Hailing from Elkhart, Indiana, 20 year old MickeyBreezy a.k.a. Michael Brown is a product of the midwestern United States. Elkhart's only previous claim to fame is being the nation's largest manufacturers of Hummer and RV's - until now. MickeyBreezy says he "always had a knack for the piano" but it was his love of poetry that ushered him into songwriting. He has a "special ear" for music and even today can hear aspects in songs that he feels most people may not notice. He listens to and studies all genres of music, anything from rap to country to pop to oldies.

In the fourth grade, he started to get into rap. Being a white kid from Indiana, it wasn't the expected musical route to take. He says that he was hugely inspired by Eminem because, he says, "it changed everything. He was the first white rapper that offered a serious hip hop identity...so he was the first who could really touch both the black and white community. I always thought that was important, because he can be looked at as an amazing rapper, not just an amazing white rapper, that's what I want to become."

A self professed "pirating asshole", he was surfing around on the internet looking for free mp3 downloads when he happened upon DMusic. He liked what he found here. He says "I looked at what people were talking about. I could tell that they really cared about music, not just self promotion. ... that was back when hip hoppers were on here in full effect. I remember text battling dj maffmatix and yaboydrew and getting totally worked over. But they still showed me respect and that really meant a lot to me." MickeyBreezy stayed at DM when many of the other hip hop artists have not. He's become an active member of the DM community and creates some of the best hip hop on the site. I personally had the pleasure of covering one of his songs in the last DM Cover Contest proving that DM can bring all manner of artists together.

(Israfel's note to the readers - except for some slight editing for punctuation I've left MickeyB's answers in their entirety as he gave them to me. He says it better than I ever could! )

1. Where do you get your inspiration to write the songs you do?
Some of them are real life experiences (mostly the tracks about girlfriends, or ex-girlfriends, which by the way, if that certain someone stumbles onto this, i want you to know, that i still am totally crazy about you, no matter what we've been through, and Israfel, you can absolutely put that in the final draft if you want) some of them are just what the beat speaks to me, and some of them are just random ideas that i have that i think will end up working out well. I guess it just really depends on what i am going through and what my mindstate is at the time. I always try to represent myself as true to life as possible.

2. There has been a lot of arguing in the media lately about whether or not hip hop is a bad or good influence on the community. What is your opinion on hip hop's influence and do you feel you are on either side of that argument?
I feel like it can really go either way. I mean there are artists who glorify the "beaten path" and exploit the negative side of life, and then there are those who really try to make a difference in the community. for example, you can listen to 50 cent and he'll paint you a picture of the ghetto and how selling drugs, or being a gangster is a way of life that is worthy of bragging about, then you have someone like common, who talks about how those same things are destroying our youth. in my opinion i feel like as long as you are representing yourself, and not promoting something you dont fully believe in, you are making a difference. however i would like to see more positivity in the hip hop community as a whole. I mean look at any other genre of music, there is never the amount of hostility and confrontation amongst aritsts as there is in hip hop, which is sad. I wish we could revert back to the early days of hip hop, when it was all about the commoradery, and togetherness between eachother, which made us stronger. I feel like the negativity that surrounds hip hop nowadays is only brought on by us as artists, and if we ever want that to change, it is up to us to set that change in motion by changing our attitudes and just generally being more aware of our actions. Myself personally try to bring you both sides, like, i'll talk about partying and having crazy nights, but at the same time i'll give you an introspective view on how that same behavior almost ruined my life, i feel thats what people need, they need to see both sides of the fence. in a nutshell, be real, dont portray falseities, thats not constructive. I want hip hop to be beneficial to the community, unfortunately its not anymore, and I want to change that.

3. What is your opinion on main stream hip hop artists such as Kanye West, 50 Cent and Timbaland etc? Are they good representatives of hip hop or commercial sellout?
I'll start w/ 50. To most he is sellout, to me I wont disagree, but I will say he is very business oriented, if it sells records, then it is what he will do. Where as kanye or timbo make music just for the love of it. Not to say 50 doesnt love music, because I believe he absolutely does. I just think 50 will compromise himself at times just to make another dollar, whereas kanye or timbo dont care if they never see a dollar, they'll make music regardless. Basically I feel that the art form should come first and foremost, obviously nobody wants to be a starving artist, but at the same time you should always make music that reflects you as a person, not as a product.

4. Do you have a favorite rhyme scheme when you rap or do you like experimenting outside of the box?
Its not really that simple. Every instrumental inspires its own response. I feel that you cant ever just mix and match a flow to any beat. You really have to sculpt the cadence around the music, or else it just sounds manufactured, and not as musically aesthetic as it should. So I would say my favorite scheme is the one that best fits the specific track. but I do like to try different things, as off the wall as they may seem sometimes. Music is creativity, and creativity is music.

5. Have you performed live? Do you prefer that to recording?
Yes, and let me tell you, its a fuckin blasty blast. If i had the preference I would perform live everyday. Its just such a great experience being up there with everyone looking at you. You just get out there and own the moment and its such a rush. If any of you musicians, of any genre, havent experienced the feeling of performing live, do whatever you can to do so. Its the greatest feeling in the world.

6. Do you have any thoughts on the (seemingly) diminishing amount of participation in the DMusic community from Hip Hop artists, and/or on the state of independent hip hop music online generally?
I feel like hip hop artists feel like they need to make the next big record or they wont make it. The focus has dramatically shifted from the underground emcee that truely cared about the music, to being so over infatuated on making the next hit record that the overall artistic nature gets so watered down that its no longer existant. I feel most of the hip hoppers were pushed away from this site because of the immense confrontation that seemingly never ended on here for awhile (me being involved in alot of it, i wont deny that) I just think that the hip hop community doesnt appreciate what a site like DMusic can do for them. its gotten to the point that mainstream is everything, and if DM cant get you famous, then why bother. Its not about the music anymore, and that is just unfortunate. I wish we could bring back artists like trill city poet, psy young, trajik murda, dislocated boner, dizeazed (i know he has been off and on), the original e-street (with rizz, before jt took over, even though i love my dude jt, I still loved the original e-street line up better when it was rizz and jt), ya boy drew, all these people were great. Its just sad to see that rappers are more money motivated than artistically motivated anymore.

7. Are you prepared to dominate the world?
Oh, absolutely, look out yall, its mickey breezy all day everyday, 24/7, I am the pop dolls of hip hop, I cant be stopped.

Check out his music here - http://mickeybreezy.dmusic.com/music/

btw, i have to hang up my hook and peg leg, being that i am no longer a pirating asshole. i used to be, but now i understand how important it is to support your artists. i still say garr from time to time though, while looking for booty.

I think too many people associated with Hip Hop fall for the fantasy and romance spun out by the likes of Jay-Z and P.Diddy etc (not necessarily their fault, the media love to play up the poor ghetto kid done good, but the 50 cent 'Get Rich or die trying motto' is like a mantra), that being that all you need is a ripped off beat and a mixtape and you're a producer and that the major labels will come hunting you down with a big fat cheque that'll get you out of the projects and the 2 minimum wage jobs and the social problems.

When in fact, you have to bust your gut and be prepared for several dozen rejections of your mixtape, and get yourself up on the stage and earn a rep the hard way to get noticed. Major label reps don't drive into the projects 'looking for talent'.

Dmusic could be a great vehicle for getting heard, except somehow it lost it's groove along the way recently with that community and now all we're getting is people registering as hip hop to upload illegal mp3s - so sad. Would be great to get the mojo back. Beefing and posturing is one thing, all out threats and nastiness is something else.

Wow, well said in every aspect I must say, you have probably impressed me more than anybody on this site with your dramatic improvement.. You went from having horrible recordings (no offense) to AMAZING recordings with a pro flow and perfect sound. You are one of my favorite artists on this site...not just from the music you do, but with the dramatic improvement over time. Keep making music dude, you got a good thing goin'!

Hey Mickey---some days I am breezy too!

Mickey baby you are just amazing!
You are one of our favorites and you know it!

Mickey Breezy Rules

Great Interview Mary, Thank you

Nice work, both of you.

I'm a little slow these days, but this is a very good read, a wonderful interview... and a positive message for the rest of the hiphop community.