Mike Skinner (musician)

Mike Skinner
Skinner in concert
Background information
Birth name	Michael Geoffrey Skinner
Born	(1978-11-27) 27 November 1978 (age 38)
Origin	Birmingham, England, United Kingdom
Genres	UK garage, electronica, hip hop
Instruments	Vocals, keyboards, guitar
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Locked On/679, Vice/Atlantic, Warner Music
Associated acts	The Streets, The D.O.T
Website	mikeskinner-ltd.co.uk

Michael Geoffrey "Mike" Skinner (born 27 November 1978) is an English rapper, musician, record producer, and actor, best known for the music project The Streets.

Skinner was born in Barnet, Hertfordshire. He moved to West Heath, Birmingham and started playing with keyboards at the age of five. When he was seven years old he began experiencing symptoms of epilepsy, which worsened in his early teens. He began writing hip-hop and garage music in his home in West Heath and later built a sound booth in his bedroom, using a cupboard and a mattress. In the mid-1990s, following secondary education at Bournville School, Skinner became a student at Sutton Coldfield College, in Sutton Coldfield, and was working in fast-food jobs while trying to start his own independent record label and sending off demos.

He describes his background as "Barratt class: suburban estates, not poor but not much money about, really boring," referring to the property developer Barratt Developments. Skinner has however always identified himself with Birmingham and he is a keen supporter of Birmingham City. He has worn the club's replica shirt on stage. He also wore it in the music video for his remix of Bloc Party's single "Banquet".

In 2008 Skinner took time off from The Streets to battle symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and later wrote the song "Trying to Kill M.E." to document his fight against the disorder. In addition, he has tried to raise awareness that "it's not just depression. That's what people tend to think". Another statement he has released on the topic: "I was incapacitated. It seems to have faded now. But at the time I think I was working too hard. It was important to just mention it really. It was such a big thing for me. It lasted about a year at its worst. I had to stop working."