Jermaine
Dupri, often not fully recognized for his phenomenal
talents as a produer, is a proven hit-maker for artists
such as: Usher, Da Brat, Kriss Kross, Lil Jon, Young
Bloodz, Xscape, Lil Bow Wow, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys,
Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Aaliyah, Jay-Z, Ludacris,
Toni Braxton and countless others. His extensive catalogue
that screams talented, remarkable, and revolutionary has
just gotten another name: MIKKEY. He always pushes
the bar, where no other producer dares to go. He continues
to create new sounds that compliment the artist and send
trendsetting ripples throughout the music industry. As he
has recently been appointed President of Virgin Records
Urban Music, a new division at the label, Jermaine Dupri
has made the most brilliant decision by signing Chicago's
finest Mikkey. Music insiders are regarding this as
a remarkable genuis move as other labels are betting on
their marketing power to attract fans, Jermaine Dupri
seems to be betting on music's fans ability to recognize
good and real music. Mikkey is expected to give Virgin
Records the foundation that it needs for it's Hip Hop
division.
How did Jermaine Dupri pull this artist that was in a 3
way bidding war? Mikkey explains, "I have no
stage name, I am about reality, not conjuring up some
phoney name, I just am who I am. Jermaine
Dupri respects that." Mikkey continues, "I could
tell when we met. It was crazy. I had a couple offers
elsewhere that I was ready to pull the trigger on, but NO
I.D. had a relationship with JD and said before I sign I
should hear the (explicit) sh**. He heard it, loved
it, doubled the offer on the table, and the rest is
history. We're about to change the whole perception
of Virgin." If Mikkey sounds a bit confident,
that's because he already has fans from Jada Kiss to Kanye
West. Jermaine Dupri adds, "I am confident that
no other artists on other labels can touch! Mikkey.
He could easily go up against a 50 cent or any other
artist that has been in the rap game for years, and shut
them down." Mikkey interrupts, "Yes, I am
not into the rap beef thing, but I am quick to pull a
House Niggas card. But I have to go on record saying that
JD has a tremendous history of success, and just by taking
on the Virgin job, this shows tht he is both a risk-taker
and a visionary. I'm going to help him do what no one has
done before, make Virgin a credible rap label."
Mikkey in the bowels of the ghettos of Chicago, was
primarily associated with killers and hustlers. He has
seen horrendous acts that go on daily in the hood.
Mikkey always had an intellectual spark and such an
impeccable flow that it was recognized throughout Chicago.
In fact, one night, unknowing to Mikkey, he had a
special visitor in the crowd, Gil Scott Heron. And
after hearing Mikkey's delivery, flow and uncompromising
lyrics, Gil Scott Heron was very determined to take
Mikkey out of the streets lifestyle. In fact, Gil Scott
Heron came out of his reclusive space to train
Mikkey for several years, about politics, war, society,
and the world as we know it. After what seemed to be years
of training, Gil Scott Heron finally gave Mikkey the
approval to televise the revolution. Gil Scott Heron
explains, "I've given up on rap music until I met
Mikkey, it was a lot of good beats with no real substance.
It seemed that rappers only talked about drugs, and
exploiting our people no real art. Mikkey on the other
hand will provide a different vibe, and I am passing him
the baton to televise the revolution". Mikkey
reveals, "The news programming will never report it,
because they are too afraid to go into the cold streets of
the ghetto, they don't want their reporter to get shot,
stabbed, or emotionally stained by those horrific acts,
but I serve as the field reporter, for not only my
neighborhood, but ghettos around the globe. It's
universal." Gil Sco! tt Heron has passed the baton to
Mikkey, and believes that he can bring the trendy sounds
with his flow and wisdom.
Mikkey is not new to the "rap game" by any
means, he and Kanye West formed a production company
called Kanman productions, early in 2000. They were an
inseparable team in Chicago. Kanye signed to The
Roc, and Mikkey made other career moves. Many still regard
Mikkey, Kanye West, Common and NO ID as the power houses
of Chicago. Some regard this Chicago rap rebirth as a
trend. But Mikkey adamently disagrees with the rap
criticis, "Chicago is everything that Hip Hop
embodies: poverty, struggle, spirituality, racism.
It was only a matter of time before we started getting
some light. Mikkey plans on bringing to Virgin
Records and the music industry at whole a gritty,
revolutionary, consciousness and truth that has been
missing since Ice Cube's Death Certificate.
"Man Death Certificate changed my life. Cube was the
most gangsta out but [he] wasn't a dumb nigga, and
definitely wasn't a house nigga. He pulled no punches. I
plan on carrying that torch." Mikkey's CD Nat
Turner's Revenge is expected this fall. This
CD is expected to have beats, music, delivery, and lyrics
that are so revolutionary that it changes Hip Hop as we
know it. Mikkey has lyrical arsenal to murder the
competition for years and years and years. Shemia
Miller, marketing consultant explains, "Some artists,
the marketing department has to spend billions of dollars
to promote it's almost like they are purchasing
fans, with Mikkey he will go platinum I think, by word of
mouth." Jermaine Dupri has changed the
face of Hip Hop and Virgin Records with this new artist.
Jermaine and Mikkey are creating a revolutionary sound to
Hip Hop. No longer are fans going to be purchased with
marketing dollars, but they are going to be honored by
providing real Hip Hop music as it was in yester-year.
Mikkey's last question to everyone involved, "You ain!
t scared of Revolution is you?"
