The University of Wisconsin’s reputation as a party school is nothing secret. In the strip of land dividing Lakes Mendota and Monona, the beer flows like wine and beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capistrano. Madtown is synonymous with “turn up.” When Abraham Lincoln stood atop Bascom Hill, drinking a fine ale and looking down upon the isthmus in front of him, he said, with glimmer in his eye, “If you build a university, they will rage.” Madison is a haven for those wishing to rage face, so it’s only right that the city gave birth to RAGELIFE.
RAGELIFE is a hybrid of UW students and hip-hop artists hailing from the Midwest. The group comprises rappers ¡OYE! from Milwaukee and P/1 (aka Phonetic 1) from Minneapolis, as well as DJ *hitmayng, also from Milwaukee. The group’s first full-length release, RAGELIFE LP, is a stunning mix of party-related lyrical themes and diverse production from *hitmayng and others. The group’s lyrics focus primarily on drinking, smoking weed, rolling with their crew and hanging with girls. Essentially, the album is a snapshot of all things party and its many variations — raging, turning up, popping stuff and subsequently sweating.
These themes don’t fluctuate much throughout the album’s 12 songs, although the group does seamlessly incorporate more socially conscious anecdotes. On “The Rage,” P/1 raps, “Walk out the front door of my building, and the hallway smell like piss / Every day I get this feeling true happiness don’t exist / But I insist on trying to find it, God told me it’s hiding / Inside of the eyes of the man on the corner begging for change.” Sustained, distorted organ notes add urgency to these lyrics, as does the blown-out bass creeping below the jumble of sounds. These topical lyrics, when they appear, are never preachy, and they announce themselves unobtrusively between myriad lyrics concerned with partying.
At times, RAGELIFE’s reliance on the “rage” theme acts as a bit of a crutch. Their lyrics often risk treading into pop rap territory in the Mac Miller/Chiddy Bang vein. But the group’s fusion of lyrics and beats turn it into anything but.
The album’s production is absolutely fantastic. The album’s opener, “The RAGELIFE,” sports a beat not unlike those on Run the Jewels’ latest release. “I’m out here mayne / Raged out / I’m out here mayne / Fucked up,” the duo spits over pounding bass and menacing synths. Toward the end of the song, synths jump from between the left and right channels of the headphones in a shimmering, descending fashion. On this release, RAGELIFE proves its members are extremely skilled in utilizing all the sonic space within the headphones. Repeated vocal phrases jump from one ear to the other, and *hitmayng’s shimmering beats often do the same.
RAGELIFE’s beat choices are also impeccable. They manage to take beats from TNGHT and XXYYXX and actually improve them. The stagnant nature of XXYYXX’s “About You” gets a kick from ¡OYE! and P/1’s vocals. P/1 raps, “Situation sticky as the weed I roll / She ain’t s’posed to be here, but she here, so be clear / Can’t let her see me sweat, I gotta be composed / Before the conversation decompose.” These lyrics provide the perfect complement to the sample’s viscous nature.
*hitmayng’s beats use a considerable amount of piano throughout, and it gives the album an infectiously classy feel. While P/1 and ¡OYE! rarely stray from their party-centric lyrics, the beat choices negate any sophomoric vibes. “Champagne Range,” the best song on the album, features a pretty piano loop, trap-influenced drum machine beats and phaser-like snyths. Overtop, the duo raps, “I’ve been sipping on that lean / Yeah, tryna slow it down / Got a pocket full of green / Yeah, I’m tryna blow it now.” ¡OYE! spits some of his best lines on the song in a voice that warrants comparisons to Chance the Rapper’s flows. That’s a very good thing.
This album is classy, and that’s all there is to it. What stands out most about this LP is RAGELIFE’s absolute confidence. Unlike many debut efforts, RAGELIFE LP has a fully developed style. It’s an extremely cohesive album. Despite its small output of music so far, RAGELIFE sounds like a group who’s been working together for years.
Whether or not you can actually rage to all of these songs is up for debate. Trap influence is all over the record, but for the most part, the “rage” aspect of their music manifests itself in the lyrics. The pairing of these lyrics with *hitmayng’s production turns it into something entirely different. The mixture of music and lyrics is a riveting combination; it’s up to the listener to decide whether they want to rage to this music, sit back to soak it in or do both. On “Sleep,” the duo raps, “I love my haters / Damn, they keep me motivated.” As they repeat, “And I’m so motivated, I’m so motivated,” you can’t help but take them seriously.
4 out of 5 stars
