/CW INTERN SKY ABNER | 21 Things I Learned at Milwaukee Fashion Week from a Fashion Perspective

A WORD FROM OUR INTERN SKY:

@mkefashionweek was such a fun experience to be apart of! I enjoyed seeing all the shows and doing interviews for @copywritemag

To all the wonderful people that I interviewed thank you so much for being apart of my short film. I wanted to add everybody but it would have been a movie.

Interviewees:
@jmacjr03
@hopemarieusa
@silversarkofficial
@shantiofficiall
@222iluvme_
@cielo.marisa
@pop_that_pooley
@_arturovelasco
@jvrvmyy.joelll
@pakou._.222
@gigiwagener
@julieannmaday

My love for fashion started when I was a kid. It was something passed down to me from both of my parents. My mom had a closet I would raid any chance I could get, which I still like to do to  this day. My dad collected ties, more than 500 of them, and he loved nothing more than putting on a sharp suit. Between the two of them, I grew up surrounded by style. 

I spent hours playing dress-up games, imagining the kind of spaces where fashion was not just  personal but celebrated. Living in Milwaukee, I always wished for a place where people like me, people who loved fashion in all its forms, had a community where that love could be shared  freely. 

Walking into Milwaukee Fashion Week, I realized that dream had found its home. For three days, I watched the city’s fashion community come alive. Designers, models, stylists,  photographers and volunteers all wove together into something bigger than a show. 

This year, the energy filled three different venues: the Milwaukee Public Museum, City Hall and  the Rivulet. Each space had its own story, from high-fashion archive pieces to the blueprint of streetwear and forms and figures. President Jeffrey McAlister called it “the reimagined, renewed and redefined Milwaukee Fashion Week,” and standing there in the middle of it all, I understood exactly what he meant. 

On the runway, the designs did more than turn heads; they told stories. Silversärk brought the  heat with daring, dramatic pieces that were impossible to forget, while Sam Graham Avant  Garde added sophistication, with looks so fly they made me double-take. Some pieces carried a retro flair that pulled me back to the 70s, a time I wasn’t born but still felt connected to through  his clothing. Then, during streetwear night came Arturo Velasco, whose work blended his culture  and love for Chihuahua, Mexico, transforming them into designs rooted in identity and storytelling. Fashion here was not just about fabric. It was about the designer’s voice, memory, and creativity. 

The models brought their own kind of magic. Some had known they wanted to walk the runway  since they were a kid, while others found their way here through friendship and community.  They reminded me that confidence matters as much as couture. The runway can be a family, a  place where people grow together and support one another. 

The backstage process was a world of its own, buzzing with urgency, laughter and the constant warmth of curling irons. Student and professional hair and makeup artists moved with precision, 

transforming models in minutes. Every detail, from beat faces to sculpted hair, mattered.  Watching it unfold felt like seeing another kind of art form, one that rarely comes alive in front  of the cameras. 

And speaking of cameras, the photographers were everywhere, capturing angles and moments that told their own story. Volunteers kept things running smoothly, helping people to their seats, making everyone feel welcome. 

Looking back at my great experience, I walked away with 21 notes from the past 3 nights: 

1. The city’s fashion scene is thriving and growing. 

2. Milwaukee Fashion Week has come a long way. 

3. Every venue told a story. 

4. The designer’s couture amazed me. 

5. Designers proved fashion can carry culture. 

6. Models reminded me that the runway is a family and that confidence matters.  7. Backstage is chaos and inspiration.  

8. Hairstylists push limits.  

9. Makeup turns faces into art.  

10. Photographers make moments last.  

11. Volunteers keep everything moving.  

12. The hosts feel the crowd and the room with energy. 

13. The community is inclusive and very kind. 

14. Everyone has a real love for fashion. 

15. Designers draw inspiration from everywhere.  

16. The runway is about storytelling.  

17. Every detail counts.  

18. Fashion in Milwaukee is about connection.  

19. Organizers want national recognition.  

20. Fashion shows are a celebration. 

21. And at the heart of it all, Milwaukee Fashion Week is about style, creativity and  community! 

As Julie Ann Maday, on the finance committee board, told me, “I want Milwaukee Fashion  Week on the map like Chicago, New York, or Paris. We have the designers, we have the talent,  we just need to keep building.” 

And after three nights of being in the middle of it all, I have the highest hopes for the future of  Milwaukee Fashion Week as well.

PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF COPYWRITE MAGAZINE ISSUE 22 | THE VISION

“The record will not be unwritten . . . not this time.”

-FOR THE LAST TIME-

In this issue, we explore Vision. From our professional practice, we use vision as a tool to navigate the aesthetic world, playing with the complexities of that faculty. “What does it feel like to have the ability to think about the future, plan for unrealized opportunities, or see alternative ways to approach what is? For some, this appears as clairvoyant. CopyWrite itself was born from envisioning a conduit that supported the local community through creative endeavors. But the gift of vision is not an isolated ability. It manifests itself in so many others forging innovation, redefining ingenuity, and has produced hope by seeing beyond “states of matter”, taking paths less travelled [& others plunging head-first into the unknown]. 

Featuring: Briana Mcquay, Emma Daisy, Dukalion, and the 3C’s | DCD Commissioner Lafayette Crump, County Executive David Crowley, Mayor Cavalier Johnson

Introducing Muta'aliah: The Artist Whose Love for Art Has Sparked the Truth About Healing

PHOTO ACCREDITED BY /CW DESRIANA GILBERT

For thousands of people throughout the world, playground lots filled with images created by chalk, popsicle sticks, and glue bottles are their first depictions of the embodiment of art. Many do not explore beyond the surface level of this school subject; it’s often given only a skewed capacity, such as coloring books and double-sided crayola markers. The complexities and multifacetedness of this sacred skill have always been visually noticed but rarely discussed as a community throughout society for centuries. However, I had the pleasure of sitting down with one of the most talented visual artists who just so happens to be located right here in the heart of Milwaukee. I went into the conversation as one who loves art and uses it as a vessel of optimism and escape but I left the conversation educated and intrigued to learn more after hearing their responses. /CW fam, I introduce you to one of our newest family members, Mutaaaliah.

“I fell in love with art in the fourth grade. Just like any kid, I was constantly exposed to it, at school and throughout the city. Nobody sat me down and taught me how to become one with it. Our connection happened naturally. When something is for you, you just know!”

— Muta'aliah

MUTA’ALIAH SURROUNDED BY THEIR PHYSICAL ART PORTFOLIO

Muta’aliah has been one of Milwaukee’s most engaging and eye-catching visual artists since 2021. You may recognize the name from being in creative art shows such as Some Fools, Bronzeville Artwalk, Mitchell Street Arts, and La Gente Art Gallery. Their journey has been far from traditional; after dropping out of UW-Milwaukee in 2020, while the pandemic had us all on lockdown, Muta’s passion for art did not die; rather, it intensified. From beginning, a self-taught journey of tracing, they quickly realized the help of other talented individuals would be one of the secret sauces to becoming successful and educated. Collaborating, studying, and watching muralists, painters, and several other types of artists from Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD) became their everyday routine and instilled more hunger inside Muta’aliah to hone in on their craft as well as apply their own flavor and personality to it. As we sat down, Muta expressed to me that their creative process is to always look at what is transpiring in their own life; from adversaries, accomplishments, and lessons, pull the current emotions out of it and formulate pieces that will display the feeling of what Muta is or has gone through over their lifetime. 

“I draw inspiration from what’s going on inside me as well as my surroundings. Milwaukee plays a large part in that. I get a ton of ideas just from the everyday people here that I meet. There’s a unique level of warmth and kindness the city has that is rarely spoken about.”

— Muta'aliah

ART PIECE CREATED BY MUTA AT TRUESKOOL’S 2025 JUNETEENTH MURAL CONTEST (FIRST PLACE PIECE)

I was gifted with the presence of Muta’s vulnerable side from the very beginning of the interview. Harsh topics such as psychosis, family trauma, and depression were uncovered and discussed layer by layer. It’s often assumed that visual artists only display positive depictions of life and emotions onto their canvases, buildings and streets; but Muta’aliah gave me a few pages out of their book that was quite the opposite. For Muta, murals and paintings created by them is a coping mechanism and healing process for their own pathway of life. Healing is not linear, predictable, or set on a specific deadline that means your life will go back to being normal or at its most happiest for the rest of your life. Through creating and sharing a message not often discussed, Muta’aliah’s art is more than eccentric and vibrant. In 2023, the artist went through psychosis where they were constantly on edge and had auditory as well as visual hallucinations due to a traumatic event that occurred. Their art piece entitled, “I Kill Vampires” was the therapeutic representation of Muta overcoming psychosis and claiming power of one’s own life back.

ARTWORK CREATED BY MUTA

“I want people to understand that healing is an ongoing process. There will be always be triggers even when you think you’ve overcome something. Being vulnerable looks different for everybody. Instead of trying to get over trauma so quickly; I want people to gather the lesson of accepting how trauma has impacted their lives and individuality as a whole, but go at their own pace.”

— Muta'aliah

Throughout the interview, I learned one of Muta’s favorite words, VISION. This is what has kept persistency and perseverance at the forefront of their artistry. From moments of wanting to give up, art has never been easy to walk away from and not complete their vision. So what does Muta’s vision look like you ask? ( Yes, I hear you all asking that question through your screens.) It is to create pieces of word that has surrealism, expressionism and storytelling as its foundation that make people not only talk to one another with deep conversation but also think and be completely honest with not only others but most importantly themselves. As any artist would feel, Muta’aliah’s accolades such as winning first place TrueSkool’s 2025 Juneteenth Mural Contest and being apart of groundbreaking showcases makes them feel proud and inspired to keep going to the very top but that's not the reason why Muta continues to create. 

The visual artist’s ultimate goal is to execute their vision of being able to live life the way they would like. Making a sustainable income off of the value of their artistry and becoming a part of the movement for Milwaukee art is the wind that keeps Muta’aliah going. Most importantly, everyday people are learning to face their trauma and navigate life even after the darkness by witnessing Muta create in the moment or their finalized portfolio, which is the overarching message of Muta’s gallery.

“Art is the sign of the times. We as artists have the responsibility to show what is going on in our time period. Whether it’s about my personal life or what we as society are facing, it is my job to create by that. Milwaukee art is underfunded and my goal is to become apart of a movenment that gets Milwaukee artsitry funded the way it deserves. There is immense talent here that is given little to no resources.”

— Muta'aliah

ARTWORK CREATED BY VISUAL ARTIST MUTA

Muta’s foot is never coming up off the gas when it comes to not only the vision for themselves but for the innovation of the Milwaukee Art Scene as a whole. Go see Muta’aliah’s work in person at 100percentmke, located at 217 N Broadway, Milwaukee, WI 53202 in the heart of Third Ward. This is where Muta was given an artist residency to create, network and connect with the community to buy their artwork or pull up for a deep conversation. (One of Muta’s favorites!) Follow the eccentric and truthful talent @Mutaaaliah and stop by 100percentmke to see the magic in person, buy prints and original pieces from the artist and catch their vibe.

Desriana Gilbert | Entertainment & Social Journalist for /CW

INTRODUCING THE /CW PITCH YOUR PRICE PROGRAM

Creatives & Community members keep saying that they can not "afford" to use our "services", but if they "could" then they "would".

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Now, we’re putting that theory to the test

The Pitch Your Price Program is a bold new initiative designed to increase accessibility to our services for creatives and community members who express interest but feel financially restricted. Instead of adhering to fixed service rates, we’re inviting individuals to pitch us their event or project—at a price they can afford.

This is more than just a discount program—it’s a community-powered experiment to explore the real value of our work while building relationships based on trust, transparency, and mutual support.

LEARN MORE

VENDORS WANTED | KEEPING IT IN THE FAM [FALL] /CW VENDORS MARKET [2025]

VENDOR WANTED:

Opportunity for smaller/newer vendors to have a low-stakes but high-quality vending experience.

/CW Creative Shop now offers affordable paid vending/ popup rental opportunities for individuals, small businesses, and curated GROUP VENDING opportunities looking to connect directly with the community in an inspiring, low-overhead environment, by allowing you to try POP UP vending with THE CREATIVE [POP UP] SHOP RENTAL PROGRAM.

Here’s How Milwaukee Fashion Week Served Looks and Unified The Community

Photo Accredited To Designer, LaTasha Anderson

Did you know that when you walk out into the world, you’re expressing yourself in hundreds of ways every day? For some of you, it’s the songs blasting through your headphones as you’re walking down the street. While for others, it’s your daily rant on Twitter about the latest news in pop culture. Millions of people connect through sharing similarities in aesthetics and interests, whereas other connections are formed by the intrigue and differences of opinion between one another. In the world of fashion, runways, photo-ops, fabrics, and models are the gateway to self-expression of whose creating and what message they’d like to convey to the public. Big cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and Miami often get the credit for the innovation and liveliness of the fashion industry, but this weekend, one of the underdogs came in swinging and made a statement that will last for centuries. Our city, MILWAUKEE, was indeed the underdog who showed up and showed out with a purpose.

 Photo Accredited to Tay Sondelski

After hearing the words “Milwaukee Fashion Week”, a visual diary spun around in my mind with countless images and assumptions of what the weekend would entail. Eccentric looks, serene venues, and networking with a party twist is what I imagined. However, nothing could have prepared me for the creativity, euphoric atmosphere, and knowledge I experienced during this year’s Milwaukee Fashion Week. As a city native, it struck me that Milwaukee even held the power to create these bold and beautiful scenic environments. It often felt like I wasn’t even in the city I once knew, one of the major fashion capitals, such as Paris. Seeing the reactions of others in the audience, I instantly knew this thought was not only lingering in my mind. I quickly learned that it meant more to the community than just a night out on the town and feeling as if they were all in a Project Runway episode. Milwaukee Fashion Week 2025 strengthened the community in a severe way, which is why I began asking everyone just how significant and eye-opening the past weekend had been for them.

It amazes me how everynody counts us out. Milwaukee needs to be put on the map when it comes to all things fashion; from streetweat, high-fashion, and archive. We have amazing talent and merchandise right here in the city

-Model Coach & Professional Model, Julie Ann Maday

Milwaukee Fashion Week is important to me because it makes me as a woman feel seen and important. Seeing new designs and how models wear them gives me inspiration for how I rock my clothes and feel sexy!

-Guest, Angela Walker

Videos Accredited to /CW Desriana Gilbert

On Saturday, September 27th, 2025, my first adventure began at The Rivulet, located at 309 N Water Street, Milwaukee, WI. The evening was titled, The BluePrint, with the it girl of the hour being streetwear. As I witnessed the talented designers prepping their models and the adrenaline rushing chaos that we all know to love from a bird’s eye point of view, an epiphany came to me. Spaces such as these, highly anticipated fashion shows, are creating avenues for community members. One avenue is support for careers people never even knew they could have in Milwaukee. I talked with a number of photographers, models, and designers who never even believed this could be a financially stable career, let alone a consistent job flow. Milwaukee Fashion Week ignites the city with representation. The knowledge of not having to move to another city or give up on a dream because it feels out of arm’s reach was boldly shared with not only those who intensified the show but also with audience members as well. I learned that it is one of the leading forces that drives and motivates entrepreneurship in the city. All it takes is for people to see someone from the same city doing exactly what they’ve dreamed about for the city to be transformed into an emerging fashion mecca. The lively and electric night consisted of eight designers who each contributed homage to their own heritage, style, and message.

The Classic Shop

Photos accredited to /CW Desriana Gilbert

The Classic Shoppe, Lela Elizabeth, Aesthetic By Carlos, Designs By Deme, Arturo Velasco, The Wild West, $LEEPYHEAD, and Kingsawan Collective were the heavy-hitting line-up, and they did not come to disappoint; instead, the show already had guests and designers eagerly brainstorming ideas for next year!

The Blueprint: Streetwear Fashion Show not only highlighted how one’s ideas, aspirations, and goals can quickly turn into reality, but it also sparked legendary communal value, most of all! A multitude of guests revealed their vulnerable side and shared how MKE Fashion Week served as an optimistic reflection of the city. Every day, many of them tune into the local news and witness the complexity and dangers of Milwaukee, while others are in a state of survival. Being in tranquil venues while being exposed to stylish storytelling brings a certain kind of peace and comfort in a city where division and uncertainty are the trending topics on a daily basis. This night meant more than trench coats, high heels, and colorful moodboards; it served as a playful metaphor that the guests are the blueprint to the success of our city. Bold leadership and working together will always unify community members.

Photos Accredited to /CW Desriana Gilbert

The vibrant purpose of Milwaukee Fashion Week did not abruptly end on Saturday night; rather, it became more apparent the very next day and was free for everyone to come and enjoy. On Sunday, September 28th, 2025, a live exhibit entitled Forms and Figues was held at Milwaukee City Hall, located at 200 East West Street, Milwaukee, WI. This elegant and high-fashion themed exhibit caught my eye immediately by how inclusive, diverse, and open-minded it was. There was a mix of student designers, professional fashion designers, and fashion institutions that represented the thousands of ideas that run through their minds and become a breathtaking visual story. The unique element of having the designers and model stand on the same platform, while four to five chairs surrounded them, added a personal touch to the previous events held during the weekend. This provided a very rare interpersonal connection between audience members and designers, where people had the opportunity to ask any question they had for models or the designer, such as a piece of advice, designers to share their creative process, or what message they wanted people to take away from not only the look presented in front of them but their entire collection as well. This sparked much confidence, passion and motivation for the next generation of those who dream of being in the fashion industry.

Photos Accredited to /CW Desriana Gilbert

Photo Accredited to /CW Desriana Gilbert

Many believe fashion is superficial or doesn’t go beyond the surface level of movies such as, The Devil Wears Prada and Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but that’s far from the truth. Milwaukee Fashion Week is a living testament that knowledge, power, collaboration, support and creative freedom unifies a community. Think of fashion designers as the storytellers, models as the story, and audience members as ones who hold the power of how far the message reaches within the community for change and innovation to come.

Follow MKE fashion week on all platforms @mkefashionweek for an exclusive recap of this year’s itinerary if you missed it. Comment down below what you are excited to see next year!

Desriana Gilbert | Entertainment & Social Journalist for /CW

GET 10% OFF MKE FASHION WEEK 2025 TICKETS WITH OUR /CW FAM PROMO CODE

Paving Your Way In The Film Industry With Tyree Pope | By /CW Guest Writer Jolee Mallmann

I met Tyree Pope years ago while we were both students in the Radio-TV-Film program at the University of Oshkosh Wisconsin. While we were taking classes and learning how to enter the film industry, Tyree was already working hard on developing his own creative projects. When I moved to Milwaukee looking for media work, I realized just how much of the film and television industry in the city was saturated with UWM film graduates. It was hard to find work on sets and break into the scene here with a background outside of the city. When I looked around for fellow graduates trying to make their way in the industry, Tyree consistently stood above the rest. 

The difference between someone like Tyree and creatives who gave up on trying to make Milwaukee work for them, is the purpose and the drive to just do it no matter what. Tyree Pope developed his own podcast series Kickin’ It With Tyree back in college, and carried that project and many others through to higher levels as his own career in filmmaking began to flourish. He didn’t wait for the world around him to be ready for his work, he made it happen and in doing so the industry caught up to Tyree where he was at. His drive, creativity and vision brought him to working on press for Sundance Film Festival, developing his own Comic Book series Fair Fight, covering festivals like Rolling Loud and securing interviews with filmmakers like Jesse Eisenberg. 

When I look at filmmakers and creatives like Tyree, I think about how it takes a genuine love for the game to secure longevity in the world of film and media. You can wait for the world to choose you and be disappointed until it’s finally *your time* or you can choose yourself, make it happen and let the world realize what they were missing before they saw your spark. Tyree was going to shine regardless, Milwaukee was just clever enough to let the light in.

Where are you from originally and where are you living and working now? Do you feel like any parts of your upbringing have stuck with you to this day as a filmmaker?

I’m from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and that’s still where I live and work today. Growing up here shaped the way I see the world, the way I walk, the way I talk. It's a city that carries a lot of history, culture, and challenges. Also with going through art school here as a child. Those experiences definitely stuck with me and informed the kinds of stories I want to tell as a filmmaker, especially stories rooted in community, authenticity and just truly being unapologetically yourself at all times.

You went for film at UW Oshkosh and now you’re working out of Milwaukee. In your experience what is the culture of filmmaking like in both of these cities? Any similarities or major differences? 

UW Oshkosh was where I learned the fundamentals and experimented without fear. I didn’t get the support on my projects from the film community in UWO as much as I wanted so I made it my journey to do it on my own. To make these ideas happen whether it had the support or not. It was a great space to experiment and grow though and find what avenues I wanted to go down. Milwaukee is more about collaboration and building with other creatives who are just as hungry. The biggest difference is that Milwaukee has a tighter community feel and people really rally together here whereas Oshkosh felt more like a learning environment. I expected most people in the film program to never pick up a camera again honestly.

You do work in animation. What inspired you to start Fair Fight Comics? What has the journey of bringing that project to life been like?

Fair Fight Comics came out of just pushing myself to tell the story that was in my head as I sat in bed in Taylor hall at UWO. Originally as an animated pilot script and developed into a comic book later on. I’ve always loved comics and animation because they let you create whole worlds without limitation. The journey has been challenging but rewarding building a universe, developing stories, and slowly seeing it all come to life has been like planting seeds and watching them grow. Fair Fight Comics will continue to grow and flourish into new avenues even if that avenue isn’t comics.

How did you get your start in filmmaking and what was your inspiration to start in the first place?

I got my start in film by being a writer and writing stories. I wrote my first short story in 7th grade at Lincoln Center of the Arts and always wanted to do something with writing and creating something people could identify with. I’ve always felt somewhat of an observer of the stories around me and the things I’ve learned that have happened throughout history whether that be through mythology or religion. I think about how I can tell the lost stories of our ancestors in a modern way. As far as behind the camera I started with photography and understanding the frame and moved into how I could tell a story within a frame. Then I started thinking about how I could help artists like me and I created Kickin’ It with Tyree and that opened the doors for me creatively and is still opening doors for me to this day with over 100 interviews. My inspiration was always the creating ideas that film could move people, create conversation, and spark change. I may not be the flame, but I can be the spark.

What is your favorite genre of films to watch in general and what are your favorite kinds of films to make?

I watch a little bit of everything. I love old films from Double Indemnity to Cooley High. I watch horror movies, comedies, thrillers, coming of age stories. I love making genre movies and creating things based on a specific genre and feeling I am trying to provoke whether that be fear, hate, love, happiness or sadness. The science of provoking emotion is something I’m always working on and there’s someone out there that wants to connect to that and see themselves in something on screen.

You’ve worked on multiple local short films, features and series. What are some of the projects you enjoyed working on the most and why? 

Every project has taught me something, but working on my short film AL taught me that not everything is always going to be perfect and the way you set out for this film to be in the beginning is not always how it’s going to end and the way I was able to flip the script, rewrite, and cast the week before shooting showed me how quick on my feet I can be in tough situations like that.

What’s your favorite role to play on set and why?

Directing is where I feel most at home. I like being able to see the big picture while also working closely with actors and crew to bring out the best in everyone. It’s where I get to merge vision and collaboration. In most of my projects I have had to become producer, editor, director etc. So I feel comfortable in the chaos of most roles.

Who are a few filmmakers you find major inspiration in? 

Spike Lee for his ability to create a moment and have you live in it. Do The Right Thing is a moment in time that when you watch the film you're engulfed in the time, place and the now. Rick Famuyiwa for his ability to tell coming of age stories from The Wood to Dope about young black men from the hood that didn’t involve tragedy and heartbreak but overcoming their environment and excelling, falling in love, pursuing education in spite of that. Micheal Schultz made Krush Groove the film that I watched time and time again as a kid, Cooley High one of the first films I remember watching and loving as I watched over and over again, Car Wash, The Last Dragon! His influence in African American filmmaking is and will always be felt in our stories and creations.

Do you have any fun memories from working on film sets? Could you describe any challenges or learning experiences from your time on different sets?

Some of the best memories are just the late nights when everyone’s tired but still laughing and pushing through. Challenges always come up, things not going as planned, weather messing with shoots, but those moments teach you adaptability. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that filmmaking is problem-solving in real time. Cause if it can go wrong it will.

Do you have any advice you’d give to the younger version of yourself who was first starting out in filmmaking?

Don’t let anyone, even yourself, put you in a box, just because you are doing weddings right now or making music videos or podcasts. Doesn’t mean you have to stay there. You are allowed to expand and create with the freedom you once had as a child. Don’t let anyone take that joy and love for film and creating away from you.

If you see it, you have it. Just go out and take the steps to grab it. Some things take time, but with time comes experience, connections, and lifelong collaborators that you’ll go through the fire with. Go to film festivals, don’t be a hermit. Find a way to make the things you want to make even if you have no one to make them with.

What are you looking forward to next in your career in film? Do you have any projects in the works or things you’re excited to try next?

I’m excited about continuing to build Lake $hore Dreamers and take projects to a larger scale. I’m working on a couple of scripts for TV shows and Feature Films that I want to take on in the next 1-2 years. In the meantime, I am working on producing short films that I wrote in the spring, an animated short. Then the end of my comic trilogy Fair Fight Vol. 3 which is in production as we speak. I am also taking on animation myself and attempting to learn it and produce works on my own.

Where can we find your work?

You can find my work through Lake $hore Dreamers. Website coming soon, but in the meantime, you can follow me on Instagram @tyreepope3 for updates, behind-the-scenes, and upcoming projects.

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Into independent film? Want to learn more?

The | PAID | Write-Up: Supporting Independent Arts Journalism Together

After 10+ years of writing about music, art, and creativity with passion and zero pay, we’re making an important shift. As of September 2025, we will no longer be offering free reviews or write-ups for media submissions. Instead, we have introduced The | PAID | Write-Up, a journalism-based creative asset review program that provides write-ups for a modest fee of $25 [+ tax] for artist features and creative coverage.

This change allows CopyWrite to continue providing honest, thoughtful, and constructive coverage — while finally giving value back to the writers and editors who have kept this platform alive all these years. More importantly, it opens the door for artists who may have previously fallen under the radar to access guaranteed high-quality editorial attention.

How It Works:

• EMAIL COPYWRITE.MKE@GMAIL.COM | ATTN: THE PAID WRITE-UP

• SUBMIT [1] CREATIVE WORK [EX. 1 SONG, 1 VIDEO | NO ALBUMS]

• PAY $25 [+TAX] INVOICE

• RECEIVE POSTING LINK CONFIRMATION ON COPYWRITEMAG.COM

• WRITE-UPS MAY TAKE 2 TO 4 WEEKS TO POST

Every review will continue to be transparent, thoughtful, emphasizing locally based talent and “all things Urban”, just as our readers and artists have come to expect.

To all the artists who’ve shared their work with us over the years: thank you. You’ve helped us sharpen our pen, expand our perspective, and stay rooted in the creative community. We're proud of what we’ve built together, and hopeful about where it's heading next.

We appreciate your support as we move into this new chapter — one where independent arts journalism is valued, sustained, and open to more voices [& talent] than ever before.

Love & All Things Urban

/CW FAM

B.Justice - I DO

Every once and a while, a song drops that does not lean on heavy production tricks or flashy features, but instead thrives on how naturally it flows. B.Justice’s “I Do” is one of those tracks. From the first few seconds, the beat settles into a mellow rhythm, giving you the kind of warmth you would expect if Bob Marley ever stepped in the booth to spit bars. The blend of bass and subtle beatboxing gives the song a flow that feels both playful and grounded.

What really pulls the track together is B.Justice himself. His voice cuts through with precision, each word enunciated like he knows it deserves to be heard. No mumble rapping here! His delivery is steady and intentional, but not stiff, which gives the lyrics a sharpness that plays against the easygoing beat in a way that keeps your ears locked in.

In the hook, he brings in his own vocals by singing the words “I Do” with a simple and memorable cadence. The chorus is catchy without ever feeling forced and I caught myself singing it even as I was writing this. 

“I Do” strikes that rare balance between being easy to vibe with and still showcasing B.Justice’s lyrical sharpness, proving that sometimes the most powerful statement is in keeping it simple.

Ya’ll make sure y’all vibe out and give it a listen!

/Sky Abner for CW 

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