Niles rap artists Michael Parker (left) and Larry Jones, who go by the stage names Merc and Larry Luxx, are hoping to grow their label GUTTA Entertainment that they started in 2006. (Daily Star photo/AARON MUELLER)

By AARON MUELLER

Niles Daily Star

Larry Jones and Michael Parker have done things in the past they regret, but for them, it’s all about the present and what they hope to be a bright future.

The Niles rap artists both point to music as an outlet for frustrations and a key to turning their lives around.

“Performing, that’s a stress reliever for me,” said Jones, who goes by the stage name Larry Luxx. “I let out all my frustrations, my happiness out on that stage.”

Jones, who was born and raised in South Bend, has his share of regrets, including dropping out of high school and getting caught up in “hustlin’.”

Parker, Jones’ uncle, who goes by the name Merc, grew up on the streets of Memphis, Tenn. where it was tough to escape violence and drugs.

“When it comes to writing, I like telling my life story, explaining what goes on in the streets and stuff,” he said. “Maybe what I’m saying will help somebody out and make them not turn down the same road.”

In 2006, the rap duo formed a label called GUTTA Entertainment. GUTTA is an acronym for “Going Universal Today Tomorrow through Adversity.”

“The message of our music is in the label name,” Jones said. “That’s how people are living their lives theses days — all for the moment. They don’t think about the backlash of what this moment is going to bring.”

Jones, 24, and Parker, 29, mostly rap about their own experiences.

“Ain’t nothin’ I say on tape that I haven’t done or experienced,” Parker said. “I know no lies.”

And Parker has been through a lot, including in 2006 the death of one of his closest friends who he rapped with in Memphis.

“When he died, it left a void in my life,” he said. “But when we started doing this, it just filled it back up and got me back on the right track.”

Parker had recently moved to Niles to escape the violence and gangs of Memphis and considers himself lucky to have escaped alive. But when he got to Niles, he didn’t have much going for him.

“I was looking for work. I didn’t have much going on,” he said. “But when we got this hooked up, it gave me something to do and got my hopes back up.”

Just like how both artists bring their own unique stories to their lyrics, they have unique styles of rap that blend together well.

“He from the Midwest. I’m from the South,” Parker said. “We got two different styles. Two different people, bringing two different flavors. I think that should catch everybody’s attention.”

Since forming the label, Jones has dropped a solo mix tape, called “Blockluster Vol. 1” in 2007 and an album titled “Liquor Music” in 2009. Parker appears in “Liquor Music” and is working on his own mixtape that will be released within a year. The duo will also team up with Niles rapper Deuce and a couple other local artists for a GUTTA Entertainment mix tape, titled “Heavy Machinery” that will be released soon.

They record their music at 102 Keys Productions in Mishawaka.

The duo also have performed at the Wild Hare in Chicago and different venues in South Bend, including the Marriott.

Currently Jones and Parker are looking to build up the finances to grow their label and are searching for a distributor for their music. But more than anything the duo are looking for respect from their community.

Jones says the Michiana area, and specifically Niles, doesn’t appreciate rap music.

“We want to bring attention to Niles. But why would you rep a town that don’t appreciate you?” he said. “I want to get everyone in this area to back me.”

While Jones and Parker would love to see their names up in lights some day, their main motivation is their families.

“I have three kids — a boy and two girls,” Jones said. “That’s pretty much what I’m focusing on right now every time I pick up a pen. I’ve got to write something hot that might help me to move on and help my kids. I want to make it so my kids have more opportunities than I had.”

Jones and Parker know the rap industry is competitive, but with their pasts now firmly behind them, they’re just living in the moment and dreaming about the future.

For more information on the music and label, visit www.myspace.com/larryluxx86.