I have always been someone who supports and follows the music coming from Milwaukee musicians. Since I was in high school, I have felt like there are so many talented artists from Milwaukee they deserve more love. The city is brimming with talented artists who need to be seen. Since I started this blog, I have vowed to cover and expose the artists from my city who need more credit. In 2023, I stepped up my coverage of Milwaukee artists, as I want to be one of the leading blogs/publications in the city that covers the artists from here. As I started to ramp up my Milwaukee coverage at the beginning of last year, the Milwaukee music scene started to take off as a whole. After artists who are from the city but left for better opportunities(like Lakeyah and DC The Don) started to put eyes on the city in the early 2020s, a few artists still based here started to go viral and assert that Milwaukee is a hotbed for great music. Artists like AyooLii, Certified Trapper, The Keystones, and 2hi have seen a ton of success online over the last year or so, helping drive the Hip-Hop and Alternative music scenes in Milwaukee forward and proving that Milwaukee has as many great music artists based here as in any other major city. As I said above I covered a lot of music from artists based in or associated with Milwaukee last year, and I enjoyed the music of so many potential stars. It was honestly kind of tough to make this list for my favorite Milwaukee projects from 2023 because of how many really cool projects I came across. There are a ton of projects I would like to highlight below that deserve to be praised, but to be concise, I limited this list to 10 projects that I particularly enjoyed. This list is not in any particular least-to-favorite or chronological order; it is just in the order of how I saved them in my notes. Before I get into the list, I wanted to shout out a few honorable mentions. EricWithTheGlockInHisSock’s Ight, Bet Say Less, Diet Lite’s Into The Pudding, and Daark’s Battle Damage 2 are all very good projects that almost I enjoyed as much as projects beneath this. Please let me know in the comments below which of these Milwaukee artists you dig as well, and also comment the names of any other artists or projects from Milwaukee I missed that you enjoy too!

WAVE CHAPELLE AND MENEBEATS – CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP 

If you have been in tune with the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene(or Milwaukee music scene in general), I am sure you have heard of Wave Chapelle. The Milwaukee Hip Hop veteran has already an illustrious career that has been awesome to follow, and he is only getting better as his career progresses. Early in 2023, he dropped a collaborative album called Can’t Stop Won’t Stop with Atlanta-based producer Menebeats, where both musicians showed off what makes them great. Everything about Can’t Stop Won’t Stop is exhilarating and gratifying. Its instrumentals are eclectic, going from retro to modern and hard-hitting to more calm. Wave Chapelle shows the diversity in his artistry on this project, navigating each beat with ease and proving he can make music for any Hip Hop fan. Wave Chapelle has long been one of the most successful Milwaukee Hip Hop artists from Milwaukee, and Can’t Stop Won’t Stop shows he is still on top of his game.

CARDIAC DA PULSE – BLUE ROSES 

Cardiac Da Pulse is what I would call a rapper’s rapper. He has a demeanor and level to his artistry that feels so classic and intricate; he is the kind of artist that anyone heavily into or involved with Hip Hop music should deeply appreciate. His 2023 album Blue Roses was one of the best Hip Hop albums I listened to in the 2023 period. Its eclectic sound provides something for all kinds of Hip Hop fans. If you are into R&B-tinted old-school Rap music, there is a lot for you to love on Blue Roses. If you are into tough modern Trap, Blue Roses also has you covered. As nice as the instrumentals are on this album, the best thing about it by far is Cardiac D Pulse’s Rap performances. He raps with a smooth and calm flow that is addicting, and his ability to adapt to the intensity of the instrumental makes each song captivating. Cardiac Da Pulse is a rapper who deserves so much more credit, and Blue Roses shows why he is one of my favorite rappers in Milwaukee today.

KING MYLES – VIRTUAL RECLUSE

Like Wave Chapelle, King Myles is a Milwaukee artist whom I have followed for quite a while. Since I discovered him in the mid-2010s, I have always been captivated by his style of rapping. Anyone who is into complex rhymes and poignant lyricism would love him because of his immense talent for spitting bars. After taking a multi-year hiatus to get his mind right, King Myles returned to music with a bang in 2023 when he released his album Virtual Recluse. Like all of King Myles’ music, this album is filled with serpentine flows and deep lyrics that draw me in as a huge Hip Hop fan. As great as the lyrics are on this record(which was to be expected), the coolest thing about it in my opinion was King Myles’ willingness and ability to step outside the box. Virtual Recluse is full of instrumentals that I would never expect from King Myles. On this project, he took risks that totally paid off and proved how varied he can be with his sound. Virtual Recluse was a triumphant return to the Rap game for King Myles, and I am excited to hear him continue to expand his sound in the future.

2HI AND THATGUYELI – WHO CARES WHO STARTED IT? IT’S MUSIC!

If you followed my blog during 2023, you probably know about my affinity for 2hi’s music. He is one of the most exciting and enthralling artists making music in the city right now, and I feel like he is getting better with each release. In the summer, he dropped Who Cares Who Started It? It’s Music!, a collaboration with the producer ThatGuyEli. I would say it is easily one of the most dynamic Hip Hop albums I listened to in 2023. The thing that stands out the most about this album is how varied its sound is. Even though the instrumentals throughout this project are very different from each other, 2hi keeps up the level of intensity on each track with his vocals and makes the whole album so enticing. 2hi is an artist who is pushing boundaries with his sound which sets him apart from his peers and makes his music super fun and bold. Who Cares Who Started It? It’s Music! is a great album that shows off all of the things that make 2hi so thrilling to listen to.

$HIIIRO – SHUT UP, SHIRO

I actually found out about $hiiiro through a feature of his on 2hi’s song ‘IDKB.’ His performance on that sound was so good that I knew I had to look into his own music. I am very glad found $hiiiro through that 2hi song because his album Shut Up, Shiro is probably my favorite Milwaukee Hip Hop album from 2023. There are so many things about Shut Up, Shiro that make it pop. Its extensive sound provides something for all types of Trap music fans. The instrumentals range from brazen and harsh to cloudy and atmospheric, providing something for everyone. As nice as the instrumentals are on this project, the best thing about it is $hiiiro’s vocals. On Shut Up, Shiro, $hiiiro changes his vocal style with each song, matching the energy of each track so well and enhancing its ambiance. Shut Up, Shiro is an awesome album from one of Milwaukee’s most underrated rappers, and I hope $hiiiro gets more of the credit he deserves in 2024.

REYNA – LIMONADA

REYNA has been one of the most successful artists to come out of Milwaukee over the last decade or so. They have seen a good amount of success in the Alternative Rock and Synth-Pop scenes, and have helped expose Milwaukee’s music scene as a whole due to the reach of their music. REYNA recently became independent artists again to take back their creative liberties, and Limonada is their first release since leaving their previous music label. My favorite thing about Limonada is how eclectic and wide-ranging of a sound it has. Even though every track has a general mellow and sunny tone to the melody and instrumental, each track feels inspired by a different kind of music. Because of this, Limonada is a project that appeals to many kinds of Alternative music fans. Limonada is a great project from one of Milwaukee’s most important Alternative acts, and I can not wait to see where REYNA goes with their sound next.

THE KEYSTONES – REARVIEW

Like REYNA, The Keystones is an Alternative Rock band from Milwaukee that has seen a relative amount of success nationally over the last few years. They have been billed as the next great Alternative Rock act in Milwaukee, and it is easy to see why they are thought of so highly. Near the end of October, they released their EP Rearview. This project has a slightly different sound than what some people may have become accustomed to from The Keystones. Instead of going with the gritty early 2000s Indie Garage Rock sound they are more known for(similar to The Arctic Monkey or The White Stripes), this EP has elements of Post-Grunge, Goth Rock, and 2010s Indie Pop-Punk. Rearview in an EP that shows how diverse of a band The Keystones can be; when it comes to Alternative Rock, there seems to be no limit to what they can do. Rearview is a great EP that proves the hype around The Keystones is definitely warranted.

2HI AND IBN FARMACIA – BIG FARMA

I could not make this list and only include one 2hi project because he released so much impressive music in 2023. Near the end of the year, he dropped a brief collaborative EP with the producer iBn Farmacia called Big Farma that shows yet another side to his artistry. Although this project is short, it sure makes a large impact. It almost feels like an explosion of sound, as each song hits unbelievably hard and gives the overall EP a massive feeling that I enjoy so much. The instrumentals on this project are so distinctive and extreme; Big Farma is a project that makes me want to check out all of iBn Farmacia’s stuff because of how tough and fascinating they are. Big Farma is a project that accentuates the talents of both 2hi and iBn Farmacia, and I would imagine they are both poised for a huge 2024.

JOHNNY FRANCHINO – AESTHETIX

Throughout 2023, I became a big fan of Johnny Franchino. His AESTHETIX music series is not only some of the most interesting music to come out of Milwaukee last year, but it is some of the coolest music I heard in general. Although Johnny Franchino released a bunch of singles under the AESTHETIX umbrella in 2023(and one in 2024 so far), he also dropped an EP under this name in April. This EP is a great example of what makes the AESTHETIX series so riveting. AESTHETIX takes some of the best Dance music sounds from the 1990s and makes them modern and fresh. AESTHETIX has a classic Electronic sound that blends perfectly with modern Hip Hop. Johnny Franchino’s dynamic and eccentric vocals match the massive energy of these songs so well, making them so exciting and fun. Johnny Franchino is one of the most unique and entertaining artists making music in Milwaukee today, and his 2023 EP AESTHETIX is a great example of his immense talent.

LAKE – I’M RIGHT HERE

Lake’s I’m Right Here is technically considered a single instead of an EP, but I still had to shout out this brief project because it impacted me so much. I’m Right Here is a collection of three singles with a similar sound and theme that were released by Lake at different points in 2023. He put the title track and these other singles together into a mini-project that was released near the end of the summer. I’m Right Here has a Pop-Punk feeling that will give the listener a sense of nostalgia when they hear it. If you are into artists like Blink 182 or Sum 41, you will appreciate this music. As cool as the instrumentals are, the best things about I’m Right Here are its lyricism and Lake’s vocals. His lyrics hit hard, and one can feel the anguish he is feeling. Lake’s vocals on I’m Right Here drive the emotions of the mini-project home, making Lake’s emotions in these tracks so palpable. I hope that Lake continues to go in this direction with his music in 2024 because he created something really cool in I’m Right Here.