Open Mike Eagle is one prolific “art rapper,” bouncing from project to high-concept project, but somehow he still finds time to bless his contemporaries with fiery verses full of complex wordplay and incisive observations. The latest beneficiaries of the Mike Eagle touch are Skull Eclipses, an underground rap duo consisting of Philadelphia MC Lushlife and Austin producer Botany, who tackle society’s ills on the eerie-sounding “Gone,” from their upcoming, self-titled debut on Western Vinyl, releasing Friday, March 9.
Lush — who also doubles as the Philadelphia Eagles’ in-stadium DJ — is no slouch on the mic, serving up a sizzling confection of dizzying rhyme schemes while Botany presents a lavish soundscape of sampled strings and haunting flutes. However, Open Mike is all business from the first bar of his addition, lashing out at the criminal injustices heaped onto Black Americans with laser sharp missives like “Police should break arms, instead they just shoot to kill / And murderers are sentenced for cruising in a boosted coupe Deville / Having a toy gun and selling single cigarettes or getting a snack when you wasn’t ready for dinner yet.”
Mike steals the show as usual, but you should expect nothing less from the MC who anthropomorphized an entire project building on Brick Body Kids Still Daydream. You can catch Open Mike live tonight at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles as the featured artist of Uproxx’s The RX showcase. It’s invite only, so there are only a few hours to RSVP, but it’d be well worth the effort to see a master at work.
