I’ll be upfront here: You probably have better things to do than watch music reaction videos on YouTube. For the most part, they’re pretty rough viewing. On one extreme you’re watching some mumbly kid sit in their messy bedroom sharing their first impressions of artists they don’t care much about. On the other extreme you’re watching an overbearing, wannabe Jim Carey mugging for the camera like it’s an improv-troupe audition tape. Both are miserable propositions. I get that.
But I also understand the appeal of reaction videos. As rough around the edges as they usually are, reaction videos can make listening to music feel a little less lonely and a little more like a social exercise. And sometimes it’s satisfying seeing other people get excited about the same music that excites you. Music should be participatory.
That’s why we’ve rounded up 10 of the best videos on YouTube of listeners reacting to Milwaukee rap. These reaction videos are also a measure of how much interest there is in Milwaukee rap right now: Here are a bunch of music fans, most of them with no particular ties to the local rap scene, who are so excited about what’s coming out of the city that they saw fit to weigh in. These videos may not be required viewing, but they’re a pleasure to see nonetheless.
King Supreme watches Solowke – “I Ain’t Gon Front My Shit”
With no apparent expectations, King Supreme hears Solowke for the first time on a commenter’s recommendation and instantly becomes a fan. “PLEASE give me more shit like this to react to!” he pleads to his followers at the end of the video. “This shit was fire! This shit is definitely going in the playlist!”
Cameron Freeman watches Lil Chicken & Jigg – “Stick and move”
How old are these kids? And how are they this good at this? “Hope y’all enjoy this video and start listening to Milwaukee rappers, because they really gotta make it out,” the more talkative of the two says. “That’s how we’re trying to make it out, by doing these YouTube videos.” He also tells the “TeeGlazedIt, bitch!” kid to sit down, something I can’t imagine anybody who wasn’t roughly that kid’s age getting away with.
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DeeDee watches Looney Babie & Gwapo Chapo - "All Racks"
I’ve watched a lot of DeeDee’s reaction videos, because she covers more Milwaukee rap than just about anybody else, and I’ve got to admit it takes a while to adjust to her energy. For somebody who specializes in reaction videos, she doesn’t do much reacting. She watches most with a bare minimum of commentary. That can make her videos a little low key, but there are moments in many of of them where something amuses her and her face lights up with delight. Those expressions say more than words ever could. If you’re honestly feeling something, there’s no need to oversell it.
DeeDee watches TeeGlazedIt's "No Hook" (DeeDee)
Another DeeDee video, but here she’s joined by a friend as she takes on one of the buzziest Milwaukee videos of 2018. The video’s cypher structure lends itself to a reaction video, since you get to see a fresh response to each new rapper. DeeDee’s friend finds the dancing sexy, while DeeDee is charmed by the collaborative nature of the venture. “That’s love though,” she says. “That’s what I like to see, all of them coming together making songs, heat.” Spot on.
Soicey watches Milo Throwed – “That’s What Players Do”
Fair warning: This guy lays it on way too thick, but once he starts dancing all is forgiven.
King Jay watches Solowke – “I Ain’t Gon Front My Shit”
Another first timer experiences Solowke, and another fan is born.
Zay Rashod watches Lil Chicken – Story of My Life (Zay Rashod)
Another guy with serious stand-up comic energy.
Stick Porter also watches Lil Chicken – "Story of My Life"
Stick Porter goes a step further by doing the dances.
Bill the Goat watches Velle Vell – "Bounce Out"
One of the funnier YouTubers featured here, Bill is upfront about the fact that he's a pretty big Velle Vell fan—he's got the first verse of this track memorized—and complains that he wasn't invited to be in the video...
Bill the Goat watched Velle Vell - "618"
...and apparently those complaints worked, because he IS in this video. Bill spends a fair amount of this one pointing himself out and bragging about how good he looks. "It makes the video about eight times better," he beams.
