JP's Milwaukee Lowend's “Bad Bitty” is the most exciting song anywhere right now

What's so refreshing about “Bad Bitty,” and the Milwaukee lowend wave in general, is that it's low-stakes, low-budget, high-comedy dance-rap. The movement has a lot in common with some of the biggest local dance rap Atlanta to Dallas to the bay area—with artists churning out anthems that seemed like they were made to take on local parties and warm-weather park afternoons, then take on a life of their own. The uptempo subgenre is distinguished by how deeply rooted it is in specific, hyperlocal Milwaukee sounds of the past. For example, you can hear Ray Nitti's emphatic delivery of “Bow” on regional success of 2009 with the same name and the light mood of Bankhead and Munch Lauren in the early 2010s on “Bad Bitty”.

Part of why “Bad Bitty,” in particular, doesn't sound super professional is that JP isn't even a full-time rapper: He's a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he majors in music performance, and averages about 12 minutes at night on the basketball team. (After watching a few highlights, I'd compare the big man's small size to that of favorite craftsman Montrezl Harrell.) In his spare time, he makes comedic videos and music, like the hilarious 2022.Juicey Ahhh” and last year Dora-sampling”I am coming in.” Neither, however, is as good as “Bad Bitty” because it's more comedy-rap than comedy-charged rap.

“Bad Bitty” is fun, but it's still a real song. He wants to make you dance. It wants to make you fantasize about those silly nights that you and your friends will talk about forever. These days, it's so easy to come across flawless music that's more a display of deep pockets than any kind of creativity, made right in the mold of what you already like. By comparison, the raw, non-seriousness of “Bad Bitty” feels like it's from a different planet. It can stick in my head for as long as it takes.

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