MIKE loves and uplifts those he cares about. During his 71-date Artists of the Century tour, every chance he got, his heart would pour over with gratitude for his fans, his family and his collaborators onstage. His Tiny Desk performance isn’t so different.
“We are the band of the century” MIKE proclaims as he smiles behind the Desk as a light and breezy melody follows closely behind him. It’s a reimagined sound for the Brooklyn-based rapper, former teen prodigy and founder of independent label 10k. His set is sweeping and vulnerable, touching on all eight years of his discography — including “nite flite,” a dj blackpower cameo — with immense gratitude, family pride and a few tears. He raps deeply about moments with his late mother in “Evil Eye” and reflects on growing up with his sister, Victoria, in a fresh arrangement of “parkS,” supported by labelmate duendita and frequent collaborator Liv.e. In his classic fashion, he fills the room with appreciation and empathy, inspiring his fans to dance and rap along to songs they know well. Now expanded, this set reveals a new frontier for MIKE’s epic artistry.
SET LIST
- “Intro”
- “Burning Desire”
- “man in the mirror”
- “Artist of the Century”
- “Evil Eye”
- “World Market (Mo’ Money)”
- “Diamond Dancing (Broke)”
- “Leaders of Tomorrow (Intro)”
- “nite flite”
- “parkS”
- “What Do I Do?”
MUSICIANS
- MIKE: vocals
- Savannah Harris: drums, band arrangements
- Mark William Lewis: guitar
- Jespfur: guitar
- Olu Odubiro: bass
- Bobby Hall III: keys
- Liv.e: background vocals
- duendita: background vocals
- Olawale: talking drum
TINY DESK TEAM
- Producers: Dora Levite, Bobby Carter
- Director: Maia Stern
- Audio Technical Director: Josh Newell
- Video Editor: Kara Frame
- Videographers: Maia Stern, Joshua Bryant, Grace Raver
- Audio Engineer: David Greenburg
- Production Assistant: Dhanika Pineda
- Series Editor: Lars Gotrich
- Photographer: Alanté Serene
- Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
- Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson, Robin Hilton