As he studies in the college classroom during the day, he turns into a major-label artist by night. His name is Mike Posner and he's not your ordinary newcomer to the music scene.
Mike Posner has mastered the ultimate balancing act as he shows up for classes and gets signed with J Records (RCA/Sony) for his first album release. Mike Posner remains a full time senior at Duke University as he records new songs for his first album release. So far, 2010 has been a great year for this young artist who hopes to graduate from Duke with a major in sociology, minor in business and is releasing his album by the end of the year.
After Posner was signed to a record company he thought about dropping out of school so he could focus all his energy on his music. To make his mother happy he decided to finish out his senior year.
Mike Posner has opened for artists like Will.i.am, Akon and 50 Cent. He continues to travel on the weekends when he is not hitting the books in the library. He travels to and from L.A. and New York serving up high-energy performances and radio station interviews, one red-eye flight at a time.
Posner started writing his own songs when he was 13 years old and continued to write lyrics for other artists as he grew older. He soon decided that the best person to deliver his musical vision was himself, so he set up his own small recording studio in his college dorm. Having his keyboard and microphone ready he began developing mix tapes that he distributed all over Duke University.
Being a struggling student-musician does have its perks, however. Because Posner was considered a college senior he was able to use the university's iTunes U which is a feature on iTunes that allows artists to release their music for free on iTunes. After he shared his mix tapes online record companies started taking notice. J Records has taken Posner under their wing and now his songs are showing up all over the radio waves and at college parties around the country.
Posner's music reflects his experiences as a college student and is easy to listen to whether you are with your buddies or your girlfriend. Two songs that have been leaked onto the Internet and iTunes are "Drug Dealer Girl" and "Smoke N' Drive."
Both songs have a rap, hip-hop feel to them with his voice sounding very similar to auto-tune but his seeing him live reveals his auto-tune free authentic voice and lyrical content that makes him one of a kind.
He has collaborated with artists like Kid Cudi, Big Sean, Bun B, Eric Holljes and 3OH!3. Posner still works on mix tapes with Don Cannon and DJ Benzi who continue to help him on his debut album which is said to be 50 percent done. Posner's first mix tape titled "A Matter of Time," was released in early 2009.
Mike Posner's "Drug Dealer Girl" music video is entertaining as he travels around his Duke University campus looking for his "drug dealer girl." His music is unusual, and with a style and personality to match he is bound to stay in the musical game. He's attracted crowds in the thousands whether it's Governor's Island in New York or just traveling from campus to campus. He is making his first appearance in this year's Warped Tour where he will be performing in amphitheaters across the country.
College parties have adopted many of his mix tapes and as people walk party to party the echoing lyrics of an auto-tune-like voice makes people anxious for his upcoming debut album. Posner has made all of his songs that are not showing up on his debut album available for free on his website. Posner rocks a hipster image with confidence and has given the young music industry what it has been looking for.
