The life and times of one…mikeflo.

Shake off the shackles of social inhibition and prepare to get your mind and tastebuds blown away by a cultural culinary technician, whose signature dish is…freedom music to the fullest. From the depths of Chicago’s South Side lies mikeflo, an emcee/producer/dj, who’s underground solo debut, “The Empowerment Zone LP”, had heads throughout Chicago wondering how such a talent managed to slip under the radar and bust through the city’s tightly knit seams without warning.

Born and raised in the ‘City of Big Shoulders’, mikeflo grew up in a household filled wiht a vivid spectrum of all types of music. From delving through his moms’ vast record collection, to later becoming a dj himself, flo’s love and appreciation for music led him to Atlanta, GA, not only for college at Clark Atlanta University, but to pursue a music career.

While in Atlanta, flo linked with U.N.S.I.G.N.E.D. – a collective of 5 emcees from different regions, who happened to be reaching out for the same star. His straight ahead, nonconformist style earned him the respect of his peers, but it was his charismatic and innovative stage performance that helped make mikeflo a crowd favorite.

His tagline, “Consciousness Requires Action”, became the thematic foundation through which he wove intricate tales of life, love, and revolution. U.N.S.I.G.N.E.D. ripped through Atlanta’s underground hip-hop scene before succumbing to creative differences and general life changes between the group.

Graduating with a B.A. in Speech Communications, flo made a 360 journey back to his roots to speak to the masses of the Windy City and beyond, through his long awaited and anticipated solo project. “The Empowerment Zone LP” featured various production, including beats from flo himself, Xtreme, Thaione Davis, BeatBrokers, and the 5th Element. The LP featured guest appearances from Iomos Marad, Suffer N Struggle, Cha Chee and Chi-Town’s own B-Girl of Soul, vocalist Steph Staa. The album was truly a soundtrack to freedom and remained completely free from the predictable formats and senseless rhetoric that plagues today’s rap game. mikeflo is currently producing and recording new material for himself and other progressive artists, in addition to blessing audiences with a live performance certainly not to be forgotten.

flo has been billed alongside some of the biggest names in hip-hop, including: A Tribe Called Quest, dead prez, Common, Slum Village, Organized Konfusion, Killa Mike, L.L. Cool J, Outkast, Noreaga, Def Squad, Organized Noise, KRS-ONE, Ice Cube, Crucial Conflict, Dj Kid Capri, Rob Swift of the Executioners, Ron G, Dj S & S, Dj Mars, Dj Drama, Dj Kemit, Dj Pharris and Biz Markie. As an artist, mikeflo holds his own in any arena, using the intellectual stamina of an emcee to sketch revolutionary thoughts on the canvas of the listener’s mind.

For those who deem it necessary to find one word to describe the unversal stylings of this millennium emcee, you can call it flotation — music that flows from the heart — to the soul of a nation. Oh, by the way, mikeflo has just returned to ATL to pick up where he left off, but even stronger…

Since his return, he has hooked up with long time comrade DJ DRAMA of Aphilliates/Grand Hustle/Atlantic Records (Gangsta Grillz, etc.) to put out “ITS A NEW DAY ON THE PLANTATION” THE MIXTAPE VOL.1, HOSTED BY DRAMA!!!

The “mixtape” truly has an album feel since all songs and beats are original (no beat jackin…), hence making it a true classic amoungst connoisseurs of fine rhyme and revolutionary cuisine. Stay tuned for more projects from mikeflo & BlackSoxMusic in the immediate future…oneluv.

BLUE BLACK POWER!!!

mike flo blog

mike flo on myspace

mikeflo past, present, and future projects include:

The Empowerment Zone LP (2003) BlackSoxMusic LLC.

It’s A New Day On The Plantation (2006) BlackSoxMusic LLC.

Less Is More (2008) BlackSoxMusic LLC./TripleCrown Music

Chakra Zulu (Winter 2009) BlackSoxMusic LLC./New Clothes Productions

unplugg, the LP (Spring 2009) BlackSoxMusic LLC.