Andrew Veeder on December 15th, 2014

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Open Mike Eagle describes his music as “on that laugh to keep from crying tip” early on his album “Dark Comedy,” released earlier this year, while his label touts it as “a record that captures the perennial struggle between art and commerce, the last half-century of widening class rift, and the need to be funny or die” – both are pretty accurate. Following 2010’s “Unapologetic Art Rap,” 2011’s “Rappers Will Die of Natural Causes” and 2012’s “4nml Hsptl,” “Dark Comedy” is Mike’s fourth solo effort, an alt-hip-hop album full of dense, intelligent and inventive rhymes that are sometimes so profound you can’t help but laugh out loud. The first track “Dark Comedy Morning Show,” produced by Toy Light, sets the stage by beginning with the rhyme “Dark comedy cold as the ocean / At a lull cause nobody seems to know when I’m joking” and digs in with “Rap songs like ‘Patch Adams’ / Shadyac thought of it as art ’til they laughed at it / Rap songs like Steven Wright / Monotone drone, people wonder if he breathing right.” “Doug Stamper (Advice Raps)” name checks the “House of Cards” chief of staff character with a hilarious and thoughtful collection of wisdom over a beat from Alpha MC, including “No perm, grow a ‘fro like Pam Grier / Don’t say ‘bro,’ bruh, say manssiere / Any karaoke fans here? / If so, never get drunk and do ‘Kashmir'” and “’99 Problems’ was a damn good summer song / If you got more than like three, then something’s wrong,” before Hannibal Buress’ verse and the lines, “You a ho if your Facebook is complicated / Eat your fruit, fiber, b*tch, or get constipated / No finger waves, except baby face / LeBron James needs to stop taking HGH / His hairline f*cked up from the HGH / Went from one head band to like 88.” It is biting and captivating, and one of the most thought-provoking and hilarious albums of the year.

||| Stream: “Dark Comedy Morning Show” feat. Toy Light, and “Doug Stamper (Advice Raps)” feat. Hannibal Buress