THEE MIKE B has been around for a long time. Originally from LA, he became one of the NY boys alongside Stretch Armstrong and helped to build the scene before returning to the sunny state of California. He's pretty much seen it all and is still truckin through, making great music and a supplyin golden nuggets to us all via his BLOG. We sat down with the very talented Mike B for an interview and he gave us a present in the form of mixtape to share so let's get it started...

You've become one of the NYC legends but you're originally from LA. How did your transitions between the two coasts come about and what do you see are some differences (good and bad) between NYC scene and today's LA?

I would definitely, not ever, ever say I’m an NYC legend. But being in NYC when I was and having most of my early gigs be for real NYC legends was definitely important as far as my understanding of music and djing goes.

Stretch Armstrong put me on… It’s that simple. He offered me an internship in 1998 while I was attending NYU, which then evolved into a full time job helping him run his label Spit Inc in 1999, which I quit college for. My first real gig in NY though was with my friend Joey IE. We would open for Junior Vasquez on Saturdays at Limelight.

I spent the next few years doing opening sets for heavy’s like Funkmaster Flex, DJ Goldfinger, Kid Capri, DJ Riz and Anthony Mundy and doing fun nights with NY regulars like DJ Cosi, Max Glazer, DJ Soul, Lord Sear and Mark Ronson.

DJ AM was the first LA DJ I became friends with in the late 90’s and my first exposure to what was happening in LA clubs. I previously only knew what was going on in the rave scene out there and that was all coming to a close at that time. I think the differences between the DJ scene on the two coasts are many. I’m glad I lived in NY when I did (97-03) because I got a really strong musical education and got to witness the tail end of the old NY. At that time the LA dj scene was kind of all over the place and I don’t think LA really became a hub for DJ’s until a few years ago with parties like Cinespace, Check Yo Ponytail, Banana Split, Do Over and Dance Right.

Tell us about GRAVELEAF- your side project with Omar Doom. What's new there? And how does it differ from what you do individually?

Graveleaf is a project we began working on in the spring of 08. I was newly single, had just quit my dayjob and was hanging with Omar daily. Not much has changed! Ha…. We figured we may as well be productive and started collaborating on music. The idea being that we would combine our very different styles into awesome music. Omar’s style being dark and intense and mine being funky and loopy. So far I’m really proud of what we’ve made and we’re still working on stuff, as well as a new live show. Now that Omar's a famous movie star I figure we’re going right to the top. Hahahaha.

What are you currently working on? Any videos/remixes/collaborations/etc. we should know about?

There’s The Knish Hit Squad, which is DJ Trident and I’s club music moniker. We’ve done remixes for Greg Nice, The 87 Stick Up Kids and a few others as well as working on an original Knish EP. Theres a new project called G-TO (Gina-Turner Overdrive.) Gina is not involved and that’s all I’ll say about that…. Ha!

Oh, I’m going to Krames' studio in Brooklyn in the morning to start work on some stuff with him. It seems me and my friends are always hoping to work on music together, it’s just a matter of when it happens. I’ll also be working on some stuff with EMYND in the near future because he’s the man. And of course, I’m always making my own edits and remixes to play out and give to my friends.

Where do you draw your inspiration from musically (bands, djs, films, etc.)?

I play so many different styles and love much different music equally that my influences are just all over the place. As far as DJ’s go, here’s a list of people who had a direct influence on how I do it. DJ Rob One, Jason Blakemore, DJ Hier, DJ Tim (from SF), Doc Martin, Ron D Core, Daft Punk, DJ Sneak, Glenn Underground and Boo Williams, Fester & Oscure, Norman Cook, Basement Jaxx, Armand Van Helden, Stretch Armstrong, Funkmaster Flex, DJ Riz, DJ Goldfinger, DJ AM, C-Minus, Mr Choc and DJ Spinbad. I do like to go out and see live music as much as possible though. It always makes me want to do better in music and life.

As far as films go, I’m definitely a movie buff but it’s more of an escape from music than an influence.

Based on your own experiences in the circuit, where do you see the "scene" going in the next 5 years?

Hard to say… what scene?

Haha, what are some great bars you like on the two coasts?

That are still open: NY: 105, 205, Savalas and Sway

LA: Bardot, La Cita, Cinespace and Temporary Spaces.

What albums/EPs are you excited to see come over out the next year?

I’m most excited to heart the stuff from my friends and I because we’re all fucking geniuses. And I couldn’t be more serious. Everyday I bug out on how talented the people I know are.

Guys from the US like Acid Girls, Classixx, Eli Escobar, Pase Rock, 12th Planet, EMYND and Krames are all making really dope next level shit.

And from overseas: Riton, Alex Metric, Arveene, Top Billin and Sharkslayer.

It’s really great to be a huge fan of your friends because you always have access to new music from them and don’t have to wait!

Any particular advice for the youngins out there who'd like to do what you do?

Lord loves a working man. Don’t trust whitey. See a doctor and get rid of it.

Thanks much to Thee Mike B for sharing his insite and providing the sick mixtape below!

TRACKLISTING:

THEE MIKE B- iheartcomix Mid-Summer Rave Mix

Guns N Bombs - Samba Death Squad (feat. Ricardo Ribeiro)
Noob & Brodinski - Peanuts Club
Basement Jaxx - Raindrops (Under New Management Remix)
Kid Cudi f. Kanye West & Common - Make Her Say (Afrojack Remix)
Faithless - Miss You Less See You More (Switch Remix)
Jakwob - Wild Pitch
Harvard Bass - Caked
The Juan MacLean - Happy House (Paul Woolford Apocalypse Version)
Riton - Who's There
Zombie Nation - Worth It (Arveene & Misk Remix)
Digital Manges - Manges (Sharkslayer Club)
Jack Beats - UFO - K-Hole Riddim Mix

Also, check out the really nice video (thee) Mike B did in memory of DJ AM: