HIGHER LEARNING is a unique self-expression of ambition, pain, faith, love, and truth. Mercury is an emcee to the core, but his music is truly SOUL when the beats and the rhymes come together.

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HIP-HOP/RAP: Hip Hop, HIP-HOP/RAP: East Coast



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Not many dedicated hip-hoppers could also devote their hours to educating full-time. Mercury, founder and executive producer of The Dugout, takes exception to most convention. Merc balances being a classic beat-miner and producer extraordinaire but can transfer his keyboardist tendencies to a husky, New York-drawled flow that has captured the attention of heads all over the city and beyond. Both effortless and fiery, Mercury's music has molded an inimitable style in the Lower East Side and Brooklyns underground hub.
But being a talented performance artist does not detach him from ties to academia. His father is a John Jay College professor who has inspired Mercury to combine his unique brand of hip-hop with a message of political activism. He gained a reputation as a dynamic, seasoned performer in unforgettable stints at The Bowery Poetry Club, The Tank, Mercury Lounge, CBGB, on various college radio shows and university appearances. He has paved a way into the production core of several New York groups by pushing the boundaries of abstract rhythms and harmonies. In just three short years, Mercury has compiled a vast catalogue that includes each member of the Dugout's four solo albums and hundreds of beats.

Mercury released the full-length solo LP Higher Learning earlier this year. The lead single "Draft Day" has earned regular spins on WBAR and other stations worldwide. He has scored three films to date, including Shaka Kings award-winning Stolen Moments, a documentary that examines the corporate influence on hip hop culture, and the upcoming feature boxing documentary Golden Gloves (2006). Since 2002, Mercury has helped The Dugout collective to propel their talents and resources and work across the globe.

Brett Johnson former editor of Vibe and the Source writes:

"Its refreshing to see the Dugout collective produce films and music that offer a progressive vision of what quality Hip-Hop can sound and look like."

Andrew Ricketts BLOW! Magazine contributor writes:

"The Dugout is the first group to give me faith in the resurrection of New York rap. I think people will believe it when they see it."

Black Beat Magazine The Hot Spot:

"The Dugout has been pitching their brand of hip-hop up and down the east coast. Releasing both self-produced mix-tapes and original recordings created in the sanctity of their own home studio, this crew melds together street savvy intelligence with a hint of thug-braggadocio for a sound that could easily have been spawned from Brooklyn's heyday of the mid to late '90s."