Mookie is an Italian American hip hop musician, record producer, manager, and A&R born and raised in Long Island, New York and later Tampa, FL. Growing up with his boom box regularly tuned to Hot 97, it was only a matter of time before he would succumb to writing and rhyming himself. Despite moving to the South, Mookie's style stayed true to his East Coast roots. By the age of 12 he had already found himself rapping amongst his friends, stating "I think I released 3 CD's throughout the course of high school... Those are some trying times for a kid so that was when I really turned to writing." After high school, Mookie ventured to Florida State University, in Tallahassee, where he put his mic down in hopes of furthering his education. At the same time, Mookie broadened his knowledge of the industry as an intern for G-Unit Promotions. "I might not have been rapping, but I knew that I wanted to be involved in music somehow". After 2 years, he moved back home to Tampa where he decided to return to music and continue his education locally, stating "I was so shell shocked about being home and dealing with things in Tallahassee that I felt I had to write again." In May 2009, this translated into his debut album “From Point A to Point B”. "I really wanted to give people an idea of where I came from and what I have been through as an individual, it was a genuine project". He followed this up in June 2010 with the release of his sophomore album “It’s Not You, It’s Me”, another concept album that focused on relationships and highlighted his progress as an artist and a man. Mookie describes his music as being “alternative & personal” stating, “My music comes from my experiences in life. We’ve all been through a struggle of some sort, I just try to focus on those that I feel others might be able to relate to, these are things that I have either been through or witnessed personally. Everybody needs someone to talk to and instead of turning to a doctor or a therapist, I found one of my own in MIC (mike)”. Mookie has vowed to provide his listeners with a catalog of true-to-life, ever-progressing music. He is currently in the studio working on his third album “Falling on Deaf Ears", which he hopes to release in the Summer of 2011. Mookie also hopes to continue to establish his brand, applying his management and A&R expertise to a number of acclaimed projects. Follow his journey on Twitter @iitsMOOKIE & LIKE his Facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/iitsMOOKIE.