MIKE Keeps It Real on 'Showbiz!'

MIKE‘s long been a staple of the expansive New York City rap world, consistently dropping off commendable long-form studio releases and evolving his acclaimed body of work. Once an IYKYK artist merely confined to the underground scene, MIKE has spent recent years rising from the underbelly of the city’s rap realm and stepping into the more well-lit mainstream; after sharing the sharp Tony Seltzer-produced Pinball during March of 2024, MIKE has followed it up with a stirring studio effort entitled Showbiz! which sees the rapper reflect on his journey – from his upbringing to his emergence in the underground rap space and newfound fame.

Showbiz! – which spans 24 tracks but clocks in at a consumable 47 minutes long – sees MIKE pose the hard questions about himself and the world around him. As introspective as ever before, Showbiz! spans quickly through each cut (most running around one or two minutes) so the rapper can explore a multitude of the qualms plaguing his mind.

“I know death for every man, but I’ll flirt with her / I’m just talking to the man in the blurred mirror / How come when I’m off the drank when my words clearer,” he ponders on “man in the mirror,” while on the next track, “Artist Of The Century,” he’s lamenting on the hardships fame has brought him; he spits “I plotted cheese, but really needed God in abundance / My mind full of f*ck sh*t, eyes on the hundreds.”

“man in the mirror” marked the final pre-release single, arriving alongside prior releases “Bear Trap” at track one, “You’re The Only One Watching” at twelve and “Pieces Of A Dream” at sixteen. Find the full tracklist below.

01. “Bear Trap”
02. “Clown of the Class (Work Harder)”
03. “Then We Could Be Free..”
04. “Watered Down”
05. “man in the mirror”
06. “Artist Of The Century”
07. “What U Bouta Do?/A Star Was Born” Feat. 454
08. “Belly 1”
09. “Da Roc”
10. “The Weight (2k20)”
11. “Lost Scribe”
12. “You’re The Only One Watching”
13. “Lucky”
14. “#82”
15. “Too Hot (Interlude)”
16. “Pieces Of A Dream”
17. “Strange Feeling”
18. “Zombie Pt. 2”
19. “Burning House”
20. “Showbiz! (Intro)”
21. “Spun Out”
22. “Miss U” Feat. Duendita
23. “When It Rains”
24. “Diamond Dancing (Broke)”

Stream Showbiz! – out everywhere now.