Lil D MKE
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.
Zed Kenzo - "Astral Girl"
After scrubbing most of her music from the internet, Zed Kenzo started the year fresh, reintroducing herself with a single that showcased her pop instincts, "Go Psycho." As catchy as it was, though, that track didn't fully capture the off-the-wall energy that's made her one of the city's most critically adored rappers. Thankfully she hasn't lost that edge: Her self-produced follow-up single "Astral Girl" captures her untamed side, especially once it hits the 1:40 minute mark and goes full roller coaster. Kenzo is never better than when she's creating a spectacle.
MT - "Too Many Nights"
I'll refrain from writing too much about the MT Twins here, because we'll be publishing a feature on them soon, but for now I'll just say this: They're making some of the most vividly written, emotional rap music that's ever come out of the city. And "Too Many Nights," a highlight from their exceptional 2018 project Blue Hearts, is one of the best things MT have done yet, a eulogy to lost youth that floats like a feather but lands like a kick in the gut. The sentiments linger long after the track ends. It's remarkable how these two conjure such huge emotions on track after track.
Lil D MKE - "Goyard"
Here's another melodic track I can't shake. Lil D MKE slipped this one online in December, and every time I return to it I'm astounded by how deft his performance is. He raps with unshowy elegance, in an assured, tactile voice and a responsive accent he sometimes seems to be creating on the spot. His flow is a bit like the proverbial onion; he keeps peeling it back to reveal new layers. There isn't another rapper in the city quite like him.
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DC The Don - "3AM Freestyle"
DC The Don wears his city on the sleeve, even as he's outgrowing it. Like all of his recent videos, this one circumvented the usual Milwaukee YouTube channels and premiered directly on WorldStar Hip Hop, where DC The Don has been doing big numbers. It's easy to see why he's blowing up: His sound is a little less regional than some of his Milwaukee peers', and he leans into those nauseating distorted bass sounds that are all the rage on SoundCloud but that most Milwaukee artists have strangely little interest in. He saw an opening in the market, and he pounced on it.
IshDARR - "XXL Freestyle"
The last couple years IshDARR has proven himself one of the biggest live draws in Milwaukee rap, and lately he's been setting his sights beyond the city. As part of that push, he shared this tricky, cerebral freestyle for XXL. To state the obvious, being on that magazine's radar has never hurt anybody's career.
BoodahDARR and EMAAD - "M.O.B."
IshDARR isn't the only one making waves in his Cream City Motion crew. Contortionist lyricists BoodahDARR and EMAAD are constantly exploring ever weirder, wilder sounds, creating clever, funhouse inversions of contemporary trap. It's not often the two end up on the same track, but it's a treat hearing them coax spry performances out of each other on "M.O.B."
Lil Chicken ft. Mac Hefner - "Mac Chicken"
How do you film a Lil Chicken video without Lil Chicken? With the Milwaukee rap star still in prison, director TeeGlazedIt had to get creative for this one, recruiting a very game stand in. But it's Mac Hefner who steals the show with a very fired-up verse. As for when Chicken will be released, that's still unclear, but I emailed his manager, who said that the rapper is planning to play a community outreach concert once he's free, possibly in late May or early June.
WeUpNexxt Fresh & WeUpNexxt Great - "Lil Bit"
The song slaps, but it's the dancing that sells it. Dancing has gone from something Milwaukee rappers did begrudgingly to something they clearly relish, and here the WeUpFNexxt guys have a blast trying out about a dozen different moves. It doesn't matter that none of them are even all that great. They're having a blast.
Lil Axion ft. Babyface Ray - "Hittas"
If you missed our interview with Lil Axion, it's worth checking out. And so is Axion's new album Hands In Hands Out, a very early contender for one of the Milwaukee rap projects of the year and masterfully efficient slap delivery vehicle. Right now the album is only available on iTunes and Apple Music, but expect some of these singles to make a splash once they hit YouTube.
AG Da Gift ft. J.Rosco - "No Broke Shit"
Milwaukee rapper AG Da Gift released his latest project in November, Long Live Wati, a kinetic set of club clappers. He's currently pushing the single "New Master P," but as much fun as it is hearing him make Master P noises on a track, "No Broke Shit" is my favorite from the album, just because it's the track with the most movement. Got to love that bass.
C.T. - "Got It"
We cover a lot of street rap in these round-up features, sometimes to the vocal frustration of readers not into that style of rap. We've seen your tweets, and we hear your concerns. So here's one for those of you who like your rap music more overtly uplifting: some message-minded bars over a soulful, early '00s, Just Blaze-style beat. This one's a highlight from C.T.'s new EP, Beyond a Self Doubt, which he released yesterday. It's available on Spotify.
Nile - "Snob Solo"
Let's close with this one, where Nile pulls of the hip-hop equivalent of walking on water: He makes boom-bap sound fresh again. The Milwaukee rapper leans into a dizzying, fragmented loop, zoning out with some hard bars. It's a '90s throwback, sure, but it puts its own devious spin on the style. That beat is just nasty.
