To get an appropriate comparison of the evolutionary music MC Mic Holden performs live and records that has the Hip Hop world abuzz, you have to look all the way back to the 1940s and the early days of Bebop.
Full Bio and Links after the Jump...
Holden, bandleader of the trio of Hip Hop innovators who synthesize a brand new sound, just completed a series of live shows in Southern California dubbed The NoSleep Tour showcasing his lyrical magic woven into the dynamic beats of cohorts MegalosDon and Votron’s Wow Jones.
Mic Holden’s new style and Bebop share the fact that they both were revolutionary innovations from the more standardized music forms that preceded their arrival. Born out of R&B, Hip Hop chose to abandon musical continuity for DJs choppier rhythmic patterns where lyrics weave in to provide the heart just as bebop departed the standards of jazz that was more geared to melodic similarity replacing it with driving dynamic rhythm and instrumental innovation. Holden and the group depart from traditional Hip Hop due to Megalos eschewing the turntables for electronic mastery of the MPC and Kaoss Pad, and Ish, on synthesized bass and keyboards, providing Mic with a totally malleable backdrop on which he can alter tempos and music to the amazement of listeners.
The career of Mic Holden was molded while attending UC Irvine in Orange County, CA. Mic co-founded BlackWhole, five MCs from South Central who brought Hip Hop to the OC and produced a Subterranean CD, "The Live Element", a highly evolved Hip Hop offering of joints. During their heyday the group opened for musical greats Talib Kweli, the Alkaholiks, Xzibit, and Eminem. The venture allowed Mic to travel to Europe, Japan, and the Caribbean solo to rep for the group, performing and perfecting the style he now sports as deftly as brand new Chucks. Switching majors from computer science to Music as a percussionist studying under Jazz greats James Newton, Charles Owens, Adam Rudolph, and later as a member of conguero Tambu’s International Rumba Band, becoming a master of a wide array of hand drums and other percussion instruments like cajon, birembau, and bongos.
Mic has scored music for Snoop Dog’s Boss’n up and placed three songs on the Alpha Dogs movie sound track, adding to his industry and international notoriety. His Myspace page, myspace.com/micholden4president, offers footage of live performances, recorded joints, and enlightens visitors to his highly evolved philosophy and forward thinking perspective on life. A number of his pieces are easily found on Youtube by entering his name there.
His musical knowledge and flawless timing, allows Mic the ability to seamlessly weave lyrics into the music, and to witness the group’s ability to alter the tempo and feel of a song much like Jazz musicians can offer on the spot revisions of their joints. This gives the feel of freshness and surprise to audiences blessed to witness their craft live. It is as if you are witnessing jazz like improvisation at every turn. The grittiness of their Hip Hop follows tradition yet the variability offers unexpected complexity, unending innovation for pure musical enjoyment. Don’t sleep on Mic Holden, or you will awaken wondering how Hip Hop evolved without your knowledge of who brought about the changes. MicHolden will be the next Hip Hop Superstar, and that; you can take to the bank!
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