Hip-Hop music has long suffered from segmentation, pitting certain parts of the scene against one another in a foolhardy race for relevance. MIKE, one of the leading voices in the so-called underground scene, has managed to merge sounds that defy his designation via his brilliant new project with producer Tony Seltzer, Pinball II.
MIKE is an artist we’ve featured heavily in our CRT FRSH playlist roundups, and we’ve mentioned him in a few AOTY posts over the years. The depth, maturity, and presence of the artist born Michael Bonema are astounding when one learns he’s still in his 20s.
Looking back over MIKE’s discography, intentional listeners will recognize the growth from year to year, with the rapper-producer’s gruff voice conveying a bevy of emotions. As he rapped on “Tapestry” from his excellent Beware Of The Monkey mixtape, MIKE’s penchant for the “sad boogie” across his largely self-produced projects morphed into deeply analytical and often personal accounts of his journey in music, honoring his late mother, uplifting his family name, and making sure he’s a solid advocate for his associates.
PInball II doesn’t lean into the aesthetic that MIKE usually performs over and produces under his dj blackpwr alias. Giving Tony Seltzer the keys for a second time, MIKE allows himself to have fun, boast about his successes, and also celebrate his long climb into notoriety. Like their first outing, Seltzer, who has produced for the likes of Wiki, Ski Mask the Slump God, Princess Nokia, and more, gives MIKE a series of booming platters of backdrops that allow Big MIKE to flex.
The album opens with the stage-ready “Sin City,” which sounds prime for a marching band to replay. MIKE is in top sh*t talk mode, shouting out his 10k Global brethren Jadasea, Niontay, and redLee. This leads into “Dolemite” featuring Lunchbox, and the hazy, trap-influenced track is an abrupt shift in energy that feels purposeful all the same.
Seltzer warms things back up with “#71” with MIKE’s growling timbre sounding at home over the bouncy production. At one point, MIKE raps “These n*ggas hardly vicious, but got war paint” with all the sincerity in the world, and while there is a smile in his voice, it still sounds slightly menacing.
Pinball II is something of a roller coaster ride with slinky grooves like “Golden Dragon” and “Money & Power,” allowing MIKE to use his powerful vocal instrument and find pockets in the beat that most rappers would be lost trying to locate.
Features are kept to a minimum; however, 10k artist Sideshow shows up on the sinister “Hell Date” and once again, the Washington, D.C. rapper manages to pierce the soul with his grim outlook and his desire to break away from the streets but never leaving those elements behnd, a common theme in Sideshow’s music. The Ethiopian-American lyricist steals the show on the feature.
“Shaq & Kobe” once more pair MIKE with Florida’s Niontay, and their chemistry remains undeniable. Niontay raps in rushed, slurred bursts, and when juxtaposed against MIKE’s bass-heavy monotone delivery, the contrast in their voices over Seltzer’s heat rock helps the song soar higher.
If there is a song that has a sound similar to MIKE’s previous solo works, it would be “Jumanji,” featuring his friend and past collaborator, Earl Sweatshirt. Pinball II reaches its apex here as MIKE again employs a delivery reminiscent of what he did with Sweatshirt on the track “SENTRY” from the California rapper’s Voir Dire album, produced by The Alchemist. Sweatshirt, known to be a technician, allows himself to let his verses hang and float with little regard to the rhythm, making it one of the most refreshing verses we’ve heard from him.
Pinball II will lazily be called “trap,” or at least say it sounds influenced by that Hip-Hop sub-segment by casual listeners. Upon further listens, MIKE’s increased musical productivity has not dimmed his passion, considering this is his second release after the stellar Showbiz! album from earlier this year. As MIKE continues to establish his position in the scene he’s poised to lord over for years to come, corny as it comes off, the fans are winning as a result.
Find Pinball II at your preferred DSPs here.
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Photo: 10k/Instagram
