“I specialize in Baltimore club music, which is like Baltimore’s brand of house music,” said Mighty Mark, 26 year old Producer/DJ and native Baltimorean. “It’s real dirty, raw, and grimy; it’s very intertwined with the community.”
The 90’s sounds of Puff Daddy, Biggie, Wu-Tang, and Jay-Z sparked Mighty Mark’s interest in music. “I started off rapping,” he said. His original name was Murder Mark, a battle rapper’s moniker, but he found that the name had a negative connotation and limited his sound. In high school, Mighty Mark discovered that he enjoyed producing more than rapping. His name change is a representation of his musical transition and interest in superheroes (Mighty Mouse). The name Mighty Mark was also inspired by a superhero character that appeared on one of his mixtape covers.
When Mighty Mark graduated from high school, he worked at a neighborhood recreation center, and that is where he exposed audiences to his club mixes. Eventually, one mix was played on the Baltimore radio station 92Q Jams. From there, Mighty Mark became a staple in the local music community. “[Baltimore club music] is like the soundtrack of the city,” said Mighty Mark.
Mighty Mark has his own label called Zoo on Mars Entertainment. “The label came out of necessity. I needed a vehicle to put out my own music. I had to put it out proper.” The name is a reflection of Baltimore’s wildness and Mighty Mark’s other-world like style/approach. His label is home to himself, TT the Artist, and Mike Mike Zome.
Zoo on Mars Entertainment has some upcoming projects for 2016. “I have my own solo EP: ‘Real,’” he said. “We (Mighty Mark and Mike J.R.) have a group called Hands Up. We have a project called ‘King’ that will probably drop next year. We’re shooting for February or March. ‘Real’ will come out before that.”
Rejection has had a role in Mighty Mark’s rise. “When I first started, a lot of my stuff was different.” He explained that many producers in Baltimore did not accept his style of mashing old Baltimore mixes with new sounds. “I stopped worrying about the critics, [and] I took my music to the people.” Since then, Mighty Mark has thrived and continued to rise. Creating quality content is one of his primary concerns, so he takes his time on each release. Baltimoreans have respected him because of that and his unique style. “[I put] my own vocals on the tracks. My sound is really raw. It’s a little bit of the past mixed with the future.”
Here’s the superhero rendition of Mighty Mark.
Near the interview’s end, Mighty Mark chose to share some advice for aspiring music producers. “Focus on finding your sound and perfecting it, and everything will fall into place. So many people worry about the photos and everything else.” He suggested that if the sound is right, nothing will stop the producer from rising to notoriety. “You only get one life, you might as well go for it.”
Twitter: @iammightymark
Instagram: @iammightymark
Snapchat: @iammightymark
Website: www.mightymarkadventures.com
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Original article appeared at Dreamer Loop. Reprinted with permission.
Photo credit: Dreamer Loop