The New York underground, that underground movement that never runs out of steam, has just lost one of its giants, Ka. A few years ago, MF DOOM, another big name with foundational ties to the city, left the scene. Superheroes of rhyme and instrumental, masters of different causes and, above all, representatives of that school that trains and goes ahead without resorting to commercial gimmicks, just an innate desire to present us with a new angle at every turn. Heir to this way of being, MIKE was born in an era where the Internet gave him unlimited capacity to reach his audience and space with tools of liberation/validation. And that’s what allowed him, still feeling the weight of entering adulthood, to find many devotees with MAY GOD BLESS YOUR HUSTLE (2017), a compendium of reflections/observations from someone who had to grow up a lot (and early) in a short time with constant house moves, an inconstancy allied to depressions since the age of 14 (when he first lived alone). In this complicated place, among obscure loops rescued from soul and jazz songs, a unique voice emerged to take the spotlight with technique and emotion. Big Mike!
It’s been almost 10 years of creative production and evolution has been a constant in Michael Bonema’s life, from his solo discography (with superlative albums such as War in my Pen, weight of the world, Beware of the Monkey or Burning Desire) and collaborations with the elite of not only the most alternative rap (Earl Sweatshirt, Wiki, Navy Blue, Danny Brown) but also the vanguard of r&b and more experimental music (Liv.e, Klein, Standing On The Corner). He also got definitively closer to The Alchemist, making a project (Faith Is A Rock) with him and Patrick Morales and having participated in works such as Flying High (‘Bless’), This Thing Of Ours 2 (‘Lossless’) and VOIR DIRE (‘Sentry’). On Pinball, an album released in 2024, the MC took to other waves in the company of producer Tony Seltzer, who pulled him into trap, drill and cloud rap cadences and forced him to demonstrate a different style alongside official representatives of these other frequencies, such as Tony Shhnow and Jay Critch. It suited him, obviously. Very recently, talks of a new full-length came to the fore with ‘Pieces of a Dream’, a self-produced single with a music video by Ryosuke Tanzawa.
The work of this ‘renaissance man’ (who, as a beatmaker, signs as dj blackpower) goes beyond music creation, having been one of the founders of the sLUms collective, the Young World festival and the 10k label. Places, people and communities where art is valued in its most raw, honest and well-made form. Their visions of a better, more transparent world. As long as that’s the case, nothing is lost. (Alexandre Ribeiro)
