There’s so much more to the Midwest rapper

There are probably a lot of things you don’t know about the rapper formerly known as Mikkey Halsted. Now just Halsted, he has gone through the ups and downs of being signed to major labels (Cash Money), seeing the city that raised him being torn apart by senseless gang violence, supporting a family in tough times, and working with some of Chicago’s best artists (Rhymefest, Kanye West, No I.D., etc.). What separates Halsted from a lot of other rappers is his passion to help the troubled community around him. With a Masters in education and a plan to rebuild Chicago one block at a time, Halsted has a thorough understanding of where Chicago went wrong and how it can amend those mistakes. The way he expressed himself over the phone reminded me of a political debate between hopeful candidates, except there was no airs of false entitlement or chicanery. Halsted was genuine and well educated on the topics.

He’s also seeking changes in the music industry. Halsted wants to chisel in his image on the Hip-Hop Mt. Rushmore while also mentoring younger rappers Lil Herb and Lil Bibby. Read the extensive interview we did with him on his music, his Bulls, and the social issues that plague Chicago after the jump.

Look out for his next project,Bulletproof Dreams, this October.

Bryan Hahn (@notupstate)