Who: Mike Floss
Age: 25
Location: Nashville, TN
Recent Projects: Don’t Blame the Youth (2015)
Songs to Check Out:
It was hard to keep myself away from doing Blac Youngsta for Tennessee, but I ended up going with Mike Floss instead. Mike Floss is a complex artist. The street influence is clear in his music, especially in his most recent project Don’t Blame the Youth. I’m not going to go as far as to say he’s a political rapper or a conscious rapper, but he’s not afraid to rap about the social issues he sees. He also doesn’t ignore the entertainment side of rap (see “Holy Ghost”), and won’t shy away from beats that I’ve definitely heard Chainsmokers make music over (also see “Holy Ghosts”). He just makes good music, regardless of the message; makes sense for the son of highly regarded jazz musician Rod McGaha.
I would say that the majority of his music sees heavy southern influence. A little of trap here and there, a little positive vibe, and even some of the classic boom bap beats all combine to make a sound of his own in a city known more for guitars than bars. He’s a pretty complete artist, he shows an ability to make hard songs on “Dopeboy Dreaming”, make more R&B songs on “Holy Ghost”, and make grimier songs on “Kerosene”. Floss is another rapper who doesn’t really fit into a mold that was set before him; he’s his own artist, which bodes well for a guy trying to lead a scene in his city.
Mike Floss’s vision goes past just him getting big. He wants to do something with his image, he’s socially aware and involved, and wants to make a change for the better in his city. He’s got a good bit of support from the Music City, and I could see him carrying that onto a bigger stage. He’s already helped with music for advertising Tidal, opened for Waka, and signed with ColdCutsRecords. Just give it time, he’s another artist I could see start making appearances on some bigger music festivals soon.
You can read my interview with Mike and what building his career in a city known for rock and country has been like below.
PERPETUAL RAMBLER 