When one thinks of Milwaukee Hip Hop artists, a certain kind of music comes to mind. Over the last couple of years, the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene has been popping off for its zany and quirky Slap music sound. Artists like Chicken P, Myaap, and J.P. have helped Milwaukee become one of the popping Hip Hop hubs on the rise because of the very unique style of music that they make. The Milwaukee Hip Hop scene has been thriving in the underground for a while, though, and it goes way beyond that Slap music sound. One Milwaukee Hip Hop artist who has been making music and popping off in underground Hip Hop scenes for a while that totally goes against the grain of what most mainstream fans may associate with the city is Emmitt James. He is a modern-day Hip Hop aficionado who makes music that feels modern and retro at the same time. His music has been compared to artists like Anderson .Paak and The Internet, while also having shades of artists like The Pharcyde or A Tribe Called Quest. Emmitt James has been honing his craft for a long time and has been steadily rising over the years. He initially got his break when he got the opportunity to perform at The Pharcyde Festival in 2018. This put him on the map as one to watch and caught the attention of The Pharcyde themselves, as well as Yasin Bey(Mos Def). Since 2020, Emmitt James has been very prolific with his output. He has put out 7 EPs and 4 albums since the start of the decade, as well as many stand-alone singles. In 2024 alone, Emmitt James has dropped many singles and has also done multiple very nice collaborations as well. I recently wrote about three of these singles, packaged under the single pack/EP titled Mo’ Buttah Still Brown. If you do not know those tracks or have not read that piece yet, go check it out after it is done here. Emmitt James just put out a new album called It’s Giving Healed Black Man, which I wanted to talk about below. Please let me know in the comments what your favorite songs are from this new project by Emmitt James, and also comment on how you feel about the album as a whole!
Emmitt James gets this record going with an interesting little skit called ‘It’s Giving Intro.’ This cut consists of what sounds like a little message left on Emmitt’s phone from an ex or friend. This person acknowledges Emmitt’s growth as a man. This person thanks Emmitt for an apology and acknowledges that it seems like he has been working on himself and is trying to become a more empathetic man, which this person appreciates. ‘It’s Giving Intro’ is a cool little skit that starts the record off on a very positive note. ‘Tryna Heal’, which features Lewy V, is a very cathartic Jazz rap song that is soft but still makes an impact. The instrumental for this song is pretty simple and light. Its melody consists of a warm, Jazzy piano riff that is complemented by riffing vocals from Lewy V. These vocals from Lewy V are so warm and luscious, giving the track a very full feeling. The beat for ‘Tryna Heal’ is slow and low-key, going nicely with the Jazzy feeling of the melody. Emmitt James’ rap performance on this is pretty laid-back, but it still pops. The way he fluctuates his tone gives the track a good amount of texture and makes its sentiment hit harder. On ‘Tryna Heal,’ Emmitt James is rapping about some of the struggles he has gone through and the way he is coping with those struggles. He is slowly recovering and working on himself, which is an admirable endeavor for sure. ‘Stress Less’ has a more energetic sound than the song that precedes it. This one also feels quite a bit more current. The melody for ‘Stress Less,’ which features Jamai Fisher, is very welcoming, but sort of quirky. It sort of sounds like it is being played on a saxophone and a violin, but is distorted enough that it also just sounds like synths. This makes the track feel modern but also gives it a retro element. The drum pattern for ‘Stress Less’ is pretty upbeat and will definitely get anyone moving. Emmitt James’ vocals in ‘Stress Less’ are just as zany as the instrumental and certainly match its energy. Jamai Fisher gives some nice background vocals on the hook and gives the song quite a bit of emphasis as well. On ‘Stress Less,’ Emmitt James raps about how he is trying to let go of his anxiety and not worry about his struggles, as he just wants to live in the moment.
‘Sleep When I’m Dead’ has a darker sound than the first couple of tracks on the record. The tone of this one is definitely a bit more solemn. The melody is driven by a cloudy guitar riff that is complemented by even cloudier synths. This poignant melody is put on top of an even-keeled Trap beat that hits decently hard. Emmitt James’ vocals on this one are a bit more reserved, and it works well with the more serious tone of the song. ‘Sleep When I’m Dead’ also contains a couple of vocal bits from a female who is telling Emmitt James to relax and not let the stress of life get to him. Emmitt James does not concur with this sentiment in his own lyrics, as he raps about how he is addicted to the hustle and can not stop working. ‘That’s A Go,’ which features GOZÈ and Jamai Fisher, easily has the most raucous and wacky sound of this album so far. In fact, this is the most eccentric song I personally have heard from Emmitt James to this point. The melody for this song, if one can call it that, is honestly pretty tough to describe. This “melody” is driven by what sounds like freestyle Jazz Trumpets just going wild. This melody is high-pitched and all over the place; it makes me think of being in a Jazz bar and watching the wind instrument players just try to one-up each other Towards the end of ‘That’s A Go,’ the trumpets kick out and some synths kick in; these synths kind of sound like they have the tone of the ‘Macarena’ song, which is obviously equally as wacky. The beat for ‘That’s A Go’ has an upbeat Boom-Bap sound. This beat makes me think of the best dancey Hip Hop music from the 1990s. All of the vocal performances on ‘That’s A Go’ are great. Each artist more than matches the energy of the song, making this track feel larger than life, which I love. On ‘That’s A Go,’ Emmitt James, GOZÉ, and Jamai Fisher are talking about the grind. No matter if they are trying to get the money or trying to get a significant other, they never stop working hard for what they want. ‘Leveled Up,’ which features Mocity, has a completely different feeling from any of the first five tracks. Whereas all of the songs before this one either sound pretty retro or at least have elements that sound retro, this track is very fresh. In fact, ‘Leveled Up’ almost sounds ultramodern. When I hear this track, I think of the unordinary, futuristic-sounding music that artists like Ken Carson and Playboi Carti are making today. The melody for this song has a very bright tone but is also extremely saturated. Even though the tone of this melody is sweet, the way it is mixed almost makes it grating. ‘Leveled Up’ has a massive Trap beat that fits this melody so well. This song absolutely bangs when it plays on some good speakers. Emmitt James does his thing on this track, but I especially want to shout out Mocity. The way his raspy tone and fluid flow sit on this beat works so well; his vocals contrast Emmitt James’ more intense delivery so nicely on ‘Leveled Up,’ Emmitt James and Mocity are rapping about how they have risen out of their struggles and are doing better financially and mentally than they ever have in the past. ‘Elbow Grease,’ which features Klassik, has a somewhat similar feeling to the song that precedes it. This song is a bit slower and smoother than ‘Leveled Up,’ but it does have the same sort of ultramodern Trap feeling to it. The melody for this one has a bit of a Jazzy R&B tone to it. Although it is heavily saturated, full, and trippy, its actual tone is pretty silky. The beat for ‘Elbow Grease’ absolutely bangs. This is the toughest song of the project to this point. To put it simply, ‘Elbow Grease’ is a high-key banger. Klassik is solid on this track, but Emmitt James really stands out. This may be my favorite vocal performance of his on the project to this point. I love how much he fluctuates his tone on this one, as this sort of all-over-the-place energy goes so well with the intensity of the instrumental. On ‘Elbow Grease,’ Emmitt James and Klassik rap about working hard and never slowing down when trying to achieve your goals.
‘Avoiding Triggers’ is the second official “skit” of the project. Like the intro, this sounds like a voice recording from either a significant other or a friend. This person is praising Emmitt James for their handling of his mental health and the way he is able to reflect on himself. She states that he acknowledges it can be a fine line between protecting your piece and just ignoring your problems. This is a cool little message that can honestly benefit a lot of people, as I know so many of us struggle with this. Emmitt James goes back to the old-school Jazz sound on ‘Under My Feet.’ At 1:14, this is the shortest song on the record. Even though it is brief, it still hits hard. The Jazzy melody for this track is so full. The horns that drive the melody are super luscious, and the sort of off-kilter piano riff that complements it gives it so much texture. The beat for this track has a bit of a crashing sound to it. Even though it is very light, its pacing actually makes it feel very dynamic. Emmitt James’ rap performance on ‘Under My Feet’ is great. The way he fluctuates his tone gives the song life, and his steady flow fits the timing of the beat so well. On ‘Under My Feet,’ Emmitt James raps about not letting the pitfalls of life get him down. He wants to live by putting one step forward and not focusing on the negatives. Following this, we did an additional skit. At 8 seconds, this piece is very brief. The person who has been speaking to Emmitt throughout the project asks where he is at in terms of wanting to date(obviously meaning that this person is not his significant other). This idea is addressed in the next song, ‘Something Like That.’ This track is probably the most outlandish-sounding song on the record. This track has a sound that is pretty unlike anything before it. ‘Something Like That’ has elements from some of the other music on the record, but it still really stands out. The melody does have a bit of a dark Jazzy tone, but there are also elements to it that make me think of R&B and Latin Rock. This melody is honestly all over the place. As the song progresses, its overall feeling morphs multiple times. The drum pattern on ‘Something Like That’ is sort of off-center. It has elements of Boom-Bap music, but also makes me think of retro Jazz and R&B as well. Emmitt James delivers a very spirited Rap performance on ‘Something Like That.’ The way he switches his tone and flow throughout the track makes this song very vibrant. The sound of ‘Something Like That’ goes very well with the lyricism of the track. On this one, ‘Emmitt James is rapping about someone he keeps going back to. Things may have not worked out with this person multiple times, but ultimately Emmitt and this person are always going back to each other.
‘Don’t Say No,’ which features GOZÉ, is the lightest and most Poppy-sounding song on the record. This song has a very inviting sound that will make anyone feel good when it comes on. The piano riff that drives this melody is super cozy. The synths that complement it are just as animated, giving this song such a sunny feeling. The beat for ‘Don’t Say No’ has an upbeat and Poppy tempo that just makes me want to dance. This is the perfect song to get anyone moving when it comes on. Emmitt James and GOZÉ both match the bright sound of the track so well. Their vocals are just as perky as the instrumental and help this song feel so breezy. On ‘Don’t Say No,’ Emmitt James and GOZÉ are encouraging their new partner to go with the flow and party the night away from them. ‘Something New’ takes elements of the old-school Jazzy sounds we have gotten throughout this record and some of the modern Trap sounds we have gotten on the record. The melody for this one is very sultry and breezy. This simple, piano-driven melody makes me think of a summer morning walk by the late. The beat for ‘Something New’ has an easy-going Trap sound. It goes very nicely with the laid-back feeling of the instrumental. Emmitt James delivers one of his most spirited vocal performances of the project on this track. The way he fluctuates his tone gives too much texture to ‘Something New’ and really brings it to life. In ‘Something New,’ Emmitt James raps about how he is trying to improve as a man and how he wants to be a better partner in his next relationship. ‘IDKY(It’s Giving Outro)’ is a very grand and bold way to end this record. This track has a Jazzy Southern Gospel Trap sound that is super uplifting and fun. The song is driven by a welcoming and sweet piano riff that is complemented by triumphant horns. The beat for this song does not necessarily hit super hard, but it does have enough emphasis to pair well with the jubilant feeling of the melody. Emmitt James’ vocals on ‘IDKY(It’s Giving Outro)’ are relaxed and flamboyant at the same time. His vocals pair so nicely with the instrumental and make this song super engaging. On ‘IDKY(It’s Giving Outro) Emmitt James reflects on his life and how everything seems to be improving, which is due to his work on himself. ‘IDKY(It’s Giving Outro)’ closes this album out in a pleasant and spunky manner.
Going into this album, I have to admit I had fairly big expectations. Everything I have heard from Emmitt James to this point has been high quality and unique, and I felt like this album had so much potential. I am happy to say that my expectations from It’s Giving Healed Black Man were more than warranted. Frankly, this is just a really great Hip Hop record. Its instrumentals are sophisticated, diverse, and super entertaining. Emmitt James shows so much range on It’s Giving Healed Black Man while sticking to a concise sonic theme. Vocally, Emmitt James is just awesome. His tone throughout this album is so funky and riveting, giving so much vitality to these already vibrant songs. Emmitt James’ lyrical performances throughout the record are excellent as well. I love the way he opens up about mental health, relationships, and more on this record; his feelings are very relatable, and the way he articulates them is so concise. Overall, It’s Giving Healed Black Man is just a great Hip Hop record from the shining star that is Emmitt James, and it is a great representative of the eclecticism in the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene.
EAST SIDE VIBES 