By Dylan Deprey
The hype is real as A.D.H.D. performs live. (Photos by Craig Jackson and Akaylah Hayes)
Sometimes life presents opportunities that are more than a coincidence. Although the idea of fate boggles the best believers and naysayers alike, sometimes people are destined to be in the right place at the right time.
Before Milwaukee Hip-Hop group Adolescent Devious (A.D.H.D) takes the stage at the Miramar for their Jan. 22 show following their recently released Full Circle album, it was only five years earlier that they met each other during their freshman year.
Members Josh Jenkins, G-Gifted, JalenG and Mykell X all crossed paths during their time at Madison High School.
Josh Jenkins and JalenG had been rapping for some time.
“I was rapping, but I didn’t take it serious until I met Josh,” Jalen G said.
Mykell X would talk about hip-hop with JalenG in English class, and later have Josh Jenkins offer to work with him as artist.
JalenG, G-Gifted, Mykell X and Josh Jenkins are A.D.H.D. (Photos by Craig
Jackson and Akaylah Hayes)
“I’d draw and stuff and he was like ‘man you can do my cover art,’ and I was making music on the side already, so it just worked” said Mykell X.
Once JalenG and Josh Jenkins introduced their new friend G-Gifted, who also rapped, to Mykell X, A.D.H.D was born.
Even after Josh Jenkins and JalenG transferred to Rufus King High School, they all stayed connected.
“We could’ve totally lost communication, we could’ve not been friends anymore, but despite the distance we still were hanging out with each other and working hard,” Jenkins said.
Though the group of conscious lyrical artists had skill, passion and chemistry, the lack of recording equipment was a minor setback. It was all until JalenG’s father purchased a Mac Book intended for the entire family.
“I was watching this show, and Diggy Simmons (rapper) said he started recording with this program called GarageBand, and I was like ‘I’ve seen that app on the computer. So one day I looked up the program, and it popped up” JalenG said. “Once we realized we could record on our own, that was the day we realized we didn’t’ need to rely on anybody to do anything for us.”
Summer nights consisted of recording at Mykell X’s mother’s house, who fully supported her son and his friend’s hobby.
“My mom was a huge supporter of the group, she would let us record in the house and make us food,” Mykell X said.
It was during these summer sessions where A.D.H.D. would create their first full length project, the 12 track, “A.D.H.D EP.”
“After we released it, to be honest, we got kind of lazy,” Jalen G said. “We were kind of uneducated in music because we were kind of young and thought after releasing one song, we though we’d be famous without putting the work in.”
“It was the lack of seriousness, but also there were a lot of things going on in our personal live,” Jenkins said.
After taking a year hiatus, A.D.H.D. came back with unparalleled amounts of energy, and thought provoking concepts with a lyrical vengeance.
“We got a little older, we got into the studio and we took it more serious,” said JalenG.
After cranking out their first feature length album “Full Circle” in little under a month’s time, A.D.H.D’s music career has taken them across Milwaukee performing around multiple shows monthly.
A.D.H.D’s versatile sound embodies the energy of an EDM show, the hard bassy thump that will rattle any trunk and the conscious and complex lyricism from the golden age of Hip-Hop.
“We are devoted to the culture, we strive on being lyrical emcees, but we also invest our time in the community so we can have conversations with advocates,” Jenkins said. “We can play our music and not have to worry about what type of group it is in order for them to like it.”
Tickets for their upcoming show can be found at http://www.themiramartheatre.com/event/1412770-dj-bedhead-milwaukee/
(Only have this on the online version): Recently released single: “Holy Ghost” https://soundcloud.com/officialadhd/adhd-holy-ghost-prodby-hclls