INTERVIEW KIM “GOODLOOK” SEABROOK PHOTOGRAPH FREAKO VASQUEZ

NATIVE NEW YORKER MIKE KUWAN HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY PUTTING OUT NEW MUSIC AND GETTING HIS NAME OUT THERE. THE SOUTH BRONX RAPPER TELLS STORIES OF GROWING UP, VERBALLY PAINTING PICTURES OF HIS STRUGGLES AND LIFE LESSONS IN SONG. DEDICATED TO KEEPING HIS MORALS AND LOYALTY IN THE HIP-HOP GAME... HE RECENTLY DROPPED THE VIDEO FOR “NO MORE” SHOT BY JOHN LUXE, THE FIRST SINGLE OFF HIS LATEST PROJECT “BAD DECISIONS WITH GOOD INTENTIONS''. VALIDATED RECENTLY SPOKE WITH MIKE KUWAN TO DISCUSS HIS EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP-HOP, THE MESSAGE IN HIS MUSIC AND MORE.

“I JUST FEEL I TELL A UNIQUE AND HONEST STORY ABOUT MY LIFE AND MY PAST. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT IN SOME WAY SO THAT AUTOMATICALLY SEPARATES YOU WHICH I FIND IS DOPE.” - MIKE KUWAN

VALIDATED: BEING BORN IN THE BRONX, TELL US WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST MEMORY IN HIP HOP?

MIKE KUWAN: WHEN I WAS LIVING IN THE SHELTER AS A KID WITH MY MOTHER AND BROTHER, HEAVY D CAME AND VISITED TO SPEAK TO THE WOMEN WHO LIVED IN THE SHELTER WITH THEIR CHILDREN.

VALIDATED: YOU WROTE YOUR FIRST SONG AT THE AGE OF 13. HOW HAS THE MUSIC CHANGED SINCE YOU FIRST STARTED?

MIKE KUWAN: IT’S MADE ME BE A BETTER WRITER, I’M ABLE TO BE OPENLY EXPRESSIVE IN MY MUSIC 100%.

VALIDATED: WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE DO YOU GIVE WITH YOUR MUSIC?

MIKE KUWAN: THAT YOU CAN BE IN ANY COMPROMISING SITUATION AND BE ABLE TO RISE ABOVE IT, I TALK ABOUT MY LIFE STRUGGLES AND BATTLES AND HOW I’M OVERCOMING MY SITUATIONS.

VALIDATED: WHO HAS BEEN YOUR INSPIRATION?

MIKE KUWAN: NIPSEY HUSSLE, JAY Z, TYLER PERRY, DENZEL WASHINGTON, 50 CENT, BIGGIE SMALLS, 2PAC , SNOOP, ETC.

VALIDATED: WHAT SEPARATES YOU FROM THE OTHER ARTISTS TODAY?

MIKE KUWAN: I TRY NOT TO LOOK AT IT IN THAT WAY BECAUSE WE ALL ARE ARTIST, I JUST FEEL I TELL A UNIQUE AND HONEST STORY ABOUT MY LIFE AND MY PAST. EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT IN SOME WAY SO THAT AUTOMATICALLY SEPARATES YOU WHICH I FIND IS DOPE.

VALIDATED: IS THERE ANYONE YOU WANT TO WORK WITH NOW OR IN THE FUTURE?

MIKE KUWAN: WISH I COULD’VE GOT TO WORK WITH NIPSEY AND BIGGIE, BUT DAVE EAST, 50, FAT JOE, FAB, MEEK, ROSS, SNOOP, DR DRE, EMINEM, PHARRELL, SCOTT STORCH AND MUCH MORE.

VALIDATED: IF MUSIC WASN'T A PART OF YOUR PASSION WHAT ELSE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF DOING?

MIKE KUWAN: DRAWING AND ACTING.

VALIDATED: WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT THE FEMALES IN THE BUSINESS NOWADAYS?

MIKE KUWAN: I LOVE IT, FEMALES ARE VERY STRONG, THERE’S NO EGO WITH THEM. I FEEL FEMALES IN THE INDUSTRY ARE BECOMING THE NUMBER 1 LEADERS IN HIP HOP AND THE INDUSTRY WORLD.

VALIDATED: WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE AND HOW DOES IT CONNECT TO YOUR ARTISTRY?

MIKE KUWAN: MY PURPOSE IN LIFE IS TO LIVE OUT MY PASSION WHICH IS MUSIC, TO TOUCH THE ONES WHO HAVE A HARD TIME EXPRESSING THEMSELVES AND TO BE A LEADER TO THE ONES I LOVE AND THAT LOVE ME.

VALIDATED: WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING EXPERIENCES IN YOUR CAREER?

MIKE KUWAN: TRUST AND MORALS...

VALIDATED: DO YOU HAVE ANY ENCOURAGING WORDS FOR YOUR FANS?

MIKE KUWAN: STAY POSITIVE NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION IS IT’S ONLY TEMPORARILY. YOU CAN CHANGE ANYTHING IN YOUR LIFE WITH THE RIGHT FOCUS AND MOTIVATION, LOVE YOURSELF MORE THAN ANYTHING, NEVER EVER QUIT ON YOUR PASSION AND DREAMS, STAY PURE AND PRAY AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.

VALIDATED: TELL US HOW WE CAN FIND YOU?

MIKE KUWAN: MY INSTAGRAM IS @IAMMIKEKUWAN, FOLLOW ME, CLICK THE LINK IN MY BIO AND GET MY NEW PROJECT ‘BAD DECISIONS WITH GOOD INTENTIONS’. CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE PAGE AND SUBSCRIBE TO IT ‘MIKE KUWAN’ AND TWITTER IS @IAMMIKEKUWAN.

I AM MIKE KUWAN: MIKE KUWAN