Most hip-hop stars don't get their start playing college baseball, but mike. is one MC who used his downtime from the diamond to hone his rhyming and rapping skills into catchy yet thoughtful fusions of R&B and hip-hop. Building upon his viral hit "College Humor," mike.'s sound grew more sophisticated over 2013's Relief and 2014's number 13 Billboard 200-charting Closer, before he returned with 2021's the highs.

Born Michael Francis Seander, Jr. in Providence, Rhode Island, mike. was a talented athlete who lettered in baseball and basketball in high school. As a pitcher at Duke University, he set a record for the lowest ERA in the history of the school's baseball program, an impressive 1.61. When he suffered an arm injury that required surgery, he began writing rap lyrics to keep himself occupied as he recuperated. It was a move that kick-started his music career. He started performing as Mike Stud in 2010 and rose from viral video fame with "College Humor" and 2013's Relief to hitting number two the Hip-Hop/R&B Albums chart and number 13 on the Billboard 200 with 2014's Closer. In 2018, he began making music as mike., debuting with the June 2020 single "2 birds." The song paved the way for his 2021 full-length album the highs, which debuted at number 56 on the Billboard 200. ~ Heather Phares & Mark Deming, Rovi