Born in the heart of South Central Los Angeles, the preteen performer who would become known as Mic Little grew up with parents determined to steer him clear of trouble. Musical talent ran through his family, linking him to Charlie Wilson of the Gap Band and gospel great Daryl Cooley, so singing came naturally from church services and neighborhood talent shows. His cousin T-Low, part of the R&B trio Next, quickly recognized that ability and connected him with songwriter-producer Walter "Lil Walt" Millsap, whose past work included sessions with Alicia Keys, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, and others. Millsap found the youngster’s smooth falsetto shockingly similar to Michael Jackson’s Jackson 5 era and urged him to drop his birth name, Michael Johnson, first adopting Lil Mike before settling on Mic Little. A ten-song demo written and produced by Millsap reached Def Jam, where L.A. Reid and Jay-Z requested a showcase; they flew in, watched the live performance, and offered a contract on the spot. Fellow Def Jam artist Ne-Yo joined Mic Little on the sweet debut single “Put It in a Letter,” which arrived at the end of summer 2006.
