Eyedea

Eyedea (born Mike Averill in 1982) is a well-known freestyle battle champion and underground rapper. His notable wins include the televised Blaze Battle sponsored by HBO (2000) and a victory at Scribble Jam (1999). He has appeared a

Eyedea (born Mike Averill in 1982) is a well-known freestyle battle champion and underground rapper. His notable wins include the televised Blaze Battle sponsored by HBO (2000) and a victory at Scribble Jam (1999). He has appeared as a solo artist, as a member of Atmosphere, and as the emcee half of the duo Eyedea & Abilities (along with longtime friend and collaborator DJ Abilities). His non-battle rhymes are generally very philosophically or thematically based, and often tell a definite narrative. His song "Bottle Dreams" is a well known piece about a sexually abused violin prodigy who commits suicide.

For much of his youth, Eyedea lived with his mother in downtown St. Paul, MN. He attended Highland Park High School, with interests including psychology, physics, and yoga. Favorite authors include James Joyce, and Finnegan's Wake is a favourite text of his.