MICKEY AVALON IN CONCERT:
Bad-boy Hollywood rapper Mickey Avalon has become an underground hip hop mainstay over the past decade thanks to his catchy throwback sound, raunchy live performances, and raw lyrics about life in the fast lane. At his live shows Avalon is pure magnetism, gyrating around the stage shirtless as he delivers his rapid-fire rhymes with a theatrical mix of blustering swagger and faux-coquettishness. Avalon's rapping skillfully combines deeply personal stories with bawdy double entendre, and the result is a dynamic live show that's both full of emotion and funny as hell. In 2015 Avalon reunited with longtime collaborator Dirt Nasty for a highly anticipated EP and tour, and he continues to light up the stage with his bounce-worthy beats, clever lyrics, and colorful live antics.
BACKGROUND SNAPSHOT:
Los Angeles-born Mickey Avalon grew up surrounded by drugs and substance abuse -- his mother was a marijuana dealer and his father a heroin addict. Before long Avalon was breaking the law to finance his own addiction, but after his sister died of an overdose he resolved to clean up his act and get serious about music. In the early '00s he and rapper Dirt Nasty (Simon Rex) formed the group The Dyslexic Speedreaders, gaining an underground fanbase with their 2004 debut album Catching Up to Wilt. A few years later Avalon signed to Interscope and released his 2006 self-titled solo debut album, which earned praise from critics for its retro sound and unflinching account of his struggles with addiction. Avalon's off-the-wall performances of party anthems like "Jane Fonda" and "Mr. Right" earned him a loyal following, and in 2009 Stephen Marley tapped him as an opener for his national Blazed & Confused Tour. Following a label conflict in the early '10s Avalon was released from his Interscope contract and in 2012 he released his long-awaited sophomore album Loaded on Suburban Noize Records. Since then he has remained a prominent hip hop agitator, dropping hard-hitting releases like 2013's I Get Even EP and slaying on tour in 2015-16 with longtime collaborator Dirt Nasty.
