Genesis Renji “E.D.E.N” EP [East of the Garden Gallery Pop Up]

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Genesis Renji had a gallery pop up and performance for his latest EP, E.D.E.N. The entire event was amazing, and it featured a performance by Clayton Biddle and a gallery of visuals from the EP. Genesis sat down with Copywrite Magazine to give us the inside scoop on how he cultivated this project.

/CW: So for those who don’t know, can you explain what E.D.E.N means?

Genesis Renji: Yes, E.D.E.N means ‘eventually dreams end in nightmares’. It’s the sequel to my 2018 album S.I.N.S ‘stories I never shared’.

The album is a melting pot of different feelings. With tracks like “Hurt Me Again”, Genesis describes the cycle of a toxic love and coping with the after effects of heartbreak. “Thank You” narrates him coming into acceptance of the love lost, channeling into healing energy. It’s almost like a cadence or anthem to getting over this love and moving forward. From beginning to end, he poetizes his journey through the different stages of love and grief.

/CW: What was the most challenging part about this whole project? 

Genesis: Being honest! (laughter) It’s easy to wanna say ‘alright I’m finna make some music, I’m gonna make it sound good and keep it surface level right? It’s harder to dig into it and tell people how you feel and describe the thoughts that you’re really having. Especially in Milwaukee, where people know you and know the person you were with. And that can apply to any relationship, any situation you’re in. If you’re in a small city and you talk about a relationship you’ve been in or situation you went through and the people around you know what you’re talking about, you’d be a little scared or a little intimidated. You never wanna embarrass anybody, you don’t wanna embarrass yourself. So I would say being honest was the most challenging part but it was necessary.

The idea that all dreams eventually end in nightmares is one that may seem hard to conceptualize. Some people may think it’s pessimistic or maybe even manifesting negatively. But it depends on how you view ‘nightmare’ in this context. Is it truly a nightmare or is it just reality? In the context of love and hate, we see it all the time. The dream that two people who truly love one another will withstand all storms, trials and tribulations is oftentimes followed by the nightmare aka the reality of that love coming to an end.

/CW: Do you think that dreams ending in nightmares is a manifestation of the fears of love that one suppresses? Or do you think it’s just how life is?

Genesis: Uhhhh…yes and no. It CAN be a manifestation but then it’s also like….the reality of a situation, right? Not everything that we want is meant to last forever so once it eventually hits that turning point or something happens that we didn’t expect, it starts to become ugly and you get a lil fearful of that. Like when you’re in a relationship with somebody, shit is smooth for the first 5-6 months. Then that first argument happens and you be like “damn…it’s damn near OVER!” But in reality, it’s probably not that deep. It really depends on your perspective. 

/CW: So do you think that love should have an element of fear in it?

Genesis: No! Love should have respect in it. Love is not fearful. When you look at 1 Corinthians 13, it defines what love is on a biblical and spiritual level and fear is not in the definition of love. Love is patient, love is kind, love is understanding. The fear that comes in a relationship are our personal fears that we project onto our situation based on things we’ve seen or things that we’ve been through with people. 

/CW: So what’s coming up next for Genesis Renji? You know you gotta give us the exclusive, we’re CW!

Genesis: Damn you just flexed, you right! Um, we’re working on videos for the rest of E.D.E.N. I wanna do a short film for it, but we gone see what that looks like timewise. And the vinyl for E.D.E.N is coming too, that’s gonna be the deluxe edition with extra songs and extended versions of some songs. You know, my next shit is my best shit so….


Genesis Renji is one of the many gems this city holds, his artistry speaks for itself. The visuals for the EP are amazing, man and woman in love living in the garden of Eden, enjoying the fruits of their labor that’s been put towards they’re love. Each song speaks on the different aspects of love; the beginning, the middle and end. My favorite song has to be “Hurt Me Again”, and that’s speaks volumes seeing that I loved the entire project. Keep your eyes on Renji, we could be watching our next start rise to the top. Check it out and let me know what y’all think! 

/Pam from CW

Summerfest w/ CopyWrite Magazine [Hosted by Imani Ortiz] | Day 1: @DJGEMINIGILLY

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If you were at Summerfest, June 23rd, and did not slide on DJ Gemini Gilly, were you really even there?

We were so happy to see another one-of-a-kind performance by one of the HOTTEST DJ’s in the city, making her SECOND headlining debut at Summerfest. I got the chance to catch up with our favorite gemini and this is what she had to say!

Elliott- “Abundance of the Heart” EP

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How many people do you know can speak from the heart through one of the World’s most transparent art forms ever, without cussin’??? 414 artist Elliott can AND DID in his latest EP “Abundance of the Heart.” This 3 piece gives reverence to the Luke 6:45 Biblical scripture that aids the people of the world to be aware of what the heart carries. For Elliott, his self awareness is his freedom. He begins with some emotional honesty in “Who We Kidding?” He comes to terms with the reality of the relationship that he has with his lover and while coming to terms with what it actually is, out of his mouth he recognizes the maturity that a good relationship requires. ”The Lightning” sheds a bit more light (heehee) on Elliott’s Spiritual revelation and his battle with seemingly being chosen and kept for a bigger purpose. After having experienced many dangerous close calls brought on by poor social choices and even health scares, the young lyricist expresses his initial confusion about his life and gradually turns to accept the value of it with a sample of Nina Simone’s cover of “Strange Fruit” playing throughout the track. ”To and Through” perfectly wraps up this short winded glimpse into Elliot’s journey to maturity by plainly describing how mental strength can fuel the will for change in one’s life. Friends, habits, and lifestyle are bound to drastically change after discovering how the emotions, the spirit, and the mind are all a reflection of the contents of a person’s heart. Tell me how YOU feel about “ Abundance of the Heart ” Milwaukee.

Pride Month feature w/ Milwaukee Film | Moonlight

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We had the chance to catch ‘Milwaukee Film’s Pride Month’ featured showing of “Moonlight” this weekend. While it’s hard for any corner of the world to be unfamiliar with the Academy Award winning film, Moonlight is the coming of age story of a young boy who struggles with balancing masculinity and sexuality. While juggling many different obstacles along the way, including being brutally bullied, raising himself and witnessing his mom abuse drugs, he eventually set his footing in the only thing he was familiar with–the streets. 

I feel like this is a universal story–even if [you] don’t think so. As a woman, I can’t speak to that experience of growing up as a male and balancing masculinity along with curiosity but these children and situations do exist. Their experience deserves validation whether it’s talked about or not. It happens every single day. 

These kinds of films are extremely important for society because it is something that is deemed taboo by the majority. People tend to think that sexuality is only expressed through personality and performance. If you were to watch this film in particular, you’d see it through the lens of what it is—normality. While it may not be your ‘normal’, you’re not the only person who exists. I think it’s also worthy to note that we don’t see a flamboyant character in this film at any point. That’s a heavy point in itself. Prejudice can’t protect you from the truth—sexuality is a fluid spectrum. Who are you to deem it any different?

While CopyWrite is a proud community partner of Milwaukee Film, what makes our job even easier is digesting top tier content. We hope to see you next year as it is not something you’d ever want to miss. 

/Imani for CW

A Milwaukee for All | Decolonizing Wealth with Edgar Villanueva

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*Info provided by INPOWER MEDIA

On June 24, Greater Milwaukee Foundation President and CEO Ellen Gilligan will have a

conversation with activist and author Edgar Villanueva about racism, colonization, and

ways individuals and institutions can do more to heal and to help our community.

Villanueva will share examples and tangible steps on how we can reshape our approach to

philanthropy – what it means, who it includes, and how it works. This conversation is

designed to help individuals and institutions shift mindsets from conventional thinking to a

new understanding of what is possible in philanthropy through our use of time, talent,

treasure, and ties.

QUESTIONS TO PONDER

1. Is philanthropy only about money or love of people?

○ How have you or your organization practiced philanthropy beyond monetary ways?

2. Find ways to connect, relate and belong.

○ What practices can you adapt in your life or workplace to help heal yourself and your community from colonization?

3. Actionable steps vary in size.

○ What are some steps big or small that you and your organization can take? How do your personal steps vary from that of your organization?

Following the conversation, a number of local leaders will participate in a roundtable

discussion about the steps they are taking in their own lives and in their own organizations

to do philanthropy differently.

Join for part 1 of the series on Friday, June 24, 9 – 10:30 a.m.

It is a free virtual Zoom event and you can register here.

We all play a part in making a difference.

Cardiac Da Pulse ft Classik Material “Caught Up” SONG

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Despite the social and emotional climate that our city has been experiencing as well as the World as a whole, we can always count on some feel-good music to remind us of how we should be feeling about the lives that we have and the people that we experience it with. That being said, it is June, it's starting to get hot out, and the Summer time bops are in! Now, although we may not always have ‘Drop-top’ weather here in the MidWest, the zone that Cardiac Da Pulse and Classik Material are trying to put us in with “Caught Up” is giving just that. Cut straight from the cloth of one of the more popular eras of a rapper / singer collab in music, we are met with a grown and sexy bravado and a suave serenade for the chorus while the telling of a fling gone right is told to us by two casanova’s over a light and easy going beat that just provokes a two-step up outta you. You can’t escape it… I tried it! This 3 minutes and 16 secs. of Cardiac spittin’ shameless game provides the perfect energy to lead us into the mid-year mark. Tell me how YOU feel about “ Caught Up ” Milwaukee. /Naomi-Re’a for CW

ONLYDEV “GMN”//NEW SINGLE

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I recently stumbled upon ONLYDEV and this new single “GMN” is a great introduction song to get a feel for the type of artist that he is. He’s got a frictionless style that grabs your attention and interest visually, coupled with a divergent sound that entraps you sonically, so I wasn’t surprised when I pressed play and enjoyed the entire song. This is the perfect song to start your day off to. If you're the type of person who sets alarms to sleep, I BET you will get up if this is your alarm sound. I love that his energy is transparent throughout the whole song. His laughs made me laugh, his hype moments made me hype, almost as if it was contagious. But basically, the song is about getting up and getting out of bed, being productive, and making the most of your 24 hours. “Last night was a blast but its gone be yo last if you don’t get out the bed,” lines like this and “....let’s do it lil n-a, wake up smoke some, let’s get this bread. Let’s do it lil n-a!” make me feel like this wasn’t something that was written and rehearsed, I feel like he just went in the studio and went crazy just purely off of adrenaline and passion. Not only is it catchy, but it’s enjoyable and it’s fun. It’s one of those songs that people will engage with no matter what’s going on. Even if you’re in a setting where you probably shouldn’t be singing, there’ll still be a slightly noticeable head bob with a quiet, “good morning n-aaaaa”. If black boy joy was a song, this would be it. I love it! Let me know what y’all think. 

Happy Pride Month! | Celebrate with us by enjoying a few of these community partner film screenings at Milwaukee Film

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Take PRIDE in who YOU are!

/CW is celebrating Pride Month as a community partner for Milwaukee Film’s Pride Month programming. Check out these films that are sure to inspire!

Also be on the lookout for our instagram raffle where we will be giving away 2 tickets to each screening!

@copywritemag

Moonlight

Sat, Jun 18 2022 7:00pm

But I’m A Cheerleader

Sun, Jun 05 2022 7:00pm