Remember the cliques that existed back in high school? All the gothic kids hung out together, and they had nothing to do with the valley girls, the nerds or the jocks. Every crew seemed to be in their own little world, where they were the only ones who mattered. The glory days of high school might be over for some, but that doesn’t mean that “cliques” have evaporated. One of the most popular cliques happens to be in Hip-Hop today, and many have labeled them as “hipsters”.

The inhabitants include some of the fresh new faces of Hip-Hop like, The Cool Kids, The Knux, and Kidz In The Hall. Their attire consists of tight straight-legged jeans, retro Nikes, and vintage t-shirts. The way they dress might be less desirable by some, but there’s no denying their music.

Right now there’s another hipster making his way onto the scene while automatically becoming a part of the “in crowd.” The Bronx own Mickey Factz may come in with a nerdy look including Poindexter-type glasses and all, but that’s where the comparisons stop. Forming relationships with the aforementioned, he fits in perfectly with his unique style and brand of music. Proving his worth in the birthplace of Hip-Hop was an easy task for the 20-something MC who already has people raising eyebrows, the only left to do now is to multiply those eyebrows with people outside of the New York City limits.      &nbs p;    

SixShot.Com: When did you first get into Hip-Hop?

Mickey Factz: I got into it when I was about 6 or 7-years-old. But what really fascinated me about Hip-Hop was the fact that record players were out, and at that time you could speed-up a record and make the person sound like the chipmunks. So I used to listen to the record player, and speed it up so it sounded like a chipmunk, or actually chopped and screwed the record. So you’d have Big Daddy Kane rapping like a chipmunk, and the next second he’d sound like DJ Screw. After my cousins found out what I was doing, they yelled at me and beat the hell out of me, and made me sit down and really listen to Big Daddy Kane. After I heard him, I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is dumb hot!” And that’s what got me into Hip-Hop.   

SixShot.com: How would you describe your style to people who weren’t familiar with you?

Mickey Factz: I would describe it as eclectic. You have to be open-minded to like “Mickey Factz,” especially with some of the deeper stuff that I have. But I’m very versatile, and I’m an all-around MC. I can talk about the streets, get lyrical, get on some backpack stuff, get conscious, or go into some party stuff. I can touch on every subject. I’m really the “everyday man’s MC” and that’s why I do what I do—because I want everybody to love my music. I do my music for everybody, not just for people in the ‘hood. I do it for everybody. 

SixShot.com: You also have a close relationship with The Cool Kids and Kidz In The Hall. How did you guys first hook up?

Mickey Factz: I’ve known [Chuck] Inglish from The Cool Kids for about two years now through Myspace. By the time he hooked up with Mikey [Rocks] to be part of The Cool Kids, him and I were going back and forth, and we respected each other’s music a lot. So we did what we did and tore it down. That was just off of the love because we were supposed to hook up back in 2006, but it finally went down in ’08. Him getting on a record with me was a blessing; you know what I’m saying? As far as Kidz In The Hall goes, I actually opened up for an artist that their manager manages, and Double-0 saw me perform, and he was like, “THIS GUY IS F*CKING AMAZING!”

So from there, Double-0 and I were cool, and then Naledge and me linked up. I just keep relationships with everybody I meet whether it be Skyzoo, Wale, Travis from Gym Class Heroes, or even Kanye [West]. I’m just cool with everyone that I meet, and they all want to work with me because I’m a dope artist; and I’m not afraid to push the limits.     

SixShot.com: What’s one of the toughest things you’ve endured so far as an up-and-coming artist?

Mickey Factz: There are roadblocks everywhere I go man. Before, I’d look at my peers in the game and be like, “Damn, why am I not there?” That was a roadblock for me for a long time, and it’s still a roadblock. Even though I’ve done Vibe Magazine, Spin Magazine, and Fader Magazine I still have peers who have done Billboard Magazine and Rolling Stone Magazine. So its like I have to get over this roadblock to get in these magazines as well. I’m on MTV now, but some of my peers are on BET, so now I have to get on BET. There’s always going to be a roadblock for me, but I handle myself with professionalism. As long as I take adversity by the horns, I’ll be just fine. I’ve gone so much as an artist in this first year and half, and I’m still working hard. It’s difficult, but I have a strong head on my shoulders—you know?  

SixShot.com: A lot of people have their own ideas on why New York Hip-Hop isn’t dominant anymore. Being from the Bronx, do you have any thoughts?

Mickey Factz: I just feel like some of the artists, and I’m not going to name any names, but a lot of them aren’t representing New York in the way that it should be represented. We breed some of the best artists out in every culture—when you go away from the originality of New York City, and venture into things we didn’t start instead of looking within yourself, you’re losing it. I think people are just trying to bring back an era that we lived already. The 90’s were a wonderful era it was beautiful. But the people in the 90’s didn’t try to relive the 80’s; they did their own thing and looked what happened. And right now with the new movement, I’m one of the few cats from New York that’s actually buzzing in New York City, and I’m not trying to follow what happened in the 90’s. I’m doing what I think needs to be for right now.   

SixShot.com: As an independent artist, do you have goals of being on a major label and becoming a little more mainstream? Or are you happy where you are?

Mickey Factz: I love what I’m doing right now brother, I’m going to keep it all the way real. I don’t have restraints and I’m not subjected to what I do, this for the music and it’s the best time of my life. I can put out a song right now and have it all over the world, while some artist that’s signed to a label can put a song out and people won’t know who the hell they are. I feel like I can do what the f*ck I want to do right now, and I do it in a structure that fits me. Granted, there are some advantages a major label has that I don’t; but there are also some advantages I have that they don’t.

Right now I have major labels courting me to come and work with their artists, so it’s like a Catch-22. As far as be being an independent artist, there are some deals on the table, but at this point right now I’m trying to make the best situation possible for me and my team so we can thrive off the music industry for a little while longer before it goes caput. If I decide to go to a label, it’s going to make sense—the marketing, packaging, and selling the product so it can reach the consumers.   

SixShot.com: You’re coming in with real music when a lot of people want gimmicky stuff. Does that worry you at all?

Mickey Factz: Nah I’m not worried about that, I’m really not. If one person buys my album, then I did what I set out to do. At the end of the day, people are going to gravitate to what’s hot, whether it’s poppy-dance music, thought-provoking music, or bullsh*t getting high music. If the sh*t is hot, people are going to go and get it. And I feel like I’m making music that’s all around, you know what I’m saying? I feel like the people are going to love it regardless no matter how left or right field it is.  

SixShot.com: Right now it seems like everyone is trying to be a rapper. Do you think that kind of dilutes the art form when everybody is doing it?

Mickey Factz: I feel like if you love it, then you should do it. If everybody was rapping and supporting everybody else, then it would be a dope movement; and it would probably be the best movement ever. If everybody in the world rapped, and they all bought each other’s record, then we would have a great movement, it would be amazing. But that’s not the case. The case is everybody’s rapping, and everybody’s trying to get on. Nobody is supporting one another. A lot of the music people are doing isn’t hot to me anyway but hey, we won’t get into that.