Better Together.
That was the tone at Wednesday night's 'Linking the Land' industry mixer.
Two of Cleveland's most influential music brands, I'm from Cleveland and Underground Music Showcase Cleveland, brought more than a hundred people together for a night of creativity and networking at the historic Bulkley House in downtown Cleveland.
Digital Producer Kierra Cotton spoke with John Stursa (I'm from Cleveland Co-Founder), Curtis Jay (UMS Cleveland Founder) and Brady Payne (UMS Cleveland Creative Director) about why they joined forces, the vision they had for the event and why it was important to bring the event to the city.
Hear what they had to say in the player below:
Formerly a mansion built in 1876, the Bulkley House has been transformed into a two-room recording studio that has hosted industry heavy hitters such as Dave East, Post Malone, 21 Savage, Machine Gun Kelly, YG and more.
Throughout the evening, guests on the first floor were able to participate in raffles, network and mingle to sounds provided by MGK's official disc jockey, DJ Ace.
Ascending eight flights, staircases lined with paintings and prints of music greats served as a tunnel to Cleveland music history.
On the upper level, artists from across the city came together in rare setting to create music of their own.
Never before have artists from all over Cleveland gathered together in one studio, creating an electric energy descending on melodic beats.
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Taking a break from the creative atmosphere, four upcoming artists spoke with Kierra about their rises to fame and their future plans; hear from Rootabang, Pressplay MJ, Big 40 and Big Bank Holly in the clips below:
Rootabang:
Chances are you've heard his hit song, Money Long or got hype to his verse, on I do the most. Either way, Rootabang is putting himself on the map. The Cleveland native spoke about his upcoming project, F.N.O, and how his hit song began as a simple freestyle.
Pressplay MJ:
Since the release of his first album, Child's Play, in 2017, Pressplay MJ has been working in overdrive. The East Cleveland native recently dropped visuals for his latest singles, Player and Admire You. The future looks promising for Pressplay and according to him, more hits are on the way. Check out his next live performance, March 10 at the House of Blues.
Big 40:
At just 17-years-old, Big 40 has already created a buzz for himself. The Cleveland native first gained popularity with his hit song, Motivation. Inspired by passing of his mother in 2016, 40 says the song and music now serve as his method of coping and moving on from his loss. With a new single, and a mixtape set to drop later this year, keep and eye open for Big 40's next move.
Big Bank Holly:
Recently beginning his rap career, Big Bank Holly has ignited the city with several hit singles. His most recent, New Money iconically reminds listeners of where he's from. While Big Bank wouldn't drop a freestyle for us during the interview, he does says he has been in contact with some big names and has plans to drop a new project this summer.
