by Amoré King
Can we talk Rap for a moment? It’s been a while since we had a legitimate rap album with depth hit the scene. 2023 is more than halfway complete and it has seemed pretty light on the quality rap albums scales. All the talk currently is how no rappers have hit #1 on the charts this year. None of the talk currently is centered around how that may be in part because of the quality of the rappers releasing music.
Enter Michael Render aka Killer Mike. He may not go #1 but he may have delivered the #1 album quality wise. His newest solo project “Michael” is everything you’d expect it to be. More importantly “Michael” is a great listen for those who literally have no idea what to expect from a Killer Mike album. From the Opening track “Down By Law” featuring Cee-Lo Green, it was very apparent we were in for something special. David is triumphant the lyrics are urgent. Cee Lo is effortless.
Killer Mike speaks for the every day man and the Hustler. And succeeds in pulling it off. With Features like Andre 3000 (rhyming out of body) and Future (gliding with ease) on “Scientists and Engineers.” And even Fabo popping up on the standout “Something for the Junkies” this album has something for almost everybody. R&B stylings from 6lack and Jagged edge further round out the album. The production and the topics are high quality. This is extremely well balanced album.
It is a heavy listen and may be a lot for casual fans of rap. The album takes you through highs and low, youth and O.G. status and we're all the better for it. Mike either brought the trap to church or brought church to the trap. Either way the results are a rollercoaster of emotions and maybe, a classic album. Definitely an AOTY (album of the year) contender. Give this one a listen