EMP Entertainment's album Good Misery, Bad Company has been a longtime coming. The artists in the Milwaukee rap collective—Streetz-n-Young Deuces, Eazy Hayes, Maal Himself, Payroll, Patski, Ferro Haze and P. Stackz—have been working together in various permutations for years, stirring some excitement in 2012 with their Bangladesh-esque posse cut “Savages.” Good Misery, though, is their first official release as EMP, and it's as eclectic as you'd expect from a crew uniting so many acts from so many different backgrounds, spanning bloodthirsty battle rap, rowdy crew cuts and smooth, R&B-laced soul.
The duo Streetz-n-Young Deuces are at the center of the crew, and they've evolved considerably over the years. When they first introduced themselves in the late '00s, they were a neo-crunk act with a decidedly southern sound, but with its production from Milwaukee mainstays including Trellmatic, T. Streetz, Young Nova and Mammyth, Good Misery keeps them grounded in a distinctly midwestern mindset. They're still the same group that lit up clubs with tracks like “Mad Flavor” all those years ago, but older, wiser and more lyrically minded.
You can download Good Misery from EMP's website in exchange for an email address.