Biography
Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and producer Mikey Mike first drew widespread online notice during 2017 after fake mug-shot images of him appeared on billboards throughout the city, some declaring that he owed "2.3 million in child support" while others urged viewers to send nude photographs to the email address shown. That unconventional outdoor push helped launch the irreverent Rick Rubin-produced debut single “Doin’ Me,” which presented listeners to the quirky blend of pop, rap, R&B, and hooky indie rock created by Mikey Mike, whose legal name is Mike Williams.
Having picked up guitar during sixth grade, Williams later gravitated toward beat construction and discovered an instinctive grasp of musical arrangement. While still in high school and then college, he devoted himself to beatmaking and production, laying down his own tracks as well as collaborating with other artists on theirs. Once established in L.A., he encountered repeated rejections from labels and management firms until he hit upon the notion of resubmitting the identical material under a pseudonym. Shortly thereafter, in 2012, he secured a production credit on Rihanna’s album Unapologetic. Over the ensuing years, even as he continued producing for outside acts, he cultivated the deliberately shiftless Mikey Mike persona by plastering the city with posters that featured his photograph, an email address, and slogans such as “New to L.A.,” “Wanna be Friendz?,” and “Interests: Women, Narcotics, Pizza.”
After his manager arranged an introduction to legendary producer Rick Rubin, Mike relaunched the same viral street-marketing tactic to promote his debut single, 2017’s “Doin’ Me.” With a Warner Bros. agreement secured, he allocated a portion of the fresh budget to erect billboards displaying a disheveled mug-shot image alongside alternating lines that read “Have you seen this man? Owes 2.3 million in child support.” and “Ginger curious? Send nudes.” The maneuver succeeded, heightening the enigmatic aura surrounding the red-headed singer/rapper/producer as he issued further singles including “Mikey Likes It” and 2018’s “Cooler.”
Having picked up guitar during sixth grade, Williams later gravitated toward beat construction and discovered an instinctive grasp of musical arrangement. While still in high school and then college, he devoted himself to beatmaking and production, laying down his own tracks as well as collaborating with other artists on theirs. Once established in L.A., he encountered repeated rejections from labels and management firms until he hit upon the notion of resubmitting the identical material under a pseudonym. Shortly thereafter, in 2012, he secured a production credit on Rihanna’s album Unapologetic. Over the ensuing years, even as he continued producing for outside acts, he cultivated the deliberately shiftless Mikey Mike persona by plastering the city with posters that featured his photograph, an email address, and slogans such as “New to L.A.,” “Wanna be Friendz?,” and “Interests: Women, Narcotics, Pizza.”
After his manager arranged an introduction to legendary producer Rick Rubin, Mike relaunched the same viral street-marketing tactic to promote his debut single, 2017’s “Doin’ Me.” With a Warner Bros. agreement secured, he allocated a portion of the fresh budget to erect billboards displaying a disheveled mug-shot image alongside alternating lines that read “Have you seen this man? Owes 2.3 million in child support.” and “Ginger curious? Send nudes.” The maneuver succeeded, heightening the enigmatic aura surrounding the red-headed singer/rapper/producer as he issued further singles including “Mikey Likes It” and 2018’s “Cooler.”
Albums
Butterfly
2025
Smile
2025
Save Me
2024
Life on Earth, Vol. 2
2022
Mikey Mike’s Life on Earth: Vol. 1
2019
Singles
