We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Timothy Marley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Timothy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I’ve been a student of hip hop since a kid. Growing up listening to Biggie and Jay Z really inspired my creative side. My mom said that I always wrote poems when I was a kid, so I was kind of a natural so to speak. The skills I picked up were from recording in high school, working as a DJ, and a board op at our local radio station. I’ve been fighting the feeling for so long, and finally gave in. I started taking my craft seriously a year or so ago. The only obstacles that I’ve found was my ego and self doubt. Once I learned how to deal with that, I started making progress in the craft.

Timothy, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

“I used to dream about times like this” says Hip-Hop artist Timothy Marley. As a self-proclaimed child of Hip-Hop he is humbled by the opportunity to share his music with the world and all that will listen. His music composition is inspired by Hip-Hop elites like Jay Z, The Notorious B.I.G, and Nipsey Hussle.

Building off the shoulders of these great artist Timothy Marley’s music is a musical landscape with a breath of fresh air. He describes his music as, “fragments of his life over dope ass beats”. Each song tells his story over hazy and melodic productions that embody a unique tone to yield perseverance and a prosperous energy to every track.

Timothy was raised in Rose City, Texas (Tyler, Texas) under the tutelage of a Southern Baptist Preacher and a Police Officer. Growing up he’s always been an enthusiast of music – he found solace in it. He began writing poems and raps at the age of nine. Young Timothy had big dreams. He dreamed his lyrics
would catch the ears of the legendary rap group “Kriss Kross” with hopes to earn him a spot in the group. In 1992 when the album “Chronic” dropped he wanted to be just like Dr. Dre. But, as Timothy reached his teenage years his dreams were eventually stowed away. “Ready to Die” by the Notorious
B.I.G and “Reasonable Doubt” by Jay-Z became the soundscapes to his teenaged years and the motivation he needed to dream big again.

Timothy recalls, “I’ve been fighting the fears of success until the epiphany came. It’s surreal how God works”. Great things are brewing for this young Texas raised artist. He’s created his own label with the help of his family and close friends, Free Lunch Records, LLC.

His debut project, “The Life and Times of Timothy Marley – Vol.2” is due to release April 2022.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Creating the best art that I can and sharing it with the world, one ear at a time.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When Covid hit, I had to close my sneaker resell shop. That’s when I started back writing. I got back in school and got my Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, and started other businesses.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://timothymarley.com
• Instagram: @timothy_marley420
• Facebook: Timothy Marley
• Youtube: Timothy Marley
• Soundcloud: Timothy Marley

Image Credits

Timothy Marley
Free Lunch Records