Open Mike Eagle

Open Mike Eagle

Open Mike Eagle after performing at DOOMTREE Zoo in Saint Paul
Background information
Birth name Michael W. Eagle II
Also known as Mike Eagle
Born (1980-11-14) November 14, 1980
Origin Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres Alternative hip hop, Underground hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active 2004-present
Labels Mush Records, Fake Four Inc., Hellfyre Club, Mello Music Group
Associated acts Project Blowed, Thirsty Fish, Swim Team, Dumbfoundead, Hannibal Buress, Psychosiz, Nocando, Busdriver, Milo, Awkward, Ras G, Serengeti, Hemlock Ernst
Website mikeeagle.net

Michael W. Eagle II (born November 14, 1980),[1] better known by his stage name Open Mike Eagle, is an American alternative hip hop artist. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, he is now based in Los Angeles, California,[2] where he is a member of the hip hop collective Project Blowed.[3] He is also a member of Thirsty Fish and Swim Team.[4]

Early life

Mike grew up in Chicago and lived with his grandparents until he was 13 at which point he moved in with his mother.[5] He attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and went on to Southern Illinois University Carbondale where he majored in psychology. There he became good friends with Hannibal Buress after being his resident adviser.[5]

He did a year of grad school, but quickly moved to Los Angeles to live with his dad. He began working for AmeriCorps for six months before getting a job at a non-profit halfway house.[5] As he continued to work odd jobs, Mike rapped as a hobby before discovering Project Blowed and then creating Thirsty Fish.[5]

Career

In 2010, Open Mike Eagle released the first solo album, Unapologetic Art Rap, on Mush Records.[6] The album features Nocando, Busdriver, and Serengeti.[7] His second album, Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes, was released on Hellfyre Club in 2011.[8] It features vocal contributions from P.O.S and MC Paul Barman.[9][10] In 2012, Open Mike Eagle released the album, 4nml Hsptl, on Fake Four Inc.[11] It is entirely produced by Awkward.[12]

In 2012, he co-authored and participated in a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health that observed the locations of increased brain activity during freestyle rapping.[13]

Open Mike Eagle, Dumbfoundead and Psychosiz make up the rap trio Thirsty Fish. They released the first album Testing the Waters in 2007 and the second album Watergate on Mush Records in 2011. All three members of Thirsty Fish are also co-founders of the battle crew Swim Team. In 2008, Swim Team released the mixtape Ocean's 11.

On June 13, 2014 & August 15, 2014, Mike Eagle appeared live on Ron and Fez show.

Personal life

He met his wife Tiffany at a TransAfrica nationalist conference at UCLA and they have one son together.[5] He has a younger brother and sister.

Mike Eagle has expressed his appreciation for the Cartoon Network animated television series Adventure Time.[14] In June 2015, Eagle along with John Moe, launched "Conversation Parade", a podcast in which the two discuss the show. The podcast has featured guests like Jeremy Shada (the voice of Finn the Human), John DiMaggio (the voice of Jake the Dog), Hynden Walch (the voice of Princess Bubblegum), and Adam Muto (the series' co-executive producer and showrunner), Kent Osborne (Adventure Time's head writer), Niki Yang (the voice of BMO and Lady Rainicorn), Olivia Olson (the voice of Marceline), Jesse Moynihan (former storyboard artist), Jessica DiCicco (the voice of Flame Princess), Elizabeth Ito (one of the show's supervising directors), and alternative country musician Neko Case.[15]

Style and influences

He has coined his own term for the style of some of his music, which he calls Art Rap.[16]

Discography

Albums

Collaboration albums

EPs

Singles

Guest appearances

Compilation appearances

References

  1. ↑ "Open Mike Eagle". Mush Records. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  2. ↑ "SXSW 2011: Politicking with Shabazz Palaces and Open Mike Eagle". Los Angeles Times. March 19, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Open Mike Eagle Unapologetically Talks About "Art Rap"". LA Weekly. July 8, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  4. ↑ Taylor, Patrick (July 31, 2012). "Open Mike Eagle - 4NML HSPTL - Fake Four Inc.". Rap Reviews.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "BA #064:'Open' Mike Eagle". Box Angeles podcast.
  6. ↑ Jones, Kevin (May 2010). "Open Mike Eagle - Unapologetic Art Rap". Exclaim!.
  7. ↑ 319 (May 10, 2010). "Open Mike Eagle". UGSMAG. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  8. ↑ Weiss, Dan (August 30, 2011). "Open Mike Eagle - Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes". The Phoenix.
  9. ↑ 319 (June 7, 2011). "Open Mike Eagle - "Why Pianos Break ft. P.O.S."". UGSMAG.
  10. ↑ Castano, Fred (June 19, 2011). "Open Mike Eagle – Rappers Will Die Of Natural Causes". Potholes in My Blog.
  11. ↑ "Premiere: Open Mike Eagle ft. Serengeti - "Universe Man"". Pigeons & Planes. May 14, 2012.
  12. ↑ Sullivan, Matt (July 2, 2012). "Open Mike Eagle, 4NML HSPTL". Impose Magazine.
  13. ↑ "Neural Correlates of Lyrical Improvisation: An fMRI Study of Freestyle Rap". Scientific Reports. November 15, 2012. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
  14. ↑ Staggs, Matt (June 13, 2014). "Rapper Open Mike Eagle Talks Adventure Time, Art Rap, and XTC". Suvudu. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  15. ↑ Eagle, Mike; Moe, John (2015). "Conversation Parade: An Adventure Time Podcast". Infinite Guest Podcast Network. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  16. ↑ "WTF Is Art-Rap?!". LA Weekly. July 8, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Pop & Hiss premiere: The Hellfyre Club's 'Prometheus' mixtape". Los Angeles Times. March 11, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  18. ↑ Kaye, Ben (February 27, 2015). "Open Mike Eagle teams with Oddisee for "Celebrity Reduction Prayer" — listen". Consequence of Sound.

External links

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