DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Marc At The Barclays Center

Q: Hi Marc! Thank you for participating in Defend Your Ride New York. What can you tell us about your ride?

A: It's a 2006 Jeep Liberty Renegade Edition: more badass than a typical Jeep Liberty. It has, as my roommate says, poacher lights on top.

Q: Do you do mostly in-city driving?

A: Yeah, in Brooklyn, and sometimes to and from where my family and high school friends live, in New Jersey, where I play music a lot.

Q: What kind of music do you play?

A: Jazz and funky rock, blues, everything!

Q: Nice. Does your car have a nickname?

A: The Whip.

Q: The Whip? I'm not going to ask beyond that.

A: This is just from my friends. They call it The Whip. It's a term that my cousins always used to talk about their cars. There's like, the Hooptie, and there's the Whip, that's the good car.

Q: Any rules for your friends while they are riding in your car?

A: Don't get crumbs all over the place! And smoking is permitted or not permitted, based on various factors on an ad-hoc basis.

Q: What brought you to New York, to Brooklyn specifically?

A: What brought me to Brooklyn was that I lost my job while I was living in Manhattan. I had to move to Brooklyn. But I was born in New York and went to NYU. Then moved out to Brooklyn, Park Slope and I love it actually.

Q: You live right around here?

A: I live right here, on this block.

Q: So since you are a musician, what's your favorite song or music to listen to in your car?

A: Miles Davis, Bitches Brew, Complete Sessions specifically, which is an extended version of the album. It's one of the greatest albums ever created. Three hours of epic meandering nonsense. It's the best driving music.

Q: Is there a particular season during the year that you like to listen to particular kinds of music, while driving?

A: In the summertime, I actually do like to listen to underground hip hop, like Aesop Rock, and I guess like old Outkast, that's not really underground. I have distinct summer memories, with my friend down in Cape May, driving around listening to that stuff.

Q: So we are here near the new Barclays Center. What do you think about it?

A: Mixed feelings. I think that the amount of traffic, both pedestrian and automotive, is going to debilitate the neighborhood somewhat. Right down here on Fifth Avenue, the overall feel, it's going to change drastically.

Q: Do you think it'll make you want to get rid of your car?

A: Quite possibly. This block is great for parking right now. It's a not too crowded block for some reason. But I feel like, with all the extra traffic and stuff, I might think about leaving the car. I might reconsider whether I would keep my car or not.