Milwaukee’s hip-hop scene is in a pretty good place at the moment. However, that wasn’t always the case. Besides the late ’90s and early ’00s blip Coo Coo Cal made on rap’s radar, the city has lacked any semblance of consideration on the national scale until very recently. To help shed some light on Milwaukee hip-hop’s slow growth, its current climate, and obstacles that still remain, host Tyler Maas asked two of the city’s most accomplished, innovative, and prolific rappers—milo and Yo-Dot—to drop by Milwaukee Record HQ and impart their wisdom and share their experiences attempting to build a career in a place that’s often misunderstood (if even recognized at all) by other rap markets.
The trio looked back at the history of Milwaukee hip-hop, discussed rappers who are currently advancing the city’s reputation, and spoke about misconceptions that still shroud the genre, all while having some laughs and a few bottles of Ale Asylum. Yo-Dot started with a 9.2 percent ABV Diablo Belga before promising Tyler he’d stream his long-awaited Burleigh Bodega on Milwaukee Record, and milo talked about his time living in Los Angeles and his decision to take an active approach to releasing music with his new label, Ruby Yacht.
As always, On The Record is brought to you by our brewery buddies at Ale Asylum as well as 42 Lounge and 42 Ale House. Music for this episode comes courtesy of Yo-Dot (a yet-untitled track off Burleigh Bodega…FOR SURE STREAMING HERE SOON!!!) and milo’s other project, Scallops Hotel (“Lavender Chunk”). Subscribe to On The Record via iTunes or Stitcher.