DJ Magic Mike (born Michael Hampton, May 9, 1966) is a
Miami bass
Miami bass (booty music or booty bass) is a subgenre of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The use of drums from the Roland TR-808, sustained kick drum, heavy bass, raised dance tempos, and frequently sexually explicit ...
record producer,
rapper, and the first platinum selling recording artist from
Orlando, Florida.
He was also a former member and former lead vocalist of the rap trio Vicious Bass.
Career
He was born in Orlando, Florida, United States.
Magic Mike made his debut in the world of
Miami Bass
Miami bass (booty music or booty bass) is a subgenre of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The use of drums from the Roland TR-808, sustained kick drum, heavy bass, raised dance tempos, and frequently sexually explicit ...
productions when he met Miami based producer/rapper Rod Whitehead (of Pryme Tyme fame) in 1986. Rod enlisted Mike as a DJ for his upcoming projects on Miami's Suntown Records, but after Mike reviewed the deal offered by label owner Edward Meriwether, he left the label, project unfinished. Shortly after while performing cuts on the radio, he received a call from Beat Master Clay D to add cuts on an upcoming project for rappers MC Cool Rock and MC Chaszy Chess. This resulted in his first recorded work, ''Boot the Booty''. However, Mike often found himself in the producer's chair by default while working with Clay D, and always remained uncredited. During this period, he also was called into Vision studios to add cuts to songs he had no creative input on, such as Chilla Frauste's ''Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose'' and Popular Demand's ''Don't Clock Me''.
After working for Clay D and Vision Records, he returned to Orlando and landed a solo deal with the then unknown
Cheetah Records
Cheetah Records was started in Orlando, Florida by Tom Reich and Jan Hrkach in 1988. The record label distributed music belonging primarily to the rap music subgenera Miami Bass. Cheetah started small with Reich selling tapes out of the trunk of ...
, releasing his first batch of solo singles in 1988. Those led to a full-length album in 1989 entitled "DJ Magic Mike and The Royal Posse", which featured many guest crews and rappers all based on his production and turntable antics. His following album ''Bass is the Name of the Game'' in 1990 saw the
Miami Bass
Miami bass (booty music or booty bass) is a subgenre of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The use of drums from the Roland TR-808, sustained kick drum, heavy bass, raised dance tempos, and frequently sexually explicit ...
genre reach a zenith both creatively and commercially.
Much like most other
Miami Bass
Miami bass (booty music or booty bass) is a subgenre of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The use of drums from the Roland TR-808, sustained kick drum, heavy bass, raised dance tempos, and frequently sexually explicit ...
producers, Magic Mike's music was never exclusively
Miami Bass
Miami bass (booty music or booty bass) is a subgenre of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The use of drums from the Roland TR-808, sustained kick drum, heavy bass, raised dance tempos, and frequently sexually explicit ...
, but also aimed for the traditional
Hip-Hop market. Eventually, he teamed up with MC Madness as his primary rapper during his more
Hip-Hop oriented days, although there was no exclusive deal for this, and Mike continued on, collaborating with artists such as
Sir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song " Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...
and
Techmaster P.E.B.
''Bass Computer'' is the second studio album by American Miami bass artist Techmaster P.E.B. It was released on September 1, 1991, through Newtown Records. Recording sessions took place at Midtek Studios in Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota () is a ci ...
Despite his history with
Miami Bass
Miami bass (booty music or booty bass) is a subgenre of hip hop music that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. The use of drums from the Roland TR-808, sustained kick drum, heavy bass, raised dance tempos, and frequently sexually explicit ...
and his overwhelming catalog of straight ahead
hip hop, he has also made a mark in the
Florida breaks
Florida breaks, which may also be referred to as The Orlando Sound, Orlando breaks, or The Breaks, is a genre of breakbeat Electronic dance music, dance music Music of Florida#Florida breaks, that originated in the central region of the Florida, S ...
scene, including a track titled "2001" while alongside DJ Infiniti and the 2005 single release "Cowbell". A compilation featuring instrumental versions of many of his hits was published by Mo Wax.
Magic Mike had a long time Sunday night residency at
House of Blues
House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film '' The Blues Brothers''. The first location opened at ...
at
Downtown Disney
Downtown Disney (officially the Downtown Disney District) is an outdoor shopping center located at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It opened on January 12, 2001; a component of the Disneyland Resort expansion project alongside the ...
in
Lake Buena Vista Buena Vista, meaning "good view" in Spanish, may refer to:
Places Canada
* Bonavista, Newfoundland and Labrador, with the name being originally derived from “Buena Vista”
* Buena Vista, Saskatchewan
*Buena Vista, Saskatoon, a neighborhood i ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
at their Service Industry Night. He currently plays every Friday Night at Ember in his hometown of Orlando. Magic Mike also continues to tour across the
United States of America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territor ...
, as well as internationally.
Personal life
DJ Magic Mike is the cousin of fellow producer and turntablist
DJ Scratch
George Spivey (born June 21, 1968), known professionally as DJ Scratch, is an American hip hop DJ and producer from Brooklyn, New York.
DJ Scratch is the 1988 New Music Seminar Battle For World Supremacy DJ champion, the 2010 Master of the ...
.
Discography
Studio albums
References
External links
DJ Magic Mike Website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magic Mike, DJ
American hip hop DJs
Living people
People from Orlando, Florida
Southern hip hop musicians
1964 births