BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — If you haven’t heard his music, you’ve likely seen his work elsewhere around the Queen City. Music Monday sat down with Buffalo rapper and muralist Mic Excel for this week’s installment of the series.
Mic said his favorite avenue to express his art is tattooing, as it allows him to have a personal connection with his subject. However, he enjoys making music and painting murals.
“I like tattooing pretty much more than all three of the pipelines I try to pursue through artwork,” he said. “It is a completely different monster in its own and just the connection you get with people in that experience surpasses any other conversation I’ll have. It creates a bond I enjoy and respect deeply.”
Growing up around skateparks, the pop-punk scene also played a large role in shaping Mic’s music.
He added that his next music project will likely be his last. However, he plans to continue his pursuit of making visual art.
“It just kind of keeps the kid kid alive in me,” Mic said. “I get to throw things up like Simpsons characters and just feed into my whole nostalgic appetite. I just want to feel like I’m in the 90s and I’m a kid and I’m skating. It’s not always like that in my life, so when I do get to work, that’s the message: you’re messing up if you’re not enjoying yourself.
How he got his stage name: His real name is Mike, so in high school when he was developing his rapper persona, he wanted to stick with that. He said a combination of using Microsoft Excel a lot and liking the definition word excel is what led him to try out ‘Mic Excel’ for the first time.
His favorite venues to play: Jack Rabbit, Nietzsche’s, Soundlab
His dream concert lineup:
- Mic Excel
- Earl Sweatshirt
- Rage Against the Machine
The full interview with Mic Excel can be viewed above. For more information about Mic and his music and murals, visit the following links:
Music Monday #10 was filmed at The Beer Keep. The Beer Keep is a bar and shop in the Elmwood Village dedicated to helping Western New York discover new beers and rediscover old favorites. Click here to learn more.
Music Monday is a weekly series created and produced by Adam Duke to showcase artists from Western New York and their work. To be considered for a feature, email Adam at adam.duke@wivb.com.
Adam Duke is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of his work here.
