If you’re the type of person that likes to keep in the know of who’s going to be the next biggest star, then Migs718 is the artist that should be on your radar… and playlist.

Migs718 absolutely refuses to be a typical modern day rapper. His goal is not only to influence the music industry, but to change the game and ensure that everyone knows his name. He sets the audience on fire with his versatile character and flow, showing the world something its not used to. With over 500,000 streams from Spotify, and growing, Migs718 is beginning to show everyone just how talented he really is. I was given the opportunity to sit down with him and discuss who he is, what he values, and what he has to offer. Trust me when I say there’s a lot that he has to offer, but see for yourself.

Tammy: What is the inspiration behind your name Migs718?

Migs718: Well, for one, I make sure it's pronounced “Migs seven one eight”. My real name is Miguelito, but growing up it was really difficult for a lot of people to say. I used to get made fun of and bullied over stupid shit, just stuff that I didn't really enjoy hearing all the time. So Migs became my nickname. It was short, sweet, and got the job done. So Migs is me, I've been Migs forever. 718 is to represent the area code that I'm used to. My home phone number is 718, you know, Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx is all 718. So it's a good representation of not just that island, but the fact that I've moved all around New York. I'm kind of a full bred New Yorker, you feel me? It's just to keep throwing the name out and keep giving the Staten Island residence wherever I'm at.

Tammy: What are some of your core values individually and as an artist?

Migs718: I would say me as an artist is me in general because I've always been the type to create, and I've always been the type to try to put on a show and entertain people. That's always been a part of myself, I've always been the main character in my movie. That's how I see it. I'm the protagonist in whatever I'm doing and I'm always the main character. I think the biggest thing for me is music. A lot of the things that I speak about in my music is stuff that I'm not really comfortable talking about, conversations I would rather not have, or shit that would make me anxious and freeze up in the moment. It's like I'm able to add music in my confessional because I'm not really religious, so that's my only means to get anything off my chest. Therapy has never really been my thing. Music is my way to let my stuff out, get stuff off my chest, to be intelligent and be able to put my brain on something and put something together. Thats, you know, giving a full story, giving somebody a real concept to relate to because I care about the music being the means to change your emotions. For me, whether it's making you happy, making you sad, making you turn up, I want to be able to change the room while shaking the room in any way, shape, or form.

Video shot and directed by - Korbin Clark

Tammy: What's something that you like to express most in your music?

Migs718: Every song is different. I am very big on showing my dimensions and I'm very big on confusing the viewer to some degree. I like to make almost every song I put out very different from the last release so it's kind of hard to dial in on a sound for me. But that's kind of what is my sound is, not sounding the same and always putting out a new flavor. I'm real seasoned, so I like that.

Tammy: What's a typical day in your life?

Migs718: Basically, on the most packed out day, we go to a meeting or two in the beginning of the day, wake up early at nine o'clock, get out to the city for whatever 11 or 12 o'clock type meeting, right? We go to the meeting, enjoy ourselves, go to Brooklyn and then go into a studio session. Anytime we're out in the city or if we go out to Brooklyn, we try our best to keep ourselves moving. So we'll set stuff up in advance and try to keep our days stacked out to make it easier for us to get more done. Anyways, we'll go to the studio and then after the studio we’ll probably in the morning end up at an event whether it's a club, a bar or a networking mixer. I'm constantly trying to stay out and about in people's faces. Imma be real with you I got green hair and I shine at night, like I'm real pasty. We're all about staying in everybody's faces, so it works out in my favor that my hair glows in the club.

“I always rock some wavy outfits”

Tammy: Who came up with the two-toned hair idea?

Migs718: I did. In 2016 I remember at the time the only person that had really done it and consistently stayed with it was X. At that point my hair was finally getting long and it was the first time I was dyeing my hair, but I love doing the split because in all reality, there's always two sides to me. It doesn't matter what environment I'm in. If I'm in a punk show best believe I'll be rocking all black, but I can get Staten Island real quick you know what I mean? There's always two sides to me. There’s always a way for me to flip up and adapt. I don't like looking the same as anybody else.

Tammy: Who would you say your dream collaboration is?

Migs718: It's really difficult because I listen to a lot of music. To be honest with you I want to work with Travis Scott. Granted he's not my number one rapper. In my eyes Method Man is the number one rapper to me and then Busta Rhymes is number two and then DMX number three. I remember I wanted to be a Rough Rider so bad. He used to be my number one. Rest in peace, but Travis Scott because I've listened to Travis Scott since I was 14. I liked 2013 and 2014 era Travis Scott. I watched him grow and develop and I grew up listening to his music. Mac Miller would have been in the same situation, but again, we keep losing people so that sucks, because I never got to meet Mac Miller. However, I want to be able to meet Travis and make music with Travis. Since there's so much that he is obviously developing that is creating whole new waves for this rap shit. Saweetie has a McDonald's meal right now and that's not because of nothing. That's because Travis Scott decided to make a call to make rappers sponsored. Jack Harlow is on Arby's or something. So people are making money off this. He's developing new ways for us to get income. I want to pick his brain after we make a heater. Especially with the new stuff that I've been making lately, it's very experimental, very me. So I feel like a lot of ways that I match up my vocals and the way that I chopped my vocals is inspired by Travis.

Executive Produced and Directed By: Mike Loco and Migs718

“I’m the most diversity, you get to be honest with you. I'm too open minded for any bullshit. I care about good music”

Tammy: What would you say has been the most pivotal moment in your career thus far?

Migs718: There’s been a bunch to be honest with you because for example right now, I'm technically an official South by Southwest artist. I know that that's going to be a huge pivotal change because once I'm able to shake the room for a bunch of people that spent $1,500 to see me it's going to be a whole different ballgame for me. That's when the price is not the same today as it is tomorrow. You know what I mean? That's the stuff that I'm worried about, but the most pivotal in my personal career was definitely performing in Times Square. I performed in Times Square, and it was like a clean set, it was music I didn't want to really perform. It was something that I went into and it was freezing cold outside. We had did a show the day before and we had just flown back in Florida the day before that. So I fly back from Florida after doing a bunch of other shows and then that third show was in Times Square. When I tell you I was really not into it because there was some personal stuff going on and it was a bunch of stuff that was bad getting in the way. It was killing my vibe, but once I got on stage it was like 4 or 5,000 people in front of me. I went from freezing to warm as shit. Then I went from depressed and wanting to fight everybody and wanting to just wild out and rage to calm. I wanted to do my rave music in the first place, but I had to keep it clean because it was in Times Square. However, seeing 5,000 people in front of me avidly listening and waiting and excited after 30 seconds of my first song, I was like, yep, this is exactly what I was supposed to do. I'm entertaining this entire fucking block. I knew in that moment that this is where I'm supposed to be. Now imagine if I had $7,000 worth of clothes on right now dressed the way I wanted to dress. And then now I'm trying to learn guitar to help me develop some extra things to add into my performance. I want to rap. Boom, drop the mic. Take out a guitar. Start fucking shredding. Boom. Drop the guitar. Boom, pop on a drum set. Start fucking going crazy. Then pick up the mic again, start rapping and pick up the guitar. I want to rap and play the guitar then do a backflip just because I can. The most entertaining dynamic experience you can get from a musician is what I want to be able to do, because Chris Brown dances and sings. Chris Brown can do flips and stuff too, but I do that stuff different. I'm gonna flip and then flip, lay down on the floor playing a guitar. When budgets start coming into play and big names start really getting swept it's over. Once I have the resources and I keep building the assets that we're already building as a team right now. I'm gonna do some stuff that you've never seen before. I promise.

Tammy: What's something interesting about yourself outside of music that you feel like people should know about?

Migs718: I was a dancer for 5 years before I started doing music stuff. A professional dancer was originally what my plan for my career as an entertainer was going to be. I used to go to casting calls and classes. I taught myself at first though and I made a job out of it. I was a party motivator for quite some time for specific themes, weddings, proms and shit. It was cool. That's kind of what involved me in the production side of this anyway. And it gave me mad skills that are necessary right now in my music career now, to be able to set up my shows the way I need to. So dancing is definitely a huge part of my life. It's just something that I haven't been able to show people because I want to do it at the right time. I want people to hear my music first then see my moves. I also know jujitsu and I'm getting back into it because I want to be a black belt. I'm like, for real a ninja. I definitely want to start getting back into my MMA shit and start really developing it because that stuff is fun. I love fighting competitively. I’m going to be an action, superstar. I'm trying to be in movies, I'm trying to be in plays AND I'm trying to direct movies. I'm going to do everything. That's why I want to make a huge stain in history. You can't physically talk about history without talking about this guy, like Leonardo da Vinci or Robin Williams. I'm trying to do even bigger than that.

“I’m going to be an action superstar. I'm trying to be in movies. “

Tammy: What advice do you have for other upcoming artists that are out there right now?

Migs718: Google, a lot of stuff. A lot of questions that you have, make sure you Google it. We have computers in our hands. Even if you're the brokest artist around, most of us have cell phones around and easy access to public libraries. Go on Google, try to learn as much as you can. Develop your skills on your own so you can actually hold yourself in these conversations, because it's a very cutthroat scenario for most of these industry meetings or networking situations. Everyone's competing so you got to make sure that you know what's going on. Try to learn as much as physically possible before you step in those rooms. That way you don't feel stupid and you know what's happening and you don't get hit by weird wording and taken advantage of. It's happened to me so I gotta reach back because people don't do that and it’s annoying.

Tammy: Is there anything that you would like to promote right now or that you have coming up?

Migs718: “Snapchat” is dropped on all digital streaming platforms. Dropping the video towards the the end of this month. The video looks amazing. I have a lot of new music and new people that I'm working with. I’m even working with a couple of Platinum record producers, so just stay tuned. Especially because South by Southwest is coming up in March. That's going to be a crazy show. I got a lot of stuff on the way so just stay tuned on my Instagram.

Keeping up with Migs718:

https://migs718.com

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