Driveway Dreamers - TRP [album submission]

If ya’ll still don't believe that the cloth of Hip-Hop has found its place in the Milwaukee culture by now then y'all are trippiiiiin….This year was a great year for music and I’m not even talking about what's going on mainstream. I’m talkin about the locals, the underground, the underdogs; I’m talkin about Milwaukee. Once again another head-nodder for the books. Local artists Big P and his right hand man, producer and fellow rap artist Lik, as TRP (The Roses Prevail), dropped their debut album Driveway Dreamers  and the city’s influence is definitely strong. Milwaukee is all up and through there from the song titles referencing landmarks and different moments in time that we as Milwaukeeans are oh so familiar with, to the lingo and the accent coming through clear with every skit. On what, TRP came to represent! The intro, “Milwaukee Mall,” contradicts the grunge and grit that is seen as the aesthetic of Milwaukee rap with the repetition of the words “...But I dream in color, muthafucka…” after describing the typical scenery of an everyday walk through the hood, symbolic of how we all must look beyond what we see. The following and first official track, “White Dookies,” beautifully samples the instrumental to Sade’s “Cherish The Day” and just as Sade’s music already does for many of us, Lik gives us all of the nostalgia, going in on the first verse; “...Stuntin like a east nigga, but I’m ‘norf’ side like the speed queen feast, niggas paid the fee, been grinding since little league...way back I was t-timid with the speech, now I’m speaking what I mean, every word be a seed...” a feeling straight from most of our memories. Big P ends the song with a chant that we all can relate to “....All White Dookies with no crease my nigga, back when we was eating Tastee Twists for dinner….fresh white dookies in the top of the winter… ” Fast forwarding to the 7th track, the interlude, “Summerfest,” is a track for the lovers. This track is led by the beautiful vocals of a woman who describes what her love is and what it can do. Although Big P and Lik’s vocals are left off of this track, their intention is still felt. With this song we are taken back to our teenage years of Summerfest dates with our sweet hearts while also possibly being metaphorically reminded of how much we grew to be in love with our city as we got to know it with every summer day and night that was spent away from home on an adventure with the crew; “I remember when I used to get fly for you, used to throw on them new ‘95’s for you, used to smoke a little tree, coast the sky for you...cause you make me feel like way back, when mama used to drop us right off where the gate at and when you walked in and everybody waved back, I said I'm here to see ‘Ye, where the stage at?” 

Tell me how YOU feel about “Driveway Dreamers” Milwaukee. 

/Naomi-Re’a for CW

WoLF Studios Presents: “ReVibe” Vol.2- Soul [Post Event Write Up]

"If you place the emphasis on getting the little things right, and address the everyday problems that come up, you can encourage a culture of attention to detail."

- Richard Branson, Founder of Virgin Records

 If there’s anyone who is all about that it’s Wanyah Leon Frazier, CEO of WoLF Studios, a Milwaukee based Multi-Media Production Company that knows what it's SUPPOSED to look like- whatever “it” is. On November 6th, WoLF Studios presented “ReVibe” Vol. 2 - Soul at MARN Art Bar + Culture Hub, Vol.1 being held last year in the heat of the pandemic at No Studios. Ya’ll, this presentation was splendid! Located in Milwaukee’s downtown area, MARN is already a cozy space to be in with the bar in eyes view as soon as you walk in, the walls and back bar having a vast array of wine, and the wall art, jewelry, and other art pieces from different creators on display and couch seating waiting for us to indulge in it all, comfortably. But WoLF Studios’s presence took it up a notch with a sold out full house audience. With melodic affirmations by Queen Mother of WoLF Studios and hostess Kenza Dawn (“Don’t it feel good to be aliiiiive...”), audience appearances from singer B~Free, visual artist Ashley Dallas, who was presenting art that night, poetry vet Brit Nicole, and some of us from Team CopyWrite, we all shared the experience of being witnesses to the wonderful siren-like vocals of Felix Ramsey, the lovely Lotus Fankh, beautiful interpretive dance demonstrations by DeMar Walker, Tori Lauren, Sophia Leon, Taylor Maurchie-Banks, more wall art displays by Adjua Nsoroma, and spoken word by Deolinda Abstract and Tori Zo. From the lighting to the servitude to the all around production of this event, anyone would want to be apart.

CW: I have to comment on how wonderful this event turned out to be- the setting is perfect, the audience is perfect AND diverse...everything is how it's supposed to be. Would you give [the readers] a background on what ReVibe is, where it came from, how long you've been doing it, how long you planned on doing it- what's the meaning of ReVibe?

WF: So, um, ReVibe is my interpretation of some of what the art community is missing, and it happened during Covid. Basically, during Covid a lot of the white-based organizations all had things [ready for] all for their artists but there weren't many organizations of color that were providing avenues for people to perform during Covid…I wanted to see more color...plain and simple. That's all I wanted to do, so we had ReVibe last year- it was at No Studios, we had a great time, we had a plethora of artists and it was just a vibe, basically. And so I’m like okay I need to do this every time now because as I move into it, even before, there aren't many platforms for us. We don't see them, they're not there, so I am a strong believer- I dont beg for things, I make them. I'm an artist, right? So I was like let’s make more platforms. Let's add more places where performers, of any genres really, can feel comfortable to step in, perform, have new pieces, have that same level of creative freedom that other white-based organizations or any organizations in general are able to provide for their artists and their employees; I want us to have that same level of artistic freedom here.

CW: Absolutely. And of course you want to start pouring that into where you're from- the home city that you grew up in, but do you plan on taking that elsewhere or is that something that  you haven't looked forward to yet?

WF: So my hope- my real goal is to take WoLF Studios national and have a pop up organization that shows up in different cities, set up a base and does similar things to what we're doing here in other places providing that platform- that space where artists of different genres, of different talent levels can get together and produce meaningful works, so I see this as almost like a multimedia-art studio that just sets up shop in another city; we host performances, we have galleries, we have things that showcase and provide that platform for already talented artists to really make it a career. 

CW: You said ‘already talented artists...’ What about the people who may just be figuring out what they want? Is there a lane for them in ReVibe... how do you operate with that group?

WF: We have it set to different levels. Depending on what it is we have entry level performances, which are more so our community performances, performance experiences for artistic development, we have that level of our organization that focuses on building the artists and making sure that the artists has what they need to succeed, and then we have our more professional setting of performances with more established artists  who know what they’re doing and see the platform and showcase it. 

CW: There's been a small wave of attention to detail, quality control, creative direction going around, even with witnessing it tonight with the attention to the lighting, the way that the lights were set to a specific artist, sound direction, the way the audience is positioned- why do you think that is? Why is that energy present in the Milwaukee art scene at this moment? We're leveling up alot. 

WF: So I'm a little bit crazy, Imma say that as a disclaimer but I think that for the most part, the beauty is in the details. It's in those extra things. I wanna make sure that the artist can come and have everything that they need to make their artwork shine to its fullest potential and so in any of the work that I do I think that it's really about making sure that the platform is perfect and all it needs is the artist to play with it, right? And I think that's more so we're realizing even as a people, that quality matters like, it's very important to make the statement and say the thing that we want it to say. When it comes from a place of quality, it has so much more impact. And so how do we create those platforms? How do we provide those spaces, how do we push the artist to make sure every piece that they do has the impact that they intended to have? [By] making sure that we are providing the space that allows them to perform naturally. 

CW: I agree with that 100%. You really care and it shows. Thank You.

/Naomi-Re’a for CW

The Great Journey - A.C. The Ruler, Nimbus Cool Collab + MUSIC VIDEO

Back in September of this year, a silver platter of music was served directly to the hip hop heads; from to the monotone, run-on, smooth delivery of bars on bars from A.C. The Ruler and Nimbus Cool , to the nastiness of the beat production and selection by A.C.’s producer- Since ‘93, “The Great Journey” is gold. The intro song “Catacombs” properly sets the tone for the entire EP and although that name may seem like morbid humor, the music video provides a simple yet figuratively relative perspective. On the surface this appears to be just another studio session between the two MC’s and their producer but the lyrics in relation to this visual describe a sense of generational responsibility, the lovely burden of becoming a beacon of light for the people; With a grey filter cleverly covering the entire visual, seemingly showing us their proclamation of this being history in the making, A.C. and Nimbus show to be comfortable and content despite the molding of this legacy having taken place in a small room, much like many of the greats of the past (hence the title of this track). “...The Legacy’s ensured even when enduring the pressure- No sweat, wipe the drip, work smarter and harder, excuse the leg room, I need it, they've been begging for bones, I'll break a leg before I lose my heart or let down my home….” Nimbus Cool spits just before a voice clip of 2021 NBA Champ Giannis Antetokounmpo closes out the song, briefly speaking on his mission to provide hope to the people. “Handheld,” although undeniably consistent of super star bars, is a salute to the producer [immediate stank face]; “...I be in the cut every day like my skin broke, the outside be okay but I like gettin it in mo’ they hatin’ in my face but it never leave my chin broke...” Another bar from Nimbus but WAIT!...A.C. the Ruler also dominates in his verse with lines like “...cant see me like Harry’s cloak, wrapped with a midwest tone, niggas is hella shady like Norton Oaks…..slippin’ we hittin’ slopes, hittin’ corners on hunnid spokes…” Your replay button will feel attacked...mine was. We get some melodic vocals in the chorus of the track “P.O.V.”, a mellow song about the necessary optimism and trust in the process that is needed to push forward as an individual. This song reassures their audience that all of the tools needed are already present within. Perseverance is a responsibility. Tell me how YOU feel about “ The Great Journey” Milwaukee.

/Naomi-Re’a for CW

Shawn Millz - Greedy

Some of my favorite rap songs are the ones that incorporate other genres in their music, so when I hear unique songs like that it catches my ear. That’s what this song did for me. Greedy is a certified street banger made by artist Shawn Millz of Milwaukee. It’s a rap song with gritty lyrics and a grudge influenced tone. Nirvana, while wasn’t the first, made that grunge type of rock go so hard; so when you mix it into rap, it just creates this multi genre type of sound which is becoming very popular these days. 

There’s aggression in this song, cockniess, and determination. This song will grab everyone’s ears, not just the men, because we are all about that hustle (or we should be). Besides the dope lyrics, the beat on this joint is sick. This beat gives me street, Gotham City and classic Jeezy Can’t Ban the Snowman vibes. Lyrics set the tone for a song, but ultimately the beat is what grabs our attention. I don’t know who made this beat, but my car speaker’s thank you. You can listen to more of Shawn Millz’ music here on Apple Music. 

Adrienne/ For CW

2Hi - White Lighter Bad Luck [ALBUM]

After a few years of loosies and EP’s, the dropping of his first full length project “2 Birds” last year, and being left with the bread crumb that was “Round and Round” back in August just for this moment here, local artist 2Hi continues the narrative of his rockstar lifestyle with the drop of his second Album, “White Lighter Bad Luck.”  Lyrically accompanied by the acclaimed NilexNile, otherwise known as Nile, Lake, and executive productions by No B, this melodic psychedelia is the melancholic voice of all who have found contentment with numbness, however, having subconscious undertones of self awareness and emotional longing; this all blends in to one truth while under great influence.. The intro track “Ghost” leads us straight to 2Hi’s inner conflict; there is an assertiveness here that may pass for aggression, or vice versa, in lyrics like “..And I'm in the back of the room high off the shrooms sitting, just think to myself, I am an artist who starvin’, no I can't bargain, I gotta double my wealth..lil bitch im cool, I don't need help, all of this work under my belt- I gotta do it all myself, I gotta do it all myself..” and the words “I gotta work on myself, I gotta work on myself..'' are heard faintly a lines afterwards, signaling the slip into 2Hi’s subconscious, his real thoughts, “..I'm an animal, I can't live with myself, only hurts if you take it out and you put my heart on the shelf, I just need your help…”

WLBL led with this tone for another 5 tracks and then about halfway into the album, we are temporarily given an energetic boost with “Switch Lanes”- how very telling of the motivation that many try to find after crash landing back on Earth into their own reality. This is made for the ‘fast and the furious’ (don't do it, drive safely), when you feel like a flexer, bump this!!….Annnnnd right back into the feels. Old habits die hard and some norms can't seem to be shaken in “Tattoos.” 2Hi comes a bit cleaner about his vices, even more so about the norms of his life experiences that trigger those vices; “ I got tattoos on my soul, I woke up lost on the road, I know that I'm on my own, mountains to me look like stones- I take these drugs to fly home...I seen it all just unfold, I seen this shit happen before…” Very easily, the methods taken on for masking continuous pain are cause for being misunderstood by those on the outside looking in because of one’s own miseducation on how to cope properly, leaving room to be branded (“tattooed”) as everything that we do not intend to really be. Tell me how YOU feel about “ White Lighter Bad Luck,” Milwaukee.

/Naomi-Re’a for CW

Miss Mocha Presents: “Buttah & Brown”- Emmit James & Claudio Parrone Jr. [Write Up]

Two words….SAAANG BOY!! Appropriately, the “Buttah and Brown” tour was brought to Milwaukee first to welcome our own Emmit James home and he brought with him some fellas with vocals on top of vocals, the crowd was very much in tune [Miss Mocha DID that]. DJ FreakishNerd shows out on the 1’s and 2’s with a great mix as the crowd forms and continues to grow up until show time; the floor tables, the booths, and the bar were all full and the stage was lit up with green, blue, red lights one after the other, giving the atmosphere an intimate yet active lounge feel. Emmit James, one half of the Headliners for the show, introduces Leroy Booker to the stage and right off the bat he hits us with a good ol’ nostalgic ‘YEEEEAAAaaaauuuuuUUUHHH!!’ and runs for his life into his introduction song, accompanied by, to quote Emmit, “the illustrious Curtis Crump Jr.” on the keys. He gave us a few love jams before the other half of Buttah & Brown was introduced, Claudio Parrone Jr. A.K.A. C.J. He slowed us down even more with a smooth rendition of “Until the End of Time” by Justin Timberlake, and of course the crowd showed their love for it as they participated in a ‘call and response’ moment with C.J.; “This ones for the lovers!”...Speaking of Lovers, they sure were in attendance on this night. C.J. stepped to the side for the last moment of his set and let the band play for the crowd. Without hesitation, multiple couples, young and old, got up and started slow dancing. It was a sight!

Klassik took the stage next and dominated, vocally and lyrically. His production was a one man show, with a stage presence that could fill a room, the crowd was nothing short of engaged. Finally, feeding off of the momentum of the night, Emmit James and Claudio Jr. took the stage as Buttah & Brown and with the inclusion of an insane drum solo and even a praise break, they gave their audience what they wanted, a high energy cap to the night.

 /Naomi-Re’a for CW

HymnWho -Retroactive Phenomenon [ALBUM]

HymnWho “Retroactive Phenomenon” ALBUM  

Like the beautiful dynamic of the iconic blend of Hip-Hop and R&B on a track, the marriage of the poetic, conviction filled, or otherwise, nonchalant vocal tones of a rapper and the hard hitting orchestrated chaos of rock instrumentation is a delicacy. HymnWho has dropped a sonically pleasing gem with the presentation of “Retroactive Phenomenon.” The allure of this album from songs like “Revival,” “Niggas and Nikolai,” and “Saviour,” was in the production; very 80’s with the slowness and off-kilter pounding of the beat, having a faster paced rhythym happen in some moments, still with a high capacity of instrumentation, HymnWho’s vocals were hauntingly gliding over the music with a melodic, Darkwave tone and the modern, melancholic  lyrical content that is found in today’s rap. In “Shoebox,” he gave us more of a trap flow but the production was still very consistent with the Darkwave sound. However, we do get some rap nostalgia as well. “Wishes” not only gives us more room to focus on the bars and their transparency, but the boom-bap is more so evident in this production. Tell me how YOU feel about “Retroactive Phenomenon,” Milwaukee.

/Naomi-Re’a for CW

Rissa Fam - Eat ft. Munch Lauren

One thing about me is that I love a good ol classic ratchet banger, and that’s what EAT is. Now

this nice little hidden gem came out in 2010, but I recently discovered it last week. The Milwaukee bop by Rissa Fam and Munch Lauren currently has over 1 million streams on the internet, and was released with a colorful hyped music video on Youtube. I’m a firm lover of music, and I will always appreciate party music; it just gets you hype and makes you celebrate yourself. When I hear that I try to activate my Megan knees in the comfort of my home (keyword try). The music video was shot so simple, but it was effective. I mean who wouldn’t wanna see twerking, good vibes, and good food in a music video? Sounds like a good time to me. It’s dope to see more styles of music coming out of artists from Milwaukee, we just need to get everyone connected together. Rissa Fam is definitely an artist who embraces the good vibes in Milwaukee, and puts into her music. She also did a song this year with Milwaukee artist Chicken P called Money. You can check out more of her music on her Youtube.

Adrienne/ For CW

Genesis Renji EP “E.D.E.N. -East of the Garden” Event [Write Up]

What is a more appropriate way to indulge in Autumn, the season of harvest and reaping, then to go to a garden? Being met with a pink rose pedaled trail to start (in addition to the detailed instructions left on instagram by Genesis himself incase folks got lost, heehee), I made my way up to the third floor of The Hide House Warehouse and into the lovely business studio of C&B Creative.Co.  where Genesis Renji would exclusively perform his latest EP- E.D.E.N. during his “East of the Garden” showcase. Opening the door was like stepping into a late night lounge; the lights were dimmed for the mood with just enough lighting placed all around the room. The DJ of the night, FreakishNerd’s booth was set up in the front left corner with the main mic centered in the front of the room, completely wrapped up in a vine of leaves. There were plants appropriately set in every corner. Just before the opening artist Tai Mystique’s vocals took the stage and snatched edges with (and without...I think..) our permission, I was able to get 15 min. with a seemingly nervous, yet “musical genius,” as said by a super supporter in the audience, Genesis Renji.

N: First of all, Congrats on the new drop.. I don't think I was there for the last- did you have a release party for your last album or you just dropped it?

G: For the Keefe one..?

N: ...For S.I.N.S...

G: Yea, S.I.N.S., we did at Company Brewing and that was like 2018.. 

N: That seems like it was so long ago..

G: It was..last year was long go, ha ha..some of us made the moves we needed, and some didn't..we're all still here, that's all I care about.

N: ..I thought that it was interesting that you continued that biblical connection between your life and how you chose to translate it. Why was that the choice that you made? What does the Bible mean for you in your personal life-why do you feel like that was the best way to communicate your emotions?

G: I was brought up in the church..when I was born, I was raised Muslim for a little bit; my last name by birth is Arabic, and then when we moved to Milwaukee from Maryland we were with my Grandmother and we always went to her church- a Lutheran church....Ive always been a fan of, not necessarily religion, but theology in its self and Ive always adapted that and put that into my life. I'm the first born of my name, the oldest of me and my three brothers so that's where ‘Genesis’ comes from..growing up in my church, I ended up working in my church; I've been a youth minister, I was forced to become a deacon by church vote, so I've been in there, I'm a fan of it, I love the knowledge and the wisdom that's in there as well as the stories of faith, so I try to take the thing that I like, but hate the way that it's being used against people, and try to make it something else that you can enjoy and love.  

N: Have you had any familial backlash because of it? Because you know a lot of people are quite sensitive about how people choose to translate their beliefs..

G: Im me, as terrible as that sounds or however people are gonna take it, Im me..so with it being me, if you know me or you meet me- get to learn me, you know that anything I do isn’t of ill intent and if I come across as ignorant or im using it in an illegitimate way, I'll take accountability for it and apologize but I've also been in that space long enough to know what I'm doing within that space and outside of that space and still be respectful with it.

N: I think that is a cool approach because, for myself, especially with this pandemic allowing me the time to figure out ‘okay what do I actually believe in or how do I express my belief in it,’ and I realized how much spiritual capacity I have to then not claim just one because I see [God] in everything..

G: It's major. I don't claim to be Christian, I relate to Christianity a lot because that's what I was brought up in and it's embedded in me so deeply, but I also see, like you said, the pieces that overlap. I see where Islam overlaps with Christianity and overlaps with Buddhism or overlaps with whatever other beliefs you may have or dont have. I mean, regardless of what people say, you look at Satanism itself...the Seven Tenets that they follow are pretty good tenets that you wanna follow; dont rape people, dont murder people, respect other people and what they want to do..

N: It's more of a moral thing..

G: Yea, there are overlaps to the things that we don't know, don't understand or may not like, but you're always gonna find a common piece in one of those things and I feel like when you start seeing those common pieces in it, that's really what that universal truth is, so that's what I try to lean towards more when I’m diggin through things- ‘what's the one thing that's tying everything together?’ And that's more than likely the thing that we all need to know and be a part of.

N: Right, I get that..with the album name E.D.E.N., Eventually Dreams End in Nightmares- that sounds pretty pessimistic, ha ha..

G: It does.

N: So why..?

G: So even when you look at the cover, right?- So my last three releases, this one included, have been my most personal bodies of work, so S.I.N.S. was like ‘I'm about to start telling y'all about my romantic life. Yall know Genesis ‘the rapper,’ let's learn Genesis the person. So here's all the stories I've never shared about all these different women that I may have liked or may have been involved with, whatever, whatever, then Keefe is, ‘here's the black boy who grew up in the hood but wasn't from the hood,’ and what that sounds like, what that looks like, and being the voice for all the other black boys who didn't know how to say what they felt. So E.D.E.N. is picking up from the love shit..it's like, alright, this is what happens when we were dealing with a bunch of women, E.D.E.N. is the result of being with one woman, so with that comes, ‘alright, I gave so much of what I wanted to one person and it didn't work out so maybe the dream that I was being sold isn't the dream that I want. Maybe I was better off out here in the garden, that's why when you see the covers-on the cover of S.I.N.S. I'm sharing the apple..and it's like Adam and Eve, we’re bonding over this thing but then on the cover of E.D.E.N. I'm by myself, I'm looking through these apples-if you look, I've bitten through a pile of apples- none of them have that same appeal as that first apple so it's like, ‘what are we doing here, what's the point in searching anymore..?’

N: So if you wanna say, the dream isn't necessarily the dream but the ideal of what that dream could've been or what you wanted it to be- the burst of that bubble..

G: The potential that we all get caught up in, it's like damn, alright..that wasn't what I thought, maybe it doesn't need to be a thing.

N: So in a general sense, when you talk about dreams, in this context youre talking about love, but you know, people can say that “dream” means all types of things, so if someone wanted to take that same title and apply it to anything that they have a dream about, how should they be taking it?

G: So I'm a big fan of spiritualism, of course, I take dreams as messages for me. I dont ignore my dreams, so when I meet people who say ‘I don't dream, I just sleep,’ I'm like, that's scary because you're out here just wingin’ life. That's wild to me. Dreams are how I get answers to prayers, that's where we get to break shit down and figure everything out; that's where the subconscious gets the work. For me, it's like, at the end of this dream, Imma get something. Imma get some type of response- it’s either gonna be the response that I wanted or it’s gonna be a response that I wasn’t looking for and usually we’re scared either way because if it’s not what you want then you’re like, fuck! Now you scared of the thing that you didn't want or that thing that you knew it could've been, and you just didn’t wanna deal with it, but then usually you also are scared of the things that you do want because it's like-

N: ‘..I can have it??’

G: -Yea and then its like, fuck, you get so wrapped up in, because its possible, ‘am I gone fuck it up still? Or when I get it, do I deserve it, or am I gonna be able to live up to it?’ Or on the flip side, and this is something that I've been dealing with, do I really want what I said I wanted?...so the dreams can eventually end in nightmares because you still gotta wake up, you still gotta deal with the shit and that can be scary.

N: Do you believe that because that ideal was false in the first place that it was bound to fail or do you believe that you manifested that failure in that moment of disregard for yourself? 

G: Seeee..it depends on the person, right? Adam and Eve didn’t manifest their failure. That wasn't their intention, but they eventually stumbled into it. Eden in itself was a dream but that ended because of curiosity...it was just damn, ‘here's something that we haven't done, I think we should try it..; you can apply that to life too so I'm also a firm believer of ‘what's meant to be, I'm gonna make it happen and if it doesn't happen it's because I didn't do what needed to be done to make that happen or I didn't will that to happen, so you can manifest it or you also can't manifest it. Depends on your perspective. 

N: As far as ‘The Garden’ in itself, what is the entirety of that for you?

G: That's just how I see the world, honestly. Like even with my 2016 album, I Might Be Home, I reference Milwaukee as ‘The Garden,’ the song is called “In the Garden,” and in the chorus, I found my way out of the garden, that’s me being in the city, I was forced to be here as a child and then eventually I leave, and me leaving th city that I, 1., wasnt born in, but then, 2., I also didnt know how to manuever in and grow up in, leaving it gave me that breathe and that relaease but also gave me the courage to come back and deal with things, so the garden for me is Milwaukee but the garden can be anything that youre in the middle of and you don’t see anything outside of it, because thats what Eden is-Eden was a point and a place, and for Adam and Eve, there was nothing else outside of that, but then when they found what was outside of that it was like, fuck, I kinda wanna go back there..

N: Can you go back? It's not gonna be the same when you go back, but what does that mean, going back?

G: Is it really worth going back? because you know it's not gone be the same, so you got two choices- you can either, A., turn around and look for this garden that  may or may not be there, or B., you can, as they say in the Bible, “toil the earth for the rest of your days,” and you can create whatever that next garden is for you or try your best to.

N: I’m interested to see how you emote this- this is a really intimate setting here, did you do that on purpose?

G: Yes. I didn't wanna do this at a big venue, I really want to be able to look at everybody..I'm nervous honestly, ha ha ha..

N: I can tell..

G: this is the most vulnerable music i've ever made...so yea...and it was so much shit happening leading up to this- a week of promotion-that's already an issue for me, ya’ll know how we move..but it was like, aye, lets just drop it and see what happens,- and this is the most singing I've ever done-

N: that was gonna be my last, last question because I listened to it and I noticed that you didn't do a lot of standard, nonchalant vocals on this, you had a lot of melodies, so is that tied to how you emote [musically] in general; do you feel more flexible when you're feeling out your emotions?

G: The challenge for me- so last year I was traveling after my break up that inspired the project. I just traveled; that's what I do already, cool, now I can just do it a little bit more, get some me time. During that time of traveling, my main focus was becoming a better songwriter- I'm a good rapper, cool, I make ‘alright’ music, I think, but I need to make better music and make sure the people wanna hear it over and over again, and that came with knowing [that] people want melodies. Being a good rapper is cool but at the end of the day that doesn't sell records; I’m in this shit to be one of the biggest, honestly, so i'm writing 2-5 songs a day, every day for six months straight and in the process, the vocals got stronger, the writing got better, shit got more melodic and it's like, okay cool, singing is something that we need to implement a little bit more to make this work and this is what you get.

N: Alright well, I can't wait to see it live.

G: It's gonna be fire, I appreciate yall. 

/Naomi-Re’a for CW