Today we’d like to introduce you to MIDIMarc .
Hi MIDIMarc, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Before I started making beats, I was a kid infatuated with HipHop. I was glued to the television to see Yo! MTV Raps, Rap City, and Soul Train. I was glued to the radio to listen to DJ Prince Ice on The Big DM play the latest songs on his Club 101 mix show. In 1993, I was 10 years old and my first inspiration came from next door. My neighbor, Mookie, and his friends were rappers and they would rehearse in his garage. That was my first time seeing HipHop in person, and it made me want to make music. I loved the idea of controlling the music so I my first interest was being a DJ. This was during the “Golden Era” of HipHop and after diving into all of the classic albums back-to-back with beats from producers like Dr. Dre, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Organize Noize, and especially The RZA, I knew I wanted to make beats by the time I herd Wu-Tang Forever in 1997. By the time I graduated from Lower Richland High School in 2001, I was putting together beats and trying to network and move up the ranks. Ironically, God sent me to learn from two people who initially impacted me at an early age from afar DJ Price Ice (who gave me the name MIDIMarc) and FatRat Da Czar (one of the teenagers I watched rap in Mookie’s garage and The Godfather of South Carolina HipHop)
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. In the past, the music scene in South Carolina wasn’t as developed as some of the larger cities in the region. My peers and I did a lot of traveling looking for opportunities, and unfortunately, there were a lot of people who took advantage of our inexperience and lack of knowledge. Maybe you would expect that to happen to some “country boys” traveling to New York, Atlanta, Miami, Memphis, etc., but it would happen here at home with people in charge at local radio We also had to fight racism and venues in downtown Columbia that didn’t want HipHop performed there. Those are the struggles from the music. All of those things mentioned were happening while dealing with anxiety, family, and uncertainty. Things are looking really good for the scene now as there have been a list of people that have made a national impact since I started.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a producer and recording engineer at The Jam Room hoping to use what I’ve learned over the years to elevate a bubbling South Carolina music scene full of new and undiscovered artist looking to cement their sound.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
Visit my website www.MIDIMARCUM.com
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MIDIMARCUM.com
Image Credits
Brodie Porterfield
