Bromance and VIBE Present: 'Time To Check In' Mixtape by Little Mike

Little Mike is breakin' out dolo with a fresh, self-produced mixtape. The DMC-winning, Skrillex-championed Birdy Nam Nam member presents 'Time To Check In' to wet your sonic whistle for the young scratch faithful's debut solo release on Bromance Records in April. Listen and learn about Little Mike's adventures with Skrillex, Birdy Nam Nam's plight and more.

VIBE: How does a 14-year-old boy growing up in France finds himself turning tables and becoming a scratch expert?

Little Mike: My older brother had turntables, and that's what made me wanna try it. I wasn't really into school and there weren't many other things drawing my attention
back in those days, except football (soccer) but I was too fat for it. Hip-hop was blossoming and it was normal for me to follow my older brother's steps. But i quickly became better than him.

What was it like competing in the DMC World Championship? Did you have any doubts that you and your group, Birdy Nam Nam, were going to win?
Being 18 and doing what I loved was the best I could ever expect. At that time I didn't really have doubts about us winning, or about anything in general because I was a teenager. I guess I was fearless and very competitive. Things have changed. I've grown older, I have doubts sometimes, often actually, and I guess it helps me in making the right choices too.

After spinning with Birdy Nam Nam, Grammy Award winner Skrillex became a fan, and you went on to work with him. What was the best piece of advice he gave you?
He told me I shouldn't listen to haters. I already knew it, but I've always had trouble applying it, as i am a quite passionate person. But since it came from him it changed something. He obviously knew what he was talking about.

What was your craziest moment with Skrillex?
Sonny [Moore] took us to the basket ball game at the Staple Center when we were in L.A. It was the first time for many of us, and it was pretty awesome. Then we went to the Waka Flocka party and the best part was when we went back to the studio and that he played the ASAP Rocky track to us for the first time. That was a crazy night right there.

Tell us about your new solo project “Time to Check In.”
It was mostly influenced by Bangladesh productions and by the southern U.S. rap scene, as well as my own European influences.