Star Mike – Learning & Growing With Hip-Hop

“If we could all get along and have fun creating music I don’t think we would have the time to compare ourselves.”

~ Rapper Star Mike

Special Parlé Magazine correspondent, Ronnette Cox gets a little Q&A in with 14 year-old rapper, Star Mike.

When I first met Star Mike I didn’t know what to expect but I have the weirdest habit of imagining people and places before my eyes have even met them. So listening to this voice coming out my speakers I imagined this lanky over arrogant teen, but when we did meet, I was pleasantly surprised to see an average height, chubby brown skin kid with the best waves I’ve ever seen donned on a Caesar hair cut with a swag that wasn’t arrogant but still reminded you that the 14 year-old was in the building!

He was nice enough to perform a couple of tracks at a show I was doing in October but lately you can catch him performing at clubs he’s not even old enough to get into, clubs like the Bowery Poetry Club and The Pyramid in lower Manhattan.  On Wednesday, November 17, 2010, SH Collective, Ddub Productions, and Pandalion Entertainment released Star Mike’s debut mixtape: From Queens to Everywhere. On the project, Mike captures a unique blend of old school Hip Hop and new school swagger to create a lane all his own.  He really is a cool laid back guy, who was psyched to talk about the new mixtape, rapping, school and what he’s listening to–he even put me on to some new Joel Ortiz, check it out>>

Ronnette Cox:  Who is Star Mike? What does he like? Where’s he from?

Star Mike: I’m 14 years old currently attending Thomas Edison H.S in Queens, I reside in Cambria Heights. I enjoy rapping and want to pursue it as a career. Some things I like to do are play video games, go to sports events and chill out.

RC: Do you think of yourself as a regular 14 year-old? Above your average, more successful maybe?

SM: If a regular 14 year-old likes to laugh and chill out, I guess I’m in the category of a regular 14 year-old. I do feel more serious for my age; I don’t know, I guess I’ve been that way ever since I was a baby. I wouldn’t say I’m more successful, I feel everybody has an equal opportunity to make something of their life.

RC: How Do you think you compare with other rappers?

SM: As a teenage rapper I don’t think we should be compared to rappers in our age group. If we could all get along and have fun creating music I don’t think we would have the time to compare ourselves.

RC: What do you want listeners to get from your mixtape?

SM: I want listeners to feel like they listened to my mixtape for a reason! Whether it was a specific song that made them feel that way for example:  “I Ruled The World,” “Day Dreamer,” “M.I.A,” are songs that are inspirational and also up-tempo.

RC: So listening to the mixtape, you did some covers, why did you choose those beats/songs?

SM: Since the title of my mixtape is entitled “From Queens To Everywhere” it was only right I had ol’ school Queens records. I also have a couple of  pop songs like records from Justin Bieber “Baby” and La roux “Bullet Proof”.

RC: What would success mean to you at this age?

SM: When people hear the word success they think of expensive cars, big houses, alot of money etc.etc. I feel if you have a happy family, a good job and you’re fine with what you have I believe that’s the meaning of success.

RC: So are you successful now?

SM: YEP!

RC: What’s most fun about rapping?

SM: The most fun thing about rapping is going into the studio and creating something from scratch. By starting out with nothing and then hearing the finished product, you have a big smile on your face.

RC: What’s the hardest part about juggling rapping and school?

SM: Doing shows in different boroughs, sometimes late night shows and then, I’m like man I gotta wake up in the morning for school.

RC: What do you say to the haters, the people that tell you; no, you can’t?

SM: Honestly I would just let my work ethic do the talking.

RC: You have a work ethic?

SM: Yes, I’m in the studio all the time I’m ‘bout to go in at 2:00pm, I’m writing, creating just having fun.

RC: You Write?

SM: I write a lot, I do all my writing.