Eyedea (born Michael Larsen in 1981) is a well-known freestyle battle champion and underground rapper. His notable wins include the televised Blaze Battle sponsored by HBO (2000) and a victory at Scribble Jam (1999). He has appeared as a solo artist, and as the emcee half of the duo Eyedea & Abilities (along with longtime friend and collaborator DJ Abilities). His non-battle rhymes are generally philosophically or thematically based, and often tell a definite narrative. His song "Bottle Dreams" is a well known piece about a sexually abused violin prodigy who commits suicide. For much of his youth, Eyedea lived with his mother in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. He attended Highland Park Senior High School, with interests including psychology, physics, and yoga. Favorite authors include James Joyce, and Finnegans Wake is a favorite text of his. First establishing himself as a battle emcee, Eyedea toured the circuit between 1997 and