In 2016, Portland hip-hop veteran StarChile had the vision to create an event that would be a platform for artists from the city. A night that would feature emcees with a focus on lyrical content. He invited producer Trox to be the resident DJ for the event and DJ Klyph to partner in curating and helping behind the scenes. With early photographer Renée Lopez on board to handle capturing the night visually, the new monthly hip-hop showcase was born.
The night featured Portland legends and up & coming artists, in part via the Open Mic Check segment. The collective has also partnered with the international brand Team Backpack to feature some of the city’s best on a worldwide stage.
In the spring of 2018, Mic Check lost it’s visionary as StarChile lost a battle with cancer.
Encouraged to continue the night and to celebrate Star’s legacy, Klyph moved into the role of hosting as well as curating the event and invited StarChile's DJ and mentor the the local music scene DJ O.G. One to join the team..
The pandemic of 2020 forced a change in direction for Mic Check and new opportunities including the live streaming event Mic Check Under Quarantine and a focus on specialty events like the PDX Black Music Expo and Portland Hip Hop Week.
The Mic Check team is excited to see the event continue to grow. We are grateful to McMenamins for seeing the vision and providing our original home at The White Eagle Saloon, to XRAY FM for their continued support from the beginning, our sponsors past and present including The Numberz FM, Ear Trumpet Labs, Kaleafa, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Yanagida, We963 and look forward to building with even more like minded individuals as we continue to celebrate Hip-Hop - Peace, Love, Unity and Having Fun.
