5 Questions: Mike Posner

Mike Posner is a Duke senior from outside of Detroit. His latest mixtape One Foot Out The Door dropped Tuesday night and has been making some heavy rounds on the interwebs. The up-and-coming pop artist uses both his hip-hop background and grandiose electro beats to win over fans across the country. After signing a label deal this summer follwing his debut mixtape release in March, Posner has been hard at work crafting new material and playing shows, all while remaining a full-time student. Dive staff writer Benn Wineka caught up with Posner on the eve of his mixtape release and departure to Syracuse University to do a show.

Dive: You signed a record label this summer after your first mixtape was released in March, a very quick ascension of the musical ranks. How’d all that come about?

Mike Posner: Within a month after A Matter of Time labels were hitting me up and by finals week every major label was getting at me. It was really hectic. I remember I was in the library writing an essay. It was a 20 page paper and I was about a half way done with it when an offer came through my email for a record. I was like, ‘Man, do I really have to finish this essay now?” It was an interesting moment.

I’m glad to be in an opportunity to be able to pick which label I wanted to be with and J Records was the one. It was a really good fit for what I was trying to do, be a pop star. Influence pop culture without being corny.

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Dive: Some of your first songs as a solo artist were pop covers, but you began your musical career as a hip-hop producer. Where would you put yourself on the musical spectrum?

MP: I make inclusive music. I have no interest in making music that people are going to argue about like making political music or making music that makes sense to me but not to anybody else.

When I get behind the microphone and the production boards my goal is to bring people together. My friendship with Sean typifies what my music does. He’s a black kid from the city, I’m a white kid from the suburbs. And somehow we’ve become friends through our music, best friends at that. When I look off stage into my crowd I see the same thing. I see people of all colors, genders and ages and it’s an amazing thing. I just try to make music that covers a lot of ground and can bring people that wouldn’t normally be listening to the same thing into the same room and into a conversation.

Dive: The amount of artists and people you've come in contact and worked with is pretty impressive. When was that first "wow" moment for you as an artist?

MP: When I took a meeting with Jay-Z, that was a wow moment. That was the last week of last [semester]. The night before I took the meeting with Jay-Z I was in the studio with 9th Wonder and Big Sean, the night after LDOC. So, that week I had, like, three finals on Tuesday, LDOC on Wednesday, did the song with 9th, “Wonder Why,” on Thursday and had the meeting with Jay-Z on Friday.

I remember thinking, “Wow. It was maybe less than a year ago 9th came to give a speech with ?uestlove and I was just sitting in the audience.” I gave 9th a demo after the show and he already had, like, 30 demos in his hand already. And I was like, “Fuck, he’s never going to listen to that.” And then being on a song with [9th] now. That’s pretty dope. 9th didn’t remember me from the [demo CD] incident but he remembered me from LDOC.

Dive: You've got a full course load and are doing shows pretty much every weekend, how's that working for you?

MP: Not pretty much, every weekend I’m doing shows.

It’s definitely a struggle, it’s not easy. Duke’s not an easy school. But I take pride in what I start and after I signed my deal I decided to come back. I knew it was going to be a struggle, but I was prepared to work my ass off. I just finished this mixtape and it’s like, I had a moment today where I was like, I was able to top my first mixtape, while I was going to school and while doing about 30 shows. I was just happy that I was able to accomplish more this year while I was doing more at the same time. If I can pat myself on my own back.

I started turning down shows in December so I could concentrate on recording a little bit more. I’m sure it will pick back up after that. It’s pretty much I can do as many shows as I want to because I’ve been getting a lot of offers. I’ve had to turn a lot down because I’ve been in class.

I’m a fan of the LA area so I might be a West coaster for a while after graduation.

It’s funny you say real world. In one way I have one foot in the real world already, but in another way, this isn’t a real job. This is fun as fuck. I realize I’m living a dream. I’m thankful for my opportunity. A lot of times I even feel guilty, especially coming from Michigan. To even get paid the money I do to do what I do while so many people from my state are struggling like they are. All I can do is promise to make the most of the opportunity I was given and influence pop culture in a significant way.

Dive: You're from outside Detroit, got your name while in Durham and you say you're a big fan of LA. Would you consider yourself a regional artist?

MP: I don’t want to consider myself an asshole, but I don’t consider myself a regional artist. I’ve been all over the country this year. Dartmouth, Florida, LA, NYC, Michigan, Ohio, Connecticut, Atlanta and I know I’m forgetting some places. But all of these places, kids are singing every lyric to my songs and having an amazing time, as am I. So I don’t really think that fits the definition of regional artist. When I think regional artist I think someone that is huge in one area and no where else. Not that I’m huge anywhere near where I plan on being a year from now, or even three months from now. But that’s not how my movement has unfolded or developed. It has a lot to do with the technology as well. I didn’t really tell anybody I was from Duke at first when I was first coming out. I didn’t really think anybody would care.

I’m just glad everybody from Carolina doesn’t hate me. That was another “wow” moment. I put that right after Jay-Z and 9th Wonder. Last year my boy convinced me to go out drinking in Chapel Hill and like four people came up to me and showed me love. And I was just, like, “Oh my god, I’m in Chapel Hill. This can’t be happening.” That was a wow moment.