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#imagine season 3 with a folklore soundtrack
celticbotanart · 8 months
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*Squid Squidward wide awake meme* ALRIGHT, hear me out - I've been saying for a while how much Witcher 3 reminds me of the Brazilian countriside (more specific Minas Gerais). And ever since I had this madlad dream of a Brazilian Witcher except we called them Bruxeiros (the X here is pronounced like "SH" not like the American "X" - its kind of a meme here, kind of a "literal" PT-BR translation, it's complicated), and they fight Brazilian folklore badass stuff like Boitatá (fucking giant fire snake), Iaras (river mermaids) and un-curse women that became Mula Sem Cabeça (literally headless mules running around with fire coming out their necks). These are all some of our most well-known folklore for real, lol (HIGHLY recommend season 1 of Brazilian Netflix show Invisible City if you wanna see more! It's REALLY good!)
ANYWAY. I was in my kitchen making toast at midnight, when it occured to me. I had A VisionTM. Brazilian Witcher battle music would be like. Floral Fury.
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For those unfamiliar, this specific Cuphead theme is 200% oldschool Brazilian samba - yeah the "weird straw-against-plastic-lid" sound is an actual instrument, it's called cuíca lol "Nah, but this is too happy and cheerful", you say. Alright, you are correct, maybe it doesn't fit to be a battle theme for the Bruxeiros. HOW ABOUT SEPULTURA, THEN
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SEPULTURA, THE BRAZILIAN METAL BAND, who performed this song as soundtrack for the BR movie "Lisbela e o Prisioneiro" (one of my fucking faves btw), and it the theme song for Frederico Evandro, a character who's ruthless hitman ("Matador").
BRO. IMAGINE. The peaceful and colorfully bucolic countryside of Minas Gerais and you are there fighting a Brazilian Werewolf (cause they are different from the European werewolf, we have several types btw), with THAT playing as battle theme.
Another good contender is Break of Reality's rendition of "As Bachianas n5" by Villa-Lobos (guy was a badass proeminend classical music composer who loved to mix in Brazilian folk elements with the classical music sttuff, pissing off a lot of purists in the process lol, good for him)
"As Bachianas n5" is probably Villas' most famous piece, it's originally a GORGEOUS aria, classically sung in Brazilian Portuguese.
SEVERAL people covered this song, including Sandy from sibling duo Sandy & Junior (they were EXTREMELY POPULAR with kids and teens back in the 90s/early 2000s); also people from all around the world covered it. You get it, it's pretty legit and famous AF.
THEN came Break of Reality a few years ago
with THIS badass cover:
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LOOK.
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE VERSIONS OF THIS SONG. I STAN THIS COVER SO HIGH. I LOVE how it is sweet and emotional, but it brings a totally different, new, raw aspect to it that is so strangely fitting to this song (I can't explain, it just is). I can easily imagine this in the Bruxeiro!AU as battle music, even more cause a lot of the og Witcher 3 OST is full of slavic folk music that doesn't even reflect the Battling of Monsters thing - "...Steel For Humans" is like, a song sung by girls on wedding/harvest festivals, lol.
ON THAT NOTE, I think we could end this crazy ass post by including some of the folk / afro-Brazilian culture as well, which is only fair, and add this one, which I LOVE, "Caxangá / Escravos de Jó" by Milton Nascimento (my beloved <3) and folk singer Clementina de Jesus:
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Milton is known to sing in high, ethereal vocalizations and extremely emotional lyrics. Guy is just A Fucking Legend fr. If there's a bard in my Bruxeiro!AU it's def Milton, I love his work so so so much! He's also known for mixing up influences from afro-brazilian culture, as you can see in here!
Stay tuned for more posts like this that can happen again at any moment or never again, lol
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Heartstopper s2 ep7
tara is a swiftie confirmed and she's a folklore girlie !!! immaculate taste, folklore is my favorite too
nick really has a lot of photos of charlie on his camara roll, cute
ELLE GOT INTO LAMBERT SCHOOL SO HAPPY FOR HER
and she gets to have her application piece featured in an exhibition?? she's so cool and talented fr
TAO DANCING !! WE GET MORE TAO DANCING IN THIS SEASON !!!
and him telling his mom about him and elle eeeee !! his mom is so supportive and so happy for them it's so cute !! she's the biggest tao and elle shipper out there
and when tao picks his mom up in a hug?? adorable
CHARLIE AND TORI PLAYING MARIO KART !! THE SPRING SIBLINGS TRADITION
damn isaac being alone behind all of his friends as couples :')
also am i imagining it or did he look like he was rolling his eyes when darcy made the comment about kissing?
people watching by conan gray is playing in the background !! i love that song. this really is The Best soundtrack
SHUT UP BEN
aaw everyone gathering up money to help darcy afford the suit is so cute
LOVELESS IS IN THE BACKGROUND WHILE ISAAC IS SHARING HIS AROACE FEELINGS
"i think there might be something wrong with me" NO NO THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU, I PROMISE
"there's nothing wrong with you" YES CORRECT
i have no words to describe how important and special it is to see this kind of authentic representation of aromantic and asexual experiences on a mainstream show. it may be only a subplot but it's so so important bc there is nothing like this is in mainstream yet. and this is so real and authentic and it has the power to help so many people!
"you probably just haven't found the right person yet" NOOO JAMES WRONG ANSWER!! WRONG ANSWER 😭 (ik he means well but that's so not what he should say in this situation)
props for them for communicating tho
ELLE LOOKS SO PRETTY SHE LOOKS LIKE A PRINCESS
MORE CONAN GRAY!! AAHH IT'S "CRUSH CULTURE" PLAYING WHILE ISAAC IS HAVING HIS AROACE REALIZATION/ACCEPTANCE MOMENT THIS IS SO PERFECT
"being in a world where romance and sex are prized above everything else when you don't feel those forms of attraction. growing up feeling like something about you is different but you don't have the words to describe what that is. but then, freedom. the euphoria of freeing yourself from those pressures and expectations" AAAH THIS IS SO PERFECT AND SPECIAL AND MEANINGFUL AND REAL
you can trust i will be making a post only about isaac's aroace journey and this speech later bc i have Thoughts™
grrrrrr i don't like darcy's mom at all
ok but wtf is going on between sahar and imogen???
aaw elle's piece is elle, tao, charlie and isaac at the truham art room 🥹
elle and tao 🥺 <3
IS BEN ACTUALLY GOING TO APOLOGIZE??
well ig he did apologize but that wasn't great. he's definitely still an asshole
YES CHARLIE TELL HIM
"i didn't realize you had all the control. when i eventually did realize i thought "this must be what i deserve." [...] and now when anything good happens in my life, there's a little voice in the back of my mind telling me i'm worthless and i don't deserve it" charlie didn't deserve any of this :(
"i'm glad you realized what you did was wrong but you don't get to ambush me into forgiving you. sorry doesn't make up for everything you did to me" YEAH EXACTLY
the rainbow wave (representing queer self-acceptance i assume) almost reaching ben but him running away before it touches him---
THEY INCLUDED CHARLIE CALLING NICK MATE PAL BRO LMAOO
david stop being an absolute jerk for once in your life challenge
"don't you dare" YES TORI
"if you don't care then i don't care either" i feel so bad for nick :( but i'm proud of him for telling his father off, he deserves it
YES TELL DAVID OFF TOO
"he's not a very good dad, is he?" NO HE ABSOLUTELY ISN'T
"you're a pathetic little man" YES BEST SCENE YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH JOY IT BRINGS ME TO SEE TORI RIP DAVID TO PIECES LIKE THAT
charlie's eating disorder plot is starting yall 😭
DARCY'S MOM IS THE WORST GOD I HATE HER ALREADY
i feel so bad for darcy :(
this ended really sad :(
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went through the skam nl instagrams today and thought about dear lucas. i am so sad about this. i just love that show dearly and the fact that it was unable to unleash its full potential and continue giving us this fresh and careful execution of the skam story is just very sad. if only :/
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getreadytosmash · 4 years
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💍 Mattie and Skaar please!
@awkward-snake-girl
send me 💍 + A SHIP and i’ll tell you—
where they get married
In Vista Verde since its the proper home for Mattie and Skaar and where they met after all.
when they get married ( ie what time of day, what month and season etc. )
They get married in late April since it's the perfect weather of spring and they get married at night since it's more typical for Shadow weddings and I like the idea of Mattie and Skaar having a wedding from his people.
what traditions they include ( do they get married under a chuppah and crush a glass, garter toss, ‘something borrowed, something blue,’ etc. )
I'll post what happens in Shadow weddings in a reblog after I post this but I imagine the main ceremony itself is done like this and then afterwards they have a Earth party with their family, but the main thing is done in private as it us a bond shared only by Skaar and Mattie.
what their wedding cake looks like
I like picturing them having a cheesecake! Something chocolate and strawberry since it's their favourite flavours.
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….who smashes cake into whose face
Mhm,,,,probably neither of them directly but Samuel and Rick??? Finally the telepathic bond comes in handy.
who proposed to who first
Skaar proposes to Mattie a week before she leaves for work and a part of me is saying "and before something happens to the smashers >:3"
who walks down the aisle and who waits at the altar ( or neither )
Welp there's not EXACTLY a aisle but,,,Hulk walks Mattie to the room it's happening in and gives her a small smooch on the head.
what their wedding dresses / suits / other look like
I imagine Sakaar to be rather Punjabi based if it was human so! Skaar would have looser pants or a skirt with his outfit while Mattie probably leaps on that fashion and would love to wear something similar to that degree.
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what their wedding colour scheme is and what sort of decor they have
A lot of sunset colours like orange and golden browns that fade into dark blues, like the sunset changing into the darkest nights. It's an open wedding so a large table that everyone can sit around and eat while relaxing as well as a bonfire.
what flowers are in the bouquet ( if applicable. bonus: what do the flowers mean? )
They have some sunflowers since Mattie thought it would be cute and funny to have the biggest flowers for the physically biggest wedding. There's also a lot of field flowers since they both like representations of their freedoms.
what their vows are ( eg poetry, traditional, improvised etc. )
Skaar talks about how important Mattie and the family have been to him, and that he's glad he'll always be able to remember the memories he makes with them in the future.
Mattie talks about how happy she is with how her life's turned out and how she wouldn't change a thing, especially with the things she wanted to do and enjoy with a husband by her side.
if anyone’s late to the wedding
Red and Skaar are almost late due to Red wanting to have one last adventure with Skaar while he was single. A big "before you become a married man and your duties lie with your family" thing.
who’s in the bridal parties / groomsmen / other
Rick, Hulk and Lyra are Skaar's groomsmen while Jen, Red and Leader are Mattie's.
what their bridal party / groomsmen / other are wearing
The guys wear grey and Mattie decided on light blue since green...wouldn't really work for Jen and Lyra. I'm laughing at Mattie going dress shopping with Jen, Lyra and Betty though, it's awful And amazing.
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who gives speeches at the reception ( bonus: what do they say? recount a sweet memory or two between them? tell an embarrassing story? )
Red and Hulk give a speech together and I absolutely think that either Lyra or Samuel give one that's super awkward but touching??
who catches the bouquet( s )
Samuel does and he gives the most ragged look as soon as anyone comments about it.
what their wedding photos are like ( are they sweet, with the couple holding hands or kissing or ~gazing into each others eyes~? are they silly, with a snapshot of the ‘cake-smash’ moment? or are they artistic, with one of them facing the sunset or holding their bouquets? )
A lot of sweet photos of them looking lovingly at each other but there's definitely a silly photo or two of Jen using the bouquet to make a flower crown on Skaar while Mattie laughs in the background. Mattie probably tries to get a shot in with at least everyone tbh.
what sort of food they have at the reception
They have a lot of sweet and picnic foods along with some ribs and meat since it's what Skaar first had on Earth and tbh I've kinda had the headcanon that Mattie needs to consume a bit more meat than most people?
who cries first during the ceremony
Hulk does and then Rick as they're the biggest saps....and then Mattie when she sees them crying and Jen passively gives out hankies to everyone.
how wild their reception gets ( who dances the best, who gets drunk first, etc. )
Mattei gets shirfaced by the end of the night and there's a LITTLE BIT of mead so everyone's suddenly arm wrestling and Rick tries to beat Hulk at Just Dance and someone ends up making a full body crater on the floor.
what their rings are like
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They have something simple since wedding rings could be easily lost for them so there probably isn't that much effort and Mattie has nicer ones in a jewelry box.
what sort of favours they have ( heart shaped sparklers, mini champagne bottles, personalised candy etc. )
I'm picturing little dips of sweets like chocolate and caramel with snacks! Or like those pop cakes? Definitely little sweet treats and Red for sure sets off fireworks for the happy couple.
where they go for their honeymoon
They go to France for a week and spend some time in the wild as well as some time with Mattie's grandmother. They probably go back with her grandmother actually.
something memorable that happens during the party / ceremony ( do they run out of ice and someone goes to get it in full formal wear on foot, does anyone fall asleep in the middle of the party, etc. )
Red almost melts the cake and then that leads to Hulk tackling gin and they almost roll off a hill...its a messy event that leaves Skaar and Mattie cackling.
who officiates the ceremony
Samson!!.....I'm kidding, Skaar and Mattie do it together and Samuel does the legal paperwork for them.
what song their first dance is to
I,,,really like imagining it's kinda like,,,folklore music? You know, like that soundtrack Rapunzel and her man dance to when they reach the kingdom for the first time, no actually lyric songs tbh.
who gives who away as they walk down the aisle
Hulk walks Mattie to the room where it happens but other than that there's no walking.
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a happier 2019 wrap-up
every year for new year’s, my mom gets everyone one-a-day calendars tailored to their interests. for 2020, she got me a calendar of funny/stupid answers people have written on tests. 
but for 2019, she gave me a calendar with a different trivia question every day. i had two rules for this calendar: 1) i had to write down an answer for each question, even if what i wrote down was the dumbest shit in the world, and 2) i wasn’t allowed to look at the answer until the day after. 
i saved up all of the ones that i got right bc i like to quantify things, so if nothing else, i know 93 things—
january 18: many musicians have recorded and performed the song “hallelujah.” who wrote it?
january 29: thurl ravenscroft was an accomplished voice actor who sang “you’re a mean one, mr. grinch.” however, ravenscroft was best known for voicing which TV commercial icon?
february 7: who was the first african american appointed to the US supreme court?
february 12: mount rushmore features the giant carved faces of george washington, abraham lincoln, thomas jefferson, and which other US president? 
february 13: what is ninjitsu? 
february 26: mae c. jemison went into space in 1992 aboard the endeavor, earning her what distinction?
february 27: who wrote and first recorded the song “big yellow taxi”?
march 2: what is the longest running show in broadway history?
march 5: what is the largest library in the world?
march 8: what two novels did the lesser-known brontë sister, anne, write?
march 12: which reptile can breathe through its rear end?
march 16: the winner of best picture at the 2017 oscars was moonlight—but, in an historic mix-up, the announcers initially declared which other nominee to be the winner?
march 21: which is the smallest planet in our solar system?
march 22: why is a pound cake called a pound cake? 
march 23: the hit musical wicked is based on a 1995 novel by which author?
march 24: billy eichner, comedian and host of billy on the street, once had a role on which beloved NBC sitcom?
march 27: name the star who plays offred in the hulu series the handmaid’s tale?
april 6: the 2015 song “fourfiveseconds” was a collaboration between rihanna, kanye west, and which other legendary musician?
april 8: why do apples turn brown when sliced?
april 16: what is a pooh-bah?
april 19: what is the belgian town of duffel’s claim to fame?
april 29: what ancient babylonian king created a compendium of 282 laws to guide society in 18th century BCE?
may 2: what is the name for the condition in which a dog’s feet smell like corn chips? 
may 5: in mary shelley’s frankenstein, which character is named frankenstein?
may 7: name the australian pop star whose debut studio album blue neighborhood included hits “youth” and “wild”.
may 10: which superhero did british actor benedict cumberbatch play in a 2016 film?
may 16: which american film tradition began this day in 1929?
may 17: in science, what does “triple point” refer to?
may 26: what function do cats’ whiskers serve?
may 27: where is the tomb of the unknown soldier located?
june 1: which cult classic film popularized the red swingline stapler? 
june 3: who is barbie (the doll) named after? 
june 4: eid al-fitr is an annual muslim festival that marks the end of what?
june 10: which actor was offered a role on the o.c. but turned it down for a role on one tree hill?
june 11: the sport that americans call soccer is known as football in many other countries. where did the term “soccer” originate?
june 17: there is a species of horsefly known as bootylicious. which celebrity inspired the nickname?
june 18: the amc series the walking dead is based on a series of comic books penned by which accomplished writer?
june 24: which actress played wonder woman in the 2017 film of the same name?
june 27: what makes chili peppers hot? 
june 28: which architectural engineering feat allowed the ancient incans to cross canyons and rivers with ease?
june 29: the word “scuba” is an acronym. what does it stand for? 
july 3: who is the bestselling fiction writer ever? 
july 5: which animated film was the first to be nominated for best picture at the oscars? 
july 9: which item did women living in the dust bowl during the great depression commonly fashion into clothing? 
july 16: in nintendo’s mario video games, the nefarious wario is mario’s foil. who is luigi’s foil and archrival? 
july 18: pop stars taylor swift and zayn malik teamed up to record the song “i don’t want to live forever” for which 2017 film soundtrack? 
july 22: which is the only letter that doesn’t appear on the periodic table? 
july 23: which novel is considered frank herbert’s masterpiece? 
july 25: name the three women who were cast in the first season of SNL in 1975. 
july 26: during which years did the olympics award official medals for the arts, including painting, architecture, sculpture, music, and literature?
july 28: what are the ingredients of a moscow mule?
august 2: which “luxury” music festival was supposed to take place in the bahamas in april 2017 but dissolved into chaos and was eventually canceled after attendees began to arrive?
august 3: what is the claim to fame of anchor bar in buffalo, NY? 
august 8: the la brea tar pits are a popular tourist attraction and fossil excavation site. what does “la brea” mean in spanish? 
august 9: the popular board game clue goes by which other name in the UK, where it was invented?
august 11: what is earth’s largest ocean? 
august 12: who wrote johnny cash’s “a boy named sue”?
august 13: what were the original 3 pokemon that players could choose from at the start of pokemon red and pokemon blue, the first pokemon video games released internationally?
august 14: what kind of music did katy perry release as a teenager before she became a pop star? 
august 20: philip k. dick’s novel do androids dream of electric sheep? inspired which 1982 film with a different title?
august 30: batman is to gotham city as superman is to what? 
september 6: what is the hottest planet in the solar system? 
september 9: the first book of the “his dark materials” trilogy is known as the golden compass in the US, and what in the UK? 
september 15: one of the classic monopoly player tokens is a dog. what breed is it?
september 16: why are spiders technically not considered insects?
september 22: on her debut album, lily allen included a song called “alfie” about her little brother. alfie allen is best known now for his role on which TV show?
october 2: a killer whale isn’t technically a whale. what is it?
october 8: name the breed of large domestic cats native to new england 
october 10: which company uses the slogan “because we’re worth it”?
october 12: which female pop star had a brief stint in an R&B group called basic instinct in the 1990s?
october 16: if you ordered a berliner in a cafe in wisconsin, what would they serve you?
october 21: in 1943, when many NFL players were drafted for service in WWII, which two teams combined forces and formed a team called the steagles?
october 25: virginia was the birthplace of 8 US presidents. which state follows close on virginia’s heels as the birthplace of 7 US presidents?
october 28: bram stoker’s legendary vampire dracula is widely thought to be inspired by which real-life romanian prince?
october 30: in european folklore, what is a familiar? 
november 1: what does nanowrimo stand for?
november 13: name the movie that imagines how playwright j.m. barrie came to write peter pan.
november 14: which US state has the smallest population?
november 16: who technically owns all of the unmarked swans in england?
november 19: which entertainment icon was offered the role of phoebe in friends but turned it down?
november 22: robert louis stevenson’s novel treasure island features a cast of colorful characters, including the infamous long john silver. what is the name of the novel’s young protagonist, an innkeeper’s son who ends up serving as a cabin boy on a sea adventure?
november 23: where is dollywood?
november 28: not surprisingly, americans eat more food on thanksgiving than they do on any other day of the year. which day boasts the second-highest food consumption?
november 29: “swish swish”, a song on katy perry’s 2017 album witness, was rumored to be a diss track about which other pop star?
november 30: which actor wore a hairpiece every time he played james bond?
december 2: in greek mythology, perspehone was the goddess of the underworld and the wife of hades. who were persephone’s parents?
december 3: which prominent magazine declined to run an excerpt of the catcher in the rye on the grounds that the characters were unbelievable and the writing was “show-offy”? 
december 12: which comic book series featured batman’s first appearance? 
december 14: what was elvis presley’s natural hair color?
december 21: a 16th century da Vinci manuscript known as the codex leicester sold for over $30 million. who was the wealthy buyer?
december 23: ancient egyptian queen cleopatra had relationships with both julius caesar and mark antony. which of the two men was she buried next to?
december 27: which of the following hollywood stars did not get their start on the disney channel—shia labeouf, hayden panettiere, keri russell, ellen page, ryan gosling
december 29: technically, peanuts aren’t nuts. what are they?
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Beltane Films
It’s a bit shit we can’t go frolic with the fae in the fields this Beltane and your one allocated government walk a day isn’t exactly the same as sitting, saturated by the sun all day on the Heath getting melted and eating strawberries. So I’ve made a list of my favourite films to help magically transform our inside lives into one that suitably reflects the mood of a fertility and love festival. Freya forbid it rains on friday but if it does dampen our witchy festivities at least we can get cosy and escape into nature through our imagination. 
1. Practical Magic (1998); 90s dreamy scene scape, botanical witches, cute vintage dresses, midnight margaritas, chocolate cake for breakfast and a true love story, is there anything more worth watching on the Witches valentines? It ends on Samhain it’s a perfect witchy Beltane extravaganza- I mean that greenhouse tho
https://ww2.123movie.cc/movies/practical-magic/
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2. The Love Witch (2016)
Beltane is about LOVE and WITCHES duh. There’s a Beltane ritual, the visuals are everything I want and need, it’s a smart, aesthetically appealing deep dive into the subversion of the male gaze. Anna Biller made all the costumes (!!) herself, she wrote, directed, produced it and personally I believe it to be one of the best horror flicks to have emerged in the past decade. Reminisce on all those terrible, tragic and non-consentual love spells I know you cast long long ago and indulge in some glamourous murder. 
https://ww7.123moviesfree.sc/mov/the-love-witch-2016/
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3. Tuck Everlasting (2002)
   A film about a family that lives forever after drinking some magical spring water in the woods? Very Beltane. It has that 00s dreamy sheen, edwardian costume, a love story, a coming of age story and it’s all set in New England right at the end of the turn of the last century. In the original story our protagonist Winnie Foster was 10 years old and it was originally written as a children’s book which honestly is a bit creepy. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful story about finding yourself, acknowledging the wheel of time and appreciating life death life cycles. Also whatshername from Gilmore Girls is in it. Cute. Perfect for a spring festival. There’s also a musical that flopped massively but some of the songs are worth a lil listen. 
https://www.putlockers.cr/movie/tuck-everlasting-4736.html
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3. FairyTale: A True Story (1997)
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It’s Beltane we must have fairies! I was obsessed with this film as a child, particularly with the teeny tiny furniture they make for the fairy dolls house. I also spent a lot of time trying to untie myself from ropes like Houdini.This is the fictional retelling of the true story of the Cottingley girls who were caught up in the popular mysticism craze in the early 1900s and accidentally became celebrities after photographing the ‘fairies’ at the bottom of the garden. The story was a national sensation but after further investigation it was discovered that the photos had in fact been faked. No shit. The truly shocking thing is that the Cottingley girls seem to have escaped unharmed by the fae. It’s a great heartwarming film and features an interesting depiction of the British obsession with fairies and mysticism following rapid industrialisation. It also celebrates the beauty of Yorkshire and the British countryside in a very understated manner and honestly it might have been this film that launched my deep desire to run away into some woods and never look back. 
https://ww2.123movie.cc/movies/fairytale-a-true-story
4. The Last Leprechaun (1998) 
Ok this one is a bit mad. Another childhood favourite of mine, this film was given to me on a tape by my Scorpio Sun Gemini Moon Scottish grandad and within that context this film makes a lot of sense to me. It’s set in Ireland, this American family move into this huge house and discover the land is populated by the fae, quel surprise. There are banshees, there are fairies in a mine, there’s leprechauns looking for gold, it’s batshit and nowhere near as visually appealing as the films listed above but it’s a really fun watch. A good reminder at this time of year- don’t mess with the little people. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFd63gzYamw
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5. Globe Theatre productions/ Online Theatre
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This time of year would normally herald the start of outdoor concerts, festivals, garden parties and theatre out in the open air. Nothing compares to the magic of experiencing theatre outdoors, combining my two favourite lasting loves, theatre and nature in one. Naturally I’m devastated to be missing an entire season of outdoor theatre but thankfully the Globe has made loads of productions available online for FREE. Unfortunately, one of my favourite plays to watch at this time of year, As You Like It, is not part of the Globe’s free offerings https://globeplayer.tv/videos/as-you-like-it but if you’re looking for love and romance set in a forest with a good smattering of witty repartee and cross dressing look no further. Shakespeare’s birth and death day just passed us by (23rd) and if you haven’t yet celebrated this Taurean by indulging in a bit o cultchah I’m gently suggesting that you’d enjoy it. Equally, I’d recommend Emma Rice’s production of Midsummer Night’s Dream from the Globe, it’s literally the best production I’ve ever seen and at this point I’ve likely seen over 20 different productions of Dream so take me up on it. The cabaret artist Meow Meow plays Titania and I can’t think of anyone playing the Fairy Queen better.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p08b015k/culture-in-quarantine-shakespeare-a-midsummer-nights-dream
FREE ON BBC IPLAYER!!!
The customs in the play are somewhat a mixture of Beltane and Litha practices so tbh it’s good sabbat to sabbat. I guess you could also watch the Tempest if you really wanted but I kind of hate it ngl. 
Angela Carter’s ‘Wise Children’, dir. Emma Rice
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0892kf6/wise-children
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Free on BBC iPlayer, I was lucky enough to see this show in person while it was at the Old Vic and yes, I’m a massive Emma Rice fan and if you watch it you’ll understand why. The show has nothing to do with the fae or Beltane but it is from modern myth maker Angela Carter (who wrote the Bloody Chamber) so there’s lots of folklore and mythical elements woven in. It’s just a bloody good time, it’s colourful, queer and musical whilst unconventionally exploring family trauma. 
A Winter’s Tale, Royal Ballet
The Royal Opera House/Royal Ballet is screening their production of A Winter’s Tale on Friday at 7pm, it’s very magical, it’ll be available for a week, wahey
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-byR-6p-qA
6. Anne with an E: Season 3, Episode 5, Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/watch/81025449?trackId=13752289&tctx=0%2C4%2Cf5cee1ae-463c-468c-90ac-6ccae34b01ad-31458487%2C%2C
 I wasn’t too keen on Anne of Green Gables before Netflix made it dark and hashtag real. I particularly love this episode which features a Beltane ritual at the end, I know I wish I could meet you all round a bonfire waving ribbon wands in my nightgown. The last season in particular really solidifies Anne as symbolic of wild woman in tune with nature and the rhythms of her own soul and I could probably deep dive into this ad infinitum. 
Skip to 40:14 minutes if you wish to only see the ritual. 
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7. Honorable mentions:
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) because fairies 
https://www4.123movies.gr/movie/pans-labyrinth-2006/
Midsommar (2019) because although I know this film is really more for Litha, they have a Maypole so I think we can make it work
Far from the Madding Crowd ( 2015) Carey mulligan and countryside and terrible life decisions, the soundtrack is also very soothing on its own. You can watch it free (legally, shocker) on the BBC website. 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfilms/film/far_from_the_madding_crowd
Tess of the D’urbervilles (2008) the TV series!! with Gemma Arteton (?) as Tess; pastoral life, nature pagan goddess allusions and a finale at Stonehenge very Beltane. Once you get past all the religion stuff Hardy’s aight. 
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2739yo
Happy Beltane Witches!!! 
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jafreitag · 3 years
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2020
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On January 1, 2020, I went to LNHQ. The holiday party had happened a few days earlier – a sorta-epic “booze cruise” with Lana Del Rey off the Catalina coast. Everybody nursed hangovers on flights back home, and then bugged off to celebrate their new years with their people.
The office was spotless – just a few dust motes floating across the afternoon sunlight in the conference room. I grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote “What if…” on the green board. It was intended as a turn-the-page talking point. OM and I had had a sit-down after we got back from Cali. Good talk, honestly. He’s well-versed in stuff that I do not understand, and he’s driving the proverbial bus as the new LN CEO. Lotta heartfelt questions from him, lotta heartfelt idks from me. “You gotta…” and “Yeah, I suck at that, but what about…” Some bourbon later, we adjourned. “Love you, dude” and “love you back, man.” Let’s meet next week and ok.
So that’s why I was there. What are we doing? What if… What if we actually try hard? What if ECM keeps killing it on Instagram? What if Jane and Trevor come back? What if we move to a new location, and the corporate and content wings find a new synergy? What if all of the sponsorships pan out? And O’s settlement with Adidas? Sky’s the limit, right? Let your imagination wander. I mean, what if Fiona Apple puts out a new album in 2020, and it’s not just great, but better than The Idler Wheel, which was the best album of 2012?
Seriously. What if?
Or what if the entire world breaks?
That wasn’t in my head back then.
It’s December now. And we’re in a global pandemic, which is getting worse (or at least not getting measurably better) every day. This year has been indescribably difficult for all of us, particularly the ones personally affected by Covid-19. And it has been difficult for businesses across every sector, particularly entertainment. Seen a show lately? Nope? Me, neither. At the beginning of the summer, I paid Laura Marling to watch a stream of her performance at Union Chapel in London. Seemed cool then, seems irrelevant now.
We can’t help artists/bands, really, until we can see them again. And who knows when that will be? Next summer? Next fall? Maybe 2022 before we all feel safe in massive crowds again (even with masks)? Maybe never? Until then, we have streaming services. And … woof. That’s an Apple/Spotify cart that I’d prefer not to upend, mainly because it benefits me, but it’s worth some words.
I’m a Spotify person. My home team is comprised of six Spotify people. We pay, collectively, $14.99/month to stream almost any music ever recorded and released. That’s around $2.50 per person per month. Pretty good deal, right? For sure. Here’s the problem: Spotify pays $0.003 per stream. That’s 1/3 of a penny. If you’re a Zeppelin or a Beatle or a Stone, that’s just a nice little dividend. (Keith is like, “Hey, baby, I love Spot-ify. I bought this sweet fedorah with that check.”) If you’re somebody else, somebody less established in the Rock-royalties pantheon, you’re probably not buying a hat. You’re probably hoping that Spotify might, might, pick up your next cup of coffee – or one at the end of the year, I don’t know how that works.
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Spotify does this year-end Wrapped thing. You get a weird Snapchat/Instagram video that tells you stuff. Your most listened-to artist/band, your also-rans, etc. You also get some pretty sweet virtual (and unearned) affirmation.
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My win was this.
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911 seems good. It’s better than 11. The green-dotify didn’t specify whom those new artists were, which sucks, but I have a decent idea. And I’m guessing that many of those artists have Bandcamp pages, and I didn’t visit any of those. Actually, that’s not true. I did visit the Car Seat Headrest page because Will put out three different iterations of the new record on streaming, cd, and vinyl. It was mostly the same – alternate sequences and some alternate versions of certain tracks. The alternate versions weren’t on Bandcamp. You had to buy all three formats to get the whole record. Or you had to be ok with the iteration that you got. Or you could just find the alternate versions on YouTube. Sure, they wouldn’t be on your phone, but you got to hear them.
That’s not me being petty or cheap. I could’ve bought the cd and vinyl iterations. And I could’ve bought alot of music on Bandcamp, but I couldn’t have bought 911-new-artists worth. How many could I have bought? Not sure. How would I have decided? Not sure. I’m glad that I discovered that many sounds, and I’m concerned that most of those sounds were produced by real people struggling to create in this challenging (intentionally undersold the adjective there, but “terrible” and “horrible” seemed trite) environment. I’m more glad than concerned, if you follow the dichotomy. And I’m not happy about it. Having identified the problem, however, I’m flummoxed about a solution.
I listened to alot of music in 2020. #WFH #FTW (And two hashtag sentence fragments make a sentence. I just checked the LN style manual. Jane said ok.)
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Alessandro Deljavan is an Italian pianist, who was born a few months before I graduated high school. He recorded Erik Satie’s piano works. My best friend and I listened to that alot this year – she calls it “sleeping music.” Miles Davis, obv. Early-covid, I made a chronologically-tight playlist of his pre-Columbia material. Mid-covid, I started a chronologically-tight and still-unfinished playlist of his fusion material. Jenny Lin? I think that’s a holdover from last year, when sleeping music was her Chopin’s Nocturnes. CSH was my lawnmowing soundtrack. Daniel Baremboim? No idea, maybe I hit his Mendelssohn’s Leider ohne Worte too many times during the days.
Minutes listened and top genre are what I want to talk about, real quick, before I get list-y. 115,891 minutes is 1,931 or so hours, and 80.5 or so days. I listened to two and a half months straight of music this year. That’s not a brag or even a humble brag. It’s a fact. And most of that (trust me here, I ran my ass off to playlists) was Indie Rock – the aforementioned “new artists.” How can I help them, besides streaming their amazing work over and over and over, and championing them here? Shouting indirectly at Spotify on social media seems unlikely to change a flawed system. Anybody with more constructive ideas can share them below the line.
Ok, the list.
I did it. I broke the unspoken rule (nobody gets #1 twice), and I’m ok with it. 2020 was a unique year. Up top, that’s Fiona from a Zoom call over the summer. She didn’t really know about Liner Notes, but she was willing to talk while walking her dogs. I wasn’t sure that Fetch the Bolt Cutters would be the album of the year at that point, but it was a nice chat. Tbh, I struggled to finalize the list because any of the Top 10 could’ve been Top. The margins were very fine. (And fwiw, I may tweak things a bit over the next few weeks.) Links to Spotify. And COME ON, Spotify. Pay artists more, and pay indie artists even more than that.
Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters
Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher
Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud
This Is the Kit – Off Off On
HAIM – Women in Music Pt. III
En Attendant Ana – Juillet
Samia – The Baby
Kelly Lee Owens – Inner Song
Adrianne Lenker – songs / instrumentals
Porridge Radio – Every Bad
SAULT – Untitled (Black Is) / Untitled (Rise)
Taylor Swift – folklore / evermore
The 1975 – Notes On A Conditional Form
Car Seat Headrest – Making a Door Less Open
Perfume Genius – Set My Heart on Fire Immediately
Lomelda – Hannah
Fleet Foxes – Shore
Soccer Mommy – color theory
Beach Bunny – Honeymoon
Retirement Party – Runaway Dog
Shopping – All or Nothing
Ela Minus – acts of rebellion
The Strokes – The New Abnormal
Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death
Kate NV – Room for the Moon
Dehd – Flower of Devotion
Gum County – Somewhere
Bad Moves – Untenable
Jeff Tweedy – Love Is the King
Laura Marling – Song for Our Daughter
Autechre – SIGN
Four Tet – Sixteen Oceans
Sorry – 925
Dream Wife – So When You Gonna…
Fenne Lily – BREACH
Margaret Glaspy – Devotion
Jordana – Something to Say to You
Hinds – The Prettiest Curse
Gorillaz – Song Machine: Season One
Tame Impala – The Slow Rush
Tycho – Simulcast
Ólafur Arnalds – some kind of peace
Ezra Feinberg – Recumbent Speech
Slow Pulp – Moveys
Young Jesus – Welcome to Conceptual Beach
Bartees Strange – Live Forever
U.S. Girls – Heavy Light
Empress Of – I’m You’re Empress Of
Charli XCX – how i’m feeling now
Oliver Coates – skins n slime
LN is on hiatus for a little while.
More soon.
JF
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recommendedlisten · 7 years
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Unlike the rest of the crowd, Recommended Listen doesn’t show its hand at the year’s midway mark as to what it thinks the best albums so far have been, but as has become tradition, it does take this time to revisit 10 albums which left a positive impression in these parts since 2017 began that didn’t get a proper album review. Remember, this site is a one-human operation after all, so giving every single release due recognition can be a tough task to pull off, especially in a year like this one where it’s felt like praise-worthy content hasn’t let up since it started. For that reason, this year’s edition of Recommended Summer Listening might be its strongest collection of sounds to soundtrack your way through the warm weather season, regardless of whether your travels take you far or near. Plan your getaway below...
Beach Fossils - Somersault [Bayonet Records]
Four years of silence have passed since Beach Fossils made a peep, but on Somersault, they assure themselves that 2017 is going to be a better one. The jangled hiss that came to define them as one the preeminent bands leading the lo-fi surf waves coming out of Brooklyn’s Captured Tracks scene has dissipated, revealing in its place simply one of the more debonair indie pop bands on our horizon. A little more creative independence and having taken the time to mull over who they want to become has Dustin Payseur and company walking a fine line between max and min by adorning the porcelain raft with strings, harpsichords and brass, flirting with trip-hop, and getting acquainted with dreamy guest appearances from Rachel Goswell of Slowdive, the rapture of Cities Aviv, and a co-pen by Chairlift’s Caroline Polachek. There’s still plenty of Beach Fossils’ sun-soaked melancholia pouring into the soundboard to transport you from the concrete jungle to the hot sands. It’s so rich now, you certainly won’t have to squint as much to see it.
Big Thief - Capacity [Saddle Creek]
If you want to sit down with a few good stories mired in truth, tragedy, and fiction, then Adrienne Lenker is your best summer read. Last year, the Brooklyn-based songwriter turned the music world’s ear her way when she and her band Big Thief released their promising debut Masterpiece astutely in the right avenue of ramshackle indie rock on Saddle Creek, and its sophomore follow-up Capacity builds on the upward interest by penning several new chapters of prose haunted by the past and subtly beautified by the ornate features of folk rock. It’s by no means in comparison to the rest of summer’s sounds a booming listen, but is its own force of nature that forces you to hang onto Lenker’s every word with full attention to reap its riches. City slickers often make great escapes to seek out this kind of peace and quiet in lakeside retreats, but Big Thief’s solitude finds its way to you without ever leaving home.
Julie Byrne - Not Even Happiness [Ba Da Bing Records]
Not Even Happiness, the sophomore effort from singer-songwriter Julie Byrne, is a master craft exercise in personal meditations on the pursuit of peace amidst a shifting chaos. Between a life lived on the road touring and resettling on all ends of America, the nomadic folk artist’s stories tell that of soul who has journeyed off the beaten path enough to accrue a definite sense of self in this great big world. It wasn’t until Byrne holed up in the solitude of her childhood home, however, where the worth of this tranquility began to assemble itself, through fragmented connections and hyper-specific memories scattered on a fleeting timeline. It’s a gentle flicker of memories, and one for the season’s adventurers who take to the road without a map.
King Woman - Created In the Image of Suffering [Relapse Records]
Bay Area artist Kristin Esfandiari has been refining her brand of doom and gloom for years between her metal band King Woman and her shoegazing solo outfit Miserable, and each of those facets play an integral part in turning a confident new corner for the former on their immaculately grim debut full-length Created In the Image of Suffering. In our current political climate, it’s a resistance necessity, as Esfandiari heaves a wrecking ball into patriarchal tropes and theological repression by damning humankind’s origin folklore into a sludgy, gauzy hell, and reconceiving it through the womb of terrifying transcendence. This listen scrapes into bone and marrow under sunburned skies as much as it does ominous thunderclouds, and ushers in King Woman as the new savior of a world whose limits stretch well beyond metal boxes.
HUNDREDTH - RARE [Hopeless Records]
Every summer, the traveling punk rock parody known as the Warped Tour rolls through town, but this year, something odd happened: They actually booked a good handful of the kind of skate punk bands that the festival used to be primarily made up of. It’s almost an irony, considering all of the mall screamo and metalcore that has given it a black eye over the years, but the biggest surprise this year won’t be found on any of the stages where these punk O.G.s are playing, but rather whichever one the band HUNDREDTH are put on. They’ve been Warped Tour staples for years now, but with their new album RARE, they’re cutting ties with that past as cash-grab hardcore makers by reinventing themselves as hard-edged shoegazIng punks indebted to the likes of Swervedriver and Catherine Wheel, and joining its modern cast of Title Fight and Nothing. The end results blurs two malleable soundscapes together, and introduces HUNDREDTH to a whole new world.
Pet Symmetry - Vision [Polyvinyl Records]
Put three veteran emo rockers who’ve been around long enough to see the scene through a few waves together in the same room, and you’re going to be hard-pressed to get anything less than the best, even if the reasons behind writing together is to merely blow off some pent-up dad joke energy on the side. What initially began as the meta humor creative vehicle of Into It. Over It.’s Evan Weiss and Erik Czaja and Marcus Nuccio of Dowsing and What Gives gets serious on Pet Symmetry’s sophomore effort and Polyvinyl debut Vision, however. It’s not to say that the trio have lost their uncanny wit (see: practically every song title), but if you ever needed a clinic on pop-punk perfectionism with the occasional flair up of explosive post-hardcore sprinkled with Weiss’ inverted storytelling, this is a full-proof listen that puts the three artist’s collective creative bodies in clear view.
Spencer Radcliffe & Everyone Else - Enjoy the Great Outdoors [Run for Cover Records]
In short, Spencer Radcliffe is an anomaly. The multi-instrumental songwriter has quietly become some of your favorite artists’ favorite artist for years now thanks to his treasure trove of self-released efforts and experimental oddities strewn across BandCamp, but ever since he signed with Run for Cover Records to release 2015′s proper debut full-length Looking After, that sense of stability has wrangled in the eccentricities going on his head without trampling them. On Enjoy the Great Outdoors, Radcliffe’s friends help bring his sound outside of the metaphorical bedroom, and the result is a long, winding day trip journeyed on ragged guitars, grumbling percussion, and high as a kite existentialism appropriate for coastlines drives, camping retreats, sand-sprawled beach days, or maybe just a lazed nap in the backyard hammock. Because vacation is a mindset, not a destination.
Thundercat - Drunk [Brainfeeder]
Most of the music world got to know what Steven Bruener, b.n.a, Thundercat, was capable of by way of Kendrick Lamer’s To Pimp a Butterfly, but the Los Angeles-based new age jazz funk virtuoso has been doing his thing for years now, be it part of his bro’s skate trash crew Suicidal Tendencies, collaborating with Flying Lotus, or slowly getting warmed up in the front of the stage on his own. When you that put that résumé together, you get Drunk, his most coherent work yet, in its own right. The LP thumps Thundercat’s signature bass lines into songs that offer as much stoned out comical respites on dating communication as they do psychedelically peer into life’s voids in earnest. No plans for the summer? No problem, as dude’s got you got covered for all those nights you’d rather sit in and play video games than chase down a text message ghost, or merely stare at the ceiling.
Tigers Jaw - spin [Black Cement]
Tigers Jaw’s 2014 listmaker Charmer was already a transitional album for the Scranton indie-punks because it was the last album that was recorded by the band before three of its members left. That transition completes itself with spin, though, in ways much greater than the duo of Ben Walsh and Brianna Collins probably could have imagined they’d be in two years ago when they were frankensteining their live show together with their friends’ bands, as here they stand on their own more visibly than ever with the first album released on producer Will Yip’s major label imprint Black Cement. The weight of the work load on Collins and Walsh’s shoulders alone rediscovers the duo, with an assist from Yip’s Studio 4 magic, polishing away most of the rougher post-hardcore textures from Tigers Jaws’ early years, and finding a finer focus in the emotive pop-punk that Charmer began to veer into. Whatever baggage they were carrying before spin has been shed for the better.
Tricot - 3 [Topshelf Records]
There is eternal hope for the fate of guitar music when you listen to Tricot's third full-length and first for their American indie home at Topshelf Records with 3. The Kyoto buzzsaws are meticulous craftswomen of the electric band kind by transforming math-rock into musical origami in the way that theirs is composed of sharp, crisp angles, and made using bright colored paper that reflect the pop bursts heard throughout the album. After having your senses spun by their guitar gymnastics, throw on the band’s tutorial videos outlining how you can play the guitar, drum, and bass parts for some of the tracks off 3, and you’ll have yourself enrolled in one of this season’s coolest sessions of summer school.
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apartyinmymouth · 6 years
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GAME OF THRONES
True to form, I wrote the crux of this entry one week ago today and coincidentally the phone clocked in at 11:11pm when I hit the save button (sidebar b/c I navigate the region so sublimely) But real talk, I was inspired last Friday and took pen to paper knowing I would tweak/edit the draft before publishing. Also knowing I would be in Jamaica in just a few short days, it seemed only fitting to complete it there…over some Real Jamaican Food ;)
When I initially penned this op piece, there hadn’t been any replies on record. It was and still is about the excitement of a rap battle between two respected and revered artists and less of a critique on the actual raps and/or who won or would win. That said, I’m continuing this Op piece from my initial train of thought - more of the possibility of what it could be instead of where we are presently, round 2 in what has shaped up to be a very disrespectful battle.
So that’s what was going on. I, like most people was just casually minding my business, excited about what’s emerging musically within the culture and all the heat set to drop and seemingly out of nowhere, a shot is fired. Pusha T, the remaining half of rap cult group Clipse, through his infrared beam shot his shot at hip-hop’s reigning Golden Child, Aubrey Drake Graham. In truth, the subs between these 2 gentlemen have been building for some time but this was a focused and direct attack. I imagine Drake had been minding his business as well when the sneak hook occurred and like a reflex – responded immediately, calculated and concisely. By midnight on Friday May 25th a full on battle had ensued. An official rap battle and it’s exciting to be honest. It’s good for the culture! It’s like a GoT season 6 episode 9; Battle of The Bastards sort of moment in the culture. Only this time I believe the underdog is actually the man currently on top. I don’t think y’all understand, I love this rap shit – I can’t lie. The art of it all, it’s the BEST! If both sides are ready and prepared I think it could be great. A lot of people sleep on Drake and forget that he can actually rap.
One thing’s evident with this crew, they do not half step. It’s like that moment in the movie Heat, when Al Pacino realizes he’s been made and says to his team “this is the No Fuckin’ Around Crew.” Nothing is done impulsively no matter the expedience at which something might appear to occur. If they shooting, believe they got magazines racked up ready to let off. It is not a one off. Perhaps it’s the “slept on, stay ready” mentality. A smart one they’ve perfected and so they stay winning. Drake’s consistently put out great music. Feature after feature, album after album, hit after hit – since he stepped foot in the door, The Boy has not missed - a first in this art form. Personally, “Nothing Was The Same” is my favorite body of work in his catalog to date. Top to bottom it’s an all-encompassing complete album full of earned flexing. It’s that “I’m not a freshman, no longer new to this but still feeling like the props I deserve are not being shown and why not, I’m really that nigga!” Is it because he’s foreign that he’s scrutinized more heavily? Hating on Drake is the fuel he uses. This coupled with the fact that the boy is really talented (a fact few of his peers want to acknowledge) is the exact reason why he’ll continue to win. Hate in their veins. Who God Bless, No Man Curse - understand this.
And then there’s Push. Ties and affiliations aside, Pusha T is a lyricist. That rap lyrical respect thing is something else and Clipse is deeply entrenched in the culture. They had/have a cult following! Mix in his crews (Pharrell – Startrak/iamOther x Kanye – G.O.O.D. Music – musical geniuses) this just thickens and sweetens the pot. No offense but this is nowhere even close to that lukewarm Drake x Meek Mill sandbox scafuffle a few seasons back. This battle is a level!
The “battle” is the ethos of rap. This is hip-hop in its truest form. Rap is a contact sport and at times the most deadly because there are no rules. These men, both gifted and skilled in their own right, are sparring right now. Survival of the fittest. I understand this may be new territory for today’s mumble/drug rap generation – “sensitive thugs” purveyors of the ice-cream saccharin sweet sound. You guys are bearing witness to legacy! There is nothing fair about a rap battle. Just ask Ja Rule. It’s eat or get eaten and apparently it’s eating season right now. Personally speaking, I love a great rap battle! I remember candidly the beefs between KRS-1 & MC Shan, Roxanne Shante & The Real Roxanne, Dr. Dre/NWA & Easy E, Ice Cube & Easy E, Cool J and Canibus, the fatal beef between Biggie & Pac that divided a nation and of course the most epic battle of all that birthed the term “ethered”, the beef between Jay Z & Nas. I’ve been a die hard Jay fan since I first heard him on Stretch & Bobbito’s radio show on 89 tech 9 back in the mid-90s. I’ll never forget driving down 2nd Ave in New York City on a surprisingly balmy day in November 2001 listening to Hot 97 FM. Nas had just recorded his answer to Jay’s diss record Takeover and they were about to premiere it on Flex’s show. The moment the beat drop, my heart sunk. “Fuck Jay Z!” chopped and screwed up. The dj drops an atomic bomb adlib effect, starts the record over. “Fuck Jay Z!” I knew in that moment Jay was done. Takeover was volcanic. Jay in a very comedic way pretty much “sonned” Nas with hard truth and the truth is sometimes tough to bear. But then Nas, maybe as a result of feeling disrespected by this “Judas trader”, went nuclear! Ether was the Nasir Jones we loved and had longed to see. Jay tried a feeble attempt at retaliation with the lack luster “Super Ugly” but the winner was clear. There was no coming back after Ether. The crown prince took the L he never saw coming.  
As far as this Pusha x Drake beef goes, to date, some really unsavory and defamatory things have been said, I do not disagree. And other people have been dragged into the conversation unjustly. My assumption is unless this wraps up quickly, more things will be said. But all of that aside, understanding the players involved and how much each of them love this real hip hop shit to their core, there has to be a slight tinge of excitement though no one enjoys being on the tail end of a joke. I haven’t been this tuned in to a rap beef since Jay & Nas (50 & Ja Rule’s local Queens catty shit bored me to be honest. {and dudes from Queens be so fuckin’ extra for NO reason} though it did result in the end Ja’s career). So I’m thanking both Drake and Push right now. If for no other reason then for reminding (by example) these other clown rappers what this wave is really about. Good Rap Music!  
IMO, the question was never about whether Drake was good or skilled enough to battle Push. Clearly Push believed Drake to be a formidable opponent or he wouldn’t have baited him in the first place. Pusha T is a rapper’s rapper. He wouldn’t have wasted his time, which says a lot about The Boy (a fact some love to argue) The question is can Aubrey be as ruthless as Push? Would he be? If you’re at war or in a battle, you have to fight. This is muthafuckin’ Game of Thrones…Watch The Throne! This is rap music! Kudos Kiddos. This is a music industry bucket list moment. Something you’ll talk about like hip-hop folklore. You’re generation is living through it’s first official rap battle. And it’s real one! –APIMM
Soundtrack for this entry from my schizophrenic iTunes Library.
“Nice Time” –Bob Marley “Hypocrites” –Bob Marley “Duppy Conqueror” –Bob Marley “The Bridge Is Over” – KRS-1 “Set It Off” –Big Daddy Kane “Wu Tang Clan Ain’t Nothin’ To Fuck Wit” –Wu Tang Clan ″4, 3, 2, 1,” -LL Cool J feat. Method Man, Redman, Canibus, DMX ″Second Round K.O.” -Canibus “The Ruler’s Back’ –Jay Z “Takeover” –Jay Z “Ether” –Nas ″Infared” -Pusha T  “Duppy Freestyle” –Drake “Ego”-Clipse “Momma I’m So Sorry” -Clipse ″The Games We Play” -Pusha T “Lord Knows” –Drake feat. Rick Ross “Yes Indeed” –Lil Baby feat. Drake “Camay” –Ghostface Killah feat. Raekwon “Planez” –Jermih feat. J.Cole “Fuckin’ You Tonight” –Notorious B.I.G. “Sexy” –Tank “When We” – Tank “Keep Calm” -dvsn “Be With You” -112 “I Need You” –Alicia Keys “Full of Smoke” –Christion “I’m The Only Woman” –Mary J Blige “The Beggar” –Mos Def “Back to Black” –Amy Winehouse “So Simple” –Alicia Keys “The Waiting Line” –Zero 7
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