Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Frost.
Hi Mike, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began my art designing flyers for Houston underground rave scene and album covers for local bands in the late nineties. In 1999 I started working with Houston’s underground rap artists and record labels designing album covers. Shortly after I got involved in the rap scene, Michael “5000” Watts and G-Dash formed Swishahouse and asked Me to join as their Creative Director. I was hungry and wanted to get into the music business. One thing led to another and I ended up designing 90% of the album covers out of Houston from 1999 – 2013. From artist Slim Thug, Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Trae The Truth, Devan the Dude, SPM, Rap-A-Lot, Dopehouse, Swishahouse, Z-Ro, the list really covers all of Houston’s rap music scene.
Coincidently, I ended up designing the look and feel for the entire Houston rap era. By the early 2000s, the Major Labels had taken notice of Houston’s exploding underground Rap scene, which propelled me to become a Multi-Platinum photographer and designer. My art and photos have sold well over 20 million albums.
I am also a voting member of the Recording Academy, Archived at Rice Universities Woodson research center.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The life of an artist is always a struggle. The first struggle was to do enough creative work to buy my own time from myself. I knew it was an all or nothing path. I had to find a way to be an artist full time.
Coming from a lower middle-class family from the near Northside of Houston, I did not have much support financially so coming up with the money to buy cameras and equipment was also always a struggle.
Some of the other struggles were internal. I had to believe in myself and what I wanted to do. Deciding to go into the music business as a designer when there really was not much of a music business in Houston at the time was a mental struggle. It was not easy and I remember telling myself either go at it 1000% or shut up and get a job. I chose to go after it.
One of the other struggles was no one else in my usual circles believed in what I was doing. I had to create new circles and forge ahead at a vision a knew no one else could see.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Photography, Album Cover Design, Coding, Video. I am most Proud of all the Album covers I did for Swishahouse and the artist that spawned from that label. Paul Wall, Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, and Mike Jones.
Another thing is that I am proud of is that I know I designed the look and feel for an entire era of Houston music culture that has influenced not only our city but the world of music.
What does success mean to you?
The freedom to pursue ideas and dreams, being healthy, and being able to spend time with family
Contact Info:
- Website: slfemp.com
- Instagram: @slfemp
- Facebook: @slfemp713
- Twitter: @slfemp
- Youtube: @slfemp
Image Credits
Mike Frost / SLFEMP
