OnlyDev “Badu Breakdown” VIDEO DEBUT

A stumble upon OnlyDev’s music has quickly turned into a solo discovery of underground talent. After the release of “GMN” this past June, “Badu Breakdown” off of his latest EP, “Se7en” has given me a new anthem. This is Dev’s first music video and it was definitely well executed. From the beginning of the video, I was intrigued by the shadow figures of the Black women. It foreshadowed the mood and tone of the single. Immediately after, I hear one of my favorite parts of the entire song which is the sample of Summer Walker’s “Stretch You Out” featuring A. Boogie. His beat selection is always on point, in my opinion. His cadence always aligns perfectly with the vibe of whatever beat he uses. The song is a serenade to his Black goddess, his “Badu”. The reference to the famed Erykah Badu alludes to his respect for her spirituality and divine essence. “She say she my new Badu, keepin’ it 3 stacks she probably is.” Andre 3000 and Erykah Badu reference, it’s giving power couple vibes. 

Throughout the video, there’s transitions between Dev spending quality time with his Badu and his friends. It personifies the idea that “even when there’s a room full of people, all I see is you.” I really loved that aspect, especially because the close ups of they’re eye contact show you that clearly it was vibe in the room. His four models that were featured in the video reminded me of the muses from Hercules. The entire video overwhelms you with Black beauty and creativity. “I’m just a libra, I bring balance, U bring the boat, I bring the paddle. We both stroke until we make it.” “My lil shawty do hoodoo, she like who do you think you is?” I have so many parts of this song that I admire but to sum I’ll say that once again, I am impressed. This is one of my favorite new love songs. Milwaukee has an amazing R&B scene, next time you think about checking it out, look up OnlyDev. 

“Badu Breakdown” should be on every Black girl’s playlist, this is a serenade to the girls! 

How y’all feel about it? 

/Pam from CW

CopyWrite Magazine + Jazale's Art Studio | Back To School Block Party 2022 [Recap Video]

Tori MF Zo- “Mercury III.” EP

Tori MF Zo is a digital artist with lyrical depth and lots to share. He recently dropped the first part to his 3 part “Mercury” series, Mercury III. He has been a student of Hip Hop’s greats for his entire life and in the past has heavily combined this admiration with his visual editing skills on his insta feed. Although not a stranger to dropping his own music, I think that Zo knows that this right here is some heat! “Where Did my Love Go?” This first track covers themes of detachment, instant gratification and adapting to a cold heart. Zo expresses his innate desire to be better and remain focused but with the reality of a heartless World, he must trade in some emotional value for meaningless moments in order to avoid getting caught slippin’. Nonetheless, he sees his method of coldness as more merciful than what it could be if he had completely abandoned his sense of self- “...Mistaking my kindness, awaken a tyrant. Lucky you met me in days of a simp, Let you had met me in days of a pimp, You would be taking my shit and be paying my rent…”

-oop, Yup that’s what he said.

The tough act only proves to be impenetrable for so long, though. “Weeping Warrior'' is the emotional counterpart to the first track, telling of how the turning of a cruel World will eventually weigh in on One’s sanity and their hope for a more ideal world. The final track, “The All,” is literally just that- “all” of Tori MF Zo’s feelings and thoughts crammed into a single attempt at explaining the World in one view. That view is that the World and the people in it are not one thing. The World starts off as fantasy for some and darkness for others; People are seen as collectively selfish but in all of our hearts we want to help others per the opening quote at the beginning of the song. The World can be small in one perspective and cosmic to those who believe that their words and ideals create the world around them. It is only as we get older that humanity’s true colors show themselves to us. Bravo Tori MF Zo! Tell me how YOU feel about “ Mercury III. ” Milwaukee. /Naomi-Re’a for CW

Get Flea Market X Antix Fashion Show

We in Chicago wit’ it!!

As we continue to act on our mission to always “Support The Local,” CopyWrite Mag saw no better way of keeping to that code while also creating a rapport outside of Milwaukee than to pull up on our neighbors in Chi-Town. Last weekend I had the pleasure of attending Get Flea Market by Founder Sami LaPage, a collective thrifting experience which was born in the thick of the Pandemic in her own backyard, at Artifact Events in Historic Ravenwood. There was a full house of vendors and guests; thrifters, resellers, digital artists- Both the South and North parts of the building held the capacity of about 40 vendors each, meaning that there were over 80 businesses to shop with that day! These artists included Cole of Rejuvenated Jeans, EVC Creations whose line provides a million and 1 ways to rock denim, Nish Creates Things, Raven Rains of Raven Rains Jewelry- a Milwaukee native, The Alchxmist Book Club, Piel De Tierra, and Premure. Most of these vendors were either young teens still in high school or on their way to college; LaPage herself was just 18 when Get Flea began. The future truly belongs to the Youth, as it always has! 

One of the most memorable observations that I had made was that no one shied away from their own personal style and flamboyance. How you show up fly to buy fly shit to get more fly?? It was honestly a relief to see such boldness being taken on in the MidWest, especially somewhere as similar to home as Chicago. 

Towards the end of the evening, I took my front row seat and waited for the main event- The Antix Fashion Show! Seats were filled row to row with chic, high fashion urban, afropunk, suit-and-tie, grunge, street- So many styles coming correct with the looks. I just knew that this show was about to be fire! And it was. Under the beautiful hosting of their Creative Director Casscelina, Antix set fire under the audience with the presentation of designs from Essexx and Alysza Write, ending the night beautifully with applause from all over the venue.  /Naomi-Re’a for CW

Deshun Jeston- “Symptoms of Heartbreak” PROJECT

 Deshun Jetson released his first project on August 5th called “Symptoms of a Heartbreak” and it's hitting all the feels. From top to bottom, themes of emotional grief, heartbreak, breakups, and despair are heard from the young musician who’s instagram post on the release date gave some transparency as to what inspired his lyrical content: “I Spent a year and a half working on this project trying to recover from the darkest time in my life. I was stuck in a toxic relationship that was hard to get out of and I lost my little cousin on September 8th, 2021. These songs are filled with a lot of raw and unfiltered emotions showcasing heartbreak…” The intro track is a quick mix of what one’s playlist may sound like after a bad breakup, using songs by recognizable artists like Tory Lanez and Aaliyah before the second track “Time You Wasted” begins, kicking off Jetson’s own heartbreak playlist essentially. Outside of the ability to express himself emotionally, “Symptoms of a Heartbreak” is proof of his skill and talent as a musical engineer and producer as well. The sonic choices that were made were very contrary to the norm of today’s culture of heavy 808s and base. Instead, the sound of this project is that of a classic garage band; the production consists mostly if not completely of the sounds of live instrumentation and raw melodic vocals, cleverly giving us a holistic experience of what true expression sounds like.  Tell me how YOU feel about “ Symptoms of a Heartbreak ” Milwaukee. /Naomi-Re’a for CW

Isaiah M Brown- “Rose Colored” Music Video

Toxicity is personified in Isaiah M. Brown’s music video for his latest single ”Rose Colored.” Whew! Along with Art Direction from Shun Powell and effects by Michael Sapieja, this visual exposition of the ‘Rose Colored Glasses’ that we all have surely worn before (or someone has worn for us, mmmhmm) is shown through an interpretive dance by Madyun Wilson, who represents the meek, subjectivity of someone who can’t resist the lust of manipulation. Meanwhile, Brown sits back, embodying the ex-lover that he is singing about; Wilson dances and contorts himself back and forth in the grittiness of Jugo Fabrika for his lover’s enjoyment to only receive a seductive smirk and some lustful encouragement in return. Throughout this visual, both are seen being covered in some form of red and along with Brown’s lyrical context, the audience sees and hears of the different perspectives of the trap of domestic and emotional abuse in relationships. Tell me how YOU feel about “  Rose Colored  ” Milwaukee. /Naomi-Re’a for CW

CopyWrite Magazine "IN THE LOCAL" | Getting Geeky w/ Geekset Podcast

CopyWrite is “Getting Geeky”!

Our new homies at Geekset Podcast, Deuces, Bacardi, & Didge joined us at /CW HQ to talk about #AllThingsGeeky. 

Check out what we learned about their up and coming project The Black Geek Documentary,  “Blerd” culture, and how even when you're publicly a Stefan, there are things that still make you Urkel.

Interview w/ Lexi S. Brunson, resident Geek & Editor-in-Chief of /CW

Learn more at https://www.geeksetpodcast.com/

#SupportTheLocal - Fashion Fest MKE x CopyWrite Magazine

A word from our partners:

The mission of Fashion Fest MKE is to provide an outlet for Wisconsin designers and artists, to give them a platform to showcase their artistic vision and creativity.

We strive to expose the community to the talent that lies within Milwaukee and surrounding cities, and elevate and strengthen the fashion presence that the city has.

From fashion and art students to established Midwest designers, we will promote the creations and work of a diverse group of individuals.

- Francisca Rodriguez

---

As we continue to support the local we will now be vocal in our partnerships to further connections in our community and to bring light to the real bonds that have elevated the Urban creative scene in MKE. We #SupportTheLocal!

/CW

2Hi and Eli $tones: Live at No Studios

Another Friday night at No Studios has been dedicated to two more promising artists.  A few minutes after my arrival, an anxious  Eli $tones, still fueling off of the momentum of $ticks and $tones, came to greet some folks, myself included, while we waited outside prior to his performance. Nic Stokes was the DJ for the night and the time to get the show started was approaching.The crowd capacity was underwhelming and this was a new venue for him, but $tones dared not to waste any of the time he was given. What can seemingly be a disappointment to most held no weight against the passion that he has for his music. 

E$:  …Well I just wanna start off by saying, I always get super nervous before any show, regardless if there's five people there or a hundred people there, it doesn't matter. I always get super nervous so not seeing people there at all- that already just messes with my anxiety. So that's one thing. But also tonight I had a 30 minute set… Local artists don't often get 30 minute sets. Cause you know, most of these hip hop shows are always showcases and they got plenty of artists on the bill, So we usually get like 10 minute sets. So to be at this show, knowing it's a little bit like- I wouldn't say dead, I would say intimate- knowing I had a 30 minute set, It was a little disappointing, but I mean, I do enjoy, still, that small intimate feeling. Cuz even though people aren't moving around and screaming in your face, screaming the words back, they're still listening. They're still engaged, you know, if I tell them to turn on the phone [light], they still do that. So yeah, That's always beautiful, and you know, these small shows going into big shows, I can also like at them like a rehearsal too. Like these are just reps, you know what I'm saying? So I guess it's a love/hate relationship, considering my anxiety, but nah, bro, I love doing shows in general. This is what I do music for is a show.

From having beginnings in a rap collective, The Cronies, from which 2Hi also came, to finally excelling as his own artist, Eli $tones has certainly made his way around and has a lot to give.The consistent need to climb on top of something and look you in the eye, even deliberately bringing a ladder to elevate and center himself amongst the crowd while dripped in Unfinished Legacy, and the projection of his truth into the mike with the hope of reaching the hearts of those listening is exactly why our artists deserve better when producing performative opportunities for them!

E$: … I'm here to save people from themselves and I’ll be caught dead before they catch me lacking…

CW: … How do you feel that your last album affected people? Have you gotten a lot of personal feedback on what your album may have done for some?

E$: Definitely. This is the one project that I shared with the people who I trust most- my mentors, my friends, my family and they really said like- of course I'm not gonna listen to this- ‘you don't have to drop anything else. You just need to push this album and this could get you to the next step. You just need to keep working.’ But this is, even to me, my favorite body of work. it's where I've been my most vulnerable. I've talked about things that I've never talked about before. I tried not to, you know, sugar coat certain subjects to make a hit. You know what I'm saying? So I've gotten a lot of good feedback, not just from my close friends, but from people all around the world from Morocco, people from Denmark to New Zealand. It's Super cool. 

 2Hi’s set followed soon after. As the room became more lively with peer artists in the audience like Tru West, Nile, and young producer ThatGuyEli ready to engage in the hype, 2Hi, just the same, has been thriving off of the fresh release of his album White Lighter Bad Luck, allowing nothing to stop him from being a rock star.

CW:  I haven't really seen many performances of yours in the last couple of years, so that was a really good reintroduction ‘cause I don't think I've- I've seen you perform, but I've seen you perform more so as a part of a collective.

2Hi: Yea that was a while ago. 

CW: Seeing you as 2Hi by yourself was really good. How do you feel about tonight’s set? 

2Hi: You know,  I always look at it as like, no matter the quantity of people that's there, I'm still gonna rock it out like it's an arena full of muhfuckas. I feel like this was exactly how I envisioned it, you know what I mean? ‘Cause it's manifestation. That's how I always walk into a situation like this, Like ‘alright, we finna rock this shit, cmon. no matter what,’ you know what I mean? So yeah, at the end of the night you gone remember something.

I asked him about the personal outcome of dropping an album during the pandemic and the disciplines that came of it.

2Hi: …It's disciplining me to actually whip myself into shape; being active and current on everything. Lately- it's funny ‘cause like the pandemic also taught me that I need more content. I need as much content as music that I have. So as long as I'm cranking out content and I'm rolling with a team, like literally my team is building right now.

CW: What do you mean by team? Like do you mean team like collective wise or do you mean your management, a stylist- a team like that more production wise?

2Hi: More production wise, yeah, it's funny, like I just asked my boy Lake- I was like, yo, can I add you to my bio under ‘Management?’ He been booking hella shows for me, like Lake is doing his thing. If anybody needs a show, please hit up Lake. He'll set you right… But literally the team is growing with videographers, photographers, DJs, engineers, and producers. I'm trying to get involved with the entire city and bring it back to home base. Everybody that i actually fuck with at the crib... making sure everybody eats..

CW: … Alot of artists- not a lot of artists, but more artists are really realizing how important a team really is.  It's not just about you being passionate anymore, depending on how big you want to go, you know what I mean? It takes other people who have a passion for you, but in a different way. So especially speaking on, you know, being a part of a collective or, you know, being close to a lot of different artists, how does that affect your relationships with people?

2Hi: I would say at least the last three years I've been mainly just working in house with just maybe one or two people and now I'm finally opening up. So like, I guess what I'm trying to say is making friends in this industry is very important ‘cause that support system is like- literally I tell people, the people in my crowd y'all don't know it, but y'all have a cape on. You know what I mean? Y'all came to the rescue for me. Like y'all didn't have to come here. This is literally time that y'all are spending with me. And time is one of the most valuable things known to man, so for y'all to come out, show y'all love and appreciation, that is all I could ask. 

/Naomi-Re’a for CW