The Milwaukee rap scene is still too scattered to be defined by one style, but over the last several years one sound in particular has emerged that seems to fit the city as perfectly as an old pair of sneakers. It's a geographically appropriate sound, drawing from Chicago soul and grittier, Detroit storytelling and battle raps, while balancing the bombast and raw lyricism of the underground with just enough tunefulness to keep the backpackers interested, too. Umbrella Music Group artists like Prophetic, Ka$h, Yo-Dot and Tay Butler probably best define the sound, but up-and-comer Pacino wears it well, too.
This weekend Pacino releases his debut album, One of None, an impressive debut that despite its meager budget showcases Pacino's ear for hard, dramatic beats and his weird, ornery and downright dazzling flow. He rhymes with the hunger and focus of a battle-rapping young Eminem and the slippery showiness of Lupe Fiasco. "DVR flow, you can freeze it, replay it," he raps on "Never Change, Never Fall," then rides the time motif: "Capture the moment or you'll wonder where today went/ Tomorrow's never promising/ Yesterday is a memory/ I give presents to the past to make sure it remembers me." He continues on like that for bars and bars.
Though it's hard not to wonder what the album might have sounded like with a bigger budget and a more polish, Pacino's vision and his raw talent come across loudly throughout One of None. He's the latest on a growing list of Milwaukee rappers that deserve to be followed closely.
Pacino plays an album release show Friday, Nov. 9 at Moct.
