(Article) DJ Young Samm – “Jack Of All Trades”
There is an old adage that goes, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.†For Sam Mercer, more commonly known as “DJ Young Samm,†this is a mantra that he has built his career upon. Crafting himself into a musical “Jack of All Trades†within the industry, he holds a dizzying array of capabilities including; rapper, producer, director, and graphic artist.
Blessed with the innate ability to become proficient in an area via practice and determination alone, by his teens Samm had made the conscious decision to transform his skillset into a career.
“I knew that college wasn’t for me,†says Samm with a sly grin.
His intuition would prove to be right.
After joining the group “Triple A†with fellow artist Lil Boom, Samm would become a dominant force from within, taking on the roles of artist, DJ, as well as graphic designer; eventually venturing out to provide art not only for Triple A, but a multitude of artists and DJs alike.
It would be his notoriety as a principal graphic art designer that would later lead to a connection with DJ Chill, close friend of the legendary late DJ Screw. Under the tutelage of Chill, Samm would become an accomplished DJ, alternating between parties and mixtapes.
A sequence of successful mixtapes would soon follow, including street favorite, “Break Dem Boyz Off,†with DJ Chill, and “Still Breaking Boyz Off.â€
Looking to capitalize on his success from these ventures as well as utilize his talents in-house, in 2006 Samm would go on to create his own production company known as “Break Dem Boyz Off†Productions or “BDBO,†finding a niche and adding another title to his ever growing list: Producer, providing both music and video production.
Sam explains, “You just get in as a producer. You get in, you grind hard.â€
And grind he did. Producing tracks for artists across the nation like Bay Area favorite Mistah F.A.B., as well as a slew of Houston heavy hitters like J. Dawg and lyrical powerhouse Killa Kyleon. It would be former Boss Hog Outlaw Kyleon that would introduce Samm to the group, later bringing his BDBO faction under their umbrella as well.
Presently Samm is quietly building his BDBO ensemble into a force to be reckoned with, allowing his talents and growing roster of artists to do the talking for him, most notably newcomers  Lil Boom, Rashee and Hoodstar Chantz. The latter of which is steadily gaining steam within the city of Houston as a skillful freestyler.
Says Samm of what some proclaim as “New Houston,†i.e. an influx of new Houston artists, “New Houston is just a new wave of people. It’s anybody that’s doing something right now.â€
Ever persistent, Samm has made sure that he is always in the mix of something. Recently releasing the “Break Dem Boyz Off†compilation album, a musical showcase of talent.A self-proclaimed renaissance man, Samm continues to strive and succeed.
Declares Samm, “Only failures lay it down.â€â™£