Killer Mike describes his “Motherless” video as a tribute to a “beautiful badass”

The Run The Jewels rapper shares details of his upcoming solo album, Michael.

May 11, 2023
Killer Mike describes his “Motherless” video as a tribute to a “beautiful badass” Jonathan Mannion

Last month Killer Mike announced plans to return to his roots with his first solo album in a decade. Today he has fleshed out the details of Michael, as well as sharing two new videos.

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The videos, which can be seen below, are for the previously released "Don't Let The Devil" plus "Motherless." The latter features Detroi-based R&B singer Eryn Allen Kane on guest vocals and was written as a tribute to Mike's mother, who passed away in 2017.

“When I first played Dion (No I.D.) the album he said two things—one of which was that I was essentially holding something back and that was the song ‘Motherless,’” Mike said in a statement. “It was the last song made for the album because I hadn’t uttered these words [“my momma dead”] out loud since her transitioning. When I tell the story of my mother the tales told include one when I walked in on her attempting to take her own life—it gets to the heart of how deeply sensitive an artist and human she was. She survived, was diagnosed bi-polar and depressed; she fought that until the day she died. She lived a beautifully rich outlaw of a life and I am honored to show her as the total beautiful badass she was.”

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Michael is out on June 16. Killer Mike will embark on a headline tour soon after, including shows in New York and Los Angeles. Find more details below.

Michael:

1 Down by Law
2 Shed Tears
3 Run
4 N Rich
5 Talkin Dat Shit!
6 Slummer
7 Scientists & Engineers
8 Two Days
9 Spaceship Views
10 Exit 9
11 Something for Junkies
12 Motherless
13 Don’t Let the Devil
14 High and Holy

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Michael artwork
Killer Mike describes his “Motherless” video as a tribute to a “beautiful badass”
Killer Mike tour dates:

July 10 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn
July 11 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Music Hall
July 13 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
July 14 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
July 15 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
July 17 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
July 18 - Washington DC - Lincoln Theatre
July 20 - New York, NY - The Apollo
July 21 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall
July 23 - Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Music Festival
July 24 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
July 27 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
July 28 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom
July 29 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
July 31 - Los Angeles, CA - The Theatre at Ace Hotel

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August 1 - Phoenix, AZ - The Van Buren
August 3 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
August 4 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
August 5 - New Orleans, LA - Joy Theater

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Killer Mike describes his “Motherless” video as a tribute to a “beautiful badass”