Killer Mike Details New Album Michael, Shares Video for New Song “Motherless”: Watch

Killer Mike has shared two new videos, one for the previously released single “Don’t Let the Devil” and another for the new track “Motherless.” Mike refers to the Shane Smith-directed video as a celebration, not a  eulogy, for his mother, who he describes as a “bad ass Black girl from Atlanta.” He’s also detailed his new album Michael, which is out June 16 via Loma Vista. Check out both videos, plus the album’s tracklist and artwork below.

“When I first played Dion (No I.D.) the album he said two things—one of which was that I was essentially holding something back and that was the song ‘Motherless,’” Mike said in a statement. “It was the last song made for the album because I hadn’t uttered these words [“my momma dead”] out loud since her transitioning. When I tell the story of my mother the tales told include one when I walked in on her attempting to take her own life—it gets to the heart of how deeply sensitive an artist and human she was. She survived, was diagnosed bi-polar and depressed; she fought that until the day she died. She lived a beautifully rich outlaw of a life and I am honored to show her as the total beautiful badass she was.” 

Mike recently announced a tour. On Sunday, July 23, Killer Mike is set to perform at Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago. Tickets are on sale now.