Open Mike Eagle has soared to a reputable indie hip-hop career thanks to years of diligence and hard work. Originally from Chicago, the Los Angeles transplant is a member of Project Blowed, Thirsty Fish and Swim Team. In 2010, he released his first solo album, Unapologetic Art Rap, via Mush Records, which featured fellow artists Nocando, Busdriver and Serengeti. Years later, he would form Cavanaugh with Serengeti as he continued to ride the wave of indie rap stardom.
Most recently, he paired up with British producer Paul White to deliver his latest album, Hella Personal Film Festival. White, who has worked with Homeboy Sandman and Danny Brown, helped realize Mike’s vision of a ’70s inspired masterpiece. Mike took some time before heading to London to talk about the album, words and staying humble. Check out www.mikeeagle.net for more information.
RAPstation (Kyle Eustice): I feel like you’re everywhere lately. Do you think you’ve had a recent surge in notoriety?
Open Mike Eagle: It’s hard to say because it’s all been very gradually to me. It’s a lot further along than it was before. I never had one solid thing where, ‘Ok, everything changed after this thing.’ It’s more like a bunch of little things accumulate and more and more people started hearing about me. My main thing is still word of mouth. I was told when I first stated that my music isn’t very ‘sticky.’
What is that supposed to mean?
It’s not the kind of thing where you hear one song and you’re like, ‘This is my guy forever.’ People hear about me and they hear a song, and they kind of get activated. Once they dig in, there’s a lot for them to see.
I love that you pack so many details into your work. Have you always been a writer?
I think I always have been a writer. Even when I was in school, I used to get compliments from my teachers about my writing. It wasn’t super perfect or anything like that. I enjoy words a lot. I like learning words and I like how to describe things very particularly—to use the exact word for what I’m thinking, seeing or feeling. I’ve always been kind of geared towards that. I guess I’ve used my time on Earth so far to try to be good at words.
I think that makes perfect sense that you decided to feature Aesop Rock on your album. He’s got quite the vocabulary. How did you meet?
[Laughs] We met through Blockhead like five of six years ago I feel like. The first time we really hung out, he hit me up to go on tour with him for a little while. This was 2011 or 2012. We’ve been cool a long time. We were on a couple of other people’s albums. Like I think we did a Billy Woods songs together and a Marc Spect song, too. This year, I reached out to him to do a song on my record and I did one on his, too.
On The Impossible Kid?
Yeah, but it’s a bonus track. you only get it if you pre-ordered through Fifth Element. Rhymesayers actually put it out at general enjoyment a week or so ago.
I love the new record. Are you happy for your friend?
He’s super dope and he’s been super dope forever. It never surprises me that more people are figuring out he’s dope, you know what I mean [laughs]? Sandman is my guy, too. I love both of them. Those are my dudes.
Seems like you have a pretty tight hip-hop family.
Honestly, I feel like that, too. I feel very much like I’m part of a network that’s been slowly built over time. It’s rappers, comics, writers, and all these folks. I just feel like, ‘Man, those are my people.’
I like that aspect of community, too. I watched the “Dark Comedy Late Show” video. I loved the concept. Did you come up with the idea?
I brought the director a concept that was loosely like that, but he really made it tighter. I brought him an idea of doing an actual late night talk show and he really made it like a little film. I give him a lot of credit.
I thought it was really funny. That’s another thing about you—you inject a lot of humor into your work. Have you always been into comedy? Does it come out organically?
I think I’ve always been into it. I process life through laughter a lot. A lot of my thoughts lean towards stuff I think that’s funny. I’ve never really tried to be funny. What I’m mostly trying to do is just amuse myself, you know what I mean? It’s not like I would ever consider myself a comedian or anything like that. I really respect what those guys do a lot. It’s really hard. In terms of me and how I write, I write like a comic. I write raps like a comic would. I’m thinking of funny things, like observational humor.
I haven’t seen you in a long time, but every time I’ve met you, you’ve been super down to earth. No matter how big you get, don’t lose your humility [laughs].
I don’t think I’ll ever be super dumb crazy huge popular. That’s not how I see my career unfolding.
Keep collecting those fans by word of mouth. But you mean you’re not going to have like a Macklemore Heist album?
I don’t think so!
You never know.
Exactly. You never know.
I doubt when they were writing “Thrift Shop” they were like, ‘This is it.’
Or maybe they were. From what I understand of the situation, he really had his biz together. His business was set. He might have known if he had a very enjoyable track that it might have a lot of legs. I think it was set up to really take him to the next level.
On your new album, Hella Personal Film Festival, how did you link up with Paul White?
I know him mostly from working with Homeboy Sandman and Danny Brown. I heard his work with both of them. I was on tour with Homeboy Sandman and he was playing me some of the stuff they did together, and I was really into it. We ended up coming into contact over Twitter and started making music from there. He’s in London so I went out there to do some shows and we did half the record out there. That’s where I’m flying tonight.
What’s your favorite song on the record if you had to pick one?
Dang, that’s a really good question. I need to think about that. After every one I made, I felt like, ‘This is it [laughs].’ I think it might be the joint with Aesop.
What’s “Insecurity” about?
Oh you know what, that’s my favorite song. Thanks for reminding me about that. I love that song.
