| MIKE-E | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | MIKE-E, Mike Ellis, Michael Ellison, AfroFlow (group) |
| Genres | Hip hop, Spoken Word |
| Occupations | Poet, Actor, MC, Songwriter, Activist |
| Labels | Wendemé Records |
| Associated acts | AfroFlow |
| Website | www.afroflow.com |
Michael D. Ellison (aka MIKE-E, Mike Ellis, Michael Ellison) is an African American recording artist, producer and actor.
Contents |
Ellison was born in Ethiopia to expatriate African American parents who lived and worked in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.[1]
The Detroit-based performer has made repeat appearances on HBO's Russell Simmons presents Def Poetry [2] and in 2007 MIKE-E opened the three-network simulcast of the widely anticipated football game between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. The television audience for this game was over 34 million. MIKE-E's music was used by the Barack Obama presidential campaign,[3] broadcast at rallies and included on the official barackobama.com web site. MIKE-E's debut CD "AfroFlow" is the first ever Hip-hop CD sold by the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the world's largest institution dedicated to the African-American experience. AfroFlow, meaning flowing from Africa, recognizes Hip-hop’s indigenous roots and empowering messages.
Ellison’s acting credits span film, television and theatre. He has appeared in such films as The Butterfly Effect 3, Standing in the Shadows of Motown, All’s Faire in Love, Little Murder, and MVP, with a cameo appearance on the HBO’s original series Hung.[4] A member of Detroit’s 2002 National Slam Poetry Championship team, Ellison holds a Communications Degree from the University of Virginia and has been featured in international print campaigns for urban clothier Pelle Pelle.[5]
MIKE-E’s performances lauding the disproportionate tobacco advertising aimed at youth, ethnic and economically challenged populations brought him to the attention of the American Cancer Society (ACS).[6] In 2007, the ACS partnered with MIKE-E, sponsoring the groundbreaking AfroFlow Tour.[6] Entering its fourth year in 2010, the tour of U.S. colleges and universities, middle and high schools, churches, communities and music venues has become a major component of the Society’s initiative to engage youth, young adults and families nationwide in the fight against cancer, as well as tobacco prevention and cessation. The tour has reached millions through live concerts, outreach, and extensive media coverage. MIKE-E also wrote, produced and appeared in a series of public service announcements for the ACS, one of which (Victorious) features his aunt, a cancer and heart transplant survivor.[7]