Mercston - Tsunami & E Class

He’s featured on national radio stations such as Kiss FM, Choice FM and BBC 1xtra, collaborated with some of the hottest names in the industry including Ghetts, Chipmunk, Bashy and Wiley, released a highly anticipated 11 track mixtape entitled ‘Ventilation’ and is well known for tunes such as Summertime and Good Old Days.

Mercston is a musician from East London, who like many artists, has been pursuing a career in music since his teens. I caught up with him to find out about his latest release his Tsunami, taken from his fourth-coming mixtape E Class, his influences, as well as how and why he decided to return to the music industry after incarceration.

I’ve been heavily involved with music since I was 18. I started out listening to the Pay As You Go's, the Rolldeep’s the Nasty Crews, and Ruff Squads. Then I decided…Hold up, I can do this too, and I started to make music in 2005.

I've grown up listening to music my whole life. My dad’s a DJ so at home there was always a lot of rare grooves, funk, soul, reggae RnB and hip hop playing on the Technic decks. All of these genres play a part in the music I record today - I have an old soul, lol.

I'm a quarter of The Movement" so I've worked with Ghetts, Scorcher and Wretch 32, that's family right there! Ruff Squad, Wiley, Bigz, Donaeo, J2k and many many more musicians. To be honest, I usually keep it in house, but I've worked with some amazing singers.

My time away held me back from releasing music, I even stopped writing for a year.

Then a good friend of mine, that i met, named Ray, reminded me of the gift I've been given – It’s not a talent, this is a gift - so I have to utilise it.

I started listening to music again and began writing to the best of my ability which helped me along my journey.

I believe labels know what I'm capable of but are scared of taking the risk, but it's all down to timing. So when the time’s right, it's right. I’ll just keep recording and making great music.

Jay Z has been a big influence, he's still the best in my eyes up untill now. Mase was a big influence; I use to think I was that brudder there, lol.

In the UK, Wiley was a big influence. He helped me to believe in myself and told me if I press on people will have to take me in, a similar thing was said by Chunky B, a good friend and the first producer I ever worked with, I appreciate them both.

The whole Movement team have been there too, they’re all great artists and being around them gave me no choice but to up my levels and be the best I can be.

At the moment, music hasn’t taken me anywhere great, but I foresee the future, so in the next interview I’ll let you know, lol.

My alias is just a spin off from my surname "Marston" I generally beat up the riddim put before me so I was given the name Mercs and kept the "ton".

Sacrifices, I suppose going to university. I know my family would have loved me to go because music has its ups and downs, but they wish me the best in whatever I do.

Me going to uni would have led to a concrete career. No regrets, just lessons learnt, without them I wouldn't be me today.

The music industry seems to be getting a little more accepting in regards to the music and artists being let through to showcase their sounds of music on a bigger scale.

I still feel not enough risks are taken and that this country needs to let go of this "one at a time" attitude, other that that, it's progressing.

There are so many artist out there right now I couldn't tell you who's next to blow.

I've seen so many people have a good buzz and been sure they’re about to blow then for "one at a time reason" nothing comes of it.

What’ next? I’ve just dropped my new video on the May 21st entitled Tsunami ft Siah Spiderman and Jaze Aliga which is taken from my forthcoming mixtape E- Class, which is dropping very soon.

The tape consists of different genres of classy music. It's named E class because a lot of people refer to my music as a touch of class another words "he class" hence the E class like Merc E class "ya get me" lol - if your one of those I appreciate that.

With this tape, I think I"ll take my fans back to my first mixtape "The End of the Beginning" you’ll find some smooth tracks on there for the ladies Apart from that I'd like to end this interview by saying expect the unexpected!

Peace and love Mercs !

For more of Mercston, you can now log on to his Official Website.

Dirty Danger - The 'I Ainte Rich Yet' EP

He began making a name for himself at the tender age of 13, taking his music from local youth clubs to pirate radio stations. Now at the age of 24 he has released his début album entitled 'I Ainte Dead Yet'. Dirty Danger is a musician from East London who has worked with some of the industries bests musicians including Wiley, Sway, Chipmunk and Lethal B. Similar to many artists, he has made a number of sacrifices throughout his career, yet he has stood by his words of wisdom, contending, 'if you don't believe in yourself who will? I thought I'd catch up with him to find out his views on the current music industry as well as what his future music plans are.


What do you do and how did it start?

I’m a grime producer and mc from Bow - East London. An area notorious for UK grime music and its stars who include, Dizzee Rascal, Wiley, Tinchy Stryder and many more. Since the age of 13 I've been making music with a group called Ruff Squad the same group as Tinchy Stryder. We started MC’ing at each others houses and youth clubs which quickly escalated into pirate radio and local raves. As our name grew bigger in the streets my passion for music became stronger and years later at the age of 24 music is my profession.

What difficulties have you faced and how have you overcome them?

Within the music industry, from the start of going on pirate radios to making music videos I faced so many difficulties and still face them this very day. I would say communication, finance and exposure have been the hardest things to overcome and the only way I have learnt to deal with these difficulties have been my belief. I always say to myself if you don't believe in yourself who will? So with that thought in mind I managed to stay determined to make people believe in me no matter how many knock downs I come across.

Who are your current competition and what makes you different?

Every act in the UK is my competition. I’m different because I’m not trying do what the majority of the UK music scene are doing. My music is a new fresh sound, I’m trying to bring back the dance in Grime with tracks like 'Hardbody' but at the same time hit them with my knowledge and my experiences of life, which you can hear in my album.


What motivates you as a musician?

Just the simple case of loving music motivates me. I’m always up for hearing something new and different so I can feed off of the energy.

Which artists have you worked with and who would you like to work with?

I've worked with most of the grime scene from Wiley to Lethal B to Sway and Scorcher, Ghetto, Chipmunk etc. In the UK I would like to work with Giggs and a guy called 'BADNESS' I love the rasta style he’s got going on.

In your opinion. how has music industry changed in the last 5 years and how have you adapted to this change?

Well the scene has exploded for UK grime/hiphop within the mainstream; I don't think anyone believed that the music would have got this big that even the likes of P Diddy and Jay Z are showing an interest. I give props to Tinchy, Wiley, Skepta, Tinie Tempah, Chipmunk, Giggs and N Dubz for taking it there.


What's the concept behind your album 'I Aint Rich Yet'?

I would say that this album is not your typical Grime CD. Its my own take on grime, which is filled with a mixture of party anthems, emotions, hard life, street life, and love. I think it’s a good introduction for the world to hear who Dirty Danger is and what he’s about

What can we expect from you in 2011?

I dropped my album on April 4th nationwide so that's currently my main focus. Soon I'll be touring from the 14th of March with Skepta all over the UK and you’ll be hearing a bag full of music videos for TV and the Internet.

To listen to more of Dirty Danger, you can buy his debut album I Ainte Rich Yet via UK Record Shop or Digital-tunes, follow him via Twitter, or you can personally contact him via his Facebook.