Marcos Kavetsky, a.k.a. Marco Polo, was born on April 19, 1975 in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. He is the second son of Roy Kavetsky, a respected educator and painter of the University of Puerto Rico, and Priscilla Cora, a former African model and musician. Marco's childhood was founded in the urban life of Rio Piedras(PR), Brooklyn, and The Bronx (NYC). During his elementary years his teachers described him as wealthy in talents. Due to his parents separation he returned to Puerto Rico after living in New York City. This was the pivotal point in his life which allowed him to get back in touch with his Puerto Rican roots. There he began to develop into a young boy who was a brilliant, imaginative dreamer starting to expose his gifts in visual arts. Later, he was introduced to music under the supervision of his grandfather, Nicomedes, and uncle, Orlando Cora, learning (solphy) the mere basics of music through the trumpet. As he grew throughout the years his interest in music became stronger and almost uncontrollable which allowed him to polish his skills. He would describe his college years as “confusing but definitive". He discovered more about himself by studying philosophy and the subculture of rap, hip hop, and reggae. Within this period, he was already involving himself in writing and recording his own music drafts. He found inspiration in influential rappers and artists like Tupac, Nas, Lauren Hill Bob Marley, Vico C and many more. He later achieved his goal of graduating college with a Bachelor's Degree of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Puerto Rico.
Persuaded by his experiences in life and self-discovering, his aspirations are defiant. His drive and determination to break the stereotypical mold of what is expected of a “Spanish Rapper†is strong. He doesn’t want to be another “Reggaeton†artist, talking about sex, cars, money, and superficial things with no true meaning or value behind them. He goes as far as rapping over HIP HOP BEATS ONLY, forcing you to stop dancing for a minute and listen to what he has to say, truly impacting peoples lives as someone like Nas, Mos Def, or Talib Kweli would. Currently, he is collaborating with various producers and working on a number of projects, while at the same time recording part of his own collection of hits. With the assistance of Critical Sound Productions and Feelinit Entertainment, he has been able to bring a unique blend of music and lyrics in songs like, Mi Talento (My Talent), Salvage (Wild), Nena (Girl) and Con Cariño (Kindly). Although he is fully bilingual, his lyrics are all in Spanish. "Once I establish myself in Spanish, I will do the crossover. In many places I have performed in the U.S. few people understood the language but all of them felt me. I love the reaction I’ve gotten from peopleâ€, says Marcos. He knows that the powers of his lyrics are in his usage of "Puerto Rican slang". It sets him apart from other Spanish rappers from the United States. "Sometimes, even “Newyoricans†can't fully understand what I am rapping about. There is a big difference between the Puerto Ricans raised in the states, and us from the island.†As controversial as it may sound, he is not working the "reggaeton" scene. He believes Rap & Hip Hop to be of more artistic value and expression although he recognizes the commercial influence of reggaeton on Spanish music. "Everybody wants to sing reggaeton. In my opinion, anybody can do it. I just wish that they could change the beat. Even though there is not going to be another Daddy Yankee many can duplicate his sound, so it’s better that I am not doing it. There are so many “reggaeton†singers doing the same thing right now that even the industry is confused about what is really hot. It’s like they forgot what our pioneers in rap where trying to achieve when they decided to grab a mic and say what was on their mind, real issues. I may stand alone in my craft, but I like it that way. I’m different. I don’t expect for everyone to feel the same way I feel, but I know I have a message to give the people and their is something about me that sets me apart from the rest. I don’t think like the mainstream, and most of the mainstream is bad, so that would make me goodâ€, says Marcos. In the mean time he is getting ready to impact the industry and be the one that opens new doors for real Spanish MC’S, not rappers, which are waiting for the "monopoly of reggaeton" to vanish.
