Milwaukee is on the brink of what could be a banner fall for local hip-hop. Here are some recent samples from some of the city's most anticipated local rap albums:
Following their awesome boogie-funk joint "Move" earlier this summer, the rapper/producer duo AUTOMatic has released another track from its upcoming Art Imitates Life..., a rare original release from the usually re-release-minded Dope Folks label. Less risky than its predecessor, "Lower Heaven" is a quintessential AUTOMatic track, all breezy, NYC-styled battle raps and suave soul strings.
Meanwhile, Yo-Dot, the heaviest of the absurdly gifted Umbrella Music Group rappers, is readying a release that tempers his menace just a bit, Red Mist. That doesn't mean Yo-Dot has gone soft, though. The first single from the album, "I'm Just Trying To Live," is one of the rapper's most uplifting, but it's executed with his usual grizzled conviction.
On the lighter end of the spectrum, rapper SPEAK Easy toasts summer love and scenic escapes on "Get Away," an early release from his new album Need I Say More. He'll celebrate the album's release with a show at the Highbury Pub on Friday, Aug. 31.
One of the city's most jazz-minded producers and rappers, Klassik will release his first full length album In The Making on Sept. 25. The latest teaser from that record, "Anything" finds him at his most deliriously soulful (of course the Hall and Oates sample helps on that front).
Melissa Czarnik retreated to France to record her upcoming record, Non Merci, and a slight but distinct Parisian influence informs "Rummy," the wistfully jazzy first single from that record. Czarnik released a video for the track this week:
And last but not least, Gerald Walker has a new video out for "Bulletproof Soul," a standout anthem from his rich new mixtape Believers Never Die. Full disclosure: I was an extra in this one, so if you look closely you can spot me in the background, throwing my arms up and down ever-so-slightly out of sync with everybody else as Walker rocks a house party.
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