Former TJ student makes it BIGG!
by Heather Brenneman
Former Thomas Jefferson student and TJ Journal Sports Editor Mike Vaughn has done it again! Well known in the halls of TJ, he comes back to give us the inside scoop into his life. Rather than going the traditional route to a four-year college and a degree, “Bigg Mike” took the road to stardom, laughing and rapping all the way.
Though using MySpace is relatively common today, not very often does it involve millions of fans and a few extra dollars. Vaughn found his inspiration on the World Wide Web, right next to Tom, creator and every user’s first “friend” on MySpace, and though MySpace got him started, his dreams were fueled by hip-hop. He started marketing on MySpace for little known musicians who wanted to get their music heard. From there, hip-hop became his life. After his graduation from TJ in 2006, he took some time off just from life. Vaughn worked at the popular shoe store Journey’s and in his spare time worked on a comedy routine, which he also presented at Mr. TJ 06’. Bigg Mike soon put a few of his shows together and won himself an audition for the Rep Your City Tour with a website known as “Streets on Fire”, lead by Prophecy and new co-host, Bigg Mike. Soon after performing, he was bumped up to a host. After a good streak as a host, he was again promoted, this time to vice President. (“ Of the company, not the United States,” he told us.)
Vaughn’s goal with the site right now is to make a name in the music industry, but more importantly to be taken seriously in the music business. In the future, the producers of the site, Bigg Mike included, are hoping to make a bigger market for Streets on Fire web site. The site helps to promote little known music and to get gigs for unsigned artists. He wants to be a “Russell Simmons” (creator of the Cadillac) type person.
Another goal of Bigg Mike’s is to start a new charity campaign called “Health is Wealth.” That charity is going to be a yearlong fundraiser for Children’s Hospital, and they’re hoping to raise a minimum of $100,000. “When I came into the hip hop world, one of my big goals was to make it so that people aren’t scared of hip-hop anymore.” Vaughn explains that hip-hop isn’t at all about being shot up on the block or being degrading to women, and that’s just why he’s trying to clear its name. When asked if I could put a link to his site on the Journal, he said, “You guys do links now? When I was on newspaper, that’s all it was: paper.” This coming from the guy who has been texting on one of his two Helio’s and has had about a hundred phone calls while we talked. “That either shows how busy I am or how many bill collectors want to get to know my bank account better,” laughed Bigg Mike.
When asked about his Spartan Pride, he said he loves TJ and everyone in it. He loved being on the newspaper staff, three years on the sports section. “I will definitely always be a supporter of everything Spartan.”
Mike actually forgot why people knew him. He figured it was because he had his name on the shirt he was wearing, on his hat, and a few tattoos with his name too. Since high school, Vaughn has had more than 70 tattoos done, and says there are more on the way. He also opened his own tattoo parlor, where I was promised a Spartan discount. Some of his stranger body illustrations include a clown, the Transformers logo, a few eyeballs, dollar bills, a star, and the Chinese symbol for “I’m hungry.”
Mike doesn’t consider himself rich, only wealthy. He has a Harley Davidson truck AND motorcycle; a Mercedes, a Chrysler 300, and even a gas-guzzling Hummer. He thinks of himself as a car junky. The last thing he said to me was, “I’m the kid running barefoot in the hallway.”
Promoting hip hop and saving lives through a web site and music are just a few of Vaughn’s many talents. It’s good to know that a person can be such a success, even if they don’t take the route to a degree.
