Merk The Lyrical Tantrum
BIOWhen youre growing up in New Orleans 9th Ward-Across the Canal, you dont realize
that you have options. The only choice you recognize in that inner-city environment
where only the strong survives is that you have to survive and come up the best way you
know how by the rules of your world, the streets and you hope that you dont fall to your
demise-thats real. I grew up around music. It saved me. I played the trumpet and I
began composing my own music which led to my first love, rapping. When I started
doing my music was when I really realized that I had options. Writing lyrics and music
presented me with an opportunity that allowed me an escape from the thugs life that I
was leading. I escaped into it. My music is reflective of that life- that made me who I am
today and it reflects me, Merk The Lyrical Tantrum today. The game is to be told not sold.-Merk The Lyrical Tantrum
speaking on life and growing up in New OrleansRap Artist, Merk The Lyrical Tantrum was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana in
the notorious 9th Ward commonly referred to by the natives as Across the Canal, and
CTC, an acronym for Cut Throat City as Merk and his friends called it. Life in Cut
Throat City was brutal, only the strong survive. His neighborhood resembled other urban
neighborhoods throughout the world where drugs prevail, violence is an everyday
occurrence, and where often time youth emulate as role models those who lead a life of
crime.About life and growing up in the N.O. Merk says, I jumped off the porch at age nine, I
was running wild in the streets with all the future kingpins, murders, jackers and thugs.
Merk says although his uncle became guardian over him and his younger siblings, being
the oldest, he realized he would have to help take care of them and keep them off the
notorious and deadly streets. This responsibility and having grown weary of living the
thugs life inspired him to change the negative direction that his life was going in and to
do his best to steer his brothers in the right direction.As a youngster, Merk says I saw death everywhere; friends and family members all
around me were dying, dropping like flies. As I grew older I realized there was more to
life than what I saw in the environment where I lived. Merk says that it was around this
time that the underground rap scene in New Orleans started. He recalls, its beginnings
and how it had a big influence overall in rap music-referring to its hyped up loud sound
that became popular. When it first jumped off, the New Orleans rap scene started with
Bounce Music. There was T.T. Tucker and DJ Erv (rest in peace),and Juvenile came with his first album and its single, Bounce for the Juvenile and people were loving it. I was
a part of that underground scene that started with them. I go back to the days when
Mannie Fresh was d-jaying for Gregory D., which was when rap really started taking itsform in New Orleans. Its bounce sound eventually spreading like wildfire throughout the
south and the rest of the country and you could turn on MTV or BET and rappers that
werent from the N.O. had incorporated that sound in their music.Today, Merk The Lyrical Tantrum spends his time between New Orleans and California
running his record label that he founded, NeworlaFornia. Hes signed artist from his
native New Orleans and California to the label. About the fusion of rappers coming from
the south and the west coast, Merk says, The rap scene in New Orleans is so unique and
outspoken. What Im producing now is New Orleans music hustle, mixed with west coast
music hustle with that hyped up sound. New Orleans and California put together.His forthcoming CD, Merk The Lyrical Tantrum Laying Law features appearances by old
and new raw talent. Born Aaron Mercadel, he was coined with the rap name, Merk The Lyrical Tantrum because of his signature voice, fast lyrical rap style that is an outburst of
rapid lyrics delivered in his raspy trademark voice that has made him so recognizable.
