Mari Boy Mula Mar
Milwaukee's rap scene has been in overdrive for the last few years, but we do our best to keep up with it. Once again we've rounded up our favorite recent singles, mixtapes, videos and odds and ends for our periodic Milwaukee Hip-Hop Round-Up.
Mari Boy Mula Mar - "Tony Snell" and "Dave x Busters"
It's been six years since Young Thug released his breakthrough mixtape 1017 Thug, and back then I don't think anybody could have predicted just how much rap would change in the next half decade. That tape sounds almost tame compared to a lot of the more eccentric rap music that's now released every week, and in Milwaukee one of the artists pushing this sound to its craziest extremes in Mari Boy Mula Mar. Between his miswired Auto-Tune and his childlike Fisher-Price melodic sensibilities, the rising local star is the epitome of a "not for everybody" rapper, and although he's one of the city's more respected acts to judge from the torrent of big names who shout him out and work with him, a lot of his music is just too far out there for my tastes. "Tony Snell," in particular, sounds all wrong to me; it's hell on my ears and the mix is punishingly sharp. But I've been listening to rap for long enough now to respect that sometimes the fun of it is feeling hopelessly left behind, and I've got to respect the radical audacity of it all. Rap would be infinitely more boring to cover if artists didn't push the boundaries like this. Also included here is Mula Mar's other recent single "Dave x Busters," which I enjoy quite a bit more—it's got the same plucky spirit without the harsh edge.
ICYGUAP - "Moshpit"
Riotously funny and more than a little mean, there's never been a Milwaukee rap duo quite like ICYGUAP, a pair of young women with an ear for devilish beats and a gift for shit-talking. Like early Odd Future, whose schoolyard nihilism they share, it's the kind of rap that makes you feel a little guilty for enjoying it. On their 2018 track "No Food" they ridiculed a rival for being unable to afford to eat, and on "Moshpit" they ratchet up the hostility even further, threatening to get physical.
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Gwapo Chapo x Mike Mike x Looney Babie x Low End Zelly - "Big Load"
Since Looney Babie was released from jail last month, he and his regular sparring partner Gwapo Chapo have been doing a full-court promotional press behind their 2018 single "All Racks." That's been exciting to watch—too often in this city the promotion of a promising is limited to a video and a shrug. The two have also been releasing some new material together, including a cold single called "Check," but I much prefer this track, which is lighter on its toes and a better showcase for the humor and charisma of all involved. The track's real MVP is producer Emazon, one of the city's best right now. Here he takes the usual Milwaukee slap and makes it glide.
54 Baby Trey - "Let Me Fall"
Another Milwaukee rapper on an absolute tear right now is 54 Baby Trey, who's released a spree of tense, breathless singles this spring. "Let Me Fall" is the best of the batch, because it's got his most memorable hook: "Mama like boy don't start/But I can't stop,it's a lot of pain in my heart/54th get dangerous when it get dark." It's a chilling setup for an emotional track that plays like an origin story.
s. al - "Rocco" and "Lucky Duck"
Fusing abstract hip-hop with beat poetry, s.al (formerly Safari Al) makes the kind of rap that you can chew on for quite a while—which is fortunate, because it's been a minute since his latest project, 2017's Little Man You've Had a Busy Day (one of our favorite Milwaukee projects of that year). Thankfully there's more on the way. s.al's upcoming I Steel Of Radiance, I Feel So Action is a split project, with half produced by Steel Tipped Dove (Joe Fusaro) and the other half by Cold Lunch (Sahan Jayasuriya). He's teased tracks from both sides: a weightless Steel Tipped Dove track called "Rocco" and a Cold Lunch head-nodder called "Lucky Duck," which packs some serious bap.
Mayyh3m - "Lifetime"
From the throwback Bone Thugs-n-Harmony double-time flows to summertime beat and general, sunny Acid Rap vibe, everything about this track makes me feel good.
FBE Savage x FBE Kash - "Obligations"
Here's the thing about all the "No Hook" tracks that dominate Milwaukee right now: A great hook trumps no hook any day. Case in point: This slapper from FBE Savage and FBE Kash about brushing off legal troubles. It's a blast, and it captures so much of the appeal of Milwaukee street rap right now: It's fast as hell, witty as hell and a delight on the ears.
JaeBabi - "Back & Forth"
Let's break for some R&B. If you're a new R&B singer and you title your debut single "Back & Forth," you've got to be able to back it up, and JaeBabi does. Though the title invites comparisons to the Aaliyah classic, this track is very much its own thing, a slow-burner that casts JaeBabi's intimate croon against a huge, sumptuous beat. She's a persuasive singer, and she sells the sorrow.
Saint Parish ft. IshDARR - "Drown"
IshDARR has been having a typically busy month. A few weeks ago he released a deluxe edition of his 2018 album Slow Down, Kid, featuring four very solid new tracks produced by Canis Major, the beat make with which he's long had the most chemistry. They're definitely worth checking out. And now he's lending his name recognition to an upstart rapper named Saint Parish on "Drown," an earworm that builds from a smooth groove to a titanic, chest-pounding chorus. It's a memorable debut to be sure.
LBM Lil Joe - "Discretely"
It's a formula you could easily build a whole album around: LMB Lil Joe's stern, sandpaper rasp and producer Melo's cold, cinematic beat. No gimmicks here, just presence.
Lil D MKE - "All The Time"
Even in a world where almost every rapper sings right now, I have a special appreciation for ones like Lil D MKE who really go for it. On his recent material he's leaned into the pop, and this is one of his stickiest and most melodic tracks yet.
Bonus Track: WeUpNexxtBigFrank - "Sada Baby Who?"
And finally, let's close out this month's installment with an uncanny impression.
