At only 52 years old, hip-hop is a relatively young genre. For comparison, rock & roll is in its early 70s, R&B music is 80 years old, and jazz music is a supercentenarian. This year, rap acts like Clipse, Ghostface, and Freddie Gibbs opened up the conversation about ageism in hip-hop by releasing critically acclaimed albums in their 40s and 50s. For some reason, rappers are given expiration dates, usually after the age of 40. But the art form is still nimble enough to constantly reinvent itself. Coke La Rock is assumed to be the oldest living rapper at 70 years old, and fans of the genre who have aged with hip-hop are still active and enthusiastic about new music and attending shows.
Twenty years ago, Kevin Muldrow Jr., best known as Mullyman, did what no Baltimore rapper had done before: He dropped his debut album “Mullymania” featuring several mainstream rappers. As far as we know, no Baltimore rapper has collaborated with so many legendary artists on one album.
Twenty years ago, Kevin Muldrow Jr., best known as Mullyman, did what no Baltimore rapper had done before: He dropped his debut album “Mullymania” featuring several mainstream rappers. As far as we know, no Baltimore rapper has collaborated with so many legendary artists on one album.
Some of the hip hop legends featured on the album include Clipse, who then went on to make hit after hit with super producers Pharell Williams and Chad Hugo; Memphis Bleek, attempting to prove himself after his OG Jay Z “retired”; and Ghostface, working to stake his claim in hip-hop outside of his Wu Tang Clan comrades with four solo albums. “Mullymania” would place Mullyman in a class of his own.
Today, at 50 years old, Mullyman is still pumping out music. He doesn’t look his age at all; He’s vegan and still in very good physical shape, eager to share his tips for staying healthy with anyone who will listen. If you spend any time with him, you’ll hear wisdom and knowledge that only comes with age.
I spent the past few months having conversations with Mullyman about Baltimore hip-hop’s past and present.
“I remember a time when my hometown radio station, 92Q, told me that my songs weren’t ready for radio,” he told me this past April as we sat in a lounge in his downtown luxury apartment building.
To fully understand his dedication to his craft, it’s important to look at where it came from.
Mullyman’s roots run deep in a musical West Baltimore family. Like any true Baltimorean, he doesn’t hesitate to let you know where he’s from — the intersection of Bentalou and Riggs. The cover of “Mullymania” shows an image of that exact corner behind him. He is the son of Kevin Muldrow Sr., a singer who performed under the name Kevon Ramonte, and Yvette Samuels. Both parents were from musical families. His grandfather, Cornell Muldrow, was a pianist who often played at the legendary Royal Theater on Pennsylvania Avenue among the likes of Billie Holiday, James Brown, and Ella Fitzgerald. On his mother’s side, his uncle John Samuels was a drummer, and his grandfather John Samuels Sr. managed his uncle’s popular Chant Band. Mully said his uncle was the first person he ever saw with a drum machine while he was in elementary school.
“I wasn’t even wise enough … comprehend what was going on. It’s a whole studio in my basement and a live drum set, a guitar, congas, all in my basement on Bentalou Street,” he said.
This environment was a playground for creativity. He and his sister, a rapper who goes by the name Nikstylz, would sing to entertain their parents’ guests. One of their favorite songs to sing was The Osmonds’ “Side By Side.” Growing up in such a popular and talented family made Mully feel important.
At 10 years old, he found his own voice and identity when he fell in love with hip-hop. Discovering the likes of Run-DMC, Rakim, LL Cool J, and Big Daddy Kane would inspire him to write his first rhyme. He pushed through the fear of reciting it publicly and immediately was praised for his gift. The taste of winning over fans in school and his neighborhood would stick with him for life.
He started playing sports early as a James Mosher Little League baseball player. He attributes a large part of his success as a musician to being an athlete.
“It teaches you teamwork, accountability. It teaches you everything you need to know about playing your position while contributing to making your team win,” Mullyman said.
Music and sports carried him through high school as he attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and then Walbrook High School. When he went to college at University of Maryland Eastern Shore, majoring in construction management, he was given the nickname Mullyman — Mully as an acronym for Master of Unorthodox Lyrics Leading You. He added “man” at the end to give the name a superhero aspect. He gained a reputation for battling rappers from other states and consistently coming out on top at UMES.
Because “Mullymania” turned 20 this year, and Mullyman is back in Baltimore after living in Atlanta for 14 years, I decided to revisit the album. I remember getting my copy in my mid 20s at a small music kiosk in Reisterstown Road Plaza, but it had been at least 15 years since I’d listened to it. The 18-track project sits as a time capsule that should be studied. The mainstream features compete well with features from Baltimore rappers as well as rappers from elsewhere who have since disappeared from the spotlight. The songs where he stands alone, however, not only carry the project but showcase his hunger as a young emcee who puts his all into making music.
“Mullymania” was released by Major League Unlimited on October 24, 2005, and distributed by Unruly Records. In those days, hard copies of music were still a reliable source of revenue for artists. Having a record label and a team ensured that his CDs were available in Best Buy, Circuit City, DTLR, and pretty much anywhere else you could buy music in Baltimore.
The project was produced mainly by Baltimore veteran producer Banga Bill, with additional production by Mullyman, Clinton Sparks, Skarr Akbar, CR Da Show, Sonny Brown, Jay Funk, and 3rd Infantry.
At the time, Mullyman was focused on defying the odds. He had solidified his name in Baltimore already through shows, cyphers, and on-air radio appearances. So, now it was time to set out to prove that Baltimore could weigh in with the heavyweights of mainstream hip-hop.
“I wrote this album willing to die for this,” he told me. “I was ready to be a martyr for Baltimore hip-hop.”
At the time, Mullyman had been on MTV and had major radio airplay. He even garnered buzz through a public battle with Baltimore rapper Bossman. Mullyman was next up to bat for the Baltimore music scene, and he believed he could accomplish the seemingly impossible. \
“The power of belief is underestimated. I did everything I said I would do and people didn’t believe me until I did it.”
Kevin “Mullyman” Muldrow Jr.
“The power of belief is underestimated,” he adds. “I did everything I said I would do and people didn’t believe me until I did it.”
Opening with the song “Moment of Truth,” Mully sets the stage with an attention-grabbing organ-lead track:
“The moment of truth the moment of proof / for every critic or hater that ever hated on Mully for burning the booth,” he spits. “I have been crucified like the God I serve / Spit the illest verses stay true to every word.”
The second track introduces the first rap feature, Brooklyn native Memphis Bleek. “Home of Da Realest” catches a young Bleek coming off of releasing his fourth studio album “534.” On “Home of Da Realest,” Mullyman goes toe-to-toe with Bleek.
When I asked how the song came together, Mullyman described a moment fit for cinema. “We drove up to New York to Sony Studios, and I remember being shocked when Bleek actually pulled up. He was super cool and instantly started vibing over tracks with me, trading multiple verses over tracks by producer Banga Bill,” he said.
“It literally felt like a classic hip-hop movie scene. After vibing for a minute, Bleek decided to drop 24 bars and record a hook for me instead of the originally agreed-upon 16 bars,” Mullyman said. “That song ended up number one on the same radio station I once was told I wasn’t ready for — 92Q — for 13 weeks in the summer of 2005.”
“Jay decided to fall back / It’s ‘05 now I stepped up my raps,” Memphis Bleek raps on the song’s first verse over a familiar Isley Brothers’ “Between the Sheets” sample.
On the second verse, Mullyman shows no letting up:
“Pulling rank like Shabba with a trailer load full of chicks / This rap game constipated, it’s full of shit / Me assuming the role of Exlax to get it movin’ / XXL Showing and Proving,” he raps.
On “Got It,” Virginia Beach’s blood brother duo Clipse, alongside Norfolk rapper Fam-Lay, drop a flurry of flawless bars with the West Baltimore native. It is arguably one of the strongest songs on the project. The song also comes at the height of producer Pharrell Williams’ Star Trak record label. Clipse, riding the success of their smash hit “Grindin,” and Fam-Lay were both Star Trak artists at the time — getting a feature from them in 2005 is like having a feature from Youngboy Never Broke Again today. The song came together on one of many out-of-town business trips to Virginia with Mullyman’s cousin and business partner, Bobby Drake, and his business partner Sonny Brown.
This track is particularly fascinating because when Clipse dropped their album “Let God Sort Em Out” this summer after a 15-year hiatus, the more highlighted portions of the project were verses from Malice. The elder brother of the duo had been away from the public eye for many years. The younger sibling, Pusha T, has remained active, at one point being an artist and the president of Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint.
But Malice’s return reminded everyone that even as a born-again Christian over 50, he is still a superior wordsmith. Malice delivers words that might make him cringe today, but are still dope nonetheless: “A horse is a horse of course of course / 323 of ‘em in that Porsche / Get a load of this lifestyle of the rich / and I don’t even race her, I baby that bitch.”
Philadelphia rapper Freeway, who has become a Baltimore favorite over the years, appears twice on “Mullymania.” He is first heard alongside rapper Black Lo on “Buck On ‘Em” and then returns with Black Lo on the bonus track “All My Heart.” Bonus tracks are a lost art on albums these days, but this one shows up as 18b, an extension of the final track 18, “One of Da Greatest.”
On “Buck On EM” Freeway raps “Long as I’m on time with the paper, they on time with the package / I’m on time with the ‘matics / If you tryna take the paper, we tryna get this paper / We aint scared to make the papers we will let you niggas have it dog / We got connects like the wire to connect you to The Wire / Your new diet will be applesauce.”
Freeway continues to make music as a solo artist and has outlived the careers of his State Property conglomerates. In 2019, he received a kidney transplant at Johns Hopkins and has since called Baltimore a second home. He has befriended Mayor Brandon Scott, performed at his inaugural party, and appeared as an addition to the 2025 Artscape mainstage lineup.
Wu Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah appears delivering a wordy hook on Track 14, “Get That Money.” In 2005, Ghost released a collaborative project with Trife Diesel while riding the success of the Beyoncé “Summertime” remix. This year, he released Supreme Clientele 2, a follow up to his classic sophomore album, Supreme Clientele.
“Mullymania” also features some Baltimore greats including his sister, Nikstylz, who appears on “Never Giving Up.” Backland, who had a nice run in the early 2000s as a Freestyle Friday winner on “106 and Park,” an after-school live TV show on BET that showcased hip-hop & R&B stars that were charting at the time. Backland appears on “Gangsta wit Me” alongside Major League label mate Sonny Brown (who was once in a rap group with Skillz and Tracey Lee). “Gangsta wit Me” also features Baltimore rap veteran Comp, who, during the year prior, as an artist signed to Def Jam Records, had been formed into a character in the well-known PlayStation 2 video game “Def Jam Vendetta: Fight for NY.”
The danger of having so many features on an album is that it can leave the listener questioning whether or not the artist has the ability to carry an album alone. In Mullyman’s case, it’s the solo songs that actually give the most depth to the project. Tracks 10, 11, and 12, for example, show Mullyman digging into more personal topics and taking a sizable break from other voices.
“Oh Baltimore” is a shit-talking assault of bragging, metaphors that sprinkle in Baltimore slang, shoutouts of locations, and even explanations for why the city has had a reputation for violence, all with Nina Simone sampled on the hook. “Many ask why the good die young / The answer is simple: Misunderstood is the hood I’m from,” he raps.
“Growing Pains” finds Mully telling his upbringing story in Harm City while doing his off-key rendition of The Five Stairsteps’ classic “O-o-h Child” on the hook.
On “For Granted,” Mullyman fearlessly does what the vast majority of rappers stayed away from in the ‘90s and early 2000s: he gets vulnerable. In the first verse, he talks to God as a wavering yet faithful Christian. In the second verse, he speaks about slavery and its impact on Black people in America.
These three songs (produced by Baltimore producer Banga Bill) all come back to back on the album. That part stood out to me, so I asked Mullyman about the placement and whether it was intentional.
“Through the rise of social media over the last few years, the world is catching up and loving our [Baltimore] culture, slang, dances, fashion, etc. But the real been knew.”
Kevin “Mullyman” Muldrow Jr.
“Yes indeed,” he said. “It was essential that my initial hip-hop statement to the world was abnormally vulnerable for hiphop artists at that time. It expressed who I was and what I stood for personally as a result of my growing pains and gains in Baltimore City. Through the rise of social media over the last few years, the world is catching up and loving our [Baltimore] culture, slang, dances, fashion, etc. But the real been knew.”
If you have the opportunity to meet a jazz musician who’s been around for a while, they’ll let you know that as an artist, success is less about platinum plaques and Grammys and more about the quality of the work. It’s rare to find a rapper who is willing to say the same. A rapper’s success is usually measured by the number of chart-topping hits, awards, streaming numbers, and the price of their material possessions, like houses, cars, and jewelry. But Mullyman is the epitome of a dedicated artist. He is a rapper’s rapper who has been around the industry, hurt by, failed endeavors, ups, downs, turnarounds, and still prioritizes the culture.
“Back then I was thinking about legacy and culture,” he told me. “I wanted to normalize what I was doing. Success is sincerity.”
But there is nothing normal about Kevin Muldrow. Today, while still releasing music, he is a business owner, fitness instructor, and advocate for healthy living. He and his partner (who, coincidentally, is also featured in this issue’s “Best Beats”), fellow Baltimore rapper Kay L.A., promote love as currency through their joint Instagram account.
“Most people chase money and underestimate the power of love. A purpose-driven path of love is the most profitable,” he said. “It’s the soul’s gold.”
“Most people chase money and underestimate the power of love. A purpose driven path of love is the most profitable,” Mullyman said. “It’s the soul’s gold.”
The history of hip-hop is plagued by predatory music industry practices and the early deaths of beloved trailblazers like Big L, Notorious B.I.G, Tupac, XXXTentacion, Pop Smoke, PnB Rock, and so many more. Rap success is a popular dream among both young and older artists, and rappers are often a target for pay-to-play scams. Paying to perform on shows, be heard on the radio, or streamed on Spotify playlists has become an unnecessary norm. Fabricated high-end lifestyles as content are encouraged as a marketing scheme; Up-and-coming rappers often rent Airs, jewelry, and cars for videos to present themselves as having financial success they have not yet earned.
The essential DNA of hip-hop culture is often left ignored as rappers chase social media numbers over learning the craft. The art of mastering things like live performance, breath control, counting bars, song structure, and song placement has taken a back seat in the life of today’s rap artists. But with OGs like Mullyman still around, there is hope, and room to continue the conversation about the longevity of an emcee.