Last week Mic Capes dropped the five-track EP Sheesh, a follow-up to his 2016 debut, Concrete Dreams. The Portland rapperâs subject matter isnât as heavy as with his previous materialâinstead, Sheesh feels like a summery departure.
The title track opens the EP with a celebratory vibe, as Capes takes a moment to feel himself and his accomplishments. The introduction samples the viral video of Sean âDiddyâ Combs negotiating a deal with MTV over the phone before shouting âIâm a savage! Whatever I want I have to get!â and destroying his own office.
Itâs the perfect beginning for a song in which Capes thoroughly talks his shit: âI might just be the best out the upper left/And beyond that, thatâs where my mind at, now cut the check/All I hear is money, drugs, and a bunch of threats/But if they got a problem, those suckas mumble it under breath.â
Capes continues tooting his own horn on the standout âWell Known,â which flexes on his status in Portland. The low, mesmerizing chorus repeats, âNorthside nigga, yeah Iâm well known/They gonâ write âreal niggaâ on my headstone/When I die Iâll be a legend to the motherfucking kids/They gonâ paint a nigga face on the St. Johns Bridge.â At one point, he uses light Auto-Tune, a new artistic choice for him, singing, âI never ride on the waaaaaaave, I be controlling the current/I just get up on the staaaaaaaage, I grab the mic and I burn it.â
On âI Might,â Capes fantasizes about his next moves as he climbs the ladder to success. Another highlight, âPassion Froot,â features Portland rapper Lang and vocals from Blossom. Itâs about being genuinely interested in a woman for what she has to offer intellectually and emotionally, as opposed to just physically.
Capesâ longtime DJ/producer Drae Slapz does the EPâs beats, with the exception of the final track âPalaces (TSDS),â which is co-produced by Alexander âCasso Dineroâ Wright, the artist/illustrator behind Sheeshâs cover. âTSDSâ stands for âThis Shit Donât Stop,â an appropriate closing sentiment for a track about hard work and Capesâ efforts to build a sustainable life for himself, his family, and his community.
Sheesh reminds me of Jay-Zâs 4:44; both projects have a strain of intentional and authentic messaging I can get behind.