Earlier this month, Killer Mike dropped HUMBLE ME, a new single on which he opened up about his arrest at the GRAMMYS on February 4. The new single made it clear that incident and the blessings of the album’s ever evolving reception had opened up fertile ground for Mike’s creativity – in fact he was back at work in the studio the very next night. Upon the single’s release, Mike promised fans that he had a new body of work coming that would act as an epilogue to the MICHAEL era and as a gift to them for their continued support. “I had a year to live with MICHAEL,” he states, “and I realized I had more I wanted to do with this sound before moving on.”
The result is Michael & The Mighty Midnight Revival: Songs For Sinners & Saints, a 10 song collection set for digital release TODAY!
Though it may seem unorthodox to drop such an expansive annex to a fully realized album like MICHAEL, Mike states “for me this is a testimonial. When I was growing up an important part of church service was people having the opportunity to stand up and give public testimony on their trials, tribulations, and triumphs. After the celebratory atmosphere that followed MICHAEL, I was reminded that tribulations never cease, but God is always with me and this is a testimonial of my tumultuous times, my trials, and my continued triumph in spite of doubt, outright hate, and fear. I am here to speak to and with my fellow sinners and Saints.”
Songs For Sinners & Saints’ opening track offers an apt summary of his current headspace via the line, “Fame and money brought some factors I ain’t factor in.” Elsewhere he provides a stunning reworked medley of two MICHAEL standouts inspired by the new life the album material took while touring it with his gospel group, The Mighty Midnight Revival. “Not only was I not done with the sound and feel of MICHAEL, I realized I might not be done with some of the songs from it as well. SLUMMER & SOMETHING FOR JUNKIES happened in the same Universe,” states Mike. “I always looked at both songs as one long play of sorts so this was a chance to try that out. These are songs that deserved another approach and now I’m torn on which version I like better.”
