“fly in the milk,” if you’re unfamiliar, is a metaphor for the unique and often alienating experience of being a Black person in a predominantly white space. And it’s not just about awkward moments at work or being the only Black guy at the indie folk concert, it’s about the broader societal forces that make this experience what it is.
At the same time, “fly in the milk” by Milo Kobayashi is a song that, if you squint hard enough, you can see an influence of artists like Open Mike Eagle and Doechii’s more conscious work all over as this track basically sets itself as a higher standard for rappers who don’t fit neatly into whatever rap’s “mainstream” is supposed to be.
Milo Kobayashi goes full philosopher-poet-mystic, while bringing that slick, effortless cool energy with and a beat that feels like jazz, funk, and soul all accidentally walked into the same recording session and decided to just roll with it. His entire approach of rapping like he’s casually dropping existential musings at a party no one invited him to has that same blend of introspection and unbothered cool. It’s weird. It’s loose. It’s structured, but in a way that makes you question what structure even is.
“fly in the milk” is a raw, unfiltered, deeply personal outpouring that also happens to double as a social commentary on America in its second Trump era. The whole thing feels like it was made in the eye of a personal storm, which somehow makes the track even better.
No pristine, overproduced gloss here. Milo Kobayashi mixed and mastered the thing himself to keep the emotion intact. The whole track has this beautifully unvarnished quality, like he just hit record and let the frustration, exhaustion, and catharsis pour out. And honestly? It works.
At its core, “fly in the milk” is both a deeply personal release and an act of protest. It doesn’t care about being radio-friendly, and it definitely doesn’t care about being easily digestible. It’s a song that demands to be heard, and the fact that it feels like it could fall apart at any second only makes it hit harder.
“fly in the milk” isn’t just a song. It’s a necessary, brilliant act of resistance.
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About the Author
A tenured media critic known working as a ghost writer, freelance critic for publications in the US and former lead writer of Atop The Treehouse. Reviews music, film and TV shows for media aggregators.
