By Matt Mueller Culture Editor Published Apr 27, 2023 at 12:01 PM

The beat's about to drop on Brew City as the annual producer competition Big Beat MKE will press play on its 2023 bracket of battles this week, taking the mic at Jackalope Lounj from April 27 through June 15. 

Created in 2018 by Allen Halas and his local music website Breaking And Entering, Big Beat MKE pits some of the city's best producers and beat creators against each another in a March Madness-style bracket of one-on-one face-offs. Each Thursday night beat battle at Jackalope Lounj – found next to The Wicked Hop at 345 N. Broadway – will feature two Milwaukee music matchups, cranking up the volume on their best beats and hoping to fire up the crowd as well as a panel of judges in order to move on to the next round. 

"It has been tremendous to see the growth of this event in the past few years," Halas said. "Not only are the crowds getting bigger, but the quality of producers and performers that are in the room with one another is exciting as well. Milwaukee's hip-hop and electronic music scenes come together to network and enjoy some great music along the way in a unique atmosphere."

OnMilwaukee is a proud sponsor of the event. 

Here's the schedule and bracket of beat battles coming up at Big Beat MKE:

Big Beat MKEX
  • April 27 – Dead Bass vs. DuffThePro, Kaskit vs. SphinxDaGod
  • May 4 – Domes1 vs. Spacecrime, Angry Kat vs. Orion
  • May 11 – Super Ego Beats vs. No B, Gucco vs. Hot Science
  • May 18 – Docx vs. ShamGod$upreme, Nathan Weller vs. Yoshii
  • May 25 – Quarterfinals 
  • June 1 – Quarterfinals
  • June 8 – Semifinals
  • June 15 – Championship and third-place battle

In addition to the pair of beat battles, each Thursday night at Jackalope Lounj also includes two hip-hop performances taking the stage as well. Here's the lineup of local acts dropping by Big Beat this spring:

  • April 27 – Rich P. and 2Hi
  • May 4 – StreetTeam Hektik and Lady Sabo
  • May 11 – NilexNile and H. Kain
  • May 18 – Quies Terry and Keyba of Spider Creek
  • May 25 – Kill.Dawn and Khal!l
  • June 1 – Phif and C'Zo
  • June 8 – Gego y Nony and Puerto Wiccan
  • June 15 – Wave Chapelle and Twan Mack

For more updates and information, visit Breaking & Entering and stay tuned to OnMilwaukee. 

Matt Mueller Culture Editor

As much as it is a gigantic cliché to say that one has always had a passion for film, Matt Mueller has always had a passion for film. Whether it was bringing in the latest movie reviews for his first grade show-and-tell or writing film reviews for the St. Norbert College Times as a high school student, Matt is way too obsessed with movies for his own good.

When he's not writing about the latest blockbuster or talking much too glowingly about "Piranha 3D," Matt can probably be found watching literally any sport (minus cricket) or working at - get this - a local movie theater. Or watching a movie. Yeah, he's probably watching a movie.