You know I was thinking. It's been a really productive past 6 mos and I've met a lot of new faces and made a lot of new contacts over the time. One thing I've realized is that a lot of people only know barely the tip of the iceberg about me, so let me give a little insight into who Mic Doja really is.
Born in Ohio in 1979, I moved out to California in 1988 to Oakland. Talk about crazy times coming from the sticks of back woods Ohio to inner city Oakland in the late 80's. Anyway, being the youngest of five really meant I was more like the only child. Kind of cool...kind of not. Let's just say I experienced a lot of first times in the Oak. My parents and I finally moved down Oxnard in 1991. A year later I got my first instrument, a bass guitar, which I learned to play by ear. I soon after started making beats on a keyboard and started writing in 1993. For the next 15yrs my music was just a form of expression and a hobby more or less. It wasn't until 2008 when I got laid off and someone suggested I made a record that I actually pursued making any of my music public. The rest as you know, is history and here we are. This is the quick version. A lot of filler was skipped but I think you all get the picture. I'm east coast born but west coast raised so my perspective in not what you might think it is. Anything else you want to know about me you're just gonna have to message me or wait till my interview on Oprah. It's only a matter of time.
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Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
FIVE YEARS OF BEING RAISED
The year is 2008 and it is at about the peak of the housing bubble bust and job market loss. I had planned on quitting my job in a few months down the line, but instead found myself laid off earlier than expected. At first what seemed a somewhat troublesome situation soon materialized into one of the greatest blessing in my life. I came in to work late because of a speeding ticket and was given a box to pack my belongs. As I was packing up a co-worker said to me “Hey now that you have some free time you can release an album.” For the first time I actually thought to myself, “Yeah”, I got nothing to lose so I might as well try. So for the 6 months I hit the grind to record an album and embark on the mission of setting up a brand that people can recognize and and relate to. This was the year Mic Doja music was going to rise from unheard nobody to a lyrical force.
In setting out to come up and release The Rise, the obvious hard part was creating quality material, both beat and lyrics. I was use to making beats, and I was use to writing lyrics but to actually write a complete full scale song, chorus and all was a new thing and took time to get a good handle on. But once I completed the now intro track, “Rise”, I felt so good with accomplishment for sitting down and just writing the song and making it happen. The feeling was contagious and I started coming up with more tracks. I found gradually my style and musical outlook were changing the more I wrote and this growth has continued till this day. The album itself is more of a music collection than album in my opinion. Most of the songs on the album were already written before the idea of the album and the remaining song were made to fill in or to add diversity. Some songs on the album were created from start to finish in about 3-4 hrs. Beat and all. Some songs on the other hand took awhile to be completed. “Static”, for example took about a little over a year to complete the entire process. There was even consideration of releasing a dual disc debut album, but thought better of it. Nobody wants two discs of music from someone they never heard or don't even know if they're any good. So I settled with the idea of just a single disc with 16 tracks
My other concern regarding the album was diversity. I needed to have something that nobody else seemed to offer in hip hop, diversity. When you listen to The Rise right from the first track”Rise”, you know that you are in for something different. Not only is the music different but the music layout as well. I mean there are no two songs alike on the album, every song has it's very own flavor. It is this very varied flavor that I think people find so compelling about this album. No other album has the same sound or feel, mainstream or indie. Another area is the topic range of the songs. The Rise is certainly a positive album with songs like “Rise”and “I Wanna”. Yet it has definition of strength with songs like, “I'm A Warrior” or “Here We Go Again”. It's romantic with “Phoebe”. It's playful with, “One Hit” and “Ain't Told Ya”. It'll get in those guts with “Static” or “Too Heavy”. The album has a lot to offer and is a continual journey getting deeper and deeper every time you listen to it.
Another area I wanted something different with the album was with the graphics. I didn't really want the traditional album cover of some rapper all blinged out and with stacks of money, cars, and hoes behind me. I wanted something true to me and to the art and culture of hip hop. Yet I wanted something bold that made a statement. I worked with a good friend of mine who was into graphic design and had helped in creating design ideas. At the time there were a lot changes taking place with graphic ideas and the initial design we decided on using for the album never made it to print production. A few sample were made until the decision to release the album digitally was made. At that point all graphic ideas for the actual CD face were basically stopped and instead the decision to use the album cover design as the CD face graphic was made. Now going on 5 years since the debut album The Rise will finally be released in physical CD form with a new version of the special graphics which were designed for the album.
As we celebrate the 5th year anniversary a very limited amount of The Rise:Limited Anniversary Edition will be produced and sold. Each copy of the album will be signed and numbered and feature a special card that will go into detail about the songs selected for the album as well as the story behind the graphics used. This album will be sold as part of an exclusive package deal that will include the following: a copy of the current album A.L.I.E.N. Language, a Mic Doja Music T-shirt, public recognition on social media sites, access to download exclusive music from the Mic Doja Music Archive, and free entry to any Mic Doja show of your choice. This package will be available for purchase as of July 6, 2013 but you are encouraged to R.S.V.P. yours now because these will go very fast and once these are gone they are gone for good. I will not be producing any more of these special editions of The Rise once all are sold. If you would like to support and purchase one of these packages please click the link below and R.S.V.P. The event. You MUST R.S.V.P. in order to purchase this package.
http://m.facebook.com/events/324265407679826?full&__user=0
For any additional questions regarding this please send all request to micdoja@yahoo.com PLEASE VISIT: WWW.MICDOJA.COM. Thank you for your support!
In setting out to come up and release The Rise, the obvious hard part was creating quality material, both beat and lyrics. I was use to making beats, and I was use to writing lyrics but to actually write a complete full scale song, chorus and all was a new thing and took time to get a good handle on. But once I completed the now intro track, “Rise”, I felt so good with accomplishment for sitting down and just writing the song and making it happen. The feeling was contagious and I started coming up with more tracks. I found gradually my style and musical outlook were changing the more I wrote and this growth has continued till this day. The album itself is more of a music collection than album in my opinion. Most of the songs on the album were already written before the idea of the album and the remaining song were made to fill in or to add diversity. Some songs on the album were created from start to finish in about 3-4 hrs. Beat and all. Some songs on the other hand took awhile to be completed. “Static”, for example took about a little over a year to complete the entire process. There was even consideration of releasing a dual disc debut album, but thought better of it. Nobody wants two discs of music from someone they never heard or don't even know if they're any good. So I settled with the idea of just a single disc with 16 tracks
My other concern regarding the album was diversity. I needed to have something that nobody else seemed to offer in hip hop, diversity. When you listen to The Rise right from the first track”Rise”, you know that you are in for something different. Not only is the music different but the music layout as well. I mean there are no two songs alike on the album, every song has it's very own flavor. It is this very varied flavor that I think people find so compelling about this album. No other album has the same sound or feel, mainstream or indie. Another area is the topic range of the songs. The Rise is certainly a positive album with songs like “Rise”and “I Wanna”. Yet it has definition of strength with songs like, “I'm A Warrior” or “Here We Go Again”. It's romantic with “Phoebe”. It's playful with, “One Hit” and “Ain't Told Ya”. It'll get in those guts with “Static” or “Too Heavy”. The album has a lot to offer and is a continual journey getting deeper and deeper every time you listen to it.
Another area I wanted something different with the album was with the graphics. I didn't really want the traditional album cover of some rapper all blinged out and with stacks of money, cars, and hoes behind me. I wanted something true to me and to the art and culture of hip hop. Yet I wanted something bold that made a statement. I worked with a good friend of mine who was into graphic design and had helped in creating design ideas. At the time there were a lot changes taking place with graphic ideas and the initial design we decided on using for the album never made it to print production. A few sample were made until the decision to release the album digitally was made. At that point all graphic ideas for the actual CD face were basically stopped and instead the decision to use the album cover design as the CD face graphic was made. Now going on 5 years since the debut album The Rise will finally be released in physical CD form with a new version of the special graphics which were designed for the album.
As we celebrate the 5th year anniversary a very limited amount of The Rise:Limited Anniversary Edition will be produced and sold. Each copy of the album will be signed and numbered and feature a special card that will go into detail about the songs selected for the album as well as the story behind the graphics used. This album will be sold as part of an exclusive package deal that will include the following: a copy of the current album A.L.I.E.N. Language, a Mic Doja Music T-shirt, public recognition on social media sites, access to download exclusive music from the Mic Doja Music Archive, and free entry to any Mic Doja show of your choice. This package will be available for purchase as of July 6, 2013 but you are encouraged to R.S.V.P. yours now because these will go very fast and once these are gone they are gone for good. I will not be producing any more of these special editions of The Rise once all are sold. If you would like to support and purchase one of these packages please click the link below and R.S.V.P. The event. You MUST R.S.V.P. in order to purchase this package.
http://m.facebook.com/events/324265407679826?full&__user=0
For any additional questions regarding this please send all request to micdoja@yahoo.com PLEASE VISIT: WWW.MICDOJA.COM. Thank you for your support!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Three, Two, One Blasting Off
As the year comes to an end I can't help but to feel blessed with everything that has happened. I've seen a lot of new child births among friends. Family and friends have obtained a part of the American dream and have purchased homes. On the music side of things, Mic Doja's fan base has steadily grown. I will be ending this year with the addition of a DJ partnership. Moving forward DJ Indakut will be serving as my partner and personal DJ during my future performances. Aside from this change to my hip hop shows, I will also be performing a very broad and eclectic style of music for specific venues and sets that will bring together different music genres infused with hip hop. With the finishing of the production end of the next album, REDLINE, sights are being set on a project that was pushed back in order to release, A.L.I.E.N. Language, which is entitled, Unorthodox. The name of the album itself describes what to expect. All I can say is that I hope the game is ready for a new chapter in hip hop music.
Some new things to expect in the coming new year are going to be more collaborative efforts with local artists and the hip hop community. Also be on the look out for more collabs with rock group, Bullet Made Statues. Since the debut of “Hero” featuring Wes Pagano, lead singer of the group, nothing but good reviews have been come from it. Picking up where we left off, we've begun to work on more music together for both our future projects and I can tell you that you will be in for a big surprise with what we're working on. You'll also want to be looking out for Freakwent Flyers. Coming out the 805, this trio is a force to be reckoned with. Thanks to hot hooks and bars and to the great production of Whitty Beats, the bar has been definitely been raised with this album. You can get it on download from all the major online retailers.
Another goal of the new year is to hammer out the details regarding a starting a local hip hop committee designed to help provide organization, event promotion, lager audience draw, more events, and an outlet to provide for community support and services. Currently I'm in talks with a few local businesses and artists to see whom is interested and would be willing to contribute to the idea. Plans are definitely in works and big things are gonna be going down in the next few upcoming months. As usual You can find me out and about on my music tip rocking shows. Here's a list of some of my upcoming shows. Come out and support and show love. Hip Hop is in the building!
SHOW DATES:
12-22-12 / 805 SHAKEDOWN XMAS SHOW
12-28-12 / BLVD NITE XMAS HANGOVER EDITION
01-04-12 / BULLET MADE STATUES feat. MIC DOJA
02-10-13 / VELVET JONES W/CADILLIAC RON & MIC DOJA
MORE SHOW DATES TBA
Thursday, March 22, 2012
As The Clock Ticks
Time is flying at incredible speeds right now for me. I’ve been busy getting everything set up and ready for the album release next month and things are really moving along. Mic Doja is becoming official this year. This month I’m expecting to be receiving my new Mic Doja Musik banner, advanced copies of the album in physical form, minus the booklet insert. The booklet and full album graphics come out on the release date. I also am excited to say that my new HD camcorder should be arriving this month too. So you can expect to be seeing a lot more videos posted up to YouTube and Facebook, as well as some new music videos. Speaking about music videos. A buddy and I have a competition going for who can make the sickest music video using only a cell phone and whatever moviemaker software. You can only use the cell phone for the actual video footage, nothing else. I have to say for myself, my video is pretty cool. Now these videos aren’t gonna be winning any major production awards but it does show how far technology has come over the years that you can even think of making a music video with only a cell phone. It also shows that if you are willing to think outside the box you can do all kinds of crazy things. Now to switch topics, on the other side of the coin the one main issue I keep running into with having and a set release date set up with my distributors is that I can’t set up everything that I need to set up until the album is released and goes live on sale. Meaning things like music stores and alternative downloading methods like download cards will not work. The big picture…basically I gotta hustle the day of the release to create and place online store widgets, among other things. This sucks..but oh well..the show must go on sort of speak. You can expect a great album though. From the few people who have heard it, I’ve heard nothing but great reviews so far, which is awesome. You can check out a couple of the tracks online like YouTube and www.micdoja.com. In fact the video I chose to do for the cell phone project is actually a new track off the new album and is available to view on YouTube. You can also mark your calendars for May 26th because I’ll be doing a show in Ventura. I know it’s been awhile since my last show out there but I’m back. I’ll be at the Golden China Restaurant off of Seaward. Tickets are $15 and with the purchase you are automatically enrolled into a raffle drawing for $100. So come through and check me out, grab a drink, have a good time, and prepare to possible be called up to collect some money just for coming out, having a good time and supporting. What better way to spend a Saturday night? And of course I’ll be performing at next month’s Blvd Nite Vol. 4 on April 27th. Then I’m in Ventura for May and in Santa Monica for a June performance on the 16th at the Unurban Café. So things are coming together nicely and most likely I will be having a couple other shows sprinkled in between these listed dates, but as you know I will keep you posted as I find out. In the meantime make sure that you all check sign up for my mailing list. I don’t give out your info and I don’t Spam. To be frank you’ll most likely see an email from me once a month at best. I’m not the best at keeping up with that kind of thing lol. Anyways, sign up for the opportunity to get an advanced copy of the album and feel free to leave comments. Also make sure to check out the following links below. Until we meet again, keep me rocking.
Click the following links below:
Mic Doja – Playground Music Video (Cellphone Fun)
http://youtu.be/EQg7jcjH41k
Official Mic Doja Website
http://www.micdoja.com/
Click the following links below:
Mic Doja – Playground Music Video (Cellphone Fun)
http://youtu.be/EQg7jcjH41k
Official Mic Doja Website
http://www.micdoja.com/
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
4/20/2012 A.L.I.E.N. Language Release
It's official the A.L. Project is finally coming to a climatic point where it goes out to the masses. It officially goes on sale this April 20, 2012, or "4/20" at online retailers like iTunes and Amazon as well as a host of other sites where online music is sold. Check out www.micdoja.com and sign up on the mailing list to get the opportunity to get an advanced copy of the physical CD, as well as other giveaways. You can expect a lot of thing from this album except the usual regular radio garbage. Moving away from the samples and techno beats buried deep inside the realm of "Real Music", is where you will find this next album. The goal of this album was to make hip hop music that transcends the labels of "hip hop" and is just labeled as great music. You be the judge for yourself if I accomplished what I set out to do. Check out track #15 Spaceman. Enjoy!
http://youtu.be/EQg7jcjH41k
http://youtu.be/EQg7jcjH41k
Monday, March 12, 2012
Monday Madness
Well it's been a crazy Monday already. My back almost went out on me this morning. Then I go out to my car to go work, and of course, the car won't start. But when I do finally get to work, every thing comes in to perspective. One of my clients at work passed away last night in their sleep. My morning doesn't seem so bad anymore considering I got to greet the new day. I can't give life but I can give life through my music. Take a second to down load my first album, The Rise, for free with the link below. Sometimes the best things in life are free.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Mic Doja & Rock Star Edition Collaborations
A good friend of mine has a company that does amazing things, one of which is video production. Well, the friend that he is, he's also a fan I might add, took one of my songs from my first album, The Rise, and made this awesome video. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.
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