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Listen to Killer Mike’s Growling New Song ‘Villain’

Killer Mike is one of the most likable MCs in rap, but he reminds us that he can play evil on his new track “Villain,” which is slated to appear on the soundtrack for the new DC Comics video game Injustice: Gods Among Us. Mike sounds as forceful as ever, but the song finds him rapping over production far from the lacerating golden age revival beats, courtesy of El-P, that were the backbone of R.A.P. Music, SPIN’s No. 8 album of last year. Here, he raps over production that hews closer to the new definition of “trap” — the song is sliced through with ominous sounds that evoke the idea of a villain, but also mimic the beginning of an EDM bass drop.

Both the video game and the soundtrack — which features Depeche Mode, the Faint, and MSTRKRFT, among others — will be released on April 16. Mike is also currently wrapping up a collaborative LP with Nite Jewel.