Marco Polo

Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, underground rap producer Marco Bruno, better known as Marco Polo, immersed himself in the boom-bap production style that flourished during the early 1990s. After catching the hip-hop bug, he signed up for audio engineering courses in 1999 and used his student loans to buy his first MPC. Upon completing his studies, he relocated from Canada to New York, settling into a friend’s basement in Queens while he tried to break into the business. He started by working without pay as an intern at Manhattan’s Cutting Room recording studios, a role that later evolved into a staff management position. During that time he would spin his own instrumentals in the office whenever artists such as Talib Kweli, Fat Joe, and Inspectah Deck arrived for sessions. Masta Ace was one visitor who responded favorably and included Polo’s “Do It Man” on the 2004 album A Long Hot Summer. The placement quickly generated further work, leading to an in-house production role at the New York indie label Soulspazm. There he supplied tracks for Supernatural, Jean Grae, Immortal Technique, the Boot Camp Clik, and California MC Rasco, who issued Polo’s debut beat collection, Canned Goods, through his Pockets Linted imprint in 2005. After Soulspazm parted ways with its distributor, the label arranged a joint venture with Rawkus Records. Rawkus backed the producer’s ambitious 2007 release Port Authority, on which his polished, minimalist sound was showcased by veteran rappers including Kool G Rap, Large Professor, O.C., and Masta Ace.