MIKE feat Sideshow - alarmed! (Video)

If you aren’t familiar with MIKE, then you’ve clearly been living under a rock. MIKE has played an integral role in ushering in a new sound that has garnered much influence in the underground scene, a scene that is too often overlooked in this culture. Taken off his 2021 album “Disco!”, we get the visual treatment to one of the most interesting tracks I’ve heard come out of the underground scene. The production alone is warped as ever, those crooning samples just whirling through the background as his flows continuously spiral throughout this reflective number.

The imagery that Sideshow is managing to weave into these ridiculous schemes of his is gorgeous. He’s pondering a love lost, high as hell, roaming around like a vagabond, missing this person like he missed the stray shot. The amount of wordplay in that one scheme needs to placed under a lens to study cause it’s mad impressive. He hopes they’re alarmed by how skilled a lyricist he is, so much syllable play & introspection throughout this dustily looped, subdued number.

The visuals really encapsulate the sound as well with their graininess. As simple as the visuals are, they’re perfectly in sync with the record itself. MIKE comes through to wax eloquently, really letting his vulnerabilities & fears out. He prays none of what he sets out to do starts war in any sense of the word. He also talks about his own struggles with addiction throughout his fatigued flow, asking God questions he probably can only find within himself, though he is very self aware. You just don’t get Lo-Fi Hip Hop this impeccable lyrically speaking too often. MIKE & Sideshow are definitely two artists you need be paying attention to.