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Despite its quiet country atmosphere, Winnsboro, Louisiana, a real quite and country town, But growing up in a portion locals called the"Slu" because on the bridge tha seperate the neighborhood from the rest of the town,"It's real gutta," admits 19-year-old Winnsboro native Michael "Mikey T" Trent, II. "But it's nice if you mind your own business. When I'm gone for too long, I be missin' it. That's where I'm from, that's home."

A typical child of the projects, Mikey T's upbringing was anything but stable. His mother move into the Section 8 "New Projects" on West Harper when he was just five years old. He spent his early teen years shuttling back and forth between the care of his mother and grandmother.

Ever since he was five years old, writing rhymes had been his release. "My big dawg Garfield and Tweezy from taught me how to rap," Mikey recalls, adding that his father was a music lover who often danced to her favorite songs. Intrigued by music that reflected his rough upbringing, he started listening to "all the gangsta rappers, all that shit that hits hard," including the Hot Boys, 2Pac, Big Tymers, Snoop Dogg, Juvenile, UGK, and B.G..

Mikey struggled throughout school, prevented from playing his favorite sports (basketball and football) because of his poor grades. "I cared about school, but I used to get expelled for fights. I'd have loved to make all A's, but I just never did." His interests lay elsewhere. At the time, New Orleans-based powerhouses like No Limit and Cash Money were dominating the urban music scene. Less than 4 hours away, Winnsboro felt the impact. "We was rockin' right with them," says Mikey T. "I wasn't rappin' until I heard them, and [to see them make it] made it start seeming more real."

At age 17, Mikey T founded a local street label Hott Muzic Entertainment, Mikey felt comfortable with starting the label because he felt it would be at his best interest to succeed. Signing upcoming artist such as his lil' brother Lil' Trent, KC, and J.West. "We was keeping it real," he says. "I used to just rap, but I felt like we was a family.

HME teamed Mikey T up with local Tacoma native Lil' Tee, and together the two gained an impressive street following with independent releases like Sex On The Beach and Fresh ta Def. Mikey isn't sure exactly how many albums they've sold independently. "[I don't know, I just know] it's a lot for niggas who ain't got a deal. I just know it's been way more hoes comin' up to me than before," laughs Mikey T.

After creating a buzz with their underground albums, Mikey T continues to push for mainstream attention by releasing hot singles like "Relax Ur Mind" and "All In Yo Face." 2Fre$h & Mikey T were soon the hottest unsigned commodity in the South, attracting the attention of numerous local record labels.

Mikey T's upcoming debut album, the appropriately titled Tha Ratchet Movement, is expected to drop in 2008. "Everything Louisiana is about is what the album is about," explains Mikey. "It's like the 'Louisiana Movement,' but I call it the 'Ratchet Movement'. I don't know what I'd be doing if I wasn't rapping." Currently resides in Aurora, Colorado.

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