Chicago is shaping up to be one of the hottest rap scenes of the 2020s, and Mike DFG sits at the nexus of it.
After scoring one of his most notable collaborations of the year, Mike DFG returns to the Chicago rap scene with his album Hei$man.
In this interview, he discusses the zeal and triumphs that led to the creation of the album, as well as his hopes for the future of his rap career and Chicago rap more broadly.
It's looking like the summer is shaping up to be really busy for you. So momentum's building?
Yeah, the summer is genuinely supposed to be like the pinnacle of everything art-wise, especially in Chicago, right? It's a legendary summer. Summertime Chi is always the best time to be in Chicago, for sure.
Can you explain your background and how being specifically from the West Side of Chicago influenced you musically?
My background with music, specifically; it's more of a love turned into “I want to try to do this. I want to know the ins and outs of the business. I want to know how to really create my own art and be proud of it."
Being from the West Side, it also gave me a better reference to paint my canvas with. You know what I'm saying? It helped me to convey my story, because without my experiences there, I wouldn't have a story.
What narratives of the West Side do you want to portray in your music?
I want to portray the West Side as [something other than] a dangerous or, you know, unsafe place to live. I want people to see the hustle, see the passion, see the creativity that we definitely have, and I'm living proof of that.
I also want to make sure that I lead a way better example than what I had, you know? So, that's my ode to the West.
What headspace were you in when you were creating Hei$man?
I just got done with (2024 mixtape) Love Letter to the West, right? Just like wrapping up that arc. And I had one of my great colleagues, Kayla Sullers, actually press me before we became the Starting Five.
She was like, "Hey, I'm interested in knowing what you're working on." At the time, I was in my “retired” arc, so I was like, "I'm not doing nothing. I ain't got nothing in the vault, nothing like that." She gave me that look like, "I know you working on something."
I was like, "All right, you don't believe me? Cool, don't." But we ended up exchanging phone numbers and all that.
Once that happened, we ended up going to studioSHAPES that night, the old location (in Lincoln Park), and then we put together a test group for one song from the next project, which is HEI$MAN, right?
We ended up playing “G $HIT” and just to see the reaction of the people definitely made me want to work more on this project, you know? And honestly, I'm really happy that this project came out because I was very much in a different headspace.
I was like, "I don't know if people want it, blah, blah, blah." But once I realized that I love this project for what it is to me, and then also the overall aesthetic is just beautiful on it, so I just wanted to make sure that I gave the city something to champion instead of just trying to phone it in or not really focus on my quality. So, yeah.
How long did it take you to create HEI$MAN?
So, the creative direction and actually bringing it to life took around 9 months. I've had this vision in my head for a while, even before Love Letter, even was fully fleshed out.
It was more about putting everything together piece by piece. You know what I'm saying? Just making sure that everybody is on point, assembling a team that can help me bear this load so I don't have to do everything by myself. That was a big, big, big point.
So, shout out to my Starting Five, that's Danny Pleckham, Kayla Sullers, you know, Sincere Townsend, aka TWXNOO, Aiden O'Neal, and then myself, right?
We are all responsible for the success of HEI$MAN. Like, of course, I'm the guy rapping and coming up with the ideas, but having the team to actually bounce ideas off of and being able to sift through what is actually good and what's not, different viewpoints, it allows me to get a leg up on other artists, because like a lot of people can be copy and paste.
If you're doing something original, you're bound to be copied. So, that was my main thing. I wanted to make sure I was 100% original, but if I did [reference anything], like on the cover, I wanted to make sure it was a perfect re-enactment, but still make it my own, you know? It's basically sampling.
Before you released HEI$MAN, you collaborated with Saba and Recoechi on “SI BUENO/ON BRO.” What was that experience like for you?
That song was just a full circle moment in itself. I was blown away when I actually heard Saba's verse for the first time on the record. When Saba and I first talked, he ended up rapping his verse to me at John Walt Day.
But like, you know, phone in hand, I was like, "Yo, this is crazy. I can't believe I'm in this moment right now," you know what I'm saying?
Hearing it back on wax, it’s night and day for me. Cuz like, it feels real. I'm just really happy that that song hit the city and it allowed us to actually build a bit more hype, be a bit more in place with everything. That was like the building block for HEI$MAN, because it allowed me to release it at a higher point in my career.
After that bump in popularity, it allowed me to just be like, "Yeah, it's time." So, it's perfect.
Can you describe some moments of triumph you've encountered that inspired the creation of the mixtape?
Okay. So, with HEI$MAN, I started really creating that after I turned 22. That was like a blessing in itself. Having my own place for the first time for a full year, that was something to be very grateful for.
Seeing the response of the first project, especially at Reggie's on a Wednesday was crazy.
Packing out Reggie's to the point where I can get another show this year, it's crazy to me. Being able to be a shaper is crazy to me.
A lot of things happened, and I was like, "Yo, I'm just grateful for a lot." And I just want to make sure people know that I'm actually grateful for this opportunity.
Once I put it in the music, it allowed people to understand that frequency and that vibration. Prayer is everything, but you also gotta put in the hard work. Once you do both, you're going to be good.
What specifically inspired the title of the mixtape Hei$man?
It’s actually a play on my life. I go to Columbia College downtown. We don't have any sports teams, so I consider rap to be my sport. As I kept rising through the ranks, I felt like I was the best at it. So, being the best, you translate that to sports, it's the Heisman Trophy.
Whether it's a running back, halfback, quarterback, you know what I'm saying? It's just stuff like that that'll make you allow yourself to chase something bigger than yourself, and that's all I wanted.
I wanted to make sure that people understood, "hey, this isn't no joke. I really want this to be such and such," you know what I'm saying? I'm really happy that people received this project well and didn't think it was corny.
What message do you want to send to the youth about how to maintain hope and motivation, especially in this political moment?
Art is the answer to everything. Let that be your outlet. Let that art fuel your decisions because it'll allow you to see the world for what it is, and then you get to make your own take on it. You know what I'm saying? And then you get to give that right back into the world. Art is the ever-giving gift.
For HEI$MAN, I wrote down three statements. Before, I want them to feel anticipation. I want them to feel excited about listening to the project or being in the world.
During it, I want them to feel immersed. I just want them to be in it and really happy to be there, and then afterwards, I want them to feel nothing but inspired. That's my ultimate goal. I just want to show people that they can do it too, even without me, you know what I'm saying? At the helm of everything.
Can you define your current sound in your own words and describe how you see yourself fitting into the Chicago rap scene?
I create anthem rap. So, anthems are words and music to live by. And that's something I stand by. I wanted music to live by, to live through, you know what I'm saying? With “detonated free$tyle,” that allowed me to get into a different type of bag, like showing grace, showing happiness.
I am very proud of this project. Like, it's a whole bunch of different moments on this project where it just takes it up another notch and then another notch. I just want to keep it going, you know? Striving for greatness, that's it.
You featured Xella Red on your project. But just out of curiosity, who are some Chicago women rappers you have your eyes on currently?
Artist-wise, let me go with Dialect Tre, madamestarlet, Xella Red, and J Bambii 100%. Then we got a lot of people here at Shapes as well. So, I just want to shout out my whole Shapes family. But, I would say those four are like my current favorites.
Those are my people, and I know them personally. So, it allows me to connect with the art a bit more. I don't want to not say somebody else's name, and it ends up being weird.
And MOYANA. MOYANA is a lyrical weapon, like a musical weapon when it comes to music, truly.
How would you define Chicago rap post-drill? And where do you see the future of Chicago rap going forward?
I believe Chicago rap is at a perfect place because we are currently starting to break the mold of that gatekeeping mindset that we used to have, especially me. It’s allowing everybody to just be sweating and get their energy out, and all that negativity is going to cease to exist, especially in the scene.
All I want us to do is just continue to focus on community, because we don't need anybody when we are all supporting each other. You know what I'm saying? So, I’m very, very, very, very happy to be a part of Chicago for the next couple of years.
What was your favorite song to make on the album? What was the hardest song?
Favorite song off the bat gotta be “TALK TO ME” with Xella. Like, the way it feels, the beat, the way it just solos in, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, that is crazy to me. I entered a flow state, and it just ended up being a crazy, crazy song.
My hardest song to make, let me see. I would say the more technical ones would have to be "99" (with Okdeazy) and "3 MAN WEAVE" (with Recoechi & SONNY). 99, for the hook—“99 overall, nobody talking bout none of y'all, y’all need to give that shit up”—like, that's a tongue twister in itself. But, honestly speaking, it was '3 MAN WEAVE' with triplet flows.
That flow change was so fire, but it definitely took a bit more effort. None of them was hard. That one just took a bit more effort.
You know what I'm saying? I can't wait to perform them songs, that's like my thing.
What are some hopes you have for your music career in the future, in like 5 to 10 years?
5 to 10 years, I expect a Grammy in my trophy room. I should be like ultra-status. I see myself just being happy and creatively free and financially free. That's all I want. But, yeah. Can't even say too much more cuz that's exactly how I feel right now.
Are there any sounds that you want to experiment with in the future that you haven't played around with?
I definitely like that post-punk sound. You know, like the Vince Staples project (CRY BABY) that he just did was hard.
What upcoming shows or performances do you have?
Yeah, I do. Taste of Chicago on July 9 at Grant Park and $UMMER OF GREED on July 24 at Reggie’s.
$UMMER OF GREED, that’s probably going to be the best show to see for a minute. Not even, just for me and my performance – everybody else is phenomenal at what they do. Bringing them all together is going to be crazy. So yeah, I'm excited.
