SnapShot Press Release: A Web worth Tangling | Spider Creek 7

Community & Collaboration is undervalued. 

[Did that statement sting a bit? If it didn’t then you must be oblivious to the power of social capital.]

You hear the overtone of these words in many spaces but their merit in the creative realm changes everything. It can be the difference between success and sabotage. Which is why Spider Creek, “a music collective based out of Milwaukee Wisconsin full of an eclectic group of artists ranging from musicians and producers to visual artists”, is prolifically moving through today's scene. SAINTRÈ, .IanJames., Makatà, Lizzie Kay, Keyba, and LOVEPeso, are the full time members of the crew that are growing a relatively large communal family. 

in tymless studios “no face no case” | /Cw image

If you're a music lover in Milwaukee then of course the formula sounds familiar. [Don’t say their names, we don’t have time to go down that rabbit hole. But clearly that’s the point of me bringing it up]. With so many artists making waves as a unit but still posturing as vivacious forces in their own right, how can Spider Creek maintain their positive trajectory?  

“We are actually like a family”, said Saintrè, while catching the reggaeton vibes of a song being recorded by producer Keylime, for duo Gego y Nony featuring Cam Will at Tymeless Studios. 

Sneak peak of Cam Will & Keylime in the writing room [ Gego y Nony not in frame | /CW video footage

[Wait, but why are we here?]

Spider Creek 7, aptly named for its seventh installment of collective recording sessions meant to inspire “artists of all genres and skill sets . . to create great music with other talented people they may have never worked with before”, brought your /CW Fam right into the heart of creative genius on April 22nd, 2023. The two day recording session [which ran from 12:00PM to 12:00PM on both the 22nd & 23rd] was filled with a nostalgic energy that reminded us of our own origin story, just reincarnated into new era tastemakers, creatives, and dreamers.

“It started with the four of us and now it's like the whole city of Milwaukee”, Saintrè noted. 

Is that an exaggeration? Not really. Including the core members of Spider Creek, 32 artists [& counting] were invited to the “lock in sessions” including some heavy hitters that almost every MKE based artist would want to hop on a track with, and even some of the /CW Fam [like $hunmillion$ who was featured in CopyWrite Magazine Issue 10, The Surge]. But of course we have the receipts so you can be the judge of that.

Spider Creek 7 Invite List

Makata - @makata.888

Saintrè - @aka.saintre

Keyba - @itssolowkey

LOVEPeso - @7939peso

.Ian James. - @the.ianjames 

Lizzie Kay - @_lizziekay_

Ja dubb - @ja_dubb

Adrienne - @spell.Adrienne 

Ash - @ashouttafocus 

Darylanne - @darylanne.music

Felix Ramsey - @felixramsey

Zonk - @zonkrolan

Aya* - @ayainthesky

Quies Terry - @quiesterry

Cam will - @_camwill

NileXNile - @nilexnile

Lake - @lakehomie

$hunmillion$ - @shunmillions

Odiefromthego - @odiefromthego 

Grey genius - @grey_genius

Eli $tones - @elistizzy

Mocity - @mocitysw

Shadi - @th3_shadi

Gego y nony - @gegoynony

Fred the black kid - @fredtheblackkid

Holly Mae -  @iamhollymae

Paperstacks - @bigdog_stacks

Duwayne - @Duwayne.mp3

MeloChld - @calvinlharmon

2 hi - @im_2hi

Dj the Jenius - @djthejenius 

Keylime - @officialkeylime 

And they only want the list to get bigger.

“This is definitely a dream. We are going to always try to get this feeling”. Saintrè said, and was followed by Cam Will’s testament to not knowing what to expect when invited but being pleasantly surprised. “Everybody has egos but if you put everyone in one room they become connected”, Cam said while jotting down lyrics to another beat.

The social capital that comes with being a part of something bigger than yourself is indispensable in our underfunded, overlooked, and under reprepresented market. Building relationships, letting down walls, and creating opportunities is a narrative that weaved through every conversation that we overheard while at Tymeless Studios. “But it's also about execution”, someone chimed in. 

Shadi, Keyba, Makata sitting in a studio session | /CW Image

The execution is natural for this bunch. With space to vibe, the skill to perform, and the technology to “put it on wax”, the formula Spider Creek originally intended for their own creative stimulation is being put to communal use.

When we arrived the scene was already set. We walked into three active sessions. Three active sessions, with three different vibes. 

One was giving Reggaeton. . .

Cam Will was getting spanish pronunciation lessons from Gego y Nony in the writing room, “You can say, De eso…” and “Or you can make it just one word like Desso”.  

The next was giving Indy, alternative. . .

NileXNile was held up in the booth trying to get his verse just right, “One more time” he repeated ten times until the imperfections became the nuanced perfections the track needed. “This is my favorite kind of environment. All good energy.” Someone reassured, as they waited for their turn. 

The other session was giving classic Hip Hop, turned all the way up. . .

Deshun Jetson was cooking up fire [ask him about the Spacecraft track], while 2Hi commanded the booth [crazy bars],  LOVEPeso [such a lively persona] geeked up Keyba [whose cadence mixed with the requested autotune had this sonic playfulness we really enjoyed], while preparing to do a “deep voice” overlay of the hook, “So I should put the base in it like I’m in my bag?!?”, type vibes. 

Keyba in the booth | /CW Image

“This happens every time.” - .Ian James. , said when I questioned if the aura of each space was intentional. 

But the vibes [I need to coin a new word for vibes smh] are natural. Everyone finds their space, and the rotation ebbs and flows. They intrinsically are guided by what calls to them, and they zone in as if nobody's watching [& you know WE were watching, with inquisitive eyes, and the most eavesdropping of ears. LOL it comes with the journalistic territory].

Well, they have done this six times already and if Ian’s math is right, the last three times they had multi-studio locations where the subtlety of genre came into play. [We think it's a good formula for musical magic.]   

“This just keeps getting bigger. The [Spider Creek] collective keeps growing. And as it grows we get to [see] what the city can create”, Lizzy Kay said [& I’m paraphrasing because yall know I don’t believe in voice recording in the stu. We are not the feds!”

Lizzy kay in the booth | /CW Image

The things we witnessed are inspiring. The discussions being had were noteworthy for all stakeholders and gatekeepers that intersect with the music industry around these parts. The rhetoric of professional music makers was present and robust. 

Milwaukee is beyond talented and Spider Creek sees it beyond their own contributions.

So I guess what I am really trying to convey to any one who may read this is that YOU should really want to be a part of this legacy. You should show up & show out for your city. You should pour into the talent that is here. You should collaborate when able. You should contribute monetarily, with resources, with SOCIAL CAPITAL, or use whatever skill you may have to be a part of the positive shift so that ten years from now Spider Creek is not just “one of those things” that used to be. But instead are seasoned vets in the game championing collaboration and a fraction of the creative industry that has more legs to stand on then a . . . spider.

See y'all at Spider Creek 8 [Speaking it into fruition].

Love & All Things Urban,

Lexi S. Brunson | Editor-in-Chief /CW

P.S. - Send me all those tracks! I need it in my life.

4-26-23 - “HUSH MONEY” - GENESIS RENJI FEATURING DEE3X

What’s really good? Ortizus is taking over the blogs this month, you know the vibes! 

It’s not as warm as it was a few weeks ago but I know how to heat you up–NEW MUSIC. It’s time to update those playlists this week with another banger from Genesis Renji and Dee3x called “Hush Money”. 

Right off the bat, I caught the ode to Pharrell with the 5 beat intro and I couldn’t help but timehop to 2006/2007 when David Banner was taking over. The beat just gives that nostalgic feel. Moving on from the beat, the flow on this track is crazy! Listen to this song and tell me it doesn’t give the same feeling that “Play” by David Banner gives–but with a more clean angle. I don’t know if it’s sampled or not but I know they did what needed to be done. I also think the length of the song is perfect because it gives you just enough to want to run it back. It’s almost as if they know the recipe already!

You know what time it is. Let us know YOUR thoughts on Genesis Renji’s latest single featuring Dee3x! You can find the song HERE!

The block is hot!

/Ortizus for CW

Introducing, Spider Creek 7

Spider Creek 7 is a 2 day recording session bringing together an eclectic group of artists from across the city of milwaukee. With recording artists of all genres and skill sets. The goal of Spider Creek 7 for each artist is to create great music with other talented people they may have never worked with before. We ask that if you would like to support you repost the flyer for the event on instagram. It will be posted on Spider Creeks account ( @spider.creek). If you would like to get involved you may either DM @spider.creek on instagram or email spidercreekarts@gmail.com .

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Spider Creek is a music collective based out of Milwaukee Wisconsin full of an eclectic group of artists ranging from musicians and producers to visual artists. Sonically, the group enjoys the term “Genre Fluid” to describe their sound. On any given night you may hear rock, blues, hip hop, R&B as well as many other genres. The collective’s inception took place in March of 2020. In an attempt to escape the insanity of the early stages of the pandemic the 4 original members, SAINTRÈ, IanJames. , Makatà and Lizzie Kay rented a house in northern Wisconsin on a body of water called “Spider Creek”, with the intent of writing a collaboration album. At the end of the week they had finished the project and went their separate ways as artists. Over the course of the next year and a half they continued to have Spider Creek recording sessions while maintaining their solo artist status. It wasn’t until January of 2022 that the 4 decided to focus on creating a collective. Since that time the group has invited new artists to each session, and added two new members into the collective full time, Keyba and LOVEPeso, only intensifying the complexity and eclectic nature that Spider Creek embodies.

No Hands - Taylor Shan'e

What’s really good? Ortizus is taking over the blogs this month, you know the vibes! 

It’s getting warm out so you know what that means! It’s time to update those summertime playlists and we’ll even give you a great one to add!

You can’t get the vibes in order without tapping into Taylor Shan’e’s song ‘No Hands’ featured on her latest EP ‘Figure it Out’. With a Caribbean/Afro-beats vibe, she skillfully connects with contemporary R&B lovers by reminiscing the tale of a sexy evening with a happy ending–and it sounds like two lovers (ft. Nova Gholar) want to take a chance with each other again! 

With afro-beats taking over our recent summers, I think this Chicago native is one you do NOT want to sleep on. She’s been described as an artist who “confides in her listeners with graphic tales of broken promises, hook-ups, and learning to love oneself more than any partner.” I mean… She ain’t wrong!

Don’t believe me? Listen to her EP here and decide for yourself: Listen to Taylor Shan'e "Figure It Out" EP

/ Ortizus for CW

I Hope You Stay - Cam Will

What’s really good? Ortizus is taking over the blogs this month, you know the vibes! What better way to get nostalgic than to highlight one of the most progressive artists I've covered! That’s right! We are talking about Milwaukee’s own, Cam Will. 

If you don’t already know Cam, you can check him out on his socials but to make a long story short, he has dedicated his whole life to music. With over 38k+ monthly listeners on Spotify to over  This is not an overstatement, he literally walked away from his D1 soccer scholarship to follow his dreams. That takes some heart! Let’s jump right into the music though!

On March 21st, Cam released two singles titled I Hope You Stay Around along with If Not, But When? “I Hope You Stay Around is a two part story (IHYSA and Not If, But When) lays the foundation for highs and lows of seeing the vision ahead of one’s goals but also fighting the timelines and expectations we set for ourselves to reach them.”

What do we think? We think it's a HIT. The video really gives perspective on what goes on when it’s all said and done. A very personal intimate vibe if you will. 

The real question is what do YOU think? Tap in and watch below and be sure to follow him on all socials, including instagram: @_Camwill

Catch a vibe!

/(Imani) Ortizus for CW

Tye Motives, "24 Blessings" "No Shade, No Shine" ALBUMS

Tye Motives has easily become one of my favorite artists in the city. Although I may have hopped on the bandwagon later than most, I’ve had a chance to listen to a bit of everything and I have only good things to report. Starting with my favorite song, “Doja” on his album “24 Blessings”.

“All she wanna do is smoke, hit the weed like it ain’t strong girl I told ya, she gone hustle never let the world fold her, hot as summer time but she been getting colder. I just wanna smoke Doja with you, that’s a double dutch yeah I rolled Doja for two.”

When I sit back and imagine the visuals for the video, it really emphasizes the entire vibe of the song. The verses themselves provide the upbeat tempo, it’s the part of the song that you can ride to, but maybe you won’t be tempted to sing along. But once the chorus comes on, it’s inevitable. I definitely suggest y’all add this to your date night playlists. 

So at this point, I’m going down a rabbit hole and I ended up listening to his 2021 album, “No Shade We Shine”. Two words: “Boss Roads”. No different than before, Tye receives no bad remarks, “Boss Roads” can easily be a fan favorite, the chorus once again is so captivating, it’s one of those songs that you WANT to learn the lyrics to.

“You see this road that I been on, I got dreams up in my sight. You a lie, you gangsta, you gone step outside you risking life. Gotta watch yo mans when shit ain’t adding up ain’t feeling right, gotta watch yo mans when shit ain’t adding up ain’t feeling right.” He manages to also pick the perfect cadence with the perfect beat for the perfect song. The creativity and artistic vision that rap itself takes, especially to be successful, Tye has it. Here’s another one of ours that is next up! Let me know what y’all think. 

/Peazy from CW

Live From The Rose Room | March 11, 2023 | 6:30pm-8pm

Snap Shot Press Release | Too Cold to Tour [So Emmitt James is back in MKE]

I had to sit on this one.

Not only was the timing, TIME-ING. But the thought of Emmitt James returning to Milwaukee's humble economy [compared to LA] was just a trigger of nostalgia I was not ready to type out. [I miss those days, but not enough to go back. I was broke. Y’all was broke. But we were hungry. Hence, the "Hunger Pains" tour stop we "sponsored" with Emmitt headlining the marquee. YUP, I REMEMBER.]

It's the "home" base of talent that is underrated. A safe place for ideas not ready to be tainted. A reality of creative force undermined by a faulty infrastructure [that's only partially in existence]. A place of salvation [for this creative at least] to avoid the corporate hole. Milwaukee is home.

"Your job is to be Emmitt James", he quoted his lovely girlfriend Jamai and partner, on stage that night at the Var Gallery. A reminder that his talent and work ethic as a Hip Hop-Jazz/DIY Renaissance Man is absolutely not something to give up on. It was a "word". Not just because the support underlined her own commitment to their survival but because it was a sign of hope for all of us who take our creativity as seriously as any other type of labor. We are soul entrepreneurs eating off our passions. [Still very hungry].

The Too Cold to Tour, set was an intimate packed house that postured how Emmitt James presence in the Mil is a celebrated welcome back as if he never left. With the network strong, the family in the building, and his hand very much on the culture that cultivated him, he showed up and showed out.

With songs like, "WR-4R" (Will Rap 4 Rent), "Jagger James", and "Covenant", he entertained us. He shared his anecdotal rhetoric [yall gotta pay attention to those gems]. He made us laugh and say "emmm hmmm" with branded quips like, "Vagetarian" [I mean eating can save lives lol]. He reminded us what the hell a good live set should feel like and how important it is to shamelessly plug that you have merch for sale in the back [Cassettes, shirts, and 1 more velvet thong left *shrug*]. 

We always say it but if you weren't there you really missed a moment. But no sweat because Emmitt is a pro. He live recorded that MF! So you, You, YOU, and Yooooooou too can hear all the magic by ordering a Digital DL or CD for the low low plug price of $5.00. [You know I got mineeeeee]. 

Here is the link: https://www.emmittjames.com/store/emmitt-james-the-var-gallery-live

Now run it up for our /CW Fam, Emmitt James, who is officially back. The rent is due on the 1st and he is rapping to make sure it's paid on time.

#SupportTheLocal 

/Lexi S. Brunson, [Editor-in-Chief /CW]

Krypto - “Meditation” MUSIC VIDEO

As Krypto Kracc prepares for the release of his EP “Black Superman,” he releases yet another single and music video for “Meditation,” continuing the narrative of what a true hustler is made of. Started off by his previous releases “Hood Business” and “Dead Drop,” “Meditation” describes the importance of a Gangsta turned Businessman having the strength to turn the negatives of his life into a positive and the foresight to know that the struggle will not last forever. Krypto touches on moments where one may need meditation the most like dealing with envy from those closest to them to just needing to quiet their mind in order to perfect the next move. The visual shows him in two parallel settings- One is more glamorous, surrounded by bottle girls, money, and fellow businessmen. Then it cuts to a few shots of him on the block, reminding his audience not only of where he came from but the reason for his grind- to inspire and give back to his roots. Despite being granted opportunity after opportunity and getting closer to his goal of rolling with the big dogs, Krypto doesn't deny that he owes his stamina and business sense to his street smarts and is well on his way to being the hero that he aims to be. 

Tell me how YOU feel about “  Meditation ” Milwaukee. /Naomi-Re’a for CW