2014 Schedule
Interactive: March 7–11  •  Film: March 7–15  •  Music: March 11–16

Open Mike Eagle

Michael Eagle grew up in chicago listening to alt-rock on q101 and taping underground rap shows on WHPK. He also occasionally snuck and ordered music videos on the Box.

He went to college at southern illinois university and battled everybody everywhere and freestyled all the time. He graduated with a degree in psychology but somehow it never occurred to him to go to Scribble Jam.

He moved to LA and linked up with Project Blowed. He toured with Busdriver, Aceyalone, and Abstract Rude. He started a rap group called Thirsty Fish with Dumbfoundead and Psychosiz and the Swim Team with Alpha MC, VerBS, Sahtyre and more. He worked as a teacher during this time and usually had a hangover.

He put out his first solo album in 2010 with Mush Records. He put out his second LP with Hellfyre Club/Alpha Pup and his third with Fake Four Inc.

He’s toured with Blu, Aesop Rock, Dessa, Homeboy Sandman, Ceschi, Moka Only, Louis Logic, and more.

In 2012 he participated in and co-authored a study with the National Insititues of Health that had him freestyle in an MRI machine to study the brain activity that occurs during improvisational rap. Articles were published on nature.com, wired.com, discovery.com, nbc.com, npr.org and more. The articles have become infamous for the unabashed racism in each of their comment sections.

in 2013 he was the first rapper to appear as a guest on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast. He’s also appeared on the Paul F. Tompkins show, Hannibal Burress’s comedy show, the Eric Andre live show, and the WITS show produced by American Public Media.

He produced the first “Mike Eagle Show” in January of 2014. It was a night of rap and comedy lauded by LA Weekly ‘as something they look forward to seeing more of’. He too thought they could have written something nicer.

His most recent work is alongside Busdriver, Nocando, milo, and more under the guise of Hellfyre Club. Their 2013 mixtape “Dorner Vs Tookie” was praised by Pitchfork, the Chicago Reader, LA Weekly and more.

He was named Impose Magazine’s Rapper of the Year for 2013. The rapper of the whole entire year.

His new album is Dark Comedy. Its 45 minutes of attempting to giggle at the abyss. It features raps from Hannibal Burress and Das Racist’s Kool A.D. Beats from Jeremiah Jae, Dibia$e, Busdriver and more. Its his first release on Mello Music Group.

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