#thread: ffri.

[astoldbymercy-blog]

FunkMaster Flex, Radio Interview.

INVOLVED: Mercedes Jones. LOCATION: Hot 97 Radio Station; New York City, New York. TIME FRAME: August 21st, 2018. NOTES: Mercedes has a radio interview with Funkmaster Flex; mentions Samuel Evans and Danielle Harper. AUTHOR NOTES: Trigger Warnings; I am sure there maybe various ones in here for someone - please proceed with caution. 

+ Also this self para was not proof read entirely, due to me posting it late because forgive me for any grammatical errors or confusion. Will edit and reupload later this week. 

“What is the hardest thing about being in the music industry in your opinion? What are some challenges you do face or have faced?” Flex asked Mercedes.

“The hardest?” Mercedes repeated as she looked to the microphone “your imagine, but I think that’s across the board. I don’t think that’s just geared towards music alone” she told him. “I think the biggest challenge has maybe been me hiding some parts of me because of the fear I had of what others thought” she told him  being cut off by him immediately.

“Like the album, which is no sound you’ve ever touched before” he asked her as he shifted in his chair. Flex looked to Mercedes expectantly given how closed-off she usually is in interviews.

Mercedes smirked at Flex and nodded “well yeah. Like I was saying. I didn’t want my body to sell records, but with that I placed my sexuality and my comfort in my sexuality within that same grouping… if that makes sense” she told him. “I never strayed too far away but I wasn’t as vocal either. That doesn’t mean I don’t believe the things wrote and released before… it just means it were more to the story than I was letting on” she said adjusting the headphones on her ear.

“Which only makes sense because you have written music for other artist that totally go against most of your music. Or is in no relation to the vibes you give off” Flex said.

“Well that’s just what makes me truly gifted. But yeah, I’ve written for: Elle Varner, Emeli Sande, Neyo, Usher, Ciara..” Mercedes listed off on her fingers “I have written for movies” she said “I mean the list could go on, I actually song back up for a short time. Then I would open shows, but during that period I made most of the money I have writing for music” she said honestly. “I have featured on a number of stuff as well.”

“Who do you really wish to write for or with right now if you could?” Flex asked her.

“There is this young lady by the name of Danielle Harper, she is a very amazing vocalist and lyricist. I would love to write something for her or even with her. She definitely needs to be put on the map, people are ‘sleeping’ on her” Mercedes said using air quotes. “She has a few songs that I personally have just fallen deeply in love with” she smiled at the thought. “And if I can help to get her noticed or even signed I am down for the cause” she told him.

“Oh yeah. Danielle Harper?” Flex repeated having never heard of the artist himself. He went on to ask “what is your favorite song by her or some of her songs?”

“My favorite is Stone Cold. It’s such a relatable piece of art man” she said with a head shake. “I was in aw the first time I heard it” Mercedes chuckled.

“How does it go?” Flex asked Mercedes.

You could faintly hear the radio manager asking if Mercedes could sing a portion of the song in acapella for them.

Mercedes chuckled “acapella?” she repeated to them licking her lips “stone cold, stone cold. You see me standing, but I'm dying on the floor” she song softly sitting back in her chair. “Stone cold, stone cold. Maybe if I don't cry, I won't feel anymore” she closed her eyes “stone cold, baby. God knows I tried to feel” she belted “happy for you. Know that I am, even if I. Can't understand, I'll take the pain. Give me the truth, me and my heart” she continued to sing sweetly resting her hand over her heart. “We'll make it through. If happy is her, I'm happy for you” she sung, trailing off. “I can’t give you anymore you have to hear it for yourself and give her a try” she said with a chuckle as she leaned back into her chair again.

“I don’t think I have ever gotten you to actually sing” Flex chuckled, excitedly clapping his hand. “Honestly, you have never sung for us but if I can suggest you cover that song. I am. Because your voice was amazing” he emphasized. “I would have thought it were your song honestly, for real” he told her.

“I could consider it” Mercedes said discreetly as she looked to the other interviewer in the room.

“What else do you have going on?” the guy asked “you have Sparkle, we heard…”

“Yeah. Sparkle, I’ll be portraying Sparkle herself. And I am excited. I have the scripts, I have been studying who she is, what she stands for, her overall personality” Mercedes said nodding her head. “Should be a good watch. Has Danielle Brooks, Kelly Rowland, uh some others I can’t name yet” she said with a grin. “It’s going to be great” she told them.

“Are you writing any original songs for that?” Flex asked her curiously.

Nodding her head, “I write one of the final songs Sparkle is set to sing in the movie. But much like Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls, I have to portray her throughout the movie first and then I’ll go back to record and write the song. They need that raw emotion and I guess grittiness from me. Which is by the way hard… naturally I have a very soft singing voice. That powerhouse everyone knows about forces it out” Mercedes said chuckling again.

“Which is right because you have this one song, I think it’s called breathe or pause?” the radio manger said in the background. “But your voice is so soft and angelic and, I can never really make out the lyrics I always thought it was sexual but I loved the vibe to it” she laughed softly.

“Oh yes” Mercedes said nodding her head “it’s called Pause off of my second album” she corrected the woman discreetly and she nodded her head listening before she released another laugh. “You’d be amazed the different explanations I get for that song. Everyone thinks it about everything but what it’s really about” she told them. “Hey, it’s me. I’m calling to schedule an event. No make that necessary breakdown” she said reciting the lyrics as she placed her hands on the table. “I won’t be answering anything. I’ll be to busy, with my knees on the ground” she emphasized “and my hands up towards the clouds. Confessing out loud, I’m not too proud to say I’m slipping. So I am calling to schedule a very necessary breakdown. Leave me alone now” she said in full. “It was titled Woman, I was coming into my own kind of. And Pause was something that was previously written when I was going through a rough patch in life to be honest” she shrugged. “I was basically talking about having a actual breakdown, cutting off the World, not answering my phone or anyone, getting on my knees and praying and lifting my hands up to Heaven asking God to help me help myself” she said sighing. “And uh, it’s a interlude so… I think any people miss that message a lot” she said running her hand down the side of her face. “Which is interesting, I thought it was self explanatory when I wrote and recorded it” she said to them.

“Whoa” Flex said.

“I honestly didn’t know that’s what that song was saying, we played that all the time back when the album dropped. ‘Cause she loved it” the another guy in the room said pointing to the radio manager.

“I always thought on my knees implied…” she gestured with wide eyes. “And I thought you were saying with my legs up towards the clouds!”

“Damn that’s wild!” Flex said as the room ruptured into a fit of laughter.

Mercedes chuckled shaking her head “that’s common” she commented grinning. “But no” she said shaking her head again closing her eyes, “it is not” she said truthfully.  

“I’m embarrassed” the woman confessed as she continued to laugh “wow”.

“That’s crazy” Flex responded “what’s something else crazy that has happened to you?” he asked her.

“Recently… I mean the most unexpected thing happened to me. You know when something kind of leaves you speechless?” she asked. “Someone I know kind of hit on me I think and the vibe ever since has been… crazy” Mercedes said. “But I’m taken so you know I’ve had to just kind of fix the situation. But yes, that was crazy” she said. “And I think every time I see my lyrics, song titles, or name tattooed on someone I am just like left speechless” she snorted.

“Really!” Flex exclaimed “I forgot you are in a relationship. Long term right?” he asked her.

“Yeah I am. Since high school practically” she said looking down at her shirt and brushing lint off of it. “His name is Sam. Well we all call him Sam” she said crossing her legs. “And off and on since high school we have been together. He’s the typical southern gentlemen” Mercedes said being cut off again.

“He’s not within your race right?” the other guy asked.

Mercedes looked to the man before looking back to Flex, “he’s caucasian yes” she answered.

“How is that, the two different cultures mixing and mingling? You are very vocal about the wrongful killings of plenty African American males be it men or boys. You even wrote a song with MAJOR expressing that disdain. And you speak a lot about your heritage in your music” Flex said looking to her as she sat back in his chair.

“The color of his skin doesn’t determine my actions and doesn’t sway the way my heart leans” she told them making a gesture with her hands. “If he were out here conducting himself in a manner that would make me question where he stood in correspondence to what I give off and I am about I would see the issue. The color of his skin means nothing. Love is love” she said looking off. “I don’t get into politics” Mercedes said cutting her statement off short. “If I were with him and felt I couldn’t embrace the skin I am in… well see we wouldn’t be together” she told them. “Although to correct you the song MAJOR and I wrote were about a number of things actually….”

“I can dig that, I have always just thought that was interesting. Kind of like Kendrick Lamar and Donald Glover” the other guy replied.

“Mhm” Mercedes replied back simply through closed lips as she turned in the chair from left and right. These were the reason interviews annoyed her so much, because she hated giving personal information and being spoken to in a manner that challenged her or her beliefs.

“We don’t have to talk about politics but we could talk about your album that isn’t even a month old and has sold almost 500,000 copies already!” Flex said into the microphone. “You have literally blow up over night! You were on the charts but 5 songs for 2 week straight? With all these other big artist dropping major albums around the time you have dropped yours?” Flex asked. “That is crazy!” he exclaimed. “It has gone gold in under a month! Were you expecting that man?”

“No, not at all” Mercedes said shaking her head. “I didn’t necessarily have the birthday I intended. It was finished. I called them up. Said drop it. It wasn’t the album I wanted so my attitude was much different. But boy does it feel good to live in the success of it all” she said chuckling. “Couldn’t believe the World loved it. I was in this pinch me please type of mood for like 3 days. And I am so very grateful, so very grateful. Words can’t express it.”

“What was the inspiration, why did you switch up your sound and look?” Flex asked wanting to get the juicy details from her if he could.

“Because it’s what they wanted. I had stuff written and usually I give the permission for me to look through the book of songs I have. And you know… stuff happened from there” Mercedes told him shrugging.

“So SONY did?” Flex asked her with raised brows.

“No!” Mercedes said chuckling “do not put that on SONY, SONY pays me WELL” she chuckled along with everyone else. “I don’t need any blogs or magazines spinning that crazy ass story. My team, or the team I had did” she clarified.

“Had? So you’ve fired your people man?” Flex pressed.

“Your words not mine” Mercedes said shaking her head “hey, I write the songs and record. I don’t handle anything else personally. At the end of the day I will always be in good hands, trust me” she told him seriously.

“Alright, I just want to say congratulations again. You are on the road to 1,000,000 copies, better known as Platinum. And I wish you all the success in the World girl, you have an amazing voice,amazing personality, beauty, brains, all of that and you deserve all the stuff that is coming to you thanks to the album!” Flex said confidently.