Flexing a little intellect isn't anything new to hip-hop music, as legions of rappers have been "kicking knowledge" since the genesis of the art.
The knowledge that has been spread has been as diverse as the sounds of the genre itself. Hardcore street knowledge, downtrodden realities, tales of commercialism, sexual diatribes, etc. are all commonplace.
Rapping, which is poetry set to a beat, at times can be complex and present layers of intellect which can yield new perspectives with every record spin. At other times it can be simplistic, blunt, and can seriously teeter on the edge of really needing the benefit of poetic license to be considered poetry.
Local artist Rory "Milo" Ferreira, a member of the group Nom De Rap, is far from the simplistic personality that many rappers in their late teens or early 20s present to the world. In fact, his lyrics are strewn together in such a way that applying the term of "poet" to him is far more accurate than referring to him as a rapper.
Milo is a poet that just happens to present his verses with a beat underneath them.
Milo is smart, which is something that is easily understood when taking on his latest effort, a mixtape called "I wish my brother Rob was here."
Just as quickly as he raps about philosophy, he also unravels his emotions for lines that consist of self-doubt and inadequacy. He also finds time to boast and speak on the topic of love.
Very often throughout "Rob" I appreciate the unique perspective that Milo writes with, while at other times I want to laugh at the overuse of complexity when talking about life. Not that I'm laughing at Milo, but rather I'm laughing at myself and my friends as we were in that same boat throughout much of our college years and even for several years after.
Milo is absolutely a person who is trying to define his existence and has not yet graduated from the "Who am I?" train of thought to the "I just am" school, and this music proves that. That navigation is important and is what every younger person should go through because the late teens and early 20s are the dawning of adulthood.
For those who love art rap, or nerd rap, and enjoy thinking deeply alongside a deep-thinking storyteller, Milo's "I wish my brother Rob was here" is certainly going to be up your alley.
The mixtape can be streamed and downloaded for free on Milo's Bandcamp page.
Born in Milwaukee and raised in the Milwaukee suburb of Brown Deer, Concordia University Wisconsin alumnus Poppe has spent the majority of his life in or around the city and county of Milwaukee.
As an advocate of Milwaukee's hip-hop community Poppe began popular local music blog Milwaukee UP in March 2010. Check out the archived entries here.
Though heavy on the hip-hop, Poppe writes about other genres of music and occasionally about food, culture or sports, and is always ready to show his pride in Milwaukee and Wisconsin.
