Dj Black Panther

Biography

Black Panther

From the moment that Michael Eric Hill was born he was different. Brooklyn hospital doctors told his parents that he would only live three weeks, a thyroid condition his mother had was believed to have been passed along to her son. But Odie Hill had faith. She not only believed her son would survive spending three weeks hooked up to tubes in the hospital, but being a deeply religious woman, she believed her son was meant for nothing less than greatness.

Raised in the neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn amidst such artists like Spike Lee, Chris Rock and the rapper Rakim, Michael was surrounded by an undeniable energy that he couldn’t escape. At an early age hip-hop not only found its way into his home, but in to his blood. Throwing concerts for his toys by gathering them around the portable turntable in front of his Spiderman poster in the living room of his parents home, young Mike would play a mixture of songs by of U.T.F.O., Roxanne Shante, Rod Stewart and Rick Springfield. This varied selection of records would stay with him and help him develop his production and deejaying style in the future. But it wasn’t until the day his brother brought home the Run-DMC record "Sucker Mcs", that his life forever changed. The beats that came from his basement that day could not be ignored.

Although music was a part of him, Michael needed to nurture other artistic aspects he had inside before settling on his true passion. With his good friend Serbe, the same person who years later would introduce him to the world of turntables and deejaying, Michael became a hip-hop dancer in the New York City club scene. Teaching himself to dance in the late 80’s and early 90’s by watching Video Music box with Ralph McDaniels, Michael’s exposure to hip-hop grew. He started battling rival dancers in the clubs, winning contests and soon appearing in two music video’s, "Good For We" by D-Influence, a performer from London, and a video from actor Mark Wahlberg’s alter ego Marky Mark. But the day finally came when Michael would be reintroduced to the turntables again by Serbe, where the art of scratching would become a part of his life. Although reluctant to try, once Michael did, he became hooked to the turntable element and began getting his own mixing decks; this lead to the production of his own underground mixtapes. Taking the moniker "Black Panther", which he later became known for, Michael released about twenty mixtapes. Ambitiously promoting, producing and selling them on the streets of New York with no known name and no management team to support him, Panther was approached by DJ Honda. Honda, a popular Japanese based DJ who became known here in the U.S. after his first self-titled album was released abroad in 1996, " h, DJ Honda” bought three hundred of his double mixtapes to sell in Japan. That huge sale led to the purchase of his MPC and started him in to the world of production.

In 2003 Black Panther put out his debut album on Third Earth Music, “The Darkest Night Ever”. All 17 tracks received nothing but positive feedback and publicity from his fans and critics. From the hottest MCs working over Panthers always original and consistent beats, it showcased a talent that has yet to be discovered.

In 2005, after getting back behind the turntables at clubs and making a name for himself amongst the underground hip hop world of the city streets of New York, Black Panther got back in the studio to work on his sophomore album, “My Eternal Winter”. This one proves to be not just a follow up album, but a step above what we have already heard from him. Since its release in April 2007, “My Eternal Winter” has generated a lot of exposure for Black Panther through reviews and interviews from around the world. The first single, All Falls Down featuring Oktober Zero and Maya Azucena topped the charts at the number 3 position on the Rapattacklives. Currently working on various projects, Black Panther is becoming a sought after producer not only in the hip hop underground but pushing boundaries and crossing into the indie rock world.