— MIKE has been on a tear for the past few months as he prepared for the release of Beware of the Monkey which has finally arrived alongside a new music video.
MIKE releases his seventh album in the last five years, Beware of the Monkey, via his own 10k label. The album was entirely self-produced under his dj blackpower alias. Beware of the Monkey draws its title from a horoscope MIKE read in a Chinese restaurant about the year he was born (year of the Tiger), which warned him of this future. Celebrating his tradition of releasing projects solely on the Summer or Winter Solstices, MIKE is also sharing a new video for album track “No Curse Lifted (rivers of love)” directed by Ryosuke Tanzawa.
Following a brief hiatus that marks the longest period he’s gone without releasing an album in his prolific career, Beware of the Monkey is a reflection on the solace and stability MIKE’s established for himself over that period. The message MIKE conveys on the album is confident and resolute, acknowledging the reputation he’s built as a trailblazing force in today’s rap landscape after passing the barrier from child prodigy to realized artist. In addition to expressing those experiences with the intensity that characterizes a MIKE project, Beware of the Monkey showcases his most compelling and commanding production work to date as dj blackpower.
MIKE has previously released three singles from Beware of the Monkey, including the most recent “Stop Worry!” featuring legendary Jamaican Dancehall artist Sister Nancy, as well as singles “What Do I Do?” and “nuthin i can do is wrng,” which were coupled with videos directed by Xin Wang and Tanzawa respectively. The album arrives on the heels of MIKE’s 3-song project, One More, with Wiki and The Alchemist which was released in November as well as following his widely-praised 2021 album Disco! also released via 10k and entirely self-produced.
Last month, MIKE announced his upcoming Ipari Park Tour, featuring support from 454 and Slauson Malone. Amounting to the most extensive North American tour run of his career so far, the run of dates spans across the continent including headline shows in Boston, Toronto, LA, Atlanta, and Philadelphia before concluding with a hometown show in Brooklyn at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Tickets on sale now here.
Check out Beware of the Monkey above, see the full Ipari Park Tour routing below, and stay tuned for more from MIKE coming soon.
The Ipari Park Tour
*= with 454
^= with Slauson Malone
3/9 – Boston, MA @ Middle East (Upstairs) *
3/10 – Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz *
3/11 – Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground *
3/12 – Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s *
3/15 – Des Moines, IA @ xBk *
3/16 – Minneapolis, MN @ Underground Music Cafe *
3/17 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club *
3/18 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
3/19 – Lawrence, KS @ Bottleneck *
3/22 – Denver, CO @ Lost Lake *
TBA – Boise, ID @ Treefort Music Festival
3/25 – Seattle, WA @ Madame Lou’s *
3/26 – Portland, OR @ TBA *
3/28 – Sacramento, CA @ The Starlet Room *
3/29 – Berkeley, CA @ Cornerstone *
3/30 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Catalyst Atrium *
4/1 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent ^
4/2 – Tucson, AZ @ Hotel Congress (Club Stage) ^
4/4 – Austin, TX @ Ballroom ^
4/5 – Dallas, TX @ Cheap Steaks ^
4/6 – Houston, TX @ The Secret Group ^
4/7 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa ^
4/8 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Hell) ^
4/9 – Durham, NC @ Motorco ^
4/11 – Richmond, VA @ Richmond Music Hall ^
4/12 – Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar ^
4/13 – Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church ^
4/14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg ^