The Breakfast Club: INTERVIEW – Marco Plus Talks Southern Hip Hop, Touring With J.I.D., New School Influence + More

Podcast: The Breakfast Club (iHeartPodcasts)
Air Date: October 28, 2025
Hosts: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God, Ashley Nicole Moss
Guest: Marco Plus

Overview

In this engaging episode of The Breakfast Club, rising Atlanta rapper Marco Plus sits down with DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha God, and Ashley Nicole Moss to discuss his journey in hip hop, his creative evolution, the realities of the new generation’s music industry, mental health, lyrical authenticity, and Southern rap’s legacy. From memories growing up on the show to reflections on vulnerability, faith, and the bustling Atlanta scene, Marco shares a sincere, unfiltered perspective on being young, hungry, and true to himself as both an artist and a man.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Early Life, Upbringing, and Hip-Hop Roots

[02:53-05:44]

• Marco shares the surrealness of being on The Breakfast Club, a show he grew up watching:

  "This is my childhood, like, dead serious... I honestly didn't think I was going to make it up here." (Marco Plus, 03:02)

• Raised in a musically-inclined family (grandfather owned an indie label in Pensacola):

  "My whole family is kind of musical... I've been rapping my whole life, bruh." (Marco Plus, 04:39)

• Early influences: Hot Boys, Lil Wayne, BG, T.I., Jeezy, Prodigy from Mobb Deep.

2. Personal Struggles and Mental Health

[06:00-07:47 / 13:27-16:18]

• Marco uses music as therapy, explaining his introversion and communication struggles:

  "My girlfriend told me I don't talk. So, like, I realized I do most of my talking in my music." (Marco Plus, 06:11)

• Candidly shares battles with depression from a young age and the process of self-exploration:

  "Depression is a sticky... It's a weird thing. Sometimes you don't know where your depression come from until you actually dig deep." (Marco Plus, 12:56 & 14:48)

• On faith and confusion about religion:

  "I feel like I battle with the idea of faith sometimes... Of course, I believe that God is real. I just don't understand sometimes." (Marco Plus, 16:18)

3. The Creative Process: Vulnerability, Storytelling, and Evolution

[12:01-13:27 / 18:27-22:03 / 38:26-41:18]

• Describes new album Marco Plus vs. the Underworld as a personal battle with shadow sides, industry ills, emotions, and broader life issues.

  "The underworld is the industry. The underworld is my emotions. The underworld is infidelity, trust issues... all of that shit could feel like hell." (Marco Plus, 12:10)

• On being vulnerable in music, yet guarded in life:

  "I'm a vulnerable guy. I'll be cooling. And I'm also like, a very—like, if I say you my partner, you my partner. People don't respect that all the time though." (Marco Plus, 20:32)

• On evolving as an artist:

  "I realized I hate my older music. But not because it's bad, because I know I've gotten better... This newer album is like, it feels timeless." (Marco Plus, 38:41)

4. Southern Hip-Hop, Atlanta’s Legacy, and New School Influence

[11:01-12:00 / 31:00-36:24 / 37:24-38:26 / 43:23-53:36]

• Proudly represents a resurgence of lyrical and conscious Atlanta rap (shouts to Dungeon Family, Goody Mob, Outkast, Killer Mike, T.I.):

  "Y’all are really in that space of, like, ‘man, this is the Atlanta that I grew up on.’" (Charlamagne, 11:08)

• Recalls the sound of Atlanta's Southside and its permeation across musical generations.
• Debates Southern rap “royalty”—comparing the longevity, impact, and relevance of J. Cole, T.I., Scarface, Outkast, Future, and Wayne with vibrant, at times contentious, exchanges:

  "Cole has had the longest run of being at the top in the South. Cole came out when? 2011. It's 2026." (Marco Plus, 48:51) "Wayne, TI, Scarface—like, come on, bro." (Charlamagne, 53:51)

• Highlights the blurred line between “up next” and “up now” status in the internet era:

  "Up next is kind of like a leash... When are y'all going to actually, like, push... for the guy to be up?" (Marco Plus, 35:12)

5. Career Moves: Authenticity, Collaboration, and Industry Realities

[08:06-10:19 / 21:28-22:58 / 23:56-27:27 / 34:04-35:48]

• Recently signed a distribution deal with Roc Nation, retaining creative independence:

  "I like to be able to control my timeframe...I could put out a song that I made two weeks ago. A lot of people can't do that." (Marco Plus, 08:51)

• On collaborating with JID and co-signs from Atlanta’s new vanguard:

  "He seen me wanting to make something more of not just myself, but of our scene. And he was like, all right, I gotta put on for that." (Marco Plus, 10:29)

• Struggles with social media demands; describes himself as part of a “transitional” digital generation.
• Takes pride in lyricism but aims for mainstream status:

  "I want to be the biggest rapper ever. I want to be the biggest musician ever... I have no problem taking the route I gotta take to become one of them." (Marco Plus, 24:46–25:26)

• On dream collaborations: Kendrick and Drake top his list, citing their respective impact on him as a young fan.

6. Contemporary Hip-Hop: Virality, Attention-Induced Short Careers

[40:15-41:55 / 36:46-37:24]

• Discusses how song structures and lengths are adapting to shorter attention spans, streaming culture, and new listening habits.
• Reflects on the rapid rise and fall of modern rap stars, blaming both the audience’s focus and artist ego.

  "The lifespan for rappers nowadays is so short. Max is two years... the attention span of the fan and the ego of the artist." (Marco Plus, 36:46)

7. Purpose, Legacy, and the Atlanta Scene

[54:11-55:22]

• Ambitions for his musical legacy:

  "I want to be the reason that these young kids want to do more, say more... I kind of just want to help my city figure out its true identity." (Marco Plus, 54:18)

• Hopes to be remembered as the artist who "shifted the paradigm" and inspired Atlanta's youth to seek more than the narrow confines of street or industry expectations.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Music as Therapy:

  "I do most of my talking in my music." (Marco Plus, 06:11)

• On Authenticity in Southern Rap:

  "I want to show that somebody from the south can be at the top...I just want to show, like, it ain't like that." (Marco Plus, 45:28)

• On Collaborating with JID:

  "He seen me wanting to make something more of not just myself, but of our scene." (Marco Plus, 10:29)

• On Mental Health:

  "Depression is a weird thing... Sometimes you don't know where your depression comes from until you actually dig deep." (Marco Plus, 12:56)

• On Religious Doubt:

  "Of course, I believe that God is real. I just don’t understand sometimes." (Marco Plus, 16:18)

• On Mainstream Ambition:

  "I want to be the biggest rapper ever. I want to be the biggest musician ever." (Marco Plus, 24:46)

• Roots of Atlanta’s Sound:

  "All of Atlanta, it's kind of like...everybody is from...the west side...and then they moved out and spread out." (Marco Plus, 37:30)

• On Longevity in the Game:

  "Cold has had the longest run of being at the top in the South." (Marco Plus, 48:51)

• On Legacy:

  "I want to be able to be like, yo, this kid shifted the paradigm. That's what I want people to say." (Marco Plus, 55:22)

Key Timestamps

• [02:53] – Marco Plus introduced; emotional about appearing on The Breakfast Club
• [04:39] – Family roots in music and influences from the Southern hip-hop scene
• [06:00/12:10] – Processing pain and struggle through music; album themes
• [08:06] – Journey to Roc Nation distribution & artistic independence
• [10:19] – Relationship with JID and representation of Atlanta's underdog lane
• [16:18] – Deep dive into faith, personal confusion about religion
• [20:32] – On the dangers and necessity of vulnerability as a rapper
• [24:46] – Open declaration of wanting to achieve worldwide stardom
• [31:00] – The Michael Jackson/Youngboy debate; reflection on celebrity and accessibility
• [35:12] – Up next vs. up now: industry and generational shifts
• [38:41] – Growth: critiques of older music and the importance of evolution
• [41:55] – The challenge and art of crafting shorter songs for new audiences
• [43:23–53:36] – Wide-ranging debate about Southern hip hop royalty and the impact of J. Cole, T.I., and Wayne
• [54:11] – Marco’s aspirations to positively transform Atlanta’s youth and rap culture

Final Thoughts

Marco Plus delivers a heartfelt, insightful conversation that bridges hip-hop’s past and present—deeply aware of the South’s legacy while passionately intent on forging his own path. From navigating mental health and digital-era fame to upholding Southern authenticity and dreaming big, Marco’s episode is a stirring reminder of hip hop’s power as both art and lifeline.