Victor Mercer (born November 16, 1980), better known by his stage name Celph Titled, is an American rapper and record producer who is a member of the hip hop

supergroup Supergroup or super group may refer to: * Supergroup (music), a music group formed by artists who are already notable or respected in their fields * Supergroup (physics), a generalization of groups, used in the study of supersymmetry * Supergroup ...

Army of the Pharaohs AOTP logo ''(as seen on In Death Reborn)'' Army of the Pharaohs (most commonly abbreviated as AOTP or A.O.T.P.) is an American underground hip hop collective originating from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formed by Jedi Mind Tricks founder ...

, as well as

the Demigodz Demigodz are an American hip hop collective founded by Connecticut rappers Open Mic and Reflex. The group was originally named "The Nobility" but Open Mic renamed the group "The Demigodz" with inspiration from one of his own verses. The group h ...

along with Connecticut rapper

Apathy Apathy is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something. It is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation, or passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of intere ...

, Ryu from Get Busy Committee, and rapper Blacastan and

Esoteric Western esotericism, also known as esotericism, esoterism, and sometimes the Western mystery tradition, is a term scholars use to categorise a wide range of loosely related ideas and movements that developed within Western society. These ideas a ...

. Mercer moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

and began working as an in-house producer and A&R. The now-defunct BUDS International and Bronx Science Records released all of his early records on vinyl, including those of his original group, Equilibrium, and singles from his longstanding partner,

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

-winner

Mike Shinoda Michael Kenji Shinoda (; ja, 篠田賢治, Shinoda Kenji; born February 11, 1977) is an American musician, singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer. He co-founded the rock band Linkin Park in 1996 and was the band's collaborative vocali ...

, of

Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. The band's current lineup comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, bassist Dave Farrell, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn and drummer ...

, invited Mercer to join his

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

cohorts,

Styles of Beyond Styles of Beyond was an American underground hip hop group from the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. The group consists of MCs Ryan Patrick Maginn (Ryu) and Takbir Bashir (Tak), Colton Raisin Fisher ( DJ Cheapshot), and produce ...

, as an official part of

Fort Minor Fort Minor was a hip hop side project by American musician Mike Shinoda, who is better known as the rhythm guitarist, keyboardist, producer, and rapper of the rock band Linkin Park. The project's only album, '' The Rising Tied'', was released ...

's album ''

The Rising Tied ''The Rising Tied'' is the only studio album by Fort Minor, the hip hop side project by Linkin Park rapper Mike Shinoda. The album was released on November 22, 2005, through Warner Bros. Records and Shinoda's label Machine Shop Recordings. S ...

'' (2005). After working with

DJ Green Lantern James Christopher D'Agostino (born July 7, 1975), professionally known as DJ Green Lantern, is an American hip hop DJ and producer from Rochester, New York. In 2002, D'Agostino was signed by American rapper Eminem, to become the official DJ for S ...

on the Invasion " Fort Minor: We Major"

mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...

, Mercer embarked on a nationwide tour with Fort Minor in 2006. Mercer released '' The Gatalog'', a four-disc set of his guest appearances and freestyles, going back to his early releases from 1998, as his official first offering to a thriving fanbase that already viewed him as a seasoned veteran. After the release of ''The Gatalog'' and a move back to Tampa, Mercer spent three years working with

D.I.T.C. The Diggin' in the Crates Crew, commonly known as D.I.T.C., is an American hip hop collective formed in 1992 in New York City. The collective's name derives from the act of seeking out records to sample for production. The collective is compo ...

multi-platinum producer, Buckwild, on his first album, ''

Nineteen Ninety Now ''Nineteen Ninety Now'' is a collaborative album by Celph Titled and Buckwild. It was released on October 26, 2010. Reception ''Nineteen Ninety Now'' received critical acclaim from music critics. Nathan Rabin of The A.V. Club described ''Ninete ...

'', released on October 26, 2010, on No Sleep Recordings.

Early life

Celph Titled was born in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

, and grew up in Hillsborough County.

Career

Mercer moved to

-winner

, of

, invited Mercer to join his

cohorts,

, as an official part of

's album ''

'' (2005), released on Linkin Park's

Machine Shop Recordings Machine Shop Records is a record label founded by American rock band Linkin Park members, Brad Delson and Mike Shinoda, in 2001. The label is notable for releasing music in rock, hip hop, underground hip hop, alternative rock and nu metal music ...

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

. Shinoda handled production for the album.

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...

, who worked with Linkin Park on their collaborative EP ''

Collision Course {{wiktionary A collision course, also known as a ''kamikaze run'', is the deliberate maneuver by the operator of a moving object (or often in Sci-Fi a spaceship) to collide with another object. It is a desperate maneuver since it often damages ...

'', served as an

executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...

for the album. Shinoda collaborated with many longtime friends (such as hip hop group

Jonah Matranga Jonah Rzadzinski Matranga (born Jonah Sonz Matranga, August 11, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who has released a variety of solo material under his own name and onelinedrawing, and has previously been part of the bands ...

Holly Brook Holly Brook Hafermann (born February 23, 1986), known professionally as Skylar Grey, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Mazomanie, Wisconsin. In 2004, at the age of 17, Grey signed a publishing deal with Universal Music ...

and Linkin Park turntablist

Joe Hahn Joseph Hahn (born March 15, 1977) is an American musician, DJ, director and visual artist best known as the DJ of the American rock band Linkin Park, doing the scratching, turntables, sampling, and programming for all seven of Linkin Park's ...

), as well as many notable and underground hip-hop and R&B artists (such as

Common Common may refer to: Places * Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland * Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts * Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts * Clapham Common, originally com ...

John Legend John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...

Black Thought Tariq Luqmaan Trotter (born October 3, 1973), better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper, actor and the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group the Roots, which he co-founded with drummer Questlove (Ahmir Thompson). Regarded ...

Lupe Fiasco Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, ''Lupe Fiasco's ...

Kenna Kenna Zemedkun, known professionally as Kenna, is an Ethiopian-born American musician, philanthropist and technology creative. His track "Say Goodbye to Love" was nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in the 2009 Grammy Awards. Kenna ...

, Eric Bobo, Sixx John and Celph Titled) for the album. After working with

on the Invasion " Fort Minor: We Major"

, Mercer embarked on a nationwide tour with Fort Minor in 2006. The mixtape was made as a warm-up/

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term " ...

to promote their first album ''

'', and was first released on the internet as a free download. Mercer released a compilation titled '' The Gatalog'', a four-disc set of his guest appearances and freestyles, going back to his early releases from 1998, as his official first offering to a thriving fanbase that already viewed him as a seasoned veteran. After the release of ''The Gatalog'' and a move back to Tampa, Mercer spent three years working with the Diggin' In The Crates (D.I.T.C.) multi-platinum producer, Buckwild, on his first album, ''

'', released on October 26, 2010, on No Sleep Recordings. On January 14, 2013, Apathy confirmed that ''Killmatic'' would be released on March 5. Along with that, he confirmed the official album art. Four days later, Apathy, through his YouTube account, released the first single for ''Killmatic'' titled "Demigodz Is Back". On May 5, 2013, Demigodz released their second studio album titled Killmatic. It featured all members including Celph Titled,

, Motive, Blacastan, Esoteric and Ryu. In Death Reborn,

fourth studio album, is set to be released April, 2014 and is stated to have Celph Titled on the album. On November 30, 2013,

Vinnie Paz Vincenzo Luvineri (born October 5, 1977), better known as Vinnie Paz (formerly known as Ikon the Verbal Hologram), is a Sicilian Americans, Sicilian American rapper and producer behind the Philadelphia underground hip hop group Jedi Mind Tricks ...

revealed that two new Army Of The Pharaohs albums would be released in 2014. The first album; ''

In Death Reborn ''In Death Reborn'' is the fourth studio album by the underground hip hop collective Army of the Pharaohs. The album was released on April 22, 2014, via Vinnie Paz's independent record label, Enemy Soil. The album features members Vinnie Paz, A ...

'' is slated for a release on 22 April and the second LP is expected to drop in November. Celph Titled is confirmed to be on the upcoming albums; new members including Demigodz member Blacastan and Zilla from

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

are said to be joining the group.

Discography

Albums

* ''The Rubix Cuban'' (Unreleased) * 2006: '' The Gatalog: A Collection of Chaos'' * ''The Fresh Prince of Hell's Lair'' (Unreleased)

Collaborations

Army of the Pharaohs

*2006: '' The Torture Papers'' *2007: ''

Ritual of Battle ''Ritual of Battle'' is the second studio album by underground hip hop collective Army of the Pharaohs. Released on September 25, 2007 under Babygrande Records, the album features group members Vinnie Paz, Jus Allah, OuterSpace, Chief Kam ...

'' *2010: ''

The Unholy Terror ''The Unholy Terror'' is the third studio album by underground hip hop collective Army of the Pharaohs. The album was released on March 30, 2010. The album debuted in the ''Billboard'' 200 at number 179 selling 3,200 units in its first week of ...

'' *2014: ''

'' *2014: '' Heavy Lies the Crown''

Demigodz

*2007: ''The Godz Must Be Crazier'' (with Demigodz) *2013: '' Killmatic'' (with Demigodz)

Boss Hog Barbarians (with
J-Zone Jay Mumford (born February 26, 1977), better known by his stage name J-Zone, is an American record producer, drummer, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and writer from New York City. Career Known for his quirky lyrics and trash talk style of rapp ...
)

*2006: ''Every Hog Has Its Day''

With
Apathy Apathy is a lack of feeling, emotion, interest, or concern about something. It is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation, or passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of intere ...

*2006: '' No Place Like Chrome'' *TBA: ''Will Sing for Vengeance''

With Buckwild

*2010: ''

'' *2011: ''Nineteen Ninety More''

With Stu Bangas

*2022: New Unnamed Album

References

External links

* , his official website * {{DEFAULTSORT:Celph Titled American hip hop record producers American male rappers Army of the Pharaohs members Living people Underground rappers Musicians from Tampa, Florida Rappers from Florida Southern hip hop musicians American people of Cuban descent Hispanic and Latino American rappers 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians 1980 births Demigodz members