Despite being geographically located in between strong hip hop scenes in Chicago and Minneapolis, hip hop hasn’t taken hold in Wisconsin in the way you might expect, or at least the way that I would like it to. Which isn’t to say that there isn’t anything good happening, but you have to search for it, and the support system isn’t where it needs to be to keep interesting artists going. I knew about KHB from their EP Remember the Name before I moved up to Wisconsin, so I knew I could at least look forward to this Milwaukee crew. I was really hoping for a leap forward with their second album, but The War Room instead is a frustrating album that keeps hinting at good, progressive hip hop, but then keeps taking steps backward with ignorant lines and asides that take away from the quality of the record.

There’s a lot to like about KHB, namely the chemistry between the three emcees of Danna Coppa, DNA, and Shemp, who all compliment each other well with different deliveries. They also get some great production from The White Russian, Reason, White Shadow, and LMNTlyst, and some nice guest spots, most notably the excellent classical guitar of Evan Christian. The album is varied but cohesive, and makes for a really rewarding listen from a musical standpoint. The group seems to be united by outside pressure, which is alluded to in the title of the album. It was meant to express how they felt bound together by the lack of support from their surrounding scene. You can feel their frustration through a collection of audio clips spread throughout the album that were recorded on tour, as they deal with ridiculous local diss tracks, shady promoters, and annoying people in clubs that don’t show any respect for what they do. Understandably, they had some stuff to get off their chests. However, when dropping some battle rhymes, it can be really easy to drop into some ignorant hate speak, and this is dangerous on two levels. First is the obvious notion that we should all be avoiding the casual use of sexist terms like ‘bitch’ or ‘pussy.” On top of the underlying damage language like this does, it’s also really lazy and uncreative. Anybody can get on a mic and call another emcee a pussy. If you doubt me, find your nearest open mic night and watch some clown get up and do it. It takes intelligence and focus to come up with more specific and biting rhymes. And that’s what’s especially frustrating about The War Room. There are plenty of instances of creative rhymes and interesting references, and the way the musical tone keeps shifting all point towards some upper level hip hop, but then KHB and the occasional guest keep throwing in these immature asides that undercut their own talent. Only the guest verse from A-Biz on “Stress Rap” is truly ignorant and hateful, in which he goes out of his way to declare that he won’t ride another man’s testes (defensive, much?). I hate it because I’d rather spend all this time writing about the creative inclusion of an interesting artist like Evan Christian, and trumpeting hip hop in Wisconsin for the rest of the world to hear, but instead I’m just venting about how KHB shoot themselves in the foot.

There’s so much to like, and I really wanted The War Room to succeed, but unfortunately, the group keeps undercutting their own efforts. I know that a great record is within their reach, I just hope they keep pushing each other to reach that next level. Wisconsin hip hop needs them to.