THE ALCHEMIST, WIKI AND MIKE SHARE NEW SINGLE “MAYORS A COP”

featured image by Ryosuke Tanzawa

FAITH IS A ROCK OUT THIS FRIDAY SEPT 22ND

Faith Is A Rock PRE-ORDER/SAVE: https://music.empi.re/faithisarock

The Alchemist, Wiki and MIKE share “Mayor’s A Cop,” taken from their forthcoming album Faith Is A Rock due this Friday via ALC Records. The single demonstrates the seamless chemistry that exists between the three artists, having spent years collaborating with one another dating back to 2017, with one of MIKE’s early performances happening in support of Wiki during the Brooklyn stop of his 5 Borough Tour. “Mayor’s A Cop” also arrives with a music video directed by Ryosuke Tanzawa, following the two MCs down the streets of their home city.

Having established himself as an instrumental figure in the careers of multiple generations of talented rappers, this album marks a special moment for The Alchemist as he champions two artists who represent the present and future of New York rap to him. Respectively, Wiki and MIKE have each amassed impressive catalogs of critically-acclaimed albums and cemented legacies of their own at a young age.

At 24, MIKE has already built a weighty discography with numerous critically-celebrated albums that have earned him Pitchfork’s Best New Music accolade twice. Most recently his 2022 album Beware of the Monkey, was hailed as “a triumph” by Interview Magazine and was celebrated by the likes of Vulture, The FADER, SPIN and more. He’s toured with the likes of Blood Orange, Earl Sweatshirt and Freddie Gibbs, and has amassed a local legacy with the development of his own label, 10k, and his annual Young World festival. The festival’s third edition was held this Summer at Brooklyn’s Herbert Von King Park to peak attendance, featuring entirely Black-owned vendors and performances from Noname, MAVI, Jay Critch and more.

At 29, Wiki serves as one of New York City’s young OGs. He first caught the attention of the City when he released his breakout single “Wikispeaks,” which prompted the signing of his group Ratking to the venerable label XL, with whom he released his critically acclaimed solo full length album No Mountains In Manhattan. He has cemented his legacy as one of New York’s great MCs with a consistent string of fantastic albums, including 2019’s independently-released Oofie for which Wiki was celebrated by The New Yorker as “a gifted storyteller” and 2021’s Half God, which was produced entirely by the rapper/producer Navy Blue (and features a verse from MIKE) that was heralded by the likes of NPR, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and more upon its release.

With The Alchemist having worked with both rappers in the past, the connection between the three musicians was certified with their 3-song pack “One More” last year, which was released via ALC Records as a part of Patta’s collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger. The Alchemist curated the New York City-inspired project, selecting Wiki and MIKE as two MCs that embodied the city, and the rest was history.

Check out “Mayor’s A Cop” above and stay tuned for more from The Alchemist, Wiki, and MIKE soon.