Rappin’ Mitch, widely known by his moniker Grande Swisha, is an American rap artist, ghostwriter, creative nonfiction writer, podcaster, and cofounder of the Charlotte born label Dead Fresh Charlotte, operating in conjunction with his imprint Swisher 824. As one third of the cult North Carolina rap collective Da Floataz, Mitch has carved out a singular lane in the underground scenes of Charlotte, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia, leaving an unmistakable imprint on both cities’ creative ecosystems.

Raised on the poverty stricken west side of Charlotte during the 1990s, Mitch’s artistic foundation was shaped by the cultural resilience of his neighborhood and the creative influence of his mother, a local theatrical actress, poet, and wordsmith. The west side’s blend of trap, soul, and shifting social realities became the palette from which he learned to paint, whether through music, visual art, or narrative storytelling.

His adulthood in Atlanta, particularly in the West End’s underground creative circuit, expanded that palette. The duality of Charlotte’s west side and Atlanta’s grassroots culture sharpened his writing and deepened his perspective, fueling a style rooted in authenticity, movement, and lived experience.

Mitch’s influences reflect his commitment to lyricism, craftsmanship, and cultural truth. His creative lineage draws from the entrepreneurial mastery and narrative precision of JAY Z, the innovative southern futurism of Outkast, the grit and technical sharpness of Freddie Gibbs, the political and community grounded voice of Killer Mike, and the luxury street reportage of Pusha T. Kanye West earns an honorable mention in Mitch’s artistic framework, not for lyrical authorship, but for his relentless push toward creativity, design, and artistic expansion. These influences shape Mitch’s cadence, structure, and approach to storytelling, giving his work a layered and intentional edge.

Dead Fresh Charlotte: The Resurrection Movement

Dead Fresh Charlotte is more than a label. It is a cultural resurrection mission. Mitch helped build it as a symbolic language and creative philosophy rooted in the idea of reviving the feeling that modern music has lost. In the Dead Fresh universe, zombies represent the dead era of music, the soulless, formulaic, industry driven sound that disconnected from community, craft, and culture.

Just as Wu Tang Clan used kung fu mythology to articulate their worldview, Dead Fresh Charlotte uses zombie lore as a metaphor for its mission.

• Zombies → the dead state of mainstream music

• Resurrection → restoring authenticity, grit, and soul

• Cleaning tools → purification, renewal, cultural sanitation

Brooms, mops, bleach, and scrub brushes appear throughout the brand’s imagery as symbols of cleansing the culture, sweeping out the artificial, and making room for something real. Dead Fresh Charlotte is a reclamation project, reviving the spirit of the streets, the craft of lyricism, and the pride of independence.

For Mitch, this mythology is not aesthetic. It is autobiographical. He sees himself as part of the generation tasked with bringing the culture back to life, resurrecting the feeling he grew up on, and purifying the noise that has drowned out the voices of independent artists.

The Last Indie American Rapper

Self branded as The Last Indie American Rapper, Mitch stands in solidarity with independent artists who built their own lanes outside the industry machine. His releases under Dead Fresh Charlotte & Swisher 824, including the underground staples SEND CUZ BAIL $$$, BA$e., and DON’T SAVE HER, have earned him a dedicated grassroots following. His work mirrors the hometown influence of legends like Lil Wayne in New Orleans, shaping the sound, pushing boundaries, and cultivating a culture that extends beyond music.

Through The Last Indie American Rapper blog at rappinmitch.tumblr.com and Swisher824.com, Mitch has created a digital hub that houses his art, merchandise, and creative ventures, expanding his reach while maintaining full independence.

Da Floataz and the Dead Fresh Ecosystem

As a member of Da Floataz, Mitch helped shape the group’s sonic identity and contributed to releases like Drop Tha Addy, Empty Parking Lots and Pimpin’, and the Diamond Cloud Tour EP. These projects amplified the Diamond Cloud Company brand, Send Cuz Bail $$$, and the Last Indie American Rapper clothing line, further cementing his influence across music and fashion.

Dead Fresh Charlotte acts as the cultural glue between Mitch’s solo work, his collective identity, and his entrepreneurial ventures. It is the mythology that binds the movement together.

A Legacy of Resurrection

Mitch continues to evolve, creating new music as both a solo artist and a Floataz member while expanding his creative footprint across writing, branding, and multimedia. His legacy is defined by innovation, independence, and an unwavering commitment to telling the stories of the communities that shaped him.

Dead Fresh Charlotte and Swisher 824 stand as extensions of that mission, unapologetic, self built, and rooted in the culture that raised him. Through the language of resurrection, purification, and symbolic rebellion, Mitch is not just making music. He is reviving a feeling, restoring a culture, and breathing life back into an era that lost its pulse.