Milwaukee’s rap scene is too vast and decentralized to be summed up by any single artist or sound. Here at Radio Milwaukee, we try to showcase the variety of styles, voices and perspectives coming out of the local rap scene with our regular Milwaukee Rap Roundup, a spotlight on some of the city’s most noteworthy new tracks, videos, albums and mixtapes.
In this month's installment, we've got the latest from Lakeyah Danaee, Mudy, Wave Chapelle, Chosen One, Cap Drive Montana and Mari Boy Mula Mar. Stream and read about them below.
Lakeyah Danaee - "Windows"
Getting signed to Quality Control hasn't changed Lakeyah Danaee. Her first single for the prestigious Atlanta label, " Big FlexHER," was an homage to her Milwaukee roots, modeled after Milwaukee's preferred regional style of rap. And on her second Quality Control single, just released today, Danaee returns to the R&B of some of her earliest recordings. "Windows" carries on in the spirit of her tear-jerkers like " Don't Go," ruminating on heartbreak and revenge with Danaee singing the chorus and rapping the verses.
Mudy - "Tyler Herro Freestyle"
Since announcing herself last year with her seriously entertaining " What's Next" EP, Mudy has spent most of this year releasing a trickle of stray tracks, remixes and freestyles. That latest is this flip of Jack Harlow's frat anthem "Tyler Herro," and not only does it do us the courtesy of stripping Jack Harlow from the track -- Jack Harlow is the worst part of every Jack Harlow song -- but it's a great showcase for Mudy's sharp bars and peevish humor. Every Mudy verse is just one cold takedown after another, and we cannot get enough of them.
Chosen One ft. Golden Child - "11:30"
These days we expect almost every rapper to sing at least a little, but it's always a thrill when one really goes for it. For my money, Chosen One might have the purest, most moving singing voice of any rapper in the city right now, and his mournful new single "11:30" hits hard. The lump in his throat practically deserves its own feature credit.
Wave Chapelle - "Waves Don't Die"
Wave Chapelle scored some big breaks early in his career. The Milwaukee native was discovered by Yo Gotti and signed to his Epic Records imprint. But like so many of those deals, little came from it, and these days he's back on the independent route. That hasn't hurt his output any. He's matured considerably, and lately he's making the best music of his career. His new LP "Waves Don't Die" is well worth the spin for J. Cole and ASAP Rocky fans. Stick around for the closing track, a remix of his head-nodder "Mobbin" featuring fellow Milwaukee IshDARR and Madison rapper Ted Park.
Mari Boy Mula Mar - "David Gruber"
This is everything you could hope for from a Mari Boy Mula Mar song inspired by David Gruber.
Cap Drive Montana - "All Fact"
Cap Drive Montana was one of the first true stars of Milwaukee rap's modern era thanks to " Extortion," a viral phenomenon that became the first Milwaukee rap video to break a million views on YouTube (we included it on our rundown of the 10 most important Milwaukee rap songs of all time last year).
But Montana didn't have much time to capitalize on its success. Shortly after its release the 20-year-old rapper was sent to jail for several years, and it remained unclear whether he'd be able to recapture that early buzz when he got out -- four years is an eternity in rap.
It turns out the streets never forgot him. Earlier this year he was released and began dropping a series of videos every bit as hard as his 2017 breakthrough, and he still does numbers most Milwaukee rappers would be jealous of (his summer comeback single " Thank God For Heroin" is nearing 300,000 streams). He's not for everyone -- few local artists invite stronger opinions -- but he remains a figure of immense fascination.
Looking for more Milwaukee rap cover?
We’ve got you covered. You can check out previous installments of this roundup featuring Big Wan, K’Moni, J.O Eons, 3XSimpson and more; Spidey Mayweather, Puerto Wiccan, Bossman B Love, Phat Nerdz and more; Shantii, Chicken 2Pots, Klassik, Destinee Lynn, Lil Saucy and more; and 54 Baby Tre, TTG Rio, Lil Tre, Looney Bandz and more. We also rounded up the 50 Best Milwaukee Rap Songs of 2019, and explored the roots of the city’s rap resurgence in a piece for NPR Music.