From Richmond To Ringside, Mikey Rukus Can Be Heard Everywhere
Mikey Rukus is a musical artist hailing from Richmond, Virginia. The Virginia native is a recording artist for the MNRK Music Group alongside label mates Sevyn Streeter, The Game, and K Michelle. Outside of the label, Mikey has worked with a plethora of clients from Monster Jam, UFC, Motorcross, Minor League baseball, and various horror films. The musical artist is known for creating custom walkout music for mixed martial arts fighters and wrestlers.
His clientele in the MMA realm includes the likes of:
Mark Hunt
Shogun Rua
Renan Barao
Leonard Garcia
Cub Swanson
Colin Fletcher
Colton Smith
He started making music for MMA fighters and networks in 2010. In 2019, he became the face that runs... the sounds of the place. Some of his works for the wrestling company include themes for the likes of The Icon Sting, Limitless Keith Lee, Thunder Rosa, and The Redeemer Miro. On the AEW Unrestricted Podcast, he said his very first "oh shit" moment came from when he found out that he would make the theme music for Bret "The Hitman" Hart. The theme music he made for Adam Cole became the number one single on iTunes metal/rock charts in 2021. Mikey even performed with El Alcalde from La Banda Baston to welcome luchadors Penta and Rey Fenix to the ring at AEW's All Out PPV.
Prior to his current days in the pro wrestling, he made music for mixed martial arts and NBC Sports. While he was figuring out what to do next, he noticed pro wrestling had something different to offer. In his Bandcamp feature, he described his power of his role as"[having] the ability to create character development and explore stories." In his feature on AEW's unrestricted, he gives his flowers to legendary music composers in the wrestling industry like Jim Johnston and describes his position as an ever-growing process.
He is highly skilled in finding raw energy to summon instant emotions from the crowd. Mikey keeps his musical ear sharp by not limiting himself to one sound like previous composers in the past few decades. One thing he does to stand out from other music producers is that he makes himself visible to his fans mainly through Twitter. Interacting with his fans gives him life and appreciation of where he is in his lengthy career. His ability to align the right sounds to create solutions for his clients inspires many to learn about creating income from licensing. Mikey's journey is a testament to staying patient with your journey, staying true to yourself, and never rushing any major deals or opportunities.
In a city where it's home to legendary bands and artists like GWAR, Outsider, Lamb of God, D'Angelo, and Michael Millions, Mikey Rukus is solidifying his own legacy with his diverse sounds and humble personality to balance out his energetic work ethic.
Check out his 2021 album Bring the Rukus below and follow him on Twitter.
Written by: Jay Guevara. @justinhisprime on all social media.
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