The Legend Himself – Yoluva / Michigan.
The Crew is one of IMVU’s most legendary creator groups, formed in 2009 as ‘Gear Breakerz’, and revamped in 2012, to ‘The Crew’. MrMarz shared his story with Verve X Magazine in March 2016, but this month, we got the opportunity to speak directly to the mastermind himself; a very successful leader, creator, and founder. He now goes by the IMVU name Michigan, known to the IMVU veterans as, the former, Yoluva.
MICHIGAN, ON YOLUVA As most veterans will know, Michigan was one of the hottest influencers until 2015; until IMVU stirred up a storm, disabling his Yoluva account. But you guessed it! He is back.
How did you lose your Yoluva account? “Long story short; It was lost, due to IMVU having poor communication with the people of IMVU when they were making some changes a few years ago. Not only me, but other great creators were disabled unfairly too. Many of them moved on, and others still lurk around. As much as I would like to say more about it, I am currently only a leash at the moment. Many people get burned at one point when they do make it to the top, and sometimes if you are lucky enough, you can recover from the damage that was dealt. Others may never be able to. It’s a reality.”
Now, IMVU isn’t planning on returning the account to him, so don’t be mistaken when you see it actively around the community - someone else has copied it instead, “for obvious reasons” as quoted by Michigan. We do hope they aren’t impostures! Our man only holds one IMVU account, and that is Michigan only.
MICHIGAN, ON CREATING AND CREATORS
Michigan defines a veteran creator as, “Someone who has been here for many years, has seen the changes and has adapted and progressed in their creating,” while highlighting that it can also include, “People who have set a trend or put a mark on IMVU, that lives on through others, even after they are gone.”
Michigan began creating from the very early days, in 2006 - he certainly qualifies for his definition of a veteran creator! On Yoluva, he was certainly on the top five pages, always, and if you weren’t shopping him, you must’ve been shopping one of the other members of his crew; The Crew. Today, Michigan describes his style as being evolved from urban to, now, diverse. He also describes himself as being a perfectionist and, although that may be a good thing, it also has its many challenges.
Can you tell us some of the most challenging things you've had to face as a creator? “I think the biggest challenge that I had previously, was me being a perfectionist. I have made hundreds and thousands of files that would be considered great to others, but if I don’t like it they’ll never see the light. Another challenge I face is that, despite being able to help others and push them beyond what they expect, I haven't figured out how to help myself. It's almost like a gift and a curse.”
Have you noticed any similarities and differences in the culture of the IMVU creator community, between 2006 and today? “I have noticed how much the creators have evolved when it comes to meshes or creating a template from scratch that looks perfect, versus the meshes and templates we had back in ‘06. In ‘06 we barely had anything to work with, and because of that, many devs made the best of the things that were at our disposal. The only thing that has stuck around is the determination of the creators. Things seem much easier now, but the creators who have a goal such as getting pro, or setting a trend has never changed.”
Although he hasn’t seen too many differences within the creator community, Michigan has certainly witnessed the downfall in the culture of the IMVU community. He described the current culture being about “finessing and getting clout, instead of having fun” - surely, many of us can agree with that? He has also witnessed how identity theft has become so normalized within this community, and quoted,
“It’s kinda sad to see how numb the new era of IMVU can be. But there are still a handful of
people who stand out from that crowd today.”
MICHIGAN, ON THE CREW After the demise of Yoluva, the members of The Crew were hit hard and many were left very upset and unmotivated. Now, despite the inactivity over the years, Michigan truly believes that the legacy was still kept alive at heart, as he quoted, “The inspiration and the trend that The Crew set over the years, has lived on through other groups.” He stands proud of the achievements they reached and even prouder of the respect they gained. Many people still inquire about joining The Crew, long after their active glory days.
How do you feel The Crew inspired other groups? “In my opinion, and from the perspectives of many other people who have spoken to me, TC capitalized on a group name that was basic and nothing flashy or special - "The Crew" - because of its simplicity, it had plenty of space to build the name up to what it symbolizes now. Over time, I’ve seen many groups using the word 'The' at the beginning of their group names, while many of the developers that have joined also brought something new to IMVU. Many people saw us as being a family, because of how long everyone stuck together. That’s something everyone would want, but something that is hard to gain, with so many different personalities and few rotten eggs in the mix.”
How do you feel about other groups copying the concept? “I feel no type away about it. I only expect people to surpass TC, or bring something new to the game. It’s all about being original in your way and setting a trend. You will never get anywhere by hating other groups."
Fun fact: Some of the original The Crew members include; MrMarz, Jeanevivee, Naima, PrinceTechnique, Raee, Tamekah and Motif.
MICHIGAN, ON THE FUTURE Michigan never planned on returning to IMVU after the incident, but things change! He is back now, so what're the plans hereon? Although Michigan has a vision of revamping The Crew, he knows he has a few steps to take first to ensure he has a solid foundation. “I have to at least get myself into a better position first,” he quoted. He plans to continue creating, with hopes that his previous fans catch on while gaining new fans of this generation too. He knows it will be a huge challenge, but with a strong desire and openness to help, we, too, hope he succeeds in regaining that influential voice and platform he once had within the community.
Before parting with us, Michigan left some wise words and well wishes for those on a similar journey...
“Following in the footsteps of others has its’ deadline. It's cool to be inspired by others, but you should always push for something better, or original, by including your uniqueness as a creator, or a group owner. Also, never forget your origins; it is the very thing that makes you who you are. I hope that everyone can reach their goals as I did and I wish the best for any new developers, and even the veteran developers that are trying to make a comeback.”
Keep up with Michigan via Instagram, @michigan.vu
Disclaimer: the personal views and opinions written in this post are from the writer and do not always express the professional opinion and views of Verve X Magazine.
Interviewer: Tamekah Writer: Voque
Photos: Yoluva
