Micheal Larsen (aka Eyedea) was an American hip-hop artist and battle rapper from Saint Paul, Minnesota. He made his mark at various national battles such as "Blaze Battle," "Scribble Jam" and "Rock Steady Anniversary" in the late 1990s and early 2000s. His style was at odds with traditional battle rappers in that he often used his time to launch into introspective, narrative passages instead of finding ways to simply cut down his competitors. By 2001, Larsen had coupled with his regular producer, DJ Abilities, and the two together became known as Eyedea & Abilities. His unique version of hip-hop appealed to fans of the more cerebral and left of center forms of the genre, as he soon began to be lumped in with artists such as Atmosphere, Aesop Rock and Sage Francis. Larsen died in his sleep at the age of just 29 from a suspected substance overdose in 2010.
