Atlanta's favourite son Killer Mike is a distinct hip hop voice, advocate for political and social causes, an entrepreneur and occasional Bernie Sanders whisperer. He emerged in the aughts as a fiery maelstrom and polemicist comfortable with both dope-boy fantasies and bruising Black politics before becoming one-half of Run the Jewels alongside El-P in the early 2010s where he amplified his potent sociopolitical consciousness in a playful-but-confrontational manner. His first solo record since 2012’s R.A.P. Music, the Grammy-winning 2023 album Michael, closes the gap between Killer Mike the rapper and Michael Render the family man as an origin story that dignifies the average working-class Black man’s story in a complex portrait of Black southern masculinity. It highlights his incisive and compelling lyrics and maximalist impulses, enveloping his deep baritone with a cascade of gospel cries, florid old-soul samples and churchy organs from celebrity guests. A complex artist who revels in experimentation, in addition to his solo work and with Run the Jewels, he’s collaborated with Outkast, Jay-Z, Big Boi, T.I., Black Thought and more, acted in films Baby Driver, Idlewild and ATL, done TV cameos and voiceovers plus hosts series Love & Respect with Killer Mike, Roll'N with Killer Mike, and Trigger Warning.

- Kerry Clarke