If someone were to ask you to summarize Open Mike Eagle‘s new record Anime, Trauma and Divorce in three words the answer shouldn’t be that hard. The Chicago born art rapper, known more for wit and absurdity, gets personal on his newest release. In fact, according to OME himself, more personal than he’s ever been. Lyrical meditations on failing at marriage and middle age insecurity are balanced well with a range of coping mechanisms, from binge-watching anime to fatherhood (his son guest stars on a couple of tracks), to yelling about nothing. The catharsis is real for Open Mike on this one, and it comes across not aggressively, but soulfully. All this over chill, minimalistic beats from producers Black Milk, Gold Panda, and others. It’s a truly relatable piece of work, available now via bandcamp here.
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