THE ESSENTIALS: DJ MERCILLESS
TORONTO, CANADA | DJ MERCILLESS
INTERVIEW REALIFE PHOTO DJ MERCILLESS
“Some of us never stopped making boom bap and it’s great to see the resurgence.” -DJ MERCILLESS
VALIDATED: Being from Toronto, Canada, what’s your earliest memory of hip-hop culture?
DJ MERCILLESS: My earliest memory of hip-hop would be sitting in front of the tv watching the music video from Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5, “The Message”.
VALIDATED: Which producers influenced you and what if anything did you “borrow” from them?
DJ MERCILLESS: I learned from a lot of hip-hop greats, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Rza... just to name a few. I got certain techniques from them but eventually did my own thing. I believe in quality over quantity, so I take my time and get it right.
VALIDATED: You’ve worked with hip-hop greats including Ghostface Killah of Wu Tang Clan and Styles P of the LOX, what did these collaborations do for your career?
DJ MERCILLESS: Working with Ghostface and Killah Priest got me the opportunity for Rza to hear my music. Apparently he really loved the tracks which is always good to hear. Styles P is so easy to work with, he’s a true pro. The few times I’ve worked with Styles he nailed his verses in 1 take, without writing if you could believe that.
VALIDATED: You’ve also worked with Benny The Butcher of Griselda, what’s your thoughts on Griselda’s massive impact on hip-hop currently?
DJ MERCILLESS: It’s a beautiful thing that’s going on right now. Griselda has sparked the underground movement to the point where people are getting back to that classic hip-hop feel. Some of us never stopped making boom bap and it’s great to see the resurgence.
VALIDATED: You had your first official release in 2001 when you produced the song “Northside” for Canadian emcee Tara Chase, how did that opportunity come about?
DJ MERCILLESS: We both had a mutual friend that linked us together because she was having a hard time finding beats. The “Northside” is deemed by many to be a Canadian hip-hop classic, I’m very proud of that.
VALIDATED: In 2005, you produced the song “Evidence” for another Canadian top female emcee, the two time Juno nominated artist Eternia, which earned you your Juno nomination (Canada´s Grammy Awards). How great of an accomplishment was that for your career?
DJ MERCILLESS: Getting the Juno nomination solidified my production and got me respect amongst the industry types.
VALIDATED: Which independent Canadian hip-hop artist are you feeling the most at the moment and why?
DJ MERCILLESS: Asun Eastwood and Daniel Son are killing it right now, it’s just a matter of time before they blow up. Saipher Soze has such a dope voice and is one to watch.
VALIDATED: You deejayed the sold-out 20th anniversary Wu Tang concert in Toronto in 2013, how big of an achievement was it to be apart of monumental hip-hop history in you hometown?
DJ MERCILLESS: It was definitely one of the biggest nights of my career. The vibe was electric and the crowd was ready to hear some real hip-hop, so I went there. I made it tough for the other dj who played a set after me.
VALIDATED: In 2015 the Moon Crickets, which consists of Killah Priest, Lord Fury and yourself did a country-wide Canadian tour with Ghostface, GZA and Cappadonna, what’s an unforgettable moment from that tour?
DJ MERCILLESS: Probably the show where Ghostface called me up on stage at the end of his show, that was really cool.
VALIDATED: Rumor has it you’re currently working on several projects produced entirely by you, what can you tell us about them?
DJ MERCILLESS: Buffalo Rapchaz (Benny The Butcher, Asun Eastwood, Dreadpool) is a very dope project that I can’t wait for people to hear.
A duo called Usual Suspektz and I have a single out called ‘Put In That Work’ which brings that gritty street feel. We are currently finishing up an ep featuring this track and the video was shot in Montreal.
My solo project is scheduled for release late 2020 and will feature some heavy hitters like Sheek Louch and the late great Sean Price.
VALIDATED: What’s your social media contacts and website?
DJ MERCILLESS: It’s @djmercilless on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.