Mike and Ike

Also worth a shot or twelve is a duo who go by the name of Mike And Ike. The simple title of Introducing Mike And Ike (Soul20/20) may be a bit too simple, not as intimidating as the obvious. By saying this, what I'm letting you know is that Mike And Ike, a/k/a Mic Flo and Alpha 2000, aren't so obvious. The CD cover allows the fan to be welcomed in, but you don't see any bling. You don't see five women in thongs. You don't see fur. You don't see bling. It's a photo of an old theater with the title of the album on the marquee. In other words, this is the cover but if you want to know and hear more, step inside. The invitation is there. If you don't take it, you're going to get caught up in the rain.

Mike And Ike are reminiscent of some of the best MC duos in hip-hop history, with two very distinct voices and flows, who not only trade verses with each other but will occasionally get into battle mode. What they battle for is mic supremacy, not who is going to have a longer profile on MTV Cribs or who is going to sell more crack. It's not like that for this Austin, Texas duo, who are more about what they talk about on the third track, "Real Talk". Both of them get into the logistics of what makes rap music so great, and explore their reasons for wanting to take this music to the top. On other tracks, they take that same creativity to come up with some powerful messages about the powers and politics of the day, questioning why the poor remain poor, and why it seems one man's struggle is another man's gratification, which is how they see it in one of the album's best songs, "Make 'Em Listen". Anyone who feels that a music once the most outspoken has been quiet as of late only has to hear this and the rest of the album to know that the electrical tape is in a slow peel. People may hear the song and think the tone of Introducing Mike And Ike is like that, but it's not. These are two guys who know what they're capable of, balancing each other when they may reveal a few weaknesses. But weak? Nah. This is an album for those who love lyrics, because this rap game has always been about talking and getting those thoughts out to the people. It is definitely a people album, for those who seek some lessons in life, for those who want to hear it in a unique manner, and for those who love production as a dirty, crackly stew with the right spices.

In layman's terms, this is a very good album from two people who share their love of hip-hop through their own music. Exceptional. - Music for America http://www.musicforamerica.org

College and University life has many advantages for those who are able to afford the privilege of attending. In a liberal setting the promise of an extra curricular fueled nightlife in the Live Music Capital of the country can be the perfect breeding ground for some of the best musicians to emerge from the South. Austin, TX is the catalyst for the meeting of two far from sweet toothed emcees Mike & Ike. They met at the 'Burnt Orange' Institution and shared a common bond through their love and passion of Hip Hop culture. After many sessions practicing their craft, they formulated a formidable offering entitled ‘Introducing Mike and Ike’. The beats are courtesy of Alpha2020 who comes through in the form of Ike’s alter-production ego with a seminal flavor to Alchemist, Da Beatminerz and Hi-Tek. Both are prolific writers with the ability to cover the spectrum of ‘life’s up’s and life’s pit’s’.


Stand out tracks are their ode to Hip Hop love on ‘Time Traveler’ and ‘Fresh’. While ‘Classic Sound’ and ‘The Way We Do It’ prove their desire to keep heads moving. The socially uplifting ‘Make Em Listen’ challenges the artists that choose to get on and make their dough but refuse to respond to the current affairs that are dictated by the Government. Most notable selection is the banging ‘Keep Up’ which emphasizes the importance of perseverance and dedication to the art. ‘Time waits for no man, yo you better keep up, you better keep up, you better keep up, stay cool when they turn the heat up, and bounce back when the struggle leave you beat up’. The duo confirmed my expectations when they visited Houston recently to perform at Mission Control and rocked the small gathering of heads. Even more importantly were the devoted friends and followers who traveled with them to show support. Don’t’ sleep on the flavorful debut of Mike and Ike ya’ll, they’re here for the long haul. Peace.

:::::::Kristopher Lee

How did the group come together?

Ike: Mike and I met in the dorms our freshman year. Back then we were mostly just hittin up the same parties. We’d kick off ciphers and what not, chop it up about Hip Hop from time to time. We didn’t record anything until our sophomore year when I copped some turntables. We were just layin down freestyles, but that was the foundation.

Mike: At first, we were just chillin' enjoying the college life. Junior year is about when Mike & Ike became official. I moved into an apartment with Ike and a couple of our homeboys. That's when Ike had started making beats on the MPC. I had access to ALL his beats, so I started writing non-stop. Then we bought a mic and started recording, and the rest is history.


What inspires you to create music?

Ike: Ever since I can remember I’ve been in love with music. So, music in itself, as well as Hip Hop culture, has always been very motivational and inspirational to me. But now that I’m older and more mature my motivation tends to come from God, struggle, life, society, etc. The potential of reaching people through my music is very inspirational to me.

Mike: Music inspires me to create. A lot of times I hear an instrumental and I drop whatever I'm doing and start writing. I am an only child. Growing up, it was just me and my parents. So when I needed to get something off my chest, and I felt I couldn't speak with my parents, I wrote rhymes. That was how I expressed what was going on in my mind. It's still about personal expression, but my style is evolving. I am inspired by the things I see, the people I meet, and the stories I hear. Emotional, spiritual, or comedic situations inspire me to attempt to put those stories into rhyme form.

What's your earliest memory of this culture?

Ike: Breakin’. I was probably like 3 or 4. I used to dress up, carry around my fisher price tape deck and try to breakdance. I was basically captivated from the go. I got in to Cypress Hill, Wu Tang, Kris Kross, Souls of Mischief, etc. around the age of 10 or 11. That is when I really became intrigued by the “emcee”.

Mike: For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with hip-hop. When I was a child, I remember runnin' around in my room spittin' verses for hours. I was really into Tribe, De La Soul, and Eric B. & Rakim. I was also bumpin' Kriss Kross & Hammer and more mainstream rap. Either way, I always had a walkman, discman, or somethin' with me to listen to hip-hop. And, to this day, that hasn't changed. I'm still a fan.


Describe the vibe coming from Austin.

Ike: I think it’s dope, very eclectic. As of lately, a lot of ill artists are coming out and doing their thing, and many are doing it well. Sometimes artists can make it hard to build, which is necessary when tryin to put your city on the map, but Austin definitely has the talent to do so.

Mike: Ike used the perfect word to describe Austin, eclectic. It's definitely a city where people feel comfortable expressing alternative viewpoints. All kinds of alternative viewpoints: polit - © 2006 Suckarepellent Productions

Austin hip hop has been laying pretty dormant for the past few years. With the passing of Hip Hop Humpday at The Mercury Room, the scene broke apart and dispersed. In a way, the body of Austin Hip Hop passed with it. Some pockets of local MCs here and there, and several DJ spots like Nasty’s and Plush act as a stop-gap form of life support.

The scene NEEDS a jolt. Something to bring it all back together.

In come Michael Richardson and Jon Isaac Ramos (Alpha 2020), better known as Mike and Ike, with their simply-named debut album: Introducing Mike and Ike. These two wordsmiths may be the chest pumping that will resuscitate the scene.

The good.

For a first effort, Introducing Mike and Ike is quite impressive. For a number of reasons. To begin, the production is impeccable. This isn’t your average couple of Goldie Lookin’ Chain soundin’ fools who stole a laptop and pawed a cracked copy of ProTools. It is quite obvious that Ike, who also fills the roll of producer, spent a great deal of time polishing the sound throughout the entire album. Levels are properly set, the beats aren’t over-filtered, and he apparently has a handle on how to tweak the EQs on multiple, simultaneous tracks. Trust that this is commonly fucked up. But not on this album. ‘Tis clean and well mastered.

That, or Ike is extremely lucky with the results of randomly pushing buttons. But it’s very doubtful that luck has anything to do with it.

The use of Jazz, Soul, and Blues as the backdrop for most of the songs is especially refreshing. Sure, Madlib got to dig through Blue Note’s archives for his masterpiece, RJD2 does his thing with Blues and Soul, and pretty much all of East Coast Rap up until the mid nineties utilized these music forms. But for the past ten years, beyond a couple of Neptunes remixes, the Euro-Tech influence became the dominant force behind pretty much all the production in Hip Hop, including Rap. The original influences of East Coast Rap were sidelined, or played second fiddle to other styles.

Ike tips his hat on almost every track to tuxedo brass, tasteful piano grooves, snare rim-shots, and ridiculously sexy jazz vocals. Very reminiscent to older Tribe, KMD, and De La. Even some Jungle Brothers might be found up in there.

The pitches of Mike and Ike’s voices work really well together. Not in a Dead Prez kind of way, but in a Black Star kind of way. Both have very distinct tones, with Mike taking the lower and more lyrical route and Ike going into more of the melodic staccato direction. They play off of each other with needle-tipped timing, which is easy to flub in the midst of mic passing.

The Bad.

There is nothing specific about this album that stands out as poor. The only real issues with what Mike and Ike have done here is more related to what remains of a crooked legacy in Rap. Ever since Kurtis Blow hit the scene, one certain element can be found in almost every Rap group’s first recorded rhymes.

[Buckle in for a long-winded diatribe that should in no way shed a negative light on Mike and Ike’s work specifically. The following is pure generalization.]

One day, it won’t be such a problem. But for now, it persists:

It’s always strange when a group’s first album is focused almost solely on how accomplished they are vs. those who are currently popular. It always arrives in the form of [NONE of the following quotes are taken directly from Introducing Mike and Ike, but are represented in and amongst their tracks in spirit] “they aren’t real like us” or “they sold out, those bitches, but not us” and the ever popular “my flows are nice, them dudes are fucking RETARDS”. The irony is that those who supposedly “sold out” had practically the same lyrics on their first album, aimed at whoever was on top at that time. It’s all so cyclical.

However, it is fair to note that freshman albums are supposed to be announcements. Warnings to the old guard. It’s always been this way. It’s a product of a battle-rap mentality, where nobodies get on stage for the first time in their life and are forced to compete with pros by endlessly repeating how much better they are than their competition. This is necessary because they have not built up an actual reputation that will precede them. But battle-rap, while a fascinating art form in its own right, may not be appropriate for a studio effort. Again, this is not a critique of Introducing, because this is an industry-wide issue.

However, it is interesting to note that many albums which are considered classic, do not follow that path (Fugees’ The Score, Tribe’s Low End Theory, Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet), but the vast majority of newer classics do in fact cater to this pattern, whether it be the artists’ first, third, or fifth album. So it is more than understandable that Mike and Ike would employ battle-rap tactics throughout their first published effort. The first album is, after all, an announcement of their arrival. And in the wor - 2003-2006 Gothamist LLC. Austinist

http://www.hiphoplinguistics.com/soul2020.htm

Hip-Hop & the Concept of Love
I’ve passed up a lot of opportunities in my life. Some have revolved around jobs that I wasn’t ready to take. Some have revolved around places I wasn’t ready to move to. And yes, some have revolved around feelings I wasn’t ready to acknowledge. But only over the past couple weeks have I realized how significant these decisions can be, and how easily things can slip away.


I guess this whole story begins about six years ago. It was around that time that I met a young lady who would become one of my best friends. Cool chick … you know, fun, smart, interesting, sexy. Just my type, too. But for some reason, I slipped into that friend zone somehow.

I must admit, a lot of it had to do with fear and insecurity on my part. I mean, I wasn’t trying to have no girl at the time. Just out of college, I was looking to start my career and accomplish things, not mess with all the trouble I thought a woman would bring. And after spending years witnessing the hell my parents went through, I didn’t really trust the concept of love or relationships. Like many hip-hoppers with messed up family experiences, love just didn’t seem feasible or realistic for me in today’s crazy and seemingly hateful world.

See, when critics of the hip-hop generation make their undereducated generalizations about the culture, they often fail to acknowledge one major factor of the generation’s experience: The Concept of Love. The hip-hop generation, more than any other, has felt the strains of broken homes and single-family upbringings; the strains of yelling, or fighting, or dishes breaking; the strain of witnessing a relationship fall apart. Now whether or not these critics may realize this, such experiences often leave young people in fear and disgust of love, a concept which seems to be glorified in theory yet often humbled in practice.

Therefore, in an attempt not to get serious but still manage to get laid from time to time, I kicked it with mostly shady chicks. You know, women who don’t know how to treat a man, don’t know how to act right, and don’t know how to show appreciation for a damn thing. Looking back, I think I did this purposely to prevent myself from having to man up and deal with something real. Perhaps that was that opportunity I just wasn’t ready for.

The Opportunist Hip-Hopper
Yet the whole time, I continuously noticed this friendship building to levels of major significance. Damn, man, I could talk to this girl about anything. Share any of my feelings without feeling like a punk or worrying about being judged or clowned on. Take her out and have a good time without feeling like I had to holler game constantly. And more than anything else … she read my articles. One of the few of my friends who consistently reads what I write. For those of you who are writers or artists, I’m sure you understand how important that is. It seemed like something that was probably going to happen eventually. That is, of course, until about a month ago when she told me she was moving to New York City.

For the first couple weeks, I tried to act like it was no big deal. I kept doing my thing, not really stressing the fact that my best girl friend was leaving. But it kept weighing on me, and I started thinking that I may have made a mistake by waiting so long. It was right around this time that I received an underground CD in the mail called “Introducing Mike & Ike” by Soul 2020 recordings.

As I do with new albums, I threw the disc in my car on the way to work and listened to the first minute or so of each song, until I hit track ten, a song entitled “Keep Up.” For some reason, I was feeling the vibe of the song, and decided to play it through. Man, I can’t even begin to tell you how much this song hit home with what I was feeling at the time. The following verse seemed to exemplify what had been going on in my head for the previous two weeks:

If you want it you gotta get it, life’s too short for playing games
Too short for pointing fingers, too short for naming names
Too short for wasting time trying to find things to blame
Too short to wait a long time to start chasing dreams
Or to spend your whole life trying to chase the cream
Just to look back, realize you never gained a thing
At least nothing you will carry to the grave
Live your own life, man, forget being a slave
I mean slave for the government, the sex, or the dough
Slave for that crack, heroin, or line of snow
Slave for the love of others who you’ll never know
You want to slave? Be a slave for your soul
And do what it tell you, man, it never lie
You’ll never know what could have been if you never try
I ain’t saying it ain’t hard, and that you’ll never cry
But if you stay scared of heights, man, you’ll never fly

I listened to the CD all day at work, and seemed to play track ten one hundred times. That night after work, my lady friend and I went t - Hip Hop Linguistics

3/5

Ah, Texas. Home of The Ghetto Boys, candy painted cars, and screwed-and-chopped music. Looks as if it'd be one of the last places to find, what some would consider, backpack/trueschool hip-hop. I'm not trying to label the Austin, Texas duo as simple backpackers, but they definitely fit the traditional mold. Their "keep-it-real" attitude is spread throughout their debut album, Introducing Mike and Ike...

Instead of focusing on how hard they are or how much money they have, Mike and Ike keep it simple and plain; they keep the album album full of jazzy/soul sampled beats with smart, accessible lyrics to match. Unfortunately, this format has been recycled often and sadly, we’ve heard it all before. Both Mike (who sounds eerily like Evidence from Dilated Peoples) and Ike have good intentions on saving the artform from corporate America, but the subject gets a bit tiring after the third or fourth song.

However, when the emcees break away from their usual patterns of “staying true” their true colors begin to appear. Their socially-conscious opus, “Make ‘em Listen”, is a bit of fresh air for the monotonous tone of the album (as far as subject matter). The muddy piano loop is very hypnotic and puts the listener in a trance, leaving their ears open to what the emcees have to say. “Keep Up” can also become very inspirational for those who are on their last leg and are willing to give up as Ike raps, “...you’ll never know what could’ve been if you never try/I ain’t sayin’ it ain’t hard and that you’ll never cry/but if you stay scared of heights then you’ll never fly...”

If you can can get past the repetitiveness of some of the subject matter and just enjoy what they emcees are trying to do for hip-hop in general, then it won’t be very difficult to appreciate what the duo has to offer. Give them a few more topics to dig deeper into and a more ear-pleasing beat selection, and they’ll definitely have a classic in the near future.


– James Smith

http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/index.php/weblog/more/introducing_mike_and_ike
- Okayplayer.com