If you have been paying attention to this blog at all recently or if you are in tune with the Milwaukee Hip Hop landscape, you probably know who 2hi is at this point. 2hi is one of the most exciting and interesting Hip Hop artists coming up in Milwaukee right now; he has been garnering a lot of attention online in underground and independent Rap music communities. It is easy to see why 2hi is starting to receive the amount of hype he is receiving, as everything about his style of music stands out in such a big way. After posting music on Soundcloud and Spotify for years, 2hi started to garner some traction and notoriety after the release of his album 2 Birds in the summer of 2020. This project put him on the map for a lot of underground music blogs, propelling him to the level of up-and-coming stardom. Since releasing 2 Birds, 2hi has stayed prolific in his output to keep the pressure on and keep people interested. In 2021, he released another album with No B called White Lighter Bad Luck, and in 2022 he dropped an EP called HEY GANG! 2hi has been very busy in 2023 as well, having already put out six stand-alone singles this year(three of which I have written about on this blog, so please go check out those posts after reading this one if you haven’t). This has all led up to 2hi’s first full-length project of the year, Who Cares Who Started It? It’s Music!, which is a collaboration with producer ThatGuyEli. These two have linked up to make a lot of magic in the past, so it is exciting to get this full project from them. With that being said, here is how I feel about 2hi’s new album Who Cares Who Started It? It’s Music! Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from this project, as well as how you feel about it as a whole.
2hi gets Who Cares Who Started It? It’s Music! on a harsh and menacing note with the song ‘LOOK UP A THE SKY.’ This is a hazy futuristic-sounding Trap banger that packs a hell of a punch. Even though this song is less than one minute and thirty seconds, it is still extremely impactful because of how heavy of a sound it has. The song is driven by a robotic melody that sounds like something out of dystopian Cyberpunk movies or shows; this melody is put over a super hard-hitting Trap beat with bass that will shake the room when it comes on. The laid-back and hypnotic nature that 2hi raps with contrasts the instrumental in a way that makes the song so engaging. It is as if his lullaby-style of delivery calms me down as a listener, and the emphasis of the instrumental pumps me up. ‘LOOK UP A THE SKY’ is a powerful way to start this record, as it is inviting and abrasive at the same time. ‘HERO CAPE’ takes the dystopian and gritty feeling that the opening track has and builds on it. This song may not be quite as abrasive as the previous track, but it sure is just as bold. If the melody was mixed differently and was put on a different beat, I would say it is almost vibrant and enticing; instead, because of the distortion put onto the melody and the drums, this song has a foreboding quality to it. The looming feeling of the instrumental is enhanced by the subdued delivery from 2hi. The relaxed nature in which he delivers his vocals on this track makes it feel all the more threatening. ‘HERO CAPE’ has an even more thunderous sound than the first track, and that’s saying a lot. ‘STARVING’ brightens up the mood a bit. This song is not nearly as foreboding and dark as the first two tracks are. At 1:38, this song does not have a lot of time to make a mark, and it makes a lasting impression right from the jump. This track is driven by a melody that has a retro video game sound to it; it reminds me a lot of the music that would play while on the start-up screens of classic Playstation and Sega games. This melody is put over a fast Trap beat that is heavily distorted. I like the distortion on the beat a lot, as it gives the song so much texture. This beat provides a lot more energy than the beats in the last two tracks, and it pumps me up when I hear it. 2hi’s vocal delivery on this track is a bit more lively than it was on the first two songs; his animated flow and the way he fluctuates his tone match the energy of the instrumental. ‘STARVING’ is a fun and spirited track that provides a light and fun feeling, which is appreciated after the murky sound of the first two tracks.
‘PARTY PACK’ is a song with a strange and contradicting level of energy. On one hand, this song feels light and danceable, and on the other hand, it feels threatening. This is because of the juxtaposition created with the “melody” and the beat. This “melody” is provided by what sounds like a combination of an alarm and wind blowing through a broken screen; it has a whooshing sound that feels very cold and jarring. The beat for this track has a super quick pace that reminds me a lot of Miami Party Trap music; I immediately think of artists like the City Girls when I hear this beat. 2hi raps with a swift and subdued vocal style and flow that fits the energy of the beat very well. His vocals match the frigid and vibrant feeling of the instrumental. ‘PARTY PACK’ is a weird and cool track that shows a way different side to 2hi’s artistry than we saw on the first three tracks. Like the one that precedes it, ‘TRYNA FUCK’ has a way different sound and feeling than the songs that open the album. I would say this is the most “traditional” type of song on the album to this point. The melody and beat are the closest thing to mainstream Trap that we have seen so far. This instrumental for this track is like an extremely Trippy and Cloudy version of the kind of R&B Trap music one would expect from artists like Don Toliver. The melody has a sort of sweet R&B element and the beat has a pretty Typical Trap tempo, but they are both so heavily distorted that they make the song otherworldly. 2hi’s vocals on this track are soft and silky, which goes so well with the instrumental. ‘TRYNA FUCK’ is an off-kilter R&B Trap song that is mesmerizing and uncanny at the same time. ‘BLOW ME UP’ is another song with a sound that feels a lot closer to mainstream Trap than the music at the beginning of the record. I would say this track feels even more mainstream and typical than ‘TRYNA FUCK.’ ‘BLOW ME UP’ has a dense and imminent sound that immediately hits me hard as a listener; it has the kind of huge energy that one would expect from artists like Playboi Carti or Pierre Bourne. I really love the buzzing bassline that this track has; when put with the distorted, fierce melody this song has, it gives the song such an overpowering feeling. 2hi delivers his most traditional-sounding vocal performance on this track. His even-keeled flow and the way he projects his vocals fit the energy of the track nicely. ‘BLOW ME UP’ may not be the most innovative or individual-sounding song on the record, but it does have a lot of quality and can appeal to a wide range of Trap music fans.
‘GET OFF MY PLANET’ is a short and extreme track that makes me think of the biggest current underground Trap artists from Atlanta when I hear it. When this song comes on, it immediately brings artists like Young Nudy or UnoTheActivist to mind. This song has an Atmospheric yet heavy sound that is enticing and unwelcoming at the same time. The song has a very dystopian feeling to it; the robotic sound effects that come in and out of the track make me think of some weird future where the world is dominated by machines. Even though this is probably the least complex instrumental on the record so far, it still hits me in the gut because of its weird amount of forcefulness. 2hi’s vocal performance on this track is very vivacious and vivid. His vocals draw away from the abrasiveness of the instrumental and make the song more enthralling. ‘GET OFF MY PLANET’ is not the most attractive song on the project in my opinion, but it does show a side to 2hi’s artistry we had not previously seen on the project. ‘REWIND’ is another song that feels like it pushes me away and draws me in at once. I do not know how a melody could sound alluring and caustic simultaneously, but the one on this track certainly has that feeling. The best way I could describe this melody is that it reminds me of the battle music they play in Naruto. When this track comes on, I think of some of the best fight scenes from that show. The amount of distortion put on the beat and the melody gives the song such a massive feeling. This song has a very ferocious sound because of how much distortion is put on the instrumental. 2hi’s vocals are melodic and subdued; they contrast the intensity of the instrumental, giving it an overall even more daunting sound. ‘REWIND’ is an interesting track that should be extra appealing to those people who are big anime fans because of the melody. 2hi closes out this project with ‘TAKIN’ OFF YA HEAD,’ which features Freshie. This song has a hard and gloomy Atmospheric Trap sound that has such an all-encompassing feeling. There is something about this track that feels so huge. The melody is very steady and psychedelic, and when paired with this distorted, bass-heavy, and hard beat it gives the song such an impending quality. 2hi raps with a soothing and consistent sound, which sounds extra pronounced when paired with Freshie’s high-pitched and high-energy vocals. I really like the way 2hi’s vocals vary from Freshie’s as it gives the song so much texture and makes it sound even tougher. ‘TAKIN’ OFF YA HEAD’ is a great way to close this record, as its colossal feeling makes it the perfect climax.
Over the last few years, 2hi has been on a run that makes him one of the most well-known artists coming up in Milwaukee right now. As well as receiving a lot of love from the Milwaukee music community, he has also been garnering a lot of attention in underground and online rap communities around the country. His new album, Who Cares Who Started It? It’s Music!, further cements his status as one of the best young rappers coming up right now. This project is so unique and eclectic; it draws from a wide range of modern Trap music styles and incorporates them in a way that makes him stand out. He demonstrates how diverse he can be with his sound on this project, appealing to a variety of Trap music fans because there is so much variance on this project. Who Cares Who Started It? It’s Music! is the latest example of why 2hi is someone that needs to be on everyone’s radar who loves progressive Hip Hop music. Who Cares Who Started It? It’s Music! gets me more on the hype train for 2hi than I already was; this is a project I know I will be returning to frequently, and it makes me very excited to see what he does next.
EAST SIDE VIBES 