Open Mike Eagle just released Service Merchandise, the debut album by his new group Previous Industries (with longtime friends Video Dave and Still Rift), and now he has shared a list of his top 5 rappers on Twitter/X.

His #1 is MF DOOM, who OME collaborated with on the 2018 Czarface song “Phantoms” and again on “Police Myself” in 2019, and who he paid tribute to after his death with the song “For DOOM” on 2022’s A Tape Called Component System With The Auto Reverse. On it, he rapped, “Got two songs with you, but only spoke through a go-between/Was still proud as fuck to reach ground zero/’Cause who the fuck ever gets to rock with they heroes?” and “Got a pic of you spittin’ on some art in my living room/I memorized your lyrics and seen every interview.”

His #2 is Queens veteran Pharoahe Monch, followed by Freestyle Fellowship co-founder Myka 9 (who OME has appeared alongside on multiple occasions) at #3, The Roots MC Black Thought at #4, and Breezly Brewin of veteran Bronx group the Juggaknots (who appeared alongside OME and billy woods on a 2019 Blockhead song, and whose Juggaknots groupmate Queen Herawin appears on the new Previous Industries album). Mike also adds in parentheses that at #6 is none other than Mike himself.

Open Mike Eagle and Breezly Brewin are also both on the new ShrapKnel album, which we included (alongside Previous Industries) in our list of the best rap albums of June.

If you haven’t already, stream the new Previous Industries album:

Also watch an hour-long conversation between Open Mike Eagle and Myka 9 from 2022:

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Top photo: Open Mike Eagle at Pitchfork Fest 2018 by Ben Stas. More here.