If you are in tune with the ever-expanding and thriving underground Hip Hop scene in Milwaukee, I would assume you have heard of iBn Famacia and Lady Sabo. These two have been staples in the Milwaukee music scene for a while; Lady Sabo has been a force in the Milwaukee indie and underground Hip Hop world for quite a while; iBn Farmacia, however, has made a big impact on the scene over the last year or so. Although she has been making music for many years(her first single on Spotify dates back to 2020 but I know she has been making music for far longer than that, Lady Sabo has seemed to truly come into her own over the last couple. It feels like Lady Sabo is finding herself as an artist right now, everything she has been putting out lately has been so interesting. Lady Sabo’s joint project with Heyzeuz, 9, is easily one of the best albums I have heard in 2024. If you are into hard-hitting and emotional Trap music, that is a project you need to read my review on and check out. One of the coolest things about Lady Sabo is how diverse her sound is. You never know what you are going to get with Sabo, as it seems like there are no limits at all to her artistry. iBn Famacia has not been in the scene for long, but he has already certainly put his stamp on the Milwaukee mixtape scene. He has produced excellent music for so many local artists over the last year. Some of my favorite collaborations iBn Farmacia has had in the last year are his joint EP with 2hi titled BIG FARMA, his joint EP with Lady Sabo called IBNSABO, and some of the random great tracks he has produced for artists like Ef Ay, Daark, and David Lopez. Lady Sabo and iBn Farmacia recently decided to join forces again, having released their EP called ibnsabo2. Here is how I feel about this new project from Lady Sabo and iBn Farmacia. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about ibnsabo2, and also comment the names of any other up-and-coming artists you think I should check out!
Lady Sabo and iBn Farmacia get things started on a very bright and lively note with the song ‘freespace.’ This song has a shimmery, atmospheric sound that makes me feel like I am floating when I listen to it. The vivid and sunny synths that drive the melody are so gleaming, and these synths are arranged in such an intricate manner. The synths that drive this melody have varying levels of saturation, making the song harsh and clean at the same time. ‘freespace’ has an off-kilter Trap beat that really adds to the ultramodern feeling of the track and gives the song life. Lady Sabo’s vocal performance on this track is very low and gruff, which contrasts the melody nicely and gives the song texture. I love how her flow sits on this off-kilter beat; her flow makes the beat Pop even more because of her alliteration. ‘Freespace’ is a fun and uplifting track that sets this EP off on a positive note. The positivity of the last track is immediately thrown to the wayside on the song ‘Lifeofsin.’ Everything about this track is dark and gritty. The melody for this one has a mean and gritty tone with a bit of a video game element to it. This synth-driven melody has a sound that makes me think of the intro tracks for 1990s fighting arcade games. This melody is nasty, but also super entertaining. ‘Lifeofsin’ has a heavily distorted and hard-hitting Trap beat that takes the energy of the melody and amplifies it. The melody for this track is already very intense, and this beat takes that intensity over the top. Lady Sabo’s vocals on this track are a bit more animated and bold than they were on the last track. Like ‘freespace,’ Lady Sabo’s vocals on ‘Lifeofsin’ add so much texture to the song and make it all the more exciting. ‘Lifeofsin’ is a grating Trap track that is perfect for anyone who loves severe, in-your-fae Hip Hop.
‘clout’ seems like it is meant to be the club banger from this EP. Like ‘Lifeofsin,’ ‘clout’ has a very melancholy and downtrodden melody. The melody for this one is a lot more shimmering and distorted than what we heard on ‘Lifeofsin,’ though. Whereas the tone of that melody was very low, the tone of this one is pretty high. Even though the pitch of this melody is high, it still feels cruel and pensive. The beat for ‘clout’ is a lot more fast-paced and energetic than what we heard on the first two tracks. As I said above, this one feels like a club track. The bouncy and quick beat on this track has the kind of rhythm that will get anyone dancing when they hear it. Lady Sabo’s rap flow and tone on this track are pretty vivacious and so smooth. The way she raps on this track takes its infectious qualities over the top, adding to its larger-than-life feeling. ‘clout’ is a super fun track that can get any function jumping when it comes on. Lady Sabo and iBn Farmacia may have saved the best for last with the song ‘dieforme.’ Everything about this track is so entertaining and thrilling. ‘dieforme’ has an intricate melody that is somehow uplifting and downtrodden at the same time. The melody is driven by dazzling synths with a tone that makes me think of a flute. This melody is sweet and soothing but also has a bit of an ominous tone. The beat on ‘dieforme’ is a bit strange and complex. The pattern in which the drums hit on this one is a bit quirky, and it makes the song pound and stand out in the best way. As cool as the instrumental is for this one, the best thing about ‘dieforme’ is Lady Sabo’s vocals. Lady Sabo shows her range on ‘dieforme.’ She sings with a high-pitched and clear tone which gives so much life to this track and makes it all the more enthralling. Lady Sabo and iBn Farmacia wanted to send ibnsabo2 off on a strong, absorbing note, and they definitely did that with ‘dieforme.’
Lady Sabo and iBn Farmacia are two of the compelling artists in the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene today. Both of them are always willing to push boundaries and create cool sounds that none of their peers are creating, and this helps the Milwaukee music scene continue to progress and grow. I would say these qualities really shine through on ibnsabo2. This is a brief project that has as diverse and riveting a sound as anything I have heard this year. All four of these songs stick out in their own way for how unique they are. Lady Sabo and iBn Farmacia both show the diversity in their artistry on this EP. The instrumentals on this EP are engaging and elaborate, and the vocal performances are enticing and individualistic. ibnsabo2 is a cool little project that shows the supreme talent that both Lady Sabo and iBn Farmacia possess, and it makes me very excited to see what they both do next.
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