Mark Brown (BrownMark) spent most of his life in Minneapolis, Minnesota where, in the 80's, the Minneapolis music scene took America by storm with its unique blend of Rock and R&B. BrownMark grew up with musicians such as Prince, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Morris Day and Alexander O'Neil who laid the foundation for his advancements in his production skills and musical theory.
In 1981, BrownMark made his debut with Prince on the "Controversy" tour. For seven and a half years, he honed skills as a bassist for Prince and the Revolution and soon became known for his funky bass playing. Prince quoted in a Rolling Stone article that "without BrownMark on bass," he would "take bass out of the music." In 1988, BrownMark landed a recording contract with Motown. This career move was fueled by a track record of proven successes with the rock group, Mazarati (one of BrownMark's creations), Chico DeBarge, Troop, Georgio, Stacy Latisaw, Teen Dream, Sheila E., and LakeSide, to name a few. BrownMark debuted his solo album "Just Like That" on Motown in the late 80's with the single "Next Time." His second CD release on Motown was titled "Bang Bang." Collaborating with his former boss, Prince, BrownMark attempted to reintroduce himself as the funky bassist he was known to be.
To add to the list of his accomplishments, BrownMark received two Grammy Awards and two American Music Awards for his contributions to the "Purple Rain" movie soundtrack. He also had the privilege of performing with the talented Stevie Wonder and Stevie Ray Vaughn, along with Salt 'n' Pepa and Jodie Watley in an MTV special. He again had the honor of performing with Stevie Wonder at his "Character Party." BrownMark has also shared the stage with Sting, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Q-Tip, and Doug E. Fresh.
With the emergence of sub-cultural music in the early 90's, BrownMark felt it was time to withdraw from the active performance role and focus on studying the musical trends and emotions that were emerging. BrownMark's intentional re-direction of his career enabled him to hone his production and songwriting skills to an almost un-comparable level. He has combined his proven musicianship and musical sensibilities with his exposure to genres such as Grunge, Alternative Rock, Acid Jazz, Hip-Hop and R&B, all the while emphasizing very musical production standards.
BrownMark, having recognized another paradigm shift in the music industry, has joined forces with a dynamic group of business minds to form a Production Company called Cryptic Music Group. The first act signed to the label is BrownMark's own group CRYPTIC. He was quoted as saying, "It's time to make a contribution to this new and exciting industry." BrownMark refers to the industry as "new" because of the opportunities for the "little guys" to make a mark in the once close-knit record industry. With the internet and countless distribution alternatives knocking at his door, BrownMark feels it's time to start having fun.
BrownMark has always been the type that liked taking chances on something new. His noteworthy mark on the music industry has definitely proven his love and dedication to his art. Although his project, Cryptic, and record label, Cryptic Music Group, are his current priorities, BrownMark has managed to maintain involvement in other diverse music production projects like scoring commercials for Pepsi and Golden Grahams Cereal. He has also been widely acknowledged for his significant contribution to the soundtrack of the film "Purple Rain".
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