Portland, Oregon MC Mic Capes is one of the brightest emerging voices in the Northwest. The artist has cultivated a reputation for pairing his life story with a Hip-Hop purist’s knack for concept. In past songs, he’s referenced Ice Cube (“One 4 O’shea”) set against his own introspective vision.

Last month, Mic released Concrete Dreams. The 19 track, self-released album features the single “O.G.K.” The Jazzy-driven record is an acronym for “Only God Knows.” The sparse song samples some elements of Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone.” Meanwhile, Capes takes a moment in the track to embrace Ahmad’s “Back In The Day.” With those records held up for inspiration, Mic Capes proves that he’s got his own tales to tell, going back to poverty, hardship, and holding on to a dream that can be deflating at times.

Back In The Day, Ahmad Released A Record That Only Gets Better With Age (Video)

This track is produced by Tope.

#BonusBeat: Stream Concrete Dreams in its entirety: