IshDARR - Broken Hearts & Bankrolls

In the music industry, (maybe even in life) you're only as relevant as your next project. This is no different for Milwaukee native IshDarr as he releases his second album, Broken Hearts & Bankrolls.

With 12 songs on the project — nearly half of which came out before the album dropped, including "Bandits," "Sugar," "Time Shawty," "Bad Four You" and "Locals;" IshDarr continues to represent Milwaukee to the fullest on his way to the top of the charts.

So if you haven't already, go #SupportTheLocal. Cop Broken Hearts & Bankrolls on iTunes, and stream the album below. 

Meraki - Thing For Me (Prod. LeanBeatz)

catching flights not feelings."

Okay, okay... so those are my words but that's basically what Meraki is telling her listeners in "Thing For Me." Another sultry song from the singer telling the world that her focuses our elsewhere and not on the people/person that might have a thing for her. 

listen below. 

I heard you got a...

VON ALEXANDER - Championships feat. Mike Regal (prod. DMND)

**WARNING... TOO MUCH FIRE ON THE TRACK.**

When mentioning Milwaukee's ever-growing hip-hop scene, you will most likely hear Von Alexander & Mike Regal mentioned. They've proven themselves time and time again with creating, featuring, performing (and producing) the hottest and most wide-ranging tracks coming out the FOUR to date.

But what happens when you put these two heavy-weights on a DMND produced track?

Well we would say they literally murdered the track with no hopes for survival. Listen below and tell Vonny we'll be keeping our eyes open for MAYHEM 1993 hopefully coming sooner than we think. 

CHAMPIONSHIPS Written and performed by Von Alexander Featuring Mike Regal Produced by DMND MAYHEM 1993 COMING SOON Follow Von Alexander on Twitter: http://twitter.com/whatsupvon

​Gen’s ShotGlass Review of MKE Film Fest

A shot glass is symbolic. It tells you what it is quickly and direct.

Since the MKE Film Festival has come to an end, we would like to reflect on the festivals take on the music/film mashup and just the greatness that the MKE Film Fest represents. Showing love to the Milwaukee film scene from every aspect possible.

As you all know a good music video can make (and sometimes) break a song.

So we asked are homie and CW Connect Genesis Renji of The House Of Renji to let us know his ShotGlass thoughts on The Milwaukee Music Video Show, "a celebration of the myriad art talent our community has to offer."

Read Gen's honest and lit descriptions of these videos then watch the videos and listen to some of songs below (if the video were unavailable).

& if you know Gen, he suggests you read these reviews in his voice. #OohYeaYea

---

1st Video – From The Drowning Dreamers Band - Frayed Bridge to Dying Star.

It had a dope acoustic vibes to it. The video itself was reminiscent to a Nat Geo documentary/ commercial for Earth’s hidden oases. Music is hypnotic, a growing trance.

2nd Video – “Roaming Empire” by Maritime.
Donuts. Reverse bubbles. Jamming at work. Boss yelling at you. Story of my life. This video had a 70’s Show vibe to it, especially with the solo car scene. The signature style was slow motion through real time speed. Long story, short: the Roaming Empire is oblivious to the worl

3rd Video – Trapper Schoepp’s “Settlin’ or Sleeping Around”.

First, coldest name I’ve ever heard in ever. Secondly, the songs sounds like a secret track to "Back To The Future"; it was one of the more cinematic feeling videos that showcased the duality of life.

4th Video - Rio Turbo “20/20 (Dashcam Remix)”. This is when DRIVE meets PBS on LSD. Electric soul sonics, paired with cuts of nature, the 50s and cells. Literal cells from science and shit. Ooh cheetah.

5th Video – Fox Face – “Teenage Wiccan” Scenic. Silhouettes. Fortune cards. Random cuts and twitches like animorphic book covers. Fingers put out fire from candle. Badass.

6th Video - Lorde Fredd33 “S.O.S”, mama there go that man again!!!! One of my favorite videos and songs. Conceptually dope; black yakuza. Hari-kari.

7th Video - Devil Met Contention’s "Used To Be" sounds like the Kill Bill 2 B Sides and looks like the best of Dancing With The Stars. If Uma Thurman made it to the wedding reception and didn't get murdered at the rehearsal, that’s this visual. Beautiful blend of western and Latin sounds and visual elements, especially the use of lighting.

8th Video - WC Tank "27th and National" is eerie as hell. Like if the Purge started a record label, this would be the first release. The slow motion shot of the skull faced skateboarder with the red cape is insane. Skateboarding devil. Upside down rain. Breakdown of song leads to visual evolution of edits and 360 camera flipping and rotated panning. Kelly Anderson got his shit off.

9th Video - Webster X’s "Lately", the grand design of Damien Blue and Cody LaPlant once again. This video is the like part 2 to Web’s “Doomsday” video. Some similar visual signatures, but the overall essence is a feeling of death and rebirth. The passing to forever.

10th Video - Direct Hit’s "Was It The Acid". Dude trips balls and sees dancing turkeys. Everyone becomes a turkey. Shot on Farwell. At the end of the video he is the rooster or turkey or whatever. I didn’t care for this.

11th Video - Group of the Altos "Coplights". This was edited like Tree Of Life. I’ve never wanted to understand a visual so much until I saw this. It's a collage of vintage photos and scenes mixed with modern memories and experiences. Great use of color for stage performance shot. Geologist. Typewriter. Domestic violence clip. VHS tapes. Campers. "Is this the past?". State Fair "is this the future?" "is this now?” Now read all of this backwards and that’s the video..

12th Video - Busdriver "Much". Dope ass song with a clean and simple visual. Straight shot with a seemingly vintage filter over the edit. It reminded me of Crooklyn. Shoutout Domo and Mykal with the cameos!!!

13th Video - Fabian James & Treyy G’s "See You". Nick Jonas ass video; Close-esque vibes. Shot like Nickelback’s "Hero" with the warehouse setting; the dancing and break dancing is so fire. Shot like an Apple/H&M commercial. Crazy dope, definitely one of my favorites from the night, don’t let the opening comments fool you.

VIDEO UNAVAILABLE TO STREAM

14th Video - Serengeti "Doctor My Own Patience". Bad memories. Empty house. Disco in the dresser, though. Cray. Roller rink. This was the most interestingly edited video. Another 70’s Show-esque visual.

VIDEO UNAVAILABLE TO STREAM

---

CREDITS:

WC Tank – “27th and National” (USA / 2016 / Director: Kelly Michael Anderson)

Busdriver – “Much” (USA / 2015 / Director: Dan Peters)

Canopies – “Getting Older” (USA / 2015 / Director: Ryan Reeve)

Devil Met Contention – “Used to Be” (USA / 2016 / Directors: Jessica Farrell, Ehson Rad)

Direct Hit – “Was it the Acid?” (USA / 2016 / Directors: Bobby Ciraldo, Andrew Swant)

Fabian James & Treyy G – “See You” (USA / 2016 / Director: Quinn Hester)

Fox Face – “Teenage Wiccan” (USA / 2016 / Director: Mitch Rasque)

The Drowning Dreamers Band – “Frayed Bridge to Dying Star” (USA / 2016 / Director: Sean Kafer)

Group of the Altos – “Coplights” (USA / 2016 / Directors: Heather Hass, Shawn Stephany, Sean Williamson)

Lex Allen – “Cream & Sugar” (USA / 2015 / Director: Cody LaPlant)

Lorde Fredd33 – “SOS” (USA / 2016 / Director: Kiran Vee)

Maritime – “Roaming Empire” (USA / 2016 / Director: Erin Elders)

Rio Turbo – “20/20 (Dashcam Remix)” (USA / 2016 / Director: Dan Boville)

Serengeti – “Doctor My Own Patience” (USA / 2016 / Director: WC Tank)

Trapper Schoepp – “Settlin’ Or Sleepin’ Around” (USA / 2016 / Director: Caroline Jaecks)

Webster X – “Lately” (USA / 2015 / Directors: Cody LaPlant, Damien Blue, Sam Ahmed)

Momentous ENT - The Momentous Compilation [TMC]

This project is for music lovers. 

"The Momentous Compilation" (TMC) is brought to you by Momentous ENT. If you're not familiar with the name, Momentous is a Denver-based music corporation with two different units within. And when they're not helping artists record and perfect there craft, they also do some graphic design work too.

But back to the music... TMC is truly a compilation project. The range of sound goes from Indie Rock to Experimental Hip Hop to Jazz to Soul and much more. From the producers to the artists on the project, each track is perfectly suited for the tone of the song and gives a wide variety of what this Momentous and its featured artists can do. 

While some of the music was recorded and produced in Denver, Milwaukee is highly represented on TMC. (#WeSeeYou) Take a listen to one of our favorites part in Goth Shock's "Really Illi Milli" (2:20 to be exact) where this breakdown speaks on the "perks & benefits" of Milwaukee. Any Milwaukee Native will appreciate it.

Take a listen below and let us know what you think of this MOMENT.

GBizzle "Sandburg Flows" ft. Skratch & JO Prod. By DG Beats

Yoooooo!

If you went to college in Milwaukee, no matter what school you went to you probably had a friend that stayed in the Sandburg dorms at UWM. Those nights kicking it used to be lit and the memories are indeed epic.

GBizzle, with his partners from the E.N.T squad, Skratch & JO, takes us back to those days with a flow inspired by those late nights, those indescribable moments, and the days that built there passion for rapping, bonded there brotherhood, and symbolizes the mind, body and spirit they call music. 

Damn we miss those days. Ahhh yes! Good times.

Check out the track, and drop a comment on your favorite college memories... we sure would like to know.

/CW

J-LAMO "WRITERS BLOCK" EP *COPYWRITE OFFICIAL DROP*

J-LAMO has been working hard on his craft. He has been cultivating those "back to the basics" elements that most emcee's lately have skipped over in a quest for a fast come up, and high profile failure.

With his pen to the pad, he has been jotting down his thoughts like the old school rhymers. No BlackBerry with the side scroll. No Siri poppin' voice notes. No memo pad apps. Just the note books filled to the brim like the Holy Grail. 

With "The Mission" set a few months back, J-LAMO premiers here on Copywritemag.com, his new EP, "Writers Block". 

Finding his voice, he has created a dialogue that depicts the force that drives the pen to leak those #BARS, which sometimes we just have to force out.  Plotting on his maneuvers and identifying his human traits, J-LAMO pulls us into his 6 track demo depicting his world, the social duality, and the other side of the block.

He writes:

"Imagine this. A world segregated by two different sides.

One side, bright as day. A happy culture that inspires you. A place you can always visit and say hi to strangers because everyone is so happy.

On the other side. Not so sunny. You grow up with depression on this side because everyone hates each other. There's no love on this side, because it's impossible to envision growth.

.... But Fuck all that we on The Mission to build the Culture!"

As you set out on your own Mission, you might need to rack up on your theme music, so here it goes...Welcome to the BLOCK!

/CW

An imaginary story based on the segregated realities of the streets I grew up on. (Milwaukee, WI.) I go thru different moods during this journey which is what inspired "the act" of writer's block in the first place. It's a demo, but a story that I want people to figure out on their own as you listen. Welcome to the Block! Mixing/Mastering: Charles "Mammyth" Forsberg

Kenneth Whalum - Might Not Be Ok (feat. Big K.R.I.T.)

I could go into the importance of this song, how relevant it is for today's society, how it should make anyone with a heart feel a certain way but I'll just say this:

We're tired. But we need you to listen. Really listen.

We know it's not okay.

Don't let this one go unnoticed. #SayThereNames

Vocal performance and production by Kenneth Whalum. Additional featured vocals by Big K.R.I.T. Keys and synth by Kris Bowers. Spotify: http://smarturl.it/MNBOKSp Apple: http://smarturl.it/MNBOKA

AUTOMatic "Talkin Bout Love"

Here is a cut from the "smooth Hip-Hop duo" AUTOMatic (APRIME and Trellmatic). This is a different sound coming out of Milwaukee, a little more reminiscent of the Roots, 90's poetics, soulful, and thoughtful. The first single from their 4th full album Marathon, slated to release 11/11/16.

Sources say:

"Talkin Bout Love," a song that identifies the need for more LOVE in this world and takes the time itself to express love for people of all walks of life. It's aimed to be a pick-me-up style of track and that's exactly what it is. It feels good, the message is good, and the love abounds.

Well catch these vibes and let us know what you think. Do you want to hear more from AUTOMatic? Drop a comment below!

Milwaukee's AUTOMatic is back! For the 1st single from their upcoming full length album Marathon (11.11.16) AUTOMatic presents "Talkin Bout Love." "TBL" is a track that identifies the need for more love in this world and takes time to express love for people of all walks of life. If you needed a little pick-me-up in your day, hit play and enjoy "Talkin Bout Love."

Emmitt James "FUCKS WITCHU" ft. Fivy

Well you know we F***ks with Emmitt James and his recent track, "FUCKS WITCHU" from his unreleased project, due to drop in October 2016, #THEFEELGOODTAPE is no exception.

Adding the sultry and soul bending voice of Fivy to the mix, this is definitely one of those "feel me tho" tracks that make you want just vibe. Also catch those undertones of punch line word play too from Fivy...that’s the type of shiz you don’t get main stream.

FUCKS WITCHU is the second offering from #THEFEELGOODTAPE set to release October 2016 Written and performed by Emmitt James, Fivy Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by Genesis Renji © 2016 House Of Renji, LLC; Lost Boys Collective