Sir Michael Rocks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sir Michael Rocks
Sir Michael Rocks in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Antoine Amari Reed
Also known as	Mikey Rocks
Born	(1987-12-24) December 24, 1987 (age 37) Matteson, Illinois, U.S.
Genres	Hip hop
Occupation(s)	Rapper songwriter record producer
Years active	2007–present
Labels	6 Cell Phones Propelr Music C.A.K.E. One Off Music Group Green Label Sound Fontana

Antoine Amari Reed (born December 24, 1987) is an American rapper known as Sir Michael Rocks or Mikey Rocks. He began his music journey in 2005. He was part of the hip hop group The Cool Kids. Later, he joined other groups like All City Chess Club and P.O.C. (Pulled Over by the Cops).

The Cool Kids released their first album, When Fish Ride Bicycles, in 2011. Famous producers like The Neptunes worked on it. The album did well, reaching No. 76 on the Billboard 200 chart. It also hit No. 9 on the Top Rap Albums chart. Starting in 2011, Rocks also released many free mixtapes. He was a guest artist on songs by Mac Miller, Dom Kennedy, and Curren$y. His first solo album, Banco, came out in 2014. It featured artists like Too $hort and Twista.

Early Life and Interests

Antoine "Sir Michael Rocks" Reed was born in 1987. He grew up in Matteson, Illinois, near Chicago. From a young age, he listened to rappers like Nas and Jay-Z. He started rhyming when he was ten years old. Even then, he knew he wanted to be in hip hop. He said he never had a "plan B" and put all his effort into music.

As a teenager, he started making his own music. He also wrote rhymes and worked with friends like Tris J. He went to Rich South High School and Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago. Besides music, he was interested in zoology. He thought he might study reptiles and mammals if he wasn't rapping. He started making music under the names Sir Michael Rocks and Mikey Rocks.

Music Career Journey

The Cool Kids Group

Starting the Group (2005–2007)

In 2005, Sir Michael Rocks was mainly making music beats. He soon formed the hip hop duo The Cool Kids. He was only sixteen at the time. He met Evan "Chuck Inglish" Ingersoll online through Myspace in 2005. Rocks found a beat that Ingersoll had made. They met to talk about the beat and ended up recording music for two hours. They found they liked the same music, like Outkast, and similar retro fashion.

Sir Michael Rocks performing in 2008

Inspired by older hip hop music, they formed The Cool Kids that year. At first, they only planned to make beats for other artists. But Rocks started rapping during a session. He became the "voice" of The Cool Kids for a while. Soon, both of them were singing.

A DJ named Diplo offered to release their music. In 2007, they worked with Lil Wayne on a song called "Gettin' It." By summer 2007, all their music was on their MySpace page. They signed a record deal after playing at music festivals. Rolling Stone magazine named them one of "Ten Artists to Watch in 2008." They opened for M.I.A. on her tour in 2007. They also played at the Rock the Bells festival in 2008.

Tours and Hit Songs (2008–2009)

Sir Michael Rocks performing with The Cool Kids in 2008

In January 2008, the duo released their first song for sale, "Black Mags." It was about their love for BMX bikes. A music video for "Black Mags" was also made. The song was even used in a Rhapsody TV ad. The group toured Australia in February 2008. Their second album, The Bake Sale, came out in June 2008.

In August 2008, The Cool Kids became the first hip hop group to sign with Green Label Sound. This label was supported by Mountain Dew and focused on singles. Mountain Dew used their song "Delivery Man" in commercials on MTV2. In 2008, they toured with Q-Tip on the "NBA 2K Bounce Tour."

Many of their songs were used in video games and TV shows in 2008. "88" was in NBA Live 08 and MLB 2K8. "Awesome" was in Need for Speed Nitro. Their songs "Mikey Rocks" and "Bassment Party" were featured in the HBO show Entourage. They also made a song called "2K Pennies" for the NBA 2K9 video game.

Albums and Collaborations (2009–2011)

The group's second official mixtape, Gone Fishing, was released on May 5, 2009. A new mixtape called Tacklebox came out on May 31, 2010. It had new songs and leftover tracks from their upcoming album. The DJ A-Trak signed them for one song in 2011, "Gold and a Pager."

Their first studio album, When Fish Ride Bicycles, was released on July 12, 2011. It was delayed due to legal issues. The album featured music by The Neptunes and artists like Bun B. It reached No. 76 on the Billboard 200 and No. 9 on Top Rap Albums. A song from the album, "A Little Bit Cooler," was used in a Nike commercial with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

New Music Groups (2010–2011)

The Cool Kids joined a hip-hop group called All City Chess Club in 2010. Also in 2010, Mikey Rocks, Chuck Inglish, Freddie Gibbs, and Chip tha Ripper formed a "super group" called P.O.C. (Pulled Over by the Cops). They had worked together before on a song in 2010. Around 2011, Rocks also started The Toothpick Clique with his friends Tris J and Shorty K.

Solo Mixtapes (2011–2013)

In 2011, both Rocks and Inglish started working on their own music. However, they still helped each other and toured as The Cool Kids. On March 14, 2011, Sir Michael Rocks released his first solo mixtape, Rocks Report. It had twenty-five songs and featured artists like Pac Div and Trademark Da Skydiver.

On October 2, 2011, he released Premier Politics. This album had sixteen songs, and Rocks wrote most of them. He said he worked very hard in the studio to make it. Other producers, like Alchemist, also helped. He also released clothes like sweatshirts and T-shirts with the Premier Politics release.

On October 23, 2011, Rocks joined Jet Life Recordings. This was a label owned by rapper Curren$y. Rocks appeared on many albums released by the label. In 2011, he was on "1st Place" from the album Jet World Order. Rocks toured in late 2011 on the Smoker's Club Tour with Curren$y and Method Man. He continued to work on music with The Cool Kids while doing his solo projects.

On April 6, 2012, he released the mixtape Premier Politics 1.5. It had songs he had planned for Premier Politics. His friends Tris J and Shorty K helped with this mixtape.

His mixtape Lap of Lux came out on August 2, 2012. It featured Mac Miller and Rockie Fresh. For the song "Reservations," he made a music video with singer Teyana Taylor. The video was shown on MTV in December 2012. He toured with Mac Miller in the fall of 2012. Rocks released another mixtape, Lap of Lux 1.5, in December 2012.

In February 2013, Hip Hop Vibe said that Sir Michael Rocks might be Chicago's biggest new artist. He performed at SXSW 2013, a music festival he had attended every year since 2007. On May 30, 2013, he released the mixtape While You Wait.... It had ten songs and featured artists like Ab-Soul and Mac Miller.

Solo Album and Guest Appearances (2013–2017)

His first solo album, Banco, was released on July 29, 2014. The album featured guest artists like Twista, Mac Miller, and Too Short.

Rocks continued to be a guest artist on many songs. He worked with artists like Dom Kennedy, Curren$y, and Freddie Gibbs. In April 2014, he was on the Chuck Inglish album Convertibles.

Rocks also appeared on Famsquadilliana's "Sport Coat Willie" project. He was on the song "I Get It" and its remix.

New Era: Mystery School & Livestream (2018–2019)

Sir Michael Rocks started a new music group called MYSTERY SCHOOL. He teamed up with Owen Bones to create this experimental electronic hip-hop duo. They released their first album, Mystery School EP. They also started doing "Sudden Death" segments on Twitch. In these shows, they would create a beat and a rap verse in just half an hour.

Music Style and Influences

Equipment Used

As a music producer, Rocks uses the music software program Reason. It helps him create his beats and songs.

Sound and Lyrics

Sir Michael Rocks has a relaxed and unique flow when he raps. People say his sound is different from what is usually heard in hip hop. He said that he writes songs that he and his friends would enjoy listening to.

Music Genres

Sir Michael Rocks has mentioned Chicago rappers as influences on his sound. He said that artists like Twista, Kanye, and Common helped shape him. In 2007, Chicago Reader described a new Chicago hip-hop sound. It mixed elements from indie-rock, house, and other regional styles. This sound was playful and focused on hanging out and dressing up.

Fashion Style

As of 2012, Rocks was the face of a clothing line called Marriani. Mac Miller has said that The Cool Kids did not get enough credit for their influence on style and fashion. According to All Hip Hop in 2012, The Cool Kids were pioneers of modern fashion trends in hip hop. They wore "all gold everything" and retro sneakers years before these styles became popular.

Marriani Clothing Relaunch

In 2022, Sir Michael Rocks announced that his fashion line, Marriani, was officially coming back. He said the line is inspired by 1990s urban fashion and Chicago style. He wanted to create unique, high-quality pieces that people wouldn't see everywhere. He learned to mix expensive items with everyday clothes to create a special look.

Personal Life

As of May 2012, Sir Michael Rocks divided his time between Chicago and Los Angeles.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Banco (2014)
• Broken Window of Opportunity (2020)

Mixtapes

• The Rocks Report (2011)
• Premier Politics (2011)
• Lap of Lux (2012)
• While You Wait... (2013)

Extended Plays

• Populair (2015)
• Populair Pt.2 (2016)

Collaborations

The Cool Kids

• The Bake Sale (EP, 2008)
• Gone Fishing (Mixtape, 2009)
• Tacklebox (Mixtape, 2010)
• When Fish Ride Bicycles (Album, 2011)
• Special Edition Grandmaster Deluxe (Album, 2017)
• The Cool Kids Before ... Got Weird (Album, 2022)
• Baby Oil Staircase/Chillout (Album, 2022)

Guest Appearances