The Storm Before the Sound: Maikel

When SLEEK meets Maikel during the fitting for a photo shoot in Prenzlauer Berg, he is casually sitting on the couch. The long sleeve he’s wearing is black with a grey print of scribbled writing, the pants are baggy and a chunky silver Chrome Hearts bracelet dangles around his arm. Outside, the sun is almost disappearing behind the trees – coloring the sky a pale orange. The wind that blows through the open windows is warm and soft. The traffic on the street rushes by – the siren of a car screams. But the young rapper smiles, not listening to the noise of the big city, excited to tell his story.

Maikel’s music is about fighting through life, no matter what. In his songs, he paints pictures of being a young rapper in Germany who wants to take the world by storm. Reoccurring topics are fashion, love, success, and passion. Although his parents didn’t fully support his creative career in the beginning, Maikel left his home in Bavaria to come to Berlin with no money, no place to stay, and no clear plan for the future. Today the young artist is one of the most promising newcomers in Germany who performs at prestigious venues all around the country and collaborates with other known artists such as Badchieff and Miksu/Macloud.

While it is getting dark outside, Maikel tells us about the ups and downs in his career, how success changes his music, and what he would do if he could travel back in time.

SLEEK: Hi Maikel, are you nervous about the photo shoot? It’s your first one ever, right?

Maikel: Yes, so far it is! But I’m not nervous. I already know the process from shooting music videos. There, you’re obviously out all day, doing your thing. But to be honest I didn’t know that a photo shoot also could take that long! Somehow, I expected it to be only one hour.

S: Photo shoots really can take a while! I know you are very interested in fashion yourself – Do you remember your first encounter with fashion?

M: I think my first encounter was when I watched the music videos of all the big US-American rappers for the first time: Asap, Kanye, Carti, and that whole wave. They were so different from German rappers, they already had amazing fits back then and managed to harmonize music and fashion. That really impressed me because where I come from, other people didn’t understand it.

S: Yeah, that is something you can also tell from your Instagram profile – there’s definitely a common thread. How do you express yourself through social media and what opportunities does that offer you as an artist?

M: As an artist I want to harmonize my music and fashion. Only if everything works together and compliments each other, it paints the whole picture. So, social media allows me to present myself in a certain way, a way that I want to be perceived by others.

S: Sure! social media is a great place to market yourself.

M: Yes. I want to impress people visually and acoustically. I want to inspire people to express themselves in a way that makes them the strongest version of themselves.

S: You already mentioned that where you come from the people didn’t really understand this style. How do the same people react to your music and success today?

M: Mmh, hard to say. I don’t hear anything about that. But I would definitely say in general they react in a very polite way. Most of them are happy to see me. Especially during my tour this year, it was amazing for me to see how many people from back then showed up to my concert in Munich; like the younger brother of someone or the parents of someone else. And they all cheered for me and sang along to my songs.

S: It must be great to see how all of these people support you today.

M: Yes, I loved it! It kind of made me emotional as well.

S: The small city you grew up in is in the countryside of Bavaria, I know that area as well – super beautiful with the mountains and the lake. How has growing up there shaped you artistically?

M: Yeah, Murnau is indeed really beautiful. What I really liked about growing up there was that there’s not a lot of other stuff going on that distracts or influences you in your creative work. There’s only peace and nature around you. No one annoys or pressures you. No other rappers, labels or producers are around you. Instead, I had the freedom to experiment by myself and create whatever I wanted. Here in Berlin, it’s totally different.

S: So, would you say you are a nature boy?

M: Haha, I don’t know. But I definitely need my peace and alone time.

S: Do you feel like your style changes because of Berlin’s noise and your growing success?

M: Well, there’s definitely more pressure now. But I think the pressure mostly comes from myself. I want to improve constantly and therefore expect myself to improve constantly as well. I realized that because I had to take it slower over the last few months. Writing songs was suddenly difficult for me. So, I tried to focus on my live performances instead and tried to give my mind the freedom again to take a break and reorganize itself. I took huge steps in the past years and I’m super grateful for that. But I think every time you get to the next level you have to sit down, breathe in, relax a little, and readapt to a new life stage. It’s all part of the creative growth.

S: What has been the hardest moment in your career so far?

M: Definitely coming to Berlin with no money, no flat, no friends. Back then, my girlfriend moved to Berlin and I realized that I really don’t want to have a long-distance relationship. So, three days after she left, I packed my things and spontaneously followed her. It was the best decision ever, but it was super hard as well.

S: Are you still together?

M: Yes (smiles).

S: Sweet! Ok, I have my last question for you. What can we expect next from Maikel?

M: Only things that get better and better. I definitely hope that I can continue to work with the team I’m currently working with. I will stick to my path and one day I will be on stage, thinking: Damn, we made it!

S: When that day comes, do you think you’ll realize it?

M: Probably not. I’ll always want more.

CREDITS

Photography: Rianon Vran
Art Direction & Styling: Kamal Q Emanga
Creative Production: Eva Mikelatou
Hair and Makeup: Liubov Dyvak 
Set Design: Pertti Hagelstein
Light & VHS Assistance: Emil Hensky
Styling Assistance: Paris Alaho
Junior Set Designer: Sebastian Snyman
Talent: Maikel