| October 18th, 2022

Tallahassee Takes on the World

By: Mycah Brown

PART ONE

On Saturday September 17, members of Tallahassee’s music community gathered together for a time of fellowship to showcase and appreciate all of the talent the city has to offer. Organized by local artist, Kanise,“Tallahassee vs. The World” was created in order to choose the final artist for the “Tally vs. The World” cover, a XXL-inspired photoshoot dedicated to the up and coming talent in the area. The event was hosted at “The Puff,” a local smoke shop, during their back to school event.

While guests awaited the performances, numerous vendors offered a plethora of businesses, goodies and unique takeaways. Attendees of all ages and interests were able to find something they could resonate with. Not only were there clothing, jewelry and candle vendors, but guests also had the opportunity to receive personal tarot readings and play games together! With all these festivities, working up an appetite couldn’t have been too far-fetched – someone cue the food trucks.

Hater

Music of all genres were performed, respected and celebrated through all of the performances of the evening. It was a music-lover’s dream come true! From rock to R&B to hip-hop and more alternative styles, attendees gathered in support of all of the artists who were able to perform, many being Florida A&M students.

FAMU student artist, Hater, who’s known to his family and friends as Kyle Crawford, says he was excited about seeing the crowd’s reaction to the beat switch during his performance. Hater says that events like this were crucial to Tallahassee’s musical community.

“I feel like this event was very well needed,” Hater says, “There’s a lot of artists out here, but you know, people don’t really get the same platform as other cities just because it’s a college town. But people coming together for something like this really makes a difference.”

Kanise

Kanise Williams, local artist known as Kanise, is the pop/R&B singer who curated “Tallahassee vs. The World.” Williams posted an Instagram reel talking about how she felt like artists in the area didn’t receive the appreciation they deserve, like New York or Los Angeles. The reel received so much attention that she wanted to create a space to honor these artists, which ultimately led her to hosting this open mic.

“Art is so important,” Kanise says. “It moves people, it’s part of culture. So highlighting this shows that Tallahassee has this to offer the world!”

With numerous artists looking to compete for the final spot, there is set to be a part two of the open mic to select who will be the last artist on the “Tally vs. The World” cover. This will be the first of many similar events meant to unify the community through music, as Kanise and the other organizers look to continue this project annually.

PART TWO

Again on Saturday October 8, members of Tallahassee’s music community gathered for the opportunity to network, perform and compete for the final spot on the “Tally vs. The World” cover shoot. The open mic event, hosted by singer/songwriter, Kanise, was a continuation of the first “Tallahassee vs. The World” showcase that took place in September. 

There was such an overwhelming number of artists who were ready to perform that the previous event went overtime with still quite a few acts to go through. Quickly, Kanise and her team worked to organize another open mic for those who were unable to perform at the first one.

Samo

Originally created to give artists in the Tallahassee area a platform to showcase their talent, it also allowed many of the opportunity to overcome any nerves they have about being on stage. Florida A&M student rapper, Samo, spent the day rapping in the mirror in order to prepare for the showcase later that evening. 

“I had a lot of support,” Samo says. “I had a lot of family and friends out here, and it was a lot of claps at the end. I was learning how to engage with the crowd and rap my lyrics to the crowd.”

Khyng Jay

While some, like Samo, used this as a learning opportunity and a chance for exposure, there were some artists with more experience performing, like Khyng Jay, who were simply excited to get back on the stage again.

“I just wanted to see what would be people’s reaction,” Khyng Jay says. “Would they like it or at least bop their heads to it? I got a pretty positive reaction from it.”

Lucid Luunar

Lucid Luunar is another seasoned artist who was ready to get back on stage. Luunar says when he initially reached Tallhassee as a transfer student at FAMU, he didn’t sense a huge musical presence in the city like his hometown, Atlanta, GA. Events like “Tallahassee vs. The World” are great ways for artists to network and build connections with one another, and to showcase all the hidden talent around the area.

“I loved all the performers and I want them to keep doing what they’re doing always,” Luunar says. “I’m super excited to tap in with a lot of the people I’ve met, and lock in with some more people that I haven’t met.”

Brittney Bella

Another Florida A&M artist, Brittney Bella, put on an extremely memorable, high-energy performance so much so that she had the entire crowd vibing with her and nothing but positive feedback from the judges. With her captivating lyrics, it is no surprise to know that she is also a member of FAMU’s Voices Poetry Group. Her performance truly showed her love and passion for music as she explains that all she did to prepare was listen to the music on the way there from work.

“I had some outfits in the car, because I didn’t know how much time I would have,” Bella says. “So I just threw it on in the car and I was sweating up a storm in this jean jacket because it’s like 80-something degrees. But I just powered through.”

THE WRAP UP

No matter the personal reasons for performing, “Tally vs. The World” provided artists the opportunity to not only create exposure for themselves, but to network with others who share the same love for music. 

Now that pre-show nerves have surpassed, artists nowawait their destiny as the announcement which determines whether they’ll be selected for “Tallahassee vs. The World” soon comes.