Mike Dimes - Texas Boy (Album)

In 2022, “In Dimes We Trust” introduced many listeners to hip-hop's greatest secret, Mike Dimes, whose presence came overnight and impacted the scales of hip-hop where he hasn’t left since & is currently setting the bar for the up & coming wave in Texas. Being a representation of San Antonio, Mike Dimes has successfully seen himself on the road, touring & making festival appearances, with many notable outlets calling him one of the most watched artists. With all the success piling on for him, Mike Dimes still kept Texas as a primary focus; being so close to the state with his upbringing here in the military city, we knew we would see a significant focus on the pinnacle of his come-up and what his home means to him on his next upcoming endeavor. As so it happened at the start of June, Mike would be announced that his forthcoming album “Texas Boy” would soon be released with a definitive tracklist featuring Joey Bada$$, Wiz Khalifa, Southside Hoodlum, Denzel Curry & more, with production curated by Mike Zombie, BigTexJohnny, Spliff Sinatra, John Luther, Ben10K & many more where the rollout would be deemed as one of the best we’ve seen not just in the city but in the current state of rap. He posted a billboard downtown welcoming the Spur's 1st-round draft pick Victor Wembanyama to San Antonio, stating he is now a certified Texas Boy. The promotional billboard had more eyes on the upcoming project dropping later that night, and then, to capitalize on the publicity; he would also be having a free show celebrating the release by having Big Texas & Hoodlum open up the show before Mike hit the stage at the Paper Tiger for an insane set that many in attendance crowned to be a memorable night. The whole city, including surrounding towns, would come out and support Mike, who shared the love right back with the performance he put on. Our team was present that night and witnessed history being made; no one other than Mike Dimes can shake up the city like that, which is exactly how you set the bar in your hometown.

The opening record on “Texas Boys” is with the legendary chop stars DJ OG RON C pouring up a double cup of that Texas tea with a formal introduction to Mike Dimes before getting into “Whisky & Weed,” where the laid-back production got Mike in his bag speaking on not needing to make any more new friends because they just end up with their handouts when the wins start to come. Don’t call him, bro, unless you know his momma name; there’s no reason for the buddy-buddy shit, especially since he’s seen more than often people acting friendly in person but seeking to stab him in the back when he’s not looking. It goes hand in hand with the groupies & models who didn’t bat his eye when he was around, but now that he’s up, the same ones dissing are usually the ones now kissing. The record has a smooth transition that lowers the tempo but doesn’t lose momentum, which has him more riveting in the record. Throughout the album, Mike Dimes approaches the record with impeccable skill sets from wordplays to prestigious displays with the flow; he’s stretched far apart from his predecessor, not duplicating any previous successes but instead creating something new & personal. Tracks like “Feelin’ Me,” “Countdown City,” & “Heavy Metal” are some of the highlights to witness the changes in his lifestyle and what makes him continue forward. Artists in similar positions are known to cross over the plain of their state and never look back; Mike Dimes is a different breed where he picks up on his shoulder and carries it over, not as a cane or crutch but as a support that wherever he does Texas comes with him. His home of San Antonio is the key to his soul, the one thing that will never change, the place where when it’s all said and done, he can go back to and be loved as the first day he arrived. It’s sentiment, and ode to his city if you will, Texas Boys speaks to the dreamers that your plans for the future aren’t as impossible as they seem; if he could do it, so can you.

As mentioned before, Mike Dimes enlisted a powerhouse of features on the tracks throughout the album, having Denzel Curry on “Arsenal,” creating a menacing effect that follows each emcee’s flow to superb levels. “Kiss N’ Tell” with Dro Kenji got the atmosphere jumping when it gets to playing, speakers bumping with the outside, igniting a vibe out frenzy; a fan-favorite off the project. Mike Dimes included Southside Hoodlum in his record “Green” with Wiz Khalifa, which came to be one of the biggest surprises on the tracklist, seeing two San Antonio natives with legendary PA rapper & weed connoisseur Wiz KhalIfa who goes off in the wickedly rolled joint “Green” where it concludes the track to hear Hoodlum’s signature raspy tone conducted gracefully with Wiz’s trademark vocals. The Joey Bada$$ joint “Hatchback,” sounding almost way too familiar with another record, is energitic; with seeing both Mike & the Pro Era emcee tag along back & forth well in diabolical combinations gives it much more to endure during a listening experience. “Off The Porch” with BigXthaPlug & Maxo Kream was the first indication of something in the works from Mike Dimes arising since there hadn’t been an announcement, just behind-the-scenes looks and the surprise to see the visual come out with incredible support. Mike Dimes made something special with this album, a monumental push forward to someone hailing from the city making it in the industry. When you hear artists say it’s not possible, bring up Mike Dimes because he just shut that shit down from that being any excuse anymore.

Mike Dimes was looking forward to continuing his do-good work in the city by gifting shoppers at H‑E‑B their groceries on his tab. Still, he didn’t want it to look like he was stirring up a frenzy of crazed headlines when his heart was in the right place, so he didn’t want it to look like a show turnout. Instead, he announced he would do it on a random day soon so it doesn’t create a hostile environment for those he’s trying to help out. We applaud and praise Mike Dime for all his efforts to send some eyes to the city; we respect his grind and hope it continues. Salute to him and his entire team; we wish them a safe journey on the road. We highly recommend if you haven’t had a chance to check out the project that, you do so now and share it around on all social media avenues.