Killer Mike Examines His Faith On "Songs For Sinners & Saints" Album

Fri, August 2, 2024 at 12:25 AM

Killer Mike really struck a chord with his 2023 album MICHAEL. He decided to move away from the aggressive sound that characterized his work in Run the Jewels. Instead, he spit over smooth, soulful, and often gospel-influence beats. We all loved it. Killer Mike decided to dig further into this gospel vibe, and the religious imagery that accompanies it, on his new album. Where MICHAEL took a nostalgic POV, though, Songs for Sinners & Saints opts for a grittier, grounded approach. Fans are going to love this too.

The aggression of the opener is going to be jarring to some. "BUSSIN BRICKS INTRO" feels more in line with the glitchy, angry energy that Killer Mike perfected with RTJ. The rest of Songs for Sinners & Saints takes a more laid-back approach. Anthony Hamilton sounds fantastic on the funky "NOBODY KNOWS." The one-two punch of "HUMBLE ME" and "HIGHER LEVEL" distill the sounds and themes of the album down to perfect Southern rap cuts. Both feature soulful instrumentals and stellar flows from Killer Mike. The latter is especially fun, thanks to an interpolation of Outkast's "Ms. Jackson." Offset and Blxst keep the quality bar high on the touching Rico Wade tribute "EXIT 9 (SCENIC ROUTE)." Key Glock and Project Pat, meanwhile, bolster the hardest song on the entire album: "STILL TALK'N THAT SH*T." Killer Mike is at the peak of his powers here. All Killer, no filler.

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