- It'd be easy to dismiss MIKE on first listen, his monotone flows and sleepy delivery sound like an uncharismatic parody of 'mumble rap'. Over the past few years he's emerged as a flagbearer for New York's modern underground, spearheading the prolific sLUms collective in their recent rise to prominence.
2018 saw big names like Solange and Earl Sweatshirt working with the likes of Standing On The Corner, Adé Hakim, and Navy Blue, integral figures in the creation of this new sound. Paradoxically, sLUms' production is defined by samples, often glitched out or distorted beyond recognition. Through simple loops they mine emotional depths with heartfelt verses characterised by raw imperfection.
MIKE exemplifies this principle with a signature sound built across hours of crushingly intimate performances. His most recent release is Tears of Joy, a mixtape which follows MIKE's grief and acceptance after the death of his mother. It's a topic he's touched on before, but Tears puts it into focus, bookending songs with family voicemails that make the pain feel all too real.
Production wise, most beats come courtesy of MIKE himself, under the DJ Blackpower alias. Guest producers include industrial hip-hop experimentalist Michul Kuun and influential Ratking founder Sporting Life, both of whom provide colourful backdrops that slot perfectly into MIKE's overall palette of sounds. sLUms' usual roster of beatsmiths also make appearances to help maintain diversity across the 20 brief tracks.
Last year's War In My Pen was MIKE's first attempt at something largely self-produced. The instrumentals there were some of his best and Tears follows suit. Cuts like PLANET and goin truuu are almost joyous in their simplicity, delicately shaping vocal samples into spirited choral offerings. Closing track stargazer pt. 3 sounds almost triumphant, juxtaposing an angelic horn section with gritty meditations on life and death.
All in all, it's another MIKE project. I know that sounds like a cop out conclusion but it's hard to be unhappy with more of the same. MIKE's prolific release schedule forgoes drastic shifts in artistic direction to favour gradual development of a single sound. If you weren't a fan before then Tears of Joy isn't going to win you over, but that's not a statement on quality. As a release it's one of MIKE's best, standing as further proof the 20 year old MC is already one to watch.
- Boddhi Farmer.