Dad Rap on Grace, Grit, and Living That Girl Dad Life

Mike aka Dad Rap joins Girl Dad Nation to share how fatherhood has changed his mindset, his music, and his mission. With honesty and humor, Mike reflects on parenting in his 40s, learning to regulate emotions, and letting go of the illusion of control. He opens up about balancing work, creative passion, and being fully present for his kids.

We talk about:

• What tantrums teach us about ourselves
• Giving kids space to just be
• How rap became his creative outlet
• The inspiration behind his new album The Midlife Crisis EP (out now!)
• The power of grace, daily progress, and proud dad moments

Whether you’re a parent chasing dreams, trying to stay patient, or simply figuring out how to be more present — this conversation hits home.

🎧 Stay tuned to the very end for a bonus track sample from the new album!

Follow Dad Rap: @DadRapMusic

New album The Midlife Crisis EP Available Now on all streaming platforms.

That's a Rap!

Girl Dad Nation is made possible by the generous support of our listeners and my wife, Executive Producer of my daughters and this podcast. 

Transcript

Copy

**Transcript Auto-Generated**

00:00:00:07 - 00:00:17:14
Mike aka Dad Rap
I say my Destiny's recipe is to give them the best of me. So I just want to give my best to my kids. And that's what I'm most proud of.

00:00:26:12 - 00:00:50:01
Matthew Krekeler
Welcome to Girl Dad Nation. I'm excited because I have Mike, aka Dad Rap with me on the show. I discovered him on Instagram. His channel is at dad rap music. So hopefully you've seen his stuff. It's amazing. I love when dads just do stuff. Creative. He writes music around parenting and dad life in particular. So it's awesome, I love it.

00:00:50:01 - 00:01:01:16
Matthew Krekeler
It's something great to listen to with your kids as well. So my daughters love dancing along to the music, but yeah, excited. Let's get into it. Mike, welcome to the show.

00:01:01:18 - 00:01:17:11
Mike aka Dad Rap
Thanks so much for having me, Matthew. And that's exactly all about dad rap. Dad rap music is all about having music that's 100% clean that we could share with our kids. That's fun. That's about dad life and being with our kids.

00:01:17:13 - 00:01:36:16
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah. So you were telling me your oldest is almost nine, so I want to kind of turn back the clock and just let let's go back even before kids. Like, you have a passion for music. You're write your own lyrics. How has music been a part of your life?

00:01:36:18 - 00:01:59:14
Mike aka Dad Rap
It's always been there for me. Writing my raps, rhyming, making songs, making these original songs and being creative is just an outlet that I need in my life. And it's been there with me since I was a little kid. I started writing rhymes when I was 11 years old, and I see it in my kids now. I see it in my daughter.

00:01:59:14 - 00:02:25:11
Mike aka Dad Rap
She's a really amazing singer, and I actually did a song with her that's going to be on my album, that's coming out on June 30th. It's called the Midlife Crisis EP Dad Rap, and it's produced by a group called The Old Heads. I got a production team and I'm really excited, and the one song that I'm going to start pushing right off the bat once it gets released is a song called snacks and shows that I did with my daughter.

00:02:25:11 - 00:02:33:15
Mike aka Dad Rap
So to see her have that love of music and be able to do a song with her is really what this whole thing is about.

00:02:33:17 - 00:02:44:19
Matthew Krekeler
That's great. And how has like having your daughter, having your son? How has that just changed your perspective on life?

00:02:44:21 - 00:03:17:15
Mike aka Dad Rap
It has changed so significantly from being carefree and having responsibilities, but not having that responsibility of parent hood that you have to show up every day and you have to give it your best, do your best, not try. Just do it. That's Nike, right? Just do it and you have that every day to get up to say that I got to get these kids out the door and go on my day, get things done around the house, whatever you need to do to provide for that family.

00:03:17:15 - 00:03:45:23
Mike aka Dad Rap
And that's how it is being a dad. And, you know, obviously our dads and their dads had different because there's different generations. And now with the proliferation of social media and apps and YouTube and iPads and iPhones, this is a whole new paradigm now for this generation of dads to deal with. And the music touches on those subjects to say that we're not perfect.

00:03:45:23 - 00:04:07:05
Mike aka Dad Rap
And this is tough in this time and age to raise kids. And we're here to know that everyone's going through this together. And that's why that community feeling that I think Girl Dad Nation is also trying to bring together a community of dads to say, all right, it's okay that we're dealing with all this stuff and let's have fun with it.

00:04:07:07 - 00:04:29:04
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah, it can be tough at times, especially when you're in the thick of it. You know, you're dealing with tantrums, you're dealing with all of the messiness of life. But you put like a really cool, creative spin on it. And to kind of claim it as your own, the dad rap and the lyrics that just speak to other dads in that same stage of life, I think is really great.

00:04:29:23 - 00:04:36:02
Matthew Krekeler
When you think about your lyrics, where does the inspiration come from for you?

00:04:36:04 - 00:05:05:15
Mike aka Dad Rap
Every day, every day, things that we all go through that seem so mundane. But when I make fun of it through my rhymes, my lyrics are very self-deprecating. I don't care about being the pun of the joke. I don't care about dancing around on Instagram and making people laugh because life's too short and I just want to enjoy it while we're here.

00:05:05:15 - 00:05:22:08
Mike aka Dad Rap
And while we have these moments with our kids because, you know, you hear things that you know, oh, enjoy it while you have it. Because when you leave the house, you're all alone. Yeah. So enjoy those moments. And that's really, you know, how it all comes about with, you know, bringing it back to the music.

00:05:22:10 - 00:05:48:12
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah. It's amazing how fast the time goes. Like, my oldest is almost six. Your oldest is almost nine, and the time just goes by so fast. But, how do your kids relate to the music now? How do they do they embrace it? Or is your oldest kind of getting too close to that teenager years where, she she's kind of embarrassed by that.

00:05:48:12 - 00:06:09:03
Mike aka Dad Rap
And that that's part of this whole thing is my daughter's getting older, and I am trying to find a way to relate with her, to make this music that cause she's so interested in singing, and I want her to have that outlet that I had when I was young and making the music with her. It's hit or miss.

00:06:09:05 - 00:06:31:01
Mike aka Dad Rap
It's 5050. Sometimes she really wants to do it, sometimes she's not into it. It's kind of funny because I put a little skit on the album that's coming out June 13th on all your streaming platforms, dad Rap The Midlife Crisis EP, it's going to be called and I have a song with her that she sings it snacks and shows.

00:06:31:01 - 00:06:56:15
Mike aka Dad Rap
She sings the hook, the chorus, and she's amazing at it. And then at the end I have like a little outro and she says, you know, I don't like that rap music or something like this. And she says, Taylor Swift is better. And I'm like, Taylor Swift is better. And she's like, yeah. And it's just that love hate relationship she's had with the music, and she's like, I don't want that on the album because, you know, I don't like Taylor Swift as much anymore.

00:06:56:15 - 00:07:07:22
Mike aka Dad Rap
And you're I'd like your songs now and but I'm putting it on there because it just shows that, you know, up and down that your kids love it one day and the other day they don't want to hear it.

00:07:08:00 - 00:07:40:03
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah, yeah. It's amazing what they like, latch on to like, culturally, like Taylor Swift's popular. And then that popularity fades and other things become popular. But it's cool that, like, as a dad, like you kind of you're with them through that whole journey and you can kind of celebrate those things. Like my daughters were really into Bluey, and now they kind of like shows that are more like bigger kids movies, but like, oh, but we used to love Bluey, and then they'll still watch Bluey with us and we've got like the younger kids.

00:07:40:03 - 00:08:03:23
Matthew Krekeler
So, you can see how they still have that glimmer, that they appreciate those things. But yeah, it changes. And it's cool when you can support them in that and find things that they're really interested in. And then how you as a dad, you might not gravitate towards that naturally, but you find ways to connect with them and you try to be interested in what they're interested in.

00:08:04:01 - 00:08:29:21
Mike aka Dad Rap
Yeah. And it's tough being a girl, dad. Right. Because I was working on a song about how I can't play Barbies. I can never get the hook to sound like decently, but that was an idea that I had would be about how dads. I never played with Barbies growing up, so I don't know how to do it. And I try and you know, mom is better at playing Barbies.

00:08:29:21 - 00:08:42:07
Mike aka Dad Rap
So those types of things that especially girl dads have to go through to try to relate with their daughters is probably something I, you probably talked about in another podcast. I could imagine.

00:08:42:09 - 00:09:00:10
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah, we've we've talked about like painting nails. And there is a dad on how we did the whole episode where he talked about like going to the nail parlor and getting a pedicure with his daughters. And just like, that's something that could be a big hurdle for some dads. But he's like, you know, you just have to do it.

00:09:00:10 - 00:09:19:04
Matthew Krekeler
Like, your daughters aren't going to want to do that forever. There may be a point where they, like, have no interest in that. But he's like, yeah, well, my daughters are like at that age where like, they just want dad president. And he's able to just enjoy like a nice Saturday with them and do that. That's something that he's bonded with.

00:09:19:06 - 00:09:29:03
Mike aka Dad Rap
This is brilliant. I need to do content with me getting a pedicure with my daughter. I think that's, I think this is a winner. I think this is a winner. I think it will get a lot of views.

00:09:29:05 - 00:09:55:03
Matthew Krekeler
Awesome. Yeah, yeah. Music video at the at the spa with your daughter. That's great. Yeah. And then we do, like, spa days, so, we'll, like, make their bubble bath at home and then get them in their robes, and then daddy will paint their nails and they just get, like, the spa treatment at home. But that, that's one way, that, like, they can all participate.

00:09:55:03 - 00:10:01:08
Matthew Krekeler
So even like the youngest daughters kind of get their bath and feel a part of it too.

00:10:01:10 - 00:10:13:10
Mike aka Dad Rap
That's fun. Oh, that's always so. It's fun to try to find things to do, especially that live in New York, upstate New York. And it's so cold during the winter. It's fun to come up with some new ideas to do while you're in the house.

00:10:13:12 - 00:10:34:01
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah. And yeah, you've got this lyric like, forgive me if I mess this up, but like, ride, ride with me, like, dad rap and and you talk about, like, the different cars that dads drive. Talk a little bit about your vehicle. How do you get, your kids to and from?

00:10:34:03 - 00:10:54:10
Mike aka Dad Rap
So that song is that dad life and I actually read did it for the album. So there'll be an album version coming out. And I think I'm going to have to redo that video for the album. And so I have this video where I hop in the Honda Accord at the beginning. I don't know if you could say brands on these podcast, but, that's fine.

00:10:54:15 - 00:11:17:18
Mike aka Dad Rap
So I have I have a family sedan, you know, I say, yeah, ride with me in your family sedans, your SUVs or your minivans. And it's just like, okay, this is what dads are driving and kids in the backseat. You know, you got the third row studio. I say third row seat and at least taken a beating, you know?

00:11:17:20 - 00:11:46:14
Mike aka Dad Rap
And it's like crumbs all over from food. Your kids eating, you know? So you can just visualize you being in whatever it was, the minivan, SUV or your family sedan. And it's just covered in cracker crumbs and different gogo squeeze packets. And they're on the floor and you're driving and you ask them a question, they don't hear you.

00:11:46:16 - 00:12:18:11
Mike aka Dad Rap
You're like, they can't. They're not paying attention to me. And, you know, you just kind of have to. We've all been there. So we've all been there. And that's why I got a book that was very instrumental to me being able to finally find this creative voice. And it's called Rick Rubin's The Creative Act. Rick Rubin, the famous rap and rock producer who really, if it wasn't for him, I don't think rap would have it would have been mainstream in the mid 80s.

00:12:18:11 - 00:12:51:06
Mike aka Dad Rap
You know, he really invented that Beastie Boys look. He invented the way that cool J would look. He invented the way Run-D.M.C. would look. And without those three instrumental groups, when I first saw rap in the mid 80s and was drawn to it, and in Rick Rubin's book, he talks about a lot of things and he says that, you know, just getting this album out is the success and releasing it to the world, because I wasn't able to find that creative voice.

00:12:51:06 - 00:13:05:21
Mike aka Dad Rap
But reading that book, and if anybody is a creative out there, I highly suggest it because it really lets you open yourself up to the universe and the energy that it can bring you.

00:13:05:23 - 00:13:42:23
Matthew Krekeler
Absolutely. I've got so much respect for anyone with a creative idea that just takes the next step and just does something so many people talk about. Well, I'll start a podcast or like I'll train for a marathon or something, and it's always this like dream out there, but it just takes like that first step and even if it's not a success and in the words of like how many views or how much money it makes or whatever, just like the fact that you just have something that you chase after and just go after it because it fills you, it's something that's life giving for you.

00:13:42:23 - 00:14:06:19
Matthew Krekeler
I think that that is a success in itself, as you said, and I that's something too, with my daughters. Like, even if my daughter isn't the most athletic or the most artistic, but like just to encourage that, that creativity and that drive to go after something and it's something that we try to encourage all the time is to learn something new and try something new.

00:14:07:04 - 00:14:21:07
Matthew Krekeler
Even if it's intimidating. But, I think as parents, we have a unique, privilege to be at a point where we can introduce our kids to these things and really support them, wherever they're at.

00:14:21:09 - 00:14:48:22
Mike aka Dad Rap
I said before that my kids sometimes like it. Sometimes they don't like the dad rap music. But when it really comes down to it, when I'm talking to my daughter and she says to me, you know what? Why I like your dad rap is because it's your dream. And showing your kids that you can still continue to go for your dream and never give up and have that determination.

00:14:49:00 - 00:15:17:07
Mike aka Dad Rap
That's me being a role model and I have given up in the past and this time around, I just said, you just got to take that first step and all you can do is just a little bit every day. And if you get yourself so fixated on here are all the goals I want to accomplish with this. You'll never take that first step and then you won't make it so you just keep on doing a little bit every day and that's all you can possibly do.

00:15:17:09 - 00:15:27:05
Matthew Krekeler
I love that. And with your daughter now, does she talk about like what she wants to do? Like quote, when she grows up? At this point.

00:15:27:07 - 00:15:53:07
Mike aka Dad Rap
She wants to be an actor and actress. And I said, you know, go for it if that's what she wants to do. You know, we may look at, you know, maybe this summer we'll look at some agencies, you know, it's difficult, you know, but I as I said, I live pretty close to New York City. So getting down there and her trying out for stuff, if that's what she really wants to do, then I'm 100% supportive of it.

00:15:53:07 - 00:16:17:05
Mike aka Dad Rap
And I think we all have such a limited amount of time here. We all have potential. And there's this saying in the movie Bronx Tale that goes, you know, there's nothing more, disappointing than, you know, a waste of talent. And I kind of put a spin on that, that we all have potential and everything that I do, I just want to try to reach my potential.

00:16:17:05 - 00:16:36:12
Mike aka Dad Rap
We have potential energy. I'm, I am an engineer by trade and took a lot of physics, and there's potential energy. And then you make it into kinetic energy, and I like to put a little spin on that, that you can either have positive energy that you're going to put in the world or negative energy. And I just want to be that part of the equation that's positive energy.

00:16:36:12 - 00:16:46:20
Mike aka Dad Rap
And be the best example I can be for my kids. I'm not perfect, but I'm going to do it every day the best I can.

00:16:46:22 - 00:17:25:16
Matthew Krekeler
That's great. Yeah, I love that sentiment and that, yeah. Just, the way that you talk about potential and going after those things, it's part of the reason why, like, I've loved chatting with people on the podcast because I've had people like yourself who are really into music. And so actors on the podcast or, scientists and just seeing like, all these different people like doing what they love and, and then this shared unity of dads like yourself who, love just being a dad and being in the middle of the dad life while they have all this other stuff going on.

00:17:26:06 - 00:17:49:00
Matthew Krekeler
But it's so cool. And I think, like, oftentimes, like, you become a parent and you feel like your whole identity is wrapped up in, like, what are the kids need? And and sometimes even as parents, we lose sight of, like, what fills us and, and those creative sparks that that we've enjoyed. And we feel like it's sort of this either or thing.

00:17:49:00 - 00:18:17:11
Matthew Krekeler
Like, I gotta set my dream aside so that I can do whatever for my kid. Or sometimes people, I think wrongly like, live vicariously through their kid and put so much pressure on their kid. But I think, like people that try to keep things in proper balance and still go after things that bring them joy and be that role model for their kids to go and pursue those, those interests, I think is great.

00:18:17:13 - 00:18:46:01
Mike aka Dad Rap
You said it so well, I totally agree that you can lose your identity when you have kids, and it's important to still have your own life. You might not have the same life you had when you're in your 20s and you were going out on Saturday night, but you still need a life outside of your kids. And if it's just all about your kids, then you know, you have to keep in mind that you're living your own life.

00:18:46:01 - 00:19:08:20
Mike aka Dad Rap
You're not living their life. They are going to choose. All you can do is guide them. You can't control them. And that's something that you know. I've learned what my kids have taught me, and it's that you don't have control. You don't have control of them. All you can do is guide them. And you know, all you can have control of is your own actions and your own emotions.

00:19:08:20 - 00:19:30:16
Mike aka Dad Rap
And those are difficult for dads. I'm in my mid 40s to I can't control my own emotions sometimes, and I think I've learned a lot from being a dad that that's the one thing you can control in this situation is your own emotions. You can't control you. You said you kids are having a tantrum. You can't stop it.

00:19:30:16 - 00:19:38:15
Mike aka Dad Rap
All you can do is help them along the way. So screaming is another thing I've learned. It just doesn't work in that situation.

00:19:38:17 - 00:20:02:11
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah, I've I've really had to like humble myself and also like know that even though it's difficult, like your kid's having a tantrum and they're screaming like to really take a step back and like, check myself and also understand like, yeah, my kid's only five. Like they their worldview is so limited right now. And like what they know right now.

00:20:02:11 - 00:20:25:11
Matthew Krekeler
This is really important to them. And how can I like come down to their level. And also things aren't as big of a deal as maybe I put pressure on it like you talked about the car being a mess. And that's just like a comment and that's just a reality right now. And to just kind of be okay with those things, like, you might not have the car the way you want it, your house might not always be as clean as you want it.

00:20:25:13 - 00:20:52:17
Matthew Krekeler
You might not be making as much money as you want, but to just kind of enjoy what it is right in front of you. And then with that, like, kind of work, family balance. I wanted to ask just how you manage in your house, like how you put those things in priority and then with rap to, like, also to go off of that, why rap?

00:20:54:00 - 00:21:00:21
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah, I, I'm just kind of curious. What, what what about the style of rap spoke to you.

00:21:00:23 - 00:21:17:22
Mike aka Dad Rap
When I was 7 or 8 years old. I heard, like, cool J. I heard Run-D.M.C., and I just wanted to do that. I want to learn how to do it. And I just continue to mimic it. I have one older brother and he loved it. He bought all these tapes and I, you know, you always look up to your older brother.

00:21:17:22 - 00:21:41:00
Mike aka Dad Rap
So I want to learn everything about the rappers and everything that he was listening to. So I listened to it over and over again and just started getting that rhyme pattern down, seeing how it's done, learning from the greats like Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Hella Cool J and just listening to them do these raps and learning them, reciting them.

00:21:41:02 - 00:22:03:21
Mike aka Dad Rap
And it just was a it was just the coolest thing to me. So I got into it and I just continue since, you know, 1991. So it's been like 35 years of rap in a different stance. And I think the question was also about, I forget what else. Sorry, I have to cut that part out. What was the other part of the question?

00:22:03:21 - 00:22:05:14
Mike aka Dad Rap
Because that was about rap. But there was something else.

00:22:05:14 - 00:22:12:20
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah, rap. And then like balancing like that passion with like work, responsibilities, life.

00:22:12:22 - 00:22:16:14
Mike aka Dad Rap
Family and all that.

00:22:16:15 - 00:22:47:20
Mike aka Dad Rap
Yeah. So mixing my passion for rap with work responsibilities, parents and responsibilities is honestly the only time I find time to do the rap is after the kids are down in bed at night. I take that time to myself to write, do content on the weekends, do content with a videographer I'm working with now that I do it on the weekends when I get time and I run out and say, I'm only going to be gone for a couple hours to do this.

00:22:47:22 - 00:23:08:15
Mike aka Dad Rap
My wife also has a passion. She's a photographer, and she has a small business that she, she does photography of families and, you know, so she has that passion. That's her art. And my art is the rapping and, you know, visualization of those of that music in the form of Instagram Reels is what it is about now.

00:23:08:15 - 00:23:36:07
Mike aka Dad Rap
Yeah. So people consume. That's how people consume the entertainment. Most of the time now is through real. So getting that visualization and working that way creatively is all the things that I have to find time for. And I don't push. I put pressure like, you know, with the content it's very difficult. And, you know, I had I worked with a creative firm and I was doing daily content and it was too much.

00:23:36:07 - 00:23:52:18
Mike aka Dad Rap
I was totally burnt out. I hated it. And now I said, well, you know what? I just really need to, like, release a song a week or, you know, like do a really good video for a song, you know, every other week. And, you know, people love that. And then that's the quality. So I'm trying to go with quality over quantity this time around.

00:23:52:19 - 00:24:03:03
Mike aka Dad Rap
Yeah. Because it's just a lot of so much stuff out there. You know, if you want to you want to do something, you want to make a stand out in the crowd.

00:24:03:04 - 00:24:34:13
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah. I think you got to give yourself grace because life's hard. Especially when you have kids. Like, there's just a lot of unforeseen things that come up. And for me, like, I started this podcast, I think it was like 20, 20. Well, no, actually, 2022, I think, I think it's been like three years since I've had the podcast, but, yeah, like I started it and had a goal for like one episode a week and was hitting that, at the beginning.

00:24:34:13 - 00:24:51:03
Matthew Krekeler
And then just life kind of takes over. And so I got like super down of like, oh, man, I should be putting all this pressure on myself to release stuff. But, then I had to go back to just like, why was I doing it in the first place? This. So that I could be inspired to be more present, with my daughters.

00:24:51:03 - 00:25:20:10
Matthew Krekeler
And so then I especially like, after having our fourth kid, man, it's just, like, taken a lot now with four kids, so, so I, I still love, doing interviews like this. But they've had to be more spread out, unfortunately. But it's been better, like, for me. And so instead of just giving up completely, like, just finding ways to still do what you love, but also like giving yourself grace.

00:25:20:12 - 00:25:50:09
Mike aka Dad Rap
Yeah. And that's comes back to really telling yourself, you can only do so much in a given day. And if you think about the list of 40 things you need to do every day, you're going to live a very stressful life. And it it doesn't have to be that way. You can take the positive spirit and say, you know what, I did these five things today on this list or two things today on this list.

00:25:50:09 - 00:26:04:17
Mike aka Dad Rap
And you know what? That's progress. Those are those little steps or those first steps. And you just got to stay right? Yeah, I woke up and I did these things, and now I'm closer to where I needed to go with whatever goal I had.

00:26:04:19 - 00:26:26:07
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah, I think even celebrating those little wins like even if you didn't get those ten things checked off, it's like, did you do one thing on your list today that made for a good day? And that's even just like being present with my kids. Like, sometimes it's like I've got a huge list and I come home and I'm like, okay, well, this is what I need to get done before bed.

00:26:26:08 - 00:26:36:17
Matthew Krekeler
And even if that list goes out the window, that it's like, okay, did I make this day better for my kids? Because I was present when I got home and that that alone is a win?

00:26:36:19 - 00:27:01:11
Mike aka Dad Rap
Yeah, I stopped, I stopped looking at my work phone. You know, when the kids come home, I really have to. And I said this at, you know, at a meeting once that, you know, I can't be a half a worker and a half or a parent. So, you know, that's it's very difficult when you're on the phones and the kids realize it, you know, that you're on the phone and it is it is tough to do both because that gets them irritated.

00:27:01:11 - 00:27:21:04
Mike aka Dad Rap
And then they act out because they want your attention. And you can nip that all in the bud by just being present and giving them that attention that they needed, that they need at that moment. And, you know, that's the thing like, I was pretty lazy on Saturday. You know, Sunday was Mother's Day and I knew her to be out all day.

00:27:21:04 - 00:27:37:04
Mike aka Dad Rap
So and my wife wanted to get out. So she having a long day the day before, most actually go out. And we didn't do anything. You know, we just really laid around watch shows and, you know, eat and played outside a little bit. There was nothing that and I didn't get anything done that I really needed to do.

00:27:37:04 - 00:28:02:19
Mike aka Dad Rap
But I'm like, you know what kids sometimes need? They had a tough week. They went to school for five straight days. You know, sometimes kids need a break and, you know, I know a lot of parents that always have activities, and I find it a little bit much. You know, you give kids some time to just relax and, you know, be kids, play outside, watch TV, you know, I'm sure watch plenty of TV.

00:28:02:19 - 00:28:05:15
Mike aka Dad Rap
When I was a kid, you know.

00:28:05:17 - 00:28:10:22
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah. What's one of your favorite ways to bond with your kids?

00:28:10:23 - 00:28:31:13
Mike aka Dad Rap
Favorite ways to bond? You know, my daughter started playing basketball this year, and I was this I was the assistant coach to the team, and that was like, the best bonding experience I've probably ever had with my daughter was, being there because at the beginning, she didn't want to play like two rounds in a row to had, like, you know, a ten minute quarters.

00:28:31:14 - 00:28:54:09
Mike aka Dad Rap
And they would go in and she didn't want to play twice in a row. And then at the end she was asking to go in again. And, you know, she really got into it and she got better. And I worked with her in it. That was a great bonding experience. So, you know, I don't know if she's going to be the next WNBA star, but you know, she she enjoyed it and she wants to keep playing.

00:28:54:10 - 00:29:08:22
Mike aka Dad Rap
And I'm going to put a basketball hoop up so well that's great for basketball. So yeah you know so that's really the best way that I've as a girl that have related to my daughter. And then, you know, my son is just playing cars.

00:29:09:00 - 00:29:31:08
Matthew Krekeler
Great. Yeah. That's cool. Yeah. We got, we got our daughters for Christmas. This, like, giant Hot Wheels ultimate garage, and then, and then they each got, like, cars in their stockings. And, that was super fun. Like to, to play with them. But it's interesting, like how girls and boys will play differently with the same things.

00:29:31:08 - 00:29:40:18
Matthew Krekeler
Like, like my, my daughters just have such an imagination and they'll create stories and characters with the cars and things. But it's great.

00:29:40:20 - 00:29:58:09
Mike aka Dad Rap
Yeah, that's the difference for sure. Like, I would play with cars and bring them together. My, my son does the same thing and, you know. Yeah. My daughter, you know, figuring out how to play Barbie and make up the oh they're going to a party. Okay. Who's going to the party. Were you invited? Like that's a whole story you got to come up with.

00:29:58:12 - 00:30:13:11
Mike aka Dad Rap
So yeah, there's definitely differences to playing cars and racing cars with my son versus doing a dress up scene at Barbie's new party, at her, at her dream house.

00:30:13:19 - 00:30:24:08
Matthew Krekeler
And then I want to go back to the music. Is there a particular line that you're most proud of? A particular lyric?

00:30:24:10 - 00:30:53:15
Mike aka Dad Rap
I have this song at the end, the last song, it's called live for These Babies, and I just, I don't know, I wrote this song. This is how it all started, this, this new turn around on it. I had this song that I woke up. You know, when you have a business trip and you have to wake up at 4 a.m. 4:30 a.m. to get to six, 6:30 a.m. flight, and I knew I had to wake up early, and I woke up like two in the morning, and I wrote a whole song in my head.

00:30:53:15 - 00:31:21:12
Mike aka Dad Rap
And by the time I landed that I had the whole song written, and it just all came to me at once since college for these babies and I say, my, my Destiny's recipe is to give them the best of me. So I just want to give my best to my kids. And that's what I'm most proud of, is that, yeah, I hope they like it.

00:31:21:12 - 00:31:42:06
Mike aka Dad Rap
I don't know, you know, that's beautiful. I love that line. I just I just, you know, I don't know if they're like it one day, you know, you are you have to give yourself grace. Because even with my art, you know, you have a lot of self-doubt. And you have things like, you know, you go to negative places, and I try not to go there and be like, oh, you know, what am I doing?

00:31:42:06 - 00:32:01:04
Mike aka Dad Rap
I'm rapping about my kids don't eat and my kid won't sleep. You know? And like, this is going to embarrass them. And I'm like, it's all done out of fun and humor. So I don't want to ever go there. But, you know, it's that's tough. You know, people always doubt themselves and they worry about things that try not to go there.

00:32:01:04 - 00:32:05:11
Mike aka Dad Rap
But it happens to us all. Yeah.

00:32:05:13 - 00:32:19:12
Matthew Krekeler
What's something that your daughter has taught you? And it could be at different stages in life too, like early dad years and now like, yeah. Your daughter, almost nine.

00:32:19:14 - 00:32:48:23
Mike aka Dad Rap
Yeah. I have to be calm. I jump on her sometimes, and I've learned not to do that as much, but I still do. And it's that idea that you, we brought up earlier that, you know, things aren't going to be perfect and you can't put that pressure on your kids. And, you know, I just want her to be who she is and find her own voice, find what she loves and go after that.

00:32:49:01 - 00:32:56:07
Mike aka Dad Rap
And don't put too much pressure on her. And I've learned not to do it as much as I used to.

00:32:56:08 - 00:33:09:01
Matthew Krekeler
Right. And then I want to give you an opportunity, to just share. This is what I call this segment, like, proud dad moment. So something to to brag on your daughter.

00:33:09:03 - 00:33:32:08
Mike aka Dad Rap
Yeah. My daughter was in a play her first play last summer, and she had a little speaking role. It was, Finding Nemo summer camp, and she was great in it, you know? And she knew all her lines, and she did all the dance moves, and she had this big smile and just seeing her do that, because we had talked about it so much that she would be in a play.

00:33:32:08 - 00:33:55:09
Mike aka Dad Rap
And that's what she wants to do. She wants to be in a play, she wants to be out there, and it gives me such a proud moment that I'm the same way. I want to be out in front of the crowd entertaining people and to see her also want to entertain people. It just gives me such a proud dad moment.

00:33:55:11 - 00:34:00:07
Matthew Krekeler
That's so cool. Yeah, well, has she done plays before?

00:34:00:09 - 00:34:01:16
Mike aka Dad Rap
That was your first one.

00:34:01:18 - 00:34:02:22
Matthew Krekeler
So. Okay.

00:34:03:00 - 00:34:16:08
Mike aka Dad Rap
That's why I was so such a proud moment. And she wants to do more, and she's going to get out there going and, it's just she naturally just does it, and it's it's it's really beautiful to see.

00:34:16:10 - 00:34:24:03
Matthew Krekeler
That's great. That was such a good experience for her and that it encourages her to to want to do more. That's awesome.

00:34:24:05 - 00:34:40:09
Mike aka Dad Rap
Oh no doubt about it. I mean, it's tough speaking in public and then being eight years old and being in a play or seven years old when she did that. So and being in a play, it just that's a really important experience for kids to have at such a young age.

00:34:40:11 - 00:35:00:08
Matthew Krekeler
Well, that's impressive too. Like, I, I know so many people that would be so fearful. I mean, many adults would be fearful to just get up in front of a crowd like that. A lot of people have a fear of public speaking or just presenting in any capacity in front of an audience. So. So that's awesome. That's an amazing skill.

00:35:00:10 - 00:35:24:07
Matthew Krekeler
Yeah, we're almost out of time, but I wanted to just wrap up with my favorite question to ask. At the end of these interview is, and this is an opportunity to pretend I'm not here and pretend that you're talking directly to your daughter. I want to give you an opportunity to just leave a special message for her.

00:35:24:09 - 00:36:00:06
Mike aka Dad Rap
Just go after your dream, and don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it, because you only get one shot. And each day, you can only do as much as you can in that day and just do it. Don't worry about anything. Just be happy and be content with what you have, because it's so important to have such grace and gratitude for all we have and I love you.

00:36:00:08 - 00:36:12:04
Matthew Krekeler
I love it. Thanks for sharing that. And then Mike, tell everyone where can they find dad wrap and then plug your new, your new album coming out, June 13th.

00:36:12:06 - 00:36:36:12
Mike aka Dad Rap
All right. Yes, it's at dad. Rap music on Instagram is really the best place to follow me where I'll be putting out all my music. Also, dad, rap music.com is where I have my merch website, so check that out and I will be putting out this album, The Midlife Crisis EP on June 13th will be streaming on all services.

00:36:36:12 - 00:37:05:21
Mike aka Dad Rap
So just, you know, I appreciate all the support that people give me. And I didn't really want to even do like a merch site, I'll tell you that real quick. But you know, to promote something, it does take money. You can't just, you know, if you really actually want to get some promotional dollars, you know, music labels spend millions in promotional dollars and just to spend a few hundred bucks here or there to do different things that need to get done to promote the album.

00:37:05:23 - 00:37:25:19
Mike aka Dad Rap
I said, you know what? If I could just, like, cut even with some shirt sales and then, you know, if I ever started making profits, I would love to give back to charities. One of the things that I really love to do. So, nothing about the merch is about me like a money grab. It's just all about giving back to people, entertaining people.

00:37:26:00 - 00:37:31:00
Mike aka Dad Rap
So check it out at Dad Rap Music on Instagram. Thank you so much for the time, Matthew.

00:37:31:02 - 00:37:42:18
Matthew Krekeler
That's great. And then if I could put you on the spot, we didn't discuss this before, but could I leave at the end of this episode? A small sample of what's going to be on the new album?

00:37:42:20 - 00:37:47:02
Mike aka Dad Rap
Yes, it's a dream, so I really appreciate the time at the Mike.

00:37:47:02 - 00:38:07:09
Matthew Krekeler
Thank you so much for being on Girl Dad Nation. It was awesome talking to you and for everyone out there and Listener Land. Thank you for supporting the show. You could find me at Girl Dad Nation board or on Instagram and Facebook at Girl Dad Nation. Or you can leave me an email at Girl Dad Nation podcast at gmail.com.

00:38:07:13 - 00:38:13:18
Matthew Krekeler
And until next time, go be a dad! Not to show snacks.

00:38:13:18 - 00:38:29:19
Mike aka Dad Rap
And show snacks and get snacks. Snacks is your own snacks and snacks. Only once we get in the door they want to go on YouTube. We want check. There's a new episode of Loose Animals.

00:38:29:19 - 00:38:36:22
Mike aka Dad Rap
I'm from God. Peter can't knows. You talk about all the shows, all right. Through all the snacks from our snack packs was like a.

00:38:36:22 - 00:38:40:06
Mike aka Dad Rap
42 pack of three. The ways is strong.

00:38:40:08 - 00:38:45:03
Mike aka Dad Rap
We got the common size. Go fish. You know this. Why? If the neighbors are lonely. Why?

00:38:45:04 - 00:39:03:03
Mike aka Dad Rap
I see kids mom bouncing on my phone. Pop out the window. Pull out the set up, bring it all in. My house is not that big. Now save some for dinner for my kids. All out. My girl love trolls. My girl loves Bluey. Back in the day, I watch Huey, Dewey and Louie back in the day I hit happy hour and stay out.

00:39:03:04 - 00:39:29:14
Mike aka Dad Rap
Now I'm on the watch. Genovese play out. I should show you. Show. Some show? Yeah. It's like show me. Give me smash. Hit your show. Smash! Hit you.