Eyedea | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as |
|
| Born | Micheal David Larsen[1] (1981-11-09)November 9, 1981 |
| Origin | Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Died | October 16, 2010(2010-10-16) (aged 28) Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop,alternative hip hop,rap rock,underground hip hop,psychedelic hip hop |
| Occupation | Rapper |
| Years active | 1997–2010 |
| Labels | |
| Website | MichealLarsen.com |
Micheal David Larsen[1] (November 9, 1981 – October 16, 2010), better known by his stage nameEyedea, was an Americanrapper. He was afreestyle battle champion andsongwriter fromSaint Paul, Minnesota.[2]
Larsen had appeared as a solo artist under the pseudonym Oliver Hart, and as theMC half of the duoEyedea & Abilities (along with longtime friend and collaboratorDJ Abilities).[3] He was first signed toSlug's independent hip-hop labelRhymesayers Entertainment before founding his own record label, Crushkill Recordings.[4]
Eyedea first stepped into the hip-hop scene battling against other emcees at notable freestyle competitions. Notable wins included a victory atScribble Jam (1999) and the televisedBlaze Battle sponsored byHBO (2000), which was hosted byKRS-One.[5] Following the win, he won an impressive portion of money, but was also offered a higher cut if he signed arecord contract with hip hop mogulP. Diddy, to which he declined, instead helping buildRhymesayers Entertainment from the ground up.[6]
Notable hip-hop outlets have labeled Eyedea as a freestyle pioneer. Eyedea has released numerous albums alongside DJ Abilities where the two performed under the duo name "Eyedea & Abilities". In 2001, Eyedea & Abilities released their debut studio albumFirst Born, which included their successful single "Big Shots".
The single was later chosen to appear onTony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. In 2004, Eyedea & Abilities released their second studio album titledE&A, which included the singles "Paradise" & "Man vs Ape". In July 2009, Eyedea & Abilities released their third and final studio album calledBy the Throat, which was followed by highly acclaimed positive ratings. In 2014, Eyedea ranked #2 on Abbey Magazine's Top 25 'greatest freestyle emcees of all-time'.
Eyedea grew up nearSaint Paul, Minnesota, with his mother Kathy Averill, who gave birth to him when she was seventeen years old. He is ofIrish andLebanese descent.[7] He attendedHighland Park Senior High School.[3]
Eyedea became known as a battle MC, touring the circuit between 1997 and 2001. During this time, he won top prizes at Scribble Jam '99, the Rock Steady Anniversary 2000, and Blaze Battle New York 2000.[8] These battles included him beating notable artists such asImmortal Technique,P.E.A.C.E andPackFM. In 1999, he made his first national appearance on theAnticon compilation,Music for the Advancement of Hip Hop.[9] He also toured extensively as second MC and supportDJ forAtmosphere.
In 2001, he releasedFirst Born with his partnerDJ Abilities (collectively, they were initially called the Sixth Sense, but later changed the name toEyedea & Abilities). In 2002, under his pen name "Oliver Hart", he released the self-producedThe Many Faces of Oliver Hart, or: How Eye One the Write Too Think. In 2004, he reunited with Abilities to release the self-titled albumE&A.
All of Eyedea's releases have been on theRhymesayers record label, with the exception of the Carbon Carousel EP, which was released on his ownIndependent music label, Crushkill Recordings. In addition to touring independently and with Rhymesayers labelmates and members ofFace Candy, Eyedea & Abilities participated in theDef Jux-sponsored "Who Killed the Robots?" tour, titled by Eyedea.
He was signed toRhymesayers Entertainment and collaborated withSlug of theunderground hip hop groupAtmosphere as well asSage Francis,Aesop Rock, andBlueprint. He was also a member of the hip hop collective and super group "The Orphanage" along with Slug,Aesop Rock,Blueprint, &Illogic. Although never releasing a full CD to the public, songs were recorded and released.[10]
After Eyedea releasedThis Is Where We Were, recorded with his livefreestyle rap/jazz groupFace Candy, he created Carbon Carousel, an alternative rock band. They have released one EP, entitledThe Some of All Things, or: The Healing Power of Scab Picking. This brought on speculation that Eyedea & Abilities were no longer together. However, in August 2007, the duo announced on their Myspace that they would be at the Twin Cities Celebration of Hip-Hop performing old songs and new material. In December 2007, Eyedea & Abilities embarked upon their Appetite for Distraction Tour with Crushkill labelmateKristoff Krane and Minnesotan duo Sector7G.[citation needed]
In 2007, Eyedea created a book of poetry and art with painter Louis N. LaPierre, who is also responsible for Face Candy's 'This Is Where We Were' album art. The book was titledOnce A Queen... Always A Creep. Only 80 copies were made.[11]
The summer of 2009 saw Eyedea & Abilities joining the touring hip hop festivalRock the Bells for a limited number of dates, performing alongside such acts asSage Francis,Evidence,M.O.P. andthe Knux. E&A also performed at the first Rock the Bells concert in 2004, infamous for beingOl' Dirty Bastard's last performance with theWu-Tang Clan.[citation needed]
In 2011, an EP of 4 of Eyedea's freestyles, previously released in 2010 but only sold at live shows, were made available for 'pay what you want' download.[12] Guitar Party a group consisting of vocalist (and first grader) Mijah Ylvisaker, drummer J.T. Bates (Face Candy, Carbon Carousel, The Pines) and guitarists Jeremy Ylvisaker (Carbon Carousel, Alpha Consumer, Andrew Bird, The Cloak Ox), Jake Hanson (Halloween, Alaska), Andrew Broder (Fog, The Cloak Ox) and Micheal Larsen (Eyedea & Abilities, Carbon Carousel, Face Candy) released a recording of the only live show they had managed to play before Eyedea's death called 'Birthday [I feel Triangular]' .[13] The secondFace Candy album was released on May 24, 2011, on Rhymesayers. This album was recorded in two days at the Winterland studios and one night in front of an audience at St. Paul's Black Dog Cafe.[14]
Eyedea is widely known and praised for his battle rap skills.LA Weekly listed his 1999Scribble Jam battle with P.E.A.C.E fromFreestyle Fellowship as one of the greatest rap battles of all time.[15] Despite the aggressive nature of MC battling, his music is often described as thoughtful and philosophical, yet it still provides a live aesthetic.[16][17]
Eyedea died in his sleep on October 16, 2010, in his Saint Paul apartment.[18] He was found dead by his mother, according to a friend.[19] Cause of death was released November 18, 2010, and ruled an accident, from respiratory depression, caused by opiate derivatives, according to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office. The specific drugs found in Larsen's system have not been revealed to the public.[20]
Various hip-hop artists went on their Twitter accounts to pay their tribute to him, such asImmortal Technique,Mac Lethal,El-P andP.O.S, among others.[21][22][23][24][25]
Eyedea & Abilities has been honored with a star on the outside mural of theMinneapolis nightclubFirst Avenue,[26] recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue.[27] Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh.[28]
On December 25, 2013, it was announced on Eyedea & Abilities' Facebook page[29] that a star was registered under the name Eyedea to commemorate Larsen on the web site Online Star Register.[30]
Fellow hip-hop artist and friendMurs paid homage to Eyedea on his track "I Miss Mikey" on his albumHave a Nice Life. Also, the song "Flicker" from the albumSouthsiders byAtmosphere whereSlug describes different sides of Eyedea and their relationship can be called a eulogy.[31][32] In 2013,The Uncluded, a collaboration betweenfolk punk singerKimya Dawson and hip hop artistAesop Rock paid tribute to Eyedea in the song "Bats" from their albumHokey Fright.[33] Additionally, the songs "Micheal" from the albumFlowers for My Father bySadistik, "Toast to the Dead" from the albumThe Martyr byImmortal Technique, and "Great Eyedeas Never Die", from the albumKing No Crown byBlueprint, are also tributes to Eyedea.[34]
 |
| Year | Competition/Event | Opponent | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Scribble Jam | Slug | Loss | |
| 1999 | Unseen | Win | ||
| Optimus Prime | Win | |||
| Otherwize | Win | |||
| P.E.A.C.E. | Win | won the tournament | ||
| 2000 | Rocksteady Anniversary | PackFM | Win | |
| Immortal Technique | Win | won the tournament | ||
| HBO Blaze Battle | Ali Vegas | Win | ||
| E-Dub | Win | |||
| RK | Win | |||
| Shells | Win | won the tournament | ||
| Scribble Jam | Propane | Win | ||
| Brother Ali | Loss | |||
| 2001 | Cactus Club | Mic T | None | verdict unknown |
| 2004 | Scribble Jam | Murs | None | unjudged battle |
