
It’s time to revolutionize no scrutinize quit the hating 
Africans uniting from the East to the West 
The the States to Brazil 
Whole nation bout to heal 
Motherfuck the system 
I’m black and I don’t play the victim 
We made it past the plagiarism 
Yeah, I was born with wisdom 
It’s time to revolutionize no scrutinize
Africans unite 
And when we do they don’t stand a chance 
Stand a chance 
Stand a chance 

Stop acting like my name is hard to pronounce I’m an African general
Don’t ever let them make fun of your name cause that’s critical 
Annoited individual
No white man control my destiny because that’s pitiful
I live by this principal
My daughter is African Queen
She reincarnated to this life where we all waited for her to bring peace
Pray to the Goddess of Oshun 
She taking to me 
Tell me my mama was always here she was never deceased
They go against us, but they can never compete
They took your kindness for a weakness now  you’re shackled from your arms to your feet
What is a slave that made it through?
 He’s a chief
The one that conquers all of the jungle
That’s why I got this lion meat in my teeth

This crown on my head is heavy
This crown on my head is rare
This crown on my head is heavy
This crown on my head is there
She’s so beautiful in her black skin 
She’s an assassin
She don’t need a caption
Now all my African people stand up

Call me an African booty scratcher
Them goofies who do be capping 
Be looney and not a factor 
My duty is called by NASA
To travel and turn the chapter
To tackle the so-called masters 
Who’s acting like we was lacking 
When y’all was the same ole bastards 
Lame asses that couldn’t fathom 
How we were so close to action
Seen God in my spirit glasses
He asked me why I was spazzing? 
Just asked him for way more passion
Just ask him to help me manage
Look at me, I’m living lavish

African King (feat. Chai Tulani) (Prod. By Aced Spade)

Marko Stat$ - Algorithms (Prod. By Dxor)

Track 15

Yeah yeah yeah yeah! (Many times) 

Niggas out here with their own agendas 
I can see right through that smoke 
With my 3rd eye nigga got my own antennas 
One thing that I know about the law right now 
Is they made that shit to scam us 
One thing that I know that the billionaires know the motherfucking cure for cancer 
Free all my niggas in the slammer 
What if I told you that we in a war 
Over influence, power and knowledge 
And all my shorties just wanna be rappers 
Them Niggas don’t wanna go to college 
And why would I sign up for college? 
I’ll rather bomb it 
It’s just not a nigga environment 
Nigga just look at the economy 
The media rule your thoughts 
That’s why all these rappers wanna be bloggers 
We got all this AI technology you think it’s gon’ cost us?
When I told you fuck the world 
I ain’t saying I was finna raw dog it
And mothefuck them private prisons
All them prisons be haunted 

Man who the fuck made all these
Algorithms 
Algorithms 
When I found out I’ll get ‘em 
Bow I hit ‘em 
It’s going down lil Nigga 
Down lil nigga
It’s going down lil nigga 
Down lil nigga 

Why the fuck they kill Dr. Sebi? 
One thing I know about this information dawg 
That shit be heavy 
One thing I know about this information dawg 
That shit be deadly 
I was out here trying to save my dawg 
But man they wouldn’t let me 
I just might just bomb on the KKK 
Nigga I’m feeling edgy 
Man I hope they ready! 
Nigga No Hesi! 
You know they could of shut down the black market 
But that’s their market 
We’re in a free world 
But we still eating garbage 
All these people scared to have children 
And how the fuck you eat at native foods 
You a pilgrim 
And if I turn into a robot I won’t have feelings 
But even right now baby I don’t got feelings 
(Yeah yeah yeah) 
Aye who the real reptilians? 
I bet you they got millions 
Murder shit slaughter shit
Like Wayne on No Ceilings 
And everything is being recorded 
Of course they got surveillance
I’m an Aquarius I’m born to be rebellious

Man who the fuck made all these
Algorithms 
Algorithms 
When I found out I’ll get ‘em 
Bow I hit ‘em 
It’s going down lil Nigga 
Down lil nigga
It’s going down lil nigga 
Down lil nigga 

It don’t matter how many time you tell them

Algorithms

Marko Stat$ - Forsaken (Prod. By VeiNZ, OB MUS1C)

Track 13

You gon’ feel forsaken 
You’re closest friends might be the ones who hating 
The ones you love might open up that backdoor 
Your main bitch might send you to the station 
Your closest cousin might rob you for a couple pounds 
Your brother might drop the low 
Now they’re shooting rounds 
Through your window your kids ducking on the ground 
A bunch of crabs in a barrel in my town 
I felt so hopeless when my father was dying from cancer 
I searched for answers 
On why the fuck my commander
Was going out in this manner 
It wasn’t part of the planning 
In retrospect should of seen this energy transfer 
In retrospect should of dedicated more stanzas 
To the man that pushed all my buttons 
Like he a scanner 
Had me frustrated 
But now I’m going Bananas 
My angels still watching over me 
They ain’t vanish 
My dawg told me true love is not unconditional 
That’s just a fairy tale 
My bitch texted me Marko I’m missing you 
They say they missing you 
Behind your back they’re really dissing you 
I need my ten dollars back
Nigga it’s the principle
He got a switch now he think that he invincible 
But he don’t got no spine 
He a bitch of an Individual 
If the police listen to my rhymes 
Just know it’s fictional 
As I proceed to say fuck the pigs 
I’ll piss you on 

They even forsaken the Messiah
These people are nothing more than liars
When I’m down bad they just get to hiding 
And come back around when they see my triumph 
These people are wishy washy 
Nobody really gives a fuck about me 
They can’t tell you why they hate me 
They don’t know why they forsake me it’s crazy 

They even forsaken the Messiah
These people are nothing more than liars
When I’m down bad they just get to hiding 
And come back around when they see my triumph 
These people are wishy washy 
Nobody really gives a fuck about me 
They can’t tell you why they hate me 
They don’t know why they forsake me it’s crazy 

L-E-G-A-C-Y 
My mama watching me from the sky 
U-P-T-O-W-N 
These streets told me trust no man 
It’s looking real different since the last time we spoke 
I’m a father now 
Remember back when I was learning the ropes 
I was selling ecstasy pills
To some of the older guys in the hood 
Now I’m signing deals with Nike 
Got it out the mud 
Hey nigga I thought you was gon’ be proud of me 
But it was jealous 
That made you think that you can doubt me 
I went to school in KSWISS nigga 
They used to clown me
And you was there 
So you seen me climbing that mountain 
Somehow I build a following 
Up on the internet 
I wasn’t in to that 
Remember high school we wasn’t into that 
We used to make fun of niggas who had an Instagram 
Now you dissing me on Instagram what? 

They even forsaken the Messiah
These people are nothing more than liars
When I’m down bad they just get to hiding 
And come back around when they see my triumph 
These people are wishy washy 
Nobody really gives a fuck about me 
They can’t tell you why they hate me 
They don’t know why they forsake me it’s crazy 

They even forsaken the Messiah
These people are nothing more than liars

Forsaken

Marko Stat$ - Express Myself

Track 8 

The damage done 
The damage done 
The damage done 
Why would I walk around with all these bandages

I don’t know how to express myself
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself 

2AM I can’t fall asleep I’m so addicted 
My father died and I could of sworn I saw his sprit 
I fantasize bout killing my enemy I’m tempted 
I’m paranoid pops told me watch out for these women 
Too high to calm down 
Them niggas gon pay for putting that gun to head south bound 
I be having some evil ass thoughts like bang wanna see his head hit the ground
Wanna hear that Choppa sound 
These niggas don’t know bout Uptown 
You only been to Safari Lounge 
Free all my brother fuck mass incarceration 
The KKK versus the police 
Freddie versus Jason
But all I want is ecstasy 
I just wanna feel like I’m in a dream 
 
I don’t know how to express myself
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself 

 Everything is backwards 
The toughest niggas be some bitches 
I thought that was my homie 
Now he acting suspicious
I survived that car crash when I was 5 years old 
Rest in peace to Bookie they say he overdosed 
When I was a shorty I was awkward then a motherfucker 
It’s a few Niggas that held me down and I still got love for em 
You don’t know bout Swayze bitch better do your research 
We control campuses it’s a takeover 
The damage done 
I don’t want it no more I’m so done 
Haven’t been happy in some months 
So I just wanna pour up 

I don’t know how to express myself
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself 

Being imperfect is ok
Being imperfect is fine 
Being imperfect is ok 
Being imperfect is alright 

I don’t know how to express myself
I don’t know how to express myself 
I don’t know how to express myself

Express Myself

Marko Stat$ - ON MY WAY (feat. Akram)

Track 7

I’m on the way 
Call my phone baby I’m feeling away 
I’m tired as hell 
How far you away? 
I’ve been missing you like I ain’t got no sense 
I’ve been missing you like I ain’t got no sense 
Baby call my phone 
I’m feeling away 

She need to call my phone 
Like right now 
I need to be somewhere 
All this scam money on me 
I got accounts 
I just might buy your hair 
He tried to Zoe me on that play 
His brains up on the cabinet 
I got hoes and my bitch know she with a bad bitch magnet 
Top me off in a Burberry skirt
You wish that you had access 
Bitch I’m a star like Patrick 
My old bitch dryer than a cactus 
Collecting profiles in a STR 
Getting to the money 
Nigga talk is cheap 
With all this cash I’m still empty 
Bitch I’m tired 
Bitch I’m tired 

I’m on the way 
Call my phone baby I’m feeling away 
I’m tired as hell 
How far you away? 
I’ve been missing you like I ain’t got no sense 
I’ve been missing you like I ain’t got no sense

ON MY WAY (feat. Akram)

MGMT/Booking - markostatsbooking@gmail.com