Mark Battles

Mark Battles is a rapper and producer from Indianapolis, Indiana, known for his raw, honest style and work ethic. Influenced early on by artists like LL Cool J, 2Pac, Eminem, and DMX, he started rapping in the mid-2000s and quickly developed his own voice. He dropped his debut mixtape Good Morning America in 2011, kicking off a steady stream of independent releases through his label, Fly America. These included the Saturday School series, Broken Silence (with King Los), and Black Einstein. His 2015 project Numb became a breakout moment, reaching No. 39 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In 2016, he followed up with Before the Deal, which hit No. 15 on the Heatseekers chart. Battles teamed up with Canadian rapper Tory Lanez in 2017 for the collaborative project Day 2, continuing to build his catalog and rep as an independent force in hip-hop.