Michael

Its most immediate moment may come via the El-P featuring ‘Don’t Let The Devil’, with its musical bombast and Mike as most have heard him until now, but this is a sonically rich record that is likely to reveal yet more on each listen.

Killer Mike has taken a meticulous approach to ensure MICHAEL paints a nuanced, vivid picture of him and his community, and the effect is inspiring.

Overall, Mike’s unique mix of toughness, vulnerability, and a brutal honesty that can be disarming for those not used to it, is something to marvel at. I hope he keeps making albums like this as long as possible.

Despite a surfeit of guests and some over-embellished kitchen sink production, the hit rate is remarkably high, reminding just how far Killer Mike's unflinching, candid style has evolved since he debuted on Outkast's Stankonia. [Aug 2023, p.84]

Beyond the impressive list of guest stars though, this is an album that reflects on one person’s history and is steeped in honesty, grief and empathy as a result.

MICHAEL is a terrific work from Killer Mike. Personal, spiritual, revelatory, open, proud, triumphant, and above all else, undeniable, unshakeable, and fiercely independent.

Throughout, he remains prickly and eloquent.

Though Michael can get overbearing at times, the production is generally stellar, and it's easily the rapper's most honest and emotional work.

Despite the sometimes-overwrought musical backdrop, Killer Mike remains an incisive and compelling lyricist who confidently takes Michael into unexpected places.

Almost every other song on Michael relies on a similar arrangement of choirs, pianos, and organs, which risks becoming tiresome, though its sonic divergence from most mainstream American hip-hop today is refreshing. In that sense, the album is a kindred spirit to the prolific British collective Sault, who incorporate lush R&B and gospel into their eclectic sound.

Killer Mike feels these songs deeply and it shows, but different approaches here from producers, including No I.D., Cool & Dre and others, means the hooks aren’t always strong enough to keep listeners coming back.

Michael is an origin story that works best when it examines how worshiping at the altars of sex, money, and Jesus created the man we know today. But when he petulantly doubles down on critiques of his public persona and status as a Black multi-millionaire, the album is harder to stomach.

The results are a little underwhelming. Lyrical themes are repeated throughout the album and the feeling that something is missing compared to the projects that came before is hard to ignore. This might be due to having become accustomed to hearing Mike as part of a duo; but also that since 2012 he has been rapping over El-P's beats, which are a big part of RTJ's appeal and an effective platform for his vocals. [Aug 2023, p.54]