Open Mike Eagle // Video Dave

Los Angeles-based emcee, comedian, and podcaster Open Mike Eagle coined the term "art rap" to describe his whip-smart, literate style of hip-hop, which draws inspiration from Freestyle Fellowship and De La Soul as well as They Might Be Giants and Pavement. A longtime affiliate of the influential Project Blowed collective, he co-founded the trio Thirsty Fish and larger battle crew Swim Teamduring the 2000s before making his solo debut with 2010's Unapologetic Art Rap, a humorous set of reflections on everyday life that lived up to its title. He maintained a prolific pace throughout the decade and beyond, receiving acclaim for autobiographical releases like Dark Comedy (2014) and Brick Body Kids Still Daydream(2017) while additionally becoming a respected figure in the comedy world, co-hosting several podcasts as well as the Comedy Central series The New Negroes. With 2020's Anime, Trauma and Divorce, he continued to use his music as an outlet to process personal issues. A much rawer, mixtape-style release titled Component System with the Auto Reverse appeared in 2022