Indie Chicago art rap stalwart Open Mike Eagle and Chicago independent label Closed Sessions have teamed up for “Whiskey And Push-Ups,” the first single from Closed Sessions’ upcoming compilation, Close Sessions, Vol. 3. The new single finds Open Mike indulging in some paranoia over an eerie beat produced by BoatHouse, rapping: ““My telephone is listening and tracking all my moves, I’m surrounded by my enemies and don’t know what to do.” Check it out below and look up for a documentary on the track’s creation.
Open Mike spent the early part of the year shooting his and Baron Vaughn’s Comedy Central show The New Negroes, which featured a wealth of comedic new songs from Open Mike featuring a different guest star rapper each week. The songs, which displayed Mike’s wry wit while addressing such topics as code switching, consent, police brutality, racial profiling, and wokeness alongside guests like Danny Brown, Lizzo, Sammus, MF Doom, and Phonte. The official soundtrack was later released to streaming services, so you can listen to all the songs in one place. It’s likely safe to assume that with the show wrapped for the year, Mike will begin working on the follow-up to his 2018 EP, What Happens When I Try To Relax.
Closed Sessions, Vol. 3 is set for release November 2019.
