3. Killer Mike – R.A.P. Music
Released: May 15, 2012 ~ Reviewed: May 24, 2012 (4.5 out of 5 Stars)
When you love the culture like Mike Bigga and you watch guys pass you by commercially that you can rap circles around, it’s gotta be hard to keep doing you. Mike has always been a lyrical assassin full of intent with purpose and fury each time he touches the mic. With the Pl3dge series, it was evident that he was on the cusp of being “next”. Slowly gaining steam with tracks like “God in the Building” (1 & 2), “So Glorious”, “2 Sides”, “Pressure”, and “H.N.I.C.” to name a few, Mike was making some amazing songs that made it hard for folks to keep sleeping…maybe it was time to conform. Instead, Mike went further left in this time and made an album of hard hitting bangers with complex lyrics, relentless metaphors, and in your face concepts that leave you trying to catch your breath at the end of the project. R.A.P. Music still seems to get better with each listen and could prove to be that moment when everyone decided that “Atlanta has 3 of the best rappers in the game.” – Saule Wright