On Sunday July 26, Mike Stud added a four-and-a-half minute song, titled “These Days,” to his SoundCloud repertoire and it didn’t take long for the world to realize every bar was next level. Today, less than five months later, Mike has released a new album, also titled These Days, full of self-proclaimed “lifestyle records.”
In true Mike Stud fashion, These Days is full of sports references, proving that Mike will never steer far from his roots as an All-American baseball player. He even went a step further on These Days by asking his best friend Marcus Stroman, former Duke baseball teammate and current Toronto Blue Jays ace, to make an appearance on the album’s last track, “These Days (Remix),” the only rap feature on the entire album.
There’s no doubt that 2016 is going to be huge year for Mike Stud, who is striving for his second Billboard #1 These Days went to Number 1 on the Hip-Hop/Rap chart before its official release date, thanks to iTunes’ hour early release schedule, leading us to believe a second Billboard #1 appears to be very attainable for Mike.
Mike is also preparing for a 40-city tour. The Back2You Tour kicks off later this week in Arizona before hitting every region of the United States, as well as a solo stop in Toronto. The Back2You Tour will also be the backdrop of the first season of Mike’s upcoming TV show so in Mike’s words, “get yo tickets!” Tickets can be purchased at http://back2youtour.com and you don’t want to miss out so grab your tickets before your city sells out!
There’s no question that Mike Stud has become known for his word play and “quotable” bars so instead of doing a track-by-track review of These Days, I have decided to create a track-by-track list of some of my favorite bars. Check it out below.
Swish: “I’m ridin’ around in a brand new town with the same old crew I started with/Yeah the same dudes that I started with/I’m talking way back from the start of it/That’s a come-up starter kit.”
10th Inning: “Now you know I’m a go getter/My shows be so lit like glow sticks and you know this cause I notice that you noticed.”
After Hours: “Everybody wanna act like they know all about me/I just get a kick out of it like Ronda Rousey/Holly Holms/I’m hardly home but I got time to party/I’m in the driver’s seat so baby are you calling shotty?”
Black Out: “I came a long way/A long way from home/Long days, longer nights/Long way to go/In broad day I drive the wrong way down the road cause if I don’t got a lane well I gotta make my own.”
Spell Check: “Different page, same story/Wrote you this book to say I’m sorry/And once you read it then you’ll know/Trust me baby, that was all me.”
Anyone Else: “The sweetest view/A suite for two/It’s me and you/Tell me what you like/I got all of that/Said I wouldn’t fall/Went and proved me wrong/You ain’t fall for that/Morning, noon and night, that’s just how I feel”
YNK: “Picture this/If I told you how all this would wind up, you’d say that’s a stretch/I saw the signs and delivered my best/You can’t drop the ball, I guess that’s the catch/And this ain’t a coin toss but I work my tail off so I can turn heads”
Through the Night: “I’m okay with being famous if it’s for my talents/So I had to get lost to find myself/If I was wrong then I meant well/Is it too late to change our mind or take our time/I guess time will tell”
Jack Daniels: “I got me a girl I love a lot more/And she’s the only one I could stop for/The game driving me away like a cop car/I miss you but I think I miss myself more.”
These Days (Remix) featuring Marcus Stroman: “They see the smiles but never the pain in all the success they see/Allegedly/There’s some stereotypes/I don’t like about my height/Trademark HDMH for life/Yeah, that’s right/So I copyright/Prove ‘em wrong/Prove myself right.”
Megan Ciampo 