4Keys x Dell Fargo - Fo Piece: EP
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This week we have yet another package deal to talk about. This week we have what we will call Milwaukee meeting D.C. Interesting? A liiiittle bit. So here’s the spiel:
“Milwaukee producer 4Keys teams up with Washington D.C. rapper Dell Fargo to release his first self-produced EP 'Fo Piece'. On this four-song project, Dell Fargo sets the tone for the new decade by delivering cocky and crafty bars over 4Keys dark and heavy 808 driven production. Fargo gives a perspective of an inner D.C. native who is confident in his raw and unfiltered rhymes in comparison to other artists. Keep your eye on what these two have in store for the upcoming year, but for now stream their new EP”
You know how sometimes things can just speak for themselves? This is one of those times. It’s a rather short EP, I honestly was expecting it to be a bit longer because of the amount of songs but aye… it works! Check them out and support a local producer--you have no choice. I think it’s cute that you thought you had a choice, LOL.
I’m kiddddding… but not really. Here’s their social media below and stream “Fo Piece” neeeeeow.
Instagram(s): @real4keys & @dellfargo
/Imani for CW
Rob Taylor - Actions Speak Louder
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Today’s submission comes from Rob Taylor, who public called CopyWrite and other “local” media outlets out for not including his music on our platforms, claiming to have “over 60K REAL STREAMS in a year, performing at venues outside of Milwaukee and more things to come”. So we encouraged him to send his music over so we could take a listen.
Okay Rob, we are all ears.
His album Actions Speak Louder circa 2018, is an eleven-track playlist of what feels like intergalactic hip hop. Its mellow vibes, cross over with relatable topics, motivational “mantras” and new age flow. So what is the action? Maybe it's the action of putting in the work. Consistency? Skill? Persona? It’s all possible here. Dare we might say we hear a little Wiz Khalifa Kush & Orange Juice cadence???
Our favorite tracks are “Super Star” and “Elevators” for a few witty lines and some familiar sentiments. Now we won't lie when one song starts and the other ends is not easily cued, but maybe that’s the point for this project. Plus, he has something big he is working on for this year.
But forget about our opinion. Click play and let us know what you think? Do we need more Rob Taylor?
/CW
Cam Will - New Ties
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Life is filled with a spectrum of infinite decisions. One day you’ll decide what you want to do with the rest of your life and you’ll stick to that. That’s the norm. But… the norm is boring. Don’t stick to the norm or the status quo. Do whatever the hell you want. Don’t let people dictate your decisions based on their comfort-ability with their lives. If you wake up one day and decide you want to do something new, do it. Who's gonna stop you? Nobody.
Let me break it down for you. Imagine if Cam Will listened to what other people had to say about him going from a Division One athlete to an up and coming rapper. Who is Cam Will? Well, I’m glad you asked.
Cam Will is a super star on the field and now he’s about to be a super star in your music libraries. Cam’s latest project is a two track EP titled “New Ties.” His first track is called “Down.” On this track, the first thing that instantly caught my attention was literally the first line, he says “I think back, when I first made my decision to walk away from something I put 10,000 hours to.” That’s a lot to give up. He goes into talking about releasing himself from the box that people put him in. Making the decision to leave all you know behind to ultimately jumping into the ocean of the unknowing is terrifying. All dreamchasers have been there. The fake love and ingenuine compliments are all apart of the process of becoming great. I really like this song. He’s keeping it real and being vulnerable with his experience up until this point. This is by no means an easy thing to do. He ends the song with the verbal doubts of the people surrounding him. He’s heard it all. This isn’t supposed to be funny but it really made think of that line in like every Disney movie where the Dad is like “You’re giving up your dream, Cam!” and then Cam is like “No, Dad. I’m GiViNg uP yOuRs!”
And finally his last track is called “The Process” where he talks about, you guessed it, the process. He talks about what he’s currently going through with his creative process in regards to external obstacles. He makes a promise that he’s gonna make it soon. Bottom line is he gon’ make y’all feel him. Y’all gone put some ‘respek’ on his name! His vocal tone really reminds me of Big Sean so I can actually see myself listening to his music leisurely.
Listen Cam, haters gon’ hate. That’s the point of haters, they’re your biggest fans. Keep going and follow through. Never give up on your dreams! Show Cam Will some love by streaming his latest project “New Ties” and check him out on YouTube under the name Cam Will. He’s dope y’all! I would not send y’all off. Check him out!
/Imani for CW
Artist Photographic Profile: Mo'City
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“When my father passed away, I decided that I wanted to do something to remain close to him. For that, I decided to start with the music industry. I started with doing free styles just for fun, then one of my friends insisted I come record in his studio. In the beginning there was a lot of work I had to do in order to make it better. But I kept growing and getting better with my music. I'm still not where I want to be. I have so much more to learn and so much more to show. I just know what I’m capable of & i'm not there yet. During my music career, the biggest struggle has been the ability to manage my time with everything I have to do. Like being able to give time as the father I am, and to produce my music; satisfying my wonderful fans that have been supporting me throughout my career. Out of all my music that I produced, “Cousin” was the most meaningful song that I have written. It was me at my freest. I’ll never not love that song. This new album that I’ve been working on is a lot more fun. I’m learning a lot about myself since the last one & I using more of my tool set on this. I’m working with a lot of my favorites which is drastically different from the last one. I've been having a lot of fun with this album.”
/Mitzi for CW
Emmitt James - AVERY
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“Barista by day, full time musician at all other hours, indie hip hop-jazz act Emmitt James is coming back home to Milwaukee [despite the cold] to celebrate the release of his album AVERY on vinyl. AVERY is named after Emmitt James’ grandmother Vickie Ann Avery. After her passing in December 2017, he was inspired to name the album after her.”
Emmitt James’s latest album “AVERY” featuring 17 tracks is nothing short of great! He has been compared to acts like A Tribe Called Quest, Anderson. Paak and The Internet. Every single track melts into each other with ease. Here’s a small break down of the songs on the album (with a couple visuals on Youtube, check them out also).
‘August 31’ answers our initial question of “Who is Avery?” Repetition and harmonizing is a major theme on this album. His first request on this album is to ‘let him know when you find that peace of mind.’
‘Word 2 Momma’ is a track where he’s talking about making money and “that’s on his mama!” (His words)
‘1099’ starts off with “everything is for Avery” giving us no time to forget who this album is for. By the way, 1099 is a taxes reference--meaning the song is talking about another stream of income, which is pretty creative.
Next we have ‘Everything bagel w/ Cream’ which stands out right away due to it’s extremely catchy beat.
‘Whole Foods’ is where Emmitt tells us where he get dem bagels. “Prices goin’ up like Whole Foods.” You know, a slight flex. I had to gon’ head and add that to the library fasho. ‘Boy’ has a lot of nice transitions. He’s telling us how he feels, he don’t give a f* how you feel though (which he made very clear in this particular song).
On ‘Couldn’t Tell’, Emmitt asks “Is that your man? I couldn’t tell.”
‘MF Juice’ is solely a flex song. “Yeah, I got the sauce but I still got the MF Juice.” He just letting everybody know, the best just got better so don’t worry about what he’s doing.
In ‘Hunnit Bandz’, He releases one of his goals, he tryna get his first hunnit bandz. This was also a super cool song. He doesn’t stop there with the flexin’ though!
‘Flyest in the room’ is flaunting his everything, if you didn’t get the picture before this song, you’re gonna feel him now. He’s letting everybody know, he’s THAT guy. You can’t tell him shit.
‘Ass on the Dance Floor’ is a song about just having fun and being carefree, which everyone should be doing.
‘Chance’ is about a specific someone and how he wants them to take a chance with him because what’s the harm in that? Give the man a chance, will ya?
‘F.O.M.L/Time for you’ is really self-explanaory. “If it ain’t about the money, get the f* off my line,” but if it's about ‘you’, he got time today.
‘Ohhh Lordt, Yes Lordt’ seems to be Emmitt letting his people know that he still and always will have their back. Don’t be afraid to ask for anything. He’s doing this for them. No one is left behind.
Lastly, Thankful is the outro. He’s just letting us know he’s thankful for everything that he has and everything he has yet to gain.
This album is prettttttty good, not gon’ lie. Naw, i’m lying… it’s FIREEEEEE! And guess what? Wow, look at God. You even have the opportunity to see it live!
“With a contribution donation, release show attendees will have an opportunity to hear
the album live. The show will take place on January 25th at Company Brewing at
9:30PM as well as special guest sets by Neely, Ammorelle, NilexNile, and PaperStacks
with music by DJ Light Skin Larry. Entry is $10 and the first three people will receive a
copy of AVERY on vinyl with admission.”
All in all, you know what to do. Check out our friend Emmitt James ( ‘Avery’ available on all streaming services) and you can even take it a step further and go check him out in person! Let us know what you think! Heart this post! You ain’t doing nothing anyways, stop trying to make an excuse. You really don’t want to sleep on this man, I’m telling you.
Congrats, Emmitt on everything from all of us here at CopyWrite!
/Imani for CW
silence of abuse by Mitzi Romero (Photography Intern)
/silence of abuse
The imagery in these photos not only represent physical abuse but also concepts of mental abuse. The point of this project (as an extension of CopyWrite's Self Love Campaign 2019/2020) is to show that many people are being silenced because they are scared to say that they are being abused because of what people would think or say about them, or afraid of what else might happen to them. The masks are being used to hide their faces, the same way many hide their true self so they don’t feel ashamed of who they are. Some moments go further demonstrating a girl who is trying to fight against her inner voices telling her about changing her imperfections, trying to cover her ears because those voices are loud.
My inspiration for this project comes from a personal place. Since I became conscious with life, I have been going through something every day. From how people look at me, and what people say under their breath. Getting pointed at and laughed at...being short was always a struggle for me to accept but by doing this project these models have shown that they have been bullied because of being skinny, tall, short, being a different skin color, or for thinking differently. No one in this world is perfect and I want to show people out there that their imperfections make them unique from everyone else.
So don’t be silenced and tell the world that you are happy for being who you are. No one has the right to make you feel belittled.
Here are more voices against the silence.
/Mitzi for CW
C-Space: the new spot for Black & Brown Creatives (Press Interview w/ CopyWrite Magazine)
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THE FUTURE IS YOUNG, BLACK, BROWN, AND LIT (& now it is creative too.)
Say it one more time for the people in the back!
LIT [MKE] (or Leaders Igniting Transformation) has moved to Bronzeville neighborhood on Milwaukee’s East Side. The organization itself “work[s] to build homegrown leadership, expand access and opportunity, and promote an equitable society by engaging and organizing young people” (@lit_mke). Of course, that is #LIT in every sense of the urban dictionary word, but it is their new program, C-Space that has us ramped up for the movement. CopyWrite sat down with Corey Fells and Nailah Johnson from LIT’s Cultural Organizing Department to get the heads up on what they have instore for MKE and why they are in need of Black and Brown creatives ( Artist, Photographers, Videographers, Musicians, lyricist, Writers, Poets, etc.) to link up.
C-Space is a co-creative space for Black and Brown creatives to get the support they need, build community and expand their networks through art.
So let’s just get it out of the way now. The plight of Black and Brown people is documented from the eyes of the oppressor and thus that has created generational disenfranchisement. Though there are many non-Black/Brown advocates for change and push for equality in all sectors of society, they still have many inherited advantages that Black and Brown people don’t possess. Because of this, C-Space is a safe and productive space, strictly for culturally BLACK and BROWN creatives.
(We all thank you in advance for respecting that boundary).
Nailah: “We are developing creatives as leaders and arts activist. That’s basically C-Space”.
As “Cultural Organizers” it's both Corey and Nailah’s job to get creatives to want to be apart of C-Space, make their time there prolific, help guide (and partially sustain) a creative to use their talent as a political, activating, informing, and culturally re-defining form. This will be done through monthly meetings, workshops, and fellowship/residency opportunities that include stipends (Yes that's money!), networking, partnerships, real-world experience and testimonials from Black and Brown creatives that have had success in their fields. Once again I say “Its #Lit”.
Corey: “I have a question for you [as a creative] what would you have needed in 2013 when you were just starting out?”
CW: “Money.” We all chuckled in agreement, but it was that plus many other things that as a young creative of color I had to struggle through. Without resources or guidance I had to learn, and still am learning how to navigate the system. Something many of our counterparts know nothing about.
As I listed off my grievances, including lack of access to other Black and Brown professionals, lack of studio/space and resources, Corey and Nailah listened intently to what I had to say. At certain points they would stop me and ask more questions as if they were researching perspectives on creative needs and how C-Space can serve them better.
With or without a degree a creative should be able to enter the market and be taken seriously for their craft. Black and Brown art forms should not have to present themselves as historical monuments, or mappings of the Black and Brown diaspora to be relevant and C-Space wants to help change that narrative by inviting YOU to their space.
Corey: The C in C-Space stands for a lot. What we are trying to do is expand upon all of that. . . We are partnered up with many other states but we have yet to see something like this in Wisconsin. Because of that, this is something that really could help creatives in our community.”
Their aim is for those creatives, who are ages 14-35 (the young), who have work that has a message, or want to develop work that has a message, that are willing to be apart of the movement. Even though LIT has a very political presence, Corey & Nailah suggest that C-Space is beyond traditional politics but opens the conversation of Black and Brown existence in itself being political and that those interpretations of existence are part of building community and changing the narrative that we don't get enough of. So don’t be scared if protesting and polling is not your thing, there are other ways in which your art can have a voice.
Through our conversation we discussed the idea of those who become a part of their fellowship program to be helped with the production of resumes and portfolios in order to actually have tangible items that will help them transition into creative carriers and actually have the experience to back them up.
Corey: “How do we cultivate these people’s talents and help them figure out how to monetize it and be able to be a person that has something tangible that can be brought to a company or a carrier that can give them some type of insight? See for me [as a self-taught photographer] I wasn't able to track all that.”
So the game plan is to level up the next era of creatives out of MKE, so they don't have the same issues as those who came before them, like Corey. We will call this intergenerational “communal” mobility.
Nailah: “So as a cultural organizer my job is to intersect art and activism. . . One of the things that I have noticed about Milwaukee is that it has a lot of activists and not organizers. Like people who know how to use that anger, information, and knowledge to really impact communities and make a change. So affecting legislation, and things like that. So a lot of my job is making sure artists understand and know how important their art is; how important culture is and not to sacrifice that.”
Corey: “I’m a photographer and videographer, so I’m coming from that standpoint. I have always wanted photographers to know that they can do more than event photos, profile photos, wedding photos, or whatever. They are not just photographers, they are a part of a marketing tactic and if they use it in the correct way, they can use that tactic to [their own advantage]. They don’t have to take pictures of celebrities or the most poppin person in the city to be relevant. . . I want photographers and filmmakers to be empowered because of that. . . Anything they can't be inspired by they shouldn’t have to do.”
As C-Space representatives, their intentions to help other creatives in our community is more than a job. It’s coming from a very personal place and putting what always seems to be just a conversation into action is far overdue.
“Freelancers are the most disrespected people.”
Say it two times for the people in the back and down the street!
As abstract as C-Space may seem it is in its tangibility that we find its most vital component. C-Space is meant to establish Black and Brown spaces and protecting those spaces.
They are currently looking for people to come and be apart of C-Space which is a monthly meet up. The first two of the year will be January 25th and February 22nd from 2:00-5:00pm at the LIT (2201 N. Martin Luther King Dr. Milwaukee, WI 53212). From that group of individuals, they are hoping to find creatives from all different kinds of backgrounds and talents to join the cohort. From the cohort, with a certain level of commitment, some creatives will receive a fellowship, stipends and all the other assistance we wish we had when we were finding our way.
Corey: “Every time they come they will learn something more.”
And “more” is what we need if we are going to make the change to put creatives in the place they belong in our society; right at the top.
So check out C-Space, if you are a young creative looking for a way to succeed. The world is waiting.
/Lexi for CW
Liza Jane - UnHappy Birthday
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You would think that your birthday would be your favorite holiday because of the obvious--It’s the only day of the year that’s focused on you (or so you’d think). This is the one day of the year that you can do whatever you want because… you don’t even need a reason besides the fact that you were born today, duh. But Liza Jane takes that happy day and shows us that it’s not always rainbows and butterflies.
“Taking influences from jazz pop hip-hop soul and R&B Liza Jane cultivates a borderline experimental sound captivating audiences with her dynamic lyricism and vocal ability . "Internet girl no1", her freshman project released this September, connected with the masses reaching both highs and lows through its unapologetic honesty about being a young woman in 2019. She hopes to continue this buzz with this single, as it brings in those same vibes that helped her stand out in her project,
Unhappy Birthday is out now on all streaming platforms.”
Beginning with a soft and gentle piano build up, Liza invites us into her birthday celebration with simplistic visuals and a soothing, calm voice. Her singing dialect is comparable to Florence + The Machine, which is super cool honestly because we don’t have a lot of that sound here in MKE. She starts off by asking us a simple question, “am I better off on my own?” Well, just like the next line, we don’t know but what we do know is that this short, sweet, why do we let love ruin our birthday song is definitely the move.
Whether you were alone for the holidays due to a recent breakup, lingering on a past lover or literally just like listening to slower sad music, Liza Jane is your girrrrrl.
Heart this post and go head and stream Unhappy Birthday by Liza Jane and let us know what ya think.
xo,
/Imani for CW
