These days, it seems as if the best business decision an up-and-coming artist can make is to give new material away for free – if you’re not releasing street albums in addition to LPs, net-savvy listeners are liable to pass you by without a thought. The latest trend, however, is to drop previously unreleased records as part of an online-only series. K. Sparks, XV, Theo, Young Chris, and countless others have thrown their hats into the series ring with varying degrees of success, but none have garnered more attention and acclaim than trendsetting Bronx emcee Mickey Factz.
Though his mixtape discography dates back to 2006, Factz cemented his reputation as a next-generation torchbearer with The Leak, an ongoing series of weekly viral releases that got him recognition from VIBE, XXL, and BET.com (to name a few), and spawned “Incredible,” the second most freestyled-over record of last year. This year, Factz plans to parlay his online success into album sales with the release of his debut LP, The Achievement.
Mickey Factz Interview Transcription
DJ Booth: What’s goin’ on, everybody? It’s your boy “Z,” doin’ it real big, and joining me inside the DJ Booth is a man who Leaked his way into the limelight last year. With a huge 2008 behind him, this Bronx-born emcee is preparing to make 2009 his official introduction to the world. Please welcome Booth favorite and my good friend, Mickey Factz – how you doin’?
Mickey Factz: It’s Mickey! What’s goin’ on, y’all?
DJ Booth: The “It’s Mickey,” how did you come up with that?
Mickey Factz: You know what? I really don’t know where I came up with it. One day I was in the Booth, and I just did it. A lot of people thought that I got it from DMX’s album, but, really, one day I got in the Booth, and I just said it, and it stuck, you know?
DJ Booth: Absolutely; if it rolls, you gotta work with it.
Mickey Factz: Exactly.
DJ Booth: Our DJBooth community, Mickey, knows your music real well thanks to seven features that we ran on you last year, but I want to give them the opportunity to meet the man behind the music, so here’s an open-ended question to kick off the interview: who is Mickey Factz?
Mickey Factz: Mickey Factz is the Digital Messiah, he is the savior of hip-hop, he is the future of the digital realm. He is every artist’s dream, and he is every boyfriend’sw nightmare.
DJ Booth: [laughs] You’re scarin’ a lot of people.
Mickey Factz: Yeah, at the end of that day that’s what it’s all about; call me Freddy Kreuger, baby.
DJ Booth: Hit me with three facts about Mickey that maybe even your friends, your coworkers, or family members might not know about you. So, shock the world.
Mickey Factz: The first fact is that I can cook very well.
DJ Booth: Okay, what’s your specialty?
Mickey Factz: My specialty is fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, and Mountain Dew – I can’t make Mountain Dew, but I can serve it real well. That’s the first fact. The second fact is, I’m really nice at NBA 2K9, and I will bust anybody’s ass at that game. The third thing is, I can play the trombone.
DJ Booth: Is that what you played in Band as a child?
Mickey Factz: Yes, when I was in junior high school and high school I played the trombone.
DJ Booth: What are all your old bandmates saying about your aspiring rap career now?
Mickey Factz: That’s a good question; I don’t talk to them. They’re probably jealous, like, “Man, I should’ve started rapping with him!”
DJ Booth: You mean to tell me you didn’t stay friends with the flute and trumpet sections?
Mickey Factz: Hell no! [laughs] Why would I do that?
DJ Booth: [laughs] It’s funny, I played trumpet in band as a kid, but when I got to high school they said that in order to stay in band, I had to play in the marching band, and you obviously couldn’t do that if you were in sports. That’s where my band experience ended; when did your band experience end?
Mickey Factz: I think it ended in sophomore year of high school. I just didn’t wanna be in the band anymore. I was just like, “You know what? This is not workin’ for me. I’m tired of readin’ the bass clef.” Plus, the trombone is not really one of the best instruments out there. I always wanted to try to learn alto sax, ‘cause I love the sound of the saxophone, but I never got the chance to do that.
DJ Booth: Yeah, the trombone’s more of a background instrument, not a showcase instrument. I see what you’re saying.
Mickey Factz: Exactly – it’s a bass instrument; that’s why I read off the bass clef.
DJ Booth: Well, as I alluded to, Mickey, in the introduction, you literally leaked into the ears of millions of hip-hop fans scouring the net for new music when you started The Leak last year. Following your efforts, it seems like every rapper and their mother has tried their hand at an online-only series, but few have seen the success that you experienced. Why do you think that is?
Mickey Factz: I think it’s a mixture of quality and quantity at the same time, Not to mention, I think some of the records that I sampled, a lot of artists wouldn’t dare touch. I touched on different topics as well. Like, you guys featured “Incredible,” which was sampled by Sebastian; that was a really, really big record for me, to the point that almost every rap artist that was in the underground jumped on that record. Also, I feel like I did a couple of features, and I did a record with The Cool Kids, we shot a video for it, and that led people to really want to know what Mickey Factz was about.
DJ Booth: In an interview I did with one of your fellow New Yorkers, K. Sparks, back in December, he credited you with the proper motivation that he needed to kick off his currently-running series, Manic Mondays. Mickey, how does it feel to be a next-generation trendsetter?
Mickey Factz: It feels great, ‘cause I looked at hip-hop at one point as, like, “Wow, I want to be these artists.” I used to look at all of the artists that are out right now, and I used to say to myself, “Man, I wonder if I’ll ever get to that point.” Now, these guys are lookin’ to me for the new wave of what’s going to be happening. And The Leak was just the beginning of what’s to come as far as media goes; I have so many things that are comin’ up in 2009 that are just going to change the whole avenue of how media is supposed to be interpreted.
DJ Booth: At any point during the leakage process, if you will, did you question whether or not that hard work and that time you put into it would honestly pay off? Were you skeptical, or were you confident?
Mickey Factz: I was skeptical when I first started The Leak because I felt like Crooked I had done it first, and I didn’t want to be looked at as a copycat. So I felt like I had to [add] my own pizazz to it. That’s why I had write-ups about how I came along with the song. I also felt like I needed to touch on different topics. I didn’t just make it a weekly freestyle, I made it a weekly song, and I also added new pictures, and sometimes I even had behind-the-scenes footage of the [making of] the songs, so I think that’s added to the hype around those songs.
DJ Booth: The debate over whether the Internet is a help or hindrance to musicians is something that I don’t think will ever die. For an artist like yourself, whose rise to fame will always lead back to your heavy online following, what side of the fence do you sit on in terms of, is the Internet a help or hindrance to musicians?
Mickey Factz: It’s an absolute help for every artist that’s out there. Right now, I’ve gained a true, loyal fanbase, that actually wants to purchase my music, ‘cause I gave ‘em so much free music. My only concern right now is trying to cross-market and get to the urban side and to the radio, so I can tackle all markets. I’m already working on some other collectives and other media so everybody can feel where Mickey Factz is comin’ from, but i feel like the radio is the next move for Mickey Factz.
DJ Booth: You said that, right now, for you, it’s a help, obviously. But when won’t it be a help for you? When will it be a hindrance?
Mickey Factz: I feel like, right now, people are gonna pay for my product. The reason why is, I’ve given them so much free music, product after product after product. It was so much, and it was quality music. So now, when I actually put out some original compositions, I feel like this is something that the fans have been waitin’ for since I initially announced that I was an artist. They’re waiting for this, and they’re loyal fans. I have a really strong following, so they’re going to purchase it. Not to mention, when the singles come out, and I get those new fans, they’re gonna go back and see that I already put out five mixtapes, and they’re gonna want to purchase the stuff as well.
DJ Booth: Well, your buzz obviously has grown to the point where it’s being noticed by just about everybody. Various publications such as XXL, BET.com, they’ve named you an artist to quote unquote “look out for” in 2009. I can’t disagree with them whatsoever. As humbly as possible, Mickey, justify why you feel people are holding you and your music in such high regard.
Mickey Factz: I feel like music right now is pretty stagnant, as far as creativity. I feel like a lot of people aren’t pushing the boundaries of where they can take music, and I feel like I’m doing that. And I’m not just doing it for a specific monetary purpose, I’m doing it ‘cause I honestly love music. I’m honestly talented at it, people are showing their love and their regard for my music as well, and I feel like a lot of people look at me and what I do, and me bein’ a trendsetter, and they just feel like I’m gonna be one of the cats in the forefront, that’s gonna take music to the next level.
DJ Booth: Part of that trendsetting, obviously, is more than just music. You founded your own company, GFC New York which doesn’t just churn out music like so many artists’ labels are; you’re also gonna be branding and marketing artists. What does the future hold for Mickey Factz the businessman?
Mickey Factz: Like I said earlier, I want to really take over every aspect of media. We’re gonna be getting into video games soon, I just shot a commercial for Honda, so that’s gonna be takin’ over TV, I’m getting ready to release a couple singles to attack radio. I wanna work on some phone opportunities, to kinda monopolize on that. I want to be able to be not just makin’ music, but makin’ music at the same time, ‘cause all of these different media will have my music accomplice with it.
DJ Booth: So the plan is to monopolize and saturate the entire digital market till no matter where you go, what you do, or what you hear, it’s all about Mickey Factz, correct?
Mickey Factz: Exactly, exactly.
DJ Booth: I like it.
Mickey Factz: So do I, brother, that’s why I came up with it! [laughs]
DJ Booth: Are you comfortable with releasing your music solely through your own company, or are you looking to verge toward a joint deal with a major – what’s the plan?
Mickey Factz: I’m not against going to a label, but it has to be the right situation. I’m also not against releasing it on my own, because I’ve done that already, and I’ve been successful, as you can obviously see. I just want to make sure that it’s done properly, if it’s gonna go through a major label or a major company, you know? I want it to be set up properly to the point that everybody is gonna be able to get my music, and they’re gonna love it.
DJ Booth: You said, “the right situation.” I’d love for you to be a little bit more specific – what would you ideally look at as the right situation?
Mickey Factz: Creative control: I wanna be able to dictate my marketing, ‘cause I’ve done it so well already, I want to be able to choose what songs come out, who I’m gonna be able to work with – I wanna be able to be in control of my musical career, ‘cause I’ve done well on my own already, so far. That would be the driving force, for me to go with a label right now.
DJ Booth: In the era we’re in, an artist who has no creative control or direction over their career is pretty much bound for failure, so you’ve got the right idea. This year, you’re planning to release your debut album. It’s going to be entitled The Leak Volume 3: The Achievement. Let’s roll off that word for a second – considering what you were able to achieve last year, how high are your expectations here in 2009?
Mickey Factz: I really want to get nominated for a Grammy; it doesn’t really get bigger than that. That’s my goal for 2009: to get nominated for a Grammy. I feel like the music that I’m creating now is a lane that a lot of artists are not gonna be going into. I’m creating a hybrid of music. It’s gonna be focusing around the guitar and the drums, and it’s gonna be the second coming of Michael Jackson in hip-hop form.
DJ Booth: Okay, just do me a favor: later on in your career, don’t touch little children.
Mickey Factz: [laughs] Never, man, never ever.
DJ Booth: Okay, good. Well, listen: when you are making that Grammy nomination acceptance speech, even when the band starts comin’ on and they’re gonna cut you off, I want some thanks, ‘cause we jumped on you early, my man, so that co-sign’s gonna go a long way.
Mickey Factz: Yeah, definitely. I love DJBooth. I actually love the people on DJBooth too; they’re brutally honest! I love checking your stuff, man – it’s refreshing!
DJ Booth: I appreciate that. Mickey, give everyone a website or a MySpace page, something so they can find out more about you and what you’ve got going on.
Mickey Factz: Come check me out at gfcny.com, come check me out at myspace.com/itzmickey, check me out at imeem.com/itzmickey, or if you can’t find me there, just Google me and trust me, you’ll get to see where I’m at.
DJ Booth: I appreciate you takin’ the time to join me inside the DJBooth, and, as always, I wish you nothing but the best of luck, my friend.
Mickey Factz: Thank you very much. The Achievement is droppin’, nobody’s gonna stop it, man.
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