Philadelphia based songwriter, rapper, poet, and published author Michael B. Carroll Jr., better known as his stage name Mykii J., has been on tear recently releasing two new singles “This Ain’t A Diss”, and “The Last Dragon”. The artist originally gained public recognition for his books including “The Dichotomy Between Light and Dark” (2019), “Songs of an Indomitable Spirit” (2020), and the freestyles “Whole Lotta Choppas” (2020), “Holiday” (2020). ), “Body” (2020), and “Seeing Green” (2021).
We got the opportunity to sit and speak with the upcoming talent. You can read the interview below.
Hi Mykii J! How are you?
“Hi. I’m doing very well. Thank you for inviting me to do this interview. I’m excited.”
Where are you from?
“I’m from Philadelphia. Born and raised. More specifically, I’m from North Philadelphia. I lived there until I was 15-years-old before moving to Northeast Philadelphia and living there until recently. I now reside in New Jersey.”
What is your greatest inspiration for your music?
That’s a great question. My greatest inspiration for music is how it makes me feel when I’m creating and performing it. I have always had a passion for two things in life which are music and medicine. I used to refer to them as “M&M Dreams” since for the longest time I was unsure if I wanted to pursue a career in medicine or in music. Many doors opened and closed on me over the years. Over time, I started to realize that God was closing certain doors that led to a career in medicine because His plan was for me to pursue music. He knew that at my core, I was a creative person. It got to a point when I realized that what makes me the happiest and most inspired is creating art. Music itself is my greatest inspiration.”
What are 3 words that describe your music?
“Three words that describe my music are: unique, fun, and unapologetic.”
What is the hardest subject you’ve ever written about?
“The hardest subject I’ve ever written about is fluid sexuality. Although I have and intend on making more pop music, the majority of the songs I’ve done so far have aligned within the genres of rap/hip-hop. We all know that hip-hop is a very “straight-male” driven and dominant genre. We didn’t have artists like Lil Nas X, Saucy Santana, and Kidd Kenn to showcase the LGBTQ+ perspective in rap/hip-hop until recently. In the beginning, it was challenging for me to write on the subject since I struggled with accepting my own sexuality. However, I found solace in writing about the topic in the form of poetry. It had allowed me to slowly desensitize myself and feel more comfortable with being authentic. I hope that by being myself, I can inspire others like me to do the same and add more diversity to these genres.”
What are the challenges of being an artist?
“I think some of the challenges of being an artist involve being under constant scrutiny. I think feedback is essential to an artist’s growth; However, constructive criticism isn’t typically the norm for most people who follow modern entertainment blogs and news outlets. I believe it’s true that to be successful in this industry, you must have thick skin. You have to trust in yourself and believe that what you bring to the table as an artist is both unique and significant. Never let comments that are intentionally meant to be hurtful effect your confidence or will to succeed. There is a line from Destiny’s Child’s song titled “Happy Face” that says, “There’s plenty of people who don’t like me, but there’s ten times more who love me, and I love myself.” Trust in that.”
Are you planning on releasing new music soon?
“Yes. I have just released two new singles, “This Ain’t A Diss” and “The Last Dragon.” I also plan on releasing other new music very soon… something special and just in time for Spring/Summer. I am so excited and looking forward to releasing more bops soon!”
You can follow the artist here:
https://www.instagram.com/mykiij/
You can listen to the artist on Spotify here: