One can be nice, but two always seem to be twice as good. At least, that seems to be the case when it comes to Hip-Hop. There may be no relationship more intimate than that between producer and MC. They just couldn't exist without each other, that is, unless the producer just wanted to make instrumentals or the MC just wanted to make acapella. Other than that, though, producers and MCs are like yin and yang, two opposite yet complementary aspects that, when brought together, produce a beautiful harmony. Here, the yin and yang are producer Tony Seltzer and rapper (and producer) MIKE. Their album, Pinball, dropped with little fanfare, being preceded only by the throwback single "R&B," which came accompanied by a potently nostalgic VH1-style music video.

Both are prolific artists in their own right (Tony produces for the likes of Wiki, Niontay, WifiGawd, and even Eartheater; MIKE has released about 25 projects in the past 10 years), so Pinball comes as a sort of respite, a chance to stretch their legs and play a couple of games. This kind of play is exactly what MIKE needed after his amazing LP from last year, Burning Desire. Where that album was cinematic and introspective, Pinball is manic and boisterous, never settling on one sound or pose for too long. It's an opportunity for both MIKE and Tony to try out new voices. If it goes wrong, they can always just pop another quarter in the machine.

"Two Door" sets the scene with windchimes and fog. A triumphant-sounding MIKE emerges and starts talking about preparation and the loading of guns. Something is about to go down. Like a good pinball machine, the track is kinetic, engaging, and, most of all, mysterious. It entices the listener without telling them how the rest of the game will go. The ball is loaded and the plunger is pulled all the way back; all that's left to do is release and start playing. The listener must be the ball because each track feels like being hit into another area of the machine. "Underground Kings" has a swirling funky groove; "100 Gecs" takes a quick diversion into drill; "On God" goes for a more minimal trap beat. The only consistent elements are the video game-like chirps and beeps that feature on almost every beat.

Most tracks are under two minutes, which means one or two verses, and that's it, no fat. The longer tracks are those that feature guest rappers, in this case Earl Sweatshirt, Tony Shhnow, Jay Critch, and Niontay. MIKE always brings great rappers onto his tracks, and he understands that the best way to use a feature is to become the feature. It's a small thing, but MIKE is very adept when it comes to taking stylistic inspiration in the moment. Take the track "Reminiscing," for example: MIKE has the first verse on the track, but even if you didn't see the track name—and you also knew who Jay Critch was—you would know instantly that he was going to appear as the guest verse. It's never the words exactly, but everything else: cadence, rhyme schemes, even pitch sometimes. This elevates the feature, changing it from a mere appearance to an act of artistic synthesis. The guest verses themselves are consistently great, with Niontay's appearance on the last track, 2k24 Tour, being particularly memorable.

With the runtime being as brief as it is, the album can feel ephemeral on the first or second listen, evaporating as soon as it hits the ear. But give it one or two more plays, and suddenly, the shape of it all becomes a lot clearer. We recommend that you listen to the whole album rather than individual tracks. That way, you'll be better able to see the pace that they're going for, up and down, up and down, like a pinball getting hit up to the bumpers, then rolling back down because that's all it knows.

Read the rest of the review on MSMR.substack.com !