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Michie Mee

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Michie Mee
Birth nameMichelle McCullock
Born (1970-11-01) November 1, 1970 (age 54)
Kingston, Jamaica
OriginToronto, Ontario, Canada
GenresCanadian hip hop
Occupation(s)Rapper, songwriter, actress
Years active1985–present
LabelsFirst Priority/Atlantic
Koch

Michelle McCullock (born November 1, 1970), better known by her stage name Michie Mee, is a Canadian rapper and actress. Canada's first notable female MC, she is considered a national hip-hop pioneer.[1]

Early life and career

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McCullock was born in Kingston, Jamaica, later moving to Toronto, Ontario at a young age, and was raised in the city's Jane Street area, as well as the Jane and Finch neighbourhood. She began performing professionally at age 14.[2] In 1985, during a concert in Toronto, Boogie Down Productions introduced her to the audience and she performed on stage. Michie Mee later teamed up with DJ L.A. Luv (Phillip Gayle) and formed the duo Michie Mee and L.A. Luv.[3] The duo was featured on the 1987 Canadian hip hop compilation Break'n Out, which was produced by KRS-One and Scott La Rock of Boogie Down Productions.[4][5]

The duo's first single, "Elements of Style", made an impact in the United States, and it signed with First Priority/Atlantic Records in 1988. In the process, Michie Mee became the first Canadian MC to sign a record deal with a major American label.[5] The same year, the duo was featured on the compilation The First Priority Music Family: Basement Flavor, appearing on the tracks "Victory Is Calling" and "On This Mic", which were produced by Howard Hughes & engineered by Walter Sobczak who would several years later ask Michie Mee to record and perform with Raggadeath.[6][7] "Victory Is Calling" also featured MC Lyte.[6]

In 1990 she collaborated on the one-off single "Can't Repress the Cause", a plea for greater inclusion of hip hop music in the Canadian music scene, with Dance Appeal, a supergroup of Toronto-area musicians that included Devon, Maestro Fresh Wes, Dream Warriors, B-Kool, Lillian Allen, Eria Fachin, HDV aka 'Pimp of the Microphone',[8] Dionne, Thando Hyman, Carla Marshall, Messenjah, Jillian Mendez, Lorraine Scott, Lorraine Segato, Self Defense, Leroy Sibbles, Zama and Thyron Lee White.[9]

In 1991, the duo released its debut album, Jamaican Funk—Canadian Style, which incorporated dancehall reggae music and spawned the single "Jamaican Funk".[10] Over 60,000 copies of the album were sold in the U.S. and it was nominated for a Juno Award in 1992.[5]

After Michie Mee ran into trouble with the law, the duo broke up.[3] L.A. Luv later joined the group Dream Warriors.

After starting a solo career and opening shows for artists such as Salt-n-Pepa, Sinéad O'Connor, and Judy Mowatt, she became a founding member of the alternative rock band Raggadeath,[3] which had a Canadian chart hit in 1995 with "One Life". In the late 1990s, Michie Mee began an acting career.[2] She made her first film appearance in 1999's In Too Deep. In 2000, she starred in the CBC Television series Drop the Beat, playing a rapper named Divine.[2] Later that year, she released a comeback album, The First Cut Is the Deepest,[5] which spawned the single "Don't Wanna Be Your Slave" (featuring Esthero). The single earned her another Juno nomination.

In 2001, she formed the band The Day After, which received rotation on MuchLoud.[11]

In 2004, Michie Mee joined a group of local artists (including Maestro, Thrust, and Toya Alexis among others) and formed the Peace Prophets. The group released the charity single "Drop the Chrome" in association with radio station FLOW 93.5.[12] The same year, she appeared in the film My Baby's Daddy. Throughout the remainder of the decade (2005–2009) saw Michie mostly focus on more acting in small films and TV shows, reconnecting with her rock band Raggadeath, whilst still rapping here and there making features on other fellow Canadian artists songs.

In 2009, she released the single "Say About Us".[13]

The 2010s, saw Michie again further continue with small acting appearances and continuing music always with again features here and there on other musicians projects.

In 2020, marking her 35th year in the business the start of the new decade brought about a long-awaited new album. In November of that year she released her first full-length album and third overall in twenty years, titled Bahdgyal's Revenge.[14] The album had notable features from long-time friend and collaborator Chuck D, and other notable Canadian rappers and Jamaican reggae legends, such as Lindo P.[15]

She performed on the 2021 FreeUp! The Emancipation Day Special.[16]

Discography

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Music videos

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with Raggadeath

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Year Song Album
1995 One Life[17] Why Ask Why
1995 Why Ask Why[18] Why Ask Why
1997 Dance With The Devil[19] Raggadeath

with The Day After

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Year Song Album
2001 Break The Rules[20] Only the Strong Survive

Solo

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Year Song Album
1990 Jamaican Funk—Canadian Style[21] Jamaican Funk—Canadian Style
1998 Cover Girl[22] The First Cut Is the Deepest
1999 Don't Wanna Be Your Slave[23] The First Cut Is the Deepest
2010 No Man[24]
2012 Bahdgyal Bubble[25] Bahdgyal's Revenge
2013 Stand Right Beside Him[26] Bahdgyal's Revenge
2017 Thank You[27] Bahdgyal's Revenge
2021 Made It[28] Bahdgyal's Revenge
2021 What U Talking Bout[29] Bahdgyal's Revenge
2021 Willing & Able[30] Bahdgyal's Revenge

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 My Secret Identity Herself TV series; 1 episode
1998 Traders Herself TV series; 1 episode
1999 In Too Deep Martha Film
2000 Drop the Beat Divine TV series
Hendrix Devon Wilson TV film
Love Disease Herself Film
2001 Raisin' Kane: A Rapumentary Herself Documentary
Soul Food Beverly Gordon TV series; 1 episode
SmartAsk Host Game show
2002 Comedian Other appearance Documentary
Our America N/A TV film
2004 Chicks with Sticks Heather Desmond TV film[31]
My Baby's Daddy Nia's Client Film
2007–2009 'da Kink in My Hair Tianna TV series; 2 episodes
2008 Baby Blues Charlen Ryan Film
2014 Katie Chats Herself TV series; 1 episode

See also

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References

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  1. ^ THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST[usurped] Jam! Accessed on April 25, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c Biography > Michie Mee Allmusic. Accessed on April 25, 2010.
  3. ^ a b c Artist: Michie Mee & L.A. Luv[usurped] Jam! Accessed on April 25, 2010.
  4. ^ Various - Break'n Out Discogs. Accessed on April 25, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d Border Block—Canadian Hip Hop vs. America CBC. Accessed on April 25, 2010.
  6. ^ a b "Various - The First Priority Music Family: Basement Flavor". Discogs.
  7. ^ Larry LeBlanc (19 April 1997). "Canada's Raggadeath On The Rise". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 64. ISSN 0006-2510.
  8. ^ "Rap: Pop music genre, introduced in the mid-1970s in New York". Historica Canada.
  9. ^ "Urban Music" The Canadian Encyclopedia.
  10. ^ "25 best Canadian debut albums ever". CBC Music, June 16, 2017.
  11. ^ "Wha’ Happen?: Raggadeath"Archived 2013-07-06 at the Wayback Machine. The Grid, March 11, 2013.
  12. ^ Michie Mee And Friends Crusade For Peace[usurped] Chart. Accessed on April 25, 2010.
  13. ^ Michie Mee > Discography > Singles & EPs Allmusic. Accessed on April 25, 2010.
  14. ^ "Album - MichieMee"Archived 2022-12-02 at the Wayback Machine. MichieMee.
  15. ^ "Canadian legend Michie Mee drops new album Bahdgyal’s Revenge"Archived 2021-01-28 at the Wayback Machine. HipHopCanada, November 23, 2020.
  16. ^ "FreeUp!: This Sunday, join artists across Canada to celebrate Emancipation Day 2021". CBC Arts, July 27, 2021.
  17. ^ "Raggadeath - One Life". YouTube. 23 December 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  18. ^ "Raggadeath - Why Ask Why". YouTube. 8 August 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  19. ^ "RAGGADEATH: 'Dance With The Devil' (feat Michie Mee)". YouTube. 8 February 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  20. ^ "Michie Mee ft The Day After Band 'Break The Rules'". YouTube. 8 February 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  21. ^ "Michie Mee & L.A. Luv - Jamaican Funk Canadian Style (Video)". YouTube. 7 August 2010. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  22. ^ "Michie Mee ' Covergirl ' (The Official Video )". YouTube. 8 February 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  23. ^ "Michie Mee ' Don't Wanna Be Your SLAVE ' ( The Official Video )". YouTube. 8 February 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  24. ^ "Michie Mee- No Man.wmv". YouTube. 10 December 2010. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  25. ^ "Michie Mee ' Bahdgyal Bubble ' - (The Official Video )". YouTube. 26 December 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  26. ^ "Michie Mee ' Stand Right Beside HIM ' ft JD Era (The Official Video)". YouTube. 20 August 2013. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  27. ^ "Michie Mee ' Thank You ' (The Official Video)". YouTube. 29 August 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  28. ^ "Michie Mee ' MADE IT ' ft. TonyaP ( The Official Video )". YouTube. 22 April 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  29. ^ "Michie Mee ' What U Talking Bout ' ft The Day After Band ( Official Music Video)". YouTube. November 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  30. ^ "Michie Mee ' Willing & Able ' ft Xentury (Official Music Video )". YouTube. November 2021. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  31. ^ "Chicks with Sticks". Northernstars. Toronto, Ontario: Canadian Independent Visual and Digital Media Association. 30 June 2016. Archived from the original on 15 April 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
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