DJ Magic Mike

DJ Magic Mike (born Michael Hampton) from Orlando, Florida is one of the most pivotal Miami bass producers. Magic Mike made his debut in the world of Miami Bass productions when he met Miami based producer/rapper Rod Whitehead (of Pryme Ty

DJ Magic Mike (born Michael Hampton) from Orlando, Florida is one of the most pivotal Miami bass producers. Magic Mike made his debut in the world of Miami Bass productions when he met Miami based producer/rapper Rod Whitehead (of Pryme Tyme fame) in 1986. Rod enlisted Mike as a DJ for his upcoming projects on Miami's Suntown Records, but after Mike reviewed the deal offered by label owner Edward Meriwether, he left the label, project unfinished. Shortly after while performing cuts on the radio, he received a call from Beatmaster Clay D to add cuts on an upcoming project for rappers MC Cool Rock and MC Chaszey Chess. This resulted in his first recorded work, Boot the Booty. However, Mike often found himself in the producer's chair by default while working with Clay D, and always remained uncredited. During this period, he also was called into Vision studios to add cuts to songs he had no creative input on, such as Chilla Frauste's Get Up, Get Down, Get Funky, Get Loose and Popular Demand's Don't Clock Me. After realizing his back-breaking work for Clay D and Vision Records was not getting him the money nor fame he deserved, he returned to Orlando and landed a solo deal with the then unknown Cheetah Records, releasing his first batch of solo singles in 1988. Those led to a full length album in 1989 entitled "DJ Magic Mike and The Royal Posse", which featured a slew of guest crews and rappers all based on his production and turntable antics. His following album Bass is the Name of the Game in 1990 saw the Miami Bass genre reach a zenith both creativly and commercially. Much like most other Miami Bass producers, Magic Mike's music was never exclusively Miami Bass, but also aimed for the traditional Hip-Hop market. Eventually, he teamed up with MC Madness as his primary rapper during his more Hip-Hop oriented days, although there was no exclusive deal for this, and Mike continued on, collaborating with artists such as Sir Mix-a-Lot and Techmaster PEB. Despite his history with Miami Bass and his overwhelming catalog of straight ahead Hip-Hop, he's also made a mark in the Florida breaks scene, including the 2005 single release "Cowbell". A compilation featuring instrumental versions of many of his hits was published by Mo Wax.