If you’ve copped a mixtape within the last year or so, you’ve most likely picked up a piece of artwork by one of the most coveted artists to influence hip-hop today. So now take a minute, and go check your copy of any new Kayslay CD, any DJ L CD, or any of the hottest mixtapes out today and you can’t help but notice the MIAMI KAOS tag on the cover. He has created such a buzz, he refers to himself as “Your Favorite Artist’s Favorite Artist”. Check 15 questions with the man.
1. So, Miami how did you get started working as an artist?
I was drawing my whole life but never took it serious until I went to one of my childhood friend's graduation, he became a lawyer and I was telling him how proud I was of him and he told me if he could draw like me, he'd be straight and I thought then there might be something so I started doing little stuff for local cats and then I hooked up with Star & Buc Wild and he got me work at the Source the 1st time (I worked there twice) doing the illustrations for his Reality Check column. And it's just been on since.
2. You mentioned you worked for the Source,describe what that was like.
Wack. Not dissing Benzino though, I have mad love for dude cause he gave me a chance (and a great paychecktoo) but the way Dave Mays runs the shit is wack. Plus, I let them talk me into turing the cartoon strip "Past Imperfect" into some sci-fi thing (hip hop & science fiction is not a good fit) and the staff wouldn't work with me to keep the magazine in synch, I would try & put whoever was on the cover in that month's strip as well, but half the time they would'nt tell me til last minute. Plus I did that poster of Benzino & Eminem and XXL still holds a grudge against me for that shit. XXL actually sent a writer down here to write a piece on me and right b4 it went to print Elliott Wilson, was like naw that's Miami-Kaos form The Source, so they showed me no love.
3. Who are some of your artistic influences?
Comic books, Anime (japanese cartoons) , Grafitti, Tim O'Brien & Alex Ross (he influence me the most, he paints these superhero covers that are very realistic, and I decided I wanted to flip that in hip hop)
4. When did you make the transition into mixtapecovers?
I was doing a few here & there not taking it seriouslybecause I was rolling with Tigger and getting money doing other things (logos, personal portraits,billboards for power 105, etc.) but this is how God touches you: I was on vacation and Radio hit me to do a cover, I didn't have my computer or anything with me, but something said do it, so I did the cover artwent to kinko's, rented a booth to finish it. I originally charged $100 for the cover & it cost me like $67 to rent the computer, but after I did it ,like 2 days later Dj L called me about doing his covers then it was on & popping. God told me to do that cover, cause if I would've ignored it I don't know what I'd be doing today.
5. Describe for us, the process of making a mixtapecover.
Not to diss other cats, but the majority of designers just run to the newest XXL and use those pics of the rappers, me whether the cover is cartoon or regular I look at the title & try and come with a concept tha tfits that (images, background,etc.). I also look at the tracklist to see who's on it, then check to see who has the most heat at that time and that's who makes it on the cover.
6. Are all of your covers hand-drawn?
Naw I have almost as many regular photo covers as cartoon, I've done over 60 (and counting) covers for Dj L and they've all been photo covers.
7. How many covers do you do in a month?
Somewhere between 16-40 depends on some of the concepts, I'm slowing down now though to focus more on putting ou tbetter quality opposed to quantity.
8. What the hottest cover you've ever done? Kinda hard, but just recently I did a cover for Dj Reflection it was a 50 Cent/punisher theme (cartoon) and for the photo cover it is a cover called "Reservoir Dogs" for Kochece.
9. I know you did the cover for, Kayslay for"Victim: Who Wanna Be Like Mike"..talk to me a littlebit about how your relationship with Kay came about.
Well Kay rembered me when I met him when I was like 16years old doing grafitti. Me & 2 of my friends were in the Graf Hall of Fame one night and Kay & his TFA crew came in there. They were much older than us and one of my boys ran at 1st, when we didn't run Kay liked that we showed heart, but he smacked me boy for running on us. But fast forward to today, Radio is a Streetsweeper so Kay been seeing my work for a minute and he decided he wanted to upgrade the look of his covers & he reached out to me, it was an honor, Iwanted to do Kay Slay covers for a minute, but one of the things I pride myself on is I never asked a dj to do their covers.
10. What are some of the other projects that youhave coming up?
A t-shirt line called "Illestrations" with Mixunit and my hip hop cartoon strip "Hardcore" will be back on Big Tigger's site when it relaunches next month.It's always been on Tigger's site since 2003 but nowwe gonna do it big this time.
11. How can you be contacted?
Either 866-666-KAOS, mkaos@mixunit.com or mkaotrix@yahoo.com
12. Whats in your CD player/ipod/winamp right now?
Cam'ron-Purple Haze
Dj Unexpected & Kochece "Rhumble in the Jungle" Pt 4
1 Life Entertainment "Best of the Boros: Crooklyn" Pt 2
13. What websites do you check on a daily basis?
Mixunit & Rapmullet.
14. What artists/DJs are you checking for in the'05?
Papoose, he's gonna be big! Cause Disastar (off Bottomline Music Group) and DJ Wise Dj Unexpected(dude is a blend dj,his mixes & cd concepts are nextlevel).
15. I gotta ask it Piggy Banks, your thoughts? 50 has the biggest, smartest marketing machine in the game behind him and he knows controversy sells, the song was so-so I mean his earlier attacks on Ja were harder, all he's saying is he's richer than these cats but not lyrically better and he knows Interscope doesn't want Jadakiss going after their golden goose so in a way he protected from him, but 50 vs Fat Joe lyrically should be good, without all the hype they both on the same lyrical level. And it's funny how the song drops 2 weeks b4 his cd does, hmmmmmmmm.
MIAMI KAOS' TOP 5 RAP ALBUM COVERS
1.NWA: NIGGAZ4LIFE
2.50 CENT: GET RICH OR DIE TRYING
3.NAS: STREET'S DISCIPLE
4.BODY COUNT: COP KILLER
5.ERIC B & RAKIM: PAID IN FULL (THAT COVER CATCHES A MOMENT IN TIME!!)
