Mindfully mysterious, Detroit’s conscious riddler Mike Melinoe is a demigod. Combining psychedelic sounds and a lo-fi internet-bred aesthetic with old-school lyricism, The Organic Geniuses founder deliberately swerves his way through drugged-out ballads with crisp clarity. Melinoe’s music exists in a plane that marries classic boom-bap to the intricate chaos that can only be summoned by a computer. Melinoe snarls with an elevated consciousness about his life, but eschews narrative for a collage of images. With impressive vocal elasticity, the artist treats beats as blank canvases rather than a series of lines waiting to be colored within. Read on to get an insight into Mike Melinoe as an artist and individual as we discuss his motivations, inspirations, and aspirations, musical or otherwise.
OK-Tho:
What are your inspirations both within and without hip hop?
Mike Melinoe:
I’m inspired by the universe and life as a whole. I try to express ideas and emotions I’m feeling at different moments in time. Music speaks volumes to people, so with this art form, I focus on painting images for the people. Cab Calloway, David Ruffin, Michael Jackson, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye are all musical inspirations of mine.
OK-Tho:
What are you looking to get out of your music?
Mike Melinoe:
A mansion, fancy vehicles, bitches and lots of water. Haha, humor is key, but honestly, I have larger goals aside from music that’d I’d hope to do later, from building recreational programs to designing both men’s and women’s clothing. Music is a gateway for my long-term objectives. Music allows me to tell my story to all types of individuals, so besides like 50 Grammys and a hot tub on Mars, I really seek to help further the world.
OK-Tho:
Describe the path that led to your decision to become a Hip-Hop artist.
Mike Melinoe:
My family has been involved with music for as long as I can remember, so maybe it was destined to happen. My biological dad is a jazz pianist who’s played across the world, and my mom used to curate music in churches when I was young. My older cousin triggered my senses though -- she played a massive amount of rap when we were growing up. Before that I was listening to jazz, soul, gospel, and classic blues. But when I first heard Lil Wayne during the Hot Boyz days, rap stuck -- literally. I didn’t attempt to create this art form fully until I was about 17 or 18, though.
OK-Tho:
What is your greatest accomplishment to date?
Mike Melinoe:
Last year I had the opportunity to perform in the Czech Republic for the Hip Hop Kemp festival. The experience was by far my best musical experience to date. I performed new music, signed autographs, and took mad photos with anyone interested -- I even tasted their food which wasn't bad. I met mad U.S. artists for the first time, also. Hopsin and I were amazed they had KFC out there, haha.
OK-Tho:
Favorite single of yours?
Mike Melinoe:
Well, my favorite isn't out yet -- it’s still in my head for my debut album. But as far as music out today, maybe “Hold My Dust.” That record is something I think everyone can relate to: “If you ain’t f**king with it you can hold my nuts.” Performing it is intriguing because the audiences’ reactions are always the same. People are quick to scream the chorus even if they’ve never heard it before.
OK-Tho:
Top Five Albums?
Mike Melinoe:
“My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”
“Baduizm”
“Lovers Rock”
“To Pimp A Butterfly”
“Love Below”
I can always enjoy these albums no matter what I’m doing. I love them.
OK-Tho:
What is your go to site to find new music?
Mike Melinoe:
Soundcloud, pretty much. You literally can press play and discover all types of art. I’m not really a blog stalker anymore because the main blogs are lacking uniqueness, and often the smaller blogs try to copy what the bigger ones are doing. So, Soundcloud is really my ideal site.
OK-Tho:
Walk us through your process of making a song. What components are essential to recording it?
Mike Melinoe:
Usually, I’ll just write down a couple lines and not refer back to them for a week or so. Sometimes I never finish tracks because of all of the thoughts rambling around my head about how to perfect them. So usually I just wait until something really creative comes out. When we’re in the studio it’s just me, my engineer, and whoever drove me. I don’t feel the need to drink, smoke, or have a lot of women around when I’m in the studio or anything like that. That’s all pointless.
OK-Tho:
Where is your favorite spot to perform?
Mike Melinoe:
Festivals. They provide a different vibe for the artist. They’re a platform where I can showcase my talent to hundreds or thousands of individuals who are there to hear good music and discover new artists. People always seem to be energized and open to being exposed to new music, so that’s ideal for me.Mike Melinoe:
OK-Tho:
If you were to sign to a label which label would you pick and why?
Mike Melinoe:
There are many labels I have my eyes on but I would never sign a deal if I didn’t have the power and freedom to creative my vision successfully. If I lost that freedom I’d wind up being a cobwebb waiting to be dusted away. We’ve seen it happen to artists before. But whatever I did would have to be as organic as possible.
OK-Tho:
What is Organic Geniuses all about?
Mike Melinoe:
Organic Geniuses is my vision for the world. Organically, we are all self-made geniuses conquering earth. My collective is full of talent and it’s not just music. We have people doing film and people who are building companies that’ll help the world grow and evolve. Each member of OG Tribe has the potential and desire to be stand-alone artists, which is why we’re structured the way we are. Everyone has their own style and vision. Also, we’re from all different regions of the country. We all have different stories and experiences.
OK-Tho:
Is there a message you are trying to get across with Enjoy Don’t Avoid? If so, what is that message?
Mike Melinoe:
Well “Enjoy Don’t Avoid” is just a playlist I’ve mashed together to give a recap of what I’ve released from the summer through December. “Addict Venture” is on that playlist and it’s the only record from the upcoming EP that’s out right now. I just put the playlist together because I think the sounds, approach, and honesty are enjoyable and impossible to avoid. I think my new EP will be more of that. I’ll be giving people a breath of fresh air with the upcoming EP.
OK-Tho:
How have you grown as an artist since Natures of PropeR Element$ and how is that growth reflected in Enjoy Don’t Avoid?
Mike Melinoe:
“NOPR” was a project I created in mid-2014 and released in 2015. The growth is self-explanatory. In music, both listeners and artists tend to glorify and appreciate repetitive sounds and cadences but my goal is to be me and only me. I’m a fan of rock now, more than ever, so why would I keep a boom-bap structured format? I’d rather be remembered as an individual creation chasing the sun than a rapper dazed looking at the sun waiting to react. Become the reaction before it’s a reaction.
OK-Tho:
In “Caitlyn Jenner” you list a lot of things you simply ain’t fucking with. This begs the
question, What do you fuck with?
Mike Melinoe:
I fuck with positive energy, knowledge, hard workers and of course Netflix and chill, haha. My main focus is just to work hard and enjoy the moments but don’t get off track. But when not building, I like to watch anime, play PS4, do psychedelics, and explore nature.
OK-Tho:
To what do you attribute the exceptional reception of “Addict Venture”?
Mike Melinoe:
Well, that record is rare sonically and musically. We were able to capture certain vibes really well in the studio that day. I think you’ll hear that in the upcoming EP also.
Can you talk about working with Red Pill on "Prime Soul"? What do you think of what he’s doing now?
Mike Melinoe:
Red Pill is a great friend of mine and is low-key like a big brother to me in the music industry. He’s a really cool guy. The crazy thing is that I’ve never actually met him due to schedule differences. “Prime Soul” was simple -- I reached out and he thought it was a creative, dope song so he agreed to be apart of it. Pill has a very fresh sound and I’m proud to see him succeeding the way he is. He deserves it, man.
OK-Tho:
What is next for Mike Melinoe?
Mike Melinoe:
Everything and anything is possible next. Musically just be prepared for new art in all forms, my music arsenal is rapidly enhancing daily to create more for my city, Detroit, and the world. The title of my upcoming EP will be released soon--maybe even in February. There will be festivals, too. There will be a lot of festivals. Pay attention world.
Thank you
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