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.

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 performance without music as this is a message that is both important overall as well as highly personal to me - I am thankful to my team for helping me create a space that is stark & unsettling enough for the emphasis to rest entirely upon the spoken message presented, as I feel it is one that many, if not all, can identify with. 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, then I will feel I have done my job as an artist.

This a cappella performance of "Demons" is a nice contrast to the full production version, placed in a stark and unsettling space as a means to allow the viewer to focus entirely upon the message presented. It will be on my next project - "Light of Mind" - so LIKE, SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE if the bars hit.

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 straightforward 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).

Aside from the obvious 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 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". The motif itself says, "I've been praying for your life, God bless you, you're still sneezing" -- 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".

Through the vivid imagery, animation of lyrics in the video and dialogue between the 2nd and 3rd sections the piece aims to open the eyes of an otherwise unseeing individual blinded 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 verse.

Credits

Deven "Mickey Young" Bridges - Lyricist & Performer

Jacob Gutzwiller - Director/Producer

Marques Edwards - Camera Assistant

How to Purchase this Artwork

This is a derivative of a body of work that will be on Mickey Young's upcoming Playlist "Light of Mind"

Other Goods & Services Available from this Artist

Products and artist merchandise available at It's Mickey's Merch on instagram (@itsmickeysmerch) and at http://itsmickeyyoung.storenvy.com.

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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