Before Mike REAL ever rapped on Clear Sight Music’s Jesus or Nothing project, he used to wrap burritos.

At the West Florissant Taco Bell in Ferguson, MO, REAL regularly rubbed shoulders with two of the most respected and well-known artists in the CHH movement.

“When FLAME and Thi’sl were grinding in the studio, they used to come into Taco Bell every day,” REAL said.

At that point in his life, REAL would have never guessed that a song that he co-created, Sanctuary, would be featured on FLAME’s Royal Flush album. Nor could REAL have guessed that he would one day be an artist on Clear Sight Music.

REAL dropped his  project, Mind of Hollis, on March 3rd2015 Using a television theme, the album is designed to give listeners access to his personal journey.

“The Mind of Hollis is really just letting people into my mind,” said REAL, whose last name is actually Hollis. “It goes from pre-Christ to being in Christ. And it even goes into now. ‘What are some of my mindsets, some of my beliefs?’

And the way that we package it is like a TV show. One of the things I’ve always liked about TV shows is the building of the character. They don’t just shove somebody in our face and say, ‘Here, watch this!’ They give the backstory.

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REAL dropped witty word schemes in a promo video for the album song “Behind the Scenes.” Not only did the St. Louis emcee flip the name of different Ford vehicles, but he also did a rhyme scheme featuring the cast of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, including the most memorable line, “I went from dark to light like Vivian.”

“The track was supposed to be a bonus track,” REAL said. “We ended up putting it at the beginning of the album instead. [Clear Sight] enjoyed the song so much that they put a promo vid to it.”

It’s just a glimpse of what’s in store.

“We’ve got some more stuff coming, man,” REAL said. “We’re excited.”500x500

From the beginning, his story has been intertwined with the St. Louis Christian hip-hop scene. REAL went to school with two brothers of singer-song producer J.R., and the siblings put REAL on to FLAME.

“FLAME ended up buying a CD and then hanging out with me the day that the album came out; him, J.R., and Json,” REAL recalled. “That was dope. These were all my favorite artists that I looked up to at that time. To have them show me love and tell me, ‘Yo, your album is dope bro. Work on this. Work on that. Try doing this.’ … They really took time to invest in me.”

Json would end up putting his fellow St. Louis artist on back-to-back projects. REAL rapped after Thi’sl on Json’s “Fight” on Life On Life. Some of his trademark punchline bars shined through on “Pray For My City” on the City Lights project.

S-T-L, I love you, that’s why my music knockin’/the gospel

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Prince Malachi is the founder of The Oracle Network and the Streetwear brand Y.A.H. Apparel

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