Today we’d like to introduce you to Ferg Berserk
Hi Ferg, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Ferg Berserk, born Alan Ferguson, hails from East Atlanta and later moved to Decatur. He began making music in 2020 at the age of 19, initially as a coping mechanism, but quickly found a passion for bringing his unique sound to the Atlanta scene. Ferg Berserk’s music is a distinctive blend of RapMetal, mixing elements of Southern Hip-Hop with hardcore and death metal.
I began making music as a hobby; I would freestyle with my friends in highschool while we would hang out. Later, around Fall of 2019, I met a producer by the name of Max. While hanging out, Max and I recorded my raps for the very first time. I later went on to drop out of college because of my mental health. My best friend of 4 years passed away from suicide in 2019, and it was incredibly hard to cope and manage my life. After dropping out, I thought about what I really wanted to do with my life, and the only thing I wanted to do was make music. So I began learning how to sing, produce, record etc. After a while, I decided that I wanted to make music that truly reflected who I was as a person. Growing up, rock and metal music had been a big part of my life. To me, it only made sense that I would fuse metal and hiphop to create music that was authentically mine.
Along the way I reconnected with an artist by the name Sunshine. Working with him allowed me develop my musical skills and together, we solidified the “RapMetal” sound which I wanted to achieve. After finally achieving a sound that I was proud of, I released Outrage in January of 2023. With the release of Outrage, and being re-enrolled in school at Georgia State University, I had the chance to perform at a music showcase there. That was when I fell in love with performing. I would later go on to do lots of shows, which is something which I have become known for. In Fall of 2023, I broke 2 chairs on stage and the crowd reaction was amazing. After that, I began to bring out a chair to dive into at (almost) all of my live performances.
Now that I have a foundation in the music scene, I plan to continue to grow my art both in the music and performance aspects. I also want to share my sound with more people both locally and abroad, because I feel that more people can resonate with the emotions found in RapMetal music.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh absolutely not. I have almost no musical background at all, so learning how to sing and scream, play guitar, use the technical equipment, and everything else is still a work in progress. I’m extremely grateful to all the mentors and colleagues who’ve assisted me in my journey this far. In addition to that, my mental health was the original reason why I began to make music. I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD and Bipolar disorder, and it’s very difficult for me to manage the responsibilities of a student, artist, and human being day by day. I of course still work a part time job as well, so a lot of my struggles revolve around time management and trying to stay healthy. However, I’ve worked hard to build a life I can be proud of, and I have plenty of people who support me and my ambitions. Everyone has problems, but I still look towards my dream with hope.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a RapMetal artist from Atlanta, Ga. I’m a recording and performing artist, a songwriter, and I dabble in production. My rap influences mainly come from southern styles like trap and crunk, but I blend them with heavier vocal styles like in hardcore punk, death metal, or nu-metal. One thing I’ve become known in the scene for are my performances. I pride myself on giving 1000% on stage. I always do my best to get the energy up for the crowd, so far as to jump offstage into a real chair at almost every show. It’s always the height of my night to hear everyone yell with excitement. I’ll watch people rush into the pit and finish off the little pieces, or run up to me after the show and ask me to sign them. It makes me so happy to see that people enjoy what I do.
Nothing that I do hasn’t been done before. There are plenty of RapMetal artists out there, and I’m sure I’m not the first person to jump into a chair, but I know that it’s the way that I do things that sets me apart from the others. I always strive for new ways to experiment with my sound, improve upon my artistry, and I give all my energy for my supporters.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I think the first bit of advice that I’d give is to believe in yourself. I had plenty of people that doubted me, laughed at me, and tried to get me to quit. I believed in myself that I would find a way to pursue my dream. When you believe in something hard enough and put in the work to make it happen, people will begin to believe in you as well. I think that’s how you find genuine, more meaningful connections as well.
I’ll also say that you want to surround yourself with ambitious people. You want to be around people who inspire you to do better. In turn, you’ll improve yourself, and begin to attract the interest of those same people.
Pricing:
- Ferg Berserk T-shirts are $20
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ferg_berserk/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ferg-Berserk/100093467057955/
- Twitter: https://x.com/FergBerserk
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu6GgMjiHedDLITtV-XrDXw
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/fergberserk
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3o8vcqWoHpGCfpewCUX3lr?si=wVwDbbU-SbW8KuV0EQPY7g
Image Credits
Chrysander Mandragora, Germani Rosario, Marie Lopez, Thrashbear, Pablo Barrios
