Open Mike Eagle & Kenny Segal – DOOMED!
On DOOMED!, Open Mike Eagle and Kenny Segal have found a pocket that keeps you coming back – this is easily up there with one of the best hip-hop releases of the year
DOOMED! is Open Mike Eagle’s cross-universal sulk session about a breakup, gorgeously scored by the transformative Kenny Segal. Both artists have flirted with the idea of a joint project for a few years, and it's definitely worth the wait.
The entire album flows through different snapshots of failed relationships, and the dread-filled moments where they fall apart. Unfinished Concrete Initials brings a standout melodic performance from Mike, with a strong contender for instrumental of the year from Kenny. Not to mention Hemlock Ernst's mesmerising visceral performance which steals the show. It Happens In Every Universe (interlude) also shows the counter perspective of breakup stories, and gives a heart-wrenching sample to make you feel the pain underneath the brutal words.
Closer Watching a Movie Called Freedom By Myself punctuates the barren interdimensional storytelling masterclass, ‘Aint no post-credits scene / We can all just leave’ – a great way to address something that no longer needs addressing. In case you couldn’t tell, Mike and Kenny have found a pocket that keeps you coming back – this is easily up there with one of the best hip-hop releases of the year. Wow.
Listen to: Unfinished Concrete Initials, She Swear I’m Colorblind, It Happens In Every Universe (interlude)