Pop music you don’t have to be embarrassed about…

Motown, historically, is known for producing some quality talent since Berry Gordy was running things! Now some 40-something years later, the Detroit area is still pushing out incredible talent like family sedans rolling off the production lines at nearby GM and Ford plants. Next up…Mike Posner! It’s rare that you find a 21 year old in tune with himself and his craft. As with most of our interviews, we talked about a variety of topics from fashion-to-religion-to-two valued friendships with Asher Roth and G.O.O.D. Music’s Big Sean. Towards the end of the interview I even found out that Jay-Z and I share a similar philosophy. Oh yea…what would an interview with a current college student be without talk about beer pong? Read along for some insight into the makings of Pop/Soul’s next big star!

How’d you get your start?

I started off with music when I was 9 years old – I played drums! I started off playing percussion in the middle school band. From there I got my parents to buy me a drum set and I used to take private lessons. My boys would come over and like jam on the guitar and bass, and I’d play drums. Then, when I was 13 or 14 I started getting into making beats – I got Fruity Loops and stuff – and I was still taking drum lessons at the time. Then, I ended up quitting those so I can spend time making beats. So, I was producing all that time until a year-and-a-half ago. I was just tired of having all of my ideas have to go through someone else which is a lot of producers’ dilemmas. A lot of the ideas I was having I couldn’t see anybody else singing. I think, at the end of the day, when I started my solo project a year-and-a-half ago was because I was thinking of hooks and songs and beats. I was trying to sell them, but they just didn’t make sense for anybody else but me. It was just me! I started the project and that was a year-and-half ago, so I’ve been singing for a year-and-a-half.

So you never sung before that?

Nah…

So you’ve never had formal training before? You just kinda went in there and got your falsetto on?

Correct man! But that’s the cool thing, is I’m getting so much better at singing, like month by month…it’s wild.

I’d be honest man…I couldn’t tell!

(Laughs) I mean, and that’s the thing about being a producer. I know what it’s supposed to sound like.

For those that don’t know Mike Posner, how would you describe your music? And I know Peter Rosenberg asked you this already…

Well yeah, like the same thing I said to him. It’s Pop music that you don’t have to be embarrassed about. Put it like this…you can have my CD in the car with your boys. Finish hanging out with them, take your girl on a date and my CD can still be in.

So, who were/are some of your influences?

Well, growing up I was blessed to be in an amazingly diverse area. So my music taste really reflects that…

…and where are you from?

I’m from Southfield, MI…which is right outside of Detroit, and it’s one of the most diverse areas in the country. So I was really exposed to really poor people and really rich people on a daily basis; really black people and really white people on a daily basis. Which I think has really played a huge factor into shaping me as a person and as an artist. So to answer your question, growing up I was listening to things like Led Zeppelin, the next day it would be Nas. Then it was Paul Simon, and the next day it was Outkast. You know what I’m sayin’, it was stuff like that. And it really still plays a huge role in the way my music sounds.

Now, the other day we saw your spread with Dr. Romaneli. How’d that shoot come about?

Dan (Mike’s manager) is just friends with him. I don’t know how he got hooked up with him. But, my second-to-last trip to L.A. I went in and met with him and he asked me to model for that shoot and I said, “Fuck yeah!” (Laughs) His shit is dope! Extra, extra dope!

So, do you consider yourself a sneakerhead?

Nahhh not really man, not really! I’m not too crazy with it…

Now you’re sitting in between Wale and Big Sean…

…I’m not anywhere near those two guys at all. They’re sneakerheads, and I’m definitely not! With that being said, I still like to look good, you know what I’m saying? But…sneakers don’t like tell the whole story.

Though you’re not really a sneakerhead, what are your favorite pairs of kicks?

My favorite pair is the (Nike Trainer Dunk Hi) Mitas which I wore on my mixtape cover (DJ Benzi & Don Cannon present: Mike Posner & The Brain Trust – A Matter of Time). But, I had to put ‘em away for a while ‘cause people were starting to think that was my thing. Like, “does he always wear the Mita’s?” I’m like, “NO!” I have way more sneakers than just the Mitas though. I was on the verge of becoming like the “Bart Simpson of Sneakers”. But, I have a couple Jordan Brand fusions that I wear around the house and stuff like that. (Big) Sean was over here the other day like, “Man wouldn’t you just rather have the original ones?” (Laughs)

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