Once upon a time, Mike Osler fell in love with a band called 311. The hard energetic raps of Doug Martinez was Mike's ultimate inspiration. Martinez also scratched on the tables, and this sparked the DJ interest in Osler. Over the next few years, Mike would spend his spare time chasing a vision of being a rapper and a DJ like the man Martinez. From 311, he started listening to Sublime, Rage Against The Machine, The Urge, 2 Skinnee J's, Kottonmouth Kings, Cypress Hill, and the Beastie Boys.
Though rapping and vocalizing was the main interest of Mike, it would be a couple years before any kind of musical production would take place. He started taking piano lessons as a freshman in high school (1997) to broaden his musical abilities, and this came into play when he was a main figure in a hard metal band The Flaming Moes in the spring of 2000.
It was over the summer of 2000 when Mike finally decided it was time to mess around with his rap dreams. Having no opprtunity to start a hip-hop band, Osler embarked on a solo musical project that would spawn over his senior year of high school. Using his newly aquainted keyboarding abilities, he constructed some beats and rhymes and started getting noticed as a tune-maker. He purchased a shitty pair of turntables and dubbed himself 'Vicious' after ex-Kottonmouth King St. Vicious. He started extensive work on an album with the help of comrades Joe McGrath, Chris Hamilton, Justin Heckman, Clark Rutledge, and Ryan Garza. In a matter of months, live shows and radio play began.
Defining his sound, he started listening to acts like Zebrahead, and he really started listening to the Beastie Boys (and the insane turntable antics of Mix Master Mike) like never before. He was introduced to underground hip-hop sounds of Dr. Octagon, Deltron 3030, Black Eyed Peas, and the Pharcyde. These bands helped Osler realize how tight hip-hop can be.
V has been involved in music since he saw Marty McFly rock out in 87. He has had formal training in the violin and piano, but that was years ago so now he makes it all up. He also has had formal training in the ways of the turntable and is mastering his technique with ambitions to pass along the wisdom and power of the scratch.
Suggests listening to:
K-Os Exit
Beastie Boys To The 5 Boroughs
Zebrahead MFZB
Audioslave Audioslave
The Dining Rooms Tre
Richard Warner Quiet Heart / Spirit Wind
N.E.R.D. In Search Of
and anything old school.
