MILWAUKEE — 13-year-old Amir Johnikin is using music to make a difference in the community.
He wrote a verse on a new song about stopping gun violence, called “Life Lost”.
“We did it to get a message out and tell everybody we need to stop,” Johnikin explained.
“Clearly it happens every day. Us doing the song, we can put a message out there to bring everybody together.”
Along with Johnikin, several other students attending Milwaukee Excellence Charter School joined forces to make a music video for the song.
For those students, the song is personal. It’s based on the killing of 15-year-old Milwaukee Excellence Charter School student Davion Patterson.
He was shot in March trying to break up a fight near 14th and Concordia. Five other women, between the ages of 18-22, were injured.
Azaria Giboney is a 10th grader at the school. She participated in the music video.
“It felt right, honoring Davion, because it’s about him,” Giboney reflected.
Different video from the same artist:
Giboney’s dad, Tracey Dent, is responsible for producing the video.
“Everybody listens to music, and doing it with the students here, they can push the video out on social media,” Dent said.
Dent is an activist in Milwaukee and a member of the nonprofit, Peace for Change Alliance. The organization is hosting several events in May, which the city declared as Violence Prevention Month.
Dent said the music video is a way for their organization to reach the youth.
“They’re our future. We have to pave the way for them and break down the barriers. We have to guide them to be leaders,” Dent explained about the nonprofit’s goals.
Dent has created videos about reckless driving, domestic violence, and now, in “Life Lost”, gun violence. He recruited teens Heaven Marie and Johnikin to record the song.
Under stage name, “Tbe Bink”, Johnikin has created over 100 songs. A handful of those are available on all streaming platforms.
“Being my age, a lot of people listen to me. There’s a lot of people who look up to me and listen to my songs and just watch. It’s made an impact,” Johnikin said.
He said his inspiration comes from his dad who was also a rapper. He hopes to make it big one day.
“If I keep doing it, I feel like I can change something.”
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