Big Rome: “Who I Am” — therapy turned into hip-hop on Mentally Disturbed / Scarred 4 Life
Big Rome has always been an artist who turns hard truths into sharper rhymes. On his new single “Who I Am”, from the EP Mentally Disturbed / Scarred 4 Life, he strips back the bravado and lets the story — and the scars — speak. The result is an unflinching, cinematic track that reads like a therapy session set to a beat: vulnerable, defiant, and impossible to ignore.
A question that became a mission
The genesis of “Who I Am” came from a simple, brutal question. As Rome tells it, a late conversation with his mentor T. Rodgers of Sidewalk University changed everything. “He asked the question ‘Who are you?’… and that became an assignment,” Rome says. That question didn’t just spark a single — it inspired the entire EP.
“He actually inspired the whole EP project (Mentally Disturbed/Scarred 4 Life)… BSIP PRINCE T RODGERS,” Rome adds, admitting he wishes Prince T could see the traction the record is getting now.
Pain, survival, and controlling your story
Mentally Disturbed / Scarred 4 Life trades in hard, personal terrain: survival, the fallout of choices, and the work of rebuilding identity. Rome’s takeaway is simple and powerful: life knocks you down, but it doesn’t have to define you. “Learn how to control the narrative and continue showing up with your head held high,” he says. “Never let anyone define who ‘YOU’ are.”
That theme — reclaiming the narrative — runs through the EP. Rome doesn’t shy away from the worst parts of his past; he revisits them with the intention of showing how they shaped him, not ruined him.
From prison poet to lyrical force
Big Rome’s story isn’t just about music; it’s about transformation. His time in the Arkansas Department of Corrections sharpened his craft and turned him into a poet known as Rome. “During my time in the Arkansas Department Of Corrections I sharpened my poetic skills… The music came into play years after my release,” he explains. That period of introspection became preparation, equipping him with a voice that belongs on record.
Rome’s background in poetry also explains the texture of his delivery. He builds songs in a three-step process: write in poetry format, execute like a spoken-word artist in the booth, then deliver it raw and uncut. This method is why listeners often describe him as a “fierce lyrical machine” — a rapper who blends technical skill, spoken-word cadence, and emotional honesty.
Vulnerability as craft
Being this open on record was difficult. Rome admits the emotional cost: “Mentally yes it took a lot out of me to be that vulnerable. I sat on this project for years because I wasn't sure if I was ready to reveal that part of me to the masses.” But that vulnerability is also the work’s greatest strength. The EP reads like a life ledger — scars catalogued, lessons learned — and “Who I Am” is its most revealing entry.
Recognition and traction
Rome’s persistence has paid off. Awards from the Famous Poets Society and the International Music and Entertainment Association (IMEA), plus placements in TV and film, have confirmed his presence in the scene. Perhaps most notable: the single “Who I Am” was placed in Showtime’s House of Lies (Season 4, Episode 8), a placement Rome cites as a major reward for revisiting his past and telling it honestly.
“These accolades show and prove that I was present… It encourages me to keep working hard and to continue sharing my truth,” he says.
What fuels him
If you ask Rome what keeps him grounded amid the noise, he points to the obsession: a daily compulsion to create. “The whole creative process has become an obsession… Every time I hear a beat or a noise that emulates one, my mind turns on,” he explains. That relentless inner dialogue — a stream of silent freestyles and poetic fragments — is what keeps the pen moving and the bars coming.
What’s next?
Rome isn’t promising a timetable. “I release when I feel the need to,” he says. Fans can expect more music when the time is right — whether visuals, collaborations, or a fuller project. For now, he’s focused on the craft and open to working with others: “So if you're an artist looking for a feature, reach out.”
Listen: Who I Am is a standout track that demands attention — a dark, emotional, and layered record that reveals as much about the creative process as it does about the man behind the mic.
Big Rome’s music is not comfortable — and it doesn’t want to be. It wants to heal, provoke, and endure. On Mentally Disturbed / Scarred 4 Life, he proves that honesty — even when painful — can be the most powerful art of all.
