MIKE MIC (of Mafia Negra)
Interviewed by: Angela

MIKE MIC: Hey you, como estas?

ANGELA: Good. When exactly did you get your start in the music business?

MIKE MIC: I started as a dj in 1995 I was 15 at the time. I was the youngest dj at a club out here called "Club Flavor".

ANGELA: Wow. Was that an 18 and over or 21 and over club?

MIKE MIC: hahaha It was for an older crowd I remember I had to go in the club thru the back door.

ANGELA: HAHAHA How did you decide that the music industry was the industry that you wanted to be in?

MIKE MIC: Well I wanted to be a boxer, I didnt think I would end up in the music business but as you can see the ring wasnt the place for me, so I took the music business serious in 1997 with the first dj to ever break out Reggaeton/Hiphop music in Mass, his name is Dj Flex and thanks to him and my families words of inspiration I’m here trying hard everyday.

ANGELA: Wow a boxer?

MIKE MIC: Yup a boxer. Hahaha

ANGELA: You have been featured on many different cd's throughout the years. Can you tell us a little about them?

MIKE MIC: Yeah my first featuring in a cd was "Ruthless Headz" in 1997 after that album I participated in many other albums i'll say about 12-13 (not including all the albums that were’nt sold commercially). I participated in albums like, Controlando in 1998, Xtrassy, Hazmat in 99, Xtrassy Reggae 2020, Destruccion Total, Mano a Mano, Reggaeton en la calle 8, wow the list keeps going.

ANGELA: Nice. What other artists have you done collabs with?

MIKE MIC: Noztra, T-Weaponz, Temperamento, Rubio y Joel, Cuba El Carnizero, Tri-State Mafia, Lexy, plus many more artist that have not broken thru in the music industry.

ANGELA: Nice. They are all very talented people. That’s great! Are you still the "leader" of Mafia Negra (described to me as the largest Latin Hip Hop group around)?

MIKE MIC: Yup Mafia Negra is still going strong were like the menudo of hiphop members leave, and members join. Hahaha

ANGELA: What was your concept in putting together that group? Was menudo what you were going for?

MIKE MIC: I was always a Wu-Tang fan. I wanted to have a group that was real you know that Wu concept. I wanted to do a Double LP with every member but a lot of them got stuck with Reggaeton and only wanted to do that type of music, and other member only wanted to do Hip Hop, so there was little conflict between the artists, and you know some left and some kept it real. I said menudo but thats because menudo had over 20 members and after a certain age they would dismiss a member and introduce a new member to the group. I was just being sarcastic. HAHAHAHA

ANGELA: Ahhhhhh Ok. Got you. So Mafia Negra only does Latin Hip Hop and stays away from Reggaeton?

MIKE MIC: Well at that time yes we were very Hip Hop, but at present time some artists want to do Reggaeton music, so I respect the artists who want to do Reggaeton, so your going to be hearing a versital style on the Mafia Negra album which should drop after my album.

ANGELA: Cool. When will your album be dropping?

MIKE MIC: Ahhh in the summer of 2006. It’s all Hip Hop. All Real. No studio life in my music. I know that there are plenty of people that miss that essence, that real Hip Hop, so I’m going to be one of the artists in this revolution of Latin Hip Hop to bring it back.

ANGELA: Do you have a name for your album yet?

MIKE MIC: Yeah it’s calle (Cultura Olvidada) the forgotten culture, because 85% of the artists in the Latin industry forgot about what started this "movement" and it was Hip Hop its forgotten, but not for long.

ANGELA: What do you have to say about artists that claim that they understand the "movement" when in reality you can hear it in their music that they have no clue?

MIKE MIC: They just in it for the money, woman, and fame..... they have it easy now. alot of labels are taking any bull of music and making money of it, but when this movement started i was a part of it in the u.s.a. and it was so hard people didnt believe in this music i remember i went to a few radio stations and when we said latin hiphop and reggaeton they were like huh? whats that? so yeah alot of the artists doing this are just doing it cuz its a convinient way to cash in for them its crazy but true.

ANGELA: Oh believe me, I have seen it. How did you come up with the names Mafia Negra and Mike Mic?

MIKE MIC: You know Hip Hop is universal and it has no color, but in reality Hip Hop was started by African Americans, so we as Boricuas, and Dominicans in the crew, we have that african blood in us, so thats where the word "Negra" comes into place, the word Mafia, well thats a totally different story you gotta come out to the projects and ask HAHAHA because I cant talk about that here. haha

ANGELA: hahah. Got you. How about Mike Mic? Or is that one too obvious? HAHAHA

MIKE MIC: My name is Miguel but no one in my family calls me that they call me Mikey and in the streets people just started calling me Mike Mic because I’m an emcee so its simple. hahah

ANGELA: Ahhhh. I figured that but had to ask. Do you feel with Mafia Negra, every time someone leaves or new people come the whole style of the group changes?

MIKE MIC: No not really I mean Mafia Negra was always represented by me and my brother Edward G, remember that we never got to do the whole album as a group so people only recognize a few voices from the group. I did an album in 2004 that was distributed by the people in Universa , but the original title was “Mafia Negra Presenta Los Fundadores”, and some people out there messed it up and put it in the catalog as MafiaNnegra, so people are confused by that. The real Mafia Negra album should drop soon. One disc all Hip Hop and the other Reggaeton so it’s going to have the best of both worlds.

ANGELA: Ahhhh Ok. So it will be a 2 pack?

MIKE MIC: Yes it will

ANGELA: Nice. When someone wants to join Mafia Negra, how do you decide if you will accept them?

MIKE MIC: I don’t decide I just let the boys listen to the demos and then it’s like a vote you know, if the majority likes it and think they can rep….then we accept, if not….then we just tell them to keep doing their thing you know very humble. It’s always good to be very humble.

ANGELA: Of course! So for you personally, do you write all of your own music?

MIKE MIC: Yes every single one, I also produce my music, and record my music and mix my music and master my music and I also do my own videos hahaha I do everything hahaha 100% I’m always moving. I’m on the move trying to achieve....

ANGELA: Wow. You sound as busy as I am. Hahaha. How do you describe your music?

MIKE MIC: My music is all REAL I mean its lirically hard but people who come from places that are like mine will capture every song and appreciate the content. I mean when I say real I don’t just say the word real. I’m talking reality you know the things avoided by the media.... I talk about concepts and issues that need to be taken cared off but are not... thats how I describe my music "reality".

ANGELA: Oh ok. Got you. Are there other things that you have done or are about to do in your career that you think that people should know about?

MIKE MIC: Well Mafia Negra was the first group in the East Coast "including Puerto Rico " to represent at that time the music we call Reggaeton at the primer festival de Reggaeton in Las Vegas, Nevada.... also Mafia Negra is the first group in Connecticut to get a major distribution deal from a label. I am also in negotiations to perform in Zurich,Switszerland. I have e-mails from fans all over the world. They keep me going too.

ANGELA: Wow. You have fans all the way over there? Are there any other venues out of the country that you have done?

MIKE MIC: Just Puerto Rico, and Santo Domingo.

ANGELA: Oh ok. Cool. Do you have anything to say to up and coming artists?

MIKE MIC: Have faith. It’s hard. Have patience. Stay humble. Believe in yourself because a lot of people don’t, but if you believe in yourself anything is possible..... remember only you can control the 2 way road of destiny that god presents to you... its your choice on which one you pick.

ANGELA: Do you have anything that you would like to your fans?

MIKE MIC: Thanks for the support, and please continue to support the Latin Hip Hop movement. I thank every single person that purchased Los Fundadores album, and everyone who e-mails me just to tell me that I inspire them, that means a lot to me. Thank ya'll and god bless.

ANGELA: Do you have any shout outs that you would like to give?

MIKE MIC: Oh oh. Hahahah. You ready?

ANGELA: HAHAHA. Of course. I bet you have a million.

MIKE MIC: My family, Mom and Dad, My Daughters, Meredith, Jessica, Edward G, Nasty, Nelo, Ezpesifiko, Romeo, Jon El Negro, Lexy, Jimmo, Dj Flex, Dj Tito, Los Rompe Agujas, Ed Rosa, Wu-Tang Latino, New Haven, Elm City, The Jungle Projects My People, CT, Py people in Coamo, Puerto Rico, Cayey, Utuado, the one and only Angela for being such a sport and waiting 30 minutes for my response because im such a slow typer hahahaha... thank ya'll Ohhhh and every Latino who loves being Latin.

ANGELA: Awwwwwwww. Well thank you very very much for doing this with me. You were the first person that I met in New York at LA BATALLA DE LOS GALLOS and the first person to hand me a press kit in person. Thank you again and I am glad that we finally had the opportunity to connect.

MIKE MIC: Don’t be a stranger hit me up whenever you want, and thank you so much. godbless you

ANGELA: You too. Have a good night.

MIKE MIC: You too