Roc Marciano and DJ Premier’s ‘The Coldest Profession’ Sounds Like It Belongs in a Blaxploitation Film

Depending on how deeply you follow hip-hop, the next statement will either feel like common knowledge or a brand-new revelation. Roc Marciano stands as one of the most influential MCs of his generation. Since releasing MarcBerg back in 2010, he’s helped spark a fresh wave of indie rap, delivering records with the same confidence and flair as major label releases, while often selling them directly to fans through his own website.

Many of the artists spotlighted in Rolling Stone’s No Filler column owe a debt to him, along with the hip-hop listeners who now enjoy a steady stream of skilled lyricists dropping music nearly every week. These fans grew up in hip-hop’s golden age, when producers like DJ Premier were crafting timeless tracks for Gang Starr, Nas, Jay-Z, and just about every heavyweight in the game. It’s hard to think of a legendary rapper who hasn’t rhymed over one of Premier’s beats, which makes it fitting that he and Roc finally teamed up for The Coldest Profession.

As the album’s opening explains, the idea for this project came from a random meeting in the Armani section of a Macy’s in New York City, when Roc asked Premier when they would work together. A short time before last Christmas, Premier reached out, and the two got started, creating “Armani Section” to mark the moment. That track became their first single and the perfect preview of their partnership, with Premier providing Roc a funk-inspired backdrop to spin his smooth, streetwise tales.

Much like Raekwon, Roc Marciano’s delivery, style, and musical lane are steeped in the vibe of 1970s New York, when Blaxploitation films were shaping culture and language. Roc even drops a nod to urban fiction legend Donald Goines on “Travel Fox.” His approach is never heavy-handed, but his slick lyricism naturally evokes that era. The highlights of The Coldest Profession sound like they could soundtrack a smoky Seventies speakeasy, with Roc onstage spitting, “I’m living large so that shit come with the job/Still reelin’ in cod, bendin’ the fishing rod/Hittin’ different bitches I want from here to Wichita,” while the air is thick with cigarette haze.

Those lines come from “RocMarkable,” which might be the clearest flash of classic Premier production on the record. Roc’s sharp, varied vocal textures lock in perfectly over a bassline made for head-nodding. Premier doesn’t abandon his signature style to complement Roc’s stories—his trademark scratches and vocal snippets are all over the album. On “Good to Go,” piercing strings swirl over eerie keys and a slow, deliberate bassline, creating the feeling of tension building, while Roc raps, “theme music in a haunted crack house/G Pack stashed up in the couch, about a half a ounce.” The hauntingly crisp hi-hats on “GloryHole” push Roc to get more melodic, while the closer “Execution Style” offers a warm, soulful vibe that the album could have used a little more of.

None of the beats instantly hit with the same impact as Premier’s most famous work, but that’s an almost impossible standard after more than three decades of producing. What he does here is give Roc a funk-soaked stage to flex his lyrical mastery. Roc shines most when weaving tight internal and external rhymes, painting detailed scenes of a lavish hustler’s life, untouched by fear, competition, or defeat. It all comes together in the second verse of “Execution Style,” when he raps, “Silk robe, silver and gold, one long stemmed rose/Sports Illustrated center fold holds pose in expensive overcoat/Show these bitches my boat cuz I’m a showboat/They can’t touch the gold I’m Mayweather doin’ the shoulder roll.”

Much of the album sticks to this portrait of The Coldest Profession, with Roc’s slick wordplay and inventive imagery keeping things fresh throughout. Lines like “Homeboy talkin’ oil slick, eventually sleep with the coyfish, oysters, and shrimp” from “Travel Fox” are just one example of how he keeps listeners hooked. All in all, it’s a strong showing from two hip-hop veterans who found the right creative balance and delivered a piece of modern-day Blaxploitation-inspired art that rewards repeat listens.