Open Mike Eagle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Open Mike Eagle
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Open Mike Eagle performing in 2017
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael W. Eagle II |
| Also known as | Mike Eagle |
| Born | November 14, 1980 |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 2003–present |
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Michael W. Eagle II (born November 14, 1980), known as Open Mike Eagle, is an American hip hop artist and comedian. He was born in Chicago, Illinois. Today, he lives in Los Angeles, California. He is part of a hip hop group called Project Blowed. He has also been a member of other groups like Thirsty Fish, Swim Team, and Cavanaugh.
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Early Life and Start in Music
Mike grew up in Chicago. He lived with his grandparents until he was 13 years old. After that, he moved in with his mother. He went to Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. Later, he studied psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
After college, Mike moved to Los Angeles. He worked different jobs, including for AmeriCorps. He also worked at a non-profit halfway house. While working, he enjoyed rapping as a hobby. He soon found a hip hop community called Project Blowed. This led him to create his first rap group, Thirsty Fish.
Music Career
Open Mike Eagle started his music journey with the rap group Thirsty Fish. He formed it with Dumbfoundead and Psychosiz. They released their first album, Testing the Waters, in 2007. Their second album, Watergate, came out in 2011. The three members of Thirsty Fish also helped start a battle crew called Swim Team. Swim Team released a mixtape called Ocean's 11 in 2008.
In 2010, Open Mike Eagle released his first solo album, Unapologetic Art Rap. He then released Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes in 2011. In 2012, he released 4nml Hsptl. That same year, he took part in a study about how the brain works during freestyle rapping. This study was done by the National Institutes of Health.
He continued to release more albums. These include Dark Comedy (2014) and Hella Personal Film Festival (2016). In 2017, he released Brick Body Kids Still Daydream. This album was special because it was about the Robert Taylor Homes. These were public housing buildings in Chicago where he grew up. The album was listed as one of the best albums of 2017 by Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. In 2018, he released an EP (a shorter album) called What Happens When I Try to Relax.
Podcasts and Comedy Work
Open Mike Eagle is also known for his podcasts and comedy. In 2015, he started a podcast called "Conversation Parade" with John Moe. On this show, they talked about the TV show Adventure Time. Many of the show's voice actors and creators appeared as guests.
He also hosts his own podcast called Secret Skin. Mike Eagle co-hosts a wrestling podcast, Tights and Fights, with Hal Lublin and Danielle Radford. Another podcast he hosts is "What Had Happened Was." On this show, he interviews hip-hop artists in detail about their careers. He has interviewed famous producers like Prince Paul and El-P.
Film and Television Appearances
Open Mike Eagle really likes the TV show Adventure Time. He even got to be in an episode of the show's tenth season. He voiced a rapping gingerbread man in the episode "Son of Rap Bear."
In 2017, Comedy Central announced a new stand-up and music series called The New Negroes. Open Mike Eagle co-hosted this show with Baron Vaughn. It started in 2019. Each episode featured a new music video where Eagle worked with other hip-hop artists like MF Doom and Lizzo. He also appeared in three episodes of Netflix's show History of Swear Words in 2020. He writes original songs for the AppleTV+ show Strange Planet.
Personal Life
Open Mike Eagle has one son. He met his ex-wife Tiffany at a conference at UCLA. They divorced in 2020.
Music Style and Inspirations
Open Mike Eagle has a unique style of music. He calls some of his work "art rap." He has said that the band They Might Be Giants has influenced his music.
Discography (Selected)
Solo Albums
- Unapologetic Art Rap (2010)
- Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes (2011)
- 4nml Hsptl (2012)
- Dark Comedy (2014)
- Hella Personal Film Festival (2016)
- Brick Body Kids Still Daydream (2017)
- Anime, Trauma and Divorce (2020)
- Component System with the Auto Reverse (2022)
- Another Triumph of Ghetto Engineering (2023)
Collaborative Albums
- Testing the Waters (2008) (with Dumbfoundead and Psychosiz, as Thirsty Fish)
- Watergate (2011) (with Dumbfoundead and Psychosiz, as Thirsty Fish)
- Time and Materials (2015) (with Serengeti, as Cavanaugh)
- Service Merchandise (2024) (with Video Dave and Still Rift, as Previous Industries)
EPs (Selected)
- The Finger Booger EP (2003)
- Art Rap After Party (2010)
- What Happens When I Try to Relax (2018)
- The New Negroes with Baron Vaughn & Open Mike Eagle: Season 1 Soundtrack (2019)
Images for kids
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Open Mike Eagle performing in 2017
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Eagle in 2015
