Drawing us in with a timeless and familiar quote featuring the words, “I was born when she kissed me, I died when she left me…” originally delivered by the character Dixon Steele, played by Humphrey Bogart in the film, In a Lonely Place (1950), directed by Nicholas Ray, Mike Dee opens MeTagirl with intentionality and historical reference for his emotions.
The opus expands into an immersive and intricate production with astral synths and textured drums as Mike Dee shares spoken word ad-libs and a playful flow that reminds us of a nursery rhyme. The narrative that unfolds is relatable and deeply human. There is a charming innocence to the delivery, but also a deeper emotional honesty beneath the exterior.
We love the way Mike brings his jazz sensibilities into the production. The soulful samples, live-played melodic elements and cleverly processed drums give the track that warm, dusty boom bap vibe. There is a lovely balance between the old-school hip-hop aesthetic and the more whimsical, almost childlike energy of his vocal performance. It takes us back to the golden era of storytelling rap, with a little J Dilla and Madlib spirit running through its DNA.
Speaking on the release, Mike Dee confesses, “This is a story about love and insecurity, which tend to go hand in hand. It’s a story that is loosely based off my relationship with my wife, and our journey courting each other when we were both in our early 20’s. This track is fun and whimsical. The production is classic and timeless and it tells a story about love and vulnerability. Love is not linear.”
We can imagine MeTagirl landing a sync placement in films like Brown Sugar, Love Jones, High Fidelity, The Wood, Dope and The Photograph. On television, it could sit well in Atlanta, Insecure, Ramy, The Chi and High Fidelity. Fans of J Dilla, Madlib, Freddie Gibbs, Larry June and Curren$y should find plenty to connect with.
A Southside Chicago producer, rapper and jazz saxophonist, Mike Dee has already worked with La Dona and Chicago rapper Ze, with production featured in Starz series Run the World. Now stepping forward as a rapper-producer, MeTagirl feels like a joyful introduction.
We cannot wait to hear more, and in the meantime, we have added MeTagirl to our New Music Spotlight playlist and our TIMELESS and TRIPPY playlists.