Mike James was born in Brooklyn, New York. He moved to Long Island as a teenager and was involved in the early days of hip-hop in the late 70's, just as the genre was beginning to take shape. After graduating from Uniondale High School in 1981, he attended Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake, New York in Communications and Media Arts. After receiving his Associate's Degree, he spent a year at New York Institute of Technology before moving on to Molloy College, where he received his BA in 1986. He also was a commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserve and served distinguishably for seven years.
He broke into broadcasting in 1993, volunteering for KCRT-TV in Richmond, California. His journey led him into TV news, where he worked in various markets in Augusta, Georgia; Elmira, NY and Syracuse, NY where he worked for 12 years at WSTM-TV. He moved to Canada in 2008 and is currently a producer at Rogers TV in Ottawa, where he currently resides. He also programs "Smooth Jazz and More", an internet radio station since 2001.