As I have stated many times in recent blog posts, the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene is thriving more than ever right now. From the outside, this is easy to see, as artists like Myaap, 414bigfrank, and J.P. are helping put the city on the map in terms of the national Hip Hop scene. If you are from here and pay attention to local music, though, this is even more evident. Although most people would gravitate towards those aforementioned artists, there are so many other Hip Hop artists in Milwaukee who are making great music that deserve a ton of love as well. Toolay! is one of those artists, and I wanted to shout him out today. Toolay! is an artist with a sound and style that is so individual. There are definitely elements of Milwaukee’s signature Slap and Drill music sounds that most people associate with the city, but Toolay! puts his own twist on the sound that truly singles him out. Toolay! has been grinding at his craft for a while, as he has been putting out music for many years. He is really coming into his own in 2024, though, not only with the amount of his releases but also with the attention he has been cultivating. Toolay! has certainly been on the grind in 2024. He has dropped a ton of new music this year. On his Spotify, Toolay! has put out about 30 singles this year so far, 4 EPs, and two albums. Simply put, there is no one working as hard as Toolay! right now; he must literally always be in the booth, as he is as prolific as anyone I can think of. One of the greatest things about Toolay! is that if you like his sound, there is so much more by him out there for you to enjoy. Another great thing about Toolay! is that because he has so much music, he has so many different kinds of songs for a variety of Hip Hop songs to love. Below, I wanted to talk about two of Toolay!’s recently released singles, ‘Fine By Me’ and ‘Deserve.’ Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about these new tracks from Toolay!, and also comment the names of any Milwaukee-based or independent artists you think I should check out!

‘Deserve’ which came out back on July 15, has a sound that I honestly can’t even compare to anyone. ‘Deserve’ is not only unlike anything any of Toolay!’s peers are making in Milwaukee right now, but it is also unlike anything being made in the Hip Hop world right now in general. Weirdly the first artist I did think of when checking ‘Deserve’ out is one of my favorite Underground Trap rappers, Father. The tone of this melody, the way the bass buzzes, and the pacing of the beat are so reminiscent of some of Father’s most fun hits from back in the day. The melody for ‘Deserve’ almost has a lullaby element to it. The squeaky clean keyboard riff that drives this track is simple and bright, giving the song a positive tone. The bass and beat, however, absolutely pound. The beat and melody contrast each other in a way that makes ‘Deserve’ captivating. Although the bassline does make me think of Father, the clapping drums that help drive the beat do have a Milwaukee Slap music feeling. This track is like an underground Atlanta Trap/Milwaukee Slap music fusion. As fresh as this instrumental is,’ Toolay!’s vocal performance makes ‘Deserve’ all the more enjoyable. The raspiness of Toolay’s vocals and his choppy flow match the toughness of the beat super well. The lighter tone that he sings at times, especially on the super catchy hook(as I sit here, I can not get the “Damn, what did I do to deserve this?’ bar out of my head), gives the song a slightly softer quality that makes it inviting. ‘Deserve’ is a super fun track with elements to it for fans of typically Milwaukee Hip Hop but also for fans of harsher non-mainstream Trap music. ‘Fine By Me,’ which came out on July 21, has a lighter and smoother tone than ‘Deserve.’ Whereas the sound of ‘Deserve’ has a bit of a frantic and off-kilter feeling, this track is so groovy and even-keeled. I really dig the melody that drives this track. The intricate keyboard riff that propels the melody has a funky and melancholy tone to it. This melody has a bit of an old-school R&B feeling to it. Somehow, it sounds warm and gloomy at the same time. ‘Fine By Me’ has a deliberate beat that is pretty calm but still hits hard. The pacing of the drums on this track is pretty relaxed, but the 808s that come in make the song pop. Toolay!’s rap performance on this track is pretty low-key and moderate, matching the energy of the instrumental so well. Toolay!’s rapping on ‘Fine By Me’ works so well, as his easy-going flow fits the tempo of the track so well and his gruff tone gives the track texture. ‘Fine By Me’ is a very cool track that shows a lighter side to Toolay!’s artistry that I appreciate a tone, With these two new tracks, as well as so many others, Toolay! has dropped recently, he is showing how diverse and captivating of an artist he is. Toolay! is someone I am certainly excited to keep following and covering, as he has undeniable talent and can seemingly make music for such a wide range of Hip Hop fans, which is invigorating to see.