Mike Dean understands the value of music -- more specifically, the role music can play in enhancing a marijuana binge, particularly when used alongside complementary visuals. While you might know the legendary sound engineer and producer for his work with Travis Scott, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Migos, and many more, Dean is also one of the game's biggest weed-heads. As such, it's only fitting that his brand new instrumental album 4/20 arrives in time for its namesake.
While you're not going to find star-studded cameos from his vast book of hip-hop contacts, what Dean has concocted here is nothing short of a trippy and hallucinogenic synth-fueled odyssey. One that admittedly feels more sedentary in nature, preferring to wash over you like a slowly unfurling blanket. Even when it does pick up the pace as the nights progress, the only percussion you'll find here is that innately present within the synthesizers themselves.
As a hand-crafted piece of music, there's a lot to appreciate about Mike Dean's 4:20. For starters, it serves as a reminder that while Dean has become known for his engineering, he is above all a master of creating synth sounds and arranging them to suit his vision. Should you be celebrating 4/20 today, why not throw this one on? How long you're lost within it depends on the potency of the strain.