As I have stated many times in recent blogs about Milwaukee music, the Hip Hop scene in this city is so diverse and wide-ranging. Most people around the country would think of the fast-paced and quirky Drill music made popular by artists like J.P., myaap, and AyooLii when they think of Milwaukee Hip Hop, but the scene is so much bigger than that. Don’t get me wrong, I love that kind of Drill music and can see why it is becoming so popular, but I do wish that more attention was shown to the other kinds of Hip Hop being made in Milwaukee because there are so many interesting, talented artists carving their own lane. ZuesRLR is a Milwaukee Hip Hop artist with a sound and aesthetic that is entirely unique. According to ZuesRLR’s Instagram and Spotify bio, RLR stands for “RealLifeRockstar,’ and I would say this is an accurate description of the overall essence of his music. ZuesRLR makes a unique style of Hip Hop that is bold and exciting; his music will inject anyone with life when it comes on. ZuesRLR has not been uploading music on streaming services for long, but he has made a hell of an impact in this short amount of time. He put out his first single, ‘Rap&Roll’ featuring 2hi(if you have been following this blog for a while, you should know how much I enjoy 2hi’s music), near the beginning of September of last year. ZuesRLR closed out 2023 with three more equally gripping singles and has dropped four singles so far in 2024. Below, I wanted to briefly highly ZuesRLR’s two newest singles, ‘Pikachu’ and ‘S&M,’ which features fellow rising Milwaukee rapper YDCFred. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about these two new singles from ZuesRLR(as well as how you feel about any of his other music,) and also comment the names of any other new artists you like that you think I should check out!

It is simple to see that “RealLifeRockstar” is definitely an excellent nickname for ZuesRLR when you listen to the song ‘Pikachu.’ This song has a raucous and abrasive Metal-Trap sound that is super unique and compelling. I can’t help but bob my head when I listen to this one, to be honest, it makes me want to run around in a mosh pit. The melody for this track is driven by an Alt-Metal guitar riff that is very extreme and dark. This melody has the kind of vehement sound that will get anyone’s blood pumping when it comes on. The rapid Trap beat for ‘Pikachu’ is just as aggressive as the melody is, matching its liveliness perfectly. ZuesRLR’S vocal performance on this track is great. His low and gruff tone sits on this melody perfectly, and his assertive flow adds to the magnitude of the track. ‘Pikachu’ is a massive track with a cool sound that makes ZuesRLR stand out. Although ‘S&M’ with YDC Fred does not have exactly the same kind of Metal-infused instrumental as ‘Pikachu,’ it is just as belligerent as the song that precedes it. The melody for ‘S&M’ is intricate and complex. This dark and looming melody is driven by various extremely gloomy synths, some with a higher pitch and some with a lower pitch. At times in the track, it sounds like a guitar riff comes in underneath the synths, adding to the colossal feeling of the melody. Like ‘Pikachu,’ the beat for ‘S&M’ has a vicious Trap sound, giving the song a huge feeling. The vocals from both ZuesRLR and YDC Fred on this song are awesome. Both of them match the intensity of the instrumental and contribute to its epic ambiance. With songs like ‘Pikachu’ and ‘S&M,’ ZuesRLR is asserting himself as one of the most interesting Milwaukee artists on the rise.