 You’ve heard his work nationwide and you’ve felt his influence
on Hip-Hop culture, now it’s time to know him. Chris “In The
Mix” Mercado has helped to shape the sound of urban radio over
the last 16 years. Currently a producer at Sirius Satellite
Radio, he’s now taking his skills to the stars! Chris worked
his way up the professional ladder by starting as a
programming intern at 98.7 Kiss Fm, NYC in 1989 to later move
on to the world of audio production. He later moved over to
sister station HOT 97 and that’s where the fun began.
From New York to Japan, fans throughout the world recognize
WQHT, HOT 97 FM, to be the cutting edge leader in Hip Hop
radio. Chris provided HOT 97 with its high level of broadcast
quality. As the station’s Commercial Production Director /
Remixer, Chris was responsible for overseeing show production
for legendary DJ’s Funkmaster Flex, DJ Clue, Angie Martinez,
DJ Kay Slay, Mister Cee, DJ Enuff and more. Chris’ superior
copywriting and music editing skills, added much of the flava
to the overall HOT 97 sound. In addition, Chris had the
enormous daily responsibility of producing commercials that
brought in close to 40 million dollars in revenue per year.
Because HOT 97 is such a high profile organization, its
distinctive sound and solid production values are the standard
against which other stations measure themselves.
Outside of his work with HOT 97, Chris’ company, In The Mix
Entertainment, Inc., has produced national commercials for
several clients including Def Jam Records, HBO, and Essence
Magazine, to name a few. He recently completed voice overs on
national ads for Alicia Keys, Angie Stone and Jamie Foxx to
name a few. What Chris terms “outside work” is steadily
increasing these days. He is producer, programmer, and
co-owner of a syndicated show called “Live From Da Yard” and
produced the very successful Internationally syndicated show
“The Coast 2 Coast Hip-Hop Countdown” which ran in multiple
markets worldwide and on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years
with a listenership of over 14 million strong . His voice has
been heard nationwide on radio and TV spots and he has also
worked as production engineer for Isaac Hayes Productions on
movie scores, station jingles and original music.
Besides working in the industry, Chris is also an instructor
and a role model. He has taught a class entitled “Producing
Hip Hop and House Music 101” at the New School University. He
is a voting member of NARAS and a member of ASCAP. He has been
a guest lecturer and panel member at New York University,
Howard University, Hofstra University, Northern Illinois
University, and SUNY Albany and he’s judged both the
Essence/Pepsi Youth Awards and the Guitar Center International
DJ Spin-off.
Chris feels that the key to his continued success lies in his
positive, focused attitude: “I have a strong love of music, I
understand the business and I am my market. “I’m about setting
trends, not following them.” |
