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 Hip hop, alternative hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Years active 2004-present
Labels
Associated acts
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 and comedian. 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's Robert Taylor Homes and lived with his grandparents until he was 13 at which point he moved in with his mother.[5] Mike also has a younger brother and sister. 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

Music

Open Mike Eagle, with Dumbfoundead and Psychosiz, formed 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.

In 2010, Open Mike Eagle released his 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]

In 2014, Eagle released album Dark Comedy. He followed that release with dual EPs A Special Episode Of and Time & Materials in 2015. In 2016, he released the album Hella Personal Film Festival, a collaboration with English producer/musician Paul White. In 2017, Eagle released his follow up LP Brick Body Kids Still Daydream, a concept album about the Robert Taylor Homes, a public housing project in Chicago, Illinois.[14] Brick Body was well reviewed by critics and ended up on many music publication's list of best albums of that year.[15]

Podcasts and Comedy

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

Mike Eagle has expressed his appreciation for the Cartoon Network animated television series Adventure Time.[16] 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.[17]

More recently, Open Mike Eagle podcasts regularly on his podcast Secret Skin.[18]

Mike Eagle also co-hosts the pro-wrestling podcast Tights and Fights with Hal Lublin and Danielle Radford on the Maximum Fun Network.[19]

Film & Television

During the Adventure Time's ninth season, he appeared in the episode "Son of Rap Bear," voicing a rapping gingerbread man.[20]

On April 18, 2017, Comedy Central announced they were greenlighting The New Negroes, a stand-up and musical series co-hosted by Open Mike Eagle and Baron Vaughn.[21]

Open Mike Eagle will appear in the upcoming film It's a Party, as "Cory Masters."[22]

Personal life

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

Style and influences

He has coined his own term for the style of some of his music, which he calls Art Rap. He has also stated that the alternative rock band They Might Be Giants is a major influence.[23]

Discography

Solo albums

Collaboration albums

Extended plays

  • Art Rap After Party (Mush Records, 2011)
  • Extended Nightmares Getdown: The Dark Blue Door (Hellfyre Club, 2011)
  • Rent Party Extension (Hellfyre Club, 2012)
  • Sir Rockabye (Hellfyre Club, 2013)
  • A Special Episode Of (Mello Music Group, 2015)
  • Time & Materials (Mello Music Group, 2015) (with Serengeti, as Cavanaugh)

Singles

  • "I Rock" (Mush Records, 2010)
  • "Home Movies" (self-released, 2012) (with Thirsty Fish)

Guest appearances

  • Abstract Rude - "Thynk Eye Can (Blowedian Next Generation Mix)" from Rejuvenation (2009)
  • Nocando - "DSD2" from Jimmy the Lock (2010)
  • Busdriver - "Deer God" from Computer Cooties (2010)
  • Flash Bang Grenada - "In a Perfect World" from 10 Haters (2011)
  • Mega Ran - "Now Hiring" from Mega Ran 10 (2011)
  • Myka 9 & Factor - "5 Mikes" from Sovereign Soul (2012)
  • Zilla Rocca - "Full Spectrum 2" from Full Spectrum (2012)
  • Busdriver - "Werner Herzog" from Arguments with Dreams (2012)
  • Cars & Trains - "Stay Awake" from We Are All Storms (2012)
  • Sole - "Definition of Slave" from A Ruthless Criticism of Everything Existing (2012)
  • Premrock & Willie Green - "Jogger" from Premrock & Willie Green (2012)
  • Ras G - Kampala Blackouts (2012)
  • Random - "Super Move" from Language Arts Volume 2 (2012)
  • Illogic & Blockhead - "From Scratch" from Preparing for Capture 2 (2012)
  • Curly Castro - "My Beloved" (2013)
  • Loden - "An Evening with Open Mike Eagle" from The Star-Eyed Condition (2013)
  • Milo - "The Otherground Pizza Party" from Things That Happen at Night (2013)
  • Kool A.D. - "Red Wine" from 63 (2013)
  • Billy Woods - "Fool's Gold" from Dour Candy (2013)
  • Steel Tipped Dove - "Hyperbolic Chamber Music II" (2013)
  • Gregory Pepper & Madadam - "Stirring Dead Leaves" from Big Huge Truck (2013)
  • Factor - "Stone Cold" from Woke Up Alone (2013)
  • Armand Hammer - "New Museum" from Race Music (2013)
  • MC Frontalot - "Much Chubbier" from Question Bedtime (2014)
  • Megabusive w/ Awkward - "Apexes and Peaks" and "So Much" from Hell on Hell (2014)
  • Drummachinemike - "The Anti-Socialite's Theme Song", "Bowling Tips" and "The Kids Don't Like Me" from Drum Machine Music (2014)
  • Busdriver - "When the Tooth-lined Horizon Blinks" from Perfect Hair (2014)
  • Milo - "Objectifying Rabbits" from A Toothpaste Suburb (2014)
  • Eligh - "Get Like Me" from 80 Hrtz (2015)
  • Abstract Rude - "Kan of Whoop Ass Reprise" from Keep the Feel: A Legacy of Hip Hop Soul (2015)
  • L'Orange & Kool Keith - "Meanwhile, Back Home" from Time? Astonishing! (2015)
  • Memory Man - "Funtastic" from Broadcast One (2015)
  • Milo - "True Nen" from So the Flies Don't Come (2015)
  • Blu & Fate - "Oblivia" from Open Your Optics to Optimism (2016)
  • Factor Chandelier - "Dozer II" from Factoria (2016)
  • P.O.S - "Infinite Scroll" from Chill, Dummy (2017)
  • Aesop Rock - "Syrup" from The Impossible Kid Deluxe Edition (2016)
  • Uncommon Nasa - "Extra Lives" from Written at Night (2017)
  • Czarface - "Phantoms" from Czarface Meets Metalface (2018)

Compilation appearances

  • "Silent Protest (A Modest Proposal)" on Prometheus (2011)[25]
  • "Celebrity Reduction Prayer" and "Dark Comedy Late Show" on Persona (2015)[26]

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. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012.
  12. ↑ Sullivan, Matt (July 2, 2012). "Open Mike Eagle, 4NML HSPTL". Impose Magazine.
  13. ↑ Liu, Siyuan; Chow, Ho Ming; Xu, Yisheng; Erkkinen, Michael G.; Swett, Katherine E.; Eagle, Michael W.; Rizik-Baer, Daniel A.; Braun, Allen R. (2012). "Neural Correlates of Lyrical Improvisation: An fMRI Study of Freestyle Rap". Scientific Reports. 2: 834. Bibcode:2012NatSR...2E.834L. doi:10.1038/srep00834. PMC 3498928. PMID 23155479.
  14. 1 2 "Open Mike Eagle's New Album 'Brick Body Kids Still Daydream' Due This Year - XXL". XXL Mag. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  15. ↑ "50 Best Albums of 2017". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2017-12-14.
  16. ↑ Staggs, Matt (June 13, 2014). "Rapper Open Mike Eagle Talks Adventure Time, Art Rap, and XTC". Suvudu. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  17. ↑ Eagle, Mike; Moe, John (2015). "Conversation Parade: An Adventure Time Podcast". Infinite Guest Podcast Network. Retrieved June 27, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Secret Skin ® | Podcast | APM Podcasts". APM Podcasts. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  19. ↑ "Tights and Fights". Maximum Fun Network. August 5, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  20. ↑ Lafyatis, Diana (supervising director); Sandra Lee (art director); Seo Kim & Somvilay Xayaphone (storyboard artists) (September 17, 2017). "Son of Rap Bear". Adventure Time. Season 9. Episode 17. Cartoon Network.
  21. ↑ "Comedy Central Picks Up 'Corporate', 'The New Negroes' & 'Taskmaster' To Series, Orders 9 Pilots". Deadline Hollywood. April 18, 2017.
  22. ↑ "It's A Party (2018) - IMDB".
  23. ↑ "WTF Is Art-Rap?!". LA Weekly. July 8, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  24. ↑ "Buy Muy Drugs sells community and chaos | Atlanta Creative Loafing". Atlanta Creative Loafing. Retrieved 2018-06-19.
  25. ↑ "Pop & Hiss premiere: The Hellfyre Club's 'Prometheus' mixtape". Los Angeles Times. March 11, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  26. ↑ Kaye, Ben (February 27, 2015). "Open Mike Eagle teams with Oddisee for "Celebrity Reduction Prayer" — listen". Consequence of Sound.
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