This Fall, I got sushi with Michete and we talked about their music, Kanye West, and our shared Spokane upbringings. At the time, they told me (off the record) that they were working on the lead single from their next album, Cool Tricks 3. I have been laying patiently in wait for that single to drop, and now, complete with an accompanying video, “Tantrum” is here!
The song features critically-acclaimed singer/songwriter/rapper/general badass Shamir, whose 2015 album Ratchet was one of the best releases of that year. “Tantrum” is a heavy-hitting bop that finds Michete and Shamir self-aggrandizing and trading verses about–what else–popping the fuck off. In a departure from Michete’s usual FruityLoops-meets-sweaty-trap-house-party-meets-DIY-electro-punk beats (which, by the way, they produce themselves. Shout out to all the inter-disciplinary queers up in this trash DJ Snake nightmare world) the two are backed by pounding electric guitars and sparse percussion. It’s a sonic departure for both artists, but one that, given their cited influences, makes sense.
The sound is different but the verbal dexterity is the same. “Got no class like I’m going on a field trip/ get up in your face and I’ll tell you what the deal is/ On my Janet Mock shit, redefining realness” might be one of the better triple rhymes lobbed off in a while. Also I’m a sucker for any track that includes a “YAH YAH YAH YAH” interjection (please see: Coloring Book, the Migos, any/every Young Thug song)
The self-produced video features Michete and Shamir casually delivering barbs to the camera in a backyard, a basement and in front of a brownstone. There’s work out equipment, a puppy and casual twerking. The live shots are also cut with rudimentary doodle versions of the two that scowl and dance and generally act like the baddest bitches this side of Microsoft paint. It’s a good-ass time.
Make sure to check out the video for “Tantrum (ft. Shamir),” download it on iTunes (if you still do that kind of thing) and like Michete’s official page for performance dates.