The Miltown Beat Down
After 10 years, one of Milwaukee's longest-lived hip-hop traditions is coming to an end. The Miltown Beat Down, a novel producer battle series started by DJ Jordan Lee, will end with one last Battle Royale featuring each of the event's past champions, Lee has announced. It'll go down Saturday, Nov. 7 at the Miramar Theatre and feature champs Mike Regal, Reason, Bubba, CameOne, Da Ricanstrukta, Jihad Baracus, J Todd, Lex Luther, Magic Fingaz, Major On Da Beatz and Ad Lib, as well as perennial contender 40 Mil.
In a statement on the Beat Down website, Lee wrote that the event has accomplished its goal of bringing the city's once-divided rap scene together.
"Ten years ago I created this event to bridge the hyper-segregated Milwaukee music community," he wrote. "With the current landscape we find ourselves in Milwaukee, I feel the mission has been accomplished. Granted we have a long way to go, but artist like Mike Regal, Klassik, and Webster X ( to name only a few of the many great acts in our city ) are releasing music in a collaborative and encouraging environment. The concepts of east-side or north-side Hip Hop are, in essence, gone. The line between electronic and rap music have blurred so much, no one even care how you label a “genre” of music in this day and age."
