MAR-KELRecords
East Sounds Studio control room, where Mar-Kel Records projects were recorded

About Us

POSITIVE MUSIC FOR A
POSITIVE PURPOSE

Established in Rocky Mount North Carolina in 1985, Mar-Kel Records has spent more than four decades championing independent music and artistic excellence. The label's name was born from the founder's greatest inspiration - his two sons, Tarone Marcel Johnson and Kelvin Darrall Johnson. What began as a personal tribute has become a lasting symbol of family, legacy, and a commitment to empowering artists for generations to come.

Mar-Kel Records is an independent record label and home to Hi Post & Lo Key, T Coley, and Malik Williams. Explore our artist roster to learn more about each act. For business and media inquiries, contact the label through our official contact page.

In memory of Hi-Post and Lo-Key

Hi-Post & Lo-Key ยท Marcel & Kelvin Johnson

Vintage turntable with tonearm at rest

The Name

MAR from Marcel. KEL from Kelvin.

All songs recorded after it ran through East Sounds Studio, the room where Marcel and Kelvin - Hi-Post and Lo-Key - cut "No Mistakes Allowed" and "Mirror, Mirror."

On November 29th, 1993 both were murdered and their dreams were cut short. Mar-Kel Records carries their names forward: positive music for a positive purpose.

The Story

FROM NORTH CAROLINA TO ATLANTA

  1. 1985

    A label is born in North Carolina

    Mar-Kel Records starts in North Carolina and releases its first single, a 45 entitled "Honey Child" by the group Kleen Band. The label is named after two sons - Tarone Marcel Johnson and Kelvin Darrall Johnson.

  2. 1987

    Kleen Band goes long-form

    Mar-Kel releases a four-song EP by Kleen Band, carrying "Krazy," "Love Trance," "Call Me" and "True Love."

  3. Late 80s

    Hi-Post & Lo-Key at East Sounds Studio

    East Sounds Studio, where the projects were recorded, releases two more 12" singles by Marcel and Kelvin - known as Hi-Post and Lo-Key. "No Mistakes Allowed" showcased their delivery, and "Mirror, Mirror" became one of the most important songs the two ever recorded.

  4. Early 90s

    The roster widens

    Mar-Kel and East Sounds keep releasing well-received projects - Lyrical Black Jack (New Jersey), Pam Jones (NC), Tim Coley (NC) - while major labels turn their attention to Hi-Post / Lo-Key and their single "Who Rip the Rhyme."

  5. Nov 29, 1993

    A dream cut short

    Hi-Post and Lo-Key are murdered. It is a tragic setback for Mar-Kel Records - and the fuel to keep their names alive.

  6. 1995 - 1997

    The dream continues

    The label returns with the group Raw Damage (now known as Ten Up) in 1995, followed by the well-received East and West Coast Compilation album in 1997, featuring Ten Up's single "To All My Peeps."

  7. 2000 - 2001

    Atlanta and Untouched Territory

    Mar-Kel Records relocates its offices to Atlanta, Georgia in 2000, and releases the Ten Up album "Untouched Territory" in 2001.

East Sounds Studio

THE ROOM BEHIND THE RECORDS.

Every Mar-Kel project - Kleen Band, Hi-Post & Lo-Key, Lyrical Black Jack, Pam Jones, Tim Coley, Ten Up - was recorded at East Sounds Studio. It is still where the label's artists work today.

Browse the catalog