Cortisa Star @ Warehouse on Watts
Baltimore-based underground rapper and model Cortisa Star empowered us to dance, twerk, vogue, scuba, and tap into our furry side at Warehouse on Watts. Hate and shame ceased to exist for one night.
Fellow DMV-based rapper and collaborator Jadadoll graced the stage at around 8:00. Star followed closely behind to DJ Jadadoll’s set, a rare sight for headliners. Much of the audience didn’t seem familiar with Jadadoll’s music, but she quickly commanded our attention. She turned the mic on the crowd and schooled us on how to ad-lib bangers such as “Hut Hut”. Star remained behind the DJ booth, obscured by the low blue light like a mythic figure and occasionally breaking focus to hype up her friend.
A refreshingly brief break followed Jadadoll’s set before electropop singer Miss Madeline took the stage to transfix us all. Her controlled, seductive stage presence evoked images of peak Britney Spears. She is a true reborn 2000s pop star, and in classic pop star fashion, she kindly greeted fans beside the merch stand after the show.
Admittedly, coming into the show I could barely name five Cortisa Star songs. I had a feeling I was going to have the time of my life regardless. You wouldn’t have guessed there were less than 300 people in the crowd with the rapturous volume when Star came on stage. Before Jadadoll spun any of Star’s tracks, the headliner commented, “Philly is so silly” and asked if any of us were from Baltimore. Having family ties to Baltimore, I had to scream extra loud.
Star acknowledges the inherent silliness in her work and persona– the tag line that shows up in many of her songs is literally “hundred bands in my panties.” She introduced many of her songs with playful one-liners. To let us know she was about to perform her hit song “CORTISA CRUMP,” she asked, “who here crumps their Cortisa?” She then declared she was going to take us to church, putting her hands together in prayer while the backing track played “hundred bands in my panties” over a church-choir-like instrumental.
Star played other fan favorites such as “BAD ASF” and “GET IT DOWN” off her most recent album, E.M.O (EVIL MOTION OVERLOAD). One of my favorite additions to the set was the Umru-produced “Black Belt” off her recent EP, SWERVIN (OG Version). As a wonderful surprise, Jadadoll joined Star to perform a few unreleased collaborations, including their upcoming single “RICH B*TCH.” Star concluded her set with an exhilarating performance of “PARTY ALL WEEK B*TCH”, produced by Frost Children. The rest of the night was spent getting down to a DJ set spun by Star and Jadadoll.
I will forever miss the oasis of fun and freedom this show created. Two out of three of the performers are proudly trans women. The tour is called For All The Dolls, doll being a term of endearment for trans women. This isn’t a message of exclusivity, but one that allows anyone outside of the dominant culture to feel welcome. Most of the audience consisted of underrepresented demographics. Star donned merch of her fursona (which I bought). I came home with glitter on my shoes.
Cortisa Star – For All The Dolls Tour, with continued support from Jadadoll and Miss Madeline will conclude in Toronto on October 31, 2026. Tickets for the tour can be bought here. Stream her most recent EP, SWERVIN (OG Version) wherever you get your music.
