Music

Open Mike Eagle Drops A New Freestyle In Honor Of The Late MF DOOM

Open Mike salutes his supervillain hero while revealing one last, epic troll from the masked rapper. …

When it was announced on New Year’s Eve that MF DOOM had passed away on Halloween last year, the outpourings of respect and condolences from hip-hop were both immediate and prolific. Adult Swim Senior Vice President Jason DeMarco shared a stream of stories and about his experiences with the rap iconoclast (including explaining the aborted The Missing Notebook project) and fellow underground rap icon Yasiin Bey posted a cover of DOOM’s Madvillain cut “All Caps.” Today, the tributes continued as another unconventional MC, Open Mike Eagle, shared his thoughts about the last masked rapper in a freestyle detailing his emotional response at the news of his hero’s death.

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Mike and DOOM had previously connected on a pair of tracks: “Phantoms,” from the Czarface album, Czarface Meets Metal Face, and “Police Myself,” from Mike’s Comedy Central show The New Negroes. However, as he notes in his freestyle, the two men never met in real life, only corresponding through a go-between. As he reels off his own experiences, Mike reminisces about having a photo of MF DOOM rapping on some art in his living room. As he mentions this, he picks up the photo and looks at it, only to belatedly realize that the photo is of one of the imposter DOOMs that the original Daniel Dumile dispatched to live performances a few years ago so he wouldn’t have to show up himself.

Mike, unfazed, acknowledges the posthumous troll, “Supervillain. This n**** got me again. Rest in peace.”

Watch Mike’s tribute to MF DOOM above.

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Album Review

Paul Terry, Aptøsrs & Cellarscape unite on bold new album “Alternative Piano Club”

Combining his three artistic alter egos, Paul Terry presents an awe-inspiring new 12-track album, “Alternative Piano Club,” written in collaboration with Aptøsrs and Cellarscape. This is an album-length voyage of music that blends acoustic, rock, and piano-driven cinematic sounds.

Torn between this complex emotional spectrum, all the while the piano remains at its core throughout. Paul Terry opens his “Memento Mori (Chromogenic Phase)” contemplatively, creating a solemn, reflective mood. Cellarscape’s “Three Years Of Roses“ is warmer, whereas Aptøsrs’ “Questionnaires“ is much more textured as a large, sculptural post-rock.

“Dave’s Theme,” written by Paul Terry, musically expands the narrative with a touch of cinematic elevation that aligns well. “We Shape The Clouds” by Cellarscape is fluffy and heart-warming, “Writers Behind The Curtain” is somber, more narrative. We are all together in “A Place We Made,” an honest, intimate, emotionally grounded space.

The project contains vocal warmth and cultural depth in the song “This Is My Home“ by Silas Miami & Lana Crowster. Proceeding in a totally different direction is the stronger emotional clarity of Paul Terry’s acoustic storytelling on “Any Time You Want To Fly” and “No Sleep Has Come.” Cellarscape presents a wide, spacious atmospheric moment in “Cygnus,” while Aptøsrs ends with “Rust Mountain (Monochrome Piano Version),” a simple gem that brings the project full circle.

The mixing of Sam Okell and Adam Noble, the mastering of Alex Wharton and Robin Schmidt have, in many ways, brought their polish to it while still making it feel human. “Alternative Piano Club” is a work entity, where three musical personalities met and talk mind in the same emotional language.

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Artist Spotlight

LAST ALEX! balances precision and pulse on the electrifying track “Plus 1”

LAST ALEX!, a Chicago-based artist and producer, comes out with “Plus 1,” a high-energy release that combines technical prowess with an undeniable melodic instinct.

LAST ALEX! puts both craftsmanship and creativity on display here. The song’s strength lies in its balance, in detailed execution without sacrificing feeling, and in complexity without losing momentum.

LAST ALEX! doesn’t fully lean into the cold technique or loose emotion, but finds the sweet spot where skill and soul meet. This yields a polished, vibrant, and musically confident track.

Connect with LAST ALEX! on Spotify