On his first project under his DJ Blackpower alias, the Bronx rapper’s beats grow colder and his lyrics become more heartfelt as he continues to grieve the loss of his mother.
MIKE’s music is centered around grief and the healing that comes after. His rich voice, captivating and full of emotion, has become one of his greatest assets as a rapper, keeping you attuned to his even most gut-wrenching songs. BLP 2020 “king of the night” is the first project to be released under his producer alias dj blackpower. In a follow-up to the excellent Weight of the World, the Bronx rapper’s beats grow colder and his lyrics become more heartfelt as he continues to grieve the loss of his mother.
It’s no secret that MIKE is a talented producer. Outside of his own projects, he’s supported AKAI SOLO and Mavi with his soulful loops as well. MIKE whittles samples down to only their most essential bits; original songs and speeches are nearly unrecognizable in their new pitch-warped and chopped-up forms. BLP 2020 is entirely self-produced, aside from “Marge Simpson” and “rootin4?,” which feature BSTFRND and keiyaA, respectively, as co-producers. When MIKE’s words begin to press down on you, the beats start to feel heavier. When he asks “All that hoping ain’t ya hands tired/What’s the culprit, is it angst, pride,” on “bad News,” the pitched-down vocal loop and drums crackle beneath his gravelly baritone.
With a runtime of 16 minutes, BLP 2020 is one of MIKE’s shortest projects to date, but that’s by design. MIKE’s work is meant to be replayed. You’re rewarded for listening closely and trying to unpack his most complex bars. But nothing stings quite like the times he makes it all too clear. “My armor ain’t fit for mourning, the wind make my face ache,” MIKE defeatedly says on “Piercing thru the Night.” It sounds like he’s choking up, trying to hold back tears. MIKE’s control of tone is remarkable: His groggy delivery on “Marge Simpson” and the clear-headed, even tone of “Mhm!” feels like two completely different rappers.
Even when it seems like MIKE’s barely keeping his head above water, he always finds his way back to the surface. “My papa think he know the stress I give him hollow truth/The sorrow beatin’ on your head, you drink the sorrel juice,” he confidently raps over the cheery strings of “Sorrel Juice,” one of the few moments on the EP that approaches an emotional breakthrough. That feeling is abruptly cut short in the transition to “STAY HUNTING,” which represents an immediate return to a bleakness that matches the rest of the project. The EP closes with the somber “haha-haHAAA!,” which shares a sample with “fortune teller,” a loosie from earlier this year. It’s the kind of self-referencing nod only an obsessive fan would catch.
Even as the production on BLP 2020 ventures into darker territory, MIKE’s powerful expressions of joy and growth shine bright. In the years since his breakthrough mixtape, May God Bless Your Hustle, MIKE’s songwriting has only gotten tighter, while the world described in his music seems grimmer. BLP 2020 seems like it might only be a short rest stop for MIKE as he works through his most distressing thoughts — it isn’t meant to stand next to a fully fleshed-out project like Tears of Joy. But MIKE shows that he can still find new ways to express his vulnerability as he grows older. There’s nothing in his way anymore.
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