King Mez

When word got out that there was a new kid from Raleigh, N.C., showing great promise as a heavyweight on the state’s hip-hop front, everyone from clothing line representatives and record label heads to proud alumni of his Garner High School showed up in increasing numbers to see for themselves what all the hype was about. At that time, the bulk of King Mez’s performances were centered around The Paraplegics, an 11-song autobiographical project with producer Commissioner Gordon. Mez’s run of opening slots for larger acts while broadcasting his name in various venues from here to New York has made for a nice introduction to the larger hip hop world. Since, the doors have swung wide open for Morris Wayne Ricks II.

While an official solo album is still in the works for Mez, his discography continues to grow. Mez’s guest appearances on projects from Kooley High, Rapsody, Sean Boog and others have showcased him as a go-to local emcee, while a couple of his singles (“Fences,” produced by Pharrell Williams, and “Champions,” produced by Apple Juice Kid and Ski Beatz) have him on the path to nationwide recognition. If that isn’t enough, the street wear clothing-line Stussy decided to become King Mez’s official sponsor, giving him yet another outlet for exposure. In the meantime, Mez continues to make himself ubiquitous, recording segments for MTV’s Sucker Free freestyle series and performing a five-track set with DJ Flash for NBC 17’s Sessions at Studio B. Earlier this year, Mez released The King’s Khrysis EP, a six-song set solely produced by one of NC’s strongest beatmakers, Khrysis. Mez shared the EP’s title track with Phonte Coleman of Little Brother.

Get familiar with the term “Fresh Heirs”: It’s King Mez’s mantra, his brand and another way of saying that he’s next in line. —Eric Tullis