Jonah Denae "In Due Time"

Milwaukee’s Femcees become more and more promising with the likes of Lakeyah, Mudy, Shadi, Destinee Lynn and now, the young and ambitious Jonah Denae has come to take names and take over; “I been quiet. But it's my turn now. Be ready. Love” is declared at the top of the year under an instagram post of hers, and she definitely aint playin’! After a sprinkle of singles and freestyles over the last few years with no LP yet, Jonah Denae has dropped ”In Due Time,” a statement piece for the due diligence of an artist who knows that faith, consistency, and hard work is bound to pay off when you know who you are.

Her Battle rap-like approach over a proper Midwest beat by rXge and rhyme scheming are mathematical; 

-“Can't settle for ni**as who settle at the bottom with b***hes 

Who bottom feeders -for givin’ top to ni**as who pop a bottle

 -Instead of poppin’ a collar, 

B***hes paparazzi.. ” 

She weaves in and out of the flow like a pro with the demeanor and full set nails to match. Clever choices are made in her change of pacing and tone while landing her bars every time with references to Black Culture, her spiritual faith, and American History amongst other things in relation to the might of the moment that she is manifesting for herself as a legend in the making. This is her time and the city, the world, needs to keep an ear out for this one. Jonah Denae is ‘Bigger than Local.’

/CW Naomi-Re’a

China Shadae SINGLE "Pull Up"

China Shadae's  latest single “Pull Up” should surely be added to your R&B playlist. For starters, China Shadae’s voice is incredible and her talent is undeniable, shining bright in this record alone. I think this song flowed so perfectly because she was in alignment with each element of the beat. The beat is another thing that I really love simply because that is one of the most inclusive parts of a song. You may not remember the words to a song but you’ll always remember a good beat, credits to Geronimo Approved, Hossy and TCF Live. I noticed the inspiration from Bobby’s Brown “Every Little Step I Take” in the chorus, I think she definitely it tastefully and creatively. One thing about China Shadae, her hooks and choruses are consistent in their ability to captivate. That’s another thing that makes a song memorable and really adds to why I like this song. This isn’t the only song of hers that has me intrigued, songs like “Secret Love” and “Burn”  have also been added to my library. It’s no question that China Shadae is making her way into the mainstream world of R&B, the only question is when.

Check out China Shadae’s latest single and more and let us know what you think! 

/Peazy from CW

HYFIN Presents: Latest + Greatest LIVE

*Info provided by HYFIN

"Renaissance" | Milwaukee Film Screening

Beyonce’s “Renaissance” film proves to be the model for all concert films! This grand, 3-hour production masterpiece was four years in the making and as I sat in the third row from the big screen at The Oriental, I could tell that not a day was wasted.

“Flaws and All'' & “Dangerously in Love” was the opener and despite its history as a declaration to a lover, in this particular performance, Beyonce allowed herself to be in awe of the moment and sang it as a ballad to her growing audience of almost 30 years and shared some words of affirmation along with it. She was dressed in an ethereal black gown in the first scene which complimented the romanticization of the mutual admiration between herself and the fans, yet it also could be seen as a tamed contrast to the otherworldliness of her later outfits- symbolic of her growth from a pop star to world declared icon. Through her catalog, she humanizes this journey with flashbacks of behind-the-scenes development consisting of aches, pains, hands-on construction, harsh hours, and properly giving out flowers to all who had a hand on this tour. Even to those whose smaller parts have had a great impact on her, like her daughter Blue Ivy, who did not shy away from the stage nor from having a creative opinion. The standard was the method for all to adopt and this large collective crew of artists and otherwise showed true to it by their results. There was positivity depicted in wins of all magnitudes and mishaps that only highlighted the true nature of teamwork and leadership; Trust. However, with being human comes the not-so-great reality as well. A piece of that reality, which may easily be overlooked by many whom it may not concern, is that no matter how many victories your method has produced, being intelligent as a black woman creative doesn’t put one out of range from having ‘them’ (yes ‘them’) attempt to try you mentally. When approached with such bravado, Beyonce’s only response was fearlessly remembering to choose to stand in her own authority rather than giving into the regret of the so-called stigma of being assertive with high demands. Who's to say how long it has been that Beyonce has truly felt within herself the courage to see through to getting her way at all times and at all costs but mastering that commitment can make an established art form to those on the outside feel renewed to the one inside.

As narrated and depicted through and through, the Renaissance is not just an era or a stage, it's a transcendence of a culture and the individuals in it. As the most catered-to audience (haha-wink), the African Diaspora, whether they be man, woman, straight, LGBTQIA+, adult, child, African or Black American, and so forth, vicariously experienced the glamor of our multifaceted culture through time via this tour. It is a great hoorah! moment for all leaving no question that Beyonce is a voice for every creed and that the modern approach is historically unapologetic.

/Naomi-Re’a CW

Monterey Slayton- “All The World’s A Stage”

 There’s been a lowkey wave of Artists of all walks finding more joy and purpose in taking the behind the scenes approach to the creative side of things- from Teyana Taylor finding comfort as a director behind the camera to Jay Versace, once a viral viner now a masterful producer for the likes of SZA. But the world is still needing to catch on to talented Milwaukeeans like Monterey Slayton who is quietly yet confidently dominating behind multiple corners of music. 

  “All The World’s A Stage” has just dropped and was announced to be Slayton’s final Album as his own artist before embarking on the journey of a songwriter. After about 4 years since his heavy unload of music in 2019, Slayton decided to leave the forefront of musical creativity with a taste of what his pengame will have in store for other deserving Artists. This 14 track body of work is clearly cut from the cloth of the late 90’s- early 2000’s blueprint of R&B. Slayton’s cadence, the lyrical content and musical references, to the overall production choice (shout out the producer Digital Rose) all mesh together to create a refreshing yet nostalgic piece of material. 

The Album is broken up into three parts and is introduced as if to be a scripted audition (or soundtrack sequence) to a classic black love story with Montrey being typecast as the attentive yet imperfect loverboy, like that of one of our favorite black romances. It begins with the highs of the ‘Honeymoon Phase’ and the ‘Climax’-with songs like “Someone to Love,” that reminds us that roses on a monday are the standard. The mission of pleasure is the only topic that matters to him and his lover and it's unapologetic. Then we’re met with ‘The End', the third segment of music where songs like “Too Far” and ”These Pictures” highlight the deciding moment for many relationships alike which are inflamed by disappointment and indecisiveness. It challenges the idea of what it takes to accept someone as a lover and leaves the listener with their imagination. I say that no matter which part of the love spectrum we find ourselves on, when it comes to listening to some good R&B, as long as there’s a lil’ “Nayhooooo” thrown in there, We gone feel it either way!

/Naomi-Re’a CW

Rakim- “Lover’s Playground” Music Event

A lot of us may still be running that last stretch of being a twenty-something but I think I speak for most of us when I say the club is getting tired! As an answer to the dilemma of wanting to kick it, mingle and enjoy good music without putting up with the jarring atmosphere that comes with typical nightlife, multi-faceted curator Rakim hosted his newly established Lover’s Playground for the third time this year. I wasn’t sure what to expect entirely but once the vibes began to build and the people started to arrive, I got the point and my understanding was later confirmed by Rakim himself: 

R: “..it's basically a party for people that want to come and enjoy music based on just good vibes; Non-abrasive sonics…We invite different DJs around the city, you know. And that's a major aspect of it too because it's not really about me DJing.. It's really just about having different DJs from around the world come in or us being able to lock in DJ’s from the city with different styles.”

Ironically upon my arrival there was some throwback Jay-Z playing. It wasn't abrasive but it definitely wasn’t lovey dovey either. However, the true essence of this night began to take over as Lik, Rakim, and DJ Nudy, who will be DJing alongside Core DJ Kev this New Year’s Eve for Boosie and Webbie right in our city, took turns adding their own flavor to the theme of love with throwback hits from Chris Brown, some new Drake, and Trey Songz.

R: “We wanted all love based and just beautiful, beautiful music… People don't engage with the music, They don't dance a lot. The music's super harsh, It's loud as hell- I like the loud music, but just [want] more dancing.”

CW: “I think that that's a good reminder that all music has a place and a purpose Because I feel like so much of the music now is focused on one emotion- one mode to be in- it's aggressive. It's unfriendly sometimes and it's negative, but it's a place- there's a place for being sad, A place for being lovey, there's a place for being social, and you can't really be like that with THAT type of music…”

Once he acknowledged the need for lightening up a social environment through music, Rakim Invited The Roses Prevail’s (TRP) Producer Lik Henderson to brainstorm along with him. Lik humbly gave Rakim the credit for the ideation but Rakim insisted that his perspective and input made this a total collab. They both sought to creatively capitalize on the amount of attention that our beautiful city has received, even more so on the artistic end of course, while unifying the DJ community of all sounds and experience with every Lover’s Playground event. 

Lik: ”...Once we had the leverage to build the brand to that point, we want to eventually bring people here and give people a reason to come to Milwaukee…”

CW: “Do you feel like the capacity matters in a sense…? if it's tailored to this event specifically, [there] wouldn't be [many people] you know what I mean? It would be more intimate….?”

LH: “I mean, we want it to get as big as it can get, you know what I'm saying? But we know in nature it's kind of like an intimate, exclusive vibe. You don't have to play what you consider popular... the DJs not necessarily playing the more popular Music, right? So the audience is coming for an alternative vibe. So that's in essence gonna always be a smaller capacity.”

Sounds to me like I have something to look forward to for my little world of being an introverted musical socialite. Will you be at the next one? 

/Naomi-Re’a CW

Always About Me-Interview w/ Elliott

What’s up yall! It’s PEAZY from /CW and I’m back with another interview from one of Milwaukee’s very own: Elliott! Check out our conversation and make sure you go stream “Jimmy’s Summer Mix” on all platforms! Without further ado let’s get into it.

/PEAZY: So, you have this project, “Jimmy’s Summer Mix”, a 6 track EP and it’s so diverse. I’m sure you have your favorites right? One of mine is “Charlie Wilson”. “Charlie Wilson” has so many different elements of sounds but one sound really sticks out to me and that’s that Milwaukee low-end beat. What was the process behind incorporating this “new” sound into your music?

Elliott: Well, I always wanted to like…find a way to implement my usual flow and song content and bring it to that type of beat. So for this project, I had gotten this beat from my guy Mar (@martyguerrerobeats) and after going through a number of different beats, it just started flowing. And I was hesitant at first you know, but I’ve also been in the space of trying to have more fun with what I do. Alot of my previous work is thought-provoking and mellow, I just wanted to get on this record and do something fly. “Fall For That” is the same way, it’s in that same category of sound.

/PEAZY: I feel like a track isn’t really a track without it having something about it that you will always remember. Once you establish that one line or that one sound as yours, it’s forever embedded in the culture. Wayne has the lighter flick, Metro will shoot you if he doesn’t trust you, etc. Yours is ‘Yes, Lord”? What’s the origin of that? Is it an affirmation? 

Elliott: It’s kind of..actually not kind of, it IS an acknowledgement to God and it’s just me thanking Him for being able to do what I do. It’s a shoutout to Him.

/PEAZY: “Always About Me”, “Show Up Late”, “Corner Store”; you have a lot of songs that narrate a story. How much of that comes from personal experience and how much comes from your poetic license ? 

Elliott: It’s mostly stuff that I saw first hand. If not, then it could be experiences that I’ve lived vicariously through others close to me. Or sometimes I’ll take elements from different stories in my life and put it together to make one big story and translate it to a record. But it’s all things that my eyes have seen.

/PEAZY: So, for people who don’t know, you are a middle and high school teacher. Do your kids know that you rap? And if so, how does your artistry influence them? Do you incorporate music into their education?

Elliott: Yeah they know. I didn’t tell them they kind of just used those inquisitive minds and they found my social media. But I teach English so it definitely inspires me in a way that motivates me to encourage their creativity and their emotional vulnerability. I just find ways to implement that into what we are already learning about. In a way my kids are the influence behind tracks like “Charlie Wilson”, that kind of music really gets them going and they really take the words to heart. 

/PEAZY: Okay so say I’m introducing somebody to Milwaukee music and I’m telling them how great of an artist you are. What 3 songs would you put someone on to to introduce who you are as an artist?

Elliott: I would say “Show Up Late”, “Who We Kiddin?” and “Always About Me”. 

/PEAZY: What’s so special about those?

Elliott: Those are the songs I personally enjoy the most. Just knowing what went into the creation of them, what inspired them, how I felt recording them and how I’ve seen them resonate with people who’ve listened and connected to them. 

/PEAZY: As an artist in 2023, do you feel compelled to also be a content creator? Is it something that you’re cool with or something that you feel like ‘man I wish I didn’t have to do this’? Cause you know we live in a social media world, if you’re not posting reels or if you’re not on Tik Tok you’re not as hot. Is it a lot being an artist AND a content creator?

Elliott: I mean…I wish the music could do it itself but the game is the game. Music is more than just music, it’s marketing, it’s getting your song into people’s ears consistently. I’m definitely getting more comfortable being in front of the camera and just putting out content in general. But I think the music that I’m creating enables my confidence to create the content.

/PEAZY: You have two devout Christian parents and you grew up in the church. You talk about this a lot in your music alot but we live in a time where if you sing about God or talk about God you’re viewed as being weird. Does God give you the courage to glorify Him in your music? 

Elliott: The only approval I seek is from Him. Outside opinions against that don’t really move me because it’s like…you can’t save me! When it comes down to what’s cool and what’s not, I do work to make sure I creatively implement that part of my life into my music. I know a lot of Christian Hip-Hop is looked at as corny and I don’t know if I would necessarily put myself in that category, but I do always try to acknowledge how good God is.

/PEAZY: What would you say to someone who’s listening to this and is having a hard time believing in their dream  because they’re caught up between doing what they want to do vs doing what God wants them to do?

Elliott: You gotta have faith in the fact that it’s not going to happen how you think it will. And when it doesn’t, you have to figure out how to turn those feelings: anxiety, nervousness, stress, or anything into music. Use those feelings of uncertainty and turn it into your art. Talk about how you might feel anxious about something or how stuff isn’t working out, figure out a way to turn everything into music. 

/PEAZY: Where can we find more Elliott?

Elliott: Latest project, “Jimmy’s Summer Mix” is available everywhere.

/PEAZY FROM CW

BIG P "Weed and Wine"-ALBUM RELEASE!

I recently did one of my favorite interviews so far this year with BIG P! And y’all would never guess what happened…the audio DELETED! But you know at /CW we take lemons and turn them into Kool-Aid  Lemonade so without further ado let’s get into this album review of “Weed and Wine” by Big P.

The thing that I love about this album is the symbolism. Bip P creates an outro following each song that helps you understand the morals to the story he so eloquently told on the track. The theme of each outro varies from playful phone calls to Big P’s Seafood and Fries to more serious conversation about mental health, accountability and healthy love. My favorite song is “Ms. P” featuring Ro. J; this is one of those songs that demonstrates the symbolism that I mentioned but also has many elements of southern rap that we really don’t see many Milwaukee artists tap into. This is especially surprising because Big P is a real Milwaukee native, so to see him embody and so effortlessly pull off this southern swag really speaks to how dimensional he is as an artist. 

“Never know what you can see, never know what you can be. But one thing fasho, you f--king with Big P bay-bay” (that’s how you say it with a accent, bay bay)

Southern charm isn’t the only thing he tapped into on this album either. “White Lies” has neo-soul elements, the melodic scats throughout the song add peacefulness to what may seem like a harsh message. 

“Telling these lies to you knowing that I’m doing wrong. Truth be told I know my wrongs baby. Call a spade a spade that’s just what it is. I put you through this sh-t for what my mother did or didn’t.

Lines like that are frequent as Big P demonstrates his ability to make you groove and hold yourself accountable on the same track. “Wright Way”  does the exact same thing in a completely different way. The first two minutes of the song are for you to stand up and vibe, but the last two minutes??? You have to sit down and listen. Not because the lyrics might go over your head, but because within each experience he gives you the best of both worlds. Is that not what we look for in certain songs when we listen to them? You initially just want to feel good but by the end of the song you’ve learned something or taken something away.

“The song may have ended but the melody lingers on.”

“Boyz II Men” was the first song that I heard off the project, featuring his best friend Lik who is also the producer of this project. If this is your first time hearing them together, this is a great introduction to this dynamic duo. The back and forth between Lik and Big P flows smoothly, this is one of the songs that give you an understanding as to why he named this project “Weed and Wine’. If you know you know, but the combination of the two really makes you feel like the smoothest person in the room. And lowkey, I felt like they channeled Bootsy Collins a little bit and I’m here for it. 

 “Hf” is one of the songs that I paid attention to in particular because throughout the album Big P shows respect to his son’s mom. When I asked him why he does this, he said: 

“Honestly I really just wanted to show love. You know we had our son when she was still in college and being that young, you know I made a lot of mistakes. So this was really just like 1)to apologize for everything that I’ve put her through and then 2) just to let her know I’m gonna forever make sure she’s good.”

“Wish It Could Last”  is the perfect way to end this whole album. First, this is an ode to UGK’s album “Ridin Dirty”, the last song “Outro”. Big P uses this track to shoutout everybody that had a hand in creating “Weed and Wine” and it’s really a great way to learn things about Big P if you didn’t know him already. He’s a Milwaukee native that was raised by his grandparents and grew up with hoop dreams, turned them into reality, had a kid and made plenty of mistakes along the way. But he also made music; amazing, soul-filled, authentic music. So good that he picked up the mic when he put down the ball. Overall, 10/10. I really think this is a creative body of work that encapsulates the majority of who Big P is as an artist and I truly think this is authentic music. 

Interview PART 2 COMING SOON! Check out “Weed and Wine” and let me know what y’all think! 

/PEAZY FROM CW 

SnapShot Press Release: Laughs in Spanish [Gallery Life Off The Wall]

Nobodies documenting the Telenovela that is gallery life. 

You know the pretentious acting curators, the thirsty for stardom gallery assistants, and the notably irrational and irresponsible artist who would prefer to be on some remote island with a stiff drink, conjuring inspiration for their next big thing.

Ashley Oviedo, Isa Condo-Olvera, Jenna Bonofiglio, Arash Fakhrabadi, and Rána Roman [All Images provided by milwaukee chamber theater via Michael Brosilow]

Okay well maybe somebody is, but these idiosyncrasies void that this performance of art culture is an overtone of whiteness that fills gallery white walls, with white washed economics, and white narratives that are positioned to be “profound”. 

*Did she really just go there?*

Ohhhh, yes! I did!

The scene I just “painted” [See what I did there? Lol]  is one that can be drastically altered when considering how non-white bodies navigate these spaces. These bodies start to resemble people whose characteristics feel familiar, feel like friends, feel like family, and feel like voices I intimately knew existed but seldom get to hear.

Saturday's [September 23rd, 2023] opening night of Laughs In Spanish, by Alexis Scheer took me there. Giving the audience Miami realness with the complexities of the modern human experience including motherhood, divorce, pregnancy, abandonment issues, high off THC conversations, same-sex relationships, immigration, and a monologue by Rána Roman that had me totally reanalyzing my own journey into motherhood. Its scenic set design of gallery aesthetic with Miami glam by Em Allen, had my critical “interior designer by trade” mind fangirling on that vibey beach air balcony hidden behind those opaque white rolling walls. With DJ Palante giving the music vibes in the lobby, to a Latinx artist installation curated by Katie Avila Loughmiller, the tone was set before the show even began.  It truly brought me back to my last visit to Art Basel. [If you have never been, this play will inspire you to book that trip].

Labeled as a “crime comedy” [Yes, because stealing art from galleries is definitely a trope the world needs more of. Art is valuable, monetarily and culturally!] It cleverly uses its title as the punchline in an exchange of wisdom and remorse that is easy to share between strangers, when it should be saved for the people you love.  

How do you “laugh in Spanish”? 

¡JAJAJA! 

I died at the subtlety of that hilarious cultural exchange and felt warmth in knowing my upbringing had allowed me to understand [and have access] to the inside joke.

This again is a familiarity that Isa Condo-Olvera [Mariana] , Arash Fakhrabadi [Juan], Ashley Oviedo [Carolina], Rána Roman [Estella] and Jenna Bonofiglio [Jenny] provided by pulling at emotions through their characters that went beyond the surface.

Mariana reminded me of my mother; guarded and jaded by the world. But of course there is a reason why.

Juan was ready to risk it all for Carolina. [Love me like that or not at all] 

Jenny, is that voice of annoying reason that you really should listen to. [Don’t you hate it when they’re right?]

Carolina questioning her career for motherhood echoed by Estella’s choice to be ambitious to inspire her daughter but failing to hit the mark in Mariana's eyes is. . . me. 

Can I escape the narrative that a woman can’t do it all? Only time will tell.

Laughs In Spanish is a think piece. It’s “profound” without pretentiousness. It's relatable without stunting the growth and impact of Latinx culture. It is palatable because it is plausible. If you know you know and if you don’t, Alexa will understand you want to change the song the first time you ask. 

So if you need a little art in your life, consider looking away from the walls and feeling up a seat at the Milwaukee Chamber Theater.

Lexi S. Brunson for /CW

GEMS ONLY: Summer Jam 2k23 | 7-29-23 | DJ Gemini Gilly

DJ Gemini Gilly wears a lot of hats if you haven’t already noticed. Not only is she known for her skills to move a room, she’s also one of Milwaukee’s newest and upcoming Culture Curators! Word to Issa Rae! We had a chance to sit down with Gilly last month on The Intersection Podcast, where she expressed what it meant to her to hold that kind of title and also, how it was one of the many things that she’s manifested over the years. We finally had the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the party/event experience known as Gems Only that we’ve heard so much about, located at the North Ave Market and it was 2000’s themed! That’s an automatic vibe check. There was also an opportunity to buy Black with vendors such as 4Waukee and Can’t Die Broke. LivMKE was also in the building doing her thaaang live painting!

Dj Gemini gilly on the 1s and 2s

Gilly played the hits from the ‘99s and 2000’s all night and we jammed out. It was an incredibly nostalgic experience and anyone who attended can second that. It was unapologetically black. Let's talk about it. We have a Black Dj curating a Black event with Black vendors in a Black-owned space. It doesn't get more personal than that. Gilly is creating a safe space for our people, through our people and with our people. We need more of that here—especially for partying!

So if you missed this event, you can NOT miss the next one. This is how we create space in our community. This is how you can support your own community without getting political about it. Everything doesn’t need to be heavy in order to bring awareness and that’s what I appreciate about this angle of opportunity. Party all your problems away at the next GEMS ONLY party and also shop Black with Black vendors that are at every party!

I know that’s right!

/Ortizus for CW