Self Portrait

Self Portrait

From their days as The Futuristiks with Nipsey Hussle through their more contemporary work with Dave East and JasonMartin, producer pair Mike & Keys has proven a constant, genre-pushing presence in hip-hop. Teaming up with Atlanta plugg music practitioner Tony Shhnow, the seasoned duo gives the oft-prodigious rapper a wide variety of instrumentals to go off over. Between the slow-burning G-funk of “Die 4 Me,” the Memphis-derived nostalgic hiss of “Beat da Odds,” and the chopped-not-slopped ambience of “Infest,” the boisterous, freewheeling spitter details his worldview within a newly expanding sonic space. On “Think Again,” an R&B-laced jam with subtle jazz accents, he cautions those who’d betray, cross, or otherwise take him for granted on any level. Keeping the guest list largely limited to the American Southeast, they bring in Luh Tyler for the real-one appeal of “Bank Statements” and Marco Plus for some true hustle anecdotes on “Burnt Out.”