MARQUIS is the pseudonym for multimedia artist Mark Baranowski when he's embracing his dark side and channeling it through electronic music. Originally from Buffalo, NY, he's been living in Charlotte, NC since 1996. Rap was Mark's first foray into music-making, back in the late 1980s. Starting with songwriting and rapping a cappella, he soon graduated to using a drum machine and recording his songs on a 4-track recorder. While still in Buffalo, he and a close friend would eventually create their own record label, Nickel City Records, from which they would release their music on a wider scale. Soon after, however, Mark would relocate to Charlotte and forge ahead on his own, expanding his range to other styles of music. By then he was also making fine art and independent movies, so Nickel City Records became on Mark Productions, a banner for his numerous artistic creations.