Artist bio

Mickey Young’s primary message is one of unity and positivity, something sure to resonate with folks both in his home base of Indianapolis and beyond. Some would even say that he emits “electromagnetic waves of subatomic positivity.” Drawing influence from TDE artists like Kendrick Lamar and Isaiah Rashad, all the way to Drake, Chance the Rapper, and other melodic wordsmiths, Mickey brings a fresh taste to the already-burgeoning Naptown hip-hop scene. His vivid storytelling and succinct rhyme patterns are enough to grab the attention of even the most casual of listeners. His mission: to create quality entertainment for his fans, offer them positive energy, and encourage introspective reflection on the world around them. Deven Bridges (Mickey Young) Mickey Young’s primary message is one of unity and positivity, something sure to resonate with folks both in his home base of Indianapolis and beyond. Some would even say that he emits “electromagnetic waves of subatomic positivity.” Drawing influence from TDE artists like Kendrick Lamar and Isaiah Rashad, all the way to Drake, Chance the Rapper, and other melodic wordsmiths, Mickey brings a fresh taste to the already-burgeoning Naptown hip-hop scene. His vivid storytelling and succinct rhyme patterns are enough to grab the attention of even the most casual of listeners. His mission: to create quality entertainment for his fans, offer them positive energy, and encourage introspective reflection on the world around them. Jacob Gutzwiller Jacob is a music videographer & wedding videographer. He studied Music Technology at USF for 4 years. While in the years at USF, he started taking photos for school projects, which lead him to take photos of friends. He also joined a band, showing off his musical talents playing the guitar. After graduating he used his photographer skills to start making music videos for local artist. He travels around the cities in Indiana filming artist in their hometowns. Even traveling to Atlanta once or twice in a year. Jacob unlike many videographers takes pride and joy in his work. Never showing off and remaining humble. Hoping to one day be the best he can be.

Title

Demons

Medium/Genre

Hip-Hop / Rap

Artist Statement

My inspiration for this song comes from the acknowledgment of the presence of evil in the world and how that evil inflicts itself and gets perpetuated when we are not aware of it. While my spiritual walk has always been a dominant force in my life, my eyes were not TRULY opened to the depths of spiritual warfare before a few years ago. Whether or not you believe in angels or demons, we cannot change the truth - “everything in life is rooted in and affected by the spiritual” - Tony Evans. I used a snippet from one of his sermons covering the topic, because the sermon impacted me so deeply.

The straightforward message of Demons uses poetic language to articulate how life is full of unseen battles (anger, jealousy, toxic behavior, lifelong struggles that lead to a negative or spiraling mindset). There are noticeable differences between treating life like a battleground and treating it like a playground.

I chose to present this piece that was once an a cappella spoken word performance as a song so I could capture the attitude and aura I feel my world view carries. If my previous message had music, it would sound like this. Still... since the song and lyrical message are the most important elements, I chose to create a video that was simpler and more abstract in nature to not distract from a message that is both important overall as well as highly personal to me.

I would like to thank both Howie, my guest vocalist, my two friends who helped act in the beginning of the video, Tony Evans -- one of my spiritual role models, and the videographer "Missed Calls" for rallying around me to bring this vision to life.

If I can inspire those who watch this video to open their minds to the possibility of an unseen world, research any of the scriptural references made in the video, or even just consider guarding their thought and attitudes in general waking lives, then I will feel I have done my job as an artist.

This full production version is a cool contrast to the a cappella performance of "Demons" -- placed in a stark and unsettling space as a means to allow the viewer to focus entirely upon the message presented. This video is abstract... meditative... open ended, so many can pull various meanings from it, and it is on my next project now titled - "Luminary"

Please meditate over the song's message.

How it fits into contest

This candid a cappella piece is an alarm clock to all individuals who have been asleep to the reality and existence of wicked beings in the spiritual realm. The message of Demons uses poetic language to articulate how life is full of an unseen battle (whether or not a person is aware of it).

I once made a reference to Ephesians 6:12 at the end of the video: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms", the motif at the end of each section of the song -- "I been praying for your life, God bless you, you're still sneezing" -- refers to Ephesians 6:18: "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for the Lord's people". This is a play on words alluding to the unhealthy nature of my unbelieving audience. It comes right after a separate scripture reference listing the enemy’s agenda from John 10:10 -- "Steal, kill, and destroy". But given the socially and politically charged environment I made this video in, I decided to reference a different verse to focus on how the enemy's agenda is to divide and conquer in his attempt to steal, kill, and destroy, since a divided kingdom cannot stand (Mark 3:24). I intentionally made Proverbs 29:11 "blip" across the screen at the end of the video in hopes to make people pause and read what the verse says. Feel free to reach out and let me know if the marketing ploy worked. The way I see it, the peacemakers will use self-control to keep themselves from being swept up in emotionally charged situations with their neighbors, and that will prevent the division that the powers of the prince of the air will seek to sow among us.

Through the vivid dialogue between the 2nd and 3rd verses, "Demons" is purposed to open the eyes of those blinded things like pride, anger, faction loyalty (sedition) and other seeds of polarization planted by the god of this age (the same thief mentioned in John 10:10, which we know to be the Satan). With many other scriptural references laced throughout this piece, there are multiple references to this unseen world. Thus, Ephesians 6:18 is the perfect verse for summing up the message of this song.

I believe it's one of the best raps I've ever written.

Credits

Deven "Mickey Young" Bridges - Songwriter & Performer

Missed Calls - Director/Producer

Marques Edwards & Evan White - Mixing Engineers

Vince Patton (RIP) & Deb Kim - Actors

How to Purchase this Artwork

This is a derivative of a body of work that will be on Mickey Young's upcoming playlist now titled "Luminary"...

Other Goods & Services Available from this Artist

Please support the brand at http://itsmickeyyoung.storenvy.com.

I also can be booked for Voice Over and Voice Acting at linkedin.com/itsmickeyyoung

Music also available for license for media production and synchronization.

Music / Sound Sources

Purchased leases and production, legal rights for all recordings belong to our team.

Transcript / Lyrics

Demons (They Be Everywhere)

You see in my eye… I’s always be observant
Bless-ed by the most high, I be’s a servant
Tales as tall as the high grass are told, snakes in grass will lie, and I have seen the serpent

This life I chose, the light I show, The Christ I know, these days is mad fruitful
See Your vision is mad youthful,
You’re blind, in other words mad useful
To principalities, the air force of prince of the air,
I’m seeing legions (ah) leaving all they prints in the air
I’m seeing em there, my vision it was never impaired
And you’re scared you ain’t seeing em there

Can't you see my demons they be fightin me now,
Breathing down my neck, the heat inviting me now
They think I’m Boosie with the Holy oil, wiping me down
I’m wiping me now,
I seen em in my dreams as a child,

Demons, running around scheming,
Be jumping out the woodwork, working for 3 reasons,
steal, kill, and destroy, look at you boy,
I been praying for your life, God bless you, you still sneezing

Yo money ain’t an object,
it’s just some ish that we ain’t got yet,
Me and my team, we be some pirates
Looking like an odd set try 'n' check through like 7 long seas,
I can’t have one piece, it ain’t mine yet
That’s what my guy said, stuck in his mindset, feel like his mind set, stuck in his ways for 40 days, thinking that Drizzy and Noah coming back with the wave, funny his Views still can’t show you you a slave….

Demons and they demolition. And Devils with they devolution. Got you thinking green is the solution,
Don’t go…
Just 'cause the flow of traffic got many passing through life backwards, if you…
Just write "live" backwards it spells money,
You need a root canal here’s some wisdom to pull from me:
The American dream is really a scheme that politicians all envisioned to carry a demon’s mission

Demons, running around scheming,
Be jumping out the woodwork, working for 3 reasons,
steal, kill, and destroy, look at you boy,
I been praying for your life, God bless you, you still sneezing

You really tryna quote a verse out here?!
My people going through the worst out here!
Cut on the tv dawg, we merked out here,
It hurts out here,
It feel like we've been cursed dang near,
The homies dying, we just tryna get this work out here,
Swear I’ll be crying if I see another hearse this year...
You trippin', Jesus can’t save you,
My n****a, Jesus can’t pay you,
You calling us slaves, but look at you -- church enslaved you!
He said you can’t hope to live wise and not live life.
I looked the boy in his eyes and told him I’ve lived twice

Since I've been baptized…
I seen all your philosophies for what they really be and to me it don’t sound right
You Foolish,
I’ve seen ghouls that’ll use this, as long as you let 'em do it, they’ll scheme on you like a nuisance
You're like a lap dog lapping straight out the palm of the enemy stuck on stupid, you killin yoself Judas...

Demons, they be running around scheming,
Jumping out the woodwork, working for 3 reasons,
steal, kill, and destroy, look at you boy,
I been praying for your life, God bless you, you still.... (fake sneeze in the background)

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