Merc80.com

Hey there folks!  Been a while.  Since having a bit of a hiatus from the site I’ve been working at New Culture Society as I told ya before.  Last year taught me a lot in being a project manager and writer for the site.  The dynamics of working with a team on a common goal is a very large learning experience.  For many in the art and entertainment world, especially now, many people are self starters and have to be largely self reliant in getting projects and ideas done.  The ability to work with a team can be a blessing and curse, just the same as relying on yourself.  I guess at the end of the day, it’s easier to be angry with yourself, which is why many people chose to work by themselves.  But nothing replaces working with a team of talented people, even if it may be frustrating in the process at times.  I just finished reading Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, which I highly recommend.  In it, you find that Steve Jobs refused to work with less than A players.  This in turn shows in the production value of everything put forth.  At the end of the day the entire team of NCS puts focus and dedication into what they do, which creates great results. After working so long by myself, you have no idea how much of a release it is when you work with a team and get things much better organized.

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Hey there!  I can’t believe it’s been a month already.

As I told yall before, I’m working with a site called New Culture Society.

All the work I’ve had to do there has had me on hiatus from here, but never fear.  I have plenty more interviews and such to give you.  Enough to go for a least a good few months.

For now, I think you’ll be more than happy to see the work I’ve been doing over at NCS.

Check out my interviews with…

Common

Miss Jack Davey

Brook D’leau

Kay Cola

and DJ Destroyer

It really feels good to settle into something I love with a team of people.

AND to make your Halloween weekend, be sure to download the first commissioned NCS mix!

DJ Destroyer KILLED it on here I’m tellin you.

See you again soon!

Working on some cool things.  In the meantime you can find me in a few places…

Here  http://mercsgifbox.tumblr.com/

or

http://www.newculturesociety.com/

or

http://newculturesociety.tumblr.com/

A lot in the works

P.S.  If you’re looking at the NCS website while it’s in the pre-launch stage, the password is: Merc80

Lately, I’ve been very disappointed in a lot of new music.  Of course there are lots of new tracks out there that I’ve been playing, but not many full albums.  Between my homies I’m known as being especially critical of music, especially Hip Hop.  Perhaps it’s because I was so spoiled from 92-98 with so much great Golden Era stuff available right on the radio and on television.  Or that I could get 3 nights in a row on a weekend and tape underground tracks that were creative, completely out the box and boundary pushing.  But hey, who knows?  All I know is, I have standards, and dammit, I won’t lower them!  I guess that’s why I’m mainly bumping old stuff.

So my homies asked what stuff excites me these days.  The question wasn’t just music centered, but being the music nerd I am, that’s what I focused on.  So I went to iTunes to see what my most played songs are.  So, I’d like to share with you the songs I have played the most according to iTunes.

The numbers on each track are how many times I’ve played it.

Yes, I have apparently played 1 song 1,728 times.

But tell me it’s not dope though!

Enjoy!-   What I Be Bumpin

Here are the titles, least to most…

Georgia Anne Muldrow - FOnkrocker

Dorrough- Trunk Bang

The Foreign Exchange- All or Nothing/Coming Home to You

Heiroglyphics - You Never Knew

Swizz Beats- Everyday

DJ Quik- Flow For Sale

EPMD- Can't Hear Nothin But the Music

Steve Arrington - Nobody Can Be You

Steve Arrington - You Meet My Approval

Backbone- Hit & Run

M.E.R.C.U.R.Y. (That's me!)- I Got Bills

Heiroglyphics - Phesto D

80 Blocks from Tiffany's (Camp Lo/Pete Rock) - Mic Check

Hieroglyphics - Tajai

Sean Garret, Tyga, & Gucci Mane- She Geeked

Georgia Anne Muldrow- Pad Kontrol

80 Blocks from Tiffany's (Camp Lo/Pete Rock) - The Promo 

Hieroglyphics - Oakland Blackouts

Georgia Anne Muldrow- Simple Advice

80 Blocks from Tiffany's (Camp Lo/Pete Rock)- Jimmy Page

M.E.R.C.U.R.Y - Run-On

80 Blocks from Tiffany's (Camp Lo/Pete Rock)- Santana

As we wrap up this interview with Iron finger, we get to see how this trio works as a team, with Bryan as their lead singer and leader.  Andy and David really trust Bryan’s work as a songwriter and add to the vision of the overall sound.  Bryan’s musical insight and seemingly genius skill on the piano makes him a complete force for others to recognize.

During the middle of the interview, some other guys stopped by their rehearsal space to check out the piano they had in their studio.  I believe they were going to sell it.  David had Bryan demonstrate the sound on the piano.  As far as I can tell, what he played was completely improvised and wasn’t any other song.  He just took to it and played with ease but it was a solo that you could have recorded for an album and it would have blown people away.  I’m convinced if Bryan was alive during the Hard Bop era, he would have been one of the greatest jazz pianists.  The thing is, he can play with that kind of skill with almost any genre!  The keys are truly a part of him.  Moreover you get to see what he feels his responsibility is as a songwriter to use his gifts as a means for insight for all the listeners to peek into their own lives, other peoples lives, and to remember what is most important in this world.

Part 2:  The Centerpiece

- The genius of Bryan

- Bryan’s solo

- What goes into the writing

- Words of advice

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