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i.Emerge is the
product of a vision realized through hard work, dedication and
extraordinary talent. Over the past 3 years, i.Emerge has gone above and
beyond all expectations. He has broken previously set records, raised
the bar indefinitely and accomplished what many thought was impossible.
It is more than an understatement to say that he lives by the definition
of his name - to come forth from obscurity into existence.
At the turn of the millennium, Merge was known only to those closest to
him. 3 years later his name has been etched in stone as one of the
greatest competition djs ever. Since 2002, Merge has won 9 national
titles and 4 world titles, which is more championship titles in 3 years
than any other DJ has accumulated in a lifetime. He has won every
prominent National title in the US as well as world championship titles
in every world dj competition organization in existence.
Prior to this moment, the only thing separating Merge from total and
utter supremacy was the DMC World title (the creme d' le creme of DJ
titles). In only his 2nd year of participation in the competition, Merge
brought the DMC title back to New York after its longest hiatus away
from America ever. (4 years) In Winning, he became the sixth American to
wear the DMC World championship crown, which has also been worn by
greats such as Roc Raida, Mix Master Mike, Cash Money, Q-Bert, Craze and
others. In an ever expanding world dj community, Merge has kept the
United States at the top of an extremely competitive global scene by
being the only dj to win solo world titles for America in the past 3
years.
Growing up in Northern New Jersey, an arm's reach from the Mecca of hip
hop, Merge was heavily influenced by the New York hip hop scene. At age
13 he began his DJ journey in the same direction as most other aspiring,
young disc jockeys, by djing local parties and practicing at home. From
influences such as former X-ecutioner Mista Sinister as well as the
aforementioned Q-Bert, the young 13 year old worked to perfect his craft
while keeping an open ear to other genres as well, such as drum n bass,
rock, jazz and soul.
After years of practice, Merge began to enter DJ battles, bringing a new
level of aggression and technique to the plate. Quickly, he swept the
battle scene with a power tide, winning virtually every competition he
entered. His passion and determination did not go unnoticed throughout
the dj community though. Shortly after winning the 2002 ITF US
Advancements, Merge was inducted into one of the most respected DJ crews
in the world - the All Mighty 5th Platoon. Now with the support of
decorated turntablist veterans he continued to dominate the battle
circuit.
The year of 2002 proved to be the beginnings of what would eventually
turn into a career for Merge. He became actively involved at Scratch DJ
Academy in NY, (Founded by the Late Great Jam Master Jay). Merge's
talent for teaching, combined with his level of skill propelled him to
the position of Head Professor at the Academy where he then developed
the curriculum now taught in every scratch/juggling class. All the while
he maintained his virtual choke hold on dj competitions in the United
States. To put his hard work into perspective, in the last 3 years (36
months) Merge has won 35 battles, which factors out to winning 1 battle
a month for 3 years straight; A truly monumental feat in and of itself.
With an incredibly strong foundation created behind him, Merge has
culminated his present career with being at the pinnacle of his game.
Whats even more impressive is that he considers his work in the
competition realm far from finished. If he so chooses, he has 4
championship titles to defend next year (Guitar Center, US DMC
Supremacy, DMC World, Vestax World). Already though, Merge has started
the transition from battle dj to producer by incorporating his own
production into his battle sets. As the curtains close in 2004, Merge
has established a veritable legacy for his competitors to follow. Now,
in his prime, the stage is set for i.Emerge to further expand into the
realm of music production and performance. |
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