Open Mike Eagle
The RAPstation Interview
By Kyle Eustice
On Open Mike Eagle's new album, Dark Comedy, he gives a lot of suggestions on "Advice Raps," makes you want to sing along on "Very Much Money" and runs down a list of dance moves on "A History of Modern Dance." Needless to say, he covers a lot of ground on his first record with Mellow Music Group. Whatever he's doing, the Los Angeles resident is doing it right. Dark Comedy was recently mentioned as #38 on Rolling Stone’s Best 40 Rap Albums of 2014 list. Born Michael Eagle II, the 30-year-old emcee has been on rap's radar since he first got involved with the Project Blowed crew in L.A. Since then, he's released seven full-length albums, including 2010's Unapologetic Art Raps on Mush Records, 2011's Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes on Hellfyre Club and 2012's 4NML HSPTL on Fake Four, Inc. Eagle is getting ready to embark on a massive tour with his group Hellfyre Group and Doomtree. The tour kicks off February 4 in Columbia, Missouri and wraps up March 7 in Denver, Colorado. Visit www.mikeeagle.net for more information.
RAPstation (Kyle Eustice): I've read you're from Chicago so when did you move to Los Angeles?
Open Mike Eagle: I moved here in 2004. I was already finished with college and everything.
How did you connect with Project Blowed?
My dad had always lived out here so I used to visit him a lot when I was younger. I used to always come check them out ever since I started rapping. So I got known a little bit with them. Once I moved here, I went straight there and never left.
We're you surprised when your album Dark Comedy was listed on Rolling Stone's list of the best 40 rap albums of 2014?
I wouldn't say surprised, but I was definitely happy about it. It was super cool, but you know, I think everybody when they make a rap album and put their time into it, they think it's good. When somebody is picking 40 albums, you would hope you were on it.
There's a lot of rappers out there though. So one of out 40 is actually pretty impressive.
There is. I definitely agree. There are a lot of mixtapes out there or projects. A lot of people won't call what they're doing an album, step out on it and stand behind it like that.
Nonetheless, congratulations.
I got a couple mentions from them before, but never anything substantial so it was nice to be included. It's funny though because I didn't like the write-up. Whoever they picked to write it seemed like they didn't like the album.
That's why I need to work there. I would have written you a good write-up [laughs]. I like the album.
[Laughs] I know a couple of people that probably would have, but I know sometimes when those types of lists come around it's the luck of the draw.
I was finishing up the album right before I called you. What I like about you is you fit so much content into each verse. It requires active listening. Have you always been into writing?
Yeah, yeah I write prose. I used to write for different websites; like music stuff. I've always liked writing, even in school that was one of my favorite things. I loved writing opinion papers or something like that. Part of my style is like that. To me the fun part about rap songs are the lyrics and that's what I pay attention to. I try to put as much thought as possible into every bar.
Not only do you put thought into it, but as the title suggests, you put a lot of comedy into it. You had me cracking up with lines like "we wear the same underwear as billionaires."
[Laughs]
Have you always injected humor into your work since the beginning?
I would say I feel I'm a lot freer to do that now. Earlier stuff kind of had that element. I don't know. I don't want to overthink anything no more. I just want to put it out there; whatever I like and just hope it connects with people.
It definitely makes me laugh. Your "Advice Raps" was definitely well thought out. I like the album opener "Dark Comedy Morning Show" and I like how you seem to address Facebook and other forms of social media throughout. Do you have a love-hate relationship with it like I do?
Definitely. It's such a big part of my life. I do try to customize my stuff as much as I can to block out the things I don't want to see or engage in. It's super annoying. I mean, I wouldn't even call it super annoying. I like Twitter a lot. I like it as a platform; being able to write out thoughts like that and connect with people that way. I really like that, but it's a hell of a distraction.
I notice you sing a lot on Dark Comedy. When did you start inject singing into your hip-hop?
It's always been there, too, but it's one of those things where I don't want to think about it too much. I used to think about it too much and if I sang too much on a song, I wouldn't have wanted to put it next to my rap songs. Now I'm just like 'fuck it' [laughs]. I do whatever I think are the tightest songs even if they sound different.
I also wanted to talk about the label situation a little bit. I've noticed you jumped around from Mush Records to Fake Four, Inc. and now you're with Mellow Music Group. Any reason for that?
I would say, to me, I never looked at that as a big deal. The thing about big labels, they sign you to like a seven album deal and give them like a god damn million dollars up front. The labels I deal with, there was usually just one option. Any label I have ever been on, I can go back to. For me, it's like this...since we're all dealing with smaller amounts of money, like when I put out a project, all of my old labels support it. If more people are aware of me, then more people are digging in my catalog and everybody is succeeding. It works out well that way. I always think of myself like MF Doom. He's always like, 'label, label, whatever [laughs].' That always seemed really cool to me.
I thought you really made sense with the Fake Four family. Are you still in contact with them and how was that experience?
Yeah, they're family, man. Those are my peoples. Another thing about it is being able to get to different markets. Fake Four has their fans, their peoples; Hellfyre has people and Mush, my first label, have people that pay attention to them. It's also good for me to be with people that haven't been exposed to me yet.
So get more of a crossover audience.
Exactly. I build mine that way.
I finally got to see Ceschi [cofounder of Fake Four, Inc] after he got out of the big house. I was so happy. It was great to see him.
Oh, for sure.
Tell me about Thirsty Fish.
That was a crew that I was a part of. We met at Project Blowed when Project Blowed was still active every week. We were the active dudes at the time so we started doing it together so we made two albums. Everyone is on their own paths now.
I always liked Dumbfounded.
Oh for sure. His career is in a good place. He's killing it.
It seems like both of you are. What's next on the docket?
I'm thinking about dropping a new EP soon. I want to have music on hand for this tour. I'm finishing another project that I can't talk about yet, but I'm working on it right now, as well. Hellfyre is putting out something soon, too.
Open Mike Eagle: The RAPstation Interview
Open Mike Eagle
The RAPstation Interview
By Kyle Eustice
On Open Mike Eagle's new album, Dark Comedy, he gives a lot of suggestions on "Advice Raps," makes you want to sing along on "Very Much Money" and runs down a list of dance moves on "A History of Modern Dance." Needless to say, he covers a lot of ground on his first record with Mellow Music Group. Whatever he's doing, the Los Angeles resident is doing it right. Dark Comedy was recently mentioned as #38 on Rolling Stone’s Best 40 Rap Albums of 2014 list. Born Michael Eagle II, the 30-year-old emcee has been on rap's radar since he first got involved with the Project Blowed crew in L.A. Since then, he's released seven full-length albums, including 2010's Unapologetic Art Raps on Mush Records, 2011's Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes on Hellfyre Club and 2012's 4NML HSPTL on Fake Four, Inc. Eagle is getting ready to embark on a massive tour with his group Hellfyre Group and Doomtree. The tour kicks off February 4 in Columbia, Missouri and wraps up March 7 in Denver, Colorado. Visit www.mikeeagle.net for more information.
RAPstation (Kyle Eustice): I've read you're from Chicago so when did you move to Los Angeles?
Open Mike Eagle: I moved here in 2004. I was already finished with college and everything.
How did you connect with Project Blowed?
My dad had always lived out here so I used to visit him a lot when I was younger. I used to always come check them out ever since I started rapping. So I got known a little bit with them. Once I moved here, I went straight there and never left.
We're you surprised when your album Dark Comedy was listed on Rolling Stone's list of the best 40 rap albums of 2014?
I wouldn't say surprised, but I was definitely happy about it. It was super cool, but you know, I think everybody when they make a rap album and put their time into it, they think it's good. When somebody is picking 40 albums, you would hope you were on it.
There's a lot of rappers out there though. So one of out 40 is actually pretty impressive.
There is. I definitely agree. There are a lot of mixtapes out there or projects. A lot of people won't call what they're doing an album, step out on it and stand behind it like that.
Nonetheless, congratulations.
I got a couple mentions from them before, but never anything substantial so it was nice to be included. It's funny though because I didn't like the write-up. Whoever they picked to write it seemed like they didn't like the album.
That's why I need to work there. I would have written you a good write-up [laughs]. I like the album.
[Laughs] I know a couple of people that probably would have, but I know sometimes when those types of lists come around it's the luck of the draw.
I was finishing up the album right before I called you. What I like about you is you fit so much content into each verse. It requires active listening. Have you always been into writing?
Yeah, yeah I write prose. I used to write for different websites; like music stuff. I've always liked writing, even in school that was one of my favorite things. I loved writing opinion papers or something like that. Part of my style is like that. To me the fun part about rap songs are the lyrics and that's what I pay attention to. I try to put as much thought as possible into every bar.
Not only do you put thought into it, but as the title suggests, you put a lot of comedy into it. You had me cracking up with lines like "we wear the same underwear as billionaires."
[Laughs]
Have you always injected humor into your work since the beginning?
I would say I feel I'm a lot freer to do that now. Earlier stuff kind of had that element. I don't know. I don't want to overthink anything no more. I just want to put it out there; whatever I like and just hope it connects with people.
It definitely makes me laugh. Your "Advice Raps" was definitely well thought out. I like the album opener "Dark Comedy Morning Show" and I like how you seem to address Facebook and other forms of social media throughout. Do you have a love-hate relationship with it like I do?
Definitely. It's such a big part of my life. I do try to customize my stuff as much as I can to block out the things I don't want to see or engage in. It's super annoying. I mean, I wouldn't even call it super annoying. I like Twitter a lot. I like it as a platform; being able to write out thoughts like that and connect with people that way. I really like that, but it's a hell of a distraction.
I notice you sing a lot on Dark Comedy. When did you start inject singing into your hip-hop?
It's always been there, too, but it's one of those things where I don't want to think about it too much. I used to think about it too much and if I sang too much on a song, I wouldn't have wanted to put it next to my rap songs. Now I'm just like 'fuck it' [laughs]. I do whatever I think are the tightest songs even if they sound different.
I also wanted to talk about the label situation a little bit. I've noticed you jumped around from Mush Records to Fake Four, Inc. and now you're with Mellow Music Group. Any reason for that?
I would say, to me, I never looked at that as a big deal. The thing about big labels, they sign you to like a seven album deal and give them like a god damn million dollars up front. The labels I deal with, there was usually just one option. Any label I have ever been on, I can go back to. For me, it's like this...since we're all dealing with smaller amounts of money, like when I put out a project, all of my old labels support it. If more people are aware of me, then more people are digging in my catalog and everybody is succeeding. It works out well that way. I always think of myself like MF Doom. He's always like, 'label, label, whatever [laughs].' That always seemed really cool to me.
I thought you really made sense with the Fake Four family. Are you still in contact with them and how was that experience?
Yeah, they're family, man. Those are my peoples. Another thing about it is being able to get to different markets. Fake Four has their fans, their peoples; Hellfyre has people and Mush, my first label, have people that pay attention to them. It's also good for me to be with people that haven't been exposed to me yet.
So get more of a crossover audience.
Exactly. I build mine that way.
I finally got to see Ceschi [cofounder of Fake Four, Inc] after he got out of the big house. I was so happy. It was great to see him.
Oh, for sure.
Tell me about Thirsty Fish.
That was a crew that I was a part of. We met at Project Blowed when Project Blowed was still active every week. We were the active dudes at the time so we started doing it together so we made two albums. Everyone is on their own paths now.
I always liked Dumbfounded.
Oh for sure. His career is in a good place. He's killing it.
It seems like both of you are. What's next on the docket?
I'm thinking about dropping a new EP soon. I want to have music on hand for this tour. I'm finishing another project that I can't talk about yet, but I'm working on it right now, as well. Hellfyre is putting out something soon, too.
