Cole Mercer and the "Muddy South" Name: What the Record Shows

MuddySouth Music is an independent label and movement out of McHenry, Mississippi. We built the name one track, one show, and one fan at a time. When someone else starts using it to promote their own music, we're going to say so plainly and show our work.

This post is about one account: Cole Mercer, who posts on TikTok as @realcolemercer. Everything below comes from public posts that we captured and logged on September 18, 2026. We're sticking to what the public record shows. Cole Mercer has no affiliation with MuddySouth Music, and we did not make, approve, or license any of the material described here.

1. The "Muddy South Starter Set" posts

On May 15, 2026, @realcolemercer posted a TikTok photo carousel set to his track "Appalachian Mud Rap" (released April 29, 2026). The caption opens: "LIMITED EDITION 🚨 MUDDY SOUTH COLLECTOR PACK."

The carousel has three slides:

• Slide 1: An action-figure blister pack with "MUDDY SOUTH" across the top in distressed outlaw lettering, labeled "THE MUDDY SOUTH STARTER SET — INCLUDES COLE MERCER & TRASH PANDA." The box text includes "MUDDY SOUTH GAS & BAIT," "MUD RAP OR DIE," and "BASS IS A LIFESTYLE."
• Slide 2: A full-screen "MUDDY SOUTH" logo graphic with the tagline "MUSIC THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SOMETHING."
• Slide 3: An "ACCESSORIES SOLD SEPARATELY — EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE EDITION" pack with items labeled "MUDDY SOUTH GAS STATION CUP," "MUDDY SOUTH XXX," "MUD BEFORE MAINSTREAM," and "UNPAID PROBATION PAPERS."

Our name is the headline of his "starter set," and his name is printed right under it. That tells people there's a connection between Cole Mercer and MuddySouth. There isn't one. It also puts our name on jokes we'd never put it on.

The post: https://www.tiktok.com/@realcolemercer/photo/7640226653741894943

2. Song titles that track ours

The same account has released songs with titles that sit very close to songs in the MuddySouth catalog:

• "Fuck You I'm Fine" by CyD Duncan / MuddySouth, and "Fuck Being Fine" by Cole Mercer, which showed up on TikTok and streaming services.
• "Muddy on the Tag" from the MuddySouth catalog, and "Mud on the Tailgate" by Cole Mercer, which was promoted on TikTok and YouTube under "DIRTY TRUCK, COLD BEER, GOOD PEOPLE." Video: https://www.tiktok.com/@realcolemercer/video/7633077327409859870

One close title could be a coincidence. But two, from the account that's also selling a "Muddy South Starter Set," is a pattern, and we're not going to pretend we don't see it. When titles are this close, people looking for our songs can end up on his.

3. The "Muddy South Playlist"

On TikTok, Cole Mercer's content is indexed under the search terms "Muddy South Playlist" and "Muddy South collector pack." If you search "Cole Mercer muddysouth," his posts come up.

"Muddy South Playlist" is our name with the word "playlist" added. If you search for a Muddy South playlist, you should find MuddySouth Music. Right now, that search can send you to Cole Mercer instead.

Where Muddy Mercer fits

We're not against technology. We use modern production tools, and we say so when we do. Muddy Mercer is a MuddySouth persona. It's openly disclosed, it trades bars with CyD Duncan on tracks like "Ghost in the Mud," and its lyrics and credits are posted on our site and on Genius.

So, to be clear: Muddy Mercer is a MuddySouth project. Cole Mercer is not. This dispute isn't about what tools anybody uses. It's about using a name that belongs to someone else.

What we're asking

• To Cole Mercer: Stop using "Muddy South" in your posts, product mockups, playlists, and tags.
• To fans: If you see "Muddy South" on something that didn't come from our site or official channels, it isn't ours. Send it to us and we'll take it from there.
• On our end: We've saved every post linked here with timestamps, and we'll keep documenting.

Independent music runs on trust: the name on a song should tell you who made it. We're going to protect ours.

— Corey Duncan, MuddySouth Music

For press inquiries or documentation requests, contact the MuddySouth Music team.