At this point, if you are in tune with the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene or are even in tune with what is popping off in Hip Hop right now in general, I think it is safe to assume that you have heard of J.P. This man has totally taken the world by storm over the last couple of years. In large part due to J.P.’s success, Milwaukee is becoming one of the hottest new Hip Hop hubs in the country right now. J.P. really started to take off a couple of years ago when his song ‘Juicey Ahhh’ went viral. ‘Juicey Ahhh’ has the kind of raucous, goofy Slap music sound that is now starting to become synonymous with Milwaukee in the eyes of the Hip Hop world as a whole. This track put J.P. on the map as one to watch, it planted the seeds for J.P.’s growth in popularity and as an artist over the next couple of years. After a couple more singles like ‘Super Saiyan’ and ‘Throw It Back’ saw a decent amount of success in 2023, J.P. absolutely popped off at the beginning of 2024 with the release of his track ‘Bad Bitty.’ This track has been one of the biggest hits of the summer. It has taken off on social media, becoming a viral craze loved by all walks of life. ‘Bad Bitty’ has helped catapult J.P. to stardom, putting him on the map as one of the most exciting rappers coming up right now. ‘Bad Bitty’ is not the only single that has taken off for J.P. in 2024; songs like ‘She Took’ and ‘Freak Girl’ have done numbers as well. J.P. also released a full-length project back in June called Coming Out Party(which I reviewed back when it came out, so go check out that review after reading this one if you have not done so yet); this project spawned another hit track in ‘Private Room.’ J.P. recently released his second project of the year, School Dance. Here are some of my thoughts on this new release from J.P. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about J.P.’s School Dance, and also comment the names of any other artists on the rise that you think I should check out!
J.P. gets School Dance going with its title track. ‘School Dance’ has a tempo and drum pattern that is very reminiscent of ‘Bad Bitty,’ but a style of melody that is a bit different. This melody feels very inspired by 1990s R&B music. When I hear this ethereal, charming synth-driven melody, I think of the most pleasant music from artists like Mariah Carey or Brandy. J.P. is really able to show off his vocal range on this track. Because of the high pitch of the melody, he demonstrates some of the high notes he can hit himself. I enjoy how the husky tone he sings contrasts the twinkle of the melody, as it gives the song texture. ‘School Dance’ is a sweet little track that gets this project going on a light note. ‘Lose’ has a significantly darker and more gritty sound than the first track of the record. This melody has a pretty warm yet melancholy tone. This melody somehow feels inviting and harsh at the same time, which makes it pop. The beat for ‘Lose’ is rapid and raucous. The bass on this track pounds and the hi-hats and snares are pretty distorted, making ‘Lose’ feel super massive. J.P.’s low and gruff vocals work well with the more dim feeling of the melody. His voice harmonizes melody in a very interesting way and makes this track feel all-encompassing. ‘Lose’ is a low and audacious Slap music banger that feels like it has the potential to be another major hit from J.P. ‘I Wanna,’ which gets assistance from Babfxce E and Enrgy Beats, sees J.P. depart from the Slap music sound we got on the first two tracks. Instead of keeping that zany Milwaukee-esque rhythm, this track has more of an R&B Trap feeling to it. The melody for this track is super simple and almost hypnotic. It has a pretty groovy tone that gives me the stank face when it comes on. Neither J.P. nor Babyfxce E do anything wild vocally on this track, but they do enough to keep the groove of the song going. I am not going to lie and say that ‘I Wanna’ is nearly as exciting as the first two tracks of the record, but it is still pretty cool for what it is.
‘All I Got’ brings back the zany energy of the first two tracks and amplifies it. The best way I can describe this one is that it feels like a HyperPop version of Milwaukee Slap music. The melody for this one is very bright and zealous. Its tone is very effervescent, and its mix is highly saturated, which really makes it pop. ‘All I Got’ has a very fast and pretty distorted beat; it is pretty grating, but also very intriguing. I will say that J.P.’s vocals do get a bit drowned out by the instrumental. His tone is nice and his flow is even-keeled, but the focus on this track is more on the instrumental than the vocals. For what it is worth, though, ‘All I Got’ is still an entertaining banger. ‘Diamonds’ sees J.P. calm things down a considerable amount. Like ‘I Wanna,’ this track has more of a traditional R&B Trap beat than a Slap music beat. The beat for this one is even slower than that previous track, though; I would say that this is the most “chill” song of the record to this point. Do not get me wrong, due to its banging bassline and smooth rhythm, this ‘Diamonds’ still has a good amount of energy and can get the party jumping. The melody for this track has a Tropical Trap feeling to it that makes me think of the late 2010s; particularly, songs like ‘pick up the phone’ or ‘Mood.’ J.P.’s vocal performance on ‘Diamonds’ stands out a ton compared to what he has done to this point. His flow is very choppy, and his tone is pretty faded. This softer tone gives the track an interesting texture that makes me an earworm. ‘Diamonds’ may be a very short track at 1:43, but it makes an impact for what it is worth. If ‘Lose’ does not end up being the song that pops off from this record, then I would guess it ends up being ‘Freaky Attitude’ with Baby Osamaa. This is another track where J.P. strays from the Slap music sound he is known for. Instead, he goes for more of a modern New York R&B Drill sound on this track. From the sweet, cozy melody to the glitchy beat, this instrumental immediately made me think of the music that Cash Cobain has made popular this year. The instrumental for ‘Freaky Attitude’ is very cool and does stand out interestingly, but the thing that pops off the most about this track is the vocals. Both J.P. and Baby Osamaa kill it on this track. They both show off their range and sing with a super smooth tone that makes the track captivating. ‘Freaky Attitude’ is a very fun little bop that feels like it could end up being a hit.
‘Amazing’ is another moment where J.P. tries that NY Drill sound that we got on the last track. This is another track with a glitchy beat that is somehow smooth and anxious-sounding at the same time. Because of the weird timing of this beat, it makes the song hit more than it probably should. I will say, it does feel like ‘Amazing’ comes and goes too fast. The melody is nice and the vocals are pretty soothing, but they do not grab me as much as some of the other tracks. As I said, this beat pulls me in, but nothing else about ‘Amazing’ is overly gripping. Regardless, ‘Amazing’ does flow well within the album and does not feel out of place, so it has that going for it. ‘I Don’t Want To’ is the slowest and softest song on the project to this point. This song is like a chopped-up version of that NY Drill sound. The timing of that NY Drill sound is still here, but the drum pattern on this song is significantly more laid-back than pretty much anything else on the project. The melody for ‘I Don’t Want To’ is pretty downtrodden and low-sounding. There is something almost sad and sinister about this melody, which contrasts the brighter sound of most of the rest of the record. ‘I Don’t Want To’ has what is probably J.P.’s most vibrant vocal performance so far. I enjoy the tone that he sings with on this song; the deepness in his voice gives the track a ton of texture, and the high notes he hits give it emphasis. ‘I Don’t Want To’ is a track that stands out for its excellent vocals and quirky tempo. J.P. goes back to his roots to round the record on ‘One Step Closer.’ If I could tell someone to listen to a song that best describes what I would expect to hear from J.P. This track has that Country music Slap Music sort of fusion that makes me think of ‘Bad Bitty.’ This song does not quite grab me as much as ‘Lose’ does, but it is certainly still a high-key banger that is insanely catchy. There is a pretty light synth-driven melody for this track, but the melody is actually mainly driven by J.P.’s vocals, which are excellent on ‘One Step Closer.’ He really sings on this one, hitting notes that give the song so much life and make it very fun and exciting. ‘One Step Closer’ is the kind of quirky Slap music banger that J.P. thrives at, and it is a more than solid way to close out School Dance.
As I stated in the introduction, J.P. has been on a hell of a run over the last year or so. He has been able to cement himself as one of the most riveting new rappers on the come-up right now. Even though he has mainly become known for ‘Bad Bitty,’ he has been able to prove he is not a flash in the pan with the success of some of his other releases. On J.P’s first project of the year, Coming Out Party, we saw him try his hand at some new sounds and venture away from what he has been known for, to mixed but mostly positive results. I think that I feel pretty much the same way about this new project, School Dance. The highs on this project are very high for me. Songs like ‘Lose,’ Freaky Attitude’ with Baby Osamaa, and ‘One Step Closer,’ are all vibrant and entertaining, and all feel like they have the potential to hit big(especially ‘Lose’). Although there is not anything bad or non-enjoyable on School Dance, there are some moments that do not pop me as much. That is totally okay, though, as J.P. is a new artist that is still growing. He should definitely be taking risks at this point, it is fine if not all of those risks hit. Overall, School Dance is entertaining for what it is worth, and it once again proves that J.P. is someone who needs to be paid attention to, as he keeps getting better and more mature as an artist.
EAST SIDE VIBES 