Mike Ladd

For the Australian poet, see Mike Ladd (poet).

Mike Ladd is a hip-hop MC and producer. As an MC, he practices spoken-word and is known for his poetic lyrics. As a producer, he is known as the owner of the Likemadd label.

Biography

Born in Boston, MA, Mike Ladd has written and produced ten critically acclaimed albums: Easy Listening For Armageddon (Scratchie/Mercury); Welcome to the AfterFuture and Vernacular Homicide (LikeMadd/Ozone); The Infesticons: Gun Hill Road, and The Majesticons: Beauty Party (Big DaDa/Ninja Tune), Negrophilia (Thirsty Ear);Father Divine (ROIR) In What Language (Pi) and Still Life with Commentator (Savoy), both collaborative efforts with jazz pianist Vijay Iyer; and finally Nostalgialator, originally released internationally on legendary European label Studio !K7, and now, for the first time in North America, on Definitive Jux.

An “artist’s artist”, the Mike Ladd admiration society runs deep. Mike has collaborated/remixed/performed/toured with several artists including Company Flow, Saul Williams, MURS, Terranova, Slug (Atmosphere), Cannibal Ox, Roots Manuva, William Parker, Roy Campbell, DJ Mehdi, DJ Spooky, Ken Ishii and others plus has remixed songs for the likes of Yo La Tengo, Anti Pop Consortium, and Enrico Macias.

First signed to Scratchie/Mercury Records by the Smashing Pumpkins, he has assembled a body of work rare amongst his peers and influenced indie music in ways still yet to be seen. Guided by the voices of Funkadelic, Charles Stepney, The Bad Brains, Burt Bacharach, Kraftwerk, Bollywood and The Jungle Brothers and Divine Styler Mike Ladd exists at the heart of progressive black music today. He has toured extensively for the last 7 years throughout America, Europe and Asia, establishing a cult following in the process.

Mike received his B.A. in Black expatriates in the Nineteenth century from Hampshire College and an M.A. in Poetry from Boston University. As a Fellow at the Institute for Arts and Civic Dialogue at Harvard University, Mike produced and directed Blood Black and Blue, an audio documentary/performance about Black police officers in the United States. In 2005, Mike completed a fellowship at the Asia Society, where he, along with pianist Vijay Iyer, created a musical/theatrical/visual installation entitled “In What Language”, a project about people of color in relation to globalization in the context of airports. They most recently put up their new installation, Still Life with Commentator, which was commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music (B.A.M.) for 5 nights of performances. He has been published in several literary magazines including Long Shot Review and Bostonia. His work is also featured in the book Swing Low, Black Men Writing and several anthologies, including, Aloud: Voices from the Nuyorican Poets Café, In Defense of Mumia, Bum Rush The Page, Por La Victoire and Everything But the Burden. Mike Ladd now lives in Paris with his wife and son.^[1]

Discography

Albums

As Mike Ladd:

• Vernacular Homicide (1996)
• Easy Listening 4 Armageddon (1997)
• Live from Paris (2000)
• Welcome to the Afterfuture (2000)
• Nostalgialator (2004 on !K7, 2008 on Definitive Jux)
• Negrophilia: The Album (2005)
• Father Divine (2005)

As The Infesticons:

• Gun Hill Road (2000)
• Bedford Park (2010)

As The Majesticons:

• Beauty Party (2003)

With Vijay Iyer:

• In What Language? (2004)
• Still Life with Commentator (2007)

With Anarchist Republic Of Bzzz:

• Anarchist Republic Of Bzzz (2009) on Sub Rosa

Featured on

• "Peace" by Youngblood Brass Band (Unlearn - 2000)
• "Sublime" and "Heroes" by Terranova (Hitchhiking Non-Stop With No Particular Destination - 2002)
• "Welcome Home (feat. Mike Ladd)" by Daedelus (Exquisite Corpse - 2005)
• "Long Division" by Blue Sky Black Death (A Heap of Broken Images - 2006)
• "Eating People feat. Mike Ladd" by Soylent Green (Software And Hardwar - 2006)
• "Missed Again" (Apollo Heights and Mike Ladd) Disco Lights digital single- 2007
• "Showdown (feat. Mike Ladd)" by Grand Pianoramax (The Biggest Piano in Town - 2008)
• "Les Halles" by Emmanuel Santarromana (Métropolitain - 2003)
• "TV Dogs (Cathodica's Letter) feat. Mike Ladd" by Jackson And His Computer Band (Warp Records - 2005)
• "Lipton" by U-God (Dopium - 2009)
• "Turn Me Loose" by Arsenal (Lotuk - 2008)
• "Amsterdam Throwdown King Street Showdown!" by Solex vs. Christina Martinez & Jon Spencer (Bronzerat Records - 2009)

References

1. ^ http://d678410.dn23.directnichosting.com/?page_id=3

External links

• Mike Ladd Site
• Mike Ladd on Myspace
• Mike Ladd discography at Discogs

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