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In terms of music, Milwaukee has a lot to offer. For the classical fans, there’s the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. For those into more modern tunes, The Pabst Theater, Turner Hall Ballroom and The Rave always have something going on, and if larger venues aren’t for you, Shank Hall and the Miramar Theatre have your back. And for the jazz fans, the Jazz Estate is the place to be.
But there is one music scene in Brew City that often goes overlooked: hip-hop.
Tyrone Miller, aka DJ Bizzon, is working to put this vibrant community of artists on the map through his newly established Takeover Freestyle Battle series, featuring off-the-cuff rap battles and a live art competition.
Miller, a Milwaukee native, said hip-hop is split into two categories: the superficial, commercial hip-hop heard on the radio and the real, honest underground hip-hop.
In terms of Milwaukee’s scene, he said it falls more into the latter category.
“It’s definitely an ode to the classic hip-hop sound with a new flavor to it,” Miller said.
Miller started the Takeover Freestyle Battle series back in November, and the third installment is taking place this Friday at Stonefly Brewery. Performing at the event will be Milwaukee favorites AUTOMatic, Malicious and SPEAK Easy, along with eight battling rappers.
Miller said the event will feature a single-elimination tournament, with each MC spitting his or her best rhymes in two 30-second intervals to defeat the other competitors round by round. A panel of judges will decide whose skills are the best, and the winner will receive a prize package from the event’s sponsors and the chance to advance to the championship battle that will be held this summer.
There will be a fourth Takeover Freestyle Battle in the coming months, and the winners of all four battles will compete in the championship to determine the Takeover Freestyle Champion of Milwaukee.
JC Poppe, manager of several Milwaukee talents, including AUTOMatic, said he has heard a lot of people say the depth of the talent in Milwaukee is greater than it has ever been.
“There is a competitiveness and an air of grit to everything because people are hungry to take Milwaukee to the next level,” Poppe said. “It’s entirely possible that this generation of artists might accomplish that.”
On top of the music, Miller added the live art battle to the mix to incorporate more aspects of the hip-hop culture. Poppe said Miller wants to include all elements of hip-hop — MCing, DJing, break dancing and graffiti — and featuring live art is a step toward that.
“Adding those elements together is fantastic,” Poppe said. “You can’t knock him for wanting to make it into a truly cultural experience.”
The two battling artists will be Field Lehmann, who has been painting live for about five years, and Emphatik, a veteran graffiti artist. In addition to those artists, there will be a graffiti wall where everybody in attendance can leave their mark.
Miller said he is anticipating a solid turnout to this week’s incarnation of the Takedown Freestyle Battle, and hopes to see some faces new to the scene.
“I think people feel like you have to be this certain type of person or into it, but even if you don’t know anything about hip-hop, you’ll get something out of it,” Miller said.
Miller is doing something right. His number of event sponsors has quadrupled since the first battle earlier this year, now totaling eight groups, including WMSE, Moda 3, Rethreads and TRUE Skool, a nonprofit organization providing arts education and community service opportunities for youth.
“It’s going to be a positive event,” Miller said. “There’s not going to be any drama, and it’s just going to be fun.”
The third Takeover Freestyle Battle is tomorrow at Stonefly Brewery, 735 E. Center St. The show is 21+ and starts at 9:30 p.m. There is a $5 cover charge.
Young Bank Bone • Oct 31, 2012 at 10:45 am
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