Mike Xavier

It’s 5 a.m. and you’re up. What are you thinking about—work? Your relationship? Money? Not if you’re Vegas rapper, Mike Xavier. He’s pondering how he’ll sell out the Brooklyn Bowl or House of Blues, per a recent Facebook post. “I believe it’s possible and that’s half the battle conquered!”

At the clip Xavier is going, it’s not an unreasonable manifest. His current local booking—this week’s album release show at Vinyl—sold out a week ago. It follows a momentous 2018, when he performed at Life Is Beautiful; opened for Living Colour, KRS-One and Tech N9NE; and released his second full-length album, Old School Vibes. Xavier wrote that record in the hopes of relaying certain messages he thought others needed to hear. The follow-up effort, Still Dreaming, sees the artist looking more inward. “The songs are based almost entirely on my personal life and experiences of mine,” he says.

That said, those experiential verses are still meant to inspire his listeners, especially those enduring the same struggles Xavier endured just a few years ago. “When I think of how I was at rock bottom just a few years ago, it makes me feel so grateful that I never gave up. … I want this project to be a reminder of how it’s never too late in life to be a dreamer,” he says. “My dreams have become my reality more and more over the years, and this album is a reflection of that.” - Las Vegas Weekly

The turning point was all the strangers shedding tears in the backseat.

A few years back, rapper Mike Xavier was working as an Uber driver in his native Los Angeles.

Times were tough.

The father of a young son, Xavier struggled to make ends meet.

They were homeless for a time.

Xavier poured all of his emotions — heavy as they often were — into his music, which he’d play for his passengers, sometimes delivering a cappella rhymes on the spot.

“I would ask them, ‘How do you feel? What’s your mood like? What are you going through?’ ” Xavier recalls at downtown coffee shop and eatery Makers and Finders on a Tuesday evening. “Then I’d dial up a song. If you were going through a bad relationship and I talk to you about a verse that’s about a bad relationship, it just hits you so much harder.”

Xavier was surprised by how emotional some customers got.

“I’m telling you, man, people just started crying. All of the time,” Xavier says with a mixture of pride and incredulity, frequently flashing a wide, bright smile. “I didn’t expect it to hit them that hard, to where they’re crying in an Uber. But they would.”

Though he’d been making music since he was a teenager, Xavier was never totally committed to working on and promoting his craft, even though he possessed a commanding, naturally assured flow.

But seeing his music get such a visceral response began to change all that.

And so Xavier got serious — about his music, and his life.

“My son and I were in a bad space, and I remember thinking, ‘This is not how life is supposed to be,’” Xavier says. “I think that I just kind of came to this realization that I didn’t want it to be the way it was anymore. All the reasons for not making an attempt to change your life for the better, because you talk yourself out of it before you even begin, I was just done with all that. Forget about why it wouldn’t work. Just try it out. Do it.”

And so he did.

Good ‘Vibes’

In late 2015, Xavier and his son relocated to Las Vegas, where Xavier’s sister lives, staying with her for a time as he found his bearings.

The following April, he began immersing himself in the local music scene, and in the two years since, he’s made substantial headway.

In 2017 alone, he released a full-length (“Visionary”), a live album and a well-received EP (“Resilience”).

Since then, he’s packed The Bunkhouse, held a standing gig at The Cromwell, performed at the inaugural Emerge music conference and landed a slot on this year’s Life is Beautiful lineup.

All of this momentum has culminated in Xavier’s new album, “Old School Vibes,” released last week.

As its title suggests, “Vibes” favors gritty, ’90s-style, boom-bap-influenced production values, with Xavier’s words hitting just as hard — emotionally speaking.

Keeping it real

“You gotta hold on,” Xavier urges on “Stay Strong,” delivering the album’s mission statement on a song brightened by jazzy piano runs.

“Vibes” looks to a better future by acknowledging how challenging the present can be. Xavier candidly acknowledges many of his own struggles, such as having just two dollars in his pocket and having to choose whether to put it in the gas tank or eat that day.

“All that stuff is real,” Xavier says. “I’ve had times where I’m like, ‘Do I pay rent? Or do I buy some food so we can eat?’ ”

Those times may be behind him, but Xavier continues to share his experiences to reach out to others dealing with similar issues: absentee fathers, homelessness, the financial strain of being a single parent, crippling self-doubt.

“When you’re going through it, you think it’s only you,” Xavier says. “People think they’re alone like that, but I realized that the more I put that out there, the more I talk about it, the more I realize how many people feel that way.”

While Xavier’s fortunes have turned, he sees himself as a voice for those whose fortunes haven’t.

“I’ve got a lot of different reasons why I do this, but one of the reasons is that I see a lot of people giving up,” he says. “That’s the mission: I’m inspired to inspire.”

Contact Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476. Follow @JasonBracelin on Twitter. - Las Vegas Review Journal

Life is Beautiful’s mission is to inspire and celebrate beauty at the festival and beyond. There’s no better ambassador for that mission than local wordsmith Mike Xavier. After moving from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in 2015, the heat-seeking rapper has gone from playing open mics across the city to sold-out headlining gigs at Bunkhouse and Brooklyn Bowl. Xavier’s first full-length release, Visionary, is an aptly-named collection of ambitious tracks with a purpose that’s twofold: It showcases Xavier’s versatility, from spitting on the hard-hitting boom baps (“I Remember”) to emotional piano (“I Gotta Go”) and, most importantly, it’s meant to inspire, console and relate to its listeners. - VEGAS SEVEN

Met (and interviewed) Mike Xavier in Las Vegas back in April when he was performing at Rehan Choudhry’s Emerge Music and Impact Festival.

Mike impressed all of us with his positive attitude, his hard work and his dedication to his craft. Seeing him perform, solidified it for us: this man is going places!

Make sure you watch the video (above). I shot it during his performance. It’s longish at 30 seconds but definitely worth the wait to catch the audience reaction. This guy is the real deal and he’s connecting with audiences in a major way. Mike also gives a great interview because he has an authentic and powerful story.

Thrilled to have Mike join the Opinionator’s growing roster of Q&A talent.



Read on below.



How different was your life one year ago?

- It wasn’t significantly different than things are today, but life was calmer. I had a lot more free time to focus solely on writing and recording new music. Once I released my Resilience EP, things began to move at a faster pace.

What are some of your personal “rules” that you never break?

- I’ll never ignore my instincts. I always try to do what makes sense and do the right thing.

What could you give a 15-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?

- I believe I can easily give a presentation on how to build yourself back up when you’re feeling down and going through struggles.

Three people alive or dead that you would like to have dinner with?

- I would love to have dinner with President Obama, Jay Z, and Oprah Winfrey.

What’s your hidden talent?

- I can solve a Rubik’s Cube fairly quickly.

What’s the first career you dreamed of having as a kid?

- From as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be involved with music, from producing to performing.

What’s the biggest risk you’ve ever taken?

- When I moved to Las Vegas in 2015, I didn’t know anyone here besides my sister, and I had no job and no place to live. It was just my son and I working on building a new beginning for ourselves.

What’s one thing about you that surprises people?

- People are surprised at how humble I am, and how appreciative I genuinely am of their support.

Who, or what, was your biggest teacher?

- I’ve learned the most from my mistakes and failures, and I’ve learned a lot of things simply by trial and error.

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your 18-year-old self?

- I would tell myself to trust my intuition. There were many times back then when I knew something wasn’t going to work out, but I wasted a lot of time on it anyway.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

- Nobody’s going to do it for me, so if I want something, I have to go and make it happen for myself.

If you had to choose only three adjectives to describe yourself, which would you choose?

- I would describe myself as funny, caring, and focused.

Who are your role models or mentors?

- I would say, President Obama, Jay Z, and Bob Marley

What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives?

- I think everyone should take a week to try some of the things they’ve been afraid to try before. That could be anything from traveling alone to performing at an open mic.

What did you have to give up to achieve your current level of success?

- I had to sacrifice the majority of my time to get to where I’m at today. - The Opinionator

The somber filled record is a heartfelt outlook on showing love. Life moves too fast for us to remember to do the simplest things like acknowledging the people around us before it's too late. "…had no intentions of my actions ever causing you pain/ Please forgive me, I feel like I just have these demons in me/Trying to get 'em out my life before they really messing with me…" Mike's lyrics show a man going through emotions of regret, acknowledging his mistakes and taking charge so as not to repeat them again.

"Nothing But Love" is taken from his newest project titled ‘Resilience’. ‘Resilience’ is a five-track collective of meaningful Hip Hop with a more personal approach. The thought-provoking and heartfelt track list include notable singles, “Sing Along" and "Hard Times". ‘Resilience’ is a beautifully crafted musical release of the artist’s trials and tribulations. - EARMILK

This artist is no stranger to these pages. Since the Weekly featured him last May, he has released a five-song EP, a live album and four singles. And that’s just the studio side of it. Xavier and his rapping son, Jaylyn Thai, have taken their uplifting brand of hip-hop from small stages like the Bunkhouse to large halls like Brooklyn Bowl. Xavier hopes to expand his reach even further in 2018 by submitting his forthcoming album to the Recording Academy for Grammy consideration, a sign that this might only be an early chapter in the hungry emcee’s music story. soundcloud.com/mikexavier –IC - Las Vegas Weekly