Merwin Bernard channels everything from dancefloor-ready beats to pop and lo-fi hip-hop on his self-titled record
Los Angeles rapper-producer Merwin Bernard aka Mad Rassi. Photo: Bradley/Instagram.com/nothingbutbradd
On the magnificent trap opener “Count” off his self-titled debut EP, producer and rapper Mad Rassi aka Merwin Bernard proclaims in his Auto-Tuned voice, “Count all my figures/Got that magic/I’m a wizard, raise my middle fingers/I’m gonna cut you out like scissors.”
It might sound like just another braggadocious claim about money, but the Los Angeles-based rapper and producer says it’s about the people in one’s life. “I’m talking about my friends and my connections and my family. Those are the most valuable things in my life. I’ve always valued love over money,” Bernard says.
Born in Chennai and currently pursuing a degree in music at the Los Angeles Film School, Bernard grew up in Beijing and parts of Sri Lanka and Malaysia, even studying sound engineering at London’s Alchemea College until 2015. The multi-instrumentalist shifted midway from a guitar and jazz course at the Musicians Institute in L.A. to pursue music production at the Los Angeles Film School, but along the way he also became part of metal band SHUN, alongside fellow Indian producer-guitarist Mayurath Sinh Gupta aka Illah.
It’s safe to say that when you ask Bernard where he’s from, he feels a bit conflicted while attempting to provide a truthful answer. “I’m Indian, but I’ve grown up in different places,” he manages to tell us. Cutting back to the four-track EP, there’s playful, dancefloor-friendly hip-hop and electronic music that features honeyed pop vocal hooks as well as rap delivery. Bernard says, “The whole record is a guy getting through a breakup and staying intact with who he really is.”
Thinking as a producer, but also guitarist, bassist, drummer and keyboardist, there’s still some Indian elements creeping into songs like “Away” (featuring friend and fellow L.A. rapper Nxichx). “Green Smoke” offers up funky grooves, while his ode to his current home “Westside” is a typical trap banger.
Up next, Bernard’s working his contacts and friends at the film school to roll out videos for each track off Mad Rassi EP, aiming to tell a continuous story. It’s going to take until February, mostly because he wants to get the aesthetic right. The rapper says with a laugh, “My cousins back in India have Range Rovers and stuff, but over in L.A. you gotta pay like 200 bucks to rent some car, man. Luckily I’m in a film school so I have connections with people that just get that stuff for free, pretty much. By February mid time, you’re going to see one of the videos drop and then in March I’m probably going to drop all of them.”
Listen to Mad Rassi EP below. Hear it on more platforms here.
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