Roc Marciano and Errol Holden kicked off Hip-Hop History Month with their vinyl-only release of 'The Manhattan Project' at Hidden Tiger in NYC.
With the beginning of November comes Hip-Hop History Month, a weeks-long celebration of the past, present and future of rap culture.
Although flashy, fly and front-and-center have become the standard for rappers of today, the genre originally got its grit on the underground. It’s a scene that still exists today, more or less as a hip-hop subgenre, but nonetheless has its star players and an extremely supportive fanbase. Two pioneers at that level are Harlem’s own Errol Holden and the proclaimed “Godfather of the Underground” himself, Roc Marciano. They recently came together for The Manhattan Project, continuing a trend where Marciano plays producer and Holden handles the lyrical attack.
Making things feel even more like the early days of rap, the album was released last week exclusively on vinyl during a release party at Hidden Tiger in NYC.
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Diehard fans had no issue waiting on an extensive line outside the venue, where Roc and Errol played the album in a wave of two listening sessions to an arm-to-arm packed house. Renowned DJ and producer Statik Selektah was on hand to spearhead the sounds for the night, spinning cuts from the album in addition to classic hip-hop hits and new music he’s recently been working on. Also a co-owner of Hidden Tiger, the mixmaster made it a point to periodically remind the crowd that the East Village destination is one of the premiere destinations where hip-hop still lives in its original form.
In addition to running through the tracks, both guys also made time in-between sessions to not only autograph copies of the album but also sell it themselves in a move reminiscent of selling CDs out of a trunk. Fans waved cash and credit in the air to purchase their copy, with various editions ranging from $75 to as much as $200 a pop.
Musically, The Manhattan Project delivers if you’re familiar with both of their respective gritty flows and production that simply slaps. Similar to their previous collaborative effort in 2025 with Roc Marciano Presents: MULBERRY SILK ROAD, Errol flows through an expert level of knowledge on street politics while Roc shows off his own expertise in building hard-hitting beats that progress at a menacingly slow pace. Other moments feel almost like eavesdropping on a conversation that bridges the narrative overall.
With an album title that cleverly plays on the collaborative nature of the real-life Manhattan Project, not to mention Holden’s own Uptown upbringing also giving it another meaning, you can bet the accompanying lyricism is just as masterful.
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