Mike Carter, known to the world as Shorty T, was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. The city gave him his rhythm, his resilience and his instinct for storytelling. Music wasn't something he chose as a career; it was the language he was already fluent in before he knew what to call it.
When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, Mike was among the thousands forced to rebuild somewhere new. He landed in San Bernardino, California, where he enrolled at California State University and earned his degree in Entrepreneurial Business. That chapter sharpened his mind. In 2012 he made the move to Los Angeles, stepping fully into one of the most competitive entertainment markets in the world and earning every placement, every feature and every fan the hard way.
With over two decades in the game, Shorty T has built a catalog that reflects both the streets he came from and the elevation he has always been reaching toward. His full-length LP God Carter, the collaborative EP Sheesh with Mayjah Payne and Sirr Jones, and The ReHeat Series volumes have each showcased a versatility that keeps listeners coming back.
Multiple iTunes Top 10 chart placements confirm what his audience already knew long before the algorithms caught up. His sound sits at the intersection of conviction and craft; bars built on real experience, wrapped in production that moves. Every project is a chapter. Every verse, a testimony.
Shorty T is more than an artist. As the founder of Ascend & Achieve, he leads a consulting firm specializing in AI automation, brand strategy, SEO, social media and live event technology. His background in experiential marketing runs deep; he has served as Marketing Director for a premier event technology company, overseeing cutting-edge activations involving robotics, SFX, LED wristbands and holographic experiences for some of the world's most recognizable brands and productions.
Long before Ascend & Achieve, Mike proved he could build a brand from the ground up. In 2010, he co-founded PillBillie, a positively influenced urban apparel line built around an eye-catching, pill-shaped animated character with a message centered on awareness and good living. The brand sold out in malls across the country, was spotted on celebrities and generated enough buzz to attract a joint venture with a publicly traded entertainment company. It was compared to Hello Kitty in its mass appeal potential; proof that Mike Carter has always understood how to make something undeniable.
That same creative intelligence behind his music now powers the businesses he helps build. With over a million Instagram followers, he understands audience, attention and authenticity at a level most consultants can only study. He lives what he teaches.
Since 2021, Shorty T has carved out a reputation as one of the most connected figures at the intersection of entertainment and emerging technology. Robotics, artificial intelligence, special effects, holographics, LED experiences; if it's new, immersive and pushing the boundaries of what live events can do, he has had a hand in it.
His client roster speaks for itself. Disney, the NBA, Dick Clark Productions, The Emmy Awards and a long list of major brands, celebrities and productions have all trusted him to bring next-level technology experiences to life. He doesn't just know the space; he is the plug. When someone in this industry needs to know what's possible, they call Mike Carter.
That expertise now runs directly through Ascend & Achieve, where AI automation and experiential technology are core offerings. The future of events, brand experiences and business operations is being built right now, and Shorty T is already in the room.
In Awaken The Remembering, Mike Carter steps fully into his role as a guide. Published under his full name John M. Carter Jr., the book is a soul transmission for those who are waking up; a deep dive into breathwork, consciousness, spiritual awakening and the ancient wisdom that lives beneath modern conditioning.
The book doesn't ask you to reinvent yourself. It asks you to remember. That distinction is everything, and it runs through every page, every practice and every word. Awaken The Remembering is the work beneath the work; the foundation that makes everything else possible.
For booking, media inquiries, consulting or collaboration, reach out directly. The next chapter is always being written.