This four part mini documentary series highlights four New York women working in the music and entertainment industry. Take a peek into the worlds and creative minds of Adeline, Latasha, Alissia, and DJ Miss Milan; all multitalented women who paved their own ways, worked with and are respected by notable figures in the industry, and march to the beat of their own drum.
ADELINE
Singer and musician Adeline Michele chased her dreams from Paris, France to Brooklyn, New York at just 18-years-old, and she’s been making power moves ever since! A bassist for CeeLo Green and the front woman of electronic funk band Escort, the funk pop artist stepped out on her own in 2018, dropping her first ever solo album self-titled “Adeline”. Released in November, the album directly and indirectly touches on topics of love, women empowerment, social media, politics, being different, and more. A full-time artist, the multi-instrumentalist’s musical talents go beyond singing and songwriting and into producing and Djing. “I love music so much; that’s all I want to do, and that’s all I know how to do.” The Parisian loved it so much that she dropped out of college after one semester and bought a one-way ticket to New York to pursue it. Fluent in five languages, the artist even credits music as her unofficial English teacher. “I grew up listening to American music; that’s even how I learned English. I would run home from school and learn the books and the lyrics of Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston.” Fearless in the pursuit of her passion, Adeline feels strongly about going after what makes you happy without reservation. “I don’t believe in Plan B. Plan B is direct way to failure,” she says.
LATASHA
“The biggest and deepest thing for me is resonance; I’m really big on like resonating with the people and resonating with hearts.” Brooklyn-born Hip Hop artist Latasha doesn’t want to just entertain; she wants to make people feel something on a deeper level. That’s why the artist pours everything into her work, creating multimedia show experiences and genuine music people can relate to and identify with. Latasha uses her music to peel back the layers of New York and give a mouthpiece to its youth, women, minorities, and anyone else who may feel underrepresented, overlooked, and misunderstood. “My work is to talk about the invisible,” she says. Before pursuing music full-time, the New York native worked in media with dreams of being a video journalist. She then ended up working in the financial industry at a corporate job before finally quitting to do music. Notable moments in her music career include opening up for big acts like Kanye West, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar; working in Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Wear campaign; appearing on MTV’s TRL, and much more. When the industry’s standards tried to push her into a box, Latasha stood her ground and stayed true to herself and her art. Although her journey has been full of twists and turns, the resilient artist has come out on the other side stronger than ever, proving she deserves to be here and has something worth saying. “I really want to be a massive artist and everybody knows my name, but I want to have my integrity intact. That’s the most important thing.”
DJ MISS MILAN
Meet DJ Miss Milan, New York’s self-proclaimed “Fairy Vibemother,” swooping in to provide the perfect vibes (and dance moves) for any event she’s summoned to. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens, the NY native has proven she’s a force to be reckoned with; with television appearances, celebrity events, and global gigs under her belt. Meek Mill, Zayn Malik, Fabulous, Joe Budden, Justine Skye, and Saweetie are just a few of the big names she’s worked with over the years; But the DJ says her most memorable experiences include spinning with icon DJ Guru (Jay- Z’s DJ) and playing live on MTV’s “Uncommon Sense”. Milan started her journey over 3 years ago after quitting her job to become a DJ full-time. Her advice to others- “Be very strong and have a lot of willpower and a lot of discipline. If you know you were gonna get up for your 9 to 5…. you should be doing the same thing for your dreams.” When she’s not working on her own dreams, Milan is helping others achieve theirs; teaching young girls the ins and outs of the craft in her spare time and supporting other female DJs, artists, and entrepreneurs. Milan says she’s just getting started. “I want it all. Like Kanye said, ‘Do everything you can in this lifetime,’ and that’s what I plan to do. Mogul status is not far.”
ALISSIA
If you’re looking for Alissia Benveniste, chances are you’ll find her cooking up some out of this world sounds in "The Spaceship”. That’s what the producer calls her custom built home studio in New York, a space she created to bring her music closer to home; literally. “The concept is basically like when people come, we elevate and go in another like dimension.” A huge funk lover, Alissia says the name also plays on music icon George Clinton’s “P-Funk Mothership” motif. Before The Spaceship landed in New York, its pilot honed her skills at Boston’s Berklee College of Music. A scholarship offer to the school was what prompted an 18-year-old Alissia to pick up and move from Italy to the U.S. without a second thought. Now stationed in New York, Alissia is not only a successful producer but a musician and DJ as well. “I just create content. I just feel the need to do so because my passion for music.” Among the artists Alissia has worked with are Mark Ronson, Anderson Paak, Khalid, Tamera, and her musical idol Bootsy Collins who is now like a mentor to her. While she’s accustomed to working on music for others, Alissia says she’ll be working on more of her own projects as well; And she’s off to a great start with her melodic “Get Away” track hitting all the right vibes. “Whatever music feels good, if people respond well to it, that’s ultimately the goal.”
