History is made daily.
Active practice is true performance.
Advocacy should be ambitious.
Challenges should never stop progressive change.
We are Black.
We are proud.
& you know why it matters.
Happy Black History Month from your /CW Fam
“I don’t know what to think!”
It’s not a phrase I utter often [nor do I appreciate sentiments of equivocalness as a posture of perspective]. However, the phrase was the only thing that could come to my mind as the Sunday, January 21st, 2024 showing of Eugen O’Neill’s, A Moon for the Misbegotten, ended at the Milwaukee Chamber Theater.
In an effort to unpack my thoughts I had to confront my entry point into the play [the casting of La Shawn Banks as James Tyrone, Jr] and the thematic subtleties that would allow me to see past the rickety porch and vastness of “desolate Connecticut”.
All images provided by MCT shot by Micheal BrosilowThe intimate glimpse into the periphery of society as a note of unideal existence is something that this revival of A Moon for the Misbegotten does well. A father whose drunkenness drives his sons away [Phil Hogan played by James Pickering], a daughter who uses her sharp tongue to avoid the pain of her insecurities while picking up the slack for her patriarch [Josie Hogan played by Kelly Doherty], and the thorn of socioeconomics in its human form as T. Steadman Harder [played by Zach Thomas Woods] gripes about his fence and ice pond when his neighbors live in subpar conditions. But Mike Hogan [played by A.J. Magoon] escaping without confronting his father is something I wish O’Niell had the foresight to correct. It denotes the subservience of a woman in society, as a nurturer of those who don't deserve to be nurtured. As sure as she robbed her father to free her brother of his suffering she does not enact her own freedom.
[I hated that for her]
But that nuance of perspective coming from this 21st century feminist [YES I AM!] was minimal, noting that her love interest as a “foul” mouthed Irish woman was with a Black man. Now as plausible as it would have been for James Tyrone, Jr. to be an African American landowner and actor in the 1920’s, there would obviously be social scrutiny for Josie and James to be together no matter how many demons they both have collectively. Where the role was not originally written to cast a person of color, I applaud the selection because Bank’s portrayal was quite believable. His cityslicker slyness with overly emotional tendencies [it was giving an actor playing a person who is definitely an actor] was spot on. But I could only predict it would never work out. I could never really see even the alcoholc-ist of alcoholics encouraging their daughter to be with someone he knows could never maintain her publicly. Not even the ploy to get his money seemed reasonable because once they were seen together would that not be a social provision for violence in that time? It's rough because as a multiracial Black woman with Irish roots, I know how I got here [and it wasn't cute].
Similarly the whisky wagon never left the stage! The highs and lows of an alcoholic binge is always unsettling. The way Phil and James were throwing them back you couldn't be sure where their thoughts were coming from and if they had any control over their narcissistic behavior. And why should they when the bosom of Josie will be there waiting to care for them [Again, I hate that for her]? Even in her hope for something more with James, her agency was taken when he chastises her for saying she had been “around the way” with other men, and him so certain that it was fib [So men can do it but women can’t? Tuh! It’s given misogyny]. To then turn around and be all out of sorts for doing up a sex worker [repeatedly] on the train while bringing home is mothers dead body!?! If Mr. Tyrone was looking for sympathy, he could definitely look past me [If you like “city girls” just say that!] But again, as I analyzed what I had experienced take place on that stage, I could only imagine my father who suffered from alcoholism throughout his life and his womanizing tendencies. Could he have ever showed up to some ladies doorstep begging for comfort as an illusion of humility? Unfortunately, I will never know.
The highs and lows of James’ drunken lust for Josie, cloaked with his attempt to “maintain” her chastity was too much for me. Make up your mind sir! Push her away from you one more time and its borderline domestic violence. The way her belligerent father was trying to get her in the bed with his drinking buddy and landlord for a few coins is wild [Pickering made me despise Phil Hogan]. I mean here is a man with no shame whatsoever. And yikes Josie! Grow a backbone! That self-deprivation got her nowhere but loveless, sexless, and moneyless [forget a drama, that makes it a tragedy]. She talks down on herself, she lets everyone in her life take advantage of her, and she is stuck. Stuck on that porch looking for something that you can only find inside of yourself. The way Doherty invited torture to her existence in this role showed commitment. There was no ego to bear and no diva to deliver in the shell of a woman that was left of Josie at the end.
What does this say about humanity? What does this say about a society that still feels O’Neill’s narrative should be shared?
I think it says we are flawed. I think it is a reminder that comfort is a luxury many can not afford. It says we have more to learn about why we break and what breaks us. I also think it says that the theater is a place to feel discomfort as long as it interrogates the boundaries of societal niceties.
I did not love A Moon for the Misbegotten. But I respected it. It challenged my empathy and sometimes you need that from art.
Sometimes you need to know what uncertainty feels like.
Lexi S. Brunson
Editor-in-Chief /CW
For info please contact program manager, Carlos Vargara [copywrite.vato@gmail.com]
Alan Ward plays on themes of humility and big picture thinking in his latest single “Bucket” and dedicated a live performance of it to the victims of the October shootings that took place at Bowie State University and Morgan State University a week prior- an appropriate tribute as he uprooted himself from his home in Milwaukee and settled in Baltimore, MD where these two schools are located. He performs with a single mic around the BSU campus in an Unfinished Legacy ‘Milwaukee’ shirt and vibes out to the groove of a somber-toned yet warm and smooth production from Stoic (Mick Jenkins- “Smoke Break-Dance,” “Guapanese”). This chill anthem gives sound to the season of fall and the familiar feelings associated with it during the approach of the end of yet another year. Ward’s nonchalant bravado and impressive word play portrays the mellowed out cool-kid persona that comes with owning the life that you live. He creatively describes the gray area of staying in your lane to get further while playing your part socially as one of life’s simplicities of a young person with lots to do and much to prove. Give this track a listen, Milwaukee, and remember… “All Love. Peace. Put the guns down. Let’s party up!”- Ward
/Naomi-Re’a CW
There’s been a lowkey wave of Artists of all walks finding more joy and purpose in taking the behind the scenes approach to the creative side of things- from Teyana Taylor finding comfort as a director behind the camera to Jay Versace, once a viral viner now a masterful producer for the likes of SZA. But the world is still needing to catch on to talented Milwaukeeans like Monterey Slayton who is quietly yet confidently dominating behind multiple corners of music.
“All The World’s A Stage” has just dropped and was announced to be Slayton’s final Album as his own artist before embarking on the journey of a songwriter. After about 4 years since his heavy unload of music in 2019, Slayton decided to leave the forefront of musical creativity with a taste of what his pengame will have in store for other deserving Artists. This 14 track body of work is clearly cut from the cloth of the late 90’s- early 2000’s blueprint of R&B. Slayton’s cadence, the lyrical content and musical references, to the overall production choice (shout out the producer Digital Rose) all mesh together to create a refreshing yet nostalgic piece of material.
The Album is broken up into three parts and is introduced as if to be a scripted audition (or soundtrack sequence) to a classic black love story with Montrey being typecast as the attentive yet imperfect loverboy, like that of one of our favorite black romances. It begins with the highs of the ‘Honeymoon Phase’ and the ‘Climax’-with songs like “Someone to Love,” that reminds us that roses on a monday are the standard. The mission of pleasure is the only topic that matters to him and his lover and it's unapologetic. Then we’re met with ‘The End', the third segment of music where songs like “Too Far” and ”These Pictures” highlight the deciding moment for many relationships alike which are inflamed by disappointment and indecisiveness. It challenges the idea of what it takes to accept someone as a lover and leaves the listener with their imagination. I say that no matter which part of the love spectrum we find ourselves on, when it comes to listening to some good R&B, as long as there’s a lil’ “Nayhooooo” thrown in there, We gone feel it either way!
/Naomi-Re’a CW
A lot of us may still be running that last stretch of being a twenty-something but I think I speak for most of us when I say the club is getting tired! As an answer to the dilemma of wanting to kick it, mingle and enjoy good music without putting up with the jarring atmosphere that comes with typical nightlife, multi-faceted curator Rakim hosted his newly established Lover’s Playground for the third time this year. I wasn’t sure what to expect entirely but once the vibes began to build and the people started to arrive, I got the point and my understanding was later confirmed by Rakim himself:
R: “..it's basically a party for people that want to come and enjoy music based on just good vibes; Non-abrasive sonics…We invite different DJs around the city, you know. And that's a major aspect of it too because it's not really about me DJing.. It's really just about having different DJs from around the world come in or us being able to lock in DJ’s from the city with different styles.”
Ironically upon my arrival there was some throwback Jay-Z playing. It wasn't abrasive but it definitely wasn’t lovey dovey either. However, the true essence of this night began to take over as Lik, Rakim, and DJ Nudy, who will be DJing alongside Core DJ Kev this New Year’s Eve for Boosie and Webbie right in our city, took turns adding their own flavor to the theme of love with throwback hits from Chris Brown, some new Drake, and Trey Songz.
R: “We wanted all love based and just beautiful, beautiful music… People don't engage with the music, They don't dance a lot. The music's super harsh, It's loud as hell- I like the loud music, but just [want] more dancing.”
CW: “I think that that's a good reminder that all music has a place and a purpose Because I feel like so much of the music now is focused on one emotion- one mode to be in- it's aggressive. It's unfriendly sometimes and it's negative, but it's a place- there's a place for being sad, A place for being lovey, there's a place for being social, and you can't really be like that with THAT type of music…”
Once he acknowledged the need for lightening up a social environment through music, Rakim Invited The Roses Prevail’s (TRP) Producer Lik Henderson to brainstorm along with him. Lik humbly gave Rakim the credit for the ideation but Rakim insisted that his perspective and input made this a total collab. They both sought to creatively capitalize on the amount of attention that our beautiful city has received, even more so on the artistic end of course, while unifying the DJ community of all sounds and experience with every Lover’s Playground event.
Lik: ”...Once we had the leverage to build the brand to that point, we want to eventually bring people here and give people a reason to come to Milwaukee…”
CW: “Do you feel like the capacity matters in a sense…? if it's tailored to this event specifically, [there] wouldn't be [many people] you know what I mean? It would be more intimate….?”
LH: “I mean, we want it to get as big as it can get, you know what I'm saying? But we know in nature it's kind of like an intimate, exclusive vibe. You don't have to play what you consider popular... the DJs not necessarily playing the more popular Music, right? So the audience is coming for an alternative vibe. So that's in essence gonna always be a smaller capacity.”
Sounds to me like I have something to look forward to for my little world of being an introverted musical socialite. Will you be at the next one?
/Naomi-Re’a CW
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What’s up yall! It’s PEAZY from /CW and I’m back with another interview from one of Milwaukee’s very own: Elliott! Check out our conversation and make sure you go stream “Jimmy’s Summer Mix” on all platforms! Without further ado let’s get into it.
/PEAZY: So, you have this project, “Jimmy’s Summer Mix”, a 6 track EP and it’s so diverse. I’m sure you have your favorites right? One of mine is “Charlie Wilson”. “Charlie Wilson” has so many different elements of sounds but one sound really sticks out to me and that’s that Milwaukee low-end beat. What was the process behind incorporating this “new” sound into your music?
Elliott: Well, I always wanted to like…find a way to implement my usual flow and song content and bring it to that type of beat. So for this project, I had gotten this beat from my guy Mar (@martyguerrerobeats) and after going through a number of different beats, it just started flowing. And I was hesitant at first you know, but I’ve also been in the space of trying to have more fun with what I do. Alot of my previous work is thought-provoking and mellow, I just wanted to get on this record and do something fly. “Fall For That” is the same way, it’s in that same category of sound.
/PEAZY: I feel like a track isn’t really a track without it having something about it that you will always remember. Once you establish that one line or that one sound as yours, it’s forever embedded in the culture. Wayne has the lighter flick, Metro will shoot you if he doesn’t trust you, etc. Yours is ‘Yes, Lord”? What’s the origin of that? Is it an affirmation?
Elliott: It’s kind of..actually not kind of, it IS an acknowledgement to God and it’s just me thanking Him for being able to do what I do. It’s a shoutout to Him.
/PEAZY: “Always About Me”, “Show Up Late”, “Corner Store”; you have a lot of songs that narrate a story. How much of that comes from personal experience and how much comes from your poetic license ?
Elliott: It’s mostly stuff that I saw first hand. If not, then it could be experiences that I’ve lived vicariously through others close to me. Or sometimes I’ll take elements from different stories in my life and put it together to make one big story and translate it to a record. But it’s all things that my eyes have seen.
/PEAZY: So, for people who don’t know, you are a middle and high school teacher. Do your kids know that you rap? And if so, how does your artistry influence them? Do you incorporate music into their education?
Elliott: Yeah they know. I didn’t tell them they kind of just used those inquisitive minds and they found my social media. But I teach English so it definitely inspires me in a way that motivates me to encourage their creativity and their emotional vulnerability. I just find ways to implement that into what we are already learning about. In a way my kids are the influence behind tracks like “Charlie Wilson”, that kind of music really gets them going and they really take the words to heart.
/PEAZY: Okay so say I’m introducing somebody to Milwaukee music and I’m telling them how great of an artist you are. What 3 songs would you put someone on to to introduce who you are as an artist?
Elliott: I would say “Show Up Late”, “Who We Kiddin?” and “Always About Me”.
/PEAZY: What’s so special about those?
Elliott: Those are the songs I personally enjoy the most. Just knowing what went into the creation of them, what inspired them, how I felt recording them and how I’ve seen them resonate with people who’ve listened and connected to them.
/PEAZY: As an artist in 2023, do you feel compelled to also be a content creator? Is it something that you’re cool with or something that you feel like ‘man I wish I didn’t have to do this’? Cause you know we live in a social media world, if you’re not posting reels or if you’re not on Tik Tok you’re not as hot. Is it a lot being an artist AND a content creator?
Elliott: I mean…I wish the music could do it itself but the game is the game. Music is more than just music, it’s marketing, it’s getting your song into people’s ears consistently. I’m definitely getting more comfortable being in front of the camera and just putting out content in general. But I think the music that I’m creating enables my confidence to create the content.
/PEAZY: You have two devout Christian parents and you grew up in the church. You talk about this a lot in your music alot but we live in a time where if you sing about God or talk about God you’re viewed as being weird. Does God give you the courage to glorify Him in your music?
Elliott: The only approval I seek is from Him. Outside opinions against that don’t really move me because it’s like…you can’t save me! When it comes down to what’s cool and what’s not, I do work to make sure I creatively implement that part of my life into my music. I know a lot of Christian Hip-Hop is looked at as corny and I don’t know if I would necessarily put myself in that category, but I do always try to acknowledge how good God is.
/PEAZY: What would you say to someone who’s listening to this and is having a hard time believing in their dream because they’re caught up between doing what they want to do vs doing what God wants them to do?
Elliott: You gotta have faith in the fact that it’s not going to happen how you think it will. And when it doesn’t, you have to figure out how to turn those feelings: anxiety, nervousness, stress, or anything into music. Use those feelings of uncertainty and turn it into your art. Talk about how you might feel anxious about something or how stuff isn’t working out, figure out a way to turn everything into music.
/PEAZY: Where can we find more Elliott?
Elliott: Latest project, “Jimmy’s Summer Mix” is available everywhere.
/PEAZY FROM CW
I recently did one of my favorite interviews so far this year with BIG P! And y’all would never guess what happened…the audio DELETED! But you know at /CW we take lemons and turn them into Kool-Aid Lemonade so without further ado let’s get into this album review of “Weed and Wine” by Big P.
The thing that I love about this album is the symbolism. Bip P creates an outro following each song that helps you understand the morals to the story he so eloquently told on the track. The theme of each outro varies from playful phone calls to Big P’s Seafood and Fries to more serious conversation about mental health, accountability and healthy love. My favorite song is “Ms. P” featuring Ro. J; this is one of those songs that demonstrates the symbolism that I mentioned but also has many elements of southern rap that we really don’t see many Milwaukee artists tap into. This is especially surprising because Big P is a real Milwaukee native, so to see him embody and so effortlessly pull off this southern swag really speaks to how dimensional he is as an artist.
“Never know what you can see, never know what you can be. But one thing fasho, you f--king with Big P bay-bay” (that’s how you say it with a accent, bay bay)
Southern charm isn’t the only thing he tapped into on this album either. “White Lies” has neo-soul elements, the melodic scats throughout the song add peacefulness to what may seem like a harsh message.
“Telling these lies to you knowing that I’m doing wrong. Truth be told I know my wrongs baby. Call a spade a spade that’s just what it is. I put you through this sh-t for what my mother did or didn’t.
Lines like that are frequent as Big P demonstrates his ability to make you groove and hold yourself accountable on the same track. “Wright Way” does the exact same thing in a completely different way. The first two minutes of the song are for you to stand up and vibe, but the last two minutes??? You have to sit down and listen. Not because the lyrics might go over your head, but because within each experience he gives you the best of both worlds. Is that not what we look for in certain songs when we listen to them? You initially just want to feel good but by the end of the song you’ve learned something or taken something away.
“The song may have ended but the melody lingers on.”
“Boyz II Men” was the first song that I heard off the project, featuring his best friend Lik who is also the producer of this project. If this is your first time hearing them together, this is a great introduction to this dynamic duo. The back and forth between Lik and Big P flows smoothly, this is one of the songs that give you an understanding as to why he named this project “Weed and Wine’. If you know you know, but the combination of the two really makes you feel like the smoothest person in the room. And lowkey, I felt like they channeled Bootsy Collins a little bit and I’m here for it.
“Hf” is one of the songs that I paid attention to in particular because throughout the album Big P shows respect to his son’s mom. When I asked him why he does this, he said:
“Honestly I really just wanted to show love. You know we had our son when she was still in college and being that young, you know I made a lot of mistakes. So this was really just like 1)to apologize for everything that I’ve put her through and then 2) just to let her know I’m gonna forever make sure she’s good.”
“Wish It Could Last” is the perfect way to end this whole album. First, this is an ode to UGK’s album “Ridin Dirty”, the last song “Outro”. Big P uses this track to shoutout everybody that had a hand in creating “Weed and Wine” and it’s really a great way to learn things about Big P if you didn’t know him already. He’s a Milwaukee native that was raised by his grandparents and grew up with hoop dreams, turned them into reality, had a kid and made plenty of mistakes along the way. But he also made music; amazing, soul-filled, authentic music. So good that he picked up the mic when he put down the ball. Overall, 10/10. I really think this is a creative body of work that encapsulates the majority of who Big P is as an artist and I truly think this is authentic music.
Interview PART 2 COMING SOON! Check out “Weed and Wine” and let me know what y’all think!
/PEAZY FROM CW
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