Mikael Temrowski, also known by his stage as Quinn XCII (pronounced “Quinn ninety-two”), was born in Detroit, Michigan on May 6, 1992. As a sophomore at Michigan State University in 2011, he started creating and recording his own music. His debut EP, Change of Scenery, was released in May 2015. He signed with Columbia Records, through whom he would release his second, third, and fourth studio albums over the course of the next four years. On September 15, 2017, he released his first studio album, The Story of Us. He released The People’s Champ, his fifth studio album, on January 27, 2023.
Hip-hop, pop, reggae, rock, electronic, and soul are just a few of the musical styles that Quinn XCII is known for fusing. In his early music, he prioritized rapping above singing. As musicians who have impacted him, he has named Kid Cudi, Kanye West, Mos Def, Jack Johnson, Jon Bellion, Michael Jackson, Sam Cooke, and Chance the Rapper. Change of Scenery, Quinn XCII’s debut extended play, received millions of online streams when it was released in May 2015. His following song, “Stung,” shot to the top of the Popular Charts on Hype Machine. In January 2016, Quinn XCII contributed to Ayokay’s own song, “Kings of Summer,” which shot to the top of the Spotify Global Viral Chart and held that position for three weeks in addition to receiving 25 million Spotify streams. His “With You” track, which he co-wrote with producer Illenium, peaked at #20 on the Spotify Global Viral Chart and at #1 on the HypeMachine Popular Chart.
On March 10, 2016, Quinn XCII released his eagerly awaited second EP, named Bloom. Quinn XCII embarked on his first cross-country tour soon after the EP’s release, performing in 24 cities for more than 20,000 fans.