Eyedea (right) with long time collaborative partner and DJ, Abilities

I’ll be honest, I haven’t really thought about or listened to Eyedea in a minute… probably getting close to a decade. I remember the killer Freestyler taking 2001 by storm (or backpackers by their straps) with both his solo album, The Many Faces of Oliver Hart and his collaborative release with DJ Abilities, First Born. I even recall walking over to the Sandbox Automatic warehouse in Chelsea during on a Fall afternoon in ’01 and picking up both albums… one copy may have even been autographed as part of  a promotion they were running, I forget exactly. But I brought them back to my office, threw ‘em in my discman and eagerly listened to both waiting for the work day to end.

His fans learned of his passing when his mother posted the below message via his Facebook earlier today.

It is with great pain and sadness that I tell you my son Mikey (Eyedea) has passed away. At this time we kindly request your respect and our privacy as we process this devastating loss.On behalf of Mikey’s family, close friends and fans. Thank you Kathy Averill (Mikey’…s mom)

The St. Paul, Minnesota based rapper was only 28 years old. No cause of death was given.

I first heard of Eyedea as I’m sure most many did when he won the Scribble Jam in 1999 and on Anticon’s Music for the Advancement of Hip Hop that same year. His track “Saviour?” with Sole and Slug still stands as one of my favorites from that groundbreaking comp and of that time and movement in Hip Hop. Dude was a gifted lyricist and freestyler.

Farewell Mikey Larsen AKA Eyedea.

- My Pal the Crook