Foghorn/ USFtv: Who was your biggest musical inspiration growing up?
Mike Posner: Man, I had so many, so many influences growing up. A few that stick out are Nirvana, I had a big sister that listened to nirvana like all day so everything she did I thought was really awesome; I remember the day Kurt Cobain died. Beyond that I listened to mostly hip-hop when I was a kid so like things like The Roots and J Dilla, Nas, like that.
F/ USFtv: If you had to pick one song that was your favorite, your own or any other artist, what would you say it is?
MP: My favorite song is by The Killers, it called “Human.” Its like an absolute anthem- you’re nodding like you’ve absolutely not heard that before- no one really knows what it’s about, that’s kinda what makes it powerful. People can have their own interpretations so to people it can mean different things
F/ USFtv: How would you describe your own musical style? If you had one word to describe it how would you say it is?
MP: I’m kinda like a rapper trapped in a singer’s body so I sing about things that rappers would rap about.
F/ USFtv: How as your life changed since you’ve gotten really big? What’s the number one thing that has been different in your life?
MP: I don’t really feel any different; that’s why I really love doing shows at schools, like I just graduated like a year and a half ago so I really feel like the kids when I come here. Like I try to play basketball at the gym every time I go to a school. I don’t feel better than anybody here, I just feel like the same- my friends still give me more shit than they ever did, so…
F/ USFtv: Do you have a crazy fan story?
MP: Um, none that are really appropriate for your programming (smiles).
F/ USFtv: Whats your favorite place to tour?
MP: I hate that question, no offense, because I feel like whatever I say it’s gonna offend like, all the other places I did shows, but going back home to Michigan is always really special. Of the places overseas- I just did a show in Indonesia that was like really crazy, there was like way too many people there, I don’t really know how they knew who I was. Indonesia and Amsterdam and Australia, were the craziest.
F/ USFtv: Who have you been star struck the most by- any celebrities or musicians?
MP: Aw man. I met Nas… that was really, really nerve-wracking for me. I was really nervous when I met Jay-Z. I met Jay-Z when I was still at duke- I was in finals week of my junior year, I made my first mix tape, and my manager called and said “Yo, Jay-Z wants to meet you” and I was like “shut up dud, Jay-Z doesn’t wanna meet me” and then I went to new york and had a meeting with him for like 2 and a half hours and he talked to me for 2 and half hours and I was just kinda like (drops jaw) the whole time, and uh, I came back the next day, I was in the library finishing a paper, and I opened my email and he [had] offered me a record deal.
F/ USFtv: Who’s your favorite person that you worked with in the music industry so far?
MP: I mean I’ve been really blessed, some really, really talented people that I know I’m gonna tell my grandkids about some day- like Bruno Mars, been in the studio with like Wiz Khalifa, Boyz 2 Men, but I think like my favorite, favorite has to be Big Sean still because we just knew each other before like either of us were signed and there’s a dynamic to our relationship when we’re in the studio that cant really be duplicated because we’ve known each other so long
F/ USFtv: What’s the best thing you asked to have backstage in your dressing room?
MP: I get like the schools gym shorts, so I have like a crazy gym short collection that like I wear at home when I play basketball and my friends are just like ‘where did you get all those?”
Wait you interviewed tyler the creator…IN SAN FRANCISCO…and failed to ask him about his calling people FAGGOT 200+ times in his last album.
Duh. missed the lede.
whoops sorry this posted to the wrong article. i loved this piece!
I like nirvana too