Indie Rapper Eyedea, Michael Larson, Dead at 28
By John Etherington on October 18, 2010, 12:05 am
Oct 17 2010
Michael Larsen, aka rapper/singer/songwriter Eyedea, was only 17 years old when he took on P.E.A.C.E. from Freestyle Fellowship in the Scribble Jam freestyle battle. Eyedea was victorious, and a new star was born.
Eleven years later, at 28 years of age, Eyedea has passed away.
On his Facebook account this morning, Eyedea’s mother, Kathy Averill, made this announcement to Eyedea’s fans:
“It is with great pain and sadness that I tell you my son Mikey (Eyedea) has passed away. At this time we kindly request your respect and our privacy as we process this devastating loss. On behalf of Mikey’s family, close friends and fans, thank you.”
The cause of death as of this writing is still unknown.
After Eyedea’s win at the 1999 Scribble Jam, he went on to win two more events in the Chicago area, Rock Steady and Battle Blaze. He also continued improving upon his writing skills, collaborating with good friend and partner DJ Abilities.
Together, the two would release three albums under the Minneapolis-St.Paul Rhimesayers label, located close to where Eyedea was raised. The albums were well received and lauded for their lyrical passion and intense styles. Eyedea also released his own album under a separate pseudonym, Oliver Hart, called The Many Faces of Oliver Hart, in 2001.
The Blaze Battle in Chicago may have been the performance that put Eyedea on the national music map, as he defeated more famous artists such as Bad Boy, Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh.
Eyedea’s family has created a Paypal account and is accepting donations towards the cost of his services.