Killer Mike‘s MICHAEL marked another triumphant release in his post-Dungeon Family career — so special, in fact, that he has announced a whole new project that serves as a sprititual supplement to his Grammy-winning opus.
This Friday (August 2), the Atlanta rap legend will release Songs For Sinners & Saints, a 10-track collaboration with his band The Mighty Midnight Revival.
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“I had a year to live with MICHAEL, and I realized I had more I wanted to do with this sound before moving on,” Mike said in a press release.
“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.”
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He added: “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.”
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Joining Killer Mike on Songs For Sinners & Saints are fellow Southern Hip Hop stalwarts Offset, Project Pat and Key Glock, as well as soul slingers Blxst, Anthony Hamilton and Death Row Records signee Jane Handcock.
Check out the artwork and tracklist below.
Killer Mike & The Mighty Midnight Revival — Songs For Sinners & Saints (Tracklist):
1. Bussin Bricks Intro
2. Nobody Knows (feat. Anthony Hamilton, Jordan Alyssa, Troy Durden & Adonica Nunn)
3. Humble Me
4. Higher Level (feat. Jori & Adonica Nunn)
5. Exit 9 (Scenic Route) (feat Offset, Blxst, Lena Byrd Miles & Troy Durden)
6. Lord Prepare Me (feat. Belly Gang Kush, Jane Handcock, Adonica Nunn)
7. Slummer 4 Junkies (feat. Lena Byrd Miles, Alicia Peters-Jordan, Jori, Adonica Nunn, Jordan Alyssa & Troy Durden)
8. Had to Go Get It (feat. Troy Durden)
9. ’97 3-6 Freestyle
10. Still Talk’n That Shit (feat. Key Glock & Project Pat)
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Songs For Sinners & Saints also includes new versions of two songs that originally appeared on MICHAEL, “Slummer” and “Something For Junkies,” which have been combined into one track.
“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,” he explained. ‘Slummer’ and ‘Something For Junkies’ happened in the same universe.
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“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.”
The Run The Jewels rhymer has already given fans an early preview of the project with the Offset and Blxst-assisted “Exit 9 (Remix),” on which he paid tribute to late Organized Noize producer Rico Wade, and the rumbling, God-fearing “Humble Me.”
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It was on the latter single that Mike reflected on the highs and lows of MICHAEL, which earned him three wins at this year’s Grammy Awards before he was arrested over a confrontation with venue security.
“I won at the Grammys / For spitting my grammar / Did that for Atlanta / Swept up like a janitor / Got sent to the slammer / Treat me like an animal or some kind of Hannibal,” he rapped.
Songs For Sinners & Saints will arrive just over a year after MICHAEL, which dropped in June 2023 to widespread acclaim.
In addition to a trifecta of Grammys, the album received a 4.5 out of 5 score from HipHopDX and was crowned our Best Hip Hop Album of 2023.
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There may be even more where MICHAEL and Songs For Sinners & Saints came from as Mike previously revealed that he was working on an album trilogy.
“The first album we got to kinda take the nine-year-old to where I’ve grown into as an adult, but I wanna cut deeper. There’s deeper levels to go, you know?” he said in an interview with Apple Music earlier this year.
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“We already plotting out what the next one’s gonna be. Me and [Mike’s A&R] Cuz Lightyear were in the studio with Mike WiLL [Made-It] the next night. And we working.”
“I just wanna work and produce works of art that’s gonna live long after I’m gone,” he added. “So I can’t do that celebrating this too long. The celebration is fun, but after this, when I get back to Atlanta, I’ll be working.”
