“BBN: Can you give me Three words that best describe your career thus far?
Mickey Factz: “Underrated. Perseverance. Inventive.”
It’s mid-day on a Saturday, I’m rushing to get to my computer to log in for my first glimpse of a class offered by noted battle rapper, gem spitter, everyone’s favorite feature rhymer and mixtape super mogul Mickey Factz at his new school for lyricism called Pendulum. I’m trying to get to the Zoom on time for once, but I’m also fascinated with the bacon, egg and cheese on crossiant that just arrived to my crib. A sistah is starving. I grab it and the laptop and rush into my office.
Upon quickly logging in, I can see off top that this class is not like the others I’ve observed. Nothing like my own class at Cal State, he is utilizing the tools on Zoom like I do, but that’s about it. I mean the guy has his own books for goodness sake! This is special. Very special. So much so, that I forget all about my breakfast sammy completely and snatch up a pen and pad to silently join in. No one can even hear me but I’m working on the exercises with the class. Mickey is showing them the ins and outs of being a lyrical gem-nicst and they are hanging on his every multi-syllabic word. They know the talent and the 2 decades worth of the work of the man in front of them. And they want to do what he does as well as does it.
Shortly put, it was a blast. And I had to talk to Mickey about “The Sermon” that I had just witnessed.
BBN: Thanks for taking the time to sit down with us sir. I know that you, like many of us, want to see better representation for this Hip Hop culture that we love. What was the final straw that prompted you to decide to take matters into your own hands and create the school?
Mickey Factz: For me, It was Masterclass telling me in other words: “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.” For me that was brutal. Mostly because I was looking for an outlet. I have a decent name but it isn’t on the level of our greats. Seemingly enough, they later introduced Nas’s Masterclass. But I knew I had to do it on my own after that.
BBN: Do you see some of yourself in your students?
Mickey Factz: In some. Not all. But it’s pieces of me that shine through. Some of it is technique. Some of it is passion. Overall, it’s really the humanity. That’s what I see in everyone. The ability to allow people to commune together is beautiful to see.
BBN: I saw you give 100% of yourself and your knowledge base to your grateful class. It was quite impressive in fact. Do people understand how much of a personal sacrifice this has been for you, Mickey?
Mickey Factz: Thank you for that. People don’t. I think this is one of the reasons I won’t have a celebrity competitor for a while. A lot of what I do is framed around being emotionally and mentally available for the student base. Having care and concern for each emcee’s singular level of talent and helping them grow. That level of patience is not easy in the slightest. But I take on the job valiantly.
BBN: What brings you the most joy about this whole endeavor?
Mickey Factz: Seeing the improvement in a student from when they first signed up. Nothing is better than that joy-wise. And trust me, I have seen it all. (Laughter)
BBN: What do you wish more people understood about you and what you’re trying to do?
Mickey Factz: For me, I would want people to know that this has been my character trait for a very long time. I am a natural giver and a people pleaser. So for me, this transition was the best move to make. I also believe that the pandemic made a lot of people skeptical when it came to virtual offerings in the music space. A lot of people got scammed out of their hard-earned money, believing that there would be some sort of prize at the end of their purchase. Here at Pendulum, we are doing our very best to create a safe space for artists, creatives and business professionals to take their careers into their own hands, and allow for community to provide an outlet to network and grow in their own journey.
BBN: Can you give me Three words that best describe your career thus far?
Mickey Factz: Underrated. Perseverance. Inventive.
BBN: What does it mean to you to have had the opportunity to live out your dreams as an artist first before stepping into the role of Dean?
Mickey Factz: I believe it is the natural order of things. Divine intervention so to speak. Some may say destiny. I’ve accomplished a lot in my 16 to 17-year career. That knowledge should be passed along to the next phase of emcees, whether adults or young people. It means the world to me to know that I was able to have a successful career, in which I was able to take care of myself and my family for those years and now transition into a successful businessman. Teaching others my difficult path and journey to freedom within not only the music industry but also life.
BBN: What do you still want to try that you have not yet?
Mickey Factz: This is a very tough question for me. There are a couple of artists that I still would like to collaborate with. There are still a couple of cities and countries I’d like to perform in. Aside from that, I am pretty content with the work that I have done and the things that I have tried. Pendulumink.com
If you are a manager, publicist, A&R etc and you have a talent on your hands who needs their metal sharpened and some tools in their belt lyrically, I suggest you run not walk over to Pendulum and see what they have for you. There is a class title for pretty much everyone. No longer are the days where we can accept that people are wack and we just have to deal with it. Mickey Factz just changed the game. If your client is awful it’s because you allowed them to be. There is help for that now. So, use it!
I can not stress it enough. This school could seriously be the change we all seek pertaining to what we’re hearing out here right now. For once, someone actually did something instead of just standing around fussin’ and saying something. And the Hip Hop spit realm will be better for it.