Michael Lozada keeps busy studying in computer engineering at Cal Poly, but there’s something that many don’t know about him: He also goes by Like Mike.
Michael grew up in Long Beach, Calif., and was homeschooled throughout high school. He always loved music, but didn’t realize his true passion for music until his junior year in high school. Michael learned how to play his dad’s guitar and began singing, but it wasn’t long until he realized his voice wasn’t all too pretty. His friends, on the other hand, thought he had another secret talent. During his free time, Michael would play basketball pick up games with his friends, and their games would always end with freestyle rap battles. That’s when it was discovered; Michael Lozada was a talented freestyle rapper.
Rapping is a huge part of Michael’s life, but he made it clear that he loves what he does at Cal Poly. He’s becoming a successful computer engineer who happens to spew rhymes on the side.
Michael finds inspiration from many other artists, such as B.O.B, Childish Gambino, and Machine Gun Kelly. These artists stand out to him because they’re not just average rappers; they share inspirational stories, they’re musically talented and they don’t fit typical rap stereotypes. His descriptions of his music are “intelligent, crazy and unpredictable.” His life has been challenging, but he loves using those challenges to create better music, aiming to help and inspire others.
Even though he’s still young, Michael has high hopes of taking bigger steps in his rapping career. He already has two albums and shares his music publicly on iTunes and Soundcloud. He’s looking to book open mic gigs at SLO Brew, KCPR, and other local places in San Luis Obispo to make himself more familiar.
You should definitely listen to his albums on Soundcloud, and spread the word on Facebook and Twitter!
And if you see him walking around on campus, don’t be afraid to say hello!