Last week WIUX’s virtual summer virtual music festival, Culture Stream, came to a close. Following the previous week’s performance by Beanie, brz, one of the artists from Culture Shock 2019, shook the audience!
brz, pronounced “breeze” and always typed lowercase (according to his soundcloud bio), is a rapper from Indianapolis, Indiana. brz’s songs carry themes of technology and life as a Black millennial in today’s society. While politically charged lyrics are often a staple of his music, songs also share personal experiences, like making an internet friend (and going to visit said friend across the country!).
Between each song brz gave listeners insight on the song just performed, allowing the audience to understand more about the project and sentiment behind each piece, and setting the stage for the following song. I found it a fun way to make the performance more intimate, despite being virtual. During a few songs, fun visuals were layered on top of brz and he danced on screen while rapping and singing his songs. From gritty and heavily distorted vocals to groovier and more melodic tunes, brz’s set had it all. His music was fun to listen to and encouraged audience members, wherever they might be, to get on their feet and dance along with him.
Although the set was only 20 minutes long, it encapsulated brz’s signature sounds and leaves audiences wanting more. Good news: you can find brz’s performance on the WIUX Instagram page, along with all of the other performances for both phases I and II. If you’re interested in learning more about brz, check out his Instagram and bandcamp!
Culture Stream may be over, donations to the Homeless Black Trans Fund are not! Thank you to everyone who tuned in, donated, and performed over the past several weeks—we would not be able to put on events like this one without your continued support!
