Open Mike Eagle Launches Podcast, Network and Label
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Comedy and hip hop are always crowded fields, but Open Mike Eagle has always found a way to clear a lane and find his own path. Whether it’s releasing critically acclaimed albums, hosting podcasts, and starring in the Comedy Central series The New Negroes, Mike has always found a way to fuse his love for the two mediums.
Not even a global pandemic can stop Open Mike Eagle. The comedian, podcaster, rapper and creative force just launched ‘a whole ass own podcast network’, Stony Island Audio.
Partnering with Starburns Audio (the company behind such shows as Harmontown and Small Does With Amanda Seales), Open Mike Eagle’s two worlds come together with the new show, What Had Happened Was. The interview series pairs Mike with Prince Paul, the legendary hip hop producer of groups such as De La Soul and Stestasonic, and leader of Handsome Boy Modeling School and Gravediggaz. The two will share stories about industry encounters along with Prince Paul’s inside accounts behind his extensive discography. Episode 1 has Paul talking about teaming up with RZA for the Gravediggaz project. ‘He doesn’t think about his career or his legacy from a top down or long run type of place, Mike told Forbes Magazine. ‘He’s very in the moment’.
Stony Island Audio will also feature the relaunch of Mike’s Secret Skin show later this summer and bringing in Super Duty Tough Work, the long-running hip hop culture podcast starring Blueprint and Illogic. For Mike, bring in this show aboard means a lot to him. In a recent interview with Forbes, Mike said ‘their show is amazing because they’re very honest about what it means to live as an independent artist. You don’t get that perspective a lot’.
At the same time, Mike is also running his own record label, Auto Reverse, which will release his new album in the fall. But with high expectations, there’s also a concern about whether or not he’ll be able to tour behind it, which, for an independent artist is paramount to insuring an album’s success. Speaking with Forbes, Mike said that ‘as an independent artist, people’s support right now matters like more than ever’.
Fortunately for Mike, the response to Stony Island Audio has been outstanding. What Had Happened Was debuted at #6 in Apple Top 10 Music Podcasts and comments on Twitter have been all positive. ‘If you love Hip hop, do yourself a favor & listen to @Mike_Eagle and @DJPrincePaul podcast’, wrote @Accosta The Man. @unclecrizzle wrote ‘I’m only two minutes into the @DJPrincePaul/@Mike_Eagle podcast and it’s already the most beautiful thing to come out of this gawdawful year.’ ‘Great To hear two mega creative guys talking life and art like this, super recommended’, @ericjschuster said in a tweet.
With all of these endeavors off and flying, its looking like another big year from Open Mike Eagle. ‘This was a long time coming and it makes me very happy to look at’, Mike recently posted on Instagram. ‘Much more to come’.
The first episode of What Had Happened Was is available now through Apple.
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