Kelvin Mercer
Encyclopedia
Kelvin Mercer is a rapper
, producer
, and one-third of the hip hop
trio
De La Soul
. He is known more famously by his alias
Posdnuos, or simply Pos. He was born in the Bronx, New York and grew up in East Massapequa, New York
.
Mercer and David Jude Jolicoeur
were childhood friends. They met Vincent Mason
in the early 1980s while attending Amityville High School in Long Island
, New York
. Mercer's father was a jazz
fan
.
As a member of De La Soul, Mercer is generally regarded as one of the most consistent and underrated MC
s of all time . He has imparted some of his hard-earned experiences in song
s such as "Held Down", and "Trying People", from AOI: Bionix
. On the latter, he raps: "We were supposed to rid the world of danger / These days we nod heads and small talk like polite strangers / It's natural to fall off, just land close to the tree / I'll be there if they need me to be".
Mercer is also known for his witty, double entendre-laden battle rhymes. "Fuck bein' hard, Posdnuos is complicated" from Buhloone Mindstate
s "In the Woods". For example in "Down Syndrome" from 1996's Stakes Is High
, he states: "I be a piece of the East Coast, so give a toast to Plug Wonder Why / Back in the day who soaked his words in ginger / So when I ran a phrase in June, you didn't catch it 'til December".
He is a member of the Spitkicker collective.
He recently appeared on Jake One
's White Van Music
, on the track "Oh Really" with Slug
of Atmosphere
, and he has also appeared on Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip
's re-release of Thou Shalt Always Kill
in 2009.
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, and one-third of the hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
trio
Trio (music)
Trio is generally used in any of the following ways:* A group of three musicians playing the same or different musical instrument.* The performance of a piece of music by three people.* The contrasting section of a piece in ternary form...
De La Soul
De La Soul
De La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
. He is known more famously by his alias
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
Posdnuos, or simply Pos. He was born in the Bronx, New York and grew up in East Massapequa, New York
East Massapequa, New York
East Massapequa is a hamlet located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 19,069 at the 2010 census.The hamlet lies in New York's 3rd congressional district...
.
Mercer and David Jude Jolicoeur
David Jude Jolicoeur
David Jude Jolicoeur , also known under the stage name Trugoy and more recently Dave, is an American rapper, producer, and one third of groundbreaking hip hop trio De La Soul....
were childhood friends. They met Vincent Mason
Vincent Mason
Vincent Mason , is a rapper, producer, DJ, and one third of groundbreaking hip hop trio, De La Soul. He is also known as Maseo.-Career:...
in the early 1980s while attending Amityville High School in Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Mercer's father was a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
fan
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
.
As a member of De La Soul, Mercer is generally regarded as one of the most consistent and underrated MC
Master of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
s of all time . He has imparted some of his hard-earned experiences in song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s such as "Held Down", and "Trying People", from AOI: Bionix
AOI: Bionix
AOI: Bionix is De La Soul's sixth full-length album, released in 2001. The album was the second in a planned three-disc installment, which was originally intended to be a three-disc album.- Overview :...
. On the latter, he raps: "We were supposed to rid the world of danger / These days we nod heads and small talk like polite strangers / It's natural to fall off, just land close to the tree / I'll be there if they need me to be".
Mercer is also known for his witty, double entendre-laden battle rhymes. "Fuck bein' hard, Posdnuos is complicated" from Buhloone Mindstate
Buhloone Mindstate
Buhloone Mindstate is De La Soul's third full-length album. It was the last De La Soul album to be produced with Prince Paul. Comedian Chris Rock ranked it 10th in his list of the top 25 hip-hop albums of all time that was published in Rolling Stone in 2005.- Title significance :The title refers...
s "In the Woods". For example in "Down Syndrome" from 1996's Stakes Is High
Stakes Is High
Stakes Is High is De La Soul's fourth full-length album, released during the summer of 1996. The album marked a change in the groups sound and direction as it was their first release not to be produced by Prince Paul. Stakes Is High was mainly produced by the group themeselves with additional...
, he states: "I be a piece of the East Coast, so give a toast to Plug Wonder Why / Back in the day who soaked his words in ginger / So when I ran a phrase in June, you didn't catch it 'til December".
He is a member of the Spitkicker collective.
He recently appeared on Jake One
Jake One
Jacob Dutton, better known as Jake One, is an American hip hop record producer from Seattle, Washington.-Biography:Dutton grew up in Capitol Hill and moved to the North End of Seattle when he was 15. He started making music on a Casio keyboard in 1992. He attended the University of Washington and...
's White Van Music
White Van Music
White Van Music is the debut album of hip-hop producer Jake One. The album is entirely produced by Jake One and features appearances by rappers such as Freeway, DOOM, Brother Ali, Young Buck, and co-executive producer and label head Slug.-Track listing:...
, on the track "Oh Really" with Slug
Slug (rapper)
Sean Michael Daley, better known by his stage name Slug or "'Sep Seven'", is an American rapper. He is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Slug is best known as one fourth of the hip hop group Atmosphere, which he founded with Derek Turner...
of Atmosphere
Atmosphere (music group)
Atmosphere is an American hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group is composed of rapper Slug and DJ/Producer Ant...
, and he has also appeared on Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip
Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip
dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip are a hip-hop duo, combining electronic beats with sung, spoken, and rapped lyrics. The pair are Daniel Stephens , and David Peter Meads...
's re-release of Thou Shalt Always Kill
Thou Shalt Always Kill
"Thou Shalt Always Kill" is a 2007 song by Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip.The song comprises an electronic dance beat with the vocals taking the form of a satirical rant at aspects of modern British culture. The pivotal message is to "think for yourselves" rather than to follow current trends or get...
in 2009.
Aliases
All three members of De La Soul have a variety of known aliases and nicknames used throughout the group's career. The following are the most significant:- Posdnuos - Pronounced "pas-da-noos". The name is the combination of the reversed words "Sop," meaning "leftover," and "Sound," a name Mercer went by while acting as a high school DJDisc jockeyA disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
. - Plug One - An early concept for 3 Feet High and Rising3 Feet High and Rising3 Feet High and Rising is the debut album from American hip hop trio De La Soul, released in 1989.The album marked the first of three full-length collaborations with producer Prince Paul, which would become the critical and commercial peak of both parties. It is consistently placed on 'greatest...
involved music being transmitted from MarsMarsMars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
by three microphoneMicrophoneA microphone is an acoustic-to-electric transducer or sensor that converts sound into an electrical signal. In 1877, Emile Berliner invented the first microphone used as a telephone voice transmitter...
plugs (each one representing a member of the group). Though this idea was abandoned, the titles "Plug One", "Plug Two" and "Plug Three" still became relevant on the album. Mercer's title of Plug One would eventually evolve into Plug Wonder Why. - Mercenary - Derived from the last name, "Mercer". This name was given to him by DCQ, brother of Mos DefMos DefDante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
.