Q: So, Genesis, how has fashion influenced your life and/or music career?
A: Fashion has always been an extended form of expression for me. From birth I’ve always been a visual artist, drawing comics, tattoos and grills. That eventually transitioned into drawing clothes and wanting to design fashion garments of my own throughout high school.
As music took my primary focus, I found ways to keep the other talents and interests intwined as well. Fashion became a way for me to really express my confidence and learn myself through small pieces that add to a larger vision. Whether it was through designing my own merch or styling myself so what I wear now can speak for me.
Q: Nice! So how would you describe your fashion sense?
A: I’m a big fan of comfort, minimalism, & performance. I think accessories can do more for my outfits than just wearing pieces for their namesake. So, I wear solid colors, the only patterns I wear are plaids, and I’ll pair those up with rings, necklaces and dad hats (love me a good dad hat). All of these transition well from offstage to onstage with no issue.
And then I have a lot of tattoos already, so I really put my pieces together around that. They’re like an eternal accessory for me.
Q: I hear that man. So, are there any black owned fashion designers or store owners in Milwaukee that you know of and support?
A: There are a lot of dope black owned fashion designers and store owners here in Milwaukee. My favorite fashion brands are: Brick Layers Club by Brandon Sims, MACCLIFE by Juanny Macc, & Rebel Paris by Petti Hendrix.
I love the straightforward designs of the Brick Layers Club. The logo, name and philosophy resonate with me. Foundation building, putting in the work, crafting your own with what you have, that means everything to me.
The MACCLIFE line is local based premiere wear, to me. Simple, great color ways, and the name. That’s all you need. Nothing more or less. When you’re in MACCLIFE or see somebody else in it you know that’s somebody who’s got a strong sense of self. The CC’s stand for culture of confidence. Can’t wear it if you don’t have it.
Rebel Paris. Man, if you know you know. Expression. Swag. Special. Petti made a staple fashion line in the Milwaukee scene in a short amount of time. I love the jogger sets, the embroidery and fabric quality of his designs and releases, along with the exclusivity of it. When you see the Bear logo you know it’s a special piece and it’s more than likely only being ran once.
Q: Definitely have to check those out. Are there any songs from your catalog that you think describes your fashion style?
A: You know what, there isn’t one. At least not one unreleased. Man, I gotta drop more fashion songs. (Laughs) But that’s the thing, I’m so simple with how I dress I don’t talk about it often. It’s like: Tattoos, heartbreak, new love, starving artist struggles, and being the goat. That’s me, haha.
Q: Nothing wrong with that man. So, what can we look forward to from you this year music and project wise?
A: I’ve been dropping singles all year, and we just entered the season of EDEN, so that’ll be my next project release.
E.D.E.N (Eventually Dreams End in Nightmares) is my unofficial sequel to S.I.N.S (Stories I Never Shared) from 2019. It’ll be an EP exploring the end of my last relationship and how I processed that pain. It’ll be better songwriting, more melodies and scene-setting production. Hopefully it’ll resonate and relate to the people who experience it.
Q: Nice. Sounds great! Looking forward to those projects for sure. So where can we the city of Milwaukee find your music?
A: You can find my recent releases on my website www.genesisrenji.com. And I’m on all social & streaming platforms as Genesis Renji (@genesisrenji). Your best bet is to google me and get lost in that rabbit hole.
Thanks again for your time Genesis! The city of Milwaukee is more than proud of what you’ve accomplished so far in your journey!
Genesis Renji is an Emmy nominated hip-hop artist based out of Milwaukee, WI. Renji’s signature high-energy performances and melodic stories in his rhymes make him an unforgettable talent. What started as free styling with his cousin Pierre became a passion and life pursuit after witnessing Lupe Fiasco’s “Kick Push” video on MTV.
Since then, Gen has opened for hip hop legends like Jean Grae, Pharoahe Monch, & Skyzoo, as well as opening for Aminé at Summerfest for a crowd of 7,000, & performing a halftime set for the Milwaukee Bucks to a sold out stadium of 17,000. Gen’s also landed television placements with Adult Swim & Queen Sugar.
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