Mikey Hash: I’m from San Francisco, CA and I live in IL. I skate, paint, play piano, direct all my own videos, make beats and help with the homeless whenever I can. I smoke a lot of weed and I honestly didn’t like rap until 2012.
Tell me about helping with the homeless
It’s always random as fuck. Like I’ll see a young homie looking hella hungry in the face and I always remember that I used to be homeless and ask if they need anything to eat or drink. Got get your local old head his 40oz before he do sum’n dumb, you feel me?
How old were you when you became homeless?
I was 16. I was being a young rebel, doing all kinds of fuck shit, yadamean? My mom wasn’t having it and wanted my to go to church and shit like that. I just wasn’t feeling it and wasn’t getting better so she literally gave up on me and that was that.
how long did you spend without a steady home after that?
Wanna know something crazy: I literally just found a place to live. And it’s not even MY place. I just have an amazing girlfriend who moved me in and understands that everyone struggles in this life. I literally had no food or nothing for so long, my nigga. It was the worst.
How old are you now?
I’m 23 now. I really thought I was gonna be homeless forever. It’s a really dark time when you’re doing it alone. I guess I’m all good now.
Where do you record your music?
Wherever I can. I got homies who know when it’s time to work and don’t ever hesitate when I ask em to lemme pull up. Shoutout TD & Stevie.
This is beyond a cliche question at this point but what kind of stuff did you listen to growing up?
The Gorillaz. A lot of Gorillaz. I had a Lupe phase for a bit. Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, Samiyam, Quasimoto, Doom, John Coltrane, Dizzy G, hella shit. I’m all over with it.
How’d you wind up coming from San Francisco to Illinois?
My mom used to live here. I never wanted to be here, but when you’re a kid, you don’t choose where you go. You just go. Now I actually wanna be here so the feeling is different. I have a reason.
Would you say you make art more for yourself than for other people?
I do it for myself, but I also do it for the people who can relate to what I have been through. It’s mostly therapeutic though.
If you were to get interviewed by Vice or someone big what would you want everyone to know?
Not much. I just want people to know and understand that my music is MY music. I make music for me and myself. If you fuck with it, thank you. If you don’t, thanks anyway. I do it so people like me can have someone to relate to. Skateboarders, hipsters, hippies, they seem to understand me, I fuck with those who fuck with me. And I thank them for that. That’s it.
