Early into his latest album, The Darker Side of Light, Milwaukee rapper Taiyamo Denku states that he’s hated in his hometown, but he represents the city in his rhymes anyway. Perhaps the Cream City underappreciates this native son and his approach to hip-hop. But it may be that those haters may be missing out, too.
Denku eschews walking the muddied line separating singing from MC-ing so prevalent nowadays. Instead, he feistily spits couplets covering matters romantic and sexual (a one-night stand can maintain a lingering grip on his psyche, but he still prefers his steady queen over any groupie) and—more often—hip-hop as an end in itself. Loops composed from sources often sounding like they could come from a mobster movie soundtrack buttress his aggressively nasal vocal attacks in a feral precision of his word craft.
The Darker Side of Light keeps alive a ‘90s East Coast aesthetic that predates the dominance of synths and software sounds to create beats. If that somewhat anachronistic approach is what keeps Milwaukee hating him, or so Denku says, it’s the city’s loss. But if Light is any indication, Denku will continue to shine in the way he prefers regardless of current rap fashions.
