‘Second chance’
M.O. Music says rapping ‘a way for me to cope’
Music is an outlet for Mike Oliva.
It’s one that he’s grateful for, and it gives him an opportunity to get on stage.
“With music, I become an extrovert, which is completely opposite of how I am off stage,” he says. “I’ve been through a lot of personal stuff, and it’s a way for me to cope with it.”
Oliva performs under that stage name M.O. Music. He recently released the album “M.O.tivation 2,” in June and will be performing alongside other rappers at the “Septicemia Records Presents Music = Love Tour” tour on Monday, July 8, at Red Velvet Underground.
Oliva began his hustle in music when he was 18.
Now 27, he’s making waves in the Albuquerque scene.
Through it all, he’s remained personal in the stories he raps about.
He wrote a song about his dad, who committed suicide in front of Oliva and his mother, when Oliva was a child.
“My mom didn’t approve of the song” at first, he says.
Years later, the track, “No More,” is on his album, and it got the seal of approval from his mother.
“I purchased the beat from a Grammy Award-winning beat maker,” he says. “I told the story in third person and really wanted it to come to life. I’m a perfectionist when it comes to my music. I’ll always hear little things that I can change or wish I
would have changed.”
Oliva is originally from Michigan and made his way to Albuquerque thanks to his mother.
“When I was in Michigan, I overdosed and I was nearly braindead,” he says. “My mom was living in Albuquerque, and she made the decision to get me away from my former life.”
Oliva often performs shows around Albuquerque and continues to work hard to grow his career.
“Some days I question myself about why I’m doing this,” he says. “Then I remember that performing is what I love doing. I came back from nearly being dead, and this is my second chance. It showed me that life is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. There are always going to be people that hate on you and try to take you down. I’m happy with my life now, and I’ll work hard to keep it moving forward.”