Born in New Jersey, MIKE moved to London with his mother before settling in The Bronx for the remainder of his later teenage years. Both regions have had an audible influence on the young rapper’s music – in England, he was immersed in grime and the music of King Krule, and in the United States, he was turned on to Earl Sweatshirt and MF DOOM.

Themes about the depression and anxiety that accompany being a young African American abound throughout MIKE’s music and are nestled with a muted sense of hopefulness and certainty that he is moving towards his ultimate triumph.