Mike Mictlan

Michael Marquez (born July 8, 1982), better known by his stage name Mike Mictlan ([ˈmikt͡ɬaːn][1]), is a rapper from Los Angeles, California,[2] who is currently based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Mike Mictlan
Mictlan performing in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2012
Background information
Birth nameMichael Marquez
Also known asMictlan
Born (1982-07-08) July 8, 1982
OriginMinneapolis, Minnesota
Genres
Occupation(s)Rapper
Years active2001–present
LabelsDoomtree Records
Associated acts
Websitewww.doomtree.net/mikemictlan/

He is a founding member of the indie hip hop collective Doomtree and the hip hop duo The Mercenaries.[3] Mike Mictlan has released four solo albums and is currently signed to Doomtree Records. City Pages listed him as the 10th best Minnesota rapper in 2012.[4]

Early life

Marquez was born in Los Angeles, California to a Vietnam veteran father from Venice, Italy and a convicted American mother, who is from Anaheim.[5] Mike is of Mexican descent.[6] During his childhood, he grew up in Los Angeles with a father who was battling cancer and without a mother as she was in prison for most of the time he was growing up.[7] At the age of 11, he had the dream of becoming a full-time hip hop artist and being part of a hip hop group.[8]

By the time Marquez reached his teenage years, he was sent to live with his uncle in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Here, he attended Hopkins High School where he would create the foundations of Doomtree with P.O.S, Paper Tiger, MK Larada and Lazerbeak.[9] When asked on meeting P.O.S on his first day at Hopkins, Marquez stated: "He had a little patch of blue in his hair, and he came up and asked me if I wanted to buy this homemade punk zine he had for $1.”[10]

Following high school, he returned to Los Angeles. During this time, he held various odd jobs, including working as a butcher.[11]

After four years of living in Los Angeles, Marquez participated in a tour with Doomtree in 2004, being openers for Sage Francis. This eventually lead Marquez into moving back to Minneapolis and officially help create Doomtree as a hip hop collective and label.[12]

His first appearance on record was on P.O.S's short lived hip hop group Cenospecies's album Indefinition in 2002. His feature was recorded through the phone while he was still living in Los Angeles.[13]

Musical career

2005-2008: False Hopes and The Mercenaries

In 2005, Marquez released his first album False Hopes Eight: Deity for Re-Hire, (False Hopes being a series of 15 releases[14] from Doomtree and its members, such as Dessa's debut or Doomtree's album).[15] The album was released without the help of a record label or distribution, instead using money earned from Doomtree's shows, who would release the album independently. In 2007, he released the album The First Chapter as The Mercenaries with Mnemonic, on Top Nation Records. So far, it is the only Mike Mictlan album that was not released on Doomtree.[16]

2009-2013: Hand Over Fist, No Kings and Snaxxx

Following this and Doomtree's False Hopes, Doomtree released their debut LP in 2008, with Mictlan releasing his follow up album Hand Over Fist[17][18] a collaborative album with Lazerbeak, the same year. In 2011, Doomtree released their critically acclaimed album No Kings.[19]

He also curated one of the Doomtree Blowout shows at 7th Street Entry in December 2011.[20] Ada Katarina of Mezzic described the night as "a high-energy mix of styles, ages, love for the rap scene that has supported him and a whole lot of wag."[21] This span of his career to currently, he and his Doomtree cohorts toured extensively, with them booking many solo and group tours both nationally and overseas.[22]

The next year in September, he released Snaxxx for free via his bandcamp.[23]

In 2013, Mictlan spent 72 hours staying in a mental ward, where he was detained due to a drug problem he had been having at the time.[24]

2014-present: Hella Frreal and All Hands

In 2014, Mictlan released Hella Frreal, a ten-song LP featuring artists such as Ceschi and production from Cecil Otter and Lazerbeak, among others.[25] Doomtree's third album, All Hands, was released in 2015.

Discography
See also: Doomtree Discography

Studio albums

Singles
  • "Cogs + Flywheels" (2011)

The Mercenaries
  • The First Chapter (2007)

Guest appearances

References
  1. "Hand Over Fist". bandcamp.com. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  2. "Doomtree's Mike Mictlan coming home for L.A. concert at El Rey Theatre". Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  3. Edmund, Matt (April 26, 2012). "Interview: Mike Mictlan of Doomtree". Verbicide Magazine.
  4. Spencer, Jack (May 24, 2012). "Top 20 best Minnesota rappers: #10-1". City Pages. Archived from the original on September 19, 2014.
  5. "Mike Mictlan from Doomtree: The RAPstation Interview Part I". Rapstation. 2014-11-12. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  6. Spencer, Jack. "Mike Mictlan:". City Pages. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  7. Spencer, Jack. "Mike Mictlan:". City Pages. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  8. "Doomtree's Mike Mictlan plays it for real". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  9. "Mike Mictlan (of DOOMTREE) - Tickets - Herman's Hideaway - Denver, CO - November 3rd, 2013". Herman's Hideaway. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  10. "Doomtree's Mike Mictlan plays it for real". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  11. "Music: Merchants of Doom". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-02-04.
  12. "RapReview Feature for August 12, 2008 - Doomtree Interview". www.rapreviews.com. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  13. "Doomtree's Mike Mictlan plays it for real". Star Tribune. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  14. "Doomtree Year In Review | Doomtree". Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  15. Store, Doomtree. "FH:XV (False Hopes 15) - Doomtree". Doomtree Store. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  16. ♫ The Mercenaries - Mnemonic Presents The Mercenaries. Listen @cdbaby, retrieved 2017-02-03
  17. Green, Loren (October 22, 2008). "Mike Mictlan and Lazerbeak: Hand Over Fist". City Pages. Archived from the original on October 25, 2008.
  18. Woods, Emilee (January 20, 2009). "Mike Mictlan & Lazerbeak :: Hand Over Fist :: Doomtree Records". RapReviews.
  19. No Kings by Doomtree, retrieved 2017-02-03
  20. Spencer, Jack (December 6, 2011). "Mike Mictlan's Blowout night in the Entry, 12/5/11". City Pages. Archived from the original on August 19, 2012.
  21. Katarina, Ada (December 7, 2011). "Concert Review: Doomtree Blowout VII curated by Mike Mictlan at the 7th Street Entry (Minneapolis)". Mezzic.
  22. "The Reverb Interview: Mike Mictlan and Dessa Darling of Doomtree". The Know. 2012-01-19. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  23. Fischer, Reed (September 27, 2012). "Doomtree's Mike Mictlan debuts SNAXXX! mixtape (Download)". Gimme Noise. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012.
  24. "Mike Mictlan from Doomtree: The RAPstation Interview Part 2". Rapstation. 2015-01-01. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
  25. "HELLA FRREAL and free guac' w/ Mike Mictlan". Greenroom Magazine. Retrieved 2017-02-03.
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