A Milwaukee artist that I have really been paying attention lately is Lil Axion(pronounced action). At only 19, Axion is already making waves in the city as the next one up, having been featured on DJ Jerry’s Mixtape Trappers, and having made songs with Lil Chicken and Gwapo Chapo. Axion has had to grow his following organically, not using a manager or team to push his name out there. All of his success so far have come as a result of his own hard work and talent. Axion has a sound that is true to Milwaukee, but also distinct and his own. Most of his songs have that typical hard drill vibe we have seen in Milwaukee consistently in the past few years. His smooth flow is infectious, and spices up his verses with crisp wordplay. His energy level is so high at all times, keeping the foot on the gas whenever he is rapping. I would say he has one of the most developed sounds in the city right now; he knows exactly how he’s trying to sound. As he continues to grow as an artist, his success will too. Someone with this much talent on the mic just can’t be denied stardom, and you would be silly to not start jump on the Axion bandwagon right this second.

Axion grew up as a part of the Wild 100’s crew, in the hood around 107th Street and Mill Road. Coming up in this area wasn’t easy for him; the neighborhood definitely isn’t known for big homes and quiet lifestyle. Axion was born out of the streets, having to learn how to trap at a very young age. He’s always been the youngest in his crew, with most of his guys being quite a bit older than him. He raps and carries himself with a swag and demeanor way beyond his years though. Axion didn’t get any support from other artists around the city when coming up. He has stated he reached out to everyone making a name in Milwaukee, and no one wanted to help the kid out. Milwaukee is known for showing no love to its own artists, and the situation for Axion wasn’t any different than usual. Wanting to get his name out there, he started booking shows wherever he could play, having performed in Detroit, Phoenix, and Indiana. It was through playing as many shows as he could that he started to build a following. People took notice of Axion because he was so talented, even though he looked way too young for the clubs he was performing in. This old school way to blow up may seem wrong in this day and age, but it proves word of mouth is still a successful way to get noticed. After being in jail last year and missing out on an opportunity to open for Lil Baby, Axion knows his time is now, and he can’t screw around anymore. He has stated 2019 is a year he wants to focus on playing tons of shows, so look out for him performing at a venue in your area!

When Axion started rapping at 13, it was just for fun in a makeshift studio his friends made music in. He would just make music for fun but didn’t really think anything of it. He actually stopped rapping for a couple years after those first songs, but heard about people in his neighborhood loving his sound. He made a few more songs and realized everyone who listened to it was loving his music, so he decided to pursue it. One way he gained traction in the beginning was being featured on a TeeGlazedIt mixtape. Tee is one of the top producers in the city, and getting on this tape really got his name out there. After that, he found out Milwaukee artists don’t like to support other Milwaukee art, and had to build his current following through making good new music. I just want to thank Axion’s hood and TeeGlazedIt for initially putting him on, because we may not have Lil Axion without them.

Lil Axion has a distinct sound that obviously is influenced by the current sound of hip hop in Milwaukee. His songs are of the same flavor of many of the other drill music coming out of the city right now. His flows and rapping style remind me a lot of Lil Durk or Shy Glizzy, and he brings so much energy to his music it gets me pumped up and excited every time I hear it. One song of his I really dig is “Whatchu Make,” off of his tape Hands In Hands Out. This track has a hard hitting drill beat, with a creepy and intense riff that gets your blood pumping. Axion spends this track telling us about stuff he likes or likes to do, stating he “likes bitches with a bag, I like making n****s mad.” His flow is so hard on this track; it makes me want to light up and blast it while driving to do some reckless shit. Another great song by Lil Axion is “Pixels,” the track that made me personally start paying attention to him. This cut has a banging drill beat as well, with a hard baseline over another creepy and intense riff. I love this sound because it is different and kind of scary. Axion’s word play shine through all over this song. One of my favorite lines is “Call me Lil 50, got the drum in this bitch.” That’s just clever man. The last song I want to recommend is “Lifestyle,” probably my favorite one of his to this point. This song sees Lil Axion venturing more into auto-crooner territory. It features a smooth and upbeat melodic trap beat, and Lil Axion glides his way over the instrumental in a sing-rapping flow. This song is so fresh, and should be a Milwaukee club banger by the end of the summer. I would definitely recommend this cut to people who like A Boogie wit da hoodie or PnB Rock. But that’s just my opinion, form your own by listening!

Lil Axion is one of the many young Milwaukee artists currently on the come up. Starting from the bottom with no support from other Milwaukee rappers, he had to build his following off of energetic shows and word of mouth. He is only 19, and his sound is already so distinct and strong. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for the future. If you want to check him out, his Spotify is linked below!

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6c8X44txJaifzIKZ5GH9Q2?si=vghqfaY0Q624gjsjead95g

Sources: https://youtu.be/H-IQ0wE_mwQ
https://shepherdexpress.com/music/music-feature/lil-axion-sticks-to-his-own-script/

Photo Cred: https://shepherdexpress.com/music/music-feature/lil-axion-sticks-to-his-own-script/

https://open.spotify.com/artist/6c8X44txJaifzIKZ5GH9Q2?si=vghqfaY0Q624gjsjead95g