Five Milwaukee rappers on the rise
IshDARR, WebsterX, others choose next artists likely to make splash in city’s flourishing hip-hop scene
Milwaukee’s flourishing hiphop community has reached many milestones in 2017.
One of the city’s most popular rappers, WebsterX, released his anticipated debut album, “Daymares,” on respected Chicago label Closed Sessions, and booked several local rappers to play his celebratory headline show at Turner Hall Ballroom this spring.
Another scene star, IshDARR, with more than 8 million SoundCloud streams, became the first local rapper in Summerfest’s history to headline a main stage. He was also cast in the Matthew McConaughey film, “White Boy Rick,” out next January.
So, who are the next rappers likely to make a splash in the city? We asked them. IshDARR and WebsterX helped curate the Journal Sentinel’s latest installment of its Bands to Watch series, focusing on “Milwaukee Rappers on the Rise.”
Tyrone “DJ Bizzon” Miller and Damon “Jank” Joy — two fellow leaders in the scene behind Tap Milwaukee’s “Those Hip-Hop Guys” blog and the WMSE-FM (91.7) show of the same name — also curated the list, as did Journal Sentinel music writer Piet Levy.
IshDARR’s Pick: BoodahDARR
Background: As the stage name similarity suggests, there is a connection between IshDARR and BoodahDARR — they’re brothers. IshDARR’s pick isn’t strictly out of family loyalty, and his older brother BoodahDARR, 22, is getting traction on his own merits, amassing half a million streams for his first eight songs, featured on last fall’s debut “Almighty”
EP.
Why him?: “How he writes his tunes, there’s a lot more thought to it,” said IshDARR, who first started writing songs alongside his brother eight years ago in the family basement. They still share a room and compare notes to this day, but “there are not too many similarities, which is so dope,” IshDARR said. “He comes with a darker, serious tone, and lets you know he’s not playing.”
WebsterX’s Pick: Kane
Background: WebsterX first met Kane in summer 2015, when the latter was a senior at Pulaski High School, to help organize the first installment of what would become Freespace, a monthly free concert series where seasoned local players and young novices share a bill. Kane’s been booking shows and building his confidence since, leading up to his debut album, expected this fall.
Why him?: There are many facets to Kane, 19, that impress WebsterX, from his live show energy to his rock-inspired sound. Best of all? “He doesn’t write anything down,” WebsterX said. “Jay Z and Lil Wayne do that, and for some kid from Milwaukee to be able to do that is really impressive. That’s insane that he can listen to an instrumental, write (verses) in his head and spit them out. You can get really incredible with that.”
Tyrone “DJ Bizzon” Miller’s Pick: D.J. The Jenius
Background:D.J. the Jenius, 22, found his calling through True Skool, the local non-profit offering hip-hop courses for atrisk teens, where he met Bizzon. As a DJ, The Jenius was good enough to open for Talib Kweli and Pitbull, but he’s also been sharpening his spitting skills, penning and recording politically aware tracks like the haunting “Mobbin’,” (sample lyrics: “I’m fighting every day for rights I thought I had since my birth.”)
Why him?: “He’s not just going to go on stage and rap some lyrics,” Bizzon said. “He’s going to make the beats, he’s going to do the rhymes, he’s going to make the videos.” This isn’t a “jack of all trades, master of none” situation, though. “His storytelling hits me,” Bizzon said. “It’s relatable, it’s personal, it’s vivid. To hear him telling these stories about growing up in the city, you feel like you’re right there with him.”
Damon “Jank” Joy’s Pick: Denny Lanez
Background: The 20-yearold’s breakout banger, “Zeus,” hits like a lightning bolt, amassing close to a million streams between YouTube, Spotify and SoundCloud. There’s more where that came from off his debut mixtape “‘96,” released this April, with a follow-up EP expected this fall.
Why him?: “He’s kind of a beast,” Jank said. “Lyrically, he’s just as good as it gets for a 20-year-old kid. He can rap over a trap beat, an old school beat, ‘90s thug stuff. He can do rapid fire and regular flow with these clever one-liners.”
Piet Levy’s Pick: Taj Raiden
Background: There were times in high school when Raiden was so overwhelmed with anxiety and the cruelty of bullies she felt like screaming. So she started screaming, incorporating those hardcore rock traits into her visceral brand of rap. Following a handful of promising singles, Raiden, 22, plans to drop her debut EP this fall.
Why her?: Because there’s no one like her, in the city, or outside it. Raiden’s freaky style isn’t going to be for everyone, but for the adventurous hip-hop lovers starving for a different sound, Raiden is a delirious shock to the system, with a fearless stage presence that’s practically supernatural.
SEE THE MILWAUKEE RAPPERS ON THE RISE IN CONCERT...FOR FREE
Our five Milwaukee Rappers on the Rise will perform at a free concert at 8 p.m. Oct. 7 at the RadioMilwaukee Studios, 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave., presented by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Summerfest. For more details, visit the Journal Sentinel’s Facebook page. More On Music Find out about the week’s must-see shows, concert tickets and more in the newsletter “Piet Levy’s Music Picks.” Subscribe at jsonline.com/newsletters.
Piet talks about concerts, local music and more on “TAP’d In” with Jordan Lee, 8 a.m. Thursdays on WYMS-FM (88.9).