By Alex Kantarelis

Worcester is starting to build up more and more of a hip hop scene, and Block McCloud is standing at the forefront.  The current Worcester dude transplanted from NYC has built quite a career as a producer and over-all hip hop guru.  Now, after years behind the controls of the studio, he has stepped behind the microphone himself to release his own solo album, Four Walls.

McCloud is no rookie.  He came up in the underground scene in NY in the late 80s and early 90s and was part of the hip hop movement right from its inception.  As an engineer, he recorded albums for Jean Grae and Pumpkinhead, but he wasn’t always just the man pushing the buttons.  He was a great lyricist and had his own rap style that he had brought to the underground scene for years; soon he started singing choruses and hooks for many of the artists he was recording, eventually earning the nickname “Captain Hook.”  His guest spots inevitably led to his own solo career.  “I decided to kind of stop being the background guy and continue to the forefront and I became Block McCloud the solo artist,” he said.

While on tour with legendary Wu Tang artist Cappadonna, his manager recommended a move to Worcester, to really push the limits of hip hop.  They are currently building a studio and bringing with it some of that NY flavor ~ and McCloud will be working with all the best artists the 508 has to offer.

DJ Waxwork from Germany produced Four Walls, and McCloud was able to bring his incredible lyrical attack to the forefront of an album for the first time.  “Sometimes an artist will spend a long time on something and in the end they hate it, but I can honestly say that I’m really proud of this project,” he said, adding that “I’m happy to be relevant and impacting people musically at this stage in my career.”  The album features guest spots from La Coka Nostra, Army of Pharaohs, and Vinnie Paz ~ to name just a few.

McCloud is hitting the road this fall (with a crew of artists including M-Dot from Boston and Dizzy Dizasta from Worcester) with a tour that will go from October straight through December.  He is bringing something great to Worcester, and is motivated to really push the boundaries further than ever before.  Fans of hip hop ~ and fans of music in general ~ should check out Four Walls.

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