Hailing from Philadelphia, MiC K!NG (formerly iCON the Mic King) has had a long career and first gained notoriety on the battle circuit. Winner of several rap battle competitions around the globe, MiC K!NG proved his ability to create lyrics on the spot, and achieved success in this arena until 2001, when he officially retired from battling to pursue composition and recording as a solo artist. In 2004, he released his first studio album Intricate Spectrum and has since released Mike and the Fatman and Rent Money Music II: C-Notes for the Car Note. His latest release, Flavor Ade with producer Chum as the group Cool Aide, MiC K!NG shows that he’s in this game for good.
We had the opportunity to cut it up with MiC K!NG. Hit the jump to see what went down…
Where you reppin:
The City of Brotherly Hatred. None other than Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Introduce yourself:
They call me MiC K!NG they used to call me iCON the Mic King. I’m not all that concerned with what you call me as long as you call me and book me for shows.
Where did the name MiC K!NG come from?
My mommy and daddy named me Michael King. I never liked it when I was younger because it’s so generic but It’s a pretty strong name when you realize it was Martin Luther King Sr & Jr’s birthnames before they changed it to honor the Protestant reformer Martin Luther. It used to be iCON the Mic King. Icon is a superhero from Milestone comics that was like the black superman. I shed that recently because people could never remember the whole thing.
When did you fall in love with hip hop?
I’ve loved hiphop as long as I can remember. Hiphop fell in love with me in 1999 when I first started coming out and kicking my rhymes. She uses me a lot though. I talk about it on the last song on “Flavor Ade.”
Current projects we should be looking out for:
MiC K!NG & Chum (Cool-Aide) – Flavor Ade featuring Slug of Atmosphere, eLZHi of Slum Village, and Has-Lo.
Previous work that we should know about:
Download Rent Money Music 2 and Intricate Spectrum. There are some damn good raps on there.
Main musical inspirations:
It’s hard to say what I’m inspired by these days. I’m more inspired by a will to win than any other rappers or something to that effect. Not really even sure I have anything to gain skillwise from listening to other rappers rap anymore. I come from a highly competitive background that is fully based on lyricism, I’ve taken lyrics as far as they can go. Now with these new records I’m back on earth just trying to make good music that people can enjoy. Other than that I’m inspired by Michael Jackson and Musiq Soulchild.
If you had to pick one song that defines your career to date, what song would that be?
I have a song called “Love is Love” on Rent Money Music 2 and it deals with music and love as interdependent metaphors of each other. So far, it not only represents my career but me as a person better than any song I’ve done before or after. Download that.
Why should the readers and fans give you a shot and listen to your music from here on out?
Because they have good taste.
What’s next for you?
Systematic world domination. Check out cool-aide.com to stay abreast of everything I’m doing for the next at least half a year. I’m kind of at a crossroads in that I’m trying to decide what the MiC K!NG sound is for my debut solo album. Because it is finally time for that to happen. My own solo site will continue to be iconthemicking.com so check that as well.
If you could only take one record on a deserted island with you, what album would that be?
One of those comprehensive Michael Jackson’s greatest hits jawns.
Any shout outs or last words?
Thank you to Kevin Nottingham for the coverage. Thank you to all that have supported and those that will in the future. I am forever in your debt. Peace.
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I went to school with this dude at Howard University! i remember him always killin it at all the freestyle or battle events, particularly this one we had called “Verbal Armageddon”. Dude was nice, shouts to him Ardamus, Perfecto and all the other HU emcees i was there with!
K
dis dude iz a beast on da mic! i just copped his album, its crazy