After a few months of letting the music video for “616” marinate on everyone’s TV screens, Mike Zombie has finally released his long-awaited debut studio album, Rebel Without A Cause. This is a landmark project for too many reasons to list in a simple blog post, but the main reason being that this is and will be one of the most critically acclaimed projects to release out of New Jersey this year alongside very few others.
Mike Zombie initially made waves by producing several of his own full length mixtapes, before becoming producer of Drake‘s “Started From The Bottom,” the lead single from 2013’s Nothing Was The Same album and DJ Khaled‘s “They Don’t Love You No More” featuring Rick Ross, French Montana, Meek Mill and Jay Z. Some time later, even Remy Ma came along for a memorable remix. Pretty star-studded names for a guy from a small town in NJ, but he’s been a left-field thinker for quite some time, so the accolades shouldn’t surprise anyone.
I’m most excited for this album, because with its undeniable east coast bounce, it gives me some new music to spin at the skating rink! The production is versatile, and the stories range from late nights around town with the homies, keeping it real through the industry and his new-found fame, and where he plans to go next. The project is definitely an upgrade from his last mixtape The End of the Beginning as far as beat selection and lyricism. Not many producers crossover well into rapping on their own beats (or just rapping well period), but with this body of work, Mike Zombie is proving that he’s more than just a producer.
Enjoy Mike Zombie‘s Rebel Without A Cause via iTunes.
