Location: Philadelphia
Age: 23
Releases: My Brother’s Keeper, 800

1. Whats the meaning behind your name?
At first it was on some Tiny Tim shit. I’m obviously not the biggest bull on the bricks but I live large, I have a big heart, but as I’ve gotten older I suppose I want deeper meaning for it. When I introduce myself to folk and I say “Grande” it’s always met with “Why do they call you that”? I dunno, I like to paint the “big picture”. I think that’s why I push myself to write allegorically, I want to plant an image in the listener’s head. By definition a grand marshal is “the head of a multitude or procession”, now I’m not going to pump myself up as some type of magnanimous leader, but I would like to say in that regard I do feel like I set a standard that I wish others to strive for and beyond. I have confidence in my work that it can be at the forefront and make the grade. As far as Marshall, that’s just my last name. Shoutout my Mama.

2. What other names have you had?
Back in the G, I went by Phillykid, that was when I was on Jamglue and all that shit. I knew I wouldn’t get anywhere with that name so I had to drum up something else. At one point it was simply Grandmarshall but I wasn’t feeling that. My homie -Dada- back in high school he was the first person to really call me Grande, then it became like a street name for me. From then ’til maybe 2013 it was always, “is it Grand or Grande” and at this point, yeah it’s just Grande.

3. Which song of yours would you first want people to hear?
If we toss out Robert Earl, I would say Boathouse Row, Thuggin Shidd Pt 2 or Real Spill. These are songs that I personally take pride in, what I display on and at the core of who I am and what I’m about. If I had to choose one out of those 3? TS2.

4. Who was your Hip Hop idol growing up?
As a child Will Smith, unabashedly. Big Willie Style was the first album I bought with my own money -before I grew up and found out what album credits were wink wink- I really thought he was flowing on that jawn (despite Nas writing most of it). Around like 2001-02 Siegel was the man around town, so from a perspective of really literally seeing a nigga boss up and do his thing, that was big for me. Jeezy since his debut was always someone I looked up to, then Ross but it wasn’t until Deeper Than Rap/Teflon Don came out that really solidified it for me. But even in between all that there were times I listened to nothing but niggas like Skyzoo and Sha Stimuli that was my Mick Boogie hosted
mixtape, Kevin Nottingham/HipHopIsRead phase.

5. Which musician would you most like to work with?
Long Live Bankroll.

6. If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing instead?
I think about that a lot. After I graduated high school I did community college for a semester but I just didn’t feel mature enough at the time. I was in that jawn for marketing/advertising but by then I had already done a lot of the things we were learning about -shoutout the big homie Sheldon Abba- and I couldn’t bare to sit in a classroom watching videos on “real world application” when I had been in the real world applying myself. So I said fuck it and started taking my music seriously. I plan on going back to school one day but at the time it didn’t feel right. On the other hand in between Fall 2011 and Fall 2012 signing with FG I had found myself in a number of situations where I could have been booked up but yahmean, I got that favor, nothing can deter what is predestined feel me. So I dunno, I can’t say exactly what I’d be doing. Whatever was willed for me to do.

7. What is success to you?
Success is having the means to take care of those I love but also the direction to put them in to achieve what they wish to. I’ve never thought of it as throwing chains and cars at folk. My lil nephews can’t get a degree from no chain my brother won’t get off probation with a Maserati. I would much rather create the opportunities for them to
afford all that and much more as opposed to throwing material possessions at them. Albeit I’m not knocking anyone that feels or acts differently but I would rather open businesses, franchises and give my people jobs. Everybody can’t be a rapper but you can become a regional manager of a legitimate company and live the lifestyle as such. You can get out the street move your kids into a nicer neighborhood afford them better schooling and live the lifestyle as such. Doing good for/by your people, that’s success.

8. Which country produces the best food and women?
If they gotta have BOTH Gotta say Peru or like Ethiopia I mean seriously seriously.

9. What’s your vice?
I be lusting like a dog even for my girl. She always talking bout “damn you only miss that?” it ain’t like that’s the only thing I want but yahmean women are just fucking awesome pun intended. When you get yourself a good situation outside of intimacy but then she hella nasty too? Sign me up.

10. Whats your favourite animal?
On the real and this is probably the most serious answer I’ve given this entire interview: snapping turtles. them jawns are just too turnt up. the force they exude is just remarkable for a lil amphibious creature. close second is English bulldogs, shoutout my youngin, but snapping turtles are the real deal.