Sudbury hip-hop artist Mickey O’Brien recently released the first single from his upcoming third album.
For “Antipathy,” O’Brien enlists the assistance of Myka 9, a recent touring partner and alumni of the Grammy-nominated Freestyle Fellowship, to touch on the topic of disgust, using as a metaphor the general disregard by the general public and the powers that be for the poisoning of our water, which can also refer to humanity as a whole, as well as to the self.
From Montezuma's Revenge to Flint, Michigan, there's something in the water. The chill, melancholy production by Juno-nominated producer Fresh Kils is augmented by Anthony Rinaldi on sax and Zachary Clement on keyboards.
Along with his verse, Myka 9 lends his voice to the hook backed by the soulful singing of Sudbury’s Sarah Craig.
The single is released with an even more melancholy and soulful remix by Factor Chandelier, and the accompanying animated video by Baked Clown makes the message of “Antipathy” more explicit.
O’Brien spent the past few years focused on one thing: crafting great art, said a press release. Even prior to his emergence as a solo artist in 2019, while still a member of rap-rock outfit Kill the Autocrat, O’Brien proved himself a powerful voice of the north for hip-hop.
Representing Sudbury, his music captures a fresh and exciting perspective – one that is both universally human and distinctly Northern Ontario.
And as a hard-rock miner working thousands of feet underground, O’Brien is a blue-collar worker who also excels at compelling stories, “no BS” observations, and skilful, conversational lyricism.
You can check out the new single online here through Band Camp.