Kelvin Mercer

{{short description|American rapper and producer (born 1969)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2015}} {{Original research|article|date=February 2008}} {{Infobox musical artist  | name = Kelvin Mercer | image = De La Soul - Gods of Rap Tour 2019 - Berlin (27 von 49) (cropped).jpg | caption = Mercer at Gods of Rap 2019 in Berlin, Germany | image_size = | background = solo_singer | alias = {{flatlist| * Posdnuos * Mercenary * Plug One * Sop Sound * Plug Wonder Why * Pos }} | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1969|8|17}}<ref name=allmusic>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/posdnuos-mn0000980320|title=Posdnuos - Album Discography|website=AllMusic|access-date=May 19, 2019}}</ref> | birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S. | genre = Hip hop | occupation = Rapper, record producer | years_active = 1988–present<ref name="Britannica">{{cite web|author=Greg Tate|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/De-La-Soul|title=De La Soul|publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica|date=2019-11-23}}</ref> | label = Tommy Boy, Sanctuary, AOI | current_member_of = De La Soul }} thumb|Posdnuos and Maseo of De La Soul at Gods of Rap 2019 in Berlin, Germany '''Kelvin Mercer''' (born August 17, 1969),<ref name=allmusic /> also known by his stage name '''Posdnuos''', '''Plug 1''' and occasionally '''Pos''', is an American rapper and record producer from East Massapequa, New York,<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newsday.com/entertainment/music/hip-hop-public-enemy-de-la-soul-fvsg0ybn | title=Strong Island's in the house: When hip-hop ruled LI | date=August 10, 2023 }}</ref> best known for his work as one third of the hip hop trio De La Soul. Through his work with the group, Mercer is considered to be one of the most consistent and underrated MCs of all time.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.wired.com/2011/09/dj-shadow/|title=DJ Shadow: The Internet Is Not Your Savior|last=DJ Shadow|date=September 23, 2011|access-date=September 23, 2011|publisher=Wired.com}}</ref> Beginning with the highly acclaimed ''3 Feet High and Rising'' in 1989, Mercer has gone on to release nine albums with De La Soul.

== Early life == Mercer was born on August 17, 1969, in The Bronx, New York City, U.S.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiP75M9Dxi8&t=62s | title=De La Soul Yo! MTV Raps interview with Fab Five Freddy on Jan 13 1994|time=00:54 |via=YouTube|date=June 26, 2024}}.</ref>

==Cameos and album appearances==

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Artist ! Album ! Track ! With |- | 2000 | Rawkus Records |''Hip Hop for Respect'' |One Four Love (Part 1) | Various Artists |- |2002 | Mint Royale | ''Dancehall Places'' |Show Me | |- |2006 | Oh No |''Exodus into Unheard Rhythms'' |Smile a Lil Bit | |- | rowspan="2"| 2007 | LA Symphony |''Unleashed'' |Universal | |- |DJ Jazzy Jeff |''The Return of the Magnificent'' |Let Me Hear U Clap | |- | rowspan="2" | 2008 | Jake One |''White Van Music'' |Oh Really | Slug of Atmosphere |- | J-Live |''Then What Happened'' |The Upgrade | Oddisee |- | rowspan="2" | 2009 | Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip |(single) |Thou Shalt Always Kill | |- | Master Ace and Edo G |''Arts and Entertainment'' |Good Music | |- | 2010 | Slum Village |''Villa Manifesto'' |Scheming | Phife Dawg, J Dilla and Vice Verse |- | rowspan="2" | 2011 | DJ Shadow |''The Less You Know, the Better'' |Stay the Course | Talib Kweli |- | Mac Miller |(remix) |Of the Soul |Raekwon |- | rowspan="4" | 2013 | Statik Selektah |''Extended Play'' |Game Break | Lecrae and Termanology |- |Marco Polo | ''PA2: The Director's Cut'' |Glory (Finish Hard) |A.G., Masta Ace and Dion Jenkins |- | Wrekonize |''The War Within'' |Church Road | |- | Yancey Boys |''Sunset Blvd.'' |Beautiful | Botni Applebum |- |2014 | Statik Selektah |''What Goes Around'' |God Knows |Bun B and Jared Evan |- | rowspan="2" | 2015 | Slum Village |''Yes<ref>{{Cite web |title=genius |url=https://genius.com/Slum-village-right-back-lyrics}}</ref>'' |Right Back | |- | Hot Chip |''Why Make Sense?'' |Love Is the Future | |- | 2018 | The Black Eyed Peas |''Masters of the Sun Vol. 1'' |All Around the World | Phife Dawg and Ali Shaheed Muhammad |- | 2019 |Grand Analog |(single) |Mutations | |- | 2020 | Potatohead People |''Mellow Fantasy'' |Baby Got Work | Kapok |- | rowspan="5" | 2022 | Robert Glasper |''Black Radio III'' |Everybody Love |Musiq Soulchild |- | Phife Dawg |''Forever'' |2 Live Forever |Little Brother and Darien Brockington |- |Diamond D |''The Rear View'' |Flyin' High | |- | Ibrahim Maalouf |''Capacity to Love'' |Quiet Culture | |- |Wildchild |''Omowale'' |Father's Day<ref>{{Cite web |title=instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce_qbqNpeYV/}}</ref> |Big Daddy Kane |- | rowspan="2" |2023 |Planet Hemp |''JARDINEIROS: A COLHEITA'' |NUNCA TENHA MEDO | |- |Statik Selektah |''Round Trip'' |Round Trip (for Dave) | |- | rowspan="2" |2024 |Ana Tijoux |''Vida'' |Tu sae |Talib Kweli |- |Common & Pete Rock |''The Auditorium Vol. 1'' |When the Sun Shines Again |Bilal |- | rowspan="2" |2025 |Talib Kweli, J. Rawls & Javotti Media |''N.A'' |Native Sons Part II<ref>{{Cite web |title=spotify |url=https://open.spotify.com/track/1muRz8Pxp0ZSo6vLVNAISK}}</ref> |Maseo, Black Thought, Mike Gee, Afrika Baby Bam & Busta Rhymes |- |Sean Kuti & Egypt 80 |''Heavier Yet Lays the Crownless Head'' |Stand Well Well (Grand Stand Version)<ref>{{Cite web |title=rolling stone |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/seun-kuti-de-la-soul-posdnuos-stand-well-well-1235303412/}}</ref> | |}

==Aliases== All three members of De La Soul have used a number of aliases. The following are Mercer's most significant:

* '''Posdnuos'''/'''Pos''' – Pronounced "poss-duh-noose" ({{IPAc-en|p|ɒ|s|d|ə|n|u|s}}). The name may be a combination of the reversed words ''sop'', meaning "gift," and ''sound'', a name Mercer went by while acting as a high school DJ.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Harrington |first=Richard |date=1989-05-18 |title=DE LA SOUL'S MIND-BENDING RAP |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1989/05/18/de-la-souls-mind-bending-rap/af8f9493-1894-41e2-88f2-ed2057247d0b/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> According to some sources, the fact that the words spelled backward are "sounds op [i.e., operative]" is intentional.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://musicbrainz.org/artist/57c44102-301c-43d0-91d6-66d71ffd5376|title=Posdnuos - MusicBrainz|website=musicbrainz.org|access-date=2019-05-19}}</ref> * '''Plug One''' – An early concept for ''3 Feet High and Rising'' involved music being transmitted from Mars by three microphone 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''', which would be shortened to a homophone of the original, '''Plug Won'''.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} * '''Mercenary''' – Derived from the last name, "Mercer". This name was given to him by DCQ, brother of Mos Def.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.daveyd.com/delasoulpt1interview.html|title=De La Soul Interview|website=www.daveyd.com|access-date=2019-05-19}}</ref> * '''P-Pain''' – Caricature of the rapper T-Pain. He uses this alias in the song "Supervillainz" by DOOM.

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercer, Kelvin}} Category:1969 births Category:African-American male rappers Category:21st-century American male rappers Category:20th-century American male rappers Category:20th-century American rappers Category:Alternative hip-hop musicians Category:American dance musicians Category:American hip-hop record producers Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Rappers from New York (state) Category:Rappers from the Bronx Category:People from Long Island Category:De La Soul members Category:21st-century American rappers Category:Record producers from New York (state) Category:21st-century African-American musicians Category:20th-century African-American musicians