Mike Lembo Gets Billboard Spotlight

Mike Lembo has certainly come a long way since reciting the Beastie Boys with his friends at age 15.

Now, 24-year-old East Meadow resident is celebrating a Billboard.com spotlight and the debut of his new song, "Can't Come Down." Also, he recently had his picture up in the middle of Times Square.

"That was awesome," Lembo said. "Seeing myself up there next to Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj is just crazy."

Lembo has been in East Meadow since the beginning, going from to and eventually . He was part of a group called Dieverse, which was a clique of friends he hung out with.

"I was always a Hip Hop guy," Lembo said. "I liked to experiment with it. At first it was just a hobby, and then I really realized that I could rap."

Lembo, who writes all of his own lyrics, said East Meadow has always been a comfortable place for him and his music. When he wasn't focused on music, locals would find him at or , two of his favorite eateries in town.

Lembo went to the Institution of Audio Research with an eye on becoming an audio engineer. After that, he attended Full Sale University in Florida, and he had a studio set-up in his apartment.

"I got really serious into recording," he said. "I knew then that I really was ready to be a real artist."

Lembo recently had a big hometown party at , the place in which his new song "Can't Come Down" was filmed. Lembo said he loved how he was able to incorporate East Meadow with his music.

"That was really cool," Lembo said. "I like how the whole thing tied together. What’s better than having a party in your hometown?"

Lembo said that he has big plans for the future, including getting into the touring scene by the fall and exploring a European musical adventure. He also would love to collaborate with modern-day "crossovers," such as Drake, Rihanna or LMFAO.

On Thursday, Lembo will be performing at For more information, please call 516-794-3091.

What do you think of Lembo's music? Tell us in the comments.