As a blogger based in Milwaukee who has loved the music being made here for many years, it has been awesome to watch the Hip Hop scene take off here over the last couple. Due to the rise in popularity online of the Slap/Street music that has taken over Rap music in Milwaukee, there are more eyes on Milwaukee’s Hip Hop than ever before. Artists like myaap, J.P., and AyooLii have been doing numbers on apps such as TikTok and Instagram, helping Milwaukee become a rising Hub in Hip Hop music today. In addition to the artists above, a rapper who has seen a tone of viral success as well and deserves just as much credit as anyone for the rise of Milwaukee Hip Hop is 4i4bigfrank. Songs like ‘backpack,’ and ‘party mix,’ and ‘Eat Her Up’ have really popped off over the last couple of years(with ‘Eat Her Up performing especially well since it came out earlier in 2024, having become one of the bigger viral Independent Rap singles of the year), putting him on the map as one of the most interesting and exciting rappers on the rise today. 414bigfrank first started putting music on streaming services in 2020, and he has been very prolific in his releases since his debut. Over the last four years, he has put out 40 or so singles; he also put out two in 2023, titled Up and Coming and 4 Da City. All of this hard work and build-up has led to the release of 414bigfrank’s new album, Can Never Make Me Hate You. This is a record I was anticipating, considering bigfrank has been on a hell of a run and I wanted to see how he would try to capitalize on his momentum. That said, here is how I feel about this new record from one of Milwaukee’s most exciting rising stars. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from bigfrank’s Can Never Make Me Hate You, and also comment on how you feel about it as a whole!
414bigfrank gets this record going with the aforementioned viral single ‘Eat Her Up.’ This song has become super big on social media over the last several months, and it is certainly not tough to see why. So much about this track is quirky and entertaining. The melody for ‘Eat Her Up’ has a pleasant and anxious tone at the same time. The melody has a pretty apprehensive tone, but it is still so captivating and catchy. The beat for ‘Eat Her Up’ absolutely pounds. The bass that drives this beat absolutely rumbles; it is the kind of beat that will get any set of speakers pounding. The hi-hats and snares that drive the pacing are very fast-paced and high-key. ‘Eat Her Up’ has the kind of beat that will get anyone moving when it comes on. As cool as the instrumental is, 414bigfrank does everything he can to make this song an earworm as well. His low tone contrasts the melody nicely, and his rapid-fire flow matches the energy of the beat and makes this song feel intense. It is easy to see why ‘Eat Her Up’ was such a popular single, and it gets this project going with a bang. ‘Baby Got It’ was the second single from 414bigfrank released from this album. This one did not see the kind of success ‘Eat Her Up,’ which kind of surprises me because I feel like it should have. ‘Baby Got It’ is a pretty similar sound to the song that precedes it. In my opinion, this is a slightly more complex and even better version of ‘Eat Her Up.’ The tone of the melody and the pacing on the beat for ‘Baby Got It’ are very similar to ‘Eat Her Up.’ This song is distinguished, though, by the cool filter that is put on the melody. The melody for ‘Baby Got It’ has a bit of an 8-bit tone to it that makes me think of video games; when I hear this melody; I think of the songs that would play in old Playstation games back in the day. 414bigfrank’s vocal performance on ‘Baby Got It’ is even more engaging than his performance on the preceding track. The tone he sings with on this song is a bit higher pitched and more forceful; his vocals make this track feel larger than life and turn it into a major banger. ‘Baby Got It’ is pretty similar to the lead single of this album, but it feels like it is executed a bit better, which is saying a lot. bigfrank totally switches the tone up on the next track, ‘Take A Sip.’ This one is a lot lighter and sweeter than the first two tracks. The melody for ‘Take A Sip’ is very light and bright. The synths that drive this melody are joyous and ethereal; this melody is so positive and makes me think of a sunny summer morning. I really like how this brighter melody sits on this jumpy beat. The energy of the beat kind of contrasts the energy of the melody; somehow, ‘Take A Sip’ feels soothing and zany at the same time. 414bigfrank shows off his vocal chops on this one. He hits some high notes on ‘Take A Sip’ that I had no idea were in his arsenal, and the more delicate tone he sings this track with makes it feel so welcoming. ‘Take A Sip’ is a cool track that has a slightly lighter side to bigfrank’s artistry that I appreciate a lot. ‘Digital,’ which was the last single released before this album came out, is even lighter and sweeter sounding than the song that precedes it. When this one was dropped, I was impressed. I did not know this kind of sultry track was something that 414bigfrank could make. The melody for ‘Digital’ is so warm and luscious. This song has an R&B-infused melody that is super balmy and uplifting. Although the beat does have the same kind of quick tempo that the songs before it has, this one is not quite as pushy as the tracks that precede it. The lighter nature of this beat goes well with the lighter nature of the melody; even though this beat is still pretty fast, it somehow feels more relaxed than the ones that precede it. Like he does on ‘Take A Sip,’ bigfrank flexes his vocal range on ‘Digital.’ His delivery on this one is stripped back and delicate and goes very well with the softer sound of the instrumental. ‘Digital’ is another song that proves 414bigrfrank has a lot of different elements to his vocal styles and to the kind of music he wants to make.
‘Chocolate,’ which features J.P., is the only song on this record where these two Milwaukee rising stars come together. In the limited instances where bigfrank and J.P. have worked with each other in the past, they have made magic, but I do not know if that is the case on this one. I will say that ‘Chocolate’ does not have the most interesting instrumental of the record by any means. In fact, I would say this is probably the most mundane instrumental of the record to this point. The sample that drives the melody is bright and fun but does not stand out much; I would say the same about the beat. The vocal performances from J.P. and 414bigfrank save ‘Chocolate,’ though. Their chemistry on this track is palpable; I really like the way J.P.’s lower tone contrasts with the higher tone of bigfrank, as it gives this track texture and vitality. ‘Chocolate’ is not the best collaboration between these two I have ever heard, but it does prove that they work super well together regardless of the instrumental they are on. ‘Ashanti’ is a super cool track that brings back the quality we got earlier on the record. I like the sample that drives this melody and the way it sits on top of this Slap beat. ‘Ashanti’s’ melody uses a pitched-up, sped-up sample from the iconic song ‘Foolish’ by Ashanti. The mix on this sample is super interesting and cool; the way it is used is way different than the way I have heard this song on the many other songs over the years that have sampled it, and it makes 414bigfrank’s ‘Ashanti’ stand out. I would say this is probably the most low-key vocal performance from bigfrank on the record to this point. I do think his vocals could have been a bit more engaging, as it would have taken this song over the top. Regardless, ‘Ashanti’ has an awesome sample that is used in a unique way that I appreciate a ton. ‘WHAM,’ which features Zeddy Will, is another track that uses a great sample that is immediately recognizable. ‘WHAM’ samples the incredible track ‘Roughrider’s Anthem’ by DMX. The melody for this one is pretty much identical to that legendary track. The hook for ‘WHAM’ even interpolates the refrain on the original DMX song. The vocals from both bigfrank and Zeddy Will on ‘WHAM’ are just great. They both match the audacious and bold sound of the instrumental so well. They rap with a brash and fierce nature that makes this one feel larger than life and helps turn it into such a banger. ‘WHAM’ is a track that I immediately put on my party playlist the second I started listening to it. This is the kind of song that can get any function jumping when it comes on.
‘VVS’ is a song with a very intriguing and uneasy tone that stands out. Everything about this one is different from anything before it. ’VVS’ has a way darker and meaner melody than the first seven tracks of the album. I feel like I recognize this sample as well, but I can not pinpoint where it is from. This melody honestly reminds me of the music that plays during battle scenes of anime like Naruto or Demon Slayer. The beat of ‘VVS’ technically has a Milwaukee Slap music style, but it is way more deliberate than any of the other songs on the album. The slower pacing of the beat honestly adds to the apprehensive sound the song has as a whole, which I do not know if I like or am not into. bigfrank’s vocals on this one are more pushy and in-your-face than any of his performances to this point. For what it is worth, he definitely matches the acute feeling this track has. I do not truly know how I feel about ‘VVS,’ and I think I have to listen to it a bit more to get into it. ‘Cool With It’ is the second song in a row that really goes outside the box compared to what we have heard on this album so far. This is the first track that does not have any semblance of a Slap music beat. Instead, this one has a pretty atmospheric Melodic Trap sound. ‘Cool On It’ has the kind of instrumental one may expect to hear from artists like Young Thug or Gunna. The melody has a smooth and sultry melody that is driven by some layered synths with varying tones and levels of distortion. The beat for ‘Cool With It’ is pretty relaxed, but also hits hard. This track has a cool Trap beat that is easy-going but still packs a punch. 414bigfrank’s vocal performance on this track is so full of life and invigorating. The high notes that he hits give the song injects the song with energy and makes it stand out. ‘Cool On It’ is a moment where bigfrank goes outside of his comfort zone a bit, and it pays off in a big way. ‘My Queen’ is the third song in a row where bigfrank goes in a direction I would not have expected from him at all. This song has an instrumental that not only stands out for bigfrank but also stands out for Hip Hop music as a whole. It feels like a different take on the quirky upbeat NY Drill music that has been made popular by Cash Cobain this year. I can hear the influence of that kind of Drill music in the off-kilter nature and timing of the beat, but there is a bit of a Milwaukee Slap music tint to it that makes it stand out even more. This beat is super cool and interesting; it is yet another instance where bigfrank goes outside of the boundaries and kills it. The melody for ‘My Queen’ is very simple yet effective. This melody is driven by a sweet R&B vocal sample which gives the song an inviting quality that I dig a lot. 414bigfrank’s vocals on ‘My Queen’ are great. He shows off his range as a vocalist on this one, as the rapping on the verses is fierce and the singing on the hook is so saccharine. ‘My Queen’ is another instance where 414bigfrank goes outside the boundaries of what one would expect from him, and once again it pays off in a big way.
414bigfrank keeps up the diversity he has been showing on the last few tracks on ‘For You.’ This song leans into a trend that has been becoming big in Dance music and Pop music recently. The beat on ‘For You’ has an Amapiano/AfroPop sound that I enjoy a ton. This is the kind of song that will get anyone moving when it comes on. As I sit here typing this, I just want to get up and start dancing around my apartment. Everything about this one is awesome. The melody on this track is so bright and luscious, and the beat is extremely infectious. As great as the instrumental is, bigfrank’s vocals are even better. The high notes he hits on this song give the song so much texture; his vocals on ‘For You’ help make it all the more engaging. ‘For You’ is the kind of song I would not expect to hear from bigfrank, but I am happy he made it because it rules. bigfrank strays away from the Slap music he is known for one more time on ‘Anymore.’ I am honestly debating whether this song or the last one is my favorite instance of bigfrank going in this softer direction. It may depend on the day which one I like more because both songs are so good. Like the last track, this song has a super contagious beat that makes me want to dance; this beat feels like a fusion of AfroPop and R&B Trap that is very seamless and fresh. This beat is laid-back and energetic at the same time. It is the kind of song you can turn up to, but can also play when you are trying to cool down. The AfroPop-esque beat fits the melody of this track especially well considering this melody samples an iconic AfroPop song. The melody and hook for this one are reminiscent of the track ‘Last Last’ by Burna Boy. Even the hook on this one contains elements of the hook on that track. Like the last couple of tracks, bigfrank shows off a more reserved style of vocals that fits this instrumental super well and makes the song feel so welcoming. ‘Anymore’ is the second song in a row where bigfrank goes in this AfroPop direction and it pays off massively. 414bigfrank closes out Can Never Make Me Hate You with a song where he goes back to his roots. ‘Eat Her Down’ feels like it brings this album full circle because it sounds like a (somehow) even more eccentric version of the opening track, ‘Eat Her Up.’ Frankly, this is a darker and more intense iteration of ‘Eat Her Up.’ The melody, although drowned out by the beat, is very similar to the one on the album’s opener. The beat for this one is the hardest and most audacious out of any of the Slap music songs on this record, which is saying something. The beat for this one is so ferocious. This is the kind of track that will get any set of speakers totally banging, and it is the kind of track that can get any dance floor packed to the brim. As one would expect, bigfrank’s vocals on ‘Eat Her Down’ are gritty and harsh. He matches the gruff energy of the track and helps make this song feel like and makes this song feel so huge. 414bigfrank wanted to round this record out with a larger-than-life track that brings it back to his roots, and he does so on ‘Eat Her Down.’
Over the last couple of years, 414bigfrank has done as much for Milwaukee Hip Hop music as anyone. His fun viral hits have made him such a cool artist to follow, and I have been pumped to see how he capitalizes on this success. All of that success culminated in the release of this new album, Can Never Make Me Hate You. To be short, this record is great. I will admit that I went into it expecting to hear a certain style of tongue-in-cheek music that is very entertaining but also not varied. I have to say that 414bigfrank proved me wrong and blew me out of the water with this record. Of course, there are quite a few tracks on Can Never Make Me Hate You that have that pretty typical Slap music sound bigfrank is known for. He is great at making that kind of music, so why wouldn’t this record have a lot of it? But 414bigfrank shows off her diversity as an artist on this record in ways that I would have never expected. He demonstrates that he can make high-quality versions of so many kinds of Hip Hop, Pop, and R&B music. 414bigfrank really shows off his vocal range throughout this record. I did not know he was such an accomplished vocalist, and his talent shines time and time again on Can Never Make Me Hate You. Overall, Can Never Make Me Hate You is just great. Milwaukee’s music scene is in great hands with artists like 414bigfrank at the helm, and I can not wait to see him continue to blow up and thrive, because he deserves it.
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