Rapper MIKE was touring Europe earlier this year and in and amongst his shows he published 4 songs under his alter ego djblackpower. Each song got a music video, usually him walking around a European old town with narrow lanes and cobbled streets which add to the unique vibe this small project seems to effortlessly produce.
The title of the EP is derived from a common denominator in the music videos, the JBL clip speaker attached to MIKEs backpack. There is also an eponymous track and its the most interestingly produced. Throughout the track there is repeated piano playing in the background, a stark contrast to the tight hi hats and slight synths in the song. This creates a very fun and new listening experience, a song that feels fresh to ear.
The song I feel the most strongly about on the EP has to be “bankroll mafia”. This track features simple yet extraordinarily intricate production which completely captivates me every time I hear this song. The beat sounds like your inside the heart (or motherboard) of a robot after just gaining sentience while MIKEs cadence and flow match up perfectly. On this song MIKE raps “every time I write a record start a movement on your head”. This is a standout bar for me on the song because not only does it reference MIKEs stacked catalogue, a discography of the highest standard, but also could be interpreted as more of an aggressive line, talking about coming for someone’s head literally. I only say this because of previous bars in the song such as “oh you vexed? shit no pressure lets get to it”. From the soundscape to the lyrics this has got to be one of my favourite songs from 2025.
The song thankful goes exactly how the title describes. It opens up with “I just do it for my sisters taught me everything I know” and is followed by continuous lyrics of the same feeling of gratitude. Its nice to have such a heartfelt and wholesome subject matter on a short and fun project like this, this song feels more reminiscent of a song you’d find on a MIKE album. MIKE also shows such maturity in his lyrics on this cut with him saying “all that growing up was vicious but I get it know I’m grown” which further shows the level of gratitude and well, ‘thankfulness’ that he feels.
The song “main squeeze” is visually and sonically a switch up from the other tracks. Instead of these small cobbled streets and cityscapes MIKE is filmed in front of a stunning wide and open mountain range. This is represented through the music with MIKE incorporating a more melodic flow going slightly outside of what he normally does, just like he has gone outside of the cities he is usually filmed in for this project. However, what truly ties the song and the visuals together is the fact that the percussion is directly linked to when a different shot is shown. This is a really nice touch as it massively helps to contribute to the picture MIKE is trying to paint, he is an open, free artist.
All things considered this short 4 song EP is a delightful addition to MIKEs broad discography and feels as though it fell slightly under the radar. Especially considering MIKE has dropped two full length projects as well this year, its nice to see a rapper almost going against the current trend of having an inconsistent release schedule and consistently releasing insightful and incredibly fun to listen to music.
Leave a comment