Open Mike Eagle on “Neighborhood Gods Limitless”
Reassembling Shattered Creativity
Aug 01, 2025
Internet Unique
Images by Robert Adam Mayer
What would possibly you do in case your telephone bought destroyed? Debilitating as that sounds for any of us, Open Mike Eagle discovered it all of the extra soul crushing. That’s as a result of his system was stuffed with notes and audio clips that he deliberate to construct into songs for his subsequent album, Neighborhood Gods Limitless (which he launched independently final month on his personal Auto Reverse Information).
The Chicago-born, L.A.-based MC is an underground rap legend—not solely due to his mixture of hummable hooks that lure you into his advanced, left area lyrics, but in addition due to his deep dive podcasts with hip-hop forebearers like ?uestlove, Prince Paul, El-P, Rhymefest, and extra. And but, his confidence as a veteran MC who has garnered a lot acclaim was dented to an extent after he was strolling down the road someday, seen his earbuds stopped working, and realized his telephone—containing so lots of his new track concepts—was not in his pocket. At the very least he captured these particulars vividly on Neighborhood Gods Limitless key observe “okay however im the telephone display.”
“It form of injured my creativity and I couldn’t get previous it until I made that track. Like, I couldn’t course of the lack of these concepts till I made that track,” Eagle tells Underneath the Radar throughout a current Zoom name forward of the album’s launch.
Under, he tells us extra about contending with emotional points by way of songwriting and rapping, how he balances dense rapping with catchy choruses, why he needed to write down a extra bold narrative for this album, and extra.
Kyle Mullin (Underneath the Radar): “Okay however im the telephone display” shortly escalates and has fairly a vivid narrative. May you inform me in regards to the inspiration behind it? Additionally, do you’re feeling such as you’re becoming a member of the pantheon of nice, Slick Rick model story rap songs with it?
Open Mike Eagle: So the inspiration for that track is that actually occurred to me. I used to be engaged on the album then, and after it occurred, it knocked me off of my inventive momentum for like a month. And I used to be making an attempt to determine why. I believed, “Oh nicely, it’s simply because I’m a bit of disoriented by not having my typical methods to attach with data on the planet.” However even after I bought my telephone changed, I nonetheless couldn’t work on music, and I couldn’t work out what was the issue.
Then I spotted it was due to all the track notes I had on there. A full spectrum of concepts, from track traces to songs I’d began as voice notes. It form of injured my creativity and I couldn’t get previous it until I made that track. Like, I couldn’t course of the lack of these concepts till I made that track.
It’s like after I made [the critically acclaimed 2020 album] Anime, Trauma and Divorce. I can’t course of some issues till I sit and write about them. And I didn’t understand till a short while after that occurred that that was a type of issues.
There’s additionally a meta narrative by way of the album about individuals being damaged. So this track slotted proper into that theme as nicely.
Earlier than your telephone, did you may have a pocket book, a “e book of rhymes” like Nas used to rap about?
Oh yeah. Via all the first half of my profession I had all these spiral notebooks. Pocket book after pocket book after pocket book. And I’d simply fully undergo them at the beginning of a challenge. I bought an enormous workplace field stuffed with them someplace. And it goes all the best way again to my early group days with [cult L.A. hip-hop trio] Thirsty Fish, to my first few albums and EPs, to perhaps even early Hellfyre Membership stuff [an underground label that released many of Eagle’s early projects].
Did switching from notebooks to your telephone change your songwriting?
I can’t say for positive, as a result of my rap model has modified anyway since that [notebook] period of my profession.
How has it modified?
Beforehand in my profession, particularly should you take a look at my first two or three albums, I used to be primarily specializing in rhyming. The novelty of the rhyme, what number of syllables it was, and the way I may make all of it make sense logically, whereas nonetheless pushing patterns and rhyme schemes ahead. That was the game that I used to be interested by excelling in again then.
Over time I’ve gotten much less involved with that a part of it, and extra centered on visualizations, different types of timings, and rhythms.
And sarcastically, on Neighborhood Gods Limitless again half observe “Rejoinder” you may have a line about writing all the pieces you’re saying within the track in pencil.
True, however that wasn’t literal. The track is about making an attempt to welcome again an individual who’s been outcast, or welcome again a component of myself that has been exiled. And that half about writing in pencil is about being conscious that simply an invite again into the circle will not be sufficient. As in: it’s not sufficient simply to say “I’m sorry that I left you.” So writing all of it in pencil means being open to listening to different elements of this dialog.
And perhaps erasing and changing one thing?
Precisely.
Talking of how your songwriting course of modified through the years: it looks like you’re singing and being extra melodic on this album. Like on “Rejoinder,” you’re virtually crooning a bit of bit. And lead single “contraband (the plug has luggage of me)” sounds borderline bluesy. Some MCs I interview say it may be intimidating to sing, like going out of your consolation zone. What has that been like?
So when my profession began, particularly should you take a look at my first EP, I used to sing loads. And if you get to Darkish Comedy, which I believe is my fourth album, there’s a track on there with, like, no rapping on it in any respect. “Deathmate Black” is sung virtually all over.
That was a talent or a craft that I’ve been interested by. I’ve at all times listened to a complete lot of varieties of music— in all probability as a lot various rock and pop as rap music. So I’ve at all times needed to have the ability to specific in that medium as nicely.
The factor is, early on, I’d do it despite the fact that I didn’t know find out how to do it in any respect. So that might produce various outcomes. Generally it got here collectively nice. Generally it was me in all probability reaching method past what my physique was skilled to do at that time.
Performing dwell by way of the years has improved my singing means. To remain on pitch. To even perceive the weather of singing, and harmonies and octaves. And my pure singing vary, which is one thing I fully ignored throughout the early a part of my profession.
And I believe there are a few hooks on Anime, Trauma and Divorce, however on my more moderen albums I form of moved away from singing. As a result of I needed to reveal my rap abilities. I felt the tradition at giant transferring in that course. As a result of I come from road nook rapping. You recognize, like, “rapping ass rapping.” So I needed to play that sport too.
Then, on this new album, I needed to have my hooks once more. It’s truly one of many issues that units me aside—that I can write a hook, that I can write a track. So it doesn’t essentially make sense for me to be rapping 48 bars, with no hook. And the beats I like have a tendency to essentially help hooks too, as a result of they’re very musical. So there’s actually rather more singing on this challenge, however that’s a course I really feel like I used to be transferring again in the direction of deliberately.
Is there one thing in regards to the lyrics or themes on this challenge that helped you attain that call?
I believe that’s true. There’s a number of dream logic occurring right here. Lots of otherworldly storytelling. So on this album, I used to be rather more snug breaking the shape, as a result of I need this challenge to really feel like the kinds of flicks I like, and the kinds of different media I like. The place you don’t know what’s actual and what’s not. And that did appear to open the door for me to go tougher on the hooks.
It actually sounds surreal at instances. Like on “contraband,” if you rap: “I do know God, that’s homegirl down the road.”
Sure, it’s evocative imagery. And it does have a literal grounding component to it. However I’m not involved with presenting that a part of it as a lot as I wish to current the imagery, and have or not it’s open to interpretation.
The tone of “contraband” is absolutely fascinating too. Since you’re not fairly whispering it, however it’s very downcast. Inform me extra about what you needed to do with that track sonically.
That’s simply what the beat felt prefer it was asking for. As if I’m asking the listener to comply with me on a darkly whimsical journey on that track. And it’s very introspective and heavy, however then there’s a melody pulling the entire thing alongside too. And it’s the form of music that I didn’t wish to attempt to dominate with rap, or attempt to compete with. I needed to mix into it. And once more, simply vocal vary smart, now that I’ve a greater understanding of my singing, it saved me in that decrease register all through the entire thing.
Kenny Segal produced that track, proper? What’s your dynamic with him like? He’s, in spite of everything, one of the vital well-regarded producers in underground hip-hop.
Yeah he produced that and the nearer, “limitless cranium voices.” I’ve been working with him since, gosh… [pauses and thinks], he and I made our first track, was that in 2012? I’ve recognized him a very long time.
Like, if you put out Darkish Comedy?
A bit earlier. However he positively has a beat on Darkish Comedy. I used to be making an attempt to assume if we had one thing earlier than that. However I’ve recognized him even earlier than then.
He’s bought a number of musical talent along with being an ideal producer. He tends to have beats which might be very easy to assemble a track over, as a result of they’ve such highly effective musical components to them. They normally construct up. And so they have completely different sections or segments that permit me to go completely different locations as a songwriter. So every time I make a track with him, it’s at all times unconventional in one of the simplest ways.
What about a number of the different manufacturing on the album?
When it comes to anyone who I hadn’t labored with earlier than, I’m actually excited in regards to the outcomes I made with Ok-Nite on “my co-worker clark kent’s secret black field” and the opener “wakened figuring out all the pieces.” I simply actually preferred the musicality but arduous hitting-ness of his beats, the place they really feel very fashionable, but very throwback.
There’s additionally a number of Little one Actor beats on there. That’s anyone I’ve been working with actually intently over the previous 4 years, between my solo stuff and my group Earlier Industries. I actually, actually love his sound. And Playa Haze and August Fanon, each of whom I’ve been eager to work with for years, and who I lastly was capable of make one thing occur with for this album.
Talking of Earlier Industries: your group mate from that, Video Dave, can be on right here. What did Earlier Industries do for you as an MC? And the way does that carry over to this challenge?
I used to be speaking earlier about wanting to essentially rap on my previous few tasks. Earlier Industries grew to become the final word outlet for that, as a result of it’s simply the three of us bunkering down and MC’ing. That freed me up creatively to have the ability to return into several types of songwriting approaches on my solo stuff.
So is “me and aquil stealing stuff from work” on this new LP an instance of you actually “rap-y rapping?” As a result of it has such a cool idea about you stealing sneakers from the shoe retailer you’re employed at.
Sure, however that’s additionally a real story. It contains a rapper identify Mr. Aquil. We went to highschool collectively, and had our first job collectively, the place we used to steal stuff. And once more, it was simply actually enjoyable and actually cathartic to inform that story over a beat like that. Like, I used to be actually feeling pissed off with life at the moment, and I used to be again in that mindset making that track. So I simply needed to color that image for individuals.
So there’s you stealing from work. You breaking your telephone. How a lot of this album is autobiographical?
It’s all considerably autobiographical. However not all direct expertise. There’s a track on there known as “a dream of the midnight child.” I truly had a dream a couple of child. And it match into the album’s general story.
Inform me extra about that general story, and any broader themes or statements you’re making an attempt to make with this new album.
That is the primary album that I’ve achieved with a story in a few years. I needed it to really feel like the films and tv reveals that I really like, the place you possibly can really feel emotions and comply with together with a personality. However I like artsy films— so all the pieces isn’t essentially defined to you. Individuals don’t at all times come to a rap album anticipating it to be like that. It’s a surreal story, and it’s a trauma story, and it’s bought comedic components and tragic components.
I haven’t achieved that in a few years. The final album that I made that had a story was 4nml Hsptl [in 2012]. And I at all times checked out that album as if I failed the concept behind it, as a result of I didn’t inform anyone that there was a story on that album. I didn’t set the desk nice for individuals to have the ability to strategy that challenge in the best way I needed them to. Now I really feel extra able to doing one thing like that. And I’m extra conscious that I would like to come back proper out and say it, even when I’m not saying precisely what the narrative is, I perceive the necessity to say that there’s a story there.
Possibly that can develop into extra obvious to listeners like me upon repeated listens. How did it really feel to make a story once more? And what made you understand you needed to try this once more?
The unique thought for this got here from a tv challenge about trauma that I used to be creating. The concept caught with me a lot that I simply began writing songs about it, and determined it might be my subsequent challenge. It’s me musically telling the story that I nonetheless might inform different methods.
And the way did that push you in new instructions as an artist?
I really feel proud for the try at the subject material, and the temper and vibe and expertise that I wish to create with it. And in addition simply by way of the craft of being a recording artist, there’s some issues that I’ve been eager to do right here by way of vocal supply, dynamics and, songwriting that I really feel I actually was capable of pull off, that I could not have been capable of pull off earlier than.
What are some examples of that?
Just like the track “sorry I bought enormous (additionally not a euphemism).” That’s one of many earliest songs that I wrote for this challenge. And after I first began making music, I typically used a low vocal tone and supply. Nevertheless it was largely as a result of I didn’t know what I used to be doing, and I didn’t know find out how to have a rap voice that minimize by way of the music, and was projected however nonetheless managed sufficient for the studio. It took me some time to get there. And as soon as I bought there, I used to be like “Oh, I ought to do that on a regular basis.”
Now, doing it on a track like this, I used to be like “The rationale for rapping in such a low voice right here is as a result of it’s a delicate dialog.” I needed to make it very conversational. And make a listener lean in, and attempt to perceive what I’m making an attempt to say. And I really feel like I did that.
