Michael Barber (musician)

Michael Barber is an American musician signed to Death Row Records through Hoopla Media Group. He is best known for inventing the Messy Music genre that mixes all types of current genres to create his own. Barber has called the style of music he makes "Dust Music". He has been credited with working in the studio, or on marketing campaigns, for many artists, including Nas, Akon, D'Angelo, Nappy Roots, Kia Shine, the Wu Tang Clan, Rza and Static Major. He has also released poetry and music under the aliases "Determined", "Indiana Smokey Bones", "The Irish Jesus" and "the Jesus". Michael is also the front man for two musical groups, Illuminati Sky and Audio Stepchild.

Early life
Michael Barber was born in Evansville, Indiana to an Irish, Catholic middle-class family. As a child he listened to his mother play the piano, and he wrote his first album at 14 over tracks of Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, and the rap group Onyx. Michael moved to Louisville, Kentucky and formed the rap group, Rhyme Related, and the label Sharp-As-Razor Records. He was a ghostwriter and manager of the label and the group. He ghost wrote verses, and had features, on the compilation album listed as Determined.

Hoopla Media Group/WIDEawake Entertainment/Death Row Records
In 2008 Barber moved to Florida and pursued his solo career. He put out mix tapes with the Wu Tang Clan official DJ, Mathematics, and award winning DJ, DJ Fade. He was quickly picked up as a solo artist for Hoopla Worldwide. Barber was listed as the #1 Hip Hop artist for the state of Indiana by TopLists,in 2012 beating out Freddie Gibbs.

Barber was put into the hip hop group, Audio Stepchild. The lead singles from the Audio Stepchild album "Every Coincidence is Significant" feature Barber and Nappy Roots MC, Buffalo Stille, and are titled "Sofabed" and "Another Sofabed". Barber was also featured on the Nappy Roots album "Sh*t's Beautiful", put out by AllHipHop for the song, "Another Sofa Bed", under the MC name Audio Stepchild. He is also featured on the "Nappy Roots Presents Sh!ts Beautiful" album/mixtape that was released on June 27, 2012 through AllHipHop. He was also featured on the single "Another Sofa Bed" that was produced by 1st Blood and Jonathan Hay, with vocals by Buffalo Stille of Nappy Roots.

In 2011 Barber started the experimental rock group, Illuminati Sky, with metal producer Josh Tifer.

Messy Music Style or "Dust Music"
Barber has created a new genre of music, The Messy Music Style. The Messy Music style is the use of all current music styles to create a new sound. Trent Reznor played a large part in the creation of this style of Music, but Barber is considered a leader of this branch of music. It generally consists of taking music back to poetry over beats. The Purple Aces Project consists of different styles and genres of music, from hip hop, folk, rock, and reggae, which are combined to create the Messy Style. Barber has stated that his debut album on Universal Records will be labeled under the Messy Style, and even feature country music. Barber has stated in interviews that the music he makes is called "Dust Music".

Personal life
Barber has been living in Florida since 2007, working with ECP Music Group and Warner Music Group, and also continues to write songs for Universal Records. He runs Aquemini Beach Front Studios, a small studio that he built from the ground up. His father was briefly in the musical group, Weather Report.

Albums

 * Sharp as Razor Records Presents-"How The Midwest Was Won" - Executive Producer and Ghostwriter
 * Motion Picture Mayhem
 * Motion Picture Mayhem 2
 * Motion Picture Mayhem 3
 * The Purple Aces Project ECP Music Group
 * Shotguns and Canned Goods Universal Records

Mix tapes

 * DJ Fade The Truth
 * Rhyme Related with DJ Mathematics of the Wu Tang Clan
 * Xanax and Anchovies
 * Live From Insanity with DJ Fade

Singles

 * "SofaBed" Audio Stepchild with Nappy Roots
 * "Another SofaBed" with Nappy Roots
 * "She's My Pennie Lane"
 * "Shotguns and Canned Goods" featuring B.Stille of Nappy Roots
 * "Laid Back"
 * "Take Your Time"