When one thinks of Milwaukee music and the tracks that have become big recently, there are a few artists that come to mind. 414bigFrank, J.P., and myaap are a few artists who have been at the forefront, helping bring a national audience to the style of music that has consumed Milwaukee for years. Milwaukee is full of so many other artists that deserve more shine, though. The city is brimming with great music, and there are many people who are still somewhat underground who are just as talented as the people who are popping off. Ef Ay and DJ Megadon are two who firmly fit into that idea. Both have been grinding for a while, and both make some of the most interesting music coming out of the city. Ef Ay is someone I have covered on Eastside Vibes a few times in the past. I have always admired his willingness to think outside the box and make music that is as big and exuberant as his personality. Ef Ay’s sound is very high octane and is bound to inject life into anyone who listens to it. DJ Megadon is not someone I have covered on Eastside Vibes yet, but he is someone whom I have followed for a while and have been ready to talk about over here. When I saw that Ef Ay and DJ Megadon were coming together for a mixtape, I knew that it was going to be very fun to listen to. Below, I wanted to talk about some of my favorite tracks from Lost Boys by DJ Megadon and Ef Ay, then go over some overall thoughts on the project to close things out. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about DJ Megadon and Ef Ay’s Lost Boys, and also let me know the names of any other artists you think I should check out!

SUITE LIFE

Suite Life is the opening track from this project, and it really gets Lost Boys going with a bang. This song has the kind of vibrant and quirky sound that I have come to expect and love from Ef Ay. The melody for this track is very pleasant. This melody is provided with some twinkling, distorted synths that sound like they came out of the future. For some reason, when I hear this melody, I think of Rick and Morty. The beat for this track is pretty off-kilter and punchy. This beat somehow feels laid back and lively at the same time. The chemistry between Ef Ay and DJ Megadon is really cool on this track. Ef Ay raps with a high-pitch tone that feels sweet, and DJ Megadon has a grittier tone that gives the some texture and attitude. ‘Suite Life’ is an animated intro for this project that really sets the energy right. 

SPICOLI

If I had to pick one track from this project that I am pretty confident could end up seeing a lot of movement on TikTok or Instagram, it is ‘Spicoli.’ Something about the feeling of this one has viral hit written all over it to me. Like many other moments on this project, ‘Spicoli’ has a classic element to it that I love. ‘Spicoli’ is driven by the Boom Bap sound that the melody has. The melody takes a super groovy Boom Bap sample and saturates it in a manner that makes the song feel so fresh. The beat for ‘Spicoli’ feels old-school and ultramodern at the same time. The pacing of the drums is like old-school R&B, but the distortion and the arrangement of them make the track so distinct. The vocal performances from DJ Megadona and Ef Ay are so smooth; both artists ride this instrumental in such a silky manner. ‘Spicoli’ is a song that just feels like it is going to pop off, and I can’t wait until it happens. 

MILWAUKEE SHIT (WITH HALLOWBARI)

HallowBari is the only artist that DJ Megadon and Ef Ay picked as a guest artist on this project. The first of two tracks that picked up this feature from HallowBari is ‘Milwaukee Shit.’ Similar to ‘Spicoli,’ this track feels like a Milwaukee Slap music take on the BoomBap music from the 1990s. This feeling comes from the melody of the track, which is provided by a retro R&B sample. I really like how the melody for ‘Milwaukee Shit’ meshes with the Milwaukee-style beat. The melody has just enough distortion on it to make the song feel dirty, and the beat is a Milwaukee twist on BoomBap music as well. The rap performances from all three artists on this track are great as well. DJ Megadon and Ef Ay do their thing and contrast each other nicely; HallowBari’s verse stands out as well because of how hard he comes with his verse. ‘Milwaukee Shit’ feels like a Dance Floor anthem that could get any function jumping. 

JESTER PT. 2

Now, if ‘Spicoli’ is the song from this project that I would most expect to pop off online, ‘Jester Pt. 2’ is the one that I personally would want to hit viral status. I feel like ‘Jester Pt. 2’ sticks out in every way that I would want an Ef Ay song to do so. This song has a larger-than-life feeling to it that really fits the energy of so many of his other best tracks. Similar to ‘Milwaukee Shit’, the melody for ‘Jester Pt. 2’ has a retro R&B feeling to it that is very soothing and warm. This melody is highly distorted, though. It really fits well with the glitchy, fast-paced beat that ‘Jester Pt. 2’ has. As nice as this instrumental is, DJ Megadon and Ef Ay’s vocals are ultimately the reason why this track is so enticing. They both provide so much life to this track from their verses, and take the good feelings this track delivers over the top. ‘Jester Pt. 2’ is everything about these two artists that makes them funky and entertaining.

As I alluded to in the introduction, DJ Megadon and Ef Ay are two artists who really stand out for their sound and swagger. These are two artists that really are always willing to push boundaries and take the Milwaukee Slap music sound to new heights, which is something I really appreciate. For what it’s worth, Lost Boys feels like a truly unapologetically Milwaukee record through and through. Everything about the sound of this record is so in line with the kind of rambunctious and ecstatic energy that makes the Milwaukee music scene so high-key and enthralling. I honestly think every song on this project is so interesting and of pretty equal quality for the most part. Obviously, I signified which two songs are definitely my favorite(‘Spicoli and ‘Jester’ Pt. 2, of course), but I honestly think there are multiple other tracks I could have picked to write about for this list. I really like individualistic both DJ Megadon and Ef Ay are with their approach to their vocals on this project. Both artists have such distinct flows and vocal styles, and they both really push themselves are far as they can on this project. I think that my favorite thing about Lost Boys is how much fun it seems like Megadon and Ef Ay had while making it. The joy that they exude is palpable, which makes this such a fulfilling listening experience. Overall, Lost Boys is a high-quality and compelling album from two of Milwaukee’s most unmatched Hip Hop artists, and it shows they are still scratching the surface of their potential.