Over the last couple of years, the Milwaukee music scene has really blown up. So many artists from the city have been making waves not only locally but also nationally. Multiple major publications, streamers, and YouTube Channels have talked about some of the city’s music recently; it seems like everyone is finally starting to tune into what the city has to offer. As someone who loves the music in Milwaukee and has covered it extensively, I feel like I know a lot about some of the best music coming from Milwaukee right now. This music mainly stays within the realms of Hip Hop, but doesn’t stay here exclusively. As well as Hip Hop, Milwaukee has very good R&B, Electro-Pop, and even Punk music. Below, I wanted to give a list of some of my favorite Milwaukee music of 2025(in order of when they came out, generally). Now, these aren’t the only great tracks from Milwaukee artists this year; just a few that I personally really enjoy. Please let me know in the comments how you feel about these awesome Milwaukee artists in the comments below! (and check out the linked playlist of these tracks) 

CARDIAC DA PULSE – DO NOT MATTER

Cardiac Da Pulse is one of the many artists in Milwaukee who I feel is very overlooked. He started the year with his track ‘Do Not Matter,’ which has a classic sound that old school Hip Hop fans would love. This song has a sound that is reminiscent of early 2000s Melodic Hip Hop. The melody and beat are so smooth, and Cardiac Da Pulse’s vocals certainly match that feeling. There is something so nostalgic about this track that I really enjoy. 

WYNTER BATES – MRS. BEST MISTAKE

Wynter Bates is one of the R&B artists in Milwaukee who is killing it right now. Last January, they released ‘Mrs. Best Mistake.’ This is an upbeat track with a bit of a 1990s feeling to it. The best for this one is not exactly Boom-Bap, but it definitely does feel adjacent. The melody is light and sweet, and the vocals fit in so well with it. I love the harmonies on this ‘Mrs. Best Mistake,’ as they give it such a nice texture. 

WAVE CHAPELLE – VICTORY 2.0 WITH SLUG

Wave Chapelle is one of the OG’s of current Milwaukee Hip Hop, and he is still very prevalent in 2025. He started off the year with a dope EP called In Mode. My favorite track from this project is ‘Victory 2.0,’ which features Atmosphere’s Slug. This feature definitely influences the song’s sound, as the instrumental has an old-school Indie Hip Hop feeling to it. Wave Chapelle and Slug body this beat, detailing their come-up in a succinct and powerful manner. 

*aya – pink lady

*aya is another Milwaukee R&B artist who really stands out among a lot of the Indie R&B music of today. Their song ‘pink lady’ was dropped for Valentine’s Day, and like all of *aya’s music, it shows her immense vocal talent. This is a slow and Jazzy R&B song with a warm feeling. It has a romantic sentiment, which comes through in the time and the vocal tone from *aya, which is so nice to listen to. If you’re into easy-listening R&B, ‘pink lady’ is a song you should love. 

MYAAP – FAIRY

If you were active on TikTok at all in 2025, I am sure you would have come across the song ‘Fairy.’ This song was a hit, with a viral Dance trend taken up by so many people(including celebrities and athletes). It’s pretty easy to see why ‘Fairy’ was so popular, as its energy is super infectious. The melody is sparkly, the beat smacks, and Myaap’s rap performance is so catchy. ‘Fairy’ is a fun banger that has so much positive energy. 

DAK DUBOIS – b mine

Dak Dubois is another artist from Milwaukee with a sound that really stands out. His Valentine’s track ‘b mine’ really shows his individuality in the city. This one has such a smooth feeling to it. It’s classic sound it’s so warm and laid-back. This one sounds like 1970s Yacht Rock music. Vocally and instrumentally, it’s very sultry. It’s an awesome track for anyone who loves easy-listening music in that style. 

JOHNNY FRANCHINO – CAUTION

Johnny Franchino is one of Milwaukee’s most interesting artists, carving his own lane with his Electronic AESTHETIX series. Towards the beginning of the year, he dropped the hard-hitting House track ‘Caution.’ This song has such a massive feeling and sound. It is driven by a dark melody and a very brash and distorted beat. Johnny Franchino’s rapping is fast-paced and super lively, adding to the intensity of the track. If you need a new House banger for your playlist, check out ‘Caution.’

45GBABY – RIDER(REMIX) FEAT. CHICKEN P

45GBaby really burst onto the scene when ‘Rider’ started to go viral. This is another Milwaukee track that really did numbers online in 2025. This song has the kind of mean, low-end sound that many would associate with Milwaukee. The instrumental is dope, but ‘Rider’ really stands out for the great rap performances from 45GBaby and Chicken P. Both artists’ flows and overall demeanor on this song really take its energy over the top. In short, this is a banger. 

414BIGFRANK(WITH RUNALONGFOREVER) – THERE IT IS

Like ‘Rider’ and ‘Fairy,’ 414BigFrank’s ‘There It Is’ was a Milwaukee track that was huge online in 2025. This one took off on TikTok and brought so much attention to the city; even the Mayor of Milwaukee was in a TikTok about it. If you have ever heard ‘There It Is,’ it’s not hard to see why it blew up. The instrumental is so lively and fun, and BigFrank’s flow and energy totally match that feeling. ‘There It Is’ is just a feel-good banger that will get any function jumping. 

DJ MEGADON & SPAIDEZ – TWO MAN POWER TRIP

DJ Megadon is an artist I started covering in 2025 who I have come to enjoy a lot. His music just exudes Milwaukee energy, which I love. On his EP rookie of the year he teamed up with Spaidez for the rowdy slapper ‘Two Man Power Trip.’ This one has a tough and high-octane instrumental with rap performances to match. DJ Megadon and Spaidez make this song feel powerful and exciting. ‘Two Man Power Trip’ has such huge energy, which is awesome. 

DAARK – MEDUSA (FEAT. EF AY, SPRAYNEM, AND RØ) 

Daark is a Minneapolis-based artist from Milwaukee with a super unique and heavy sound. Last summer, he dropped a project called Nocturnal Circles 4, which had multiple awesome tracks. The most impactful for me was ‘Medusa,’ though. This track has such an otherworldly sound and feeling. The instrumental is menacing and huge; it is full of so much distortion and bass. All of the vocalists stand out, but Daark’s low tone especially fits this instrumental. ‘Medusa’ is a prime Daark track where he shines. 

LAKE – GUARDIAN ANGEL

Milwaukee probably isn’t thought of as being a haven for Punk Rock music, but Lake is trying to change that. His album The World Is Ending and You Blocked My Number’proves this. The album’s highlight is definitely ‘Guardian Angel.’ Anyone into Grunge or Garage Rock would dig this one. The instrumentation is heavy and looming, and the vocals give the track some emotion. Lake is bringing back the 1990s in a cool way with ‘Guardian Angel.’ 

WAVE CHAPELLE – DOING GOOD(WITH MENEBEATS)

After dropping In Mode earlier in the year, Wave Chapelle put out another cool EP called the B&W Pack in October. The lead single from this project, ‘Doing Good,’ is the highlight. Produced by Wave’s frequent collaborator Menebeats, this track has a hard, intricate Trap beat that bangs. Wave Chapelle takes the energy over the top with his rapping. His flow and tone are so hyped up, and his motivational lyrics make the song stick as well. 

414BIG FRANK & LONNIE MONAE(WITH RUNALONGFOREVER) – TUBI

‘There It Is’ is obviously the 414BigFrank song from this year that had the most impact, but another song of his also did well on TikTok, ‘Tubi.’ When I first heard this one, I felt like it could be a hit. Everything about ‘Tubi’ is entertaining. The beat has a low-end Milwaukee sound that can get any dance floor jumping. 414BigFrank kills it with his flow per usual, but Lonnie Monae really stands out. Her performance on the hook of ‘Tubi’ makes this song a total earworm. 

MICAH EMRICH – CALL ME WHEN YOU’RE LONELY

I never thought Milwaukee could have a Pop/R&B star in a similar mold to Justin Bieber, but Micah Emrich slides right into that slot. His album Hard To Love has a ton of variety and quality, my favorite track being ‘Call Me When You’re Lonely.’ This instrumental is super trippy and unique. The synths that drive the melody are so floaty, and the best has a modern R&B Trap tempo. Micah’s vocals are what make it great, though. His flow is crisp, and his tone is endearing, which really makes this track shine. 

JOHNNY FRANCHINO – UGLY (FEAT. JE’LOVE)

Johnny Franchino doesn’t only make Electronic music; he also has a Hip Hop series titled Intermission, which is just as good as AESTHETIX. ‘Ugly’ with Je’Love is a dirty and bold Trap song with an ominous feeling to it. This song has such a grimy sound to it, and it is awesome. Both Johnny Franchino and Je’Love kill it on this beat. They both come in with in-your-face flows and tones that amplify the energy of the song. 

LONNIE MONAE – BUSS IT

After hearing her performance on ‘Tubi,’ I knew I had to tap into Lonnie Monae’s solo music. Her whole debut EP, Baddies Archive Vol. 1, was very good, but my favorite song has to be ‘Buss It.’(Although her song ‘Cutwaterr’ from this tape is also pretty popular). This track feels like a Milwaukee version of the best City Girls music. The instrumental is intense and raunchy. Lonnie Monae’s flow and tone are so catchy and make this song great. ‘Buss It’ is a total bop. 

DJ MEGADON & EF AY – SPICOLI

DJ Megadon was not done after his previously mentioned EP; he also dropped a joint project in 2025 with Ef Ay called Lost Boys. The highlight of this project has got to be ‘Spicoli.’ This song has the kind of quirky and cool energy that makes it feel like it could take off and be a viral hit. The melody is groovy, and the beat goes hard. DJ Megadon and Ef Ay play off of each other so well; their chemistry is one of the things that makes this song stick so much

. 

MARIBOY MULA MAR  – OMW (FEAT. DESTINEE LYNN)

Mariboy Mula Mar and Destinee Lynn have been OG’s in Milwaukee rap years, having made many local(and viral) hits. They recently came together on the song ‘OMW’ from Mariboy Mula Mar’s Purposely Poppin It. This song shows why the two have had so much traction in the past. Individually, they both rap their asses off on this track; also, their chemistry is palpable, and it adds so much to the track. ‘OMW’ is a dope track with a Milwaukee sound from two of Milwaukee’s top stars. 

MYAAP – STOP IT

Compared to most of her musical output over the last couple of years, Myaap was relatively quiet in 2025. After she released ‘Fairy,’ she didn’t drop anything until the end of the year. She closed the year with a bang, though, on the song ‘Stop It.’ This track seems to combine old-school New Orleans music through the melody and tone, and Milwaukee music through the beat. Like always, Myaap’s flow and tone bring a ton of energy and make the song so catchy. ‘Stop It’ is yet another fun banger from Myaap.

SIMI – PUSH IT

Although this list is not in order of actual  favorites, I may have saved the best for last with Simi’s ‘Push It.’ This song has been stuck in my head for weeks because it’s so enthralling and fun. The instrumental feels like a Milwaukee take on the classic Salt-N-Pepa track. The instrumental is cool, but Simi’s rapping is what makes this one great. Her flow, tone, and tongue-in-cheek lyrics all make this one so enjoyable. ‘Push It’ would be great for any turn-up playlist.