It’s easy to hear how much fun BabyTron and Certified Trapper are having on their 2024 album Mario & Luigi. The rappers, from Detroit and Milwaukee respectively, take turns unveiling bars over minimal drums and ominous melodies, creating a sound that blends the scamming style of the Motor City with the minimal ethos that has made Brew City one of rap’s most exciting scenes. The project was teased with a satirical news clip that featured Milwaukee Bucks point guard Damian Lillard, and the album cover shows mug shots from both rappers with photoshopped Mario and Luigi costumes. It’s this humour that pervades the entire project, effortlessly playful and heavy on quotable one-liners. On “Bling Bling”, the duo spit over a beat from Trapper, who gives the track propulsive energy thanks to pulsing handclaps. BabyTron shouts out a hometown hero, likening himself to the former Michigan head football coach. He raps: “I can coach you how to touch down just like the Harbaughs/Who the hell am I? Stop playin’, I ain't Carlo.”