As someone who is from here and has been a massive fan of the music for as long as I can remember, it has been so awesome to see how far the Hip Hop scene in Milwaukee has come over the last couple of years. Those who have been paying attention have thought the music coming from Milwaukee has been great for so long, and the city is finally starting to get the love that it deserves. There are a lot of artists who have been putting in work from Milwaukee for a long time, though, laying the seeds for the amount of success that we are seeing now. Mariboy Mula Mar is one of those artists. Marbiboy Mula Mar is a Milwaukee rapper who has been making music and grinding for at least the last decade or so. For those like me who have been following the scene since the early 2010s, he is an artist that I am certain you have come across at some point. Back in the day, rappers like Chicken P, Gwapo Chapo, Lil Axion, and Mariboy Mula Mar were the artists that really got the ball rolling for the style of Street rap that has become so popular in Milwaukee. While Gwapo Chapo and Lil Axion succumbed to legal troubles and fell out of the spotlight, Chicken P and Mariboy Mula Mar have carried the torch and kept the flame going. Mariboy Mula Mar has gone through many rebirths in his rap career; it seems like he has hit the reset button multiple times. He has really been putting in work over the last couple of years, though. In 2023 alone, he put out five full-length projects. In 2024, he only dropped one album, but he has once again been prolific in 2025, having released two projects and a multitude of singles. Mariboy Mula Mar’s latest project, Purposely Poppin It, came out about a month ago on November 12. Below, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite songs from Purposely Poppin It, and then give some thoughts on the project as a whole to close things out. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about Mariboy Mula Mar and Purposely Poppin It, and also comment the names of any other artists or albums you think I should check out!

WINDOW SHOPPER

‘Window Shopper’ is the opening track from this record, and MariBoy Mula Mar gets things going in a very familiar manner. If you have come across his music in the past, this track has the kind of sound you would probably always expect to hear from him(if this is your first time hearing him, go back in his discography and check out his previous work). ‘Window Shopper’ has a very smooth and sleek sound that is so nice to listen to. The melody for this track is bright and sleek, driven by warm synths with fuzzy distortion that makes it addictive. The beat for ‘Window Shopper’ is pretty laid back, which really puts the focus on Mariboy Mula Mar’s vocals. His vocals on this song are so dynamic. His flow slides on this beat so well, and the way he varies his tone gives this track so much texture. ‘Window Shopper’ is a very good opener where Mariboy Mula Mar sticks to what he does best. 

BAD

‘Bad’ is a song with a very big and bold sound that has a classic feeling to it that I love. When I hear this song, I immediately think of the Hip Hop that artists like Rick Ross and Drake made popular when they were first popping off. This feeling comes through the deliberation of the drums and the sound of the melody. The horns that drive this melody have a very triumphant and dominating sound to them. These horns are complemented by some groovy synths that provide a cool texture to the melody. Mariboy Mula Mar attacks this instrumental so well. He comes on it with a poignant flow that goes well with the drums. The way he sing-raps his verses on this track sits on the melody nicely, and he helps add to the track’s massive sound. ‘Bad’ is a song that gives me a nostalgic feeling that I really appreciate.

LEFT MY POCKET

‘Left My Pocket’ has a lot meaner and more in-your-face sound than the first two tracks I picked for this list. This is the first song on the project that has a true Drill feeling to it. This is the kind of song I would put on before or while I was going to….. I will not elaborate on that(lmao). Everything about this song is grimy and intense. The melody for ‘Left My Pocket’ has a very foreboding sound. The tone of the synths and the way that they are distorted sort of feel intimidating. This feeling is certainly added to by the brash and bold nature of the beat. Mariboy Mula Mar raps with a very aggressive tone and flow that matches the feeling of the instrumental perfectly. His delivery is so audacious and dirty, and it just makes this track feel all the more harsh. ‘Left My Pocket’ is the kind of song to listen to if you’ve got money on your mind and will get that money in any way possible. 

SO COLD

‘So Cold’ is the first song on this project that feels like it is more in conjunction with the quirky Slap music that has become so popular in the city over the last couple of years. Every song to this point either felt closer to MariBoy Mula Mar’s older sound or closer to more traditional Melodic Trap music, but ‘So Cold’ is adjacent to the modern Milwaukee sound. This song is driven by a groovy melody that has an old-school feeling to it that I dig a lot. The beat for ‘So Cold’ does not exactly have the typical Slap music sound, but the pacing of the drums and overall feeling of the instrumental does feel close to that sound. Mariboy Mula Mar gives one his most fun and animated vocal performances on this track. His vocal range and flow are a bit erratic, which works so well on this instrumental. ‘So Cold’ has Milwaukee Slap music anthem energy, and it is cool to see Mariboy Mula Mar lean into this style. 

MY LIFE

Up until this point on the record, I did not really see any of the tracks as something that could end up being a Club banger. There are a lot of lit tracks, but they did not necessarily feel like they would get a dance floor jumping. ‘My Life’ is a song that definitely has that sort of energy, though. The instrumental for this track is so abrasive and harsh in the best way. The beat has such a rattling feel to it, and the tempo of the song is such a headbopper. The melody for this one is pretty subtle. It is provided by a bass drum that has a horn tone to it, and is complemented by synths of varying levels of distortion that come in and out. The sing-songy flow that Mariboy Mula Mar raps with fits the high energy of the track so well. ‘My Life’ has a hook that is so catchy. I can imagine everyone chanting this track when it comes on.

OMW FEAT. DESTINEE LYNN

Mariboy Mula Mar may have saved the best one for last with ‘OMW,’ which features fellow Milwaukee rapper Destinee Lynn(she is another rapper who has been putting on for the city for a while, bringing attention similarly to the other artists mentioned in the introduction). The best way I can describe this track is that it feels like a modern Milwaukee version of G-Funk music. The melody is so groovy, driven by a silky bassline and complemented by balmy synths. It is so reminiscent of old school Cali music. The beat, however, is more adjacent to Slap music, toeing the line between Milwaukee music and that classic sound. As cool as the instrumental is, the rap performances from Mariboy Mula Mar are even better. Not only do they glide over the beat so nicely in their solo parts, but they also have nice chemistry in the sections where they go back and forth. If there is one song from this project that I personally would love to be a hit, it is ‘OMW.’ 

Even though Mariboy Mula Mar initially came up with other Milwaukee rappers who had a grittier or more low-end sound, he always had a bit of his own flavor and style. Mariboy Mula Mar’s sound has always been a bit brighter and funkier, which always went well with his unique and entertaining vocal style. On Purposely Poppin It, Mariboy Mula Mar has refined the style of music that originally made him pop off. This album is full of vibrant melodies put on sleek beats, and Mariboy Mula Mar’s vocal range and variety of flows are more prevalent than ever. This is the kind of record where I feel like everyone’s favorite song could be different, because it is pretty consistent throughout. My own top moments are the ones where Mariboy Mula Mar went a bit more outside of his comfort zone. I really appreciate how good he is at his craft, and it was really cool to see him go a different direction(I especially feel this way about the last two songs on my list). Ultimately, though, Purposely Poppin It shows that Mariboy Mula Mar is as good as ever. His talent has always shone, and he is really coming into his own. If you love Milwaukee music but want something with a glossy twist, Purposely Poppin It is a project for you.