In what is a mix of new tracks and singles from the past year, Killer Mike has dropped his first solo album, Michael, since the inception of Run The Jewels. Finally, a Hip-Hop / Rap album longer than just over 30 minutes, Michael showcases the best of Killer Mike’s emceeing abilities and features awesome productions and collaborations; from Cee Lo Green to Young Thug, André 3000 to Future, Ty Dolla Sign to 2 Chainz, and many more, this album is incredibly stacked.
I want to get my biggest personal and subjective criticism of this album out of the way early because it’s actually something that doesn’t exclusively pertain to this project, but rather to Killer Mike himself. Although Mike’s rapping style is aggressive, iconic, and at times incredibly thought-provoking, almost all of his verses sound the same. I feel like he has two or three rhythms and cadences that he falls back on basically every song, and it’s one of those things where I’ve had friends say to me ‘Once you’ve heard one of his verses, you’ve heard them all.”
That being said, this is precisely why songs like “RUN” featuring Dave Chappelle and Young Thug stand out so much on Michael. Killer Mike completely slows up his style and hits you with pauses during the hook and verses that really draw you into singing along with them. This album is filled with strong black empowerment messaging and is needed today in hip-hop. We have veered so far off of what hip-hop culture really is these days and people like Killer Mike keep it alive with projects like this. Sonically, everything hits on all levels. Every production is on point, and all of the mixing and mastering sounds perfect. Mike is one of the few artists who can collaborate with legendary rappers who really came to spit, as well as autotune rappers who come to sauce. “Scientists & Engineers” featuring the aforementioned Outkast member André 3000 and Future went viral before the release of Michael for a reason. This is unquestionably the standout, highlight of the album. It amalgamates old-school and modern hip-hop and R&B stylings perfectly. Michael is a must-listen album if you’re a Hip-Hop head or enjoy rap music at all. Nothing is touching this joint all summer.
