About Marcus Money
Independent Houston rapper, producer, and engineer. 26 years in the game. Born Marcus Wayne Simpson. September 2, 1986.
Marcus Money grew up in Houston, Texas, in a broken and abusive home marked by violence and alcohol. He started writing in rhyme form at age 5 in classroom journals and published poetry by age 10. Music became his escape in middle school, and by 14, he decided to pursue rap professionally.
Under the name "Real," he released his debut project in 2006 and followed it with Wicked City Don (2008) — his first commercially distributed album, which sold 1,000 units in its first month. Heart of the Hood (2009) featured Houston legends K-Rino and Klondike Kat and achieved international distribution.
In 2012, after serving 9 months in prison for drug-related offenses, Marcus released Twizted Dreamz and began rebuilding his life. A business failure in 2015 forced his studio to close. He spent three years in personal and spiritual rebuilding — becoming completely sober from drugs, alcohol, and nicotine.
In 2018, he re-emerged as Marcus Money with a renewed mission: to use music to inspire struggling and neglected youth toward better futures. His debut album under the new name, Who Am I (2019), established the sound he carries today — vigorous G-funk meets smooth R&B, rooted in authenticity.
Today, Marcus runs Epik Recording Studios from Houston, engineers for artists across genres, and continues releasing music independently through Real Paid Records. He's a solo parent, raising his autistic daughter while building a legacy on his own terms.
"Pure drive. There's no quit in me."
Career Timeline
Started writing and recording at age 14
Released 4 street mixtapes in Dickinson, TX
Debut project: Real & Rob - The Truth Hurts
Wicked City Don — first commercial release, 1,000 units first month
Heart of the Hood — ft. K-Rino & Klondike Kat, international distribution
Twizted Dreamz — released after incarceration. Began rebuilding.
Business failure forced studio closure. Three years of rebuilding.
Rebrand to Marcus Money. Completely sober. New mission.
Who Am I — debut album as Marcus Money. 'No Days Off' hits 340K+ streams.
'Looking Our Way' ft. Royal Floz — 105K YouTube views
'Butterfly' ft. Bezz Believe — 40K YouTube views
'Big Noise' ft. Project Pat, 'Getting It In' ft. Lil' Flip
Press
Voyage Houston Magazine
"Meet Marcus Money of Marcus Money - Southside" — Feature covering early life, music discovery, career history, and current releases.
"Chase your dreams no matter the obstacle, never give up."
CanvasRebel Magazine
"Meet Marcus Money" — Feature on broken home background, 19-year journey to full-time income, sacrifices, and authenticity philosophy.
"Do not buy views or followers... Don't fake it!"
Notable Collaborators
Studio Equipment
Outboard
- Universal Audio 1176 Compressor
- Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ
Microphones
- Mojave Audio MA-1000
- Shure SM7b
Plugins
- Waves
- Slate Digital
- FabFilter
- Soundtoys
DAWs
- Pro Tools
- Ableton Live
- Logic Pro
- FL Studio
- Reason