Los Angeles hip hop artist Mar Keith Anthony steps into the forefront with his third studio project, The 6th Man EP. The 5 track project is a collaboration with Long Beach, CA-based 4x Grammy Award-winning producer Jairus Mozee who helped curate the backing soundscape for Mar Keith to paint over. The project title speaks for itself and is anchored on the game of basketball with numerous references to NBA players and the lifestyle that comes with balling in the league.

On the opening record “Put Me in the Game”, Mar Keith goes straight to the point with lines like “Ain’t shit changed when I’m balling with the gang, throw some ice on my click/ Ain’t shit changed when I’m balling with my babe, throw some ice on my bitch” over the sparsely arranged bass-heavy soundscape. He uses an expressive melodic cadence peppered with braggadocio bars as he flexes on the haters who wished for his failure. He reminds them of his trajectory with bars like “Switch up like KD, you know these niggaz be traitors/Talking like Stephen A Smith, they sound like some haters/She want a nigga that’s balling out in the league/I’m sorry my nigga, I’m sure she’s out of your league” and continues his movement on the catchy chorus where he displays his willingness to step into the metaphorical court to ball on his haters. Next is the previously released single “Go In” which premiered at the Lakers vs Warriors at Crypto.com arena and serves as the crowd favourite with its anthemic textures and hard-hitting club-ready drums. Here Mar Keith employs a laidback baritone-driven flow reminiscent of Tyga but with his twist as he showcases a lot of wit and charisma to stand out from the pack. It’s the perfect go-getter anthem for audiences to tap into. The final track “Keep it 100” starts with a simple kick and snare drum and a pitched-down vocal sample that slowly rises. As the title suggests, Mar Keith embodies his playful persona and touches it up with a glimpse into his hustle game.

Ultimately The 6th Man (EP) is a bold statement from the rising rapper as he takes leaps and bounds in the industry. The project is incredibly short but it’s made to appeal to the masses and serves as an appetizer for more music.