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MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee bars The Garage and Hi Hat Lounge, the former of which was at the center of online backlash over a "NO PLAY LIST" of Black rap artists in August, are set to reopen next month under new ownership.
When will Garage, Hi Hat reopen?
Timeline:
In a post on The Garage's Instagram page Thursday, it was announced that the adjoining bars on Milwaukee's Lower East Side will tentatively reopen under new ownership on Oct. 15.
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The bars had permanently closed, the owners citing a pending sale, on Sept. 1. Sale discussions began earlier this summer as the owners planned for retirement, they said, but in light of "recent events and resulting staffing concerns," the owners decided to move forward with the sale.
Who is the new owner?
Dig deeper:
FOX6 News previously reported that Scott Schaefer, the owner of Jack's American Pub and Milwaukee Brat House, would acquire both establishments. The Garage and Hi Hat employees would be given the opportunity for employment under the new ownership, a statement said.
‘NO PLAY LIST’ backlash
The backstory:
A "NO PLAY LIST" of Black rap artists posted at The Garage's DJ booth went viral online in late August. The list included more than three dozen Black hip-hop artists – well-known names like Glorilla, Lil Wayne and Travis Scott – as well as "NO MILWAUKEE RAP" in bold letters at the bottom.
The video had more than 850,000 views in the days after it was posted, along with tens of thousands of reactions and thousands of comments and shares. The account that posted it had just over 200 followers.
Milwaukee's The Garage 'NO PLAY LIST' backlash, bar responds
The Garage, a Milwaukee bar, responded to backlash Tuesday after a "NO PLAY LIST" of Black rap artists was posted at the bar's DJ booth.
What they're saying:
The Garage posted a response on its Instagram page after the video went viral, saying the goal was to avoid music that referenced violence, but acknowledging the list of specific artists was the "wrong approach."
Ishmael "Ish Darr" Ali, the local artist who posted the video, said the "NO PLAY LIST" screamed discrimination.
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"It definitely felt like we weren’t too welcomed, you know," he said. "We can have fun, spend our money, but when it comes to our music and our culture, things we are trying to bring, that’s not accepted fully."
Ali said the bold print at the bottom of the list, prohibiting local artists, was "the kicker."
"No Milwaukee rap in Milwaukee? Like, c'mon guys, but I'm a rapper in here," he said. "I feel like minorities, our people, Black and brown, and it's saying we don't want that there."
The Source: Information in this story is from The Garage's social media, as well as previous reporting that included statements from the owners and social media activity.