User:Bipandboppop/sandbox4

MikeQ is a DJ, musician, music producer, and prominent figure in the Ballroom community. He is the founder of the record label Qween Beat. In 2020 MikeQ was the DJ for HBO's Legendary

Early Life
Michael Cox was born in Hackensack, New Jersey and grew up in Newerk, New Jersy. He was first exposed to the ballroom scene in 2003, when the 17 year old Cox attended a LGBT+ party at The Globe a now defunct venue in Newark. In 2004 he began to release music and joined the House of LaBeija. In September of 2005, he DJ'ed his first gig at The Globe, the same venue he had first encountered ballroom.

DJing and Music Production
MikeQ's style has been described by the New York Times as "ecstatic ballroom house", and by both Resident Advisor and Fact as "Spine Snapping". He has DJ'ed numerous parties, balls, and events in primarily in New York and New Jersy, but also Los Angeles, Tokyo, Moscow, Paris, Mexico, Australia, and Seoul, including events with MoMa PS1, Unsound Festival, Opening Ceremony, Turrbotax, Icee Hot, Ghetto Gothic, Fade To Mind & Night Slugs party nights, and Boiler Room.

MikeQ released his debut EP in 2011, "Let At All Out", on Fade to Mind. The EP includes “The Ha Dub Rewerk’d” an interpretation of the ballroom staple by Vjuan Allure, “The Ha Allure” from 1999.

In 2017 he co-founded the "House of Vouge"party in New York. He is the resident DJ on the TV show Legendary.

He produced the music for the 2016 Kiki, directed by Sara Jordenö, which documents Ballroom Culture.

MikeQ has released music with Fade To Mind, Qween Beat, Mad Decent, Night Slugs.

He has also done production for Kelela, Future Brown, and Brodinski amongst others.

Qween Beat
Qween Beat is a record label founded by MikeQ in 2012. It focuses on vogue and ballroom tracks, re-edits, and remixes. Qween Beat has put out releases with numeous artists including Divoli S'vere, Zebra Katz, Ash B, Byrell The Great, Jay R Neutron, LSDXOXO, Koppi Mizrahi.

Ambasador for Ballroom
MikeQ has been a continual advocate for Ballroom, often acting as an ambassador and steward for taking ballroom culture into the mainstream. He has also been a critic of its appropriation its appropriation of corporations that do not understand or give proper credit to the ballroom community.