He dropped a new mixtape today

http://www.datpiff.com/Mickey-Factz-Mickey-MauSe-mixtape.329384.html

It's pretty interesting stuff.

But did his ship sail off into the sunset?

He was a part of that '09 XXL Freshman class, and a lot of those guys have gone onto big things. Wale, B.o.B. and Cudi are major players. Ace Hood at least has hits. Curren$y and Asher Roth have their niche (both seem to be the most touringest dudes right now). Cory Gunz appeared to be onto something with the A Millie Freestyle and 6'7 momentum, but it died out (and now he's about to do a bid, it looks like). Charles Hamilton and Blu self destructed.

But Mickey? He just sort of fell into the background.

There were rumors of a Roc Nation deal, but it didn't happen, and then he signed to Battery, which was absorbed into RCA (don't know if he's still signed as they seem to have dropped a lot of artists)

I saw dude open for Bun B of all people around this time last year and he put on a strong 20 minute set. I don't think too many people in the crowd knew his shit, and yet I got the feeling when he walked off stage he had a lot of new fans.

I've always had a theory that for a new artist to breakthrough, they need that ONE song that people a) identify with them ("oh he's that dude who did..." and/or b) play for others to win them over ("I got this new guy I want you to hear" or now, it's sending links via email). Of course, the curse is often that if it's too big a hit, they are forever burdened or pigeon holed (how long was Joe Budden that guy from "Pump It Up" despite making music that sounds NOTHING like it for years?)

This theory was sort of disproved with the success of J. Cole, in that he didn't have it, but won anyway (after two years on the grind, mind you), and you can no longer JUST have that hit song, but I still feel like, 9 times out of 10, its a correct theory.

Mickey never had that song, did he? If he had, would it have made a difference?

do or die