Michael Jordan Bonema, also known as MIKE, is one of the most important hip-hop artists in 2025. I say hip-hop artist because Bonema is not only a studied rapper, but also a talented producer and visionary. If you haven’t heard of MIKE, that is no fault of your own, for his discography has been largely overlooked within wider hip-hop culture. His niche is one of warm bit-crushed beats and confessional yet murky vignettes. His latest release, “Showbiz!”, is a great starting point for those unfamiliar and marks what I believe to be his greatest endeavor yet. In this review, I have no specific goal other than to urge all of you to listen to what I believe to be a masterful and important work of self-expression.
The album starts with the single “Bear Trap,” MIKE’s mission statement. Foggy production and a mosaic of rhymes catch us up on his current situation. In the wake of his musical success, Bonema still finds himself in stormy weather. I sense a profound pain throughout his verse, best highlighted by the line “Keep it close; I’m down to wait a bit inside of tormеnt. Sleeve of smoke, I try and gain my spirit, make it storm lеss.” Clearly, fame and fortune have not granted MIKE reprieve. Bonema also communicates how success has reshaped his relationships. One sample contains an interview where the subject conveys excitement around his newfound purpose in music, while also lamenting the fates of his less fortunate friends who’ll probably end up in jail. It seems to me that success has agitated MIKE’s survivor’s guilt, which has led him to reflect on the friends he has already lost and others he will eventually lose to systemic racism and the prison industrial complex. Another sample contains a message recorded by Bonema’s father, in which he incessantly asks for a favor. It’s possible MIKE’s success has complicated his familial relationships as well, making his parents more reliant on him for support. I suspect the titular topic of “Showbiz!” is something MIKE wants to shine a unique light on in this project through his personal experience. This theme receives further development later on, but that is beyond the scope of this review. If MIKE’s contemplative bars haven’t swayed you, then you could always try it for the atmosphere.
The production on “Showbiz!” can be difficult for new listeners to parse, but it may be the most marketable quality of the album overall. MIKE is unique in that his production style necessitates sampling at lower audio qualities. The result is a warm retro atmosphere that wouldn’t sound out of place on a GameCube or PlayStation 2. In fact, MIKE has taken lots of influence from video game soundtracks and has often sampled the “Grand Theft Auto” series in his music. Keeping in mind MIKE’s lyrical strength in conveying struggle, this all meshes incredibly well. Often, when rappers get vulnerable, their lack of creative input in the realm of production makes the bodies of beats and bars seem too separate. MIKE’s vision is clear and whole; his songs contain feelings of nostalgia and growing pain, confusion and purpose, depression and resilience. The warm parts of his production mimic the artificial warmth afforded to MIKE through his notable substance abuse throughout the album. “Showbiz!” may be harrowing in its dissection, but it holds more than stories of pain and escape.
Now, I acknowledge this may all seem difficult, but what MIKE does best is offer the listener understanding in the face of his own struggle. The vagueness in his lyricism allows for a selective relatedness. Sometimes he says something that clearly comes from a deep-seated pain but could resonate with any one person. Take the line “numb toes trekkin’ through the winter and the sunstroke,” for example. Is there a better description in rap of the ebb and flow of life and the numbness that many of us feel? Maybe, but even still it’s a moving and human piece of poetry, even outside the context of his rhyme scheme and production. If you have ever taken interest in hip-hop or experienced some sort of life-changing hardship, I urge you to experience this album. MIKE’s warmth and vision bring catharsis and comfort. At the very least, take care of yourself today!