Over the last couple of years, the Milwaukee Hip Hop scene has been popping off like never before. There are multiple artists introducing the iconic Slap music sound that is big here to the world through their viral success. J.P., Myaap, 414bigfrank, and many others have been garnering a ton of hype online, leading to the Milwaukee music scene becoming more popular than ever and putting it on the map as a rising Hip Hop hub. AyooLii is another Milwaukee rapper who has been hitting big over the last couple of years. He is as responsible as anyone for the growth of the Milwaukee music scene recently, he is rapidly growing as much if not more than anyone as well. Since 2022, AyooLii has been extremely prolific with his output. He has put out a multitude of singles in that time, as well as many projects(including some collaborative ones). During this run that AyooLii has been on over the last two years, he has had many singles do numbers on social media and streaming. Songs like ‘Perc 10,’ ‘Same,; and ‘Shmackin Town’ are all tracks that have hit with so many people, putting AyooLii on the map as one to watch. AyooLii has seen himself grow to new heights in 2024 due to his excellent collaborative album A Dog’s Chance with POLO PERK$ and FearDorian. This awesome record(which I reviewed as one my favorites of the year, so please go check out that write-up when done here if you have not yet) was not only a hit with music fans on the internet but also with some of the most prestigious publications and critics in the game. The reception of this record has made all three of these artists some of the most interesting and exciting artists on the rise right now. Of course, considering how hard he works, that album, which came out back in June, could not be AyooLii’s last release of the year. He recently dropped a new project called Haunted Heads, which I wanted to highlight below. Please let me know in the comments what you think of AyooLii’s Haunted Heads, and also comment the names of any other up-and-coming or Milwaukee-based artists you think I should check out!
When I saw this opening song’s title, I got very excited because of the implication. As one can imagine, ‘SURF SWAG’ is an interpolation of the iconic track ‘Swag Surfin’ by Fast Life Yungstas. This is not the first time this melody has been sampled since it came out, and I am certain it will not be the last. The beat on his version of ‘Swag Surfin’ is significantly more bouncy and intense than the original. Surprisingly, this track does not have a Slap music beat. Instead, it has a brash Trap beat, driven by bass drums that sound like someone is banging on some bleachers, which I love. AyooLii’s rap performance on ‘SWAG SURF’ is great. He raps with a hoarse, high tone that fits the beat and melody so well. His flow sits so evenly on this instrumental as well, making the song pop. ‘SURF SWAG’ is a dope way to start the record, as it kicks things off on a familiar note with a bang. ‘GOT THE HOES’ has an even brighter and lighter feeling than the first track. The melody for ‘SURF SWAG’ is pretty sweet and vibrant, but the melody for ‘GOT THE HOES’ amplifies that majorly. The synths that drive this one have a twinkling sound that is kind of soothing. This is contrasted by the rugged, fast-paced Slap music beat. This beat gives the track an eccentricity which I dig. AyooLii singh-raps on ‘GOT THE HOES’ with a tone that goes very nicely with the instrumental. His singing on this track is very high key and bold, amplifying the song’s already eccentric feeling. ‘ANYONE CAN GET IT’ takes the eccentric Slap music sound of the next track and extends it in a bolder and more outlandish way. The melody for this track is so intricate and interesting. Even though it has a pretty sweet tone, there is something about its arrangement that almost makes it feel anxious. The beat for ‘ANYONE CAN GET IT’ is pretty fast-paced; but it is actually not quite as harsh as the one on the previous track. It is actually a bit more inviting, which kind of contrasts the feeling of the instrumental(and of the vocals). AyooLii’s vocal performance on this track is pretty crazy. He sings raps in a way that is just so all over the place and wild. He shows off his range(or tries to) in a way that we usually do not see from him. The high notes that AyooLii hits on this track are certainly thrilling and give the song a level of quirkiness that makes it stand out. AyooLii really pushes the limits on the traditional Slap music sound with this one.
‘DRANK’ sees AyooLii team back up with POLO PERK$. These two have been a formidable duo over the last couple of years, so it is always a positive thing when I see them on the same track. Surprisingly, ‘DRANK’ does not have the kind of Drill or Slap music sound that one would expect from these two artists. Instead, this song has a raucous and intense Trap sound that actually feels kind of old school. The tone of the melody and the arrangement of the drums on this track make me think of the Springy Trap music that was big in the late 2000s; particularly, music by artists like Crime Mob or Travis Porter. I really like the way that AyooLii’s and POLO PERK$’s vocal styles contrast each other on ‘DRANK.’ AyooLii raps with a high pitch and pretty pushy flow that really stands out. POLO PERK$’s, however, raps with a low, gruff tone and a more laid-back flow that sits on the beat very smoothly. ‘DRANK’ is a gritty Trap banger that I could totally see going viral in the near future. ‘MISUNDERSTOOD’ is a pretty weird and cool track for the way it is arranged. The actual pattern of the drums on this track makes me think of Slap music, specifically in the way their timing is arranged. The pacing of the drums, however, makes this song feel more like Trap music. Somehow, AyooLii has created a Slap-Trap fusion that feels innovative yet familiar at the same time. The melody for this track is very warm and cozy. It has an inviting tone that really draws me in. AyooLii delivers a dynamic vocal performance on this track. At some point, he is pretty relaxed with his vocals, and at other points, his vocals get pretty intense. The only thing about ‘MISUNDERSTOOD’ that holds it back is its length. The concept for ‘MISUNDERSTOOD’ is very cool, and I just want more. ‘I CAN’T LIE’ sees AyooLii bring back the Slap music tempo, but uses a melody style that I do not think I have ever heard from him. I am sure you have heard of Emo-Trap music; well, let me introduce you to Emo-Slap music. I am trying to figure out what song this song is sampling, but I just can not pinpoint it. Whatever Emo Track this melody is coming from(the vocals on the sample are pitched up in a way that makes them tough to distinguish), I will say that its arrangement is so cool and makes ‘I CAN’T LIE’ so catchy. It’s super cool how AyooLii’s flow and vocal tone kind of branches off of the vocal sample, as it makes the song flow well and gives it such a rugged texture. The higher, more raspy notes that AyooLii hits gives this song a grating texture that makes it feel emotional, which I dig. After that slightly more melancholy track ‘AyooLii closes out Haunted Heads on a lighter and more positive note with ‘MAMACITA.’ This song has a soft, groovy Latin Pop melody that is so fresh and fun. This melody has the kind of welcoming tone that will put anyone in a good mood when it comes on. The beat for ‘MAMACITA’ sort of feels like a fusion between Slap Music and Reggaeton. The timing of the beat sounds like Reggaeton, but its arrangement is closer to the Slap music we have gotten throughout this record. AyooLii’s vocals on this track are pretty bold and raspy, contrasting the lightness of the instrumental and giving the song a more pushy feeling that it benefits from. ‘MAMACITA’ is a more chilled out one than a lot of the other tracks on this record, but it still ends this album on a pretty lively note.
It feels like AyooLii has truly been coming into his own over the last year or so. Everytime I hear new music from him, it feels like he is improving and growing. Haunted Heads is a project that saw AyooLii go outside of his comfort zone a bit. Some of the melodies used on this EP vary from the sounds that one may typically expect from him. I love seeing this more inviting side to his artistry, as it shows that AyooLii has a Pop sensibility to him that can appeal to the masses. A couple of these beats lean more into traditional Pop Trap sounds instead of Slap music sounds, also showing some variance in his artistry and proving he is definitely not a one trick pony. Haunted Heads also has some of my favorite vocal performances from AyooLii. He shows off multiple flows on these songs that stand out, and the way his tone changes from song to song shows how eclectic he can be. The only thing holding a couple of these songs back for me is their lengths. Frankly, all of the music on Haunted Heads is enjoyable, and I just want more. Overall, though, this is another very good release from AyooLii that has so many redeeming qualities. AyooLii continues to kill it with everything he puts out, and I am excited to see what he does next!
EAST SIDE VIBES 