Element Everest has been on the cusp of becoming Milwaukee's biggest star for a long time now, thanks to her work with Lovher and Black Elephant. She even had a solo track on the soundtrack to LL Cool J's "Deliver Us From Eva" flick.
The smart, brassy, talented Everest has also conducted interviews for local TV, has emceed events on stage, done voiceover work and is a public relations entrepreneur.
Somehow, during all that, she managed to find time to create, "Life Is A Heist," a sparkplug of a new solo record that features big-name guest appearances, a bevy of talented local collaborators and enough great jams, that it could be the breakthough Everest has been waiting for.
With her name and face seemingly plastered around Milwaukee these days, it seemed the perfect time for a Milwaukee Talks with Element C. Everest...
OMC: Hi Element, can we go back and talk about how you got started in music and entertainment?
EE: I was 5 or 6 and I use to love to sing and my mom always told me how good I was and my uncle sang with me all the time so I decided I wanted to sing like him. I also found out I could get paid to do it.
OMC: When did you know that this was what you wanted to do?
EE: When I used to sing for family and they all were so happy and they enjoyed watching my shows. So, I knew early on.
OMC: Were there role models that you looked up to and drew inspiration from?
EE: Yes, of course, my mother and grandmother. Female hip-hop artists. Salt-N-Pepa, MC Lyte, J.J. Fad, artists like that. My family played a huge part in me wanting to be an artist.
OMC: So the people around you -- family, friends, teachers, etc. -- encouraged you to pursue your dream?
EE: All the time. My mother would always ask, "Do your music but also get a real job." She wants me to pursue my passion but she also understands that "Starving Artist" is not just a saying, it's real life.
EE: Well, I feel like the group left me. I was very very close friends with them and I still love and respect them as women but it wasn't meant to be. I was not supposed to be in that group -- they were. That's life. At the time it hurts like hell but you heal and the real challenge is what you do after you've been knocked down. Do you get up? Or stay there? I got up and have never been down since. Now, granted, I've been in situations where people have tried to pull or knock me down, but I'm must stronger now then I was and that is not going to happen again.
OMC: It must have provided some good lessons in the music business for you...
EE: Yes, friends are friends but business is business and hopefully you can find a situation where you can learn to balance the two.
OMC: After that you had a song in a LL Cool J film, too, right?
EE: Yes.
OMC: How did that come about?
EE: I sent my music to my uncle -- Gary Hardwick -- who writes, directs and he's also an author. I always send him my latest work because he tells me the truth about my work. He submitted it for a film he was working on and is made it through. Most people think he walked it in. Noooooo, not my uncle. He is all about you earn what you have in life. He is "Mr. Life is a Heist," he's not going to give me anything and I love him the more for it. When I heard the song made it I was extremely proud because I knew it was good not because he pulled strings.
OMC: Then, of course, Black Elephant, which is probably what you're best known for in Milwaukee now. Why did the group split?
EE: We didn't, all of my bandmates have children. Most recently Dameon, the other lead vocalist, had his fourth daughter and his wife as been a huge supporter of the group and he wanted to honor and respect her by making sure he has time to be there and be a good father. You can help but to support that and I have. I thought it would be a great time to put out my album and I did.
EE: It has everything I've been waiting to see in every other album that has come out. The key word is "diversity." The album has everything from an outer space cut with Milwaukee's own J-Todd to Stic Man from Dead Prez.
OMC: There are some other big-name guests on it, too, right?
EE: Stic Man (of Dead Prez), Big Pooh of Little Brother; both are featured on songs. Dwele, Mr. Lif and T3 of Slum Village got the album with shoutouts of praise and best wishes as well. Not to mention a few of my favorite Milwaukee artists.
OMC: What's your goal for the record?
EE: To sell 1,000 CDs in a month (laughs). I would love for the city to embrace this album and begin to tour the U.S.
OMC: Are you hoping to get it picked up by a major label or are you happily independent?
EE: I'm happy making the music I want to make, if I can do that and get on a major that's great, but (I) know that artists on a major are a dime a dozen. I'm all about pushing this album as far as the planet will allow and beyond.
OMC: You've done modeling, music, voice work, you're an entrepreneur. What's next on your list of things to achieve?
EE: I'd like to be the first female hip-hop artist from Milwaukee to go platinum.
OMC: A couple years ago you said that in five years to hoped to be on tour in China. Now that it's four years later are you still on your way to China?
EE: Yes, but I need a new passport (laughs).
OMC: Where, then, do you see yourself five years from now?
EE: On the road. I really love what I do so much I could do it forever...
OMC: Before we go, can we talk a little about Milwaukee?
EE: Of course.
OMC: What do you think the music scene is like here?
EE: It's growing.
OMC: Is it vibrant?
EE: It is in its own way. There are a lot of people making music to become well-known in Milwaukee. I know that any real artist wants the world to hear their music. We'll get better but we have to raise our standards for who and what we classify as art.
OMC: What would make it better?
EE: People understanding the business more.
OMC: More or better venues?
EE: More club owners thinking about performers and their needs to display what they do. Club owners do not letting the sound system sound like crap it makes my job much harder(laughs).
OMC: Label support?
EE: That would be nice but we artists need to give them a reason to come here and search for talent. Once we do, they will come.
OMC: Did the killings of LaLa Brown and Kool Aid hit the Milwaukee scene?
EE: Yes, we recognized that there is real talent here and we need to support the talent in our own backyard.
OMC: What do you think it will take for Milwaukeeans to stand up once and for all and say enough to the violence?
EE: I'm not sure, but I hope it happens soon. Parents need to raise their children, not MTV, BET and VH1. We need the family structure back and fast. Family holds you accountable, there is no accountability nowadays.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
