One of my favorite ways I have found cool Milwaukee Hip Hop artists recently is through their collaborations. Something awesome about the Hip Hop scene here is how tight-knit it is becoming. Every artist is trying to help their peers out, which exposes us fans of the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene to so many cool artists all of the time. A rising Milwaukee artist who is very unique I recently found from covering a project he was featured on is Tombo. I was first exposed to Tombo from their feature on the song ‘Lakewater’ off of Daark’s excellent Nocturnal Circle Vol. 1 EP(which I reviewed earlier this year; go check out that review after reading this if you have not done so yet). Their performance on ‘Lakewater’ is memorable, and it made me want to see what Tombo’s music was about(shout out to another dope Milwaukee artist, Lake, as I was also inspired to check out Tombo’s music due to his suggestion). Tombo has been hard at work honing their skills for a long time, as their oldest songs released on Soundcloud date back to 2017. Since 2021, Tombo has been very prolific in their releases, having dropped multiple singles and EPs a year. In 2023, Tombo gained a ton of momentum, garnering many streams on the many singles he released. He also dropped a joint mini project with one of Milwaukee’s brightest stars in AyooLii which is titled hex that helped put them in the spotlight as one to watch in Milwaukee. Tombo is ready to capitalize on their 2023 success, as he recently dropped an album called Heart work hard. I wanted to highlight this project below, as it is the latest example of why everyone should be paying attention to Tombo. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about Tombo’s Heart work hard, and also comment the names of any other up-and-coming artists you think I should check out.
Tombo gets going on a lively and entertaining note with ‘Ring,’ which features Milwaukee-based producer Josh Neuwirth. ‘Ring’ was the only single released in anticipation of Heart work hard. This song has an energetic and metallic instrumental that sounds like it came out of a different dimension. The melody for this track is so warm and bright, provided by saturated synths and complemented by various sound effects that sound like chimes. The beat for ‘Ring’ has a fast Pop-Trap tempo that makes me want to party when I hear it. Tombo’s vocal performance on this track is just as sultry as the instrumental. The way their vocals are mixed and fried adds to the welcoming and otherworldly feeling of the track. ‘Ring’ is an excellent opener that starts this project with a bang. ‘Adhd*,’ which gets assistance from MKE Neely, keeps the energetic tone of the last track and amplifies it. The melody on this one has more of an old-school feeling. This melody is provided by a quick and Twangy guitar riff that has a Folk-Rock feeling to it. This melody fades in and out throughout the track, giving the song a harsher feeling at times. The beat on ‘Adhd*’ is extremely intense. The bass on this one absolutely rattles and gives the song a massive feeling. Tombo’s vocals on ‘Adhd*’ aren’t quite as flamboyant as they are on the opener, but that is okay because of how eccentric the instrumental is. ‘♡ work hard’ is probably the tamest song of the project at this point. This is relative because it is still extremely audacious. This song is driven by a sunny melody provided by extremely saturated synths that vary from sounding like an organ to a guitar as well as some interesting sound effects(including a cool vocal sample). The drums for this one have the same style of upbeat Pop-Trap sound that is slightly toned down compared to the drums on that track. Tombo’s vocal performance is easily the best thing about ‘♡ work hard’.’ Their vocals are slow and off-tempo; they sort of have a hypnotic and anxious feeling to them at the same time. ‘♡ work hard’ may not be quite as bold as the first two tracks, but it is just as fascinating. ‘Me n my shadow’ is easily the darkest and most gloomy song of the project to this point. This song does not have nearly as bright a sound as the first two tracks do. Instead, the frantic melody is almost chilling; the ominous feeling of the instrumental is amplified by the vocal sound effects added throughout the track. The rambunctious beat this track has also adds to the intensity of the track. Similar to the previous song, Tombo’s vocals take this song’s appeal over the top. Their vocals have an excited tone that contrasts the instrumental and makes this song really stick. ‘Me n my shadow’ is a cool track with a different tone from the first three that gives the album a bit of variance that I appreciate.
‘6th sense,’ which features the producer Nancy Love, is the second song in a row with a more melancholy essence than the first three. This one has the kind of atmospheric and chaotic energy that makes me think of artists like Ken Carson and Playboi Carti. The melody on this one is driven by an emotional Midwest Emo/Math Rock guitar riff that is highly saturated and distorted. This song has by far the most deliberate tempo and beat of the project. Whereas the first three tracks are rapid and bouncy, this one is a bit slower and more sludgy. Tombo’s vocals on this track are so floaty and thin. They definitely go well with the cloudy sound of the instrumental. ‘6th sense’ is a track with a slightly different sound from what Tombo has gone with so far on this instrumental that shows their diversity. ‘couldn’t be me,’ which features Bdwthr and MKE Neely, brings back the vivacious energy we got on the first four tracks. ‘couldn’t be me’ has the sweetest and most bubbly sound of anything on the record so far. This song has a sparkling R&B Trap sound that is extremely welcoming and pleasant. The song is driven by a sparkling piano riff that is highly saturated and complemented by various synths and vocal samples that give it texture. This may be the most simple melody of the instrumental, but it also may be the most sticky and fun one. Both of the vocal performances on ‘couldn’t be me’ are very good(Tombo does their thing like always), but I especially want to shout out Bdwthr. His more grating tone contrasts the soothing vocals from Tombo nicely and gives the song a roughness it benefits from. ‘couldn’t be me’ is a charming R&B Trap banger that I could see taking off as an underground hit because of how cheerful it is. ‘Margot ☂️’, which features MKE Neely, has a sound that reminds me a lot of the first song on the project that received assistance from MKE Neely. Like ‘Adhd*,’ this is a fast-paced Emo-Trap banger with a very bright sound. ‘Margot ☂️’ does not have quite as Twangy a sound as that one, but I can still slightly hear elements of Folk Rock in the riff that drives this melody. The melody for this one is jovial and apprehensive at the same time; somehow, it is simultaneously positive and negative sounding. Tombo’s vocals on ‘Margot ☂️’ are as soothing as ever. The way their voice melts into the instrumental gives it an all-encompassing feeling. ‘Margot ☂️’ is not the most exciting song on the project in my opinion, but it does follow a formula that Tombo totally excels at. Tombo closes out this EP on a slower and more downtrodden note with the song ‘Messy.’ The melody for this one is desolate and pensive. This melody is driven by a simple and strong guitar riff with an Emo feeling to it that has a very dejected tone. This melody is put on the slowest beat of the record besides the one on ‘6th sense.’ This beat is not quite as sludgy as the one on that track, but it does have a more measured beat that goes well with the more woeful sound of the melody. ‘Messy’ may have my favorite vocal performance of the record from ‘Tombo.’ The emotion in their voice is so palpable and it adds to the heaviness of this track in a way that I appreciate a ton. ‘Messy’ is an excellent closer for Heart work hard, as it winds down the project well and shows a softer side to Tombo that is pretty cool to see.
If you look into the Milwaukee music scene, there are so many artists who are carving their own lane and creating music that makes them stand out in a truly riveting lane. Tombo is a great example of this, and he proves that on Heart work hard. This is an impactful project that shows how expansive Tombo’s artistry is. Even though the project is only about 14 minutes long, its sound is so expansive and fascinating that it feels longer. Each of the songs on this album is unique and fun, drawing me in and captivating me as a listener. Heart work hard proves that Tombo is one of the most unique artists in Milwaukee right now. It makes me excited to see what he does next, as Tombo is someone who sets themself apart with this intriguing music.
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