— MIKE has officially announced the release date for his upcoming album, Beware of the Monkey, as he shares his latest single, “nuthin i can do is wrng.”
New York City artist MIKE announces his forthcoming album Beware of the Monkey due December 21st via his own label 10k, marking the 7th full-length project in the last 5 years from the prolific 24-year-old producer and rapper. Alongside the album’s announcement, MIKE shares the lead single “nuthin i can do is wrng.” Paired with the new single is the Ryosuke Tanzawa-directed video of MIKE recording the song in his home studio.
Beware of the Monkey’s title is a reference to a Chinese horoscope MIKE saw for his birth year (year of the Tiger) in a Chinese restaurant, which imparted that warning. As MIKE has grown older, and amassed a larger fanbase, the more pitfalls and tricks he has had to navigate: both within his personal life and the music industry. Beware of the Monkey speaks to those experiences with the same intense introspection that is characteristic of a MIKE project, but also showcases his most commanding and engaging production work to-date. On Beware of the Monkey, MIKE is confident and resolute in his message, as he crosses the line from child prodigy to full-fledged artist and stakes out his place as a trailblazing force to be reckoned with in the current rap landscape.
Beware of the Monkey follows MIKE’s Young World II Festival that took place this summer in Brooklyn and featured performances from Slick Rick, Junglepussy, TisaKorean, Maassai and more. The forthcoming album also follows the 2021 full length Disco!, which MIKE also released via 10k, entirely produced by his producer alias dj blackpower and includes features from Sideshow and Assia and the stand out tracks “Crystal Ball” and “Evil Eye.” Over the past few years, MIKE immersed himself in electronic and house music as well as bossa nova. He released two largely instrumental projects partially inspired by these new influences: BLP2020 “King of the Night” and BLP2021 “for ur own good.”
Born in New Jersey, MIKE moved to London with his mother before settling in The Bronx for the remainder of his later teenage years. Both regions have had an audible influence on the young rapper’s music — in England he was immersed in grime and the music of King Krule, and in the United States he was turned on to Earl Sweatshirt and MF DOOM.
Check out “nuthin i can do is wrng” and pre-order/save Beware of the Monkey. Also, be sure stay tuned for more from MIKE coming soon.