MIKE
Showbiz!
10K
Showbiz! is one of two projects MIKE has slated for a 2025 release—the other being his Surf Gang collab, tentatively titled Pompeii. The 26-year-old NYC-based emcee has been on a vicious creative tear since his 2015 debut, and this powerful creative momentum has helped him push out his latest endeavor, which starts where 2023’s Burning Desire left off. This ninth full-length solo release toes the line between lo-fi, soul, and jazz, reminiscent of acts like MF DOOM, his collaborator Earl Sweatshirt, and Freddie Gibbs. Some tracks, though, have an ambient-electronic influence, with a distinct Boards of Canada flavor—specifically “Da Roc,” “Spun,” and “Showbiz! (Intro)”—embedding a sense of novelty within the record’s more nostalgic flavors.
What stands out most on Showbiz!—or in any MIKE project, for that matter—is the rapper’s distinctive, percussive flow, layered with flavorful and floaty samples which he’s always had a great ear for. But Showbiz! has an extra dimension setting it apart from previous records: dissonance. Lyrically, MIKE explores loss and grief, much like on Burning Desire. But that’s where the similarities between those two records end. Showbiz! instead contains a layer of resolve and strength, not to mention shoutouts to Gaza and Tigray, the latter being a war-torn region in Ethiopia. Just hearing MIKE effortlessly emphasize his raps between the strong beats, creating a beautiful syncopated feel with his voice, is worth experiencing. The only weakness of the record is its emphasis on the “dog-eat-dog world” of the industry, a cliché at this point. But the strongest aspects of this project are compelling enough to keep things afloat lyrically.
Although MIKE showcases his strength and resolve on Showbiz!, he also imbues the work with a vulnerability uncommon in hip-hop culture. “Da Rac” has a sample of a voicemail where a fan tells MIKE how much he loves his work and doesn’t care if his comments come out as if he’s “glazing.” This isn’t played as a joke like most rap skits are; this sincerity feels refreshing in a pop culture zeitgeist brimming with ironic detachment, a place where we go to hide our dark impulses and emotional vulnerability. If you can’t show love and be cringe, what’s life all about?
