Written by Mikayla Tenorio @mikayla_tenorio

Just about a week preceding the arrival of Jolly Ol’ St. Nicholas, some of Milwaukee’s top, local hip-hop artists got together to perform and raise donations for the area food bank, Hunger Task Force. “Attic Jams: Xmas Edition” was hosted by Joe Albert, also known as Cinco, and was the second Attic Jams show that he put on this season. Guests at this event had the option of either paying $5 at the door or donating three non-perishable food items in order to witness Cree Myles, CDS, Mic Kellog, Cinco, Diaz and Mike Regal entertain with their unforgettable performances. With attendance in the 200s, the small pop-up, non-profit show proved to be a huge success after collecting over 300 pounds of non-perishable food and nearly $200 in cash donations for Hunger Task Force.

The evening was opened by the beautiful and talented, Cree Myles. Myles set the mood for the Christmas themed evening with a short, acoustic set, and performed a combination of originals and covers such as Beyoncé’s Drunk in Love, and Bill Withers, Lean On Me. Next to perform for the Christmas sweater clad crowd was the Oshkosh, Wisconsin native, Cullen D. Sampson, or CDS. CDS brought an energy to the attic that could not be denied, and the crowd became animated when he brought friends, Alexander Jay and Evan Ramsey on stage with him to perform. After a short intermission Mic Kellogg stepped behind the microphone and under the Christmas lights. Kellogg’s performance had the floorboards shaking and the entirety of the attic begging for more.

Host of the evening, Joe Albert aka Cinco, was fourth to perform at the Attic Jams: Xmas Edition. Miguel Diaz accompanied Cinco on stage and together they put on high-energy performance chilling the crowd with bangers such as their original song North Pole Cold. To close his act Cinco along with CDS and a special guest appearance by Mozaic performed their new single Gotham. Finally, the night was closed with a final performance by Milwaukee’s very own, Mike Regal. Regal brought many of his own followers and left a lasting impression on new listeners.

Aside from the incredible performances by some of Milwaukee’s top up-and-coming hip-hop artists, the night turned out great donations for Hunger Task Force. Attendance exceeded the expectations of the performers, and they were delighted to know that many new ears gained exposure to Milwaukee’s thriving, local hip-hop scene. The attic was buzzing with words of encouragement from the crowd for Joe Albert to host more charitable Attic Jams in the future, and there is no doubt he will. What began as a fun way for local artists to perform for Milwaukee’s East Side, Attic Jams is transforming into something much greater, by not only giving back to the community that built many of these performers, but also introducing new people to Milwaukee’s vibrant hip-hop scene. The only question fans of Joe Albert’s Attic Jams should be asking is when should they expect to be under the Christmas lights next.