By james art Madison Youth Poet Laureate and rapper Justin Russell insists he wrote his first rap song out of necessity. The diss song, directed at a sixth-grade math teacher he despised, became scandalous among his classmates. The success led to more writing and eventually a freestyle round on the course. From there, Russell began experimenting with poetry as well as rap.
After years of refining writing styles and techniques, Russell moved far beyond freestyle.
Now a freshman at the University of Wisconsin, Russell was named the Madison Youth Poet Laureate in September. Russell said his new title gives him a host of responsibilities, including collaborating with local poets, reading his poetry at City Council meetings and introducing Madison’s under-19 poetry scene.
Although Russell is busy juggling the responsibilities of being Madison’s Youth Poet Laureate, he refuses to turn his back on rap. After collaborating with talented artists for years while developing his career, Russell said he had the idea to build a community of rap artists who had historically struggled to find a niche in Madison.
“Poetry is definitely going to be in the future, for sure, because of Poet Laureate’s work, but as far as rap goes, I have this rap collective in Madison that we’ve been building for years and I’m starting to push to try to create a rap scene,” Russell said .
The collective, titled ‘s.plus’, was first formed in 2020 by Russell’s friend and fellow rapper Elijah Brown. Brown, who creates music under the name “toshi.splus,” said he remembers first making music in third grade by recording a beat on his TV and singing over it using SoundCloud. Brown slowly got more serious about his music, finally getting his own studio last month.
Since graduating high school last spring, Russell and Brown said they are more determined than ever to build a community and promote their music. One of the collective’s first steps toward their goal is a one-hour show on WORT.fm in December. The show will feature local rappers from the collective and delve into the history of hip-hop prohibition in Madison, ending with a live freestyle cypher.
Robert Hill, a Madison rapper and friend of Russell’s who goes by the name “Breezo2xx,” stressed the need for increased awareness of rap and hip-hop artists in Madison. Hill said he enjoys helping younger rappers produce songs and practice performing, but wishes Madison had more venues for those artists.
“I want there to be a safe place for artists where you can come and perform as an open mic,” Hill said. “Artists in town can just come and play a song or two and get the momentum they need from other artists or work with people who [collaborate] and learn.”
Many rap artists the Badger Herald spoke with said they think Madison can be a tough place to thrive and support as a rapper. Hill failed to create a space with many bars and establishments that eschew rap music.
In The Sylveepopular music venue in Madison, only three of the thirteen artists scheduled to play this November are rap or hip-hop artists. In some cases, popular Madison bars have deleted rap artists from their tunes.
Madison rapper and producer Andrew Arias said he feels the lack of enthusiasm and support surrounding rap music in Madison.
“We need to support more hip-hop because you don’t see a lot of hip-hop or rap here, it’s all just rock bands or country,” Arias said.
Russell and Brown said they first formed their collective not only to bring artists together, but also to put Madison on the “hip-hop map.” Their next steps include connecting with more local rappers, booking venues and working to organize group gigs. These shows offer artists a chance to learn from each other’s musical talent while practicing live performances.
For Russell, performing in front of an audience is still something new, having been on the terrace of the Memorial Union for the first time earlier this year. But Russell said she is quickly getting used to the spotlight, recently reciting her poetry to Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and speaking at City Council meetings.
Russell said performing in front of an audience gives him a chance to share his work while reflecting on his personal experiences. Russell said his difficult childhood and time spent in foster care shine through in his rap and poetry. Although he knows that many of the audiences he plays for won’t relate to his background or some of his vulgar lyrics, he still finds it important not to hold back.
“Hip-hop is a catalyst for us to be ourselves,” Russell said. “That’s what rap has always been for us: a way to express ourselves and our true perspectives. Sometimes that vision is clear, and that’s okay.
Russell said Madison serves as an inspiration for his work, even though Milwaukee is often considered the epicenter of rap in Wisconsin. Adrian Enriquez, a Madison rapper who goes by the name “ABK CAPO,” talks about the difficulty for Madison rappers to be taken seriously.
The lack of resources and artistic spaces often leads to amateur artists independently making beats, writing lyrics and producing their own songs. Many rely on other members of the rap community for support — Enriquez said he works with Arias to produce several of his songs. Enriquez believes that just one local rap artist rising to prominence can change the entire future of the Madison rap scene.
“We need someone to blow out of this area because if someone blows up, that means they’re going to take all of us out,” Enriquez said. “I don’t care who it is.”
It is this same supportive nature that allows the rap and hip-hop scene in Madison to persevere and grow. Tune in to WORT.fm on December 23rd to hear the collective ‘s.plus’ perform and listen to Brown’s new track ‘Need It’ on October 31st.