Sudbury, Ont., rapper Mickey O'Brien says he's found his purpose in life through music and activism
CBC
Between working a full-time job as an underground miner in Sudbury, Ont., and headlining shows as an underground rapper, Mickey O'Brien is keeping busy.
"I toured across Canada twice last year," he said.
That was on top of some international tour dates in Ireland, France, the United Kingdom, Australia and Japan.
All that travel inspired his latest record, Post Cards. The album cover features O'Brien, wearing his trademark baseball cap, with images for famous landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, and an airliner in the background.
One track is called Ikigai, which is the Japanese word for "purpose in life".
That's a theme on the new record, says O'Brien.
"I feel like I've actually been living my purpose, you know, like making my art," he said.
"I'm helping people, I even help people at work through my union activism and whatnot."
O'Brien says all his records reflect what's going on in his life at that moment.
"The Shift Change record that I put out, that was a recovery record," he said.
O'Brien says he's been sober for nearly four years now.
"The last record before this one, Ore Body, was like me digging inside of myself and you know, I picked a different emotion for each song," he said.
He says Post Cards is about shedding pieces of himself, while also discovering new things about himself through new experiences, including travel.
To launch the record, O'Brien will headline a show at the Townehouse Tavern in Sudbury on Friday.
