Since I first found out about him in the second half of 2023, Daark has been one of the most intriguing and captivating Milwaukee-based Hip Hop artists on my radar. Like many rising artists from this city I have covered recently, Daark has a sound and style that truly sets him apart in the current landscape of Hip Hop. Not only is his music vastly different from his peers around Milwaukee, but it is different from any other Hip Hop artists I have heard recently in general. Daark is honestly a great artist name considering the style of music that they make, as his music has a gritty underground feeling to it that is thrilling and unique. Daark has been making music for several years, but he really started to take off in 2023. Daark dropped a plethora of awesome singles last year(as well as multiple excellent remixes to those singles), as well as a super dope EP called Battle Damage 2. This EP was among my favorites to come out from any Milwaukee-based artists in 2023, and it cemented Daark as one of the most interesting rising Hip Hop artists in the city. At the end of 2023, Daark dropped another EP called Nocturnal Circles Vol. 1. Unfortunately, I did not get to listen to this EP until early this year, otherwise this EP would have also been on my list for the best Milwaukee projects from 2023(please go read my review of  Nocturnal Circles Vol. 1 after this if you have not yet to see why I am so into that project). Daark recently announced that he is set to release the sequel to that EP very soon, and he has dropped a couple of singles recently in anticipation of it. I wanted to briefly highlight these two new singles from Daark below, as they are the latest examples of why he is such a cool artist to follow. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about these new singles from Daark, and also comment the names of any other up-and-coming artists you think I should check out. 

The first track I wanted to cover, ‘Dragon Armor,’ came out back on February 9. This track features production from Stix, who also appeared on  Nocturnal Circles Vol. 1 and did a hell of a job with the songs he produced on that EP as well. ‘Dragon Armor’ has a sound that is mean and foreboding, but is also fun and fresh. Its melody has a looming feeling to it, but the beat makes me want to party. This melody sounds like it could be the theme for some futuristic dystopian anime with a very gloomy theme to it. The synths that drive this melody have a beeping element to them that makes them feel robotic and cold. They are almost devoid of emotion, making this song super tough and powerful. The beat on ‘Dragon Armor’ is quick and punchy; this track has an upbeat Pop-Trap tempo that makes me want to dance when it comes on. Towards the end of the track, the melody becomes pitched up and the beat becomes even faster. This makes me think there could be an excellent remix for ‘Dragon Armor,’ and if that is the case I am excited about that. Daark vocal performance on ‘Dragon Armor is just as dynamic as the instrumental. The low pitch of his vocals matches the menacing feeling of the instrumental, but his flow is perfect for the speedy Pop-Trap beat. Daark’s vocals on ‘Dragon Armor’ take the song’s raucous energy over the top. ‘Dragon Armor’ is a track that infuses me with energy when I hear it because its sound is so high-key in the best way. ‘Warthog,’ which features Spaidez and Spraynem and gets production from Stix again, is Daark’s newest single. This one came out about a week ago on March 1. Listening to ‘Dragon Armor’ and ‘Warthog’ in succession honestly sounds really good, because they have pretty similar sounds and the transition is so smooth. Like ‘Dragon Armor,’ ‘Warthog’ is a rambunctious and malicious Pop-Trap banger. This song is a bit lighter than the one that precedes it, though; this pullback on intensity makes the song a bit more inviting for fans of less intense Trap music. The synths that drive the melody for ‘Warthog’ are pretty melancholy, but they also also a sheeny element to them that makes the song a bit lighter and brighter than ‘Dragon Armor;’ these synths almost have a mesmerizing tint to them that makes the songs super entertaining. The beat for this track hits so hard. This aggressive and quick beat makes me want to headbang and party the night away when it comes on. All of the vocal performances on ‘Warthog’ are great; each artist has a flow, tone, and overall style of rapping that is distinct and adds something original to the track. ‘Warthog’ is an awesome, energetic banger that will get any function bumping when it comes on. It would be a great song to add to any turn-up playlist. These two latest singles from Daark are the latest examples of why he is an artist that people need to be paying attention to. ‘Dragon Armor’ and ‘Warthog’ make me very excited to hear this new EP when it comes out.