Mike Mictlan | en

Mike Mictlan (pronounced meek-lawn) originally hails from Los Angeles, where he began rapping at an early age. By ten he had already decided that it was all he ever wanted to do with his life, and he's stuck to that path through all of the ups and downs. In the mid-nineties Mike spent a year with family in Minneapolis, Minnesota, during which time he befriended several future Doomtree crew members, among them P.O.S, who credits Mictlan with teaching him how to rap. Soon after returning to LA, Mike began playing shows and working with other artists in the scene, though he never lost touch with his friends in the frozen north. As the years went by, Doomtree became a formidable contender in the midwestern underground rap game, and after much consideration (and incessant needling from the crew itself), Mike Mictlan decided to make the big move in 2004, and he has never looked back.

Since arriving back in the Twin Cities, Mictlan has earned a deserved reputation for putting on one of the best live shows around, whether in town or on the road. By combining nimble, original patters, heady word-play, a flair for the theatrical (performances have been know to include capes, knives and custom Lucha Libre masks), and an unmatched intensity, Mictlan's live show pulls the audience in and doesn't let go until the final bar. No witness can deny the conviction that Mike has for his job, and that's pretty rare in a scene rife with disaffected cynicism and rappers to jaded or nervous to put their necks on the line.

In 2005, Doomtree released Mictlan's first recorded solo project, False Hopes 8: Deity For Hire, a mixtape-style stew of songs he recorded before and after his move to Minneapolis. Fans were finally able to take home a piece of the man, the myth, and the mask. In 2006, his appearance on the track "Living Slightly Larger" off of P.O.S' album Audition was a clear standout and has introduced Mictlan's name to scads of new listeners across the country. Althought both CDs continue to fly off the shelves, Mictlan is looking forward to bigger things. 2009 promises to deliver. His performances on Doomtree's 2008 full-length LP are among the best he's ever recorded and "Hand Over Fist", the critically praised collaboration with Doomtree super-producer Lazerbeak was the knock-out punch that's been winding up since a young Mictlan first picked up the mic.

He's put in the legwork, studied his craft, and now Mike Mictlan is about to make the first big leap into the hearts and minds of hip hop fans the world over. This is the year we can begin to say, "I knew him when..."

"Doomtree puts on a good show. But even when all the crew's on stage...Mictlan stands out. He rolls his eyes back in his dead, reaches out to the crowd and fuels intensity through his mic." .