Mark Encke aka Markus tha Great White was born July 21st, 1985 in Manchester, NH. Raised a Red Sox fan, he represented New England for 13 years before moving with his family to the West Coast where he still rocks the Red Sox logo today. Markus and his family relocated to the state of Oregon, where he has been living now for the past ten years. Shortly after moving across the country, his parents split. “It was difficult to adjust,†says Markus. “Everything coming down on me at once was overwhelming, so I began writing as an outlet to release frustration.†It wasn’t until he started free-styling and joining ciphers that he found his true passion for Hip-Hop. Markus tells you himself, “the day I put my B.I.G. cd on after rapping for the first time, it was like I could hear the music in a whole different way!†God brought the young MC in contact with a hardcore kid named: Jared, after a five minute beat boxing session, Markus heard his voice echoing through a set of studio head phones, and recorded his first song “My Life, My Struggle.†It was at that moment all the blur of life came into focus, and he knew what he was destined to do. It was difficult getting started with hip hop in the Oregon area. The one who helped him get started, (Jared) left to join the navy shortly after recording Markus’s first EP. He moved on collaborating at one studio, needless to say it didn’t go anywhere. Only to have sixteen tracks recorded with a second studio stolen along with beats and irreplaceable session files. “When I heard about the robbery my world stopped for a minute. My music is my life!†Markus adds. The equipment was never found, and he was never reimbursed. Needless to say, he was having a hard time finding a place to perfect his craft. To this day he is still looking for the right place to re-record his highly anticipated first LP “Don’t Talk About It, Be About It.†Although the road was and still is tough for Markus tha Great White, he stays focused planning, promoting, and performing at three different, very successful all ages shows here in the Willamette Valley. With his music partner and closest friend Carlos Lynch aka Yung Royal, he plans to spread his music across the West Coast. He has also performed at countless bars and nightclubs, satisfying the crowd with his ferocious stage presence. Tha Great White was quoted saying: “As artists, we know there’s a preconceived notion about local music people tend to have. My goal is to destroy the stereotypes, reach a broad demographic of hip-hop heads, and take over the underground scene.†So be on the look out for:Markus tha Great White!!
