Send "Mike G " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
 Between the books, major magazine covers, pop-up stores, variety shows, and more co-signs than you can hurl a skate deck at, it's safe to say L.A. rap provocateurs Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All's basement days are long behind them. Or as OF member Mike G rhapsodizes on his new EP The Award Tour, "Went from Call of Duty missions to the center of attention." It's been a whirlwind year for the collective in general, but between anchoring tracks for Jay and Kanye to winning VMAs, it's easy to forget that Odd Future are largely made up of background figures, all with such varied rhyme and production styles that it can be hard to stand out from the pack. Mike G can probably relate-- his nocturnal flow and a preference for mood-driven beats has left him on the outside of most OF conversations. But still, G managed to find an audience with 2009's Ali, a mixtape that former Pitchfork staffer Tom Breihan called "something of a lost classic within the Odd Future catalog."The Award Tour is the midpoint between Ali and G's proper debut, Gold, rumored to be out sometime next year. And while it doesn't diverge too much from his previous solo effort, it's clear that he's trying to make a name for himself outside of Odd Future: Save from keeping the production in-house (Syd the Kid, Hodgy Beats, and Left Brain contribute music) and the occasional reminiscence (see "Chevron") or shout out, The Award Tour is one of the rare OF releases that feels purposefully removed from the collective. It's a smart move for someone who has struggled to distinguish himself outside of this growing pop-culture juggernaut, and with his sandy-eyed demeanor, it's a crucial counter-balance to the crew's super-aggro approach. The only problem is Mike G himself. Spin The Award Tour half a dozen times, and it's clear why the guy's so often been relegated to the background. As the cousin of West Coast legend Warren G, it's not hard to imagine Mike's ultra laid-back style being something of a genetic trait, but even two years after Ali, he still sounds like a rapper not only still trying to find his voice, but struggling with the basic mechanics. Maybe it's okay to give Mike G a pass because of the inherent charm associated with his zonked-out delivery, or because his raps oddly memorialize the halcyon days of early Odd Future, but his flow remains so stilted that he often isn't even afforded the luxury of simply blending in....full text |
| Prefixmag |
| As promised, Odd Future's resident Houston hip-hop aficionado, Mike G, has delivered his latest project to the web. It's the Award Tour EP, a seven-track affair that features Vince Staples on four tracks and production from Syd Tha Kyd, Hodgy Beats, and others. You can consider this super-chill, blunted EP a holdover of sorts, as Mike G is still working on his proper sophomore album, Gold. It's not clear when that project will see the light of day, though we're hoping that it'll get here sooner rather than later. For now, you can chill with the Award Tour EP by downloading it here. Stream one of its finest cuts, "Chevron....full text |
| Latimesblogs |
| Don't expect A Tribe Called Quest references, do expect frequent references to Satan, "Damien" and hell on Mike G's new "Award Tour" EP. After all, the cousin of Warren G reps Odd Future, the skate rap crew known for its nihlism, atheism and most other isms (but not this one). Production is handled by Left Brain, Frisco TSC and Hodgy Beats, and as with most Odd Future affairs, this is a group effort, though Tyler, Earl, Domo, et. al don't make any appearances on the 26-minute EP. Instead, the mini-record feature impressive turns from extended OF family Vince Staples, and a memorable 16 bars from Speak! (who co-wrote Kreayshawn's "Gucci Gucci"). The mixtape largely avoids the screwed-up style that Mike G implemented on his first tape, 2009's "Ali," but it does boast a slowed-down ambient float. And though the comparison would cause an inevitable Twitter rampage from the entire crew, "Award Tour" almost operates as a satanic flip side to A$AP Rocky's "LiveLoveA$AP." There are clothing references (a song called "Chanel"), lifestyle boasts and comic murders in the Shady Records model. But the highlight might be Staples' and Griffin's "Moracular World." If it's possible for anyone associated with Odd Future to be overlooked, it might be Staples. Barely out of his teenage years, he goes on a lyrical rampage after his Nintendo 64 cartridges are thrown out and his grandmother chases him with a hockey stick....full text |
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