Montréal, Québec, Canada emcee, producer and engineer Mike Shabb who wants to complete the Seaside trilogy for his 3rd mixtape. Coming in spring 2018 from his full-length debut Northwavehe would go on to make his presence known by releasing 6 EPs and his last two mixtapes before gaining fame for engineering Boldy James' 5th album Fair Exchange Not Robbery along with producing “Switches on Everything”. Hitler wears Hermes X & enlisting his mentor Nicholas Craven to fully produce his 5th EP Shadow Moses from top to bottom. Mike just turned it off Hoodie Olympics EP last summer and now gathers an interesting guest list for the mostly self-producers Seaside III.
The intro begins by jumping over a jazzy boom bap expressing his desire for bank money as opposed to a small stack and that he's not even in his prime, while “Doghouse” takes an atmospheric turn organically asking who let the dogs out as you care count the bread high and never leave your houses outside. After the break “We Live in Montréal” which pays homage to the great Roy Ayers' “We Live in Brooklyn”, the soulful “Grinchy” strips the drums completely spitting that gangsta shit before the jazzily “Autumn & Fall” she remains steady and ready to take over the game.
LORDY formerly known as Ankhlejohn joins Mike on “Free Cars” who lives and dies by the .44 Magnum over a slow, if jazzy boom bap beat that leads into “Ben Wallace” with Estee Nack sounding drumless and speaks once again that it focuses on the gold mentioned in the title. Detroit Pistons Center. “Free YSL” featuring Da$h brings a morbid vibe to the instrumental plea to free YSL Records from prison, but then “Hurry Up” returns to boom bap flexing the extra-thick shelves in its back pocket.
“Hey Young World, Pt. II” comes with a groovy single in the laid-back “Hey Young World” that he released exclusively on his YouTube channel a year and a half ago, assuring that the world is still yours, while “Milk Crate” with Lørd Skø brings together 2 of underground The biggest up-and-comers with a jazzy beat to go with them talking about being dudes all their lives. 'Julie' vividly recalls rainy days and after the melodic interlude 'Transmitting Live from the Real World', the Nicholas Craven-produced Navy Blue 'Free Jesus' brings back the jazz influences by talking about Christ as a shooter.
Boldy James links up with Mike on the drumless single “Big Piranhas” likening themselves to bigger versions of the omnivorous fish in a small pond, while “Free Jazz” lives up to its name, perfectly combining hip hop and elements of the eponymous subgenre of jazz music breaks free from the conventions and patterns of his contemporaries through the use of dissonance, atonality, and free-flowing rhythmic structures. “Echoes” strips the drums for the 1-last time in favor of synths that speak of gunshots still being heard.
Shadow Moses was easily one of the best EPs of last year and if you haven't had a chance to see Mike MC yet I suggest you give it a listen and even Seaside III here after just giving us what has to be my new favorite part of the trilogy goes beyond Seaside II over two years ago. The mostly self-produced offering expands on his drumless, jazzy sound, bringing with him a tight guest list to depict life on the streets of Montreal.
Rating: 8/10
