Mickey's music career

By Catherine Nguyen and Nirupama Shivakumar Feb. 14, 2024

Inseo Kim Art / Landon Trinh Photo

While listening to music is a way for many students to explore their feelings, for Junior Michael “Mickey” Fekade, creating music brings emotional release. Known online as his social media handle YungCartiXr, Mickey has strong support from his friends and boasts over 5,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, proving his dedication to music and the special place it holds in his life.

Mickey has been surrounded by music his whole life; his dad played the saxophone, which introduced him to the magic of creating music. He was inspired by younger rap and hyperpop artists, as well as his crush in 2018—though nothing much came of that—to begin his career. Mickey taught himself to produce music through YouTube tutorials and working with friends that he found through Discord, some of whom he has collaborated with before. Realizing that he could profit off of this hobby, he later began to post his music on Spotify, YouTubeYoutube and Soundcloud, despite his original intentions of just making songs for enjoyment.

“At the end of the day, making money would also be ideal for my music career. As for fame, if it happens, it happens, but I am not chasing it,” Mickey said.

Music is like therapy to him, something that he can find comfort in during troubled times. Whenever he feels down and needs someone to talk to, he turns to making music. Mickey’s process with creating music starts with his notebook—he writes down what he feels, then quickly drafts a few lyrics to go with it. After that, he pulls out his computer, chooses or improvises a beat and starts recording. The process comes with many struggles—for instance, one of Mickey’s biggest challenges is writer's block. He may have the ideas and emotions in mind, but he does not always know how to turn them into words. To overcome this, he often calls a friend to give him ideas so they can brainstorm.

His favorite part of the process, however, is hearing the result. He enjoys listening to his own songs when he finishes because “every song feels like a kid” to him—a product of his time, effort and dedication. Although he is not in pursuit of superstar-level fame, he focuses on making better music and expanding his platform to a wider audience while also inspiring others to pursue their own dreams in the process.

“My goal is to inspire others to do what they love. For anyone who wants to go into music, it involves a lot of hard work, dedication and patience. Start now or never start. No matter what happens, just keep going and trying,” Mickey said.

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About the Contributors

Catherin Nguyen

staff writer

artist

Both a writer and an artist for The Charger Account, Catherine Nguyen is a freshman who likes drawing, baking, and taekwondo!

Nirupama Shivakumar

staff wrtier

Niru Shivakumar is a junior at Leland High School and is a staff writer for The Charger Account. During her free time, she enjoys playing sports, hanging out with her friends, and listening to music.

Inseo Kim

art director

Inseo Kim is a senior and the art director for The Charger Account. She enjoys hanging out with friends and strong matcha ice cream.

Landon Trinh

photographer

Landon Trinh is a junior at Leland High School and is apart of the Photo-Media team for The Charger Account. He's a big concert go-er and hoodie connoisseur and loves to day dream in his free time.