Emerging from the vibrant Western Massachusetts music scene, Blackbyrd—formerly known as Mikeyblackkk—has carved a unique path in the world of music. As mikeyblackkk, he honed the unmistakable 90’s boom bap style, earning acclaim with the classic mixtape ’77 and a notable collaboration with Mick Jenkins on the viral hit “Black Twitter.” But Blackbyrd’s story didn’t end there. Inspired by a diverse range of sounds, from the raw lyricism of Nas and Kendrick Lamar to the ethereal melodies of The Smiths and Cocteau Twins, he underwent a creative metamorphosis, embracing a new identity that fully encapsulates his multifaceted artistry.
Now, as Blackbyrd, he masterfully blends shoegaze, post-punk, and indie influences with the storytelling depth of hip-hop, creating a listening experience that defies conventional boundaries. His latest album is a testament to his love for both boom bap hip-hop and indie/alternative rock, drawing inspiration from a pantheon of musical greats, including Radiohead, Frank Ocean, The Cure, and Jay Electronica. Each track is a journey through sound and emotion, offering listeners a glimpse into his innovative vision. Join us as we explore the mind of an artist who refuses to be confined by genre, delivering music that resonates across generations and styles.
As someone who transitioned from mikeyblackkk to Blackbyrd, how did that reinvention shape your artistry and allow you to explore new genres? What inspired you to make that leap?
There were a few reasons for the name change. I called myself mikeyblackkk when I first started rapping, cause it was my Twitter handle at the time, so the name never really held any artistic meaning for me. And as I started to gain a fan base, the “mikeyblackkk sound” kind of became exclusively Joey Bada$$ style songs. And don’t get me wrong, I love Joey, but there was just so much more music I was listening to and influenced by, and the mikeyblackkk name kinda had me feeling boxed in. So when I started experimenting with indie and Shoegaze samples, it just felt like a rebrand was needed. I chose Blackbyrd as an homage to The Byrds, who are about as far away from hip hop as you can be. But to me, it’s all just the music I listened to growing up, and I wanted to bridge that gap in my own songs.
Your music uniquely combines shoegaze, post-punk, indie, and boom bap hip-hop. How do you approach blending such diverse influences into a cohesive sound?
It’s a lot of trial and error, especially because it is a unique sound. To me, a lot of rock/rap stuff doesn’t work because it comes from a surface-level understanding of rock. It’s mostly a dude likes Smells Like Teen Spirit and some Blink-182 songs, and that’s it. I wanted to bring in the vibe of The Smiths and Joy Division and The Cocteau Twins, while lyrically keeping it in the tradition of boom bap. I don’t think it made sense to a lot of people when I first started describing the idea, but eventually the music started speaking for itself. It reminds me of how Wu Tang probably felt when they did 36 Chambers. When you hear it’s a group of 9 dudes rapping over karate samples, it doesn’t sound like it should work, but in the end it did. It’s the same thing with my music. Rapping over The Smiths might not sound like it should work on paper, but once you hear it everything clicks.
Your album ‘120 Minutes: A Visual Album’ draws from a wide array of artists like The Smiths, Radiohead, Nas, and Kendrick Lamar. Can you share how these influences shaped the themes and sound of your latest project?
I like to think of myself as a pastiche of all those artists. The storytelling of Nas and Kendrick, the anxiety of Radiohead, the jangle of The Smiths. When all those disparate sounds come together, you get me.
Each track on your album has a unique story and influence, from “Charmed” to “Marty.” Can you walk us through the creative process behind a specific track and how you chose to pair certain samples with your lyrics?
Well, Marty, that song is really special to me, and probably my favorite song I’ve ever made. I’ve had an idea for so long of combining dreampop and hip hop but it would never come out quite sounding how it did in my head. So one day I just decided the simplest thing to do would just be rapping over a Cocteau Twins instrumental. So I looped a few bars from their song “Lorelai” and went crazy on it. I called it Marty as a reference to Back to the Future. During the interlude between the two verses, I put in a clip from that movie, where he goes “You know that new sound you’re looking for. Listen to this.” That’s really how I felt when I was recording it, that I had finally found the sound I’d been searching for for all these years of making music.
The music video for “Charmed” features clips from A Ghost Story and portrays you as a ghost in the music industry. What message were you trying to convey with this imagery, and how does it reflect your journey as an artist?
It’s really just about how ignored I feel a lot of the time. I think a lot of indie and underground artists can relate to it. We put so much effort into every song, and you always think it’s gonna be the one to get you noticed, but then you drop it, and nothing really happens. You feel like a ghost trying to interact with a world that doesn’t even realize you’re there.
Songs like “Cold World” tackle dystopian themes like AI and societal complacency. How important is it to address these issues in your music, and what do you hope listeners take away from these tracks?
You always think that AI would be used for menial tasks so that humans could focus on the arts, but the opposite is happening. The heads of studios and record companies don’t really care about creativity; they just see dollar signs. And AI is a way for them to cut costs and the average consumer isn’t really gonna care. It’s a scary thing to think about. Radiohead clocked it back in ‘97, how reliant we’re becoming on technology and how we’re becoming less human because of it, and that’s why I did the song on their instrumental. I don’t know how much my little song can change the direction society’s inevitably moving towards, but at least I can say I put what I felt into the universe. And I mean if that song can change one person’s mind then it did a good thing.
You’ve previously worked with notable artists like Mick Jenkins. Are there any collaborations or dream partnerships you’re currently pursuing or hope to explore in the future?
Working with Mick was dope. It was the first time I ever made a song with an artist that I looked up to and listened to, and it introduced me to a lot of people outside of Mass that wouldn’t have heard me otherwise. In terms of other possible collabs, I actually just met Benny the Butcher a few weeks ago. I would love a track with him. Westside Gunn and Mach Hommy too. The whole Griselda camp is just super dope to me. Everyone got their own aesthetic but they still make sense together as a collective. I would love to get some songs in with them.
Coming from the burgeoning Western Mass music scene, how has your local environment influenced your sound and career? What makes this scene unique?
I think every artist has a love-hate relationship with where they’re from. When I was younger, I resented Mass cause I didn’t know a lot of people who liked the same music or watched the same films that I did. I wanted to be in New York or LA. But eventually I started meeting other artists and realized I wasn’t as alone as I thought in Mass. We have a lot of talented artists out here. And what’s so dope is that there really isn’t a Mass sound, everyone’s so diverse. That’s what I like the most about the music scene out here, is that none of us are scared to try new things and blend genres. If it wasn’t for the winters, I’d never want to leave here.
Your music nods to ’90s boom bap while incorporating modern and alternative elements. How do you balance paying homage to the past while pushing boundaries and innovating?
90’s boom bap is what made me fall in love with music, so no matter what elements I put on top of it, that’s always gonna be the foundation. Somedays I wanna do pop records, sometimes I’m in my alternative bag or wanna do some Beatlesque type shit, but there’s always gonna be that hint of the kid that heard Illmatic and got his world turned upside down. I think at the end of the day, it’s just not forgetting where I came from. I never want to be stagnant and always want to experiment and push myself creatively, but the core of everything I do is always gonna be hip hop.
With your reinvention as Blackbyrd and the release of this album, what’s next for you? Are there any upcoming projects, live performances, or creative ventures you’re excited to share?
Right now I’m working on my next album and next round of singles. With “120 Minutes,” I was finally able to really lock in bridging the gap between my love for hip hop and indie and alternative music. So, with the music I’m working on now, I just want to make it more organic to me. Instead of just rapping over a loop of The Smiths or The Cure, I wanna work with guitarists to make our own loops and really push the sound I’m going for even further.
Photo credits to Joshua Cuevas,
Featured Image :Blackbyrd and Benny the Butcher at the Force the Win Podcast in Holyoke Mass
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