Killer Mike is on his promo run for his forthcoming album, MICHAEL, which will mark his first solo release in 10 years. In a recent interview with The Ringer, he talked about a number of things: mortality, church, community engagement, addiction, vulnerability, and more.

At point, he talks about Hip-Hop's direct ties to the Black experience. The writer says: "Hip-hop being in a lot of ways this distinctly Black working-class thing that represents a specific slice of the American experience but then also this thing that became for everybody after a point," at which point Mike offers a poignant response.

"Well, at what point has Black music not done that? But hip-hop has learned a purposeful lesson in making sure it stays recognized that this is an extension of the Black experience. I can’t speak to the suburbs, because, shit, I’m in Atlanta. But we used to think hip-hop was only in New York when I was a kid. It was that young. I don’t approach hip-hop from a super urban experience, because I lived in a neighborhood 4 miles from the city. We had houses. But I think that hip-hop is, was, and always will be an extension of the Black experience.

With that said, no war is won without allies. In the South Bronx, beautiful Puerto Rican kids and beautiful artsy white kids helped take people like Fab 5 Freddy into the city for hip-hop to grow. Down in the South, you’ll find white boys from Southern Tennessee, North Georgia, South Georgia, North Florida that know 8Ball & MJG better than some people who grew up right in Memphis. I’ve not seen Black people shut out many people. We have provided a soundtrack for this country. That debt can never be repaid. Yes, it is something that’s distinctly Black. I want people who listen to Michael, who don’t look like me, to get an opportunity to be a voyeur of a Black Southern male and the people who love him."

Yesterday, Mike dropped off another single from the project "Scientists & Engineers" featuring Andre 3000, Future and Eryn Allen Kane. MICHAEL arrives June 16.