Every artist has a beginning, but very few are willing to revisit it. Michael Constantine Kritikos, better known professionally as Michael K, still does. Long before professionally recorded sessions, established collaborations, or conversations about the future, there was a teenager in southeastern Wisconsin uploading a song called “Kobe” to SoundCloud. It wasn’t a polished introduction to the music industry. It was an honest one. Released during his sophomore year of high school, the record became an easy target for classmates who questioned why he was making music in the first place. Some laughed. Others suggested he should stop entirely.
Looking back now, Kritikos doesn’t remember those reactions with resentment. If anything, he credits them for teaching him a lesson that still influences his career today: every artist has to be willing to sound imperfect before they ever become good. The song has since disappeared from the internet, but not from his hard drive. Every so often, he opens the session—not because he wants to relive it, but because it reminds him how much growth can happen when someone refuses to let early opinions become permanent ones.
At 26, Michael K speaks about progress with noticeably less excitement than most artists speak about success. The distinction matters. Rather than chasing attention, he spent years quietly developing his abilities before releasing the music he felt genuinely represented him. Born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in Salem, Wisconsin, Kritikos eventually earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Production from The Los Angeles Film School, giving him a technical understanding that complemented instincts he had been developing since childhood.
Today, he records through a Neumann U87 microphone paired with a Universal Audio Apollo Twin X interface and a Neve 1073 preamp, focusing his energy on songwriting, vocal production, and creative direction while collaborating closely with longtime recording and mix engineer Orlando, an RIAA Platinum-certified engineer whose credits include Cico P’s “Tampa.”
His résumé now includes collaborations with artists such as 24hrs, Dro Kenji, and Fresco Trey, but none of those opportunities erase the importance of that first SoundCloud upload. In many ways, the artist Michael K has become is still shaped by the teenager who decided criticism wasn’t a reason to stop—it was simply part of the process.
About Michael K
Michael Constantine Kritikos, professionally known as Michael K, is an independent recording artist, songwriter, and creative director from Salem, Wisconsin. A graduate of The Los Angeles Film School with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Production, he has collaborated with artists including 24hrs, Dro Kenji, Cico P, Fresco Trey, Tyla Yaweh, and others while continuing to build his catalog through Marble Gate Group.
Connect:
Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/michaelckritikos?igsh=MTBkaXNvbGNuOW9kbQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@michaelckritikos?_r=1&_t=ZT-97lq1HkjxIk
Apple Music- https://music.apple.com/us/artist/michael-k/1680562551
Spotify- https://open.spotify.com/artist/5TFEYx8XTve80LAXnnemKl?si=2MdwuJKYRlmSwuEe-tdCtQ
Tidal- https://stage.tidal.com/artist/71586810/u
YouTube- https://youtube.com/@michaelkritikos?si=iO-YyQIup5bHvZSM
