Michael (Mikey J) Asante AKA MKJ
It’s not often that you come across a British producer with the ability to produce chart hits, DJ, write songs, co-run a dance school and throw a successful pyjama party for his 25th Birthday. But Mikey J, (the J standing for jester), is all of these things and more. And although he’s yet to be a name on the lips of the many, he’s fast establishing himself as a secret weapon for any record company looking to combine underground vibes with crossover appeal.
It was his engineering work on street anthems like Sadie Ama’s ‘So Sure’ and production on Kano’s ‘Mic Check’ that had people sitting up to this raw yet honed sound. With his mixes coming fatter than a Weight Watchers meeting, further work on Kano’s gold selling album, ‘Home Sweet Home’, including said title track, ‘Sometimes’ and ‘9-5’, went on to define his potential. Ultimately It saw Mikey J promoted to the UK’s production premiership, securing publishing with Blue Mountain in the process. An integral wheel in the project, Mikey’s currently currently hard at work on Kano’s second album.
“My favourite piece of work is ‘Take A Look’ from the Beats & Bars mixtape. Kano and I enjoy working together which helps the creative side. We’re not constraining ourselves and I hope it will always be like that”, Mikey explains.
With the tastemakers hot on his heels, other work past and present includes original tracks and remixing for Shawn Emanuel (EMI), Akala (Illastate Records), The Mitchell Brothers (The Beats), Sky (Warner) and Shystie (Polydor). Not one to forget his roots, he also continues to par alongside and engineer for a number of unsigned artists including Shola Ama, More Fire, Ghetto, Demon, Flirta D, Terror Danjah, Shizzle and JME.
“Mic Check definitely put me on the map but I’m like a chameleon and being versatile is definitely my selling point and major strength…” says Mikey. “ I’d like to think I’m always enthusiastic, whoever I’m in the studio with, but I’m friendly too which has made a massive difference to my career. People know I’ll put in the work - I only took my 1st holiday last year.”
Of Ghanian descent, east Londoner Mikey J knows a lot about hard work and started getting his name out there by making regular appearances on London’s DéJa Vu 92.3FM, with a prime time Saturday show. But what a lot of people don’t realise is that he is a classically trained singer who joined the choir and performed in school musicals, like Bugsy Malone, as well as various dance groups. He still manages to juggle his time to co-run the successful dance company, Boy Blue Entertainment, which boasts over 120 dancers, who this year performed at the Saddler Wells Breakers Convention, an event attracting enthusiasts from all over the world. While no longer instructing, his attention has switched to making all the music for their shows.
“Doing musicals in school was a massive help to me, cause I didn’t realise I had talent until then. My dad actually told me not to go to University to study music because it was ingrained me. It was my parents who chipped in and bought me my equipment in the first place. He said I should study something different and he ended up being right cause I dropped out of my course at Westminster.”
Although he started tinkering with production at 14, it was only when Mikey quit his various jobs five years ago,that he’s been going full throttle in the studio. Obvious influences include Timbaland, Quincy Jones, Teddy Riley, Kanye West, Scott Scorch and Just Blaze. Alongside his friend and fellow producer S-Chu he went on to set up Rawheed Entertainment in 2000
With a schedule that’s crashing his Mac iCal, this really is just the beginning of Mikey J’s quest for the top spot.
For more info on Mikey J contact: mikeyj@rawheed.com or check www.myspace.com/mikeyjuk or www.myspace.com/rawheedent
