Event Details
Date & Time: Wed, May 7 @ 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Quartyard
Address: 1301 Market St, San Diego, CA 92101
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Soda Bar Presents: MIKE
MIKE is a quintessential old soul. The 24-year-old artist’s wisdom is evident in both his calm delivery and measured questioning, even if he doesn’t always understand the depth of his words until they’re written. “All of these random ideas come to my head, but always end up making sense after it’s done,” the NY-based rapper-producer says about his method. Known for introspective, subtly profound rhymes that explore grief, family, and identity, and melt over muffled, soul-seasoned samples, on his expansive new record Burning Desire MIKE reaches new heights far above the sonic foundation he laid with his previous project.
Burning Desire is MIKE’s biggest album to date: in a literal sense, with a runtime over fifty minutes, but more so in an artistic sense. The record has an incredibly diverse sonic palette–the abrasive stop-and-go production on “African Sex Freak Fantasy” is followed immediately by the buttery smooth soul sampling production of “Snake Charm,” for example–and yet manages to remain highly cohesive. For the first time in his career, MIKE truly reached outside of his immediate circle for collaborators, pulling in everyone from Larry June to Liv.e to Lila Ramani (of Crumb) to Earl Sweatshirt and more. “U Think U Maybe” marks the first time MIKE has brought in a band to play production he wrote, rather than sampling. Even Burning Desire’s promotion, from enigmatic billboards announcing the record in New York City and London (MIKE’s dual hometowns) to a cinematic music video MIKE co-directed for “What U Say U Are,” is a massive step up from his previous efforts, albeit still fully in line with the world and ethos MIKE has fostered.
One motif throughout MIKE’s career, down to his stage name, has been skirting the spotlight. A kind of people’s champ, he has often intentionally turned away from the road more traveled by artists in similar positions in order to break down the barrier between him and his fans, and create a kind of accessibility that would in turn inspire them to also create music or pursue creative endeavors. And while that remains an important part of his mission, Burning Desire sees MIKE confidently step out as the leader of a new movement within hip hop, as he breaks through the ceiling of the underground and introduces the style of rap he originated to a wider audience. While the current moment MIKE is in might overwhelm some, the rock solid foundation he has established through years of releasing consecutive outstanding projects finds him poised for whatever comes next. If anything is certain about this next chapter for MIKE, it is that it will be on his own terms.
All ages show presented by Soda Bar.
6PM Doors | 6:30 PM Show
Grab a bite to eat before or during the show! Check out our food menu here!
