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UIC School of Theater and Music alum and poet rapper Mykele Deville dropped a music project in late August titled ‘each one teach one’ dedicated entirely to his nine-year-old niece. The project is a follow up to his poetic, liberating mixtape titled ‘Super Predator’ released in May. My friend and I were introduced to Deville’s music through another mutual friend, and after listening to Super Predator, we were determined to catch a live show. The time had finally come when Deville was set to perform at a popular DIY venue in Bridgeport.
His energy was unmatched, the crowd flocked around him like the gospel, and though it was dark in the makeshift venue, his smile shone. He mostly played songs from his new tape, and a few from his old one like ‘Outta My Mind and Outta Sight,’ which I appreciated gravely. Deville had several guests on stage, more than any performance I had ever seen. He made everyone take a step in closer to hear him, to feel him. The poetic mastermind successfully created a sense of community in his short 30-minute set and that’s the true power behind his music. In an interlude on ‘each one teach one’ titled ‘West Side,’ where Deville grew up, his niece says she doesn’t like living on the west side because all of the shootings make it scary. Deville reassures her that they’ll “keep her safe then get her out of here.” He looked every audience member in the eye as if we, each of us, were his nine-year-old niece whom he was reaching out to to tell this story, to teach us. The feeling was majestic. He played ‘C’est La Vie’ to close the show, a beautiful melody that features his niece in the intro and the chorus.
Deville has caught quite the buzz since the release of his latest project. He was recently featured in an issue of Southside Weekly, discussing his musical pursuits and other creative endeavors. As Mykele Deville is one of the many talented artists that has graced our campus, I suggest you check out his work.
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