Portland rapper Myke Bogan might not be the first artist you think of when you think of Pickathon—ain’t no picking in his buttery soul-rap, after all—but you’d be wrong. For one, the Oregon festival has a quiet tradition of booking far-out funk and soul acts—Shabazz Palaces, Thundercat, Boulevards, that kind of thing. Besides that, Bogan, a transplant from Lancaster, CA, called it “the best experience of my life” and declared that he’d leave this earth at peace if he were to play Pickathon every summer for the rest of his life.
Which is part of what makes his performance in this month’s episode of the Slab Sessions so sweet. But, look, Bogan and his trio of backup singers—not to mention a pluming drum-machine beat—are such ineffable presences that he could be up there burning the Oregon flag and you’d still think he was the chillest dude in the Pacific Northwest.
Bogan’s currently working on his debut album, which means that this take on “Take the Night Off” is the only one you can get for now; when it inevitably leaves you wanting to hear more, you can and should check out his most recent mixtape, Casino Carpet. For now, though, call in sick and check out the latest episode of the Slab Series.
Check out the rest of the videos in the Slab Series here.
