Preston Mercy, Hadley Hawthorne & The AskForMercy Orchestra
Influences
G. Almighty, Leverne Moore, Alan Mingo Sr, AMJ, Preston Moore, Curtis Mayfield, Steveland Morris, Thelonius Monk, Tuff Crew, RunDMC, Kool G Rap, Rakim, the list is endless!
Whether or not hip-hop is dead has yet to be determined. What is clear is that hip-hop is at a crucial turning point that could either make or break the genre's very existence. However, if Aaron Mingo has it his way, hip-hop will once again rise to its essential position. The first artist signed to the indie label AskForMercy, Aaron Mingo is no stranger to the music scene. He sharpened his skills as a lyricist while operating as one-half of The Serenghetti, a hip-hop duo featuring Sekani Williams and himself. Taking on the Philadelphia, New York, D.C./Baltimore and London scenes, Mingo has gone on to pursue his own vision as a solo artist and the premiere act on AskForMercy.
Raised between Philadelphia PA & Willingboro NJ, Aaron Mingo began crafting his lyrical style as an adolescent. A hip-hop head at heart, Mingo is still grounded in the classics: from Reggae to Soul music and Jazz, from Buju to Stevie and Thelonius. And that just might be why his sound is so grounded in the authentic experiences that make up everyday life-existing as an oasis in the desert of empty lyrics and paper-chasing compromises. Real music lovers marvel at Mingo’s lyrical depth along with the deep investment he brings to each composition. And his raw edge has enough innocent hope to soothe the festering wound caused by hip-hop's contradictions.
Who is Aaron Mingo and what is the Ask for Mercy Orchestra?
A blend of lyrical agility and symphonic rhythms, with a classic hip-hop sound.
After many years of developing his craft as a performer, Mingo has emerged as a determined emcee seeking to bring the balance back to hip-hop. With tracks like "Struggle" featured on The Souls of Poor Folk compilation CD, Mingo offers a refreshing dose of reality that audiences have been waiting to hear. So what exactly is the significance of "AskForMercy"? According to Mingo it is "the ability to endure under any condition.our music is a survival mechanism.” If anything, Aaron Mingo and the AskForMercy Orchestra are all about reflections: holding a mirror up to the world so that everyone in it can see themselves clearly. Articulating what we sometimes refuse to see, and rarely have the wherewithal to communicate, AskForMercy presents Aaron Mingo: hip-hop's emancipator.
LISTEN to last show (always centered around Sexuality & Spirituality) currently featuring Twin Souls/Flames & Soul Mates~ my own personal accounts as well as others:
Hello from Japan!! just stop to say our information. next our "Bigfish live show" is scheduled on 7th December at Kichijoji MANDA-LA2, Tokyo. Three Japanese Female peaceful singers; Hana Saito, NAORYU and Rika Shinohara play there. it seems heart-warm and acoustic. thanks for checking our live information. ARIGATO
btw, i JUST finished reading what's written on your profile. i'm so glad that i did! it beautifully and poignantly expresses you, your art, label, logo, etc in ways i hadn't perceived prior to doing so. i'm that much more proud and honored to be a part of your endeavors, even if "only" in listening, which i'm about to do now!
check out the "second reading from my book" in my last blog when you feel so inspired. it briefly shares one (of many) moment(s) when music (as many books have too) saved me.
What's up, homey? Just wanted to let you know that on Oct 4th, there's a Huge Hip-hop Festival at the Appalachian Brewing Co. in Harrisburg, PA! Hit me up for tickets. One love...
Thanks for the approval. Peace is a non-violent way of life, a state of harmony, the absence of hostility.
Find Peace through spoken word and neosoul at SPEAKtoMe.
Speaktome is the city's longest running poetry venue, boasting an intriguingly uncommon mixture of spokenword, jazz and neosoul. Graceful, seductive, and refreshingly mature, Speaktome continues to lead the poetically lyrical movement in Philadelphia.
Just read the write up in Okayplayer. Thats tight. Looks like your about to make some power moves. Let me know where I can get a copy of the mixtape. Keep it movin in 08. Peace - cLAssic - CiphaRadio. com - The Hip Hop Netcast
