Interview with Mike Will The Great

Chicago’s Mike Will The Great has been making a buzz in the windy city. With 3 years of rapping experience, he has grown to become one of the elite rappers to look out for from the windy city. Mike Will The Great has been lyrically polished and ready to put through the masses. You hear him at his best on his Murder Wita Pen series with his sharp lyricism. He received an internet buzz with Black and Red; an ode remake to Wiz Khalifa’s Black and Yellow. Opening for Twista and GLC while penning tracks with Spice 1 and Residue Reed to name a few, MWTG continues to make strides in hip hop with his work ethic. MTWG speaks to Intrigued about his latest Murder Wita Pen 3 mixtape and his lyrical hustle in the game.

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued) Mike Will The Great, there is no relation to producer Mike Will Made It! LOL

MWTG: No

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): You remade Wiz’s Black and Yellow track with Black and Red dedicated to the Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose. The youtube views are crazy from this video. How much of an impact does that have on Chicago?

MWTG: At the time when it dropped it had a big impact it was something that earned me fans from a different walk of like.

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): You’re originally from Chicago! Are there any differences of hip hop style between southside of Chicago and other parts of Chicago?

MWTG: Southside of Chicago does what's refereed to now as “Drill Music” and the Westside is doing “Bop Music”

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): For fans outside of Illinois, tell them about who is Mike Will The Great and why should peeps listen to him?

MWTG: I am dude who come from the streets but refuse to let that be my limitations and growth. I know people should listen to me because everything I say paints a picture if you close your eyes you can visualize it because basically a reenactment of things I've lived through, done, witnessed and have heard about sort of tales from the hood told in a clever way. I put my heart and soul into every song!

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): What are the differences between each of the Murder Wita Pen series?

MWTG: Murder Wita Pen 1: I was just throwing around freestyles because I didn't know how where the hooks went on songs unless it was an industry track and I placed my hook exactly where they'd place theirs. Murder Wita Pen 2: I became a little more polished, started to understand how to create original songs as far as Hooks and bars although till this day I still don't have a specific writing pattern. Murder Wita Pen 3: I'm fully capable of writing full original songs but I also stayed true to my freestyle roots by placing some # +SaturdaySlaughter on there for the fans who look forward to the creative lines I come up with.

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): You got the Murder Wita Pen part 3 mixtape series out. Who handled the production and the guest appearances on the mixtape?

MWTG: J Gudda (Virginia) handle a majority of the production, I also had one track by Tony Baines (Chicago), Jinsta (Missippippi), and PK

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): You got a concept of Saturday Slaughter in releasing new material for the next 74 weeks. How that concept came about and how important is keeping yourself relevant in an ongoing changing hip hop scene?

MWTG: The concept came about because honest my bread slowed up and I was trying to get my pockets back situated but at the same time stay or become more relevant while still working on a plan to drop my mixtape and videos. As far as 74 weeks the number 74 represents where I come from it's a significant number in my everyday life and culture.

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): With only 3 years of rap experience under your wing, what have you learned so far regarding lyrics, picking the right beat, song structure and deciding what works?

MWTG: Lyrics are easy only thing I focus on with lyrics is trying to get my point across in the most clever way. As far as picking beats I just like to feel the beat because if it talks to me it writes itself I'll knock a full song out in 30 minutes. When it comes to song structure I don't have standards for instant I have a song with 8 bars for first verse and 20 bars for the second I write until the song feels exactly how I want it to.

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): Give us an insight of a Mike Will The Great on stage and the energy he receives from the fans.

MWTG: I like when the fans actually understand and feel my music but I draw my energy from the actual songs. When I perform a song I try to go back to the state of mind I was when I wrote the song and when I record I like to have the exact feelings I had when I experienced the situation.

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): Talk to Intrigued about an average studio session with Mike Will The Great. How do you introduce your delivery to the beat? (Nightmare on Jack Street)!

MWTG: Aggressiveness and full of emotion because this is really my experiences and life!

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): You worked with Residue Reed with the mixtape “Residue the Great”. How was it working with Residue Reed how you two linked up?

MWTG: We actually finished “Residue The Great” in like 2 weeks working with Residue is great because he always say something when he raps that makes me want to go harder we #Mogulvate each other! I was actually introduced to him by “Lennon” of “Project Mayhem” and after we really started to know each other the respect came and the friendship and that's why the music is so good because it's not forced music between us come natural. The greatest aspect of “Residue The Great” is every track you listen to you get life from a different perspective most rapper do a joint project and you hear one artist trying to sound or be like the other but between us we both ourselves on every line. If you could visualize our songs being a book the hook would be the foundation story but verse would be like have alternate endings. Oh another weird fact is that I lost my lil cousin while in the studio he got shot 10 times and my granny called me screaming I told her everything would be ok and I'd be over later then I finished recording because death is a part of the life we live I love him dearly but in order to be great you have to keep pressing on through adversity.  R.I.P. Lil James!!

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): What do you contribute to hip hop from a musical standpoint?

MWTG: Lyrical content, authenticity, delivery, emotions and power! I feel like I have the type of foundation where I can be relevant in music for the next 30-40 years in my old age I'd like to write and mentor younger artist.

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): We all know the hip hop game is about putting in that work and bringing that hustle. Any advice you would give to any struggling artist that is trying to take hip hop to the next level?

MWTG: Don't let anything be an excuse to not work hard! Adversity should make you better because the more you experience the more you can speak on. Be consistent and true to yourself it'll make music easier because when doors are getting shut in your face and everyone is telling you what you can't or won't do you'll be the only support system you have and if you don't know who you are this game will eat you apart! 

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): Any upcoming projects that you got working on or coming up for 2014!

MWTG: “Nightmare On Jack Street” drops 07.04.14, “Murder Wita Pen 4 and possibly something where I MWTG mix the hottest R&B songs at this point me and my publicist Olivia (I AM PR Agency's Founder) are putting together plans to get the most out of my projects and music.

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): Any shoutouts before we’re about to wrap this up!

MWTG: S/O God for blessing me with my talent and everybody he placed in my life. S/o my beautiful daughter, 7pm(M3INT), & Residue Reed (FAMO ent) and all my homies from Buck Buck Germ City, SaintTown, Sball,Central Park, and every DJ Blog and Interview such as yourself who ever showed me love and last but not least, love to all the fans and supporters with y'all there's no demand for me!!

Ty DJC Jones (Intrigued): We are about to wrap this interview, definitely great interviewing you. Anyone that wants to reach out for collabs, networking or wants to hear your music, where can they find you?  

MWTG: Contact Info: Twitter: @TheRealMikeWill or email my publicist Olivia@IamPRagency.com,