His ever-stoic demeanor notwithstanding, Mic Geronimo stands out from the hectic dealings taking place on the set for the video to his latest single, the aptly titled "Da Natural." The scurrying about of production assistants settling up shots and preparing lighting, coupled with the presence of his native Queens, N.Y. Wastelanz crew (which includes labelmate Royal Flush) only makes him contrast with the dim landscape of the studio apartment being used for the shoot here in Manhattan's lower East Village. Despite the customary sense of concern and urgency in getting the shoot wrapped up, amidst all the hustle and bustle, Mic doesn't seem to be the least bit fazed.
But remaining calm under pressure has always been apropos for the Queens emcee—ever since he was discovered by rising producer Irv Gotti (who assisted Mic in landing a deal with Blunt/TVT Records), Geronimo has been all about keeping it real. It wasn't too long ago that Mic hit us with his version of what's real with the underground classic "Shit's real" and, soon afterwards, gave listeners another peep into his world the weed-anthem "Masta I.C." So while the lengthy wait for his full-length album to drop may've diminished his popularity somewhat, Mic remains unfazed. "I feel that the album is solid enough where it will bring [people's interest] right back to where it was at or maybe even surpass where it was at," he states in his trailer outside between takes. "I took my time doing it 'cause I didn't want to throw out any 'ol album. So I'm sure that people will appreciate it one way or another."
Indeed, the past year has been a growing period as a whole for Mic, especially from the business side—"I know them for what they are so I don't wrap myself up in it. I just concentrate on my work," he says in reference to the usual industry shenanigans behind the scenes. But amidst his rise to success he has garnered an increased perspective for the messages conveyed in his music.
"I wanted to make an album that's as close to my real life as possible, or as close to life as possible," he states while taking one of the many pulls from his blunt. "Cause life ain't just about getting away with shit, life is going through the good things, bad things, unpredictable, predictable, everything. So if you get anything from it, it causes you to relate to it. Don't like it because something sounds phat and but you don't understand what I'm talking about."
— Cleon Alert