Mike Ladd

Born in Boston and based in Paris, Mike Ladd has, since the late 1990s, developed a trajectory between alternative hip-hop, spoken word, and experimental forms influenced by jazz, dub, and electronics. His debut album, Easy Listening 4 Armageddon, was released in 1997 and immediately established a dense, narrative, and often conceptual writing approach, followed by Welcome to the Afterfuture in 2000. Mike Ladd has since circulated his work across various settings, both solo and through projects such as The Infesticons and The Majesticons, while remaining close to scenes where independent rap, improvised music, and multidisciplinary creation intersect. His collaboration with pianist Vijay Iyer is significant, yielding In What Language? (2003), Still Life with Commentator (2007), and Holding It Down: The Veterans’ Dreams Project (2013). On his solo records—Nostalgialator (2004), Negrophilia: The Album (2005), Father Divine (2005), and later The Dead Can Rap (2020)—Mike Ladd explores often fragmented forms of rap in which narrative, social critique, and vocal montage occupy as much space as groove. He has also engaged in numerous collaborations with musicians from jazz, experimental rock, and electronic scenes.