I wanna start by saying thank you to all those who have made their way to see me for the first time....hopefully it won't be the last time u stop by my side of town. Secondly thank all of you who thought enough of me and what I do to add me!! Okay.........HERE'S THE LIFE STORY!!!!
Basically, Mike Payne is merely a blessed young man with an undying love for music. I grew up on 70's soul, Vandross, Cameo, Prince and Hip Hop..... and I've been singing as long as I can remember....but I was 10 when I actually realized that I COULD actually do it!! I started writing songs around 13, which is also when I took an interest in talents shows and other performance opportunities. By 15, I had become quite comfortable on stage, but I was NOW in high school, so my interest in athletics and girls took precedence!!! So I played Varsity Football, Basketball, and Baseball, won a few academic awards, and earned a full scholarship to Florida A&M University to study Computer Informations Sytems.......some dedication to music I had huh???? lol! Hey, a brotha had other options!!!!
It was at FAMU where my passions were reignited. I met another young, talented singer and we formed a duo, performing at nearly every talent show around campus. I dedicated every free moment to rehearsing and writing songs for my partner and I to perform with our musician/producer, until an untimely graduation left us to fend for self. It was during this summer that I began to learn how to MAKE the music.
During that summer I returned home and linked up with a good friend of mine from high school who was also into music. He rapped and bought some equiptment to create and record tracks. He was gracious enough to let me borrow his beat machine for a few days. I returned it was about 25 patterns for songs stored in memory. I was a WHIZ with that joint, and absolutely loved every moment I spent creating with it.....which prompted me to buy my first workstation....a Korg Trinity.
A few semesters and soundcards later I used my developing techie background to expand my musical horizons, learning to record and mix my own music. I then opted to pursue a graduate degree that would serve as a bridge between my Passion and my degree....so I moved to Indianapolis to study Music Technology. During this time is when my abilities flourished, for I was interning for an Independent label as a producer/engineer. This also led to a chance meeting with then independent artist Rhymefest. We collaborated on a number of songs for a Sprite Remix Project and he was thoroughly impressed with my abilities as a singer and writer. This prompted him to invite me to perform with him as his vocalist.....the rest is history.......or somewhere else on this page!!!! Damn I'm tired of typing!
