M11X

Mikal Jessie Hameed - aka M11X - grew up in South Central Los Angeles during the 1970s. Both of his parents were Jazz musicians, and his father Obie, more commonly referred to as Young Jessie, was best known as the writer of his original song "Mary Lou."

Growing up surrounded by music, Mikal was disappointed he too couldn’t sing or play an instrument; luckily Mikal didn’t let this prevent him from entertaining and to expressing emotion with sound. From the beginning of his career Mikal experimented with different audible outlets. His unique background paired with his desire to bring music to people were the catalyst for the work he is doing with Rebaroque. 

After a short career singing in a West LA punk band Mikal moved to the Bay Area where he quickly earned the reputation as a sought after Storyteller among San Francisco’s spoken word movement. Mikal performed with all types of local musicians, DJ’s, beat-boxers and other artists. With his passionate oratory style, Mikal was often seen as a spiritualist, and gained a significant following among the local community. It was during this time that Hameed began to experiment with sound and sculpture together and constructed his first personal sound system. This piece became the foundation for much of his later work.

Mikal moved to Brooklyn in 1999 to pursue a career as an art director for Hip-Hop music videos. It was not until 2008 that he decided to go back to his roots and focus on his own artistic aspirations.

Mikal is a key part of Brooklyn’s cultural arts movement, and has his roots planted in the community. He now lives in Bushwickl with his wife Noelle and his his three beautiful children Mesiah, Manu and Uma. Mikal never tried to have his finger on the pulse; instead he is a part of the pulse's continuous beat.