Photo Credit: Dupree Armon
In the long-touted boys’ club of hip hop, it can be argued that women have made most of the biggest strides within the last few years. While artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi B are on top of the mainstream rap game, the trickle-down effect has taken hold in Milwaukee. One such artist that has made her presence felt is Mudy, who recently released her second EP, Land. The four-track project not only reaffirms her status within local hip hop, but also shows her potential for even bigger things to come in the future.
For context, Mudy had become somewhat of a local enigma from the success of her first project, 2019’s What’s Next. Few debuts have garnered the amount of attention of that project, in which she held a commandeering presence whenever taking to the microphone for a verse. Purely a rap EP, What’s Next was filled with venomous flows and a variety of production that made note of the relatively green emcee’s range. That success translated to packed clubs for some of her first shows. There wasn’t much that was going to stand in her way. The grind of making music move, however, proved to be overwhelming, and she receded to an extent while demand for her music built.
“I think it was a very introspective time for me” said Mudy. “I wanted to stop making music because there’s so much behind the scenes that I didn’t know about. My first project was really an introduction to all of that. It started to feel like work for me, and that wasn’t what I signed up for. But I think that I could never get rid of music. It’s who I am, and have been my entire life.”
For her sophomore release, we get a much different sound from Mudy. The opening track, aptly named “Mudy,” greets the listener with R&B croons, and melodies abound. While this is the same girl that was rapping tough on her last project, it would be easy to mistake her for a different artist this time around. The switch up was by design, though, in an effort to showcase her range.
|
|
“I was nervous at first, especially because it’s a different sound and I’ve been gone for so long” explained Mudy. “The reception to it has been strong so far, though, so now I’m excited about it.”
Land is effective at showcasing Mudy for her harmonies in the same way that What’s Next made her ability to spit bars known. The attitude and approach that she gives off on this project, however, remains consistent with her debut. The EP also captures an artist in the moment, as she denies a formal departure from rapping.
“I’m still a rapper” said Mudy. “I just wanted to put out a project that was like ‘okay, don’t play with me.’ I do it all as an artist.”
While plans have not been formalized, more music is likely on the way before the end of the year from Mudy. You can check out Land today on all major streaming platforms.
