tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74160755778961322342024-03-19T01:50:15.783+00:00Black Arts ReviewA review of diverse arts, especially music (for the time being), created primarily by Black people.Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-71803881875466947832024-02-01T20:11:00.001+00:002024-02-01T20:11:29.283+00:00Black Models Are Breaking Barriers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">Growing up, I never saw anyone who looked like me in the fashion magazines my friends and I read. Even the so-called "diverse" models were often just light-skinned women with straight hair, not dark skin and natural hair. I never felt like I could be part of the fashion world, because it didn't seem to have space for someone like me, and I know I wasn't the only one who felt that way. Many women spoke about the lack of representation in the fashion industry. And when it finally attempted to include models of color, those efforts often fell short, with only one or two in a campaign or show. But when I look at the industry today, I see huge progress being made.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://static.demilked.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dark-skin-model-nyakim-gatwech-sudan-3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://static.demilked.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/dark-skin-model-nyakim-gatwech-sudan-3.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Popular Instagram model <b>Nyakim Gatwech</b>, aka the "Queen of the Dark", <br />has <a href="https://www.indiatvnews.com/lifestyle/people-queen-of-dark-nyakim-gatwech-was-told-by-an-uber-driver-to-bleach-her-skin-389740" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">dealt with negativity</a> and <a href="https://www.demilked.com/dark-skin-model-nyakim-gatwech-sudan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">offensive suggestions</a> due to the color of his skin.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p style="text-align: justify;">One of the biggest barriers that Black models faced was lack of representation in major fashion magazines, which revolved around a very narrow definition of beauty. But now, we are seeing more of them on the covers of these publications, not as token representations but centerpieces of large photoshoots. And as time progresses, more brands and designers are including Black models.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://wwd.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1468566989.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://wwd.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/GettyImages-1468566989.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Winnie Harlow <a href="https://wwd.com/pop-culture/celebrity-news/winnie-harlow-fendi-fall-2023-milan-fashion-week-show-1235541614/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@ 2023 Milan Fashion Week</a></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">These models are breaking barriers and redefining what it means to be beautiful in the world of fashion . For example, take <b>Winnie Harlow</b>, who was born with a skin disease called vitiligo. She has become an inspiration to many people with that disorder.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnfull/20150203/173169" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://photos.prnewswire.com/prnfull/20150203/173169" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Winnie Harlow <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/desigual-names-chantelle-brown-young-brand-ambassador-for-their-ss15-say-something-nice-campaign-300030004.html#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">modeling for Desigual</a> in 2015.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Winnie rose to fame on <i>America's Top Model</i> and has since been featured in major campaigns for brands like <b>Diesel</b> (<a href="https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/23461/1/winnie-harlow-stars-in-diesel-s-new-campaign" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2015</a>), <b>Nike</b> (<a href="https://www.self.com/story/winnie-harlow-is-the-face-of-nike-air-vapormax" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2017</a>) and <b>FENDI</b> (2023). She's also been a brand ambassador for prominent fashion companies, like <b>Desigual</b>. Harlow is not only redefining beauty standards but also showing that people with skin conditions can be brave and successful in the fashion industry.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.bauerhosting.com/celebrity/sites/3/2022/06/halima-aden-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://images.bauerhosting.com/celebrity/sites/3/2022/06/halima-aden-1.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Halima Aden, the first hijab wearer <a href="https://graziadaily.co.uk/fashion/news/halima-aden-hijab-model/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">to earn the distinction</a><br />of becoming an IMG Model.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">And what about Somali-American <b>Halima Aden</b>? She made history as the first model who wears a hijab to become a signee of <b>IMG Models</b>, one of the top agencies of its type in the world. <a href="https://www.egypttoday.com/Article/6/6446/Vogue-Arabia-features-first-veiled-cover-model" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In 2017</a>, Aden also became the first veiled model to be featured on the cover of <i>Vogue Arabia</i>, and she headlined the publication again in <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/vogue-arabia-puts-black-hijabi-models-on-cover" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2019</a> and <a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/media/halima-aden-returns-as-vogue-arabia-cover-star/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2023</a>. Halima is demonstrating that fashion is for everyone, regardless of their background or beliefs.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://assets.teenvogue.com/photos/56e6d052217b78a051a25152/16:9/w_1280,c_limit/GettyImages-498509358.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="180" src="https://assets.teenvogue.com/photos/56e6d052217b78a051a25152/16:9/w_1280,c_limit/GettyImages-498509358.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Naomi Campbell <a href="https://www.teenvogue.com/story/naomi-campbell-black-models-discrimination" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">recounted how</a> when she began her career, <br />"there would be stylists who didn't have any experience working with Black models".<br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">And it doesn't end there. There's <b>Naomi Campbell</b> (the queen of Black models), <b>Joan Smalls</b>, <b>Jourdan Dunn</b>, <b>Chanel Iman</b>, <b>Adut Akech</b> and many others who are doing incredibly well and changing the narrative. </p><p></p>CONCLUSION<div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Black models are breaking barriers and redefining what it means to be beautiful in the fashion industry. They are not just changing the way we see beauty, but also using their platforms to speak out about important issues. Their influence is having a positive impact on the world of fashion, and their success is inspiring the next generation of models. I hope the industry will continue to embrace diversity and that more Black models will be given the opportunities they deserve.</div><p></p></div>Amarachi Chinecheremhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170970961216846103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-50189513080411084712024-01-11T20:46:00.000+00:002024-01-11T20:46:30.660+00:00Is Aisha Ayensu "Christie Brown"?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/D4D12AQE4dxCLmYJs-Q/article-cover_image-shrink_720_1280/0/1660907337863?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=9Fl5_ymEX-uJPBI10T_ny751tI3QhtzV0CozJ73hSvs" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/D4D12AQE4dxCLmYJs-Q/article-cover_image-shrink_720_1280/0/1660907337863?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=9Fl5_ymEX-uJPBI10T_ny751tI3QhtzV0CozJ73hSvs" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Aisha Ayensu ranks amongst the most-notable fashion designers</i></span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>from Africa, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-aisha-ayensu-grew-her-global-brand-initial-technical-ebube-julius" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">having basically forced herself </a>into the profession.</i></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">I came across a piece last year while scrolling through the 'net and really loved it. Although I didn't know the designer, I saved the picture, hoping to recreate the dress for a Christmas party we were having at my grandmother's house. I wanted to look my best.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Did I forget about the outfit? No. But I couldn't get anyone to sew it for me, because none of the designers I met and presented the style could replicate that particular design. And they were very honest about it. The last designer I conferred with was the reason I changed my mind about the outfit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_819/https://satisfashionug.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ChristieBrown736_1439x1800-819x1024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="819" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CadERlGxuB0tj7KAn1Gb0q7EoQ7_rV6wnUjau4d9MyOj9bpHLo4i_ggyGEagTp2n9E6N49BXlR58ZfZgS2Md5pKjPPgqFI1Yf0vRmUfnIDWDoTtoVCOqVGKMot5g9Iz2YkpapOT7ZvTBJz-B_kQ8Roug-uw_y3A2aMT4FHo7DRm7X6lYRqwixnmpFNF3/s320/white%20jump%20suit.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Christie Brown piece that I wanted.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"> </div><div><span style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_webp,q_glossy,ret_img,w_819/https://satisfashionug.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ChristieBrown736_1439x1800-819x1024.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span></span></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;">She bluntly pointed out that the pattern could not be easily recreated, and I asked why. She said because it was "a Christie Brown". That's how unique Aisha Ayensu's designs are. I didn't understand at first, until she started showing me more outfits from the brand, and it was then and there that I knew I was biting more than I could chew. </span></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;">Aisha Ayensu is the face behind the <a href=" The Christie Brown piece that I wanted. " rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Christie Brown</i></a> label. She was born in Ghana but spent her childhood moving between GH and the UK. Ayensu's family has a distinct history in Ghana. Her great-grandfather was a chief, and her grandfather was a renowned doctor and a surgeon.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Aisha was exposed to traditional African textiles from an early age and wanted to bring these beautiful designs to a wider audience, so she studied fashion design at Accra's Joyce Ababio College of Creative Design. She honed her skills by working for renowned designers such as Yves Saint Laurent and Oscar de la Renta.</p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXuJkyvCdpmp7YDfe7fr89UNkuNpvme7H4F3E7cPiRvoxkjjb88ozrW3BRXgrjSjXoSeaO1SFQW2IKd2VlYscYjikdjPuJYqp-HKi3dJ8bCaQxs3In7Jh0KTCu5-hQPmMczIGwep06siQ9aH-ct20YlKOnuQjy4kkzZVN9H402mS5goX1CNJozK-HkQIP/s1024/skirt%20and%20top.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="819" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiXuJkyvCdpmp7YDfe7fr89UNkuNpvme7H4F3E7cPiRvoxkjjb88ozrW3BRXgrjSjXoSeaO1SFQW2IKd2VlYscYjikdjPuJYqp-HKi3dJ8bCaQxs3In7Jh0KTCu5-hQPmMczIGwep06siQ9aH-ct20YlKOnuQjy4kkzZVN9H402mS5goX1CNJozK-HkQIP/s320/skirt%20and%20top.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: small; text-align: left;">Another of Aisha Ayenu's <a href="https://satisfashionug.com/design-brand-to-know-christie-brown-from-ghana/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">celebrated pieces</a>.</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Aisha soon felt the need to create her own brand. So in 2008, at only 21 years old, she launched "Christie Brown". Apparently, that moniker is not meant to be a reference to the designer. Christie Brown is rather the name of Ayensu's grandmother, who herself <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-aisha-ayensu-grew-her-global-brand-initial-technical-ebube-julius?trk=articles_directory" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">was a humble seamstress</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aisha_Ayensu#Career" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">inspired the creation</a> of Aisha's brand.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">From the very beginning, Ayensu's designs were a hit. She quickly established a reputation for creating clothes that were sophisticated, feminine and modern, while still retaining a strong connection to her African heritage (one of the things I love about her style). It wasn't long before Aisha's creations were being worn by celebrities including Beyoncé and her dancers during <i>The Mrs. Carter Show</i> tour, Alicia Keys, Jackie Appiah and <i>Black Panther</i> actress Danai Gurira, to mention but a few.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-Pt1mi8EUboaBOgVbsAl03iKD-8olSrxMgPa1wxMGreGFYhFDOSxUenjnhKziceqXbKpfCV5w82_eYMH15GT5SvBLyaCwwkT0ERSjo7gBQhAzAPLFTIUMsuQ_sqBDlkZPr05RaFQTzPcFikuEtozq2n5PuvW7A0QkLcZfMjZ-i982RLLlQqJz1UcsAx5/s599/Beyonce.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="599" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs-Pt1mi8EUboaBOgVbsAl03iKD-8olSrxMgPa1wxMGreGFYhFDOSxUenjnhKziceqXbKpfCV5w82_eYMH15GT5SvBLyaCwwkT0ERSjo7gBQhAzAPLFTIUMsuQ_sqBDlkZPr05RaFQTzPcFikuEtozq2n5PuvW7A0QkLcZfMjZ-i982RLLlQqJz1UcsAx5/s320/Beyonce.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Outfits worn by Beyoncé's dancers that <a href="https://www.bellanaija.com/2014/04/beyonces-dancers-shake-it-in-christie-brown-for-the-mrs-carter-show-world-tour/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">were inspired by Christie Brown</a>.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Aisha's designs have earned her numerous accolades. She was named <i>Glitz Style Awards</i> "African Designer of the Year" in 2018 and 2019. In 2009, at the <i>Arise Africa Fashion Week</i> in Johannesburg, she was crowned "Emerging Designer of the Year". She was ranked amongst the 2016 "Forbes 30 Most Promising Entrepreneurs in Africa" and was dubbed "Best Fashion Designer" at the <i>Africa Prestigious Awards</i> in 2018. </p>Amarachi Chinecheremhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170970961216846103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-22504478326554198342023-12-28T20:03:00.002+00:002023-12-28T20:03:29.967+00:00"Big Everything" (2023) by Busta Rhymes ft. T-Pain & DaBaby<p style="text-align: justify;">The mistake I made with <u>Big Everything</u> was listening to it for the first time while concurrently watching the music video. That's to say that the plethora of second-rate special effects and almost-naked ass shaking actually distracts from what can be considered an above-average lyrical outing. But that reality has also granted me the opportunity to further expound on a themed we've been focusing on of late, which is how aged rappers fit into the grand scheme of the hip-hop/music industry.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEd4jyVL_cYlAfd1QIjOSDF5h_jbN1xHekPb45xus9FE9yM777ibcTB-ARjO0atm2ikf4DwiC05APMx_H5f1yYVqLtF8htYNW1XmgKQqPMcWPUCGc-fPc90WxmHyKrl2rYIjcXrw8hAW-MIAqA3i3AwgjbiA-SJGTsAfdN0rSTeWExhDlwuBxukvjVeoM/s1920/vlcsnap-2023-12-27-19h03m23s972.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEd4jyVL_cYlAfd1QIjOSDF5h_jbN1xHekPb45xus9FE9yM777ibcTB-ARjO0atm2ikf4DwiC05APMx_H5f1yYVqLtF8htYNW1XmgKQqPMcWPUCGc-fPc90WxmHyKrl2rYIjcXrw8hAW-MIAqA3i3AwgjbiA-SJGTsAfdN0rSTeWExhDlwuBxukvjVeoM/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-27-19h03m23s972.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Busta Rhymes (center), T-Pain (left) and DaBaby (right)<br />from the music video of <u>Big Everything</u>.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">BUSTA TEAMS UP WITH DABABY AND T-PAIN</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Busta Rhymes</b> wasn't a first-generation rapper, but he can perhaps be considered second generation, having come out early in the 1990s. To put how long Bus has been around into perspective, when his original crew, <b>Leaders of the New School</b>, dropped their debut album in the summer of 1991, <b>T-Pain</b> was only six years old, and <b>DaBaby</b> wasn't even born yet.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">To be honest, I can't say with certainty that I've ever heard any of DaBaby's songs prior to this one. However, I have read many of his verses and can confidently assert that he's one of the better rappers out there - a fact that's pretty self-evident considering that two of his four studio albums have managed to top the <b>Billboard 200</b>. In other words, while some of his contemporaries have proven to be one-hit wonders, it's obvious that the DaBaby had a sustainable level of talent. And for a while there, it looked like he may have even been on the way to becoming one of the kings in the rap game.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That all changed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DaBaby#2020%E2%80%93present:_Blame_It_on_Baby,_Rockstar,_My_Brother's_Keeper_and_Baby_on_Baby_2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in mid-2021</a>, when he publicly made what can unanimously be considered as anti-gay comments. The two albums he released just prior to making those statements, 2019's <u>Kirk</u> and 2020's <u>Blame It on Baby</u>, were the ones that topped the Billboard 200. The latter was also nominated for a <b>Grammy Award</b>. Meanwhile, the (solo) LP he came out with afterwards, 2022's <u>Baby on Baby 2</u>, didn't even crack the top 30 of the Billboard 200. Nor has DaBaby dropped any certified hits since 2021.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATtq8XWvjDRzfIXLHih9ybjVQ6UOLwrV8QPVeFshMMKvvBKe8H3odoax5Xuc7rmwGNwd9HK5XssBT30HW7gZv1jB59M83WqiH07EkOmLCFGZXhVI2bzCuk1cTq7C8DmXEX3feWQzCIl6iNxB8D942LphBk_lgN5dUSpKc8ez_6QlNIejZg_wBYKKW_yc/s1920/vlcsnap-2023-12-27-19h04m23s088.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhATtq8XWvjDRzfIXLHih9ybjVQ6UOLwrV8QPVeFshMMKvvBKe8H3odoax5Xuc7rmwGNwd9HK5XssBT30HW7gZv1jB59M83WqiH07EkOmLCFGZXhVI2bzCuk1cTq7C8DmXEX3feWQzCIl6iNxB8D942LphBk_lgN5dUSpKc8ez_6QlNIejZg_wBYKKW_yc/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-27-19h04m23s088.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">DaBaby throwing up the "OK sign", a gesture many believe.<br />has occult connotations, on the music video to <u>Big Everything</u>.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Dave Chapelle</b> <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dave-chappelle-dababy-homophobic-controversy-the-closer-1237969/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">even pointed out the irony</a> of how DaBaby actually killed someone - an incident no one seems to care about, yet the media went bonkers when he made a few statements against homosexuality. So it can be said that Busta sorta looked out by putting him on this song, which appears as if it's being promoted as a single.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiZCmi0RoZrYWdMmRp9Dgp7eMZdK5euFF4E8bwD2hORCpr1DtlwFvzwA-OPm53BeEExLIySwPAP-GNn1cnszA-S5EVU1NHvpB8QLIolykFo6wc193EwesWTt8ctrzAziZHkcuq2Fe51HhWU4g9l73WQ7ItOonLvVbkg-GNgaTf9XEzZqr-VsPpANw1VA/s1920/vlcsnap-2023-12-27-19h03m00s496.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiZCmi0RoZrYWdMmRp9Dgp7eMZdK5euFF4E8bwD2hORCpr1DtlwFvzwA-OPm53BeEExLIySwPAP-GNn1cnszA-S5EVU1NHvpB8QLIolykFo6wc193EwesWTt8ctrzAziZHkcuq2Fe51HhWU4g9l73WQ7ItOonLvVbkg-GNgaTf9XEzZqr-VsPpANw1VA/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-27-19h03m00s496.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">As for T-Pain, I thought he had already retired from dropping new material. He was by far one of the hottest musicians of the late aughts, but last I heard (via a gossip site), his music career wasn't going particularly well. So it's even more surprising that Busta reached back, if you will, to feature him on this song, though the two already have a collaboration history, including Bus featuring T-Pain on his 2009 track <u>Hustler's Anthem '09</u>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-x7TaPjqGqk" width="320" youtube-src-id="-x7TaPjqGqk"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">"BIG EVERYTHING"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As for <u>Big Everything</u>, T-Pain's vocal contribution isn't as pronounced as it would have been if this track came out 15 years ago, back when he probably would have been afforded his own verse. The focus is more on the two rappers, and it's as if they're battling so to speak, seeing which one can spit the fastest while still being understandable to the listener.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In terms of the content of their verses, this is where the debate about the presence and role of older rappers comes into play. DaBaby uses the first verse to seemingly depict himself as having been a successful drug dealer before becoming a rapper. Busta doesn't take an identical approach but rather uses his verse that follows to brag about getting drunk to his heart's content and his sizable cashflow. In the final, extended verse, the two emcees team up to, most simply put, boast about their wealth, women and toughness. And as for the chorus, T-Pain is also braggadocious but more in an inspirational kind of way, alluding to the notion that he's "been working all day and all night" in the name of generating bread.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Busta Rhymes, to my knowledge, has never been a gangsta rapper per se. But generally speaking, there's little difference between the nature of his lyrics and that of DaBaby's, despite the nearly 20-year age difference between the rappers. To some extent that's to be expected, since you can't have two emcees on one song taking different stances. But this is the problem that some pundits have with many of the older rappers who are still pertinent in the game, i.e. their lyrics not reflecting a higher state of maturity.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hnsB3xpwAPs" width="320" youtube-src-id="hnsB3xpwAPs"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">And so it is with the music video to the track. A few years back, <b>HBO</b> aired this special about Black strippers, and one of them was saying that booty dancing, i.e. twerking, is derived from traditional African culture. Since then, I've learned that's an erroneous statement. I heard one African elder say that back in the old days, if a woman were dancing and proceeded to shake her ass in guy's face, that would - understandably I might add - be considered an act of disrespect. Meanwhile, look at your boy <b>Spliff Star</b> in the video:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAS8No9wzXDMAdH8Dew7bahaUHJTCNOeWng0W8eHCgV_WaxpLNXMnaa7j1i6GQAt_qwKAd4kB2qWPRtiT_ijmlPQkfPVllHJ1pT9RhFgSqGEzWB3461f5tDHIYUdNbPLAYH3PdhnjcD-Q16St1kXsY796dCW6GdbpogEQiunckpldU2WpJWeIO2srqRdQ/s1920/vlcsnap-2023-12-27-19h04m43s563.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAS8No9wzXDMAdH8Dew7bahaUHJTCNOeWng0W8eHCgV_WaxpLNXMnaa7j1i6GQAt_qwKAd4kB2qWPRtiT_ijmlPQkfPVllHJ1pT9RhFgSqGEzWB3461f5tDHIYUdNbPLAYH3PdhnjcD-Q16St1kXsY796dCW6GdbpogEQiunckpldU2WpJWeIO2srqRdQ/s320/vlcsnap-2023-12-27-19h04m43s563.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm not against strippers in music videos per se. For whatever reasons, strip-club culture has been thoroughly intermixed with that of hip-hop. But I don't necessarily like watching videos - such as this one, which starts off like a cartoon - where about two-thirds of the way through, out of blue half naked asses are everywhere.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One may presume that Busta, given his age, would have opted for something classier, i.e. imagery that could be appreciated by a wider, more general audience. But obviously, he isn't the parental type. That said, if I had listened to the song first, I would have definitely known that twerkers were going to popup in the clip sooner or later.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/Busta_Rhymes_-_Blockbusta.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/Busta_Rhymes_-_Blockbusta.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Busta Rhymes' 11th studio album, <u>Blockbusta</u>,<br />was released on 24 November 2023.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">If rappers from two different generations collaborate, it isn't the younger who's challenged to be more mature. Rather, given the nature of mainstream rap, it's the elder who usually has to make an effort to appeal to a less-sophisticated crowd.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But even if some listeners don't agree with that tactic, you have to give it to Busta Rhymes for being able to hang. If you would have asked hip-hop fans 30 years ago which emcee they thought would still be strong in the game into the 2020s, I don't think many of us would have predicted Bus. However it's very difficult, if not impossible when looking at established precedent, to trend musically as an older rapper. And that may be why, despite the admirable effort, that Busta's latest album, <u>Blockbusta</u>, didn't perform particularly well on music charts.</p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-46466054183678197072023-12-23T19:34:00.003+00:002023-12-27T18:26:04.221+00:00What Is Kente Cloth Turning Into?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VPwRSlPkLxFPJEZUfJD3t4IRmzI8n4mqjBD5okZywg47ts8Cyi5xeNJ8u1iMSkar66dKKKB9Nx-FBNLOlvzqVoHTk4Wt_ibm2UHo-6kN07roEfHUlR2XfIzw76FyVzT4ZfI3688mby16LixCKszaTm8pNRfdYO70eXMauiBLH4P0AxL3V3KnYtTbz0g/s1080/kate001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1080" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_VPwRSlPkLxFPJEZUfJD3t4IRmzI8n4mqjBD5okZywg47ts8Cyi5xeNJ8u1iMSkar66dKKKB9Nx-FBNLOlvzqVoHTk4Wt_ibm2UHo-6kN07roEfHUlR2XfIzw76FyVzT4ZfI3688mby16LixCKszaTm8pNRfdYO70eXMauiBLH4P0AxL3V3KnYtTbz0g/s320/kate001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ghanaian model <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mx_barrony" rel="" target="_blank">Mx Barrony</a> wearing a Kente skirt.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
One thing I never think twice about is fashion. I love fashion.
And when it comes to fabrics and prints, one of the most unique and popular
has to be this type which comes from Ghana.
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
I've admired this style for so many years but have never been lucky enough to
own one. A lot of people here in Nigeria don't know what it's called,
because we just refer to it as the "Ghana print" or "that Ghana fabric". But it does have an official name, "Kente cloth". And it's not uncommon to see Nigerians <span style="text-align: left;">wearing Kente-inspired shoes, matching outfits or bags.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.africablooms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG-20200214-WA0125.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://www.africablooms.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG-20200214-WA0125.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.africablooms.com/product/kente-custom-made-african-print-shoes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kente-inspired shoes</a> for men<br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Lately, Kente cloth has been popping up everywhere - in fashion magazines, on
runways and even in my favorite songs. It's as if Ghanaian culture is
finally being celebrated by the mainstream, and it's pretty incredible to see.
</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fb54df0f2b5d20cf1f5ba59/1641057552252-0ZS05SA90TTPSQ4MQCLR/Didier+Drogba.+Kente+Kingdom.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fb54df0f2b5d20cf1f5ba59/1641057552252-0ZS05SA90TTPSQ4MQCLR/Didier+Drogba.+Kente+Kingdom.png" width="320" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Ivorinan football legend Didier Drogba
<a href="https://www.kentekingdom.com/blog/celeb-watch-5-times-celebrities-led-the-way-in-traditional-kente-styling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wearing Kente cloth</a>.</i></span>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
As an African, it's very inspiring to what other people embracing Kente,
because it shows that we are all connected, no matter where we're from. When I
see celebrities and models wearing Kente clothes, I can't help but feel a
connection. It's like we're all part of the same story and histories, and even though we may come from different places, we can still
find common ground through our love of this beautiful, vibrant fabric.
</p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2020/06/08/USAT/ff2dfc92-6442-4ab3-aee5-ef54abf01fd2-AP_America_Protests_Congress.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2020/06/08/USAT/ff2dfc92-6442-4ab3-aee5-ef54abf01fd2-AP_America_Protests_Congress.jpg" width="320" /></a>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Prominent American politicians, including then-Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi, <br />wearing Kente cloth <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/08/democrats-gather-silence-honor-george-floyd-ahmaud-arbery/3155884001/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in honor of George Floyd</a>
in 2020.</i></span>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Over the years, Kente cloth has taken on a life of its own. It's gone
from being this old-school fabric worn only by Ghanaian royalty to being incorporated
into all sorts of modern designs. Its come up is similar to denim, which started off
being used for a specific purpose but can now be found in all sorts of clothes,
accessories and home decor.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Kente cloth has a long history and deep cultural significance in West Africa. It's not just a fabric - it's a symbol of identity, culture and
tradition.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyzTuPdFoGMtwQNGnBS4lqOrc-elIKOqJPNpQNvCPCYjrH7Uts-2xl5n3hmZHzJ9AWOGbNv89aRXZVJJY6d4w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's believed that Kente cloth originated with the Ashanti people
of Ghana in the 17th century. The word "Kente" means "Basket", which is a nod
to the woven nature of the fabric. In Ghana, it's often worn during important
events like weddings, funerals and festivals.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Within these ceremonies, Kente symbolizes things such as wealth, respect and family ties. For
example, at weddings the bride and groom may be wrapped in Kente cloth to
symbolize the union of their families, and at funerals, it's used to
honor the deceased and pay tribute to their life. Each color and pattern have a
specific meaning during these occasions.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://keleplux.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2300.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="644" height="320" src="https://keleplux.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IMG_2300.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Mermaid-style <a href="https://keleplux.com/kente-wedding-gowns-in-ghana-the-best-styles-for-2023/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kente wedding dress</a><br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>
</div>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
In the fashion world, modern designers have taken Kente cloth and run with it. They are finding all sorts of creative ways to incorporate this traditional
fabric into their designs. Some are using it for bold statements, while others
are about those subtle details, like trims or accents. Can you believe
that Kente cloth is making its way into ball gowns, tuxedos and even wedding
dresses? It's having a major fashion moment, and I'm here for it!
</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/210407162321-02-amanda-gorman-vogue-may-2021.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill/f_webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/210407162321-02-amanda-gorman-vogue-may-2021.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill/f_webp" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Kente cloth made the cover of <u>Vogue</u>, as worn by<br />American activist/poet Amanda Gorman <a href="at weddings, the bride and groom may be wrapped in Kente cloth to symbolize the union of their families, and at funerals, Kente cloth is used to honor the deceased and pay tribute to their life. Each color and pattern has a specific meaning in these ceremonies." rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in 2021</a></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Kente cloth isn't just a piece of fabric; it's a cultural phenomenon. From its
rich history in West Africa to its modern-day takeover in the fashion world, it is a symbol of pride and identity.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/IF9TYygoJuBqCp-ItIjD5PQEniM=/800x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/MMYCRSFULNUETGTMF6TND3BIOY.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/IF9TYygoJuBqCp-ItIjD5PQEniM=/800x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/MMYCRSFULNUETGTMF6TND3BIOY.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The late Virgil Abloh utilized Kente cloth as part of <br /><a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/virgil-abloh-s-autobiographical-menswear-collection-for-louis-vuitton-in-pictures-1.1152538" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">his Autumn/Winter 2021</a> collection for Louis Vuitton.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Kente cloth is very special not just to Ghanaians but other African countries and parts of the diaspora as well. For example, it is highly respected and appreciated in Nigeria. So whether you are rocking Kente at a
wedding, funeral or on the runway, remember that you're not just wearing cloth. You're
wearing a piece of history, a splash of tradition and a whole lot of
style. </p>
Amarachi Chinecheremhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170970961216846103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-76240218737394389192023-11-15T00:06:00.000+00:002023-11-15T00:06:54.220+00:00"Luxury Life" by Busta Rhymes ft. Coi Leray<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Busta Rhymes</b>' discography dates all the way back to 1991, thus making him perhaps the longest-tenured rapper who's still notably dropping singles. He came out as part of a clique known as <b>Leaders of the New School</b>, around the time in rap history when many emcees started getting by on style as opposed to lyrics per se. And in that regard, Bus-a-Bus established himself from the get-go <a href="https://www.complex.com/music/a/complex/end-of-discussion-why-a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders-is-better-than-the-low-end-theory" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">and more specifically on</a> 1991's <u>The Scenario</u> by <b>A Tribe Called Quest</b>, which is one of the greatest posse cuts ever.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Keep in mind that, at that time, rap music had only been around for about 15 years. Old school artists were considered the likes of <b>Run DMC</b> and <b>Kool Moe Dee</b>, who were only in their late 20s / early 30s. So no one actually knew what an old rapper looked like, because none had ever existed. And it's also safe to say that back then, none of us were really imagining that dudes would still be rapping into their 40s or even 50s.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://t2.genius.com/unsafe/440x440/https%3A%2F%2Fimages.genius.com%2Fd3a64212d31b6f3086e945a6b2f4bf76.1000x1000x1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="440" height="320" src="https://t2.genius.com/unsafe/440x440/https%3A%2F%2Fimages.genius.com%2Fd3a64212d31b6f3086e945a6b2f4bf76.1000x1000x1.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">But so is the case with Busta Rhymes. His latest single, <u>Luxury Life</u>, was released on 8 September 2023, with Bus concurrently being 51 years old. There are a handful of rappers in his age group that have noticeably dropped songs in recent years, i.e. tracks or albums that generated some buzz. But the lyrics of such artists, i.e. <b>Jay-Z</b>, <b>Scarface</b> and even <b>Will Smith</b> have, to varying degrees, matured with their age.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The reason I'm pointing this out is because Busta has recently faced critcism due to the nature of <u>Luxury Life</u> and his stylistic leanings in general. In a <i>Black Arts Review</i> post published just a couple of days ago, I pointed out how the music industry largely caters to younger generations. As such, many musicians fall off as they age, sorta like athletes, if you will. And this dilemma is especially pressing to the likes of rappers, since rap songs are often about unsophisticated topics. In other words, it's more fitting to have a 20-year old rap about money, sex, drugs and guns than for someone in their 30s to do so. So sometimes, when an elder rapper does take such an approach, he or she may be called out for it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE LYRICS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That said, <a href="https://genius.com/Busta-rhymes-luxury-life-lyrics?bagon=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the lyrics</a> of this song aren't standard rap braggadocio. In fact, Busta has never really been on it like that per se, at least not on the songs of his that I've come across. It's difficult enough to make out what he's saying sometimes. But Busta has never particularly been the money-flashing, drug-dealing type. His approach is more party-oriented, and the subjects he seems to harp on most are his formidability and romantic interests.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And with that said, <u>Luxury Life</u> is in fact a love song. As implied by the title, there is a money-based element to the lyrics. But as presented in the chorus, it isn't that Busta Rhymes and <b>Coi Leray</b> are bragging about riches for bragging's sake. Instead, they're referring to how they intend to enjoy a "luxury life" together, presumably alluding to both parties involved being well-paid and now, as a couple, pooling their resources to further partake of finer things together.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://globalgrind.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2022/05/16522992511955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://globalgrind.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2022/05/16522992511955.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Coi Leray, as with her music-industry contemporaries, <br /><a href="https://globalgrind.com/playlist/coi-leray-birthday-gallery/item/1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">relies heavily on her sex appeal</a> as an artist.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">THE CONTROVERSIAL FEATURE</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But one of the issues that has arisen, at least in minds of some people apparently, is that fact that the featured rapper who's portraying Busta's sweetheart, Coi Leray, is 25 years his junior. Personally, I'm not the type to criticize a man for being attracted to younger women. Indeed, <a href="https://time.com/3433014/men-women-dating-mid-20s/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">such a disposition is common</a> amongst men as we age. But in any event, the logical presumption would be that the rappers are portraying musical roles as opposed to actually being lovers.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Moreover, the lyrics themselves, even if at some points NSFW, aren't raunchy. And as for the video, it doesn't really feature any romantic imagery at all. Instead, the vocalists come off as a couple of armed robbers, akin to <b>Bonnie and Clyde</b>. The clip is also very cinematic, obviously having a lot of money invested into it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But whereas she and Busta don't have any type of amorous interactions, Coi does flaunt her body - to no surprise of those of us who are already familiar with her style. But you would never know that the lyrics of <u>Luxury Life</u> are romantic in nature by looking at the video. Rather, the visual implies that the vocalists intend the live the "luxury life" by stealing from others.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thejasminebrand.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1C8AAE46-6A86-4221-96D3-6E842122EB3E-564x600.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://thejasminebrand.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/1C8AAE46-6A86-4221-96D3-6E842122EB3E-564x600.jpeg" width="301" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Coi Leray and her dad, Benzino, have regularly <a href="https://thejasminebrand.com/2022/04/08/coi-leray-calls-out-her-father-benzino-on-the-day-of-her-album-release-photo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">been at odds</a><br />as she's become increasingly famous.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">One figure who has publicly spoken out against the clip is <b>Benzino</b>, aka Coi Leray's father. Benzino is a 1990s' rapper himself, somewhat a contemporary of Busta Rhymes, and he took issue with the clip, specifically that his daughter appeared <a href="https://www.vibe.com/news/entertainment/benzino-busta-rhymes-coi-leray-half-naked-video-1234812171/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"half f*cking naked"</a> therein and that Bus did not seek his consent before portraying her in such a manner.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ultimately, Benzino acknowledged that he couldn't really do anything since both Busta and Coi are "grown" adults. Furthermore, as alluded to earlier, Leray has a tendency to regularly appear in public semi-dressed. Virtually all female rappers and pop singers are on it like that these days, and she's lucky, so to speak, to actually be naturally attractive in that regard.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://mediatakeout.com/benzino-slams-coi-lerays-busta-rhymes-collab/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Benzino then proceeded</a> to allude to how parents only have limited control over their children in this day and age, and how "the internet is definitely killing the family communication [and] the family bond". It reads kinda ironic - or even karmic - to come across an average rapper, i.e. an artist belonging to a genre that relies heavily on sexual depictions of the female body, lamenting about his out-of-control daughter. For instance, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIKRszGdg3U" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">take a gander at the music video</a> to his 2003 track, <u>Bellowzino</u>. which was dropped when Coi was only like five years' old, i.e. at an impressionable age. It feels almost as hypocritical as <b>Charlie Sheen</b> being upset that his daughter is on <i>Onlyfans</i>. But that said, I would speculate that no father wants to see his child exposing herself. So I do feel for Benzino, even if Coi, in all her nakedness, is helping to keep her dad relevant.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">AND THEN.... AZAELEA BANKS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">After the drooping of <u>Luxury Life</u>, the fearless <b>Azaelia Banks</b> also went on a <a href="https://www.complex.com/music/a/markelibert/azealia-banks-lizzo-busta-rhymes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">rant against Busta Rhymes</a>, in part due to his age, though she incorrectly referred to him as being "55+" years old. The point she was trying to make, while totally dissing Busta's health, appearance, age and styles of dress is that if he isn't getting fat-shamed or criticized for it, then neither should the likes of <b>Lizzo</b>. And beyond that, she obviously has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIKRszGdg3U" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">some type of beef with Busta</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tiGosjHmg78" width="320" youtube-src-id="tiGosjHmg78"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">THE AUDIO</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But now, amidst all of the drama here's the kicker - <u>Luxury Life</u> is actually quite dope. Whether or not Busta's rhymes reflect his age, he still possesses one of the most-exciting deliveries in the game. He can rap, period. And so can Coi Leray, as I now realize, with this being the first time I ever heard homegirl, that she isn't just all looks.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/Busta_Rhymes_-_Blockbusta.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4f/Busta_Rhymes_-_Blockbusta.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The cover art to Busta Rhymes' upcoming album,<br /><u>Blockbusta</u> (2023).<br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Also, <u>Luxury Life</u> is based on <u>Ain't No Nigga</u> (1996) by <b>Jay-Z</b> featuring <b>Foxy Brown</b>, which is one of the most-memorable male/female rap collaborations. And Busta has gone <a href="https://variety.com/2023/music/news/busta-rhymes-pharrell-williams-swizz-beatz-timbaland-new-album-blockbusta-1235765578/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">all out in enlisting talent</a> for his upcoming album, <u>Blockbusta</u>. It's a shame that this song didn't chart, but that's probably due to the fact that the music industry is, to a large extent, dominated by who's trending as opposed to what actually sounds better.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">When writing about these new songs, I don't actually listen to the tracks until doing the research. And in all honesty, I wasn't expecting to enjoy <u>Luxury Life</u> this much. But now, after giving it a spin, I'm actually looking forward to the rest of <u>Blockbusta</u>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8W9uSnMX4Ck" width="320" youtube-src-id="8W9uSnMX4Ck"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Rapping is unlike singing, in that the former doesn't adversely affect the vocal chords as much. So in theory, a rapper can get better with age. However, emcees do, like everyone else, become less energetic as they mature. But that reality isn't as noticeable with Busta, since he's always had a faster pace.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Generally speaking, elder rappers can't compete with their younger counterparts. You're pushing it by the time you're 30, and once you reach 40, you should be thinking about retirement. But maybe, Busta can prove to be one of the very, very few to buck that trend.</p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-5946723231115768582023-11-13T22:08:00.004+00:002023-11-13T22:08:50.768+00:00"First Person Shooter" by Drake ft. J. Cole (2023)<p style="text-align: justify;">One of the ways in which the rap game has evolved throughout the years is that back in the days, collaborations were rare. Or more specifically, if distinct rappers collaborated, that usually meant that they were somehow connected, i.e. being homeys, part of the same clique and/or from the same 'hood. Or another way of looking at it is that emcees considered teaming up with other artists as sort of an artistic privilege or favor. The most-extreme example of that frame of thought was probably <b>the Wu-Tang Clan</b> during their early goings. But later on, they also served as an example of how being too exclusive can hurt your brand, as it became obvious that fans need more variety from time to time.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But now, as we head deeper into the 21st century, most rappers have become increasingly dependent on collaborations. I think there's a number of reasons why this is so. For instance, the game is no longer as regional as it used to be. Also, collaborations, especially if you team up with someone of equal or higher standing, tend to generate more buzz. And with that in mind, I believe the monotony of the genre has also become a factor. In other words, with everyone now rapping about the same things, the need for occasional diversity is more pressing than ever.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://townsquare.media/site/812/files/2019/04/Drake-J-Cole1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://townsquare.media/site/812/files/2019/04/Drake-J-Cole1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Drake and J. Cole don't regularly collaborate,<br />but they've been <a href="https://www.xxlmag.com/history-drake-j-cole-musical-relationship/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">homeys for a minute</a>.<br /></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Drake</b> has been prolifically dropping albums of late, and while researching them, I did find it odd that he has teamed up with most of his A list contemporaries but not <b>J. Cole</b>, who's one of the few emcees that can actually hang with Drizzy. It got to the point where I was even speculating that the two of them may have beef, which is not a completely unfounded notion since <a href="https://genius.com/4476161" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">J seemingly dissed Drake</a>, albeit nearly a decade ago, on his track <u>January 28th</u> (2014). But apparently that was just my imagination running wild, as they do have a terse collaboration history as well as, <a href="https://www.xxlmag.com/history-drake-j-cole-musical-relationship/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">it would appear</a>, a friendship or at least mutual admiration of each other.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Up until last month, J. Cole and Drake had only dropped one song together many moons ago, that being a 2010 track titled <u>In the Morning</u>. That song wasn't a single, and it came out before Jermaine blew up and while Aubrey only had one studio album out. Beyond that it was featured on a mixtape, Cole's <u>Friday Night Lights</u>, which would further explain how <u>In the Morning</u> flew under the radar.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So now finally, with the release of Drake's album <u>For All the Dogs</u> in October of 2023, we have a new collaboration between he and Cole, which is <u>First Person Shooter</u>. It likewise was not issued as a single, but it is the only track from that album to have topped the Billboard Hot 100. Or put otherwise, it has proven to be the best-received tune from <u>For All the Dogs</u>. And the fact that it did reach the summit of the Hot 100 is pretty amazing, when you once again take into consideration that it isn't even a single. And as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Person_Shooter_(song)#Background" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sorta implied by Drake</a>, this was a last-minute addition to the project.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Concerning <u>For All the Dogs</u>, it didn't do particularly well (commercially) as far as Drake albums go. So it can definitely be gleaned that Drizzy finally featuring Jermaine was a timely move, one that produced the sole chart topper song from the LP, furthermore during a year in which <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_Hot_100_number_ones_of_2023" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">rap hasn't been doing particularly well</a> on the Hot 100.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE LYRICS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Drake and J. Cole are arguably the two best lyricists currently in the rap game. Drizzy may or may not be as consistent as he was in times past, but he still shows out on occasion, and he tends to shine more when collaborating with other emcees. Meanwhile, Jermaine is considered to be the top 'conscious' rapper, i.e. one who regularly focuses on more pertinent issues than the standard self-glorification. So these two teaming up, at least in the opinion of listeners such as myself, is met with high expectations.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The term "first-person shooter", as generally understood, is a <a href="https://genius.com/29736705" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">classification of videogame</a>, the type of which, like <u>Doom</u> for instance, the player goes around shooting enemies from the perspective of the character he's controlling. However, it becomes abundantly clear from the intro, as held down by J. Cole alongside Drake's five-year old son, <b>Adonis</b>, that the title of this song is not meant to point to gaming. Rather, the homeys seem to be implying that they named it so as a metaphor for their superiority over opps. But it also reads like, at least during Part I of the track, that said superiority is in reference to that of the lyrical/rapping variety.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">With that in mind, Drake starts off the first verse alluding to a couple of realities I mentioned earlier in this post. First is that, when he teams up with others, he tends to outperform them. Second, when it comes to debates about who's currently the best rapper, at the top of the list is usually 'just (him) and Cole'. That said, the verse in and of itself is far from being anything lyrically exceptional.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In the following verse, Jermaine also sorta acknowledges an idea I mentioned earlier, that analysts, including myself apparently, "start looking too deep" into his lyrics, interpreting some as alluding to beef when in reality they don't. Or as Cole goes on to imply, if he were to diss someone, it wouldn't be in an ambiguous, indirect manner.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He also names "K-Dot", aka <b>Kendrick Lamar</b>, as being one of the top rappers, alongside himself and Drake. When Kendrick's dropped his most-recent album, <u>Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers</u> (2022), I was tasked with going through just about the entirety of it (working on behalf of another blog). And whereas he is considered to be an all-time great, i.e. the only rapper to have thus far to have won a Nobel Peace Prize, Lamar has arguably lost a step or two, which I'm mentioning as a reminder that no reign is indefinite.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, the entirety Part II is held down by Drake, which is understandable, since this is his song. And in terms of this segment, the titular term "shooter" can be taken more literally, as Aubrey starts off by apparently threatening opps with gun violence.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">He then proceeds to harp on another one of his favorite topics, which is basically bragging about the innumerable ladies sweating him. And Drizzy closes out the verse by focusing on his ridiculous professional success, how for instance Grammys are meaningless to him, and he's just "one away from" having just as many Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers as <b>Michael Jackson</b> (1958-2009) himself. In fact <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/drake-for-all-the-dogs-all-songs-hot-100-top-half-1235443806/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">he did tie MJ</a> in that regard with the success of <u>First Person Shooter</u>, as they are now the two solo-male artists with the most Hot 100 number 1s (at 13 a piece) and are both fourth <a href="https://www.billboard.com/lists/artists-most-number-one-hits-all-time-hot-100/michael-jackson-13/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on the list overall</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Drake concludes by interpolating one of such MJ tunes, 1983's <u>Beat It</u>, in the outro. It's sorta funny because, just before researching <u>First Person Shooter</u> I was thinking to myself how I can't recall any rap songs that have sampled a Michael Jackson solo track. I would presume that's because Jackson's legal team, even after his passing, is no joke. But obviously, Drizzy is of a high enough standing to garner such a privilege. And it's sorta prophetic that he did it on this particular track, which did go on to tie Michael's record.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sRs2o36a1Us" width="320" youtube-src-id="sRs2o36a1Us"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">THE AUDIO</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One thing about music, which differentiates from other forms of writing, is that at the end of the day, the ultimate judge of what makes a good piece is how pleasing it is to the ears. And as for this track, it definitely sounds better than it reads on paper. That's a testament to the fact that Drake and J. Cole are not only exceptional lyricists but are also skilled in delivery. But a shoutout should also be relayed to <b>Boi-1da</b> and the rest of the producers (<b>Coleman</b>, <b>Oz</b>, <b>Tay Keith</b>, <b>Vinylz</b> and <b>Finatik & Zac</b>) since, besides providing a hype instrumental, they're all also credited as co-writers.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The likes of Drake and J. Cole may be the lingering rap G.O.A.T.s from the 2010s, but times are changing. In fact Drizzy recently announced, fresh after the dropping <u>For All the Dogs</u>, that he was going on hiatus. The stated reason <a href="https://www.africanews.com/2023/10/06/rapper-drake-announces-hiatus-from-music-over-health-issue//" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">was health issues</a>, but it has also been speculated that doing so is his way of acknowledging that he's not as poppin' as he used to be.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One of the things I learned as a researcher of the music industry is that this business is by and large a youth game. Practically every famous musician became professionally active while in their teens, and many of their most-loyal fans are their agemates. Or another way of looking at it is that trending musicians are often those popular with younger generations, and youth are more partial towards their own. Therefore no one stays hot forever, and that's probably truer for rappers than any other genre, which would logically explain why many adult emcees harp on the same subject matter as their teenage counterparts (a standard which Drake has <a href="https://mediatakeout.com/joe-budden-says-drake-is-rapping-for-the-children/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">recently been criticized for</a>).</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But the current struggles of rap music on the Billboard Hot 100 <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/hip-hop-no-number-one-albums-singles-charts-reasons-why-1235350404/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">and Billboard 200</a> are probably indications that fans are growing weary of this type of monotony. So it feels like there's going to some type of change soon, but it remains to be seen who will become the next G.O.A.T.s as Drake and co. slowly but surely began to fade away.</p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-23419150557013232852023-10-29T16:31:00.009+00:002023-10-29T17:27:01.080+00:00"IDGAF" by Drake ft. Yeat (2023)<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Drake</b>'s most-recent album, <u>For All the Dogs</u> (2023), reached number 1 on the Billboard 200, UK Album Chart and quite a few other national music rankings around the world. But by the looks of things, those achievements were more due to Drizzy's star power than people actually feeling the project. For instance, as highlighted by <i>MediaTakeOut</i>, <a href="https://mediatakeout.com/drakes-for-all-the-dogs-is-his-lowest-rated-album-on-metacritic/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the LP only scored</a> 52 out of a possible 100 on <i>Metacritic</i>, thus marking Drake's lowest-ranking album on that respected platform. And as can be further gleaned from its <i>Wikipedia</i> page, professional critics across the board <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_All_the_Dogs#Critical_reception" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">weren't really feeling</a> <u>For All the Dogs</u>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/Drake_-_For_All_The_Dogs.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/Drake_-_For_All_The_Dogs.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The cover art to <u>For All the Dogs</u>,<br />Drake's album that was released on 6 October 2023.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">By the looks of things, that sentiment has also echoed with the audience itself since, despite the undertaking being a chart topper, it hasn't sold particularly well. In other words, <u>For All the Dogs</u> was released nearly a month ago but, as of this writing, has yet to earn any certifications. For an average artist that wouldn't really be a big deal, since it tends to take some time for an album to sell enough copies to be certified. But for a permanent musical A-lister like Drizzy it may be counted as a failure, <a href="https://beats-rhymes-lists.com/sales/ranking-drake-first-week-album-sales/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">relatively speaking</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That said, virtually every track featured on <u>For All the Dogs</u> has charted individually, which is an amazing feat considering that only three of them have thus far been issued as singles. As a matter of example, <u>IDGAF</u> reached number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 (debuting that high on the list) and number 5 on the UK Singles Chart, marking the second-best performing song from the project and even garnering its own <i>Wikipedia</i> page, even though it wasn't released on its own.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">WHO IS YEAT?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bd5l5NtzoWc" width="320" youtube-src-id="bd5l5NtzoWc"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I can't remember, in all of the songs I've researched over the last few years, if I've ever come across <b>Yeat</b> before. He's a rapper who got his start on social media, and musicians being able to blow up via the internet, even prior to signing a record deal, is one of the reasons why the music industry is so saturated these days. But you have to give credit where credit is due, because it's easier to score that one internet hit as opposed to achieving lasting musical success. And Yeat, who traces his come-up back to <i>TikTok</i> (and more specifically his 2021 track <u>Gët Busy</u>, a song/video that was obviously influenced by Drake's style) has since dropped a couple of albums, 2022's <u>2 Alive</u> and 2023's <u>Afterlyfe</u>, which have scored within the top 10 of the Billboard 200. Also to note <a href="https://genius.com/Drake-idgaf-lyrics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">according to <i>Genius</i></a>, <u>IDGAF</u> apparently originated as a Yeat solo track back in 2021, with Drizzy, being a fan of the rapper, deciding to jump on it after it had already circulated underground for a couple of years.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://static.stereogum.com/uploads/2022/02/Yeat-1645568576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://static.stereogum.com/uploads/2022/02/Yeat-1645568576.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Yeat is of Mexican and European descent and by the looks of things didn't grow up in the 'hood or at least not entirely. For instance, the secondary school he attended <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeridge_High_School#Academics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">was recently ranked</a> one of "America's Best High Schools", while most notable (American) rappers came from educational backgrounds whereas the institutions they attended were crime infested. Of course hip-hop artists of today, on a global scale, come from all sorts of diverse histories. But if Yeat does proceed to truly blow up then, given the nature of the North American rap scene, as with Drake he can probably expect to be criticized for not truly coming from the streets or whatever. And as for his unorthodox stage name, <a href="https://www.stereogum.com/2177265/yeat-2-alive-review/columns/status-aint-hood/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">it is reportedly</a> a combination of the words "heat" and "yeet", the latter of which, according to <i>Cambridge</i>, means "to throw something with a lot of force".</p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE HOMEYS "DON'T GIVE A F*CK"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"IDGAF", as you probably already know, is an acronym for "I don't give a f*ck". Such a disposition, i.e. doing what one feels s/he needs to do regardless of the consequences, is highly idealized in the world of hip-hop - a standard which, it can be said, some artists have even died by. And we see in the chorus that Yeat is letting it be known that he 'says and does whatever he wants', such as for "popping (Percocet pills) for fun".</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fCRCLsJQWUQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="fCRCLsJQWUQ"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Percocet or percs, as it's called colloquially, is a painkiller that's actually the combination of two other drugs, oxycodone and paracetamol, which are also used to relieve pain. The latter is an over-the-counter medication that I sometimes take myself (for headaches), and I never heard of anyone being addicted to it. However oxycodone, which requires a prescription, is "highly addictive", and some people do get hooked on Percocet.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yeat doesn't come off as an addict but more like someone who likes the feeling of popping percs and isn't concerned with the consequences, such as potentially getting hooked and overdosing. But as also implied in the intro and leading into the chorus, the real source of the rapper's confidence isn't his lifestyle per se but rather his multi-million dollar cashflow.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As for the individual verses, there really isn't anything unusual going on here. Drizzy for the most part focuses on presenting himself as being street-tough, while Yeat puts more of a lyrical premium on his come-up. There are a couple of interesting musings here and there, such as the latter implying that he's <a href="https://genius.com/29625877" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">made a deal with the devil</a>. But again, in today's rap scene such assertions aren't really anything unusual, and the main theme of the song seems to be the vocalists are letting lessers in the game know not to f*ck with them, since the opps/rivals can't measure up.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE AUDIO</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Before turning into a full-fledged trap rap, <u>IDGAF</u> starts off with a gentle sample of a 1977 track titled <u>The Tunnel</u> by <b>Azimuth</b>, a jazz trio from the UK that was around during the late 20th century. My personal opinion is that Drake's verse is okay, illustrating that even at the ripe age of 37, he can still flow to these types of fast-paced instrumentals. But Yeat's verse is so lowkey that it's hard to differentiate between where it begins and the chorus ends. Also, it's very difficult to make out what he's saying. But that is obviously the kind of "mumble" sound that's trending amongst rap fans of today, considering how well this song has performed as compared to others on the album.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The first time I ever heard Drake was on 2009's <u>Miss Me</u>, one of the greatest rap duets of all time. So comparing that to some of his more-recent songs, such as <u>8AM in Charlotte</u> and <u>IDGAF</u>, I can see how, compared to Drizzy's earlier works, some fans are no longer pleased. But there is one last track I intend to have a look at from <u>For All the Dogs</u>, which is <u>First Person Shooter</u>, in hopes that teaming up with a top-notch emcee in <b>J. Cole</b> may have brought out the best in Drake.</p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-39713743780389542332023-10-20T18:38:00.001+01:002024-02-26T01:11:34.272+00:00The Come-Up of Jay-Z<p style="text-align: justify;">I saw <b>Jay-Z</b> perform live once, back in the 1990s at <b>Hofstra University</b>, via an event organized by the school's Black students' union. This was back when no one foresaw that he would become an international A-lister. But we, the fans of (New York) hip-hop knew who Jigga was, primarily because Jigga he had just scored a hit, <u>Ain't No Nigga</u> (1996), featuring <b>Foxy Brown</b>. In a way, that was the song that put Jay-Z on the map or at least identified him as a unique, noteworthy artist.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://aintnojigga.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/tumblr_n1f0fm5YC71rrvheyo1_500.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="509" data-original-width="473" height="320" src="https://aintnojigga.files.wordpress.com/2018/02/tumblr_n1f0fm5YC71rrvheyo1_500.png" width="297" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jay-Z's <a href="https://aintnojigga.wordpress.com/2018/02/09/aintnojigga-jay-z-and-foxy-brown-photographed/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first big hit</a> was 1997's <u>Ain't No Nigga</u>,<br />alongside Foxy Brown.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Carter did something during that performance that I don't think I'll ever forget. The event was held in the university's basketball stadium (which was relatively small at the time), with the audience basically being split in two, i.e. bleachers being situated on either side of the court. So he got to rapping <u>Ain't No Nigga</u>, sans Foxy Brown, who wasn't there.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">At the beginning of his performance, Jigga faced the audience on one side of the court and was like 'everybody throw your hands in the air'. And I don't know, it's like cats were too embarrassed to respond or something. It was sorta a shock moment, similar to when a comedian stands in front of a crowd and tells a joke, but nobody laughs. And I was sitting there feeling embarrassed Jay-Z even moreso than the shy audience members, since the stoplight was on him, wondering how he was going to respond.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But it was his reaction that always stuck in my head. Jigga just went 'alright then, f*ck it', went to the other side of the court and started rapping to the people there instead. They weren't overly boisterous themselves, but at least were more receptive, seeing that this man didn't give AF and was going to do his thing regardless. And now looking back, I identify that as one of the main qualities which contributed to Shawn Carter's success. Fate was on his side, in a manner of speaking, but he also wasn't afraid to seize the moment.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">'FATE' FAVORED JAY-Z</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Earlier this year, <i>Billboard</i> named Jay-Z <a href="https://www.billboard.com/lists/best-rappers-all-time/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">'the greatest rapper of all-time'</a>. But Jigga wasn't even the most-talented rapper of his era. He didn't really hit his lyrical stride, i.e. become a master emcee if you will, until around <u>The Black Album</u> (2003). Jigga's most-impressive song lyrically, at least that I've heard, is <u>Empire State of Mind</u>, which didn't come until 2009:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vk6014HuxcE" width="320" youtube-src-id="vk6014HuxcE"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">A close second is probably <u>Thank You</u>, which was dropped that same year...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MSwaDtkltmo" width="320" youtube-src-id="MSwaDtkltmo"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">...though 2003's Allure is nothing to sneeze at either, a song that actually makes me feel like I'm back riding down the streets of New York:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n2kigJH0uU0" width="320" youtube-src-id="n2kigJH0uU0"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I knew a couple of heads who were up on Jay-Z in the 1990s, but it wasn't until <u>The Blueprint</u> (2001) that people started talking like he's the best rapper in the game. But Jigga achieving that status was not only the result of the type of confidence that could even dominate a nonresponsive audience. His career also benefitted from the death of <b>Tupac</b> in 1996 and <b>the Notorious B.I.G.</b> the following year.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Pac, heading into the late-1990s, was the top rapper. He wasn't necessarily the best lyricist, in a manner of speaking, either. But he was a fearless yet lovable artist who got into a lot of trouble, and in the rap game those types of behaviors tend to translate into money and popularity.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">After Tupac was murdered, then Biggie became the king of rap, and at first it looked like his reign would be a long one. But of course, he ended up losing his life just a few months after Shakur. And one thing a lot of people forget is that Jay-Z was not the next in line. He wasn't the prince of late-1990s' rap, so to speak.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Rather, it was another <b>Bad Boy</b> artist named <b>Ma$e Murda</b> who was in position to take over. For instance, he co-starred on <u>Mo Money Mo Problems</u> (1997), Biggie's first-notable posthumous collaboration that was released as a single, which also resulted in one of the most-iconic hip-hop videos ever. Shortly after Pac died, <b>Suge Knight</b> got locked up, and <b>Death Row Records</b> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Row_Records#1996–2001:_Tupac_Shakur's_murder,_Suge_Knight's_incarceration,_and_decline" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">proceeded to fall off</a>. But <b>Puffy</b>, relatively speaking, was able to keep his nose clean, and he retained a number of trending artists under Bad Boy, with Mase being at the top of the list. Diddy also personally dropped 1997's <u>No Way Out</u>, a classic album itself whose success is illustrative of how wide open the game was at that moment, considering that he isn't even a rapper per se.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, Mase retired from the industry in 1999, with the stated reason being what he perceived as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mase#1999:_Double_Up_and_retirement" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"calling from God"</a>. A couple of months after making that announcement, his second album, <u>Double Up</u>, came out. If you look at the cover, you'll notice that he's even dressed like a pastor, and upon retirement Murda did become an ordained minister. But just to note, <u>Double Up</u> didn't do nearly as well as his debut joint, 1997's <u>Harlem World</u>. Logic would dictate that its failure had something to do with him retiring. But in any event, those series of events set the stage for a new king of rap to crowned.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">JAY-Z, AN ARTIST BEFORE HIS TIME</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And that someone ended up being Jay-Z. This wasn't something that happened instantaneously, not until <u>The Blueprint</u>, which by that time was Jigga's sixth-studio album. All of his first six LPs came out between 1996 and 2001, and when the first one, <u>Reasonable Doubt</u>, was dropped, he was already 26 years old. As evidence of how far Shawn had evolved as an artist since first coming on the scene in 1989, take a look at the first single in his discography, <u>Hawaiian Sophie</u>, as a feature of his mentor, <b>Jaz-O</b>. This is an effort that even <a href="https://genius.com/11944" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tupac made fun of</a>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/emlDKySa8GE" width="320" youtube-src-id="emlDKySa8GE"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">and compare it to that of <u>Izzo</u>, the lead single from <u>The Blueprint</u>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GRKmpn3SBdw" width="320" youtube-src-id="GRKmpn3SBdw"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">I had a chance to read Jay-Z's memoir <u>Decoded</u> (2011) a few years back, and, to my remembrance, he doesn't attribute his come-up to work ethic per se, though such is implied. Rather, the mid-1990s was a pivotal era in the history of hip-hop. If you listen to the influential rap albums prior to the Bad Boy era, such as <b>Snoop Dogg</b>'s <u>Doggystyle</u> (1993), the <b>Wu-Tang Clan</b>'s <u>Enter the 36 Chambers</u> or Nas's <u>Illmatic</u>, they weren't really about riches. Back then, chillin' was more or less defined as having nice kicks, a sexy chick and an abundance of whatever intoxicant(s) one prefers.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">However, largely as the result of the reign of Bad Boy, rappers were no longer just biggin' up popular street brands but also started promoting those which were expensive or trendy no matter what walk of life you come from. They became mainstream within the context of commercial America, so to speak. Jay-Z, <b>Dame Dash</b> and them caught wind of that trend earlier than most and, instead of behaving like street artists who felt lucky just to have their own label, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/30/5-strategies-that-helped-jay-z-build-an-800-million-career.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">decided to approach the game</a> as intelligent businessmen who knew their worth. Again, if I remember <u>Decoded</u> correctly, they faced discouraging levels of rejection at first. But going back to that performance at Hofstra, Jigga and co. just said 'f*ck it' and keep forging ahead.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'll be honest and say that I was never really big on <u>The Blueprint</u> and, upon doing this research, was shocked to discover just how highly professional critics regarded it. However, I always had a strong liking for <u>Renegade</u>, Jigga's classic collaboration with <b>Eminem</b>, as found on the album...</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vtDOc6xavZw" width="320" youtube-src-id="vtDOc6xavZw"></iframe></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">...as well as the live version of <u>Song Cry</u> alongside <b>The Roots</b>...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XbnNdYnapHw" width="320" youtube-src-id="XbnNdYnapHw"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">...which is actually featured on <u>Jay-Z: Unplugged</u>, a project that came out later in 2001, though the original is found on <u>The Blueprint</u>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pri_67785340-e1517528156897.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=644%2C524" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="644" height="260" src="https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pri_67785340-e1517528156897.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=644%2C524" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Also, just to point out, it was around this time (or more specifically that of 2000's <u>Roc La Familia</u>) that Shawn first started throwing up the Roc-A-Fella hand sign, which many people believe may have attributed to his unprecedented success as a rapper though <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2018/02/01/jay-z-applies-trademark-roc-fella-symbol-illuminati-nearly-complete-7280457/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on an esoteric level</a>. But when you look back at the turn of the century, he <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Billboard_number-one_R%26B_albums_of_2001" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">did have a better 2001</a>, from a performance standpoint, than any other rap purist. And that was something that both the industry and the streets for the most part agreed on.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">JIGGA MARRIED BEYONCE KNOWLES</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I have a lot of respect for any African-American male in the entertainment field who maintains a marriage with a Black woman, because as you can clearly see these days, that's not how many of them make it. Jigga lived the dreams of Biggie - in a manner of speaking, when you think back to the latter's <u>Just Playing</u> (1994) - by going on to hook up with <a href="https://genius.com/25188" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"the hottest chick in the game"</a> himself.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.rapgenius.com/7e12aa0264a182f8127c159007769aa6.540x540x1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="540" height="320" src="https://images.rapgenius.com/7e12aa0264a182f8127c159007769aa6.540x540x1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">And of course, Beyonce is absolutely no joke in her own right. As of the writing, it's safe to say that she's the most-powerful Black musician in America. I'm not trying to imply that Jay-Z married her for money, because obviously he was genuinely smitten (if you check out his 2004 documentary <u>Fade to Black</u> for instance). But from a business perspective, he made one helluva choice. Carter and Knowles have fed off of each other to become the most-famous power couple in music.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">JAY-Z, THE BUSINESS MOGUL</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Jay-Z was the rapper who really made it chic for hip-hop artists to invest in businesses that don't have anything to do with music or entertainment per se. Most simply put, he made it big in business by investing in booze and real estate, as well as a bunch of other stuff along the way, such as restaurants and footwear, besides media. This resulted in Sean becoming the first rapper to make a billion dollars, and as of this writing he's said to be <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/27/jay-z-billionaire-net-worth-increase.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">worth $2.5 billion</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">JIGGA PUT OUT KANYE AND RIHANNA</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Practically every rapper has a crew. This is a necessity, if for no reason then protection. But besides that most rappers, when they're coming up, practice alongside their homeys, as part of a clique. So then if one of them makes it big, it becomes his responsibility to pull others up.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As such, you will notice that most emcees try to feature their boys on record and, as has become more common, start their own labels and sign them or others as artists. Again, this is something that practically all of them do in one way or another. <b>Nelly</b> had the <b>St. Lunatics</b>, <b>Eminem</b> with <b>D-12</b>, <b>Nas</b> and the <b>Bravehearts</b> - so on and so forth. In most cases, the homeys or signees never reach anywhere near the status as the star rapper who put them on.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/kanye-jayz-rihanna-getty-696x442.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="442" data-original-width="696" height="203" src="https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/kanye-jayz-rihanna-getty-696x442.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Jay-Z and his protégées, Kanye West and Rihanna, all appeared on the <br />Forbes' billionaire list in 2022. I don't believe any other music crew, <br />past or present, rap or otherwise, can make such a claim.</i></span> </td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">However, Jigga was instrumental in putting out two of the greatest musicians of the 21st century - <b>Kanye West</b> and <b>Rihanna</b>. He supported a bunch of others, such as <b>Freeway</b>, <b>Beanie Sigel</b> and of course <b>Memph Bleek</b>. But the success of Kanye and Rihanna - or either one of them individually - trumps that of most other hip-hop crews/signees combined. The only rapper I can think of who can be mentioned in the same breath as Jay-Z when it comes to having launched the careers of a couple of iconic artists is <b>Lil Wayne</b>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>CONCLUSION</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Looking back at the trajectory of Jigga's career, it sorta reminds me of old saying that "luck is... when preparation meets opportunity", though perhaps in his case it's probably more like 'confidence meets opportunity'. The purpose of this post is not to gush over Shawn Carter. But as a hip-hop historian, there's two things about him as a hustler and businessman which really intrigue me.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">First is the way he unexpectedly emerged from all of the turmoil of 1990s' hip-hop to become the top rapper in the industry. And second is how, in a way, Jigga has yet to give up that position.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/0*j8efPRidcRhTRX_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/format:webp/0*j8efPRidcRhTRX_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Warren Buffet, <a href="https://entrepreneurshandbook.co/jay-z-warren-buffetts-interview-reveals-billionaires-think-alike-b8580a347f2c" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"the most successful investor in history"</a>,<br /><a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbes/2010/1011/rich-list-10-omaha-warren-buffett-jay-z-steve-forbes-summit-interview.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">has strongly praised</a> Jigga's business skills.<br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Jay-Z has never been the best emcee, yet he was recently dubbed the greatest rapper ever. And that's a difficult argument to refute, as besides being a legendary musician, he's also had the type of business success that has even warranted praise from the likes of <b>Warren Buffet</b>, who probably never listened to a rap song in his entire life.</p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-63404222945217211662023-10-13T17:25:00.001+01:002023-10-13T18:24:26.713+01:00The Come-Up of Tems<p style="text-align: justify;">When people say things like, '<b>Wizkid</b> is the reason <b>Tems</b> got famous', I can't help but chuckle. The idea that she owes all of her fame to her collaboration with Wizkid on <u>Essence</u> (2020) is pretty funny if you ask me. Tems has always had this incredible voice and magnetic personality that set her apart from the rest. The first time I heard her sing, I couldn't help but think of the internationally-acclaimed <b>Rihanna</b>, because they both have strikingly similar vocal textures.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thefader-res.cloudinary.com/private_images/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best/DSC01927_txfkxj/tems-mr-rebel-try-me-interview.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="800" height="214" src="https://thefader-res.cloudinary.com/private_images/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best/DSC01927_txfkxj/tems-mr-rebel-try-me-interview.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>2020's <u>Essence</u> was Tems' first big hit, <br />but <a href="https://www.thefader.com/2020/03/09/tems-mr-rebel-try-me-interview" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">those in the know</a> were aware of her talent beforehand.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I remember like it was yesterday. It was 2019, a sunny day in <b>Lagos, Nigeria</b>. I was just on my way to the local grocery store when I stumbled upon the enchanting tune of <u>Try Me</u> (2019):</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hVEp-P2-rqY" width="320" youtube-src-id="hVEp-P2-rqY"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">I instantly became obsessed and had to find the lyrics. A quick internet search later, I had the whole song right in front of me. <u>Try Me</u> became my go-to jam, and surprisingly, it never got old.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">But just when I thought I might get tired of it, Tems treated us to more musical gems such as </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damages_(song)" style="text-align: left;">Damages</a><span style="text-align: left;"> in 2020:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EOrFWBjiRik" width="320" youtube-src-id="EOrFWBjiRik"></iframe></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">...Wizkid's <u>Essence</u>, which was a global hit...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jipQpjUA_o8" width="320" youtube-src-id="jipQpjUA_o8"></iframe></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">...<u>Crazy Tings</u> in 2021...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hCjB97JvGjY" width="320" youtube-src-id="hCjB97JvGjY"></iframe></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">...and was even one of the five co-writers of <u>Lift Me Up</u> (2022) by Rihanna, </span><span style="text-align: left;">which was the lead track from <u>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</u>:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0NZ6A-X6taA" width="320" youtube-src-id="0NZ6A-X6taA"></iframe></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">Each one was a banger I couldn't resist singing along to whenever I heard them playing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">THE INSPIRATIONAL BACKSTORY OF TEMS</div><p style="text-align: justify;">Temilade Openiyi - or Tems as we know her - was born in the bustling city of Lagos. After a brief stay in the UK following her parents' divorce, she returned to her roots at the tender age of five.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">When Tems was a child, her mother would only let her listen to Christian music. Later in her adolescence, Temilade developed a taste for R&B and hip-hop. She stopped listening to other musicians when she was 15 years old, in order to discover her own individuality. And Tems' journey in the music world has been nothing short of spectacular, driven by her amazing talent and a passion that connects with fans all around the globe.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">TEMS ONCE DID TIME IN UGANDA</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">On 13 December 2020, something pretty wild happened. Tems, along with <b>Omah Lay</b> (an awesome Nigerian male artist), got herself into a sticky situation. They were having a blast at an event that was supposed to be lowkey, like a cozy dinner hangout. But as the night fell things took a turn, and the organizers decided to throw a full-blown show.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/nqEk9kpTURBXy85N2QxNzEyODBmZGJlODk5N2Q1ZTQyZDdlODAyYjFjYS5qcGeSlQMAMc0GQM0DhJMFzQMWzQGu3gACoTAGoTEA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="790" height="174" src="https://ocdn.eu/pulscms-transforms/1/nqEk9kpTURBXy85N2QxNzEyODBmZGJlODk5N2Q1ZTQyZDdlODAyYjFjYS5qcGeSlQMAMc0GQM0DhJMFzQMWzQGu3gACoTAGoTEA" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Tems served <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/celebrities/nigerian-singers-omah-lay-and-tems-released-after-two-days-in-police-custody-in/n1k0rzh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a couple of days</a> <a href="https://thecapitaltimes.co.ug/2020/12/14/two-nigerian-artistes-omahtems-remanded-to-kitalya-prison/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in Kitalya</a>, a Ugandan, maxium-security prison, <br />an experience which compelled her to <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/celebrities/singer-tems-on-hunger-strike-while-in-police-custody-in-uganda/lgc4k8c" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">go on a hunger strike</a>.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">After what Tems thought was a pretty epic performance, the Ugandan government decided to rain on the parade. They accused the revelers, including the musicians, <a href="https://von.gov.ng/singer-tems-recounts-her-ugandan-prison-experience/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">of breaking COVID-19 rules</a> and not giving social distancing the legislative love it deserved. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">Tems was bummed, because she never wanted anyone to get exposed to COVID-19. <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/celebrities/singer-tems-on-hunger-strike-while-in-police-custody-in-uganda/lgc4k8c" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The singer made it clear</a> that if she had a clue the event wasn't following the rules and put the good people of Uganda at risk, she would've stayed home in a heartbeat.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;">During her time in detention, she got to see the struggle that the female prisoners and their accompanying children face. Tems met some incredible women and kids who were going through a lot, and <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/tems-essence-if-orange-was-place-interview-1235593/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">it opened her eyes</a> to the pain and challenges so many of them endure.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://allnews.ng/uploads/posts/2021/05/31/post-17-33-31-8.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://allnews.ng/uploads/posts/2021/05/31/post-17-33-31-8.jpeg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Tems <a href="https://allnews.ng/news/i-could-have-done-better-on-essence-tems" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wasn't impressed with her own vocals</a> on <u>Essence</u>.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>CONCLUSION</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Tems' journey is a reminder that success in the music industry isn't about luck or a single collaboration. It's about talent, dedication and <a href="https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/tems-inspiration-girls-africa-global-citizen-accra/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">staying true to yourself</a>. Though she faced challenges, like her parent's divorce and imprisonment in Uganda, while coming up Tems did not back down. She's shown us that you can make it big without compromising who you are as an artist. So let's give credit where it's due and celebrate Tems for the incredible artist she is. Her music has touched the hearts of people everywhere, and that's something truly special.</p>Amarachi Chinecheremhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170970961216846103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-81723141568805733132023-10-06T17:57:00.002+01:002023-11-13T22:09:27.510+00:00"8AM in Charlotte" by Drake (2023)<p style="text-align: justify;">I decided to take a look at <u>8AM in Charlotte</u> because, <a href="https://mediatakeout.com/drake-fires-shots-at-kanye-west-on-8am-in-charlotte/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">according to MediaTakeOut</a>, <b>Drake</b> uses the opportunity to diss <b>Kanye West</b>. And while working on another music blog over the past few years, this is a feud that I studied pretty extensively.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's one of the pettier beefs in hip-hop so to speak, because Drake and Kanye <a href="https://pitchfork.com/news/heres-what-happened-at-kanye-and-drakes-free-larry-hoover-benefit-concert/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">already squashed it</a> a couple of years ago. But Drizzy has not been as forgiving as Yeezus. And from what I gathered based on that aforementioned research, Drake's lack of forgiveness stems primarily from <b>Pusha T </b>bringing his son, <b>Adonis Graham</b>, who was less than a year old at the time (and not yet revealed to the public), into the feud on 2018's <u>The Story of Adidon</u>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Doing so can be considered one of the lowest blows in the history of hip-hop beefs, and back then, Pusha T was Kanye's faithful sidekick. So the whole ordeal turned into a big mess filled with denials, counter-disses, so on and so forth. But on his part, West did <a href="https://www.capitalxtra.com/artists/kanye-west/news/drake-apology-reason-for-beef/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">try to dead matters</a> early on, publicly supporting Drake and letting it be known that he did not leak the existence of his son to Pusha T and since then has <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/11/04/kanye-west-drake-diss-circo-loco-her-loss-larry-hoover-j-prince-21-savage/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">more</a> or <a href="https://mtonews.com/kanye-west-trolls-drake-posts-his-address-on-instagram/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">less </a>tried to maintain peace with Aubrey throughout the years.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/Drake_-_For_All_The_Dogs.png?20230922155710" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/Drake_-_For_All_The_Dogs.png?20230922155710" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The cover art to Drake's album <u>For All the Dogs</u>, <br />as drawn by his son, Adonis.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">DOES DRAKE DISS KANYE IN "8AM IN CHARLOTTE"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As for the lyrics of <u>8AM in Charlotte</u>, i.e. the sections that MTO flagged as being disses towards Kanye, they don't all particularly read as such but more like Drizzy may be disrespecting and threatening his opps overall - the subject which most of the third verse is dedicated to. He starts off by implying that his adversaries are gay:</p><blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>You niggas obsessed with me, and it's not on no-hetero vibe.</i></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;">And whereas rumors have <a href="https://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/kanye-wests-alleged-secret-gay-lover-and-other-shockers-from-this-weeks-tabloids/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">floated around in the past</a> concerning Kanye's sexuality, we, the listeners, can't really tell if that's what Drake is alluding to.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The next few lines are more generally interesting:</p><blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Handle beef so quiet, you think that I'm lettin' it slide.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Next thing you know, we tip-toein' past enemy lines.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Diss me so long ago, we making your memories fly.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Conspiracy theories start floatin' 'round like the Kennedy guy.</i></p></blockquote><blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>I'll prolly hold a grudge against you guys 'til I'm 75.</i></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;">This is actually what I was referring to earlier in the post, that Drake isn't the forgive-and-forgetting type of guy. He has made similar assertions in other songs, that he doesn't overlook past disputes and is rather timing his enemies. As a matter of example, earlier this year <a href="https://genius.com/29147192" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Drizzy basically threatened Pusha T</a> (and by extension <b>Pharrell Williams</b>) in a way that suggested when he attacks, he does so in a way that dudes won't see coming and furthermore confirming that he's not interested in "repairing" damaged relationships or "sparing" his opps.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Drake continues to lambast the addressee of the third verse of <u>8AM in Charlotte</u> by implying that said individual is not true to himself and therefore has been abandoned by his homeys:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Ayy, niggas lyin' for a livin'. I couldn't relate.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>We all gotta lay in the bed we make, but that couldn't be Drake.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>You forced a lot of fake love when real ones stood in your face.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>That's why you got deserted by your niggas like puddin' and cake.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>I got you on camera bowin' down, but the footage is safe.</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Thank God, another USB to put in the safe.</i></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Concerning that idea of being "deserted by your niggas", it is interesting to point out that Kanye has recently fallen out with some of his most-loyal artists/homeys, <a href="https://mtonews.com/big-sean-responds-to-kanye-wests-drink-champs-comments/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">such as Big Sean</a> and <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/pusha-t-kanye-west-record-label-good-music-no-longer-president-1234650443/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">including Pusha T</a>. West's label, <b>G.O.O.D Music</b>, seems to have all put dissolved, with the only other <a href="https://industryhackerz.com/who-is-signed-to-good-music/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">artists currently signed</a>, besides Yeezus himself, being <b>Sheck Wes</b> and <b>070 Shake</b>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That said, out of all of the above, the one line that I most believe may aimed at Kanye is Drake claiming that he has "another USB to put in the safe". A couple of years ago, a hip-hop media personality named <b>Wack 100</b> claimed that he had an additional sex tape featuring <b>Kim Kardashian</b>, i.e. West's (ex-)wife, alongside her former boyfriend <b>Ray J</b>, besides the one that has already been in public circulation for a couple of decades. Wack asserted that said video was <a href="https://www.rap-up.com/2021/09/18/wack-100-offers-kanye-west-unreleased-kim-kardashian-ray-j-sex-tape/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"on the laptop"</a> and implied that he was selling the clip, later stating that the laptop itself <a href="https://www.complex.com/music/a/b-blanchet/wack-100-doubles-down-kim-kardashian-ray-sex-tape-claim" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ended up in the hands of Kanye</a>. But what I was thinking is that maybe Drake got a copy of the clip, i.e. via a "USB" drive that he subsequently "put in the safe" to later use against West if so desired.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE REST OF THE SONG</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But with all of that being hypothesized, there's a lot more going on in this track than Graham intimidating his enemies. <u>8AM in Charlotte</u> actually starts off with Drizzy paying his respects to the Most High. And honestly, this is one of his more, let's say introspective tracks as opposed to just being braggadocious. For instance, in the first verse Drake laments that while he's succeeding in life, his homeys have rather adopted impenitent criminal/drug-dealing lifestyles. And this is a sentiment Graham reiterates in the second verse, i.e. his dedication to guiding his "dawgs" down a more righteous path.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u>8AM in Charlotte</u> is also replete with shoutouts, both direct and indirect, not only to Aubrey's homeys such as <a href="https://genius.com/29713857" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oliver el-Khatib</a>, <a href="https://genius.com/29713738" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Central Cee</a> and <a href="https://genius.com/29713631" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">21 Savage</a> but also a bunch of celebrities, including <b>Michael Jackson</b>, <b>Shania Twain</b> and <b>T.D. Jakes</b>. And with that latter reference in mind, it wouldn't be unreasonable to suggest that this song may have been influenced by Kanye's style, as he's the one who made it chic to include Christian references in mainstream rap songs.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">ADONIS GRAHAM ON FULL DISPLAY</p><p style="text-align: justify;">With this track being released today, 6 August 2023, Drake's son Adonis is currently five-years' old and has actually been heavily involved in the project. Since <u>8AM in Charlotte</u> is the second single from Drizzy's album <u>For All the Dogs</u> (which also came out today), the track comes complete with its own music video. And the younger Graham is all up in that piece, basically being afforded just as much screentime, if not more, than his dad:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VEW9E1EIQ1M" width="320" youtube-src-id="VEW9E1EIQ1M"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Adonis also drew the cover art to <u>For All the Dogs</u>, which, to note, is supposed to represent a goat. And whereas Drake may have had his reasons for initially keeping the child's birth a secret, more recently the boy has been in full display before the world, being firmly on his way to becoming a nepo baby, if you will:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LTcY8OspZJU" width="320" youtube-src-id="LTcY8OspZJU"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Lyrically, I would argue that <u>8AM in Charlotte</u> is one of Drake's better songs of late. But as for the instrumental, it doesn't really do the lyrics proper justice, even though you can clearly hear everything the emcee is spittin'. Also, at least on the surface, it doesn't seem that this track has anything to do with the titular Charlotte, with Drake rather giving a couple of shoutouts to Houston. However, <a href="https://genius.com/Drake-8am-in-charlotte-lyrics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">as pointed out by Genius</a>, this is the sixth of similarly-titled tracks he has dropped throughout the years, beginning with 2010's <u>9AM in Dallas</u>.</p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-4690220443485770882023-10-01T01:48:00.000+01:002023-10-01T01:48:39.556+01:00"Heard 'Em Say" (2005) by Kanye West ft. Adam Levine<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ee/Kanyewestheardemsay.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ee/Kanyewestheardemsay.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The cover art to <u>Heard 'Em Say</u> by Kanye West.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">There was a time when I was a big fan of <b>Kanye West</b>'s music. I had already grown weary of gangsta rap and all of the negativity and self-destructiveness the music industry was propagating through hip-hop even before the 1990s ended. Also, mainstream rappers had become so redundant in content that it came to a point when I considered anyone who could consistently drop raps about different topics as a lyrical genius. That isn't meant to be a diss against emcees who only rap about money, sex, drugs and violence, because in reality, it's very difficult to write an entire album of raps, even monotonous ones. But when you have artists out there like <b>Tupac</b> or <b>Kanye</b>, the world is then reminded that there's more to being an African-American than seeking pleasure and showing off.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">MY FIRST KANYE EXPERIENCE</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's interesting the way I first came across Yeezy. This was back in the compact disc days, before the advent of handheld devices, when dudes used to sell these bootleg MP3 CDs with a bunch of different albums on them. I took interest in one of those CDs because it had <b>Stevie Wonder</b>'s <u>A Time to Love</u> (2008) on it, which I didn't even know existed until seeing it on that playlist.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/Graduation_(album).jpg?20170208193846" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/Graduation_(album).jpg?20170208193846" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Yeezy's <u>Graduation</u>, one of my favorite cover arts ever.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">By then I was already out of the United States and in Africa and honestly can't remember if I had ever heard any of Kanye's music before. But the disk also featured his second-studio album, <u>Late Registration</u> (2005), intermixed with a few tracks from his third-studio joint, <u>Graduation</u> (2007) - but all listed under the title and cover art of the latter. In other words, the <u>Late Registration</u> tracks were filed under <u>Graduation</u> (whoever put the CD together probably didn't know better), and I was really drawn to that project because it had the most-appealing and unique cover art of any of the albums on the disk. And after being introduced to Kanye, I was like 'wow'. There's was this one song, <u>Champion</u>, where Yeezy spat:</p><p></p><blockquote><p><i>Lauryn Hill said her heart was in Zion.</i></p><p><i>I wish her heart was still in rhyming.</i></p></blockquote><p></p><p>Once I heard those lines I knew that yes, Mr. West was really about something.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f4/Late_registration_cd_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f4/Late_registration_cd_cover.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The cover art to 2005's <u>Late Registration</u>, <br />arguably the album that really put Kanye on the international map.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">I remember what was actually <u>Late Registration</u> being a pro-Black album, or at least it felt like it was. It also, more than anything, came off as being very family-centric. But of course, Kanye changed over time. For instance, we all know that now, as an A+ celebrity, he doesn't date Black women. And whereas his albums still do well on music charts, no one is really talking about his music these days. Rather, the media is obsessed with his eccentric, often unbridled personality and celebrity-filled, model-dating personal life.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The signs were there from earlier on, that Kanye doesn't necessarily think like the normal (Black) person. That's why I decided to write about <u>Heard 'Em Say</u>, not so much because of the song itself but its music video. The audio is beautiful, not only lyrically but also in overall presentation. And as you can tell from the first verse, it harps back to a day went Yeezus was still in touch with his roots.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In fact, the beginning of the second verse actually reminds me of my own grandmother who, as long as I knew her, lived in the straight-up 'hood. Yet, she was always on some gospel/praying tip. And that's perhaps the one thing that Kanye was better at than any other rapper in history, even Tupac. He could make these songs which sorta capture the spirit of the inner-city African-American family, illustrating how, even though the communities are dangerous AF, our faith and hope never dies, in large part due to our matriarchs. That was one of the subthemes upon which <u>Graduation</u>, which features <u>Heard 'Em Say</u>, was based.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I can't remember when I first heard this song. It may have even been on that CD also. But it's definitely one of my five favorite Kanye tracks, with <b>Adam Levine</b> also representing. However, the storyline of its music video struck as being strange. But having now watched it again for the first time in years, maybe I was reading too deeply into it the first time around.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/elVF7oG0pQs" width="320" youtube-src-id="elVF7oG0pQs"></iframe></div><p>MY ORIGINAL THEORY </p><p style="text-align: justify;">For the most part, the animated storyline of the video revolves around what appears to be a single Black mom and her son who are in the process of relocating. A caricature of Kanye plays a couple of roles in the clip, most notably as the taxi driver who's transporting the pair. What happens is that, while parked at a gas station, the son, in imitating his mom, lights a cigarette. He then throws it out the window, where there happens to be a puddle of fuel near the car which the lit cigarette lands upon. This causes the car to explode, and the boy to die.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That's a pretty-odd narrative to put in a music video, i.e. that part about the little Black boy dying. But in Kanye's defense, there is a part a song, which alludes to how children pickup bad habits, more specifically in this case cigarette smoking, from their parents:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><blockquote><p>My Aunt Pam can't put them cigarettes down.</p>So now my little cousin smokin' them cigarettes now.</blockquote><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It should also be pointed out that what it is which compels the child's mom to stop at this particular gas station and leave her son in such a dangerous situation is the fact that the establishment also offered lotto, which Kanye also sorta speaks out against in the lyrics:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavMo1kCrtykDOASTaWU-cNh0671c-cYUHqF5Gxan9GPLaAxgTTbsH0uhM-MUH8GG5NHdbHqowWvkc8dv5iuo2zOApgHW7ybA1X-TThxH9sIECT8bJ0WKUuoLy7CtliTPZbc6zwMssw-0HUQiARNyOWU3buYvMby5Nbj15y5DOkhf6Z_CTLWCF0YXDxWM/s640/vlcsnap-2023-09-30-23h53m05s153.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavMo1kCrtykDOASTaWU-cNh0671c-cYUHqF5Gxan9GPLaAxgTTbsH0uhM-MUH8GG5NHdbHqowWvkc8dv5iuo2zOApgHW7ybA1X-TThxH9sIECT8bJ0WKUuoLy7CtliTPZbc6zwMssw-0HUQiARNyOWU3buYvMby5Nbj15y5DOkhf6Z_CTLWCF0YXDxWM/s320/vlcsnap-2023-09-30-23h53m05s153.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">So maybe having the boy in the video getting resultantly blasted into heaven is Yeezy's version of an anti-smoking, anti-gambling message, as well encouraging (Black) parents to be more attentive of their children.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But what really alarmed me about the clip, what it is I thought I saw the first time around, was the White gas station attendant later on hooking up with the dead boy's mother. But now, upon watching the clip more carefully, I see that the couple at the end are two completely-different characters. Yet and still, all things considered, this is an unusual visual.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RHMmxRR4MFbC2y6L2Up-p2H63HCroNdbAugCxUW3rOf4GSPCC35Scx_hKaHinbtnKxOZoLqQhxtaYtxdEwxacj1ORTFmfKrwsd2iac5J5FPeVFGT2-ujsFU49gwU8MDlezaxB-g-oFq1ACQ7NgbSTY6A-Qa_aseMluhNLUMKilP_jVvVDFZmVDDDDTA/s640/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h15m08s026.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3RHMmxRR4MFbC2y6L2Up-p2H63HCroNdbAugCxUW3rOf4GSPCC35Scx_hKaHinbtnKxOZoLqQhxtaYtxdEwxacj1ORTFmfKrwsd2iac5J5FPeVFGT2-ujsFU49gwU8MDlezaxB-g-oFq1ACQ7NgbSTY6A-Qa_aseMluhNLUMKilP_jVvVDFZmVDDDDTA/s320/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h15m08s026.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Does the music video to <u>Heard 'Em Say</u> <br />mock the suffering of African-American mothers?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">FURTHER OBSERVATIONS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As for the couple that does appear at the end of video, the woman is depicted with her arm in a sling and a black eye, meaning that she has suffered some type of significant physical harm, most likely an assault. But it isn't clear what happened to her since this is apparently the first time she's appears in the clip:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYH_391jtsgqqHcYQtq9btX1elL9vLpByFLH1174UAQM2uCsgRxxiZfHA4ONKOekAdy0RgfEZAzaa0OOPHpqjvabWQcPVAnecncZ0s8Uy8GUUAjYMHBmRRhUk78bSbAasCdGlsfcdzTv9CbbzV3Ql4J8M22SuFTkg1qgU-yFBAa9gELUJ9og8SARsJkkc/s640/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h08m46s310.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYH_391jtsgqqHcYQtq9btX1elL9vLpByFLH1174UAQM2uCsgRxxiZfHA4ONKOekAdy0RgfEZAzaa0OOPHpqjvabWQcPVAnecncZ0s8Uy8GUUAjYMHBmRRhUk78bSbAasCdGlsfcdzTv9CbbzV3Ql4J8M22SuFTkg1qgU-yFBAa9gELUJ9og8SARsJkkc/s320/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h08m46s310.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Yeezy, once again in the role of a taxi driver, is picking the couple up. Upon seeing the guy standing there with his injured girlfriend (presumably), this is cartoon Kanye's reaction:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJH0aMuMtnukh8ju8cMlaTxaspyZUHwDI38YlhCSMKVu_JolI7J2Voq9lPjNZDRKAI9uegqP3qf8obV7T1YCKgodhg-5abDEoDLLNmuQq7qJnWOPslgPAa85_XjQMvOBSvddqmaJA_hhAgjY9F-6NH_mWXP0hP55Etc0cKYo2Q2_jrP7HWzAQVaFjxiU/s640/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h09m35s245.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJH0aMuMtnukh8ju8cMlaTxaspyZUHwDI38YlhCSMKVu_JolI7J2Voq9lPjNZDRKAI9uegqP3qf8obV7T1YCKgodhg-5abDEoDLLNmuQq7qJnWOPslgPAa85_XjQMvOBSvddqmaJA_hhAgjY9F-6NH_mWXP0hP55Etc0cKYo2Q2_jrP7HWzAQVaFjxiU/s320/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h09m35s245.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Earlier, when the taxi explodes, we see two spirits ascending out of it. That makes sense since both the boy and the driver, i.e. Kanye, would have been in the vehicle while the mother stepped out to play lotto:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJWcQoWX3vWGlimwWmh6JPZ00B_L8YIwHLGroRu4_HLzwULHNDZKHyErmMcLFPPs8be1l2CAtD52OsEcRS74JO4lscqjmpkqEJqE2oDx34uwe5Pr668ocJUrNkJFd85tVQ1edPlAMhaMEdT0W6y97q1-Gz9jTFEtsNtD6UbJN4qqTq1Cv7FOkXy69n0g/s640/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h15m38s003.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJWcQoWX3vWGlimwWmh6JPZ00B_L8YIwHLGroRu4_HLzwULHNDZKHyErmMcLFPPs8be1l2CAtD52OsEcRS74JO4lscqjmpkqEJqE2oDx34uwe5Pr668ocJUrNkJFd85tVQ1edPlAMhaMEdT0W6y97q1-Gz9jTFEtsNtD6UbJN4qqTq1Cv7FOkXy69n0g/s320/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h15m38s003.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Therefore, as with the little boy, we also see Yeezus taking on the form of an angel:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDExPSHo_sHML3pj1jJqBX9vw9X0KVuHNKLf4uNkAyTn2WHv9LD1blqF3JbPqtKRn2W7eb88V2DD_tI5OI5O51d8NVZRKstQQHqmwtDGen4fIcn5bN3e5tdkH_83hZKDcRySEerLOQAWOqTyZiF94JcsuDLPkxmAj2jETFlYtrG_Z8PGKTVT4ogXaLAN4/s640/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h17m18s789.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDExPSHo_sHML3pj1jJqBX9vw9X0KVuHNKLf4uNkAyTn2WHv9LD1blqF3JbPqtKRn2W7eb88V2DD_tI5OI5O51d8NVZRKstQQHqmwtDGen4fIcn5bN3e5tdkH_83hZKDcRySEerLOQAWOqTyZiF94JcsuDLPkxmAj2jETFlYtrG_Z8PGKTVT4ogXaLAN4/s320/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h17m18s789.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">But afterwards he manages to somehow survive by coming back down to the Earth, while the boy - for whatever reason - remains dead:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-q5UsIBHJjRJBubn8JsqXAMLAzMkqZ5iQT082YpRTzURYbeBhSg_xTBskJuAOKQd4fMP90DO7qyTngBn6NHzFXorbHWDuLvc9BxN9UV9iRBLvAA1h71XQn77drn784CxGJRgLVTww8kkSXL0keWlZGCou6hHKHzGhwMLr2r6nEInEzxeVSku_nY6slg/s640/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h17m32s062.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-q5UsIBHJjRJBubn8JsqXAMLAzMkqZ5iQT082YpRTzURYbeBhSg_xTBskJuAOKQd4fMP90DO7qyTngBn6NHzFXorbHWDuLvc9BxN9UV9iRBLvAA1h71XQn77drn784CxGJRgLVTww8kkSXL0keWlZGCou6hHKHzGhwMLr2r6nEInEzxeVSku_nY6slg/s320/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h17m32s062.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Also earlier in the clip, in the congruence with the lyrics, we witness West take on the form of <b>Jesus</b>. After all, out of all mainstream rappers in history, he's been the biggest advocate of the Lamb of God:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6XpbwyVP9LWjqvgxE3lbi69MrKk8th5VhOQ2AFobdK84GDHIwh3q0nvwQoLRwHKRaGuyTB5H2Weit6UY84YWoM-bDhWkdUJlYFhvrjJTPeGngSE3-CcJRYjxHd6S0GbGdlk-qOJsCTsWcP6baLnHJ1__PSjC5XvtG785IEyQnzvz9asWfAsGONn1IUE/s640/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h11m56s923.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6XpbwyVP9LWjqvgxE3lbi69MrKk8th5VhOQ2AFobdK84GDHIwh3q0nvwQoLRwHKRaGuyTB5H2Weit6UY84YWoM-bDhWkdUJlYFhvrjJTPeGngSE3-CcJRYjxHd6S0GbGdlk-qOJsCTsWcP6baLnHJ1__PSjC5XvtG785IEyQnzvz9asWfAsGONn1IUE/s320/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h11m56s923.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">But shortly thereafter, he also does this:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXa5yJDePqv6DYSokeQ6ajGL8N3y7VPW4HvceoSqCMtLLo1_tnbyAqAtP34NP3gvWxp5fPuN-EL0uBddevid9t0cOmcoXH_1R8mGGVxWmAjVGM8hxBQI1lZ16Czv4KPiauik2vyHAPlaUcP0AGxavTwrHM3Meepm-aowplnlzucND6DwVFLhOUvUNLuOI/s640/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h12m09s676.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXa5yJDePqv6DYSokeQ6ajGL8N3y7VPW4HvceoSqCMtLLo1_tnbyAqAtP34NP3gvWxp5fPuN-EL0uBddevid9t0cOmcoXH_1R8mGGVxWmAjVGM8hxBQI1lZ16Czv4KPiauik2vyHAPlaUcP0AGxavTwrHM3Meepm-aowplnlzucND6DwVFLhOUvUNLuOI/s320/vlcsnap-2023-09-27-17h12m09s676.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">At first, upon peeping the music video to <u>Heard 'Em Say</u> so many years ago, I thought there was some type of subliminal race-based message behind the clip. Now, upon really examining it, I'm more or less convinced that was a hasty conclusion. However, it's still a pretty-odd clip, or let's say one that may be laden with some type of esoteric symbolism nonetheless. But given Kanye's standing in the game, that's pretty much to be expected. And the track itself, in my opinion, remains one of his best, and in that regard Adam Levine deserves an additional shoutout for his contribution, even though the message behind the chorus isn't really that clear.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">BONUS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Upon doing this research, fellow <i>Black Arts Review</i> writer <b>Seriez Premiere</b> put me on to the fact that there's actually two official music videos to <u>Heard 'Em Say</u>. The original, which is all live action, is actually truer to the lyrics, in that its storyline is based on a making-it-out-of-the-'hood fantasy. It also, by the looks of things, features the kids shown on the single's cover art.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/D9zTXFURCq4" width="320" youtube-src-id="D9zTXFURCq4"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">It was filmed inside the world-famous <b>Macy's</b> on 34th Street (in <b>New York City</b>) and centers on a storyline where Kanye, seemingly taking on the role of a hobo, rushes the store in the late night alongside a few of his impoverished child homeys (an expedition made possible by Adam Levine, who portrays a compassionate night watchman). At first, I was thinking that maybe the clip was pulled in the name of discouraging department store theft (though there isn't any actual stealing in it). But it was actually Yeezy himself who was dissatisfied with the product and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heard_%27Em_Say#Music_videos" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">decided to film another video</a>. Yet the original is still in circulation (thanks to YouTube), and it definitely has more of a feel-good quality than the second one he commissioned.</p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-29818446920450112422023-09-23T23:29:00.001+01:002023-09-23T23:29:27.585+01:00"How Did Love Find Me" by Asa (2014)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/09/Bed-of-Stone-album.jpg/220px-Bed-of-Stone-album.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/09/Bed-of-Stone-album.jpg/220px-Bed-of-Stone-album.jpg" width="285" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The cover art to 2014's <u>Bed of Stone</u>, <br />which is Asa's third-studio album.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Have you ever heard a song or piece of music that spoke directly to you, one that seemed to understand your deepest feelings and emotions, even when words couldn't express them? That's the power of <b>Aṣa</b>. Her art speaks to the human experience in a way that transcends culture and language. Asa's songs have a universal appeal and the power to move and inspire listeners around the world.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Though she was born in <b>Paris</b>, Asa grew up in her parents' homeland of <b>Nigeria</b>, and her music reflects the influence of both localities. I got to know about Asa during a visit to my cousin's hostel, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Nigeria in 2015. He had her whole album and would play the tracks one-by-one, 'til I even had some lyrics in my head. I fell in love and downloaded every one of her songs to date, and I'm still downloading them. Asa's music explores themes of love, loss and self-discovery, and her unique blend of soul, pop and folk has earned her critical acclaim and a loyal following.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bellanaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Asaa-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="411" height="320" src="https://www.bellanaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Asaa-1.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Asa <a href="https://www.bellanaija.com/2017/04/every-human-is-diverse-and-experiences-it-in-a-different-way-asa-speaks-on-the-sound-of-music-in-new-interview/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">has acknowledged</a> that her musical style<br />is influenced by her international background.<br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">There's just something about her style that relates to the soul. Maybe it's the blend of cultures. I don't understand the <b>Yoruba</b> language, but trust me when I tell you that I can sing every one of her Yoruba songs, word-for-word. There's no doubt that her sound is unique, and for fans like me, it's something we can't get enough of. With her soothing voice and heartfelt lyrics, she's a true maestro when it comes to connecting with listeners.</p><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YHJp1E3fWDs" width="320" youtube-src-id="YHJp1E3fWDs"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>"HOW DID LOVE FIND ME?"</b></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;"><u>How Did Love Find Me</u> is a musical masterpiece - from Asa's third studio album, <u>Bed of Stone</u> (2014) - </span><span style="text-align: left;">that delves into the complexities of love and related introspection. Her lyrics are like puzzle pieces that gradually unveil to form a beautiful picture of vulnerability and the search for love.</span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: left;">As you listen to </span><u style="text-align: left;">How Did Love Find Me,</u><span style="text-align: left;"> you'll notice how the melody mirrors the ebb and flow of our own emotions. It starts gently - like the tentative steps we take in romance - and then builds into a crescendo of feelings. Asa's voice is the guide on this emotional rollercoaster, taking us through the highs and lows of love's journey.</span></p><p></p><blockquote><p><i>Can you do this for me,</i></p><p><i>whisper a prayer?</i></p><p><i>Something's happening.</i></p><p><i>I'm so scared.</i></p><p><i>What I waited so long for is finally here.</i></p><p><i>Why does it feel so wrong?</i></p><p><i>Why the tears?</i></p><p><i>I always gave love,</i></p><p><i>never thought I deserve</i></p><p><i>to be the one to get love.</i></p><p><i>Oh no</i></p></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;">One of the song's most profound elements is its vulnerability. Asa doesn't sugarcoat the uncertainties and fears that come with opening your heart to someone. She acknowledges the doubts and insecurities that often accompany this profound experience. It's a reminder that we're all human, and it's okay to feel susceptible.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ESjfHhvuOZE" width="320" youtube-src-id="ESjfHhvuOZE"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Asa is not just a singer; she's a storyteller. With <u>How Did Love Find Me</u>, she weaves a narrative that feels deeply personal yet universally relatable. It's like listening to a friend pour out their heart, and you can't help but nod in agreement, because you've been there yourself. And a<span style="text-align: justify;">s we listen to her melodic narrative and self-examining lyrics, one can't help but wonder, "how did love find me?" It's a question we all grapple with, and her music helps us find solace in the search.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This track also reminds me that love can be unexpected and that it often finds us when we least expect it. It also highlights love's power to change us and make us see the world in a new light, and as someone who has experienced love and also loved, I connected well with this track. <u>How Did Love Find Me</u> celebrates the mystery and magic of true romance, which can be overwhelming. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And if you enjoyed this song, you might also appreciate some of Asa's other works, such as 2007's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIobCyXn2_o" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jailer</a>, <u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jIhNOrVG58" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fire on the Mountain</a></u> and <u><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZKwbR1Kjr4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bibanke</a></u>, which are similar in style and emotion.</p>Amarachi Chinecheremhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00170970961216846103noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-48045472101361343792023-09-18T00:59:00.006+01:002024-02-26T01:11:53.347+00:00"Better Day (Ghetto Girl)" by 702 (2003)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/702randb.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="300" height="297" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/702randb.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The cover art to <u>Star</u> (2003), with Irish Grinstead standing in the middle.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">It felt bug strange tonight reading that <b>Irish Grinstead</b>, homegirl from <b>702</b>, <a href="https://pagesix.com/2023/09/17/irish-grinstead-702-singer-known-for-where-my-girls-at-dead-at-43/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">passed away at the age of 43</a>, because I've actually been listening to a lot of 702 lately. I wasn't a fan of this group during their heyday. But some years later I came across the "CN Remix" of 50 Cent's <u>In Da Club</u>, which is interlaced with a track 702 dropped titled <u>No Way</u> (2003), and it instantly became like my favorite Fiddy song, largely due to the addition of the girls' vocals:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XhG8Pi5R7PA" width="320" youtube-src-id="XhG8Pi5R7PA"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">That prompted me to later seek out the original version of <u>No Way</u>, which I ended up enjoying even more than that remix:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TWrxyDSSULA" width="320" youtube-src-id="TWrxyDSSULA"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">One thing I'll give to 702 is they had the sweetest voices of any R&B act I can readily think of. The problem, in my opinion after listening to a number of their songs, was with the production.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The lead singer, <b>Kameelah Williams</b>, has a really voice sound but not a lot of vocal range. So their songs tend to sound better at times when Irish and her sister, <b>LeMisha Grinstead</b>, are backing Kameelah up throughout.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">That's the strategy that their production team should have utilized on most of their tracks, like they did on <u>No Way</u>. But instead, they relied more on the traditional formula of letting the lead singer go it alone in the verses, with the backup singers only really representing in the chorus, which sometimes worked for 702 and for the most part didn't. That said, whenever I feel like listening to music with a girlish sound, this is the act I gravitate towards since they were really good at harmonizing while sounding distinctly female.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also, the latter part of their album <u>Star</u>, beginning with track #11, <u>No Way</u> and concluding with #15, <u>Jealousy</u>, is a pretty good listen. And that's where I found this hidden gem, which is called <u>Better Day (Ghetto Girl)</u>:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7OxN8BSFI3k" width="320" youtube-src-id="7OxN8BSFI3k"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Usually, I'm not really keen on these smile-in-the-ghetto type of songs. I feel that the message should rather be more along the lines of 'get out of the ghetto'. But after listening to this track numerous times, I've come to appreciate the various lyrical intricacies it possesses, being a lot more complex than 702's usual fare.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE LYRICS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">As implied, the subject, "a ghetto girl", is independent by this point, most likely being a young adult or perhaps even teenager. She is depicted as someone who is a generational resident of the 'hood, having grown up there and now, on her own, being stuck in such an environment.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">More to the point, in terms of the premise behind the lyrics, is her life having been difficult throughout. The second verse reveals that her mother lacks the type of sympathy that is ideally required for such a position, and her father is sexually abusive. So the subject eventually got fed up, and it reads as if she may have run away from home. And as it currently stands she is "against the world alone", being so depressed from loneliness, the cost of living and things of the such that she has "contemplated suicide".</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Kameelah and the rest of the gang are empathizing and sympathizing with the subject. Not only are they "praying for a better day" for this girl but are also encouraging her to shun depression and rather adopt a more positive outlook on life. But going back to my criticism of these types of songs, they invariably fail to point out any effective means towards achieving those goals. That said, when going through hardships like those highlighted above, I guess it's better to know that at least know that someone, like a popular musician, understands and cares, even if only in song.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE AUDIO</p><p style="text-align: justify;">This track follows that same traditional R&B formula mentioned above, the type that I argued didn't really fit 702's strengths. But what makes it exceptional nonetheless, outside of its message (as opposed to the girls' usual romantic-based tracks), is the instrumental. And here's something really interesting - <u>Better Day</u> was co-produced by <b>Faith Evans</b>, aka the widow of <b>Biggie Smalls</b>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The other producer is a New Yorker by the name of <b>Buckwild</b>, who's a long-standing member of the <b>Diggin' in the Crates Crew</b>, which also includes the likes of <b>Fat Joe</b> and <b>Lord Finesse</b>. Also, from a vocal perspective, the parts of <u>Better Day</u> where the girls are harmonizing together come off really well.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u>Star</u> is actually 702's most recent studio album (out of three in total) and also presumably is their last. So these days, the only time you hear about them is on gossip sites or when something like what transpired today happens. It was both sad and shocking reading about the death of Irish Grinstead. But maybe her passing will bring about a renewed interest in 702, an act that never really achieved monumental chart success but was an intrinsic part of the genre-changing 1990s' R&B scene.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">BONUS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Below is an interesting video titled <i>The Unfortunate Demise of Twins Irish and Orish Grinstead (of 702)</i>. It's a mini-documentary that not only focuses on Irish's life but also give an in-depth look at the history of 702. Be advised that it does get quite emotional near the end. But all things considered, it is a fitting addition to this post about a 702 song that is also quite sentimental and deals heavily with the topic of depression.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qsD4lfsXL9E" width="320" youtube-src-id="qsD4lfsXL9E"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last updated on 25 February 2025</span></i></p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-84825337410791162802023-07-05T20:41:00.000+01:002023-07-05T20:41:18.894+01:00"All This Love" by DeBarge (1982)<p>THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLASSICS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">There are three main ways to classify a classic song. First is the type that instantly makes you think of a certain era, due to being amongst the most-popular tunes of its day. A good example of this phenomenon, as far as an American song goes, is <u>I'm a Believer</u> (1966) by <b>The Monkees</b>. It's like as soon as you hear the hook of that track, you think of the 1960s.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The second type of classics are those which effectively and entertainingly speak to a timeless concept. One modern artist who was a master at putting together those types of songs together was <b>Bob Marley</b> (1945-1987). His classics are not only acoustically pleasing but also usually possess a spiritual dimension which allows them to withstand the test of time.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Then there are songs that are classics because even though they came out so many years ago, usually via an artist that's no longer poppin', still, if it had just been released today, people would feel it. I believe that out of all forms of African-American music, no genre has accomplished that feat as consistently as R&B and more specifically that without a hip-hop influence.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb/Allthislove.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/eb/Allthislove.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><u>All This Love</u> is the title track of DeBarge's <br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_This_Love_(album)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sophomore studio album</a>.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">One of the songs I can think falls into the category, as verified by the most-popular comments currently on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMyuP5S87_k" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">its <i>YouTube</i> page</a>, is <u>All This Love</u> (1982) by <b>DeBarge</b>. This is about as perfect of a love song as you're going to get from back in the days that doesn't sound aged, and achieving such a task is not an easy feat. For instance, there's another DeBarge song that came out the following year called <u>Stay With Me</u> (1983) which has become sort of a classic. But there are certain instrumental elements of the track which would not appeal to 21st century music fans.</p><p>WHO WERE DEBARGE?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Officially, DeBarge was only extant for a decade, from 1979 to 1989. Within that time they dropped five studio albums and afterward sorta participated on a gospel LP called <u>Back on Track</u> (1991), which is credited to the entire <b>DeBarge Family</b>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In other words, DeBarge was a family act that consisted of siblings. Throughout the years the group had seven members, though the siblings, in total, number 10, all born to the same mother and father.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bunny DeBarge</b> is the oldest of them all and one of only two females her parents, the late <b>Robert DeBarge Sr.</b> (1932-2009) and <b>Etterlene DeBarge</b> (née Abney), had birthed. Most of the DeBarge children are still around, with the exception for <b>Bobby Debarge</b> (1956-1995) and <b>Tommy DeBarge</b> (1957-2021). Tommy was never part of the DeBarge, though Bobby was but only for a couple of years near the end. However, both were more notably down with another R&B act from that same era known as <b>Switch</b>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">DeBarge's biggest hit was <u>Rhythm of the Night</u> (1985), which was associated with <u>The Last Dragon</u> (1985), one of the best "Black" films ever made. However, <u>All This Love</u> has aged a lot better than that song. <u>Rhythm of the Night</u> was really trending during its day, being one of the best music videos out at the time. That was back in the days when like music videos were only played at night, and that clip could wake you up from a slumber, like a cup of coffee. But you're not likely to come across somebody singing it these days.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/Bad_Boys_DeBarge.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/Bad_Boys_DeBarge.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Contrast the cover art above to that of <u>Bad Boys</u>, <br />Debarge's 1987 album.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps due to being a family act, you can say that DeBarge was destined not to last. Amongst the issues that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DeBarge#Siblings_leave_and_the_end_of_the_group" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">broke the band apart</a> were Bunny and <b>El</b>, i.e. the only female and the lead singer, getting the star treatment from <b>Motown</b> while everyone else got the boot. Besides that, some of the brothers had drug problems, and a couple, Bobby and <b>Chico</b>, even did time for trafficking. You're not likely to look at a picture of DeBarge and be like 'these are some bad boys', but <u>Bad Boys</u> was in fact the name of their 1987 album. That was around the same time, after <u>Rhythm of the Night</u>, that DeBarge fell off. </p><p>THE SONG</p><p style="text-align: justify;">No disrespect to El DeBarge, who wrote <u>All This Love</u>, but the lyrics aren't what makes this piece outstanding. As with many, if not most other love songs, the singer sets out to illustrate that his life is so much better with his boo-boo by his side. But one way these lyrics are different is that said sweetheart actually went about initiating the relationship with the singer, not vice versa, as is usually the case. Perhaps, due to the fact that his mind was plagued with "some problems", El's thoughts weren't really on romance. But now that she does have him open, he's willing to give 'all that he has', i.e. 'all of his love', to his sweetheart.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I never knew the lyrics of this song possessed those intricacies until I just read them, because it's really DeBarge's delivery that makes this song, not its wording. And you have to give credit where credit is due. For instance, to be totally honest El DeBarge doesn't have much of a vocal range. But what he does have is a very smooth voice which was seemingly made for songs like this. And also keep in mind that this track came out during the post-disco 1980s when falsetto singers, such as <b>Michael Jackson</b> and <b>Prince</b>, also had to be a little sweet. Like you couldn't sing falsetto back in those days - especially as a Blackman - and come off as being super-masculine. So that reality likely influenced El's style also.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YMyuP5S87_k" width="320" youtube-src-id="YMyuP5S87_k"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">But what I really think makes this song stand out are its latter segments, i.e. the bridge and the outro. And with the outro especially the rest of DeBarge - and apparently Bunny in particular - do an excellent job of backing El up. Like it's kinda rare that you come across a song whose most exceptional part is its outro.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Besides Bunny, all of the members of DeBarge could play at least one instrument. On this song, both El and James played keyboard. But here's an interesting fact. The guitar solo that's played between the second and third verses is held down by <b>José Feliciano</b>, aka the writer of <u>Feliz Navidad</u> (1970). And the other instruments on the track were also played by musicians who were not part of DeBarge.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">What's also interesting is the fact that El produced the song with <b>Iris Gordy</b>, i.e. the daughter of music mogul <b>Berry Gordy</b>, with Iris apparently being a VP at Motown at the time. And according to <i>Wikipedia</i>, Berry himself was also involved, serving as the executive producer of the song, which probably means he had the final say on whether it was released or not.</p><p>COVERS OF <u>ALL THIS LOVE</u></p><p style="text-align: justify;">A number of prominent artists have put their talents to <u>All This Love</u>. At the top of the list, in terms of notoriety, would probably be <b>Boyz II Men</b>, who did so in 2007, when they were a trio instead of quartet. It can easily be argued that Boyz II Men are better singers than DeBarge. But still, the original is better.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NzUPvzyCjcY" width="320" youtube-src-id="NzUPvzyCjcY"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Johnny Mathis</b> dropped a smooth, jazz-sounding rendition in 2008. His cover does a good job of illustrating how versatile a composition <u>All This Love</u> is, as in how it can be effectively covered by different singers.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WMRND8wX50U" width="320" youtube-src-id="WMRND8wX50U"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Further back in the days, in 1996, <b>Xscape</b> also gave it shot, in the name of their cover being featured on <u>New York Undercover</u>, i.e. that cop show that was hot for a minute. And theirs is actually the best of the lot, instrumental and all. But you know, they still can't see El.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H2bJFcE_IpY" width="320" youtube-src-id="H2bJFcE_IpY"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Patti LaBelle</b> also dropped a cover in 1994. I've never been a big Patti Labelle fan, but mom dukes loves her to death. Her rendition, unlike the others on this list, was actually released as a single and therefore has its own music video. In fact, it seems that even the original doesn't have its own video, which is understandable considering how long ago it came out.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HutURg9ymxA" width="320" youtube-src-id="HutURg9ymxA"></iframe></div><p>CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">DeBarge didn't sell a whole lot of records. The 1980s was the decade in which music videos, i.e. visual imagery, really became an all-important part of marketing musicians. And my argument is that they just weren't showy like that. But either way, they did get around to dropping at least one genuinely-timeless hit, an achievement that most musicians can't really boast of.</p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-21221283194372129252023-03-30T01:17:00.002+01:002023-03-30T01:18:33.656+01:00Whiteboy Wednesdays: "Arthur's Theme" by Christopher Cross (1981)<p style="text-align: justify;">As a student of anthropology, I learned that whenever two cultures meet certain standards - i.e. knowledge, practices and ideas - are inevitably exchanged and if in contact long enough, intermixed. This is something people have understood since time immemorial, considering that one of the subthemes of the Old Testament revolves around that awareness. And the reason I'm bringing that up is because even though this is the "Black arts review", sometimes I feel like writing about non-Black artists also.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Even if you are Black and prefer the music of your own people, by all means you're going to have a favorite White musician as well. Well actually, I may not have a favorite White musician per se. But I do have a personal favorite song headlined by a White artist, which would be 1981's <u>Arthur's Theme</u> by <b>Christopher Cross</b>. So the purpose of this post is to research that track as the first installment in what will be dubbed the "Whiteboy Wednesdays" series.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/Christopher_Cross_-_Arthur's_Theme_(Best_That_You_Can_Do)_(single).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/Christopher_Cross_-_Arthur's_Theme_(Best_That_You_Can_Do)_(single).jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">The cover art from 1981's<br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur%27s_Theme_(Best_That_You_Can_Do)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">MY INTERPRETATION OF <u>ARTHUR'S THEME</u><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u>Arthur's Theme</u> is a very unique song, because the lyrics are based specifically on the plot of a movie but are also a lot more general. For example, the word "Arthur" is not found anywhere in the track.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I spent a good portion of my life living in <b>New York City</b>, and <a href="https://greetingsfromabroad.com/top-things-to-do-in-new-york-city-for-first-time-visitors-a-locals-guide-to-nyc/" target="_blank">my favorite place to chill</a> during the evenings was at <b>the Brooklyn Pier</b>, blazin' a phat one while gazing at the bright lights of <b>Lower Manhattan</b>. This was pre-<b>9/11</b>, when the skyline from that angle was graced by <b>the Twin Towers</b>, which definitely looked cooler at night.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I did return to the Pier a couple of times after the towers were destroyed, and the feel just wasn't the same. Without <b>the Twin Towers</b> (and before <b>Freedom Tower</b>), Lower Manhattan looked a city from the 1920s.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But the point I'm trying to make is that there is something magical about New York City - the Financial District, <b>Times Square</b>, <b>Madison Square Garden</b>, etc. NYC is one of the top tourist destinations for a reason. And I now understand that <u>Arthur's Theme</u> is romance based, but I always interpreted it more as being about falling in love with New York City itself. It's just you, the moon and NYC, with the former being representative of the beauty of nature and the latter, the best man has to offer when we all work together. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE INSTRUMENTAL</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Christopher Cross does his thing, but the vocals aren't mind-blowing. Nor do they need to be, considering that he's backed by what I would call one of the best instrumental performances ever rendered in a mainstream song. So I actually want to use the bulk of this article to give a shoutout to the individuals who played those instruments.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">First would be the two which I think standout the most - keyboard and saxophone. The former is rendered by <b>Michael Omartian</b>, who actually <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Omartian#Awards" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">won a few Grammys</a> alongside Cross. Christopher Cross was pretty hot stuff during the early 1980s, and one of the biggest contributors to his success was obviously Omartian. So evidently, them putting a quality song together wasn't like a fluke or one-time occurrence.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Ernie_Watts.jpg/800px-Ernie_Watts.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="608" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Ernie_Watts.jpg/800px-Ernie_Watts.jpg" width="152" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ernie Watts (Saxophonist)</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As for the impressive saxophone playing, the credit goes to <b>Ernie Watts</b>. Watts possesses a lengthy discography, having worked with all-time greats such as <b>Marvin Gaye</b>, <b>Dizzy Gillipsie</b>, <b>Aretha Franklin</b>, <b>Bill Withers</b>, <b>Cher</b>, <b>Paul McCartney</b> and innumerable others. He even contributed to the soundtrack of <u>Roots</u> (1977), whose musical side was helmed by <b>Quincy Jones</b>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Michael_Boddicker_Modular_System_-_Moog_System_55_(1976)%2C_minimoog_(1975)%2C_Moog_Bode_Vocoder_(1979)%2C_Formula_Sound_Multiple_Resonance_Filter_Array_(1979)%2C_with_Moog_Percussion_Controller_model_1130_(portrait)_-_2015_NAMM_Show.jpg/800px-thumbnail.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/Michael_Boddicker_Modular_System_-_Moog_System_55_(1976)%2C_minimoog_(1975)%2C_Moog_Bode_Vocoder_(1979)%2C_Formula_Sound_Multiple_Resonance_Filter_Array_(1979)%2C_with_Moog_Percussion_Controller_model_1130_(portrait)_-_2015_NAMM_Show.jpg/800px-thumbnail.jpg" width="133" /></a><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">A device built by Michael Boddicker (Keyboardist)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, the synthesizer is held down by <b>Michael Boddicker</b>. He has a Grammy also, from a song he participated on as a writer, which is <u>Imagination</u> (1983) by <b>Laura Branigan</b>. He's also won numerous other awards, especially during the first half of the 1980s, due to his skills on this instrument. And if you look at the contraption displayed on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Boddicker" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">his <i>Wikipedia</i> page</a>, you'll see that he was heavily into his craft. So now we see a trend developing, in that Christopher Cross clearly enlisted top-notch musicians to participate on <u>Arthur's Theme</u>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/30/Prdc2.jpg/320px-Prdc2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="320" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/30/Prdc2.jpg/320px-Prdc2.jpg" width="135" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Paulinho da Costa (Percussionist)</span><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The percussion on the song was handled by <b>Paulinho da Costa</b>. Being from Brazil, he's the only non-American to pop up on this list. He's also worked with some big names, such as the late <b>Michael Jackson</b>. In fact he played on all of MJ's albums from 1979's <u>Off the Wall</u> to 2001's <u>Invincible</u>. And we know that Michael didn't joke around when it came to those he employed on his projects.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="373" data-original-width="330" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Image-SteveLukather.jpg/330px-Image-SteveLukather.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="177" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Steve Lukather (Guitarist)<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/David_Hungate_2007_(cropped).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="211" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/David_Hungate_2007_(cropped).jpg" width="134" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Dave Hungate (Bassist)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">The next three instrumentalists on the list are <b>Steve Lukather</b>, <b>David Hungate</b> and the late <b>Jeff Porcaro</b> (1954-1992). They respectively played guitar, bass and drums on the track. The reason I'm putting them all into one paragraph is because at the time, the trio belonged to a band called <b>Toto</b>, who were a multi-platinum act when this song came out.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Last is <b>Marty Walsh</b>, who served as a second guitarist. His <i>Wikipedia</i> isn't as extensive as some of the others, but like them he did collaborate with A listers such as <b>Dolly Parton</b>, <b>Kenny Rogers</b>, <b>ABBA</b>, etc.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But even without knowing the histories of these instrumentalists, the proof is in the product, and all you need to do is listen to <u>Arthur's Theme</u> to appreciate how good they were in their prime. And the fact that all eight of them have their own <i>Wikipedia</i> pages says a lot, because with most other songs, even smash-hit singles, that's usually not the case.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_(1981_film)" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="252" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/75/ArthurDVD.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">WHO TF IS ARTHUR?<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I got around to watching <u>Arthur</u> awhile back - or at least as much of it as I could tolerate. I was surprised to find out that it was one of the biggest box office hits <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1981_in_film" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">of 1981</a>, harping back to a day when superhero films weren't as dominant as they are now (though <u>Raiders of Lost Ark</u> and <u>Superman II</u> did outperform it). The movie is actually pretty entertaining, with <b>Dudley Moore</b> and <b>Liza Minnelli</b> offering noteworthy performances (and Moore being nominated for an Oscar). But it's also over an hour and-a-half long and starts to lose steam once you get about halfway through.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The truly amazing thing about the lyrics to <u>Arthur's Theme</u> is that besides serving as a beautiful ode to New York City, they also encapsulate the character of "Arthur" as portrayed by Moore. I guess that's why the song actually has two titles.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">SPOILERS AHEAD</p><p style="text-align: justify;">When the movie starts, "Arthur" a childish womanizer living large off of his family's wealth. So they give him an ultimatum, that he has to marry a woman of their choosing who comes from the same class or be financially cutoff. But instead he ends up falling in love with Minelli's character, "Linda", who comes from a much humbler background.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And that's the exact same thing that the first verse and chorus of this song seem to be saying, that "when you get caught between the moon and New York City", it's as if you can't really help who you end up falling in love with. Of course, being unexpectedly smitten is a phenomenon which happens all around the world. But the movie itself is set in NYC. And to reiterate, Christopher Cross is also speaking to allure of nighttime Manhattan.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Ted_Ross_in_the_Sirota's_Court_cast_1976_(cropped).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="413" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b0/Ted_Ross_in_the_Sirota's_Court_cast_1976_(cropped).jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Ted Ross, who played "Bitterman" in <u>Arthur</u>.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">SHOUTOUT TO "BITTERMAN"</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Since this is the <u>Black Arts Review</u>, I wanted to use the opportunity to give a shoutout to <b>Ted Ross</b> (1934-2002), the actor who played "Bitterman", the main Black character in <u>Arthur</u>. I knew I saw his face somewhere before, but it seems he's appeared in so many 1980s' sitcoms that I can't remember exactly where.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">"Bitterman" is a chauffeur - albeit an entertainingly-solemn one whose mood contrasts Arthur's loose spirit - the quintessential loyal Blackman whose life is dedicated to looking out for an aloof White, sorta like Robert Guillaume's <u>Benson</u>. Some may argue that his role was based on a racist stereotype, an idea that holds strong merit since the only other Black character I remember from <u>Arthur</u> was a prostitute. But even to today honestly, most of the movies I come across seem to have Black people playing servile roles.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qqGWOxu_H4I" width="320" youtube-src-id="qqGWOxu_H4I"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u>Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)</u> deserved the Academy Award it won and then some, being one of the most cleverly-written and masterfully-composed songs ever. I always enjoyed this tune from an audio perspective and knew that Cross was backed by quality musicians. But only after doing this research did I discover that he really did use some of the top talent of his day.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1lJIswDbiwY" width="320" youtube-src-id="1lJIswDbiwY"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">And in terms of the writing, which he achieved alongside <b>Carole Bayer Sager</b>, <b>Burt Bacharach</b> (1928-2023) and <b>Peter Allen</b> (1944-1992), I've studied countless songs that were written for movies. But none have done a better job of encapsulating the specific plot of the film while simultaneously boasting a larger, generally-appreciable sentiment than this one. And since New York City is not really a major plot device in <u>Arthur</u>, whoever came up with the idea of associating this love song with the Big Apple really thought outside of the box.</p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-58212232557817338042023-02-28T01:53:00.000+00:002023-02-28T01:53:40.632+00:00"Summer Soft" by Stevie Wonder (1976)<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Stevie Wonder</b> is my favorite music-industry artist of all-time. He's been active for over 60 years now, and honestly speaking, I don't know if I'll ever get around to listening to his entire discography. However, I have heard most of his studio albums, and I don't think that many people realize how dominant Stevie was during his heyday of the mid-1970s.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For instance, he won Grammys for <i>Album of the Year</i> three times within of four years (in 1974, '75 and '77) which, as far as I know, is a feat that no other musician has ever replicated. And from what I can gather, it wasn't one of those situations like nowadays when someone wins a Grammy, and other musicians start beefing like they don't deserve it. For example, it was the legendary <b>Paul Simon</b> who took home <i>Album of the Year</i> in 1976 for a project he dropped called <u>Still Crazy After All These Years</u>. And in accepting the award, <a href="https://www.grammy.com/news/wild-at-the-grammys-joking-with-stevie" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">he actually stated</a> "I'd like to thank Stevie Wonder, who didn't release an album this year."</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/Songs_in_the_key_of_life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/Songs_in_the_key_of_life.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The cover of 1976's <u>Song in the Key of Life</u>, <br />Stevie Wonder's signature work.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">That 1977 Grammy that Stevie won was for <u>Songs in the Keys of Life</u>, which is unanimously considered to be his signature work. It is also a double LP, and all things considered there are other songs from it that would have been a lot easier to research. But I decided to go with a relatively-obscure track found therein, <u>Summer Soft</u>, as sometimes I feel like it is my favorite Stevie Wonder song. Actually, it is so obscure that - combined with the fact that <i>Keys of Life</i> came out a good time before the internet age - information on it is basically nonexistent. So what I'm rather doing in this post for the most part is celebrating it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://afropunk.com/2019/01/stevie-wonders-summer-soft-for-the-winter-blues/" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="800" height="166" src="https://afropunk.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/crop-GettyImages-94225292.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">What is readily known fact-wise is that Stevie wrote and produced this track himself and also played about half of the instruments. And that's one of the reasons why no one could f*ck with him back in his days, because he could not only envision a deep song but also, largely by his own hand, bring it into existence. And one other participant on the track who at least has his own <i>Wikipedia</i> page is organist <b>Ronnie Foster</b>, who dropped a studio album (<u>Reboot</u>) as recently as 2022.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The reason I like <u>Summer Soft</u> so much is because on the surface it sounds like a love song. But if you listen to it enough times, you'll realize that it's actually a war song. Or, have you ever heard that saying that 'all's fair in love and war'? To me these lyrics, in addition to how they are relayed, depict the similarities between those two phenomena, how the euphoria of being smitten can be effectively counteracted through the pain of abandonment.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BcRoNGsI07o" width="320" youtube-src-id="BcRoNGsI07o"></iframe></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As far as the title goes, it alludes to the fact that Stevie uses references to the seasons to get his point across. Or as interpr <a href="https://genius.com/Stevie-wonder-summer-soft-lyrics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">by <i>Genius</i></a>, this "<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">song captures the fleeting feelings of love and excitement as embodied by the changing seasons of the year". I've heard other musicians try the same thing, i.e. using the seasons as metaphors, but none come close to doing so as effectively as Wonder does on this track, though <b>Lil Wayne</b>, an exceptional lyricist in his own right, did an admirable job on <u>Mr. Carter</u> (2008). But I don't want to delve too deeply into the lyrics <u>Summer Soft</u>, as I'm hoping that you'll listen to it yourself and derive your own appreciation of it.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://weta.org/sites/default/files/styles/440x295/public/press_preview/2021-01/StevieWonderPress02_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="295" data-original-width="440" height="215" src="https://weta.org/sites/default/files/styles/440x295/public/press_preview/2021-01/StevieWonderPress02_0.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Stevie receiving the Gershwin Prize <a href="https://weta.org/sites/default/files/styles/440x295/public/press_preview/2021-01/StevieWonderPress02_0.jpg?itok=5hThtgU7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in 2009</a>. Fortunately, the audience <br />was treated to an effective rendition of <u>Summer Soft</u>.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">In the meantime, </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVCQA3aZmok" rel="nofollow" style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">here's a video</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> of India Arie performing it in front of Wonder, <b>President Obama</b> and other dignitaries (including future-<b>Prez Joe Biden</b>) inside </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">the White House</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> itself, when Obama awarded Stevie with the highly-</span><span style="color: #222222;">prestigious</span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span>Gershwin<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Prize in 2009. Arie is of course <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1mu9a27L5g" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a well-known Stevie Wonder fan</a> herself. And I absolutely love this clip, like the visuals and everything.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span style="color: #222222;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qVCQA3aZmok" width="320" youtube-src-id="qVCQA3aZmok"></iframe></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">CONCLUSION</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">I know how it feels to fall in love, and I also know how it feels to be forced out of it. And to me these lyrics capture that in-between feeling, when you don't really know whether the other person (still) loves you or not. And the reason I call this a war song is because if you listen to the way the chorus and outro rendered, they are done so with force - frustration if you will - as opposed to tender emitting of the verses, thus representing both the potential joy but conclusively the emotional pain of being emotionally dependent on a disinterested romantic interest.</span></span></p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-31038038954246147922022-08-21T19:25:00.000+01:002022-08-21T19:25:46.309+01:00"Peru" by Fireboy DML (2021)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f8/Fireboy_DML_-_Peru.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f8/Fireboy_DML_-_Peru.png" width="300" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The <b>BET Awards</b> are raunchy as hell, especially for a program that producers know children will by all means watch. And I know that may be a strange way to start off an article that really doesn't have anything to do with that ceremony or the network. But it was after after seeing <b>Fireboy DML</b>'s performance at the recent BET Awards - and in all honesty falling in love with one of the dancers - that I decided to write this post.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RwSGMNoeHIg" width="320" youtube-src-id="RwSGMNoeHIg"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">The organizers of the BET Awards promote the show as being <a href="https://people.com/music/bet-awards-2022-everything-to-know/#:~:text=Billed%20as%20%22culture%27s%20biggest%20night%2C%22%20the%2022nd%20annual,force%20for%20social%20change%2C%22%20per%20a%20press%20release." target="_blank">"Culture's Biggest Night"</a>. But if a viewer doesn't know anything significant about African-American culture besides what they see on programs like these, they'd probably be fooled into thinking that our foremothers were wearing tight skirts and shaking their asses in front of random strangers. That's not Black culture; that's stripper culture, which has become increasingly intertwined into African-American entertainment concurrent with the rise of hip-hop. But that's research for another day.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Besides for being taken aback by that particular shorty, another reason that performance intrigued me is because... first a little about myself. I wasn't born in Africa, but I've been here for a minute. Yet within that time, I haven't learnt any African languages.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In my defense, language has always been one of my weak subjects, and I never actually set out to learn any while here. But the reason I'm bringing that up is because Africans enjoy blasting music just like everyone else. And sometimes, based on where I'm at, I'll be hearing the trending songs over and over and over again, without knowing what's being said nor who the artist is behind it. And one of those songs of late has been <u>Peru</u>. So when I saw dude performing it on the BET Awards, I was like 'yeah, I know that song'.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Thus, I became interested in delving a little deeper into its history and meaning. Well in reality I'm not overly interested in the meaning, since the few words I was able to pickup on made it pretty clear that Fireboy DML is chanting about being rich and having gratifying sex, like practically every other musician in his age group is doing these days. But I did want to know more about the artist himself.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.boomplay.com/buzz/1427811" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="744" data-original-width="694" height="320" src="https://source.boomplaymusic.com/buzzgroup1/M00/0D/86/rBEeLF9tlqqAUiFtAAFA-BfpVQA729.png" width="298" /></a></div><p style="text-align: justify;">ABOUT FIREBOY DML</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Fireboy DML, who's currently 26, is from <b>Nigeria</b>. I'm not sure if the word "fireboy" has a particular colloquial meaning in that country. But I do know that in Ghanaian slang from back in the days, a "fireman" was a word you'd use to describe a hardworking guy, like those who'd go to the UK or America and have three jobs at once. And as for the "DML", it's <a href="https://www.boomplay.com/buzz/1427811" target="_blank">an acronym for the latter part</a> of the his first name (which is Adedamola). In Nigeria it's common for (especially last) names to have at least three syllables, which I would presume really isn't ideal as far as marketing is concerned.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Nigeria has <a href="https://www.quora.com/Which-African-country-has-the-biggest-music-industry" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the largest music industry in Africa</a>, but it isn't really like the <b>United States</b>, at least not from what I've been able to observe. In places like the US, a label can throw enough money behind an artist and force them to blowup. Here in Africa, we have our local payola and other similar methods. But an artist isn't really considered to have made it until their song - for an Anglophone like a Nigerian - also blows in the UK or, less frequently, the US itself. So you knew <u>Peru</u> was truly a hit once <b>Ed Sheeran -</b> who teams up with less-popular Black artists pretty regularly for someone as successful as he is - jumped on it later in 2021. And the only official video to this song appears to be of that collaboration:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pekzpzNCNDQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="pekzpzNCNDQ"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Now contrast that with the official visuals to Fireboy's most-recent single, <u>Playboy</u> (2022), which solely features DML singing, yet there's barely a dark-skinned Black woman in it, smh:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s5Ceoz1hlyw" width="320" youtube-src-id="s5Ceoz1hlyw"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">Maybe in the future, DML will put out another track that generates this type of buzz that <u>Peru</u> has. By the looks of things, he's been trying. But for all we know he may end up being a one-hit wonder on the international level, though he should be pretty much set in Nigeria, considering he's made historical accomplishments like being the first Afrobeats artist to perform live at the BET Awards (according to <b>Taraji P. Henson</b>). And in my opinion he had just about the best performance of the night, especially as far as the males are concerned, though I must admit <b>Chance the Rapper -</b> completely devoid of sexy female dancers - represented also. But it's going to take the system a long time, if ever, <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/best-performances-2022-bet-awards-1235106668/" target="_blank">before they can show ample love</a> to an African artist.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">YBNL NATION</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>YBNL Nation</b> was founded by an older Nigerian hip-hop artist known as <b>Olamide</b>. I just checked out their roster, and I can't say I ever heard of any of them cats. But the big names would undoubtedly be known in Nigeria and beyond. In fact even before <u>Peru</u> came out, YBNL <a href="https://www.pulse.ng/entertainment/music/olamide-what-does-ybnls-joint-venture-deal-with-empire-mean/d531sr2" target="_blank">signed a deal</a> with <b>Empire Distribution</b>, which is based in California and handles some of the biggest names in American music. And I'm sure that partnership contributed to the success of <u>Peru</u>.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE LYRICS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The lyrics of this song don't have anything to do with Peru. They're recited partly in standard English, partly in pidgin English and partly in <b>Yoruba</b>. Pidgin, as far as I can tell, is basically the same as West Indian patois. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">So I can understand pidgin pretty well, and this song really isn't that reliant on <b>Yoruba</b>. And in reading the lyrics, Fireboy DML appears to be singing about two main subjects. One is his jetset lifestyle, which is just another way of saying that he's paid. And second, he appears to be singing about his main squeeze and most strikingly how he enjoys having sex with her. That's the part, when he talks about her "puna" being "sweet like sugar", that even the booty-reliant BET was compelled to blot out for listening audiences.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's cool to see more genuinely-African musicians get recognition in the United States, as it is imperative that African-Americans form a more meaningful understanding of the Motherland than what they currently possess. But unfortunately for the cause, the music/musicians from Africa who are trickling in are heavily Americanized to begin with.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps such is to be expected, considering that - as evident by the 2022 BET Awards - only certain ideas and opinions are allowed to be expressed at the highest levels of the entertainment industry. So in a way, African pop music - Afrobeats as it is called these days - is just as uniformly carnally-minded as mainstream Black music from the States. So I guess it's a case of you can't have your cake and eat it too. After all, the prospect of scoring some 'sweet puna' is a tourism draw if there ever was one.</p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-30925877336272998472022-01-18T22:56:00.002+00:002022-01-18T22:58:14.913+00:00Juice WRLD Speaks by Juice WRLD (2021)<p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/Juice_Wrld_-_Fighting_Demons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/Juice_Wrld_-_Fighting_Demons.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The cover art to Juice WRLD's 2021 posthumous album,<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Demons" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Fighting Demons</a></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I remember back in the elementary school days, I had this Latino classmate named Phil. Back then it was like all Latinos were referred to as Puerto Ricans, but now thinking back on his physical features, Phil may have well been Dominican. Anyway his family lived on the first floor of the one of the buildings in the projects. And on one particular day his father snapped and decided to mercilessly beat the sh*t out of him.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Now child abuse is, of course, common in the 'hoods of America. But this was a real spectacle because, again, the family lived on the first floor, and Phil was running around screaming and pulling down curtains and all types of stuff, really and truly afraid for his life. And who knows - maybe his father would have eventually killed him if the cops didn't eventually show up and take the dad away. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">What people were saying is that his father suffered from "shell shock", which to my understanding is a slang term for post-war PTSD. That is to say that, once again according to the 'hood, Phil's dad fought in Vietnam and came home mentally f*cked up as a result. In the ghetto, even back in those days, there were a lot of gunshots. So it's like a loud noise or something may have set Phil's dad off, making him think his son was a Vietcong or some sh*t. And I don't know exactly what it is that Phil may have done, but I doubt it warranted a life-threatening beating and being embarrassed in front of the whole community. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">His mother was also there and visibly afraid of intervening. That's the thing about living in the 'hood, that when someone is committing a violent crime, even against their own child, if you then try to intervene they could rather turn their wrath on you. And for those of you who are sitting there thinking 'well Philip must've been a bad boy' or something insensitive like that, let me reiterate that these days some ghetto parents are so deranged that they could even end up kill their own child <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/mom-admits-fatally-beating-4-year-old-boy-brooklyn-home-article-1.2956011" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">for breaking an egg</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/resizer/i8T9Jv2lF8Im01kUeo2BnXKBq34=/415x276/top/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tronc.s3.amazonaws.com/public/KCOYKPQ3PL7LNETYO3HD24TCD4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="415" height="213" src="https://www.nydailynews.com/resizer/i8T9Jv2lF8Im01kUeo2BnXKBq34=/415x276/top/arc-anglerfish-arc2-prod-tronc.s3.amazonaws.com/public/KCOYKPQ3PL7LNETYO3HD24TCD4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mental issues are so rampant in the African-American community<br />that they're often ignored <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/mom-admits-fatally-beating-4-year-old-boy-brooklyn-home-article-1.2956011" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">until too late</a>.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">So you may be saying to yourself, what does all of this have to do with <b>Juice WRLD</b>? Well recently I was peeping out a track he dropped entitled <u>Juice WRLD Speaks</u>. Of course Jared Higgins, aka Juice WRLD, died a couple of years ago in what is arguably the most nonsensical death in hip-hop history. And on that note let me say that if you are dependent on drugs and prone to travel, it's best to just get your product wherever you land <a href="https://mtonews.com/vic-mensa-arrested-on-drug-charges-after-traveling-w-shrooms" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">as opposed to actually traveling with it</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Personally I've always liked Juice WRLD, on top of having a general appreciation for emo rappers. But what really caught my ear on <u>Juice WRLD Speaks</u> is where Juice basically says that the reason he's always harping on depression is because mental illness is not respected sickness in the African-American community. He says so specifically in the context of "African-American males", but it's really African-Americans in general. And that's part of the reason why it's so common for mentally-plagued people, like Phil's dad and Zarah Coombs, to be walking around undiagnosed in the 'hood, because Black people don't even have time to really think about mental illness.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Now this isn't something I'm just saying off the top of my head. For instance, imagine this - you're a slave back in the day, and massa comes and tells you that he's selling your wife, child(ren) or moms away. Of course any normal human being, even if they were socialized to believe that they are inferior, is going to spaz under such circumstances.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So in the evening you, the slave that has been offended, are chillin' with your other slave homeys and is like, 'man f*ck that - I'm about to get in massa's ass'. Then what are your homeys going say? 'No, you need to relax. There's really nothing you can do about it anyway.' And in a way that kind of advice was actually true; even if you did kill massa for instance, given the system you still wouldn't be reunited with your loved one anyway. And that, I believe, is the genesis of ignoring mental sickness in the African-American community.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Black people have had to endure so much psychological and emotional pain while being told 'to just deal with it' that eventually holding all of that stuff in and snapping accordingly became the norm. And when you're a victim of oppression, you're not in a position to readily take out your anger against your oppressor but rather those who are equal or under you, such as your children or fellow oppressed brethren.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And I know I may have read a lot more into <u>Juice WRLD Speaks</u> than even Juice WRLD himself intended. But in an age of seemingly neverending frivolity in hip-hop, it was refreshing to come across a track, even if a non-musical one, where an artist is speaking on a serious issue that isn't like Black Live Matters or a cause that's currently trending. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">And I do believe that Juice WRLD had a mission. But I also believe that a lot of rappers start off or are convinced that they're fighting for some type of worthy cause besides getting rich. But once the music industry gets through with them whatever meaningful messages, if any, will for the most part be buried underneath all of the commercial bullsh*t. Or let's look at it like this - if Juice WRLD were still alive, then <u>Juice WRLD Speaks</u> probably never would have been released as part of one of his albums.<br /></p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-16558279893173238242021-10-10T00:55:00.000+01:002021-10-10T00:55:31.856+01:00"New World Water" by Mos Def (1999)<p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Mos Def</b> (<a href="https://www.okayplayer.com/news/okp-exclusive-yasiin-bey-mos-def-correction.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">aka Yasiin Bey</a>) is one of the more interesting personalities in the history of hip-hop music for a number of reasons. For instance he had a pretty notable acting career before blowing up as a rapper, having even <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108733/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">worked directly with Bill Cosby</a> for a spell. So even though he may not on par with the likes of fellow rapper/actors <b>Will Smith</b> and <b>Ice Cube</b>, Mos has had a respectable Hollywood career nonetheless, with one of my personal favorites being 2003's <u>The Italian Job</u> - a heist film that served as sort of a prototype for what the <i>Fast & Furious</i> franchise would become. Then of course there's the fact that <a href="https://www.okayplayer.com/news/okp-exclusive-yasiin-bey-mos-def-correction.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">he legally changed his name</a> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/sep/08/mos-def-name-change" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">to the Quran-inspired</a> <b>Yasiin Bey</b> over 10 years ago. So it's obvious that Yasiin isn't conventional as far as rap stars go. Like if he possessed the disposition of a gangsta rapper, he probably never would have had the opportunity to act alongside the family-friendly Coz to begin with.</p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0f/MosDefBlackonBothSides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0f/MosDefBlackonBothSides.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_on_Both_Sides" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black on Both Sides</a>, the 1999 Mos Def album that<br />features <u>New World Water.</u></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But honestly, I've never been a diehard Mos Def fan. I remember when first he came out as part of <b>Blackstar</b> back in the day, that for some inexplicable reason their songs used to irritate me. However I was heavily into <u>Black on Both Sides</u> (1999), his debut and signature album. Well, I used to at least put a couple of songs from it on repeat, one of them being <u>New World Water</u>, which I would argue is not only Yasiin's best track but also one that is semi-prophetic.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IxvQKZPb6Wo" width="320" youtube-src-id="IxvQKZPb6Wo"></iframe></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This song came out in late-1999, a moment in history in which the Western consciousness was grappling with concepts like Armageddon, Y2K and similar types of global catastrophes perhaps moreso than any other time in history. And it wasn't unusual for all sorts of people to chime in on such matters. Well Mos Def, being one of the more intellectually-inclined rappers, decided to do so by focusing on water, a most-fundamental and undeniably-necessary aspect of our everyday lives. And considering some of the things <a href="https://dnyuz.com/2021/08/14/small-towns-grow-desperate-for-water-in-california/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">that's been going on as of late</a> in places like the western United States, again, some of his words seem prophetic.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For instance Yasiin sets off the first verse alluding to flooding, which has been <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/survivors-recount-living-nightmare-as-tennessee-s-deadly-floodwaters-swept-them-up-in-moments/ar-AANEa6K" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a major problem</a> in America and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/italy-flood-rain-european-record-b1934087.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">other parts of the world</a> <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/weather/weather-stories/flash-flooding-concerns-return-to-tri-state-midweek-with-chance-of-severe-storms/3258593/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this year</a>. And the reason Mos Def comes off as a prophet isn't necessarily because he foresaw such events. But more importantly, he implies that they are being caused by karma, if you want to call it that, as in nature being upset as a result of the atrocities of the Middle Passage. The Middle Passage was the era in transatlantic history in which millions of Africans were forcibly transported across the ocean as slaves, many of them being lost to the sea. But it can also be said that, by extension, the rapper is talking about all human rights' atrocities but especially those that involved like water transport.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Later, he flips the topic from flooding to drought. Even back then, in 1999, Yasiin was noting how some summers seemed particularly hot, as in experiencing a lack of rainfall. The rapper believes that the situation will get even worse as time progresses, so he's like be wise and prepare now. In fact Mos Def sounds a lot like an African or other Third World resident, talking about buying a personal water-storage unit, which is a common practice in places like the Motherland though not so much in the United States. But there really isn't any such thing as a tank that will hold a "20 year" supply of water. That'd be more along the lines of a personal lake. And even then, if there's a really severe drought it would probably dry up anyhow. Also, you wouldn't want to leave water stored in a tank for too long anyway. But, I digress. And ultimately the point Mos Def seems to be making is that in this materialistic world we live in, people's mind are more caught up on frivolous matters than what's truly important, such as water.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.firespring.com/images/d82d1269-8e0c-4719-93e0-8088d52848dc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="600" height="318" src="https://cdn.firespring.com/images/d82d1269-8e0c-4719-93e0-8088d52848dc.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another point he's obviously trying to make, as introduced in the chorus, is that the water which is given to the public is heavily imbued with chemicals. We all know that the government tends to add different manmade substances to the public water supply in the name of making it safer for consumption. But in this respect Mos sounds <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nidhisubbaraman/fluoride-water-iq-kids-debate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">like a conspiracy theorist</a>, i.e. claiming that there's no so many chemicals in the water that it is becoming unsafe. But taking into account that he mentions "the water table", Yasiin is also speaking to more general environmental abuse and <a href="https://www.groundwater.org/get-informed/groundwater/contamination.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">how such negatively affects</a> the world's natural water supplies.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The first hook also touches upon the concept of water being sold. To put this viewpoint into its proper perspective, let's speculate that maybe some 50 years ago, the idea of selling drinking water en masse may have seemed incredulous. But instead in places like America, where Mos Def comes from, bottled water is a major, <a href="https://www.theshelbyreport.com/2020/05/21/bottled-water-consumption-increases/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">increasingly-growing business</a>. And so it is, honestly speaking, in many parts of the Third World also. And what Yasiin is saying is that such is necessitated by the fact that natural water supplies have become too polluted to drink.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Then, the bulk of the second verse is dedicated to illustrating various ways in which water is vital to human existence, especially in the areas of health. It's almost like Yasiin is arguing that people tend to forget just how valuable water actually is, which is why they misuse it. And he is most directly making this statement against "Americans" and similar nations that have it in abundance. And another way in which their lack of respect for water is manifest is by how greedy, capitalist countries can go about destroying waterbodies in other parts of the world in the name of profit. But of course as illustrated above, they tend f*ck up their own waterways also.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/211008080316-03-ca-oil-spill-1007-restricted-large-169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="259" data-original-width="460" height="180" src="https://cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/211008080316-03-ca-oil-spill-1007-restricted-large-169.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mos Def is right; sometimes big business be straight<br /><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/08/us/california-oil-spill-friday/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fukin the water up</a>.<br /></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In fact as detailed in the second chorus, the situation has now reached a point where we can't avoid water pollution even if we wanted to. So on one hand it's like the government may be putting all types of chemicals into the water supply. And on the other, there are the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">multitude of pollutants</a> that find their way into waterbodies through various other human activities. And the way Mos Def sees it, at the heart of the problem would be greed of the corporate variety. As a matter of fact one of the big stories in the news as I'm writing this post is <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/08/us/california-oil-spill-friday/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this major oil</a> spill that recently happened off the coast of California. But of course this is the same oil that is used to power our cars. So instead of putting the onus on big business, if Bey wanted to be more realistic he would have included the consumer in this equation also.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XSZaHn-XfPY" width="320" youtube-src-id="XSZaHn-XfPY"></iframe> <br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">WHAT'S YASIIN UP TO THESE DAYS?</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One of the big headlines in American entertainment at the moment centers on <b>Dave Chapelle</b>'s latest <b>Netflix</b> special, <u>The Closer</u>. Well if you happen to watch the show and are familiar with Mos Def's voice/style, you will notice that he's the one who's rapping at the beginning the special. The name of that track is <u>Tribute</u>, and officially it is a collaboration between Yasiin Bey and <b>Talib Kweli</b>, aka Blackstar. Even though the pair have only released one album together under the Blackstar moniker in 1998 and only one single thus far during the entire 21st century, it would seem that they have never officially broken up. So it may be that <a href="https://hiphop-n-more.com/2021/10/new-black-star-song-dave-chappelle-the-closer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the release of this track</a> marks a new album Blackstar has coming out. But under any circumstances <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSZaHn-XfPY" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mos Def ripped it</a> and apparently can still light up the mic, at the age of 47, if need be.<br /></p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-78597621147450260402021-08-15T13:49:00.000+01:002021-08-15T13:49:05.570+01:00"Weed Is My Best Friend" by Popcaan (2015)<p style="text-align: justify;">I still remember the first time I smoked weed. It was many moons ago on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, during the pre-gentrification era, in one of those deep New York City snows. Sucking on a blunt proved to be not only one of the most-memorable but also, in hindsight, consequential things I ever did. Indeed if I could go back in time to that very day... I wouldn't change a thing. But at the same time, I'm not one of those types of people who tries to convince others who don't smoke ganja to do so. My final conclusion concerning the whole matter is that there's nothing intrinsically wrong with smoking <i>natural</i> weed, but at the same time not having any dependency on it whatsoever is even better.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Weed-Is-My-Best-Friend/dp/B0179IHP80" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/818UojANf0L._SS500_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">But as for those of us who may smoke, damn did <b>Popcaan</b> speak true in this one. Marijuana is a strange drug. Weed, I believe, is what they refer to as a <i>social addiction</i>. In other words if a ganja addict is separated from the substance for an extended period of time, going into withdrawal he's not going to get physically sick like a crack addict, etc. But maybe, like a nigga can't enjoy movies or sports anymore.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">On top of that marijuana is a major form stress/pain relief, which is perhaps the most widely-recognized property of the plant when used as a drug. Also, smoking a good strain when you're alone can make you feel like someone else is in the room , kinda like watching <u>Friends</u>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>And it is actually that latter aspect I think of the most as far as a social addiction goes. Newbie smokers almost invariably blaze alongside others. But if the habit persists throughout the years, one will also learn how to do so on his or her own.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>Also keep in mind that we tend to become <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2016/06/06/health/losing-friends-mid-twenties/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">less friend-dependent as we age</a>. So it wouldn't be overly surprising if a tenured smoker does find weed to be his "best friend", or at least the herb maintaining a more constant presence in his life than homies or perhaps even family.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>But <u>Weed Is My Best Friend</u> isn't based on that kind of a premise. As a matter of fact as far as the different parts of this song go, it's only the first verse that is actually about weed. The bridge and especially chorus rather focus more on how Popcaan isn't really into friendships. He doesn't trust people, and relatedly he's not going to d*ckride anybody in the name of forming a relationship with them. Also for good measure, he injects a bit of "real gangsta" ideology into the bridge by noting that true niggas, like himself, actually purchase the skunk rather than 'begging' for it. Or maybe what Popcaan is trying to say is that he doesn't like dudes coming around him looking for free weed.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>Then, as already noted, it is the first verse where he's really talking about the blaze being his "best pardie", with <i>pardie</i>, as far as I know, being a Patois way of saying homie (<a href="https://jamaicanpatwah.com/term/Chargie/1263" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">as is "chargie"</a>). And since weed was <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/25/jamaica-decriminalises-marijuana" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">decriminalized in Jamaica</a> shortly prior to this song's release, now smokers like himself no longer have to worry about getting locked up for it. Thus Popcaan is able to freely boast of riding around with a solid six pounds on him daily, which would actually be <a href="https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/jamaica-experiences-shortage-of-4188348/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">above the legal threshold</a>, but still.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>Later he sorta speaks to that social addiction I was talking about earlier, when Popcaan asserts that he's simply not happy without smoking. And see how he's doesn't say that he feens for weed in its absence. Rather it's like he just can't enjoy life, i.e. the true signs of a social addict.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>And of course haters will label people like himself a "weed head" - a fact that the chanter recognizes in the second verse. But as for what comes after, it would take someone more versed in Jamaican Patois than myself to really break it down. However I do believe I get the gist of what he's saying in response to such individuals, which is that he doesn't really care what they think - a mind state which is obviously one of the benefits of being "higher than the plum tree".</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span></span><span>And it is likely those same types of people who would read this song's title or hear its hook and instantly chastise it. But again, I would argue that this track really isn't about weed per se. That's not to say that this song isn't pro-marijuana, which it is. But its main subject is actually Popcaan's distrust of people. Then, the secondary topic would be how he personally doesn't feel right unless he's able smoke. And lastly comes the weed, which the singer never really goes into detail about in terms of delineating its characteristics besides noting that it gets him high.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-gcLqlaHzVs" width="320" youtube-src-id="-gcLqlaHzVs"></iframe><span> </span> <br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">I remember reading a book some time ago that said the oldest evidence of marijuana being smoked was found in West Africa and dates back 5,000 years. According to <i>Google</i>, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/2500-year-old-chinese-cemetery-offers-earliest-physical-evidence-cannabis-smoking-180972410/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"the first evidence of smoking pot" </a>was found in China and goes back 2,500 years. I also know as a student of anthropology that some Native Americans and other people of old freely used it, back in the days before blazing hemp was criminalized. But it would also seem that even in past cultures where weed was smoked, people who did enjoy blazing herb <a href="https://lawprofessors.typepad.com/marijuana_law/2019/03/native-americans-cannabis-history-religion-fraud-the-future.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">didn't do it nearly as much</a> as the likes of Popcaan. Or the way I see it they weren't tasked, as we are, with dealing with the BS of living in the modern world.<br /></p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-79564197764870444542021-07-28T12:35:00.001+01:002023-10-12T23:18:44.371+01:00Ranking of All MCU "Infinity Saga" Films (Part II)<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Every movie on this particular half of the list is a good one - so much so that outside of the top three it was hard putting them in order. So after the long delay between </span><a href="https://www.blackartsreview.com/2021/05/ranking-of-all-mcu-infinity-saga-films.html" style="text-align: justify;">the first part of this list</a><span style="text-align: justify;"> and now, let's get right to it:</span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ed/Iron_Man_2_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ed/Iron_Man_2_poster.jpg" /></a><b> <br /></b></b></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>#11 - IRON MAN 2 (2010)</b><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'll admit that <u>Iron Man 2</u> is not the easiest MCU film to re-watch, especially since pretty much all of the first half scenes feature <i>Whiplash</i>. But sometimes, you have to appreciate a movie for its initial impact instead of how it ages. And this was actually one of the most-revolutionary in the <i>Infinity Saga</i>. <br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">For instance, if you were to put together a list of <i>Tony Stark</i>'s most-iconic scenes throughout the entire saga, about half of them would come from this movie. The dynamic between he, <i>Pepper Potts</i>, <i>Happy Hogan</i> and <i>the Black Widow</i>, as well as the occasional <i>Nick Fury</i> outing, were even more entertaining than the fights. This was also the film that introduced us to <b>Don Cheadle</b> as Rhodey, another actor who has maintained a compelling on-screen relationship with <b>Robert Downey Jr.</b>.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Some of the fight scenes in this movie haven't aged well at all. In fact <u>Iron Man 2</u> marks one of the MCU's poorest performances as far as special effects go, now looking at them over a decade later. But before the chastisements begin, there are a couple of important facts that need to be taken into consideration. First is that prior to the MCU, effectively putting two superheroes on the screen simultaneously was virtually unheard of. But here we got to see not only <i>Iron Man</i>, but him actually battling alongside War Machine, a character many of us never really thought we'd ever see in a movie. And that brings me to the second point. Some viewers were actually comic book fans even before the MCU came out. And for such individuals, just seeing the aforementioned heroes duke it out with those robots (the first time around) was a major treat in and of itself. So it's like give respect where respect is due.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Iron_man_2_cast_comic_con.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="600" height="121" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/Iron_man_2_cast_comic_con.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: RHODEY (DON CHEADLE)</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">No one likes a major casting change after a series has already been established. But in this case, I would say that Don Cheadle proved to be a better <i>Rhodey</i> than <b>Terrence Howard</b> probably would have been. And that's taking nothing away from Howard, who is more lead-role kinda material. And that's taking nothing away from Cheadle either, who has proven to be a mainstay of the MCU <a href="https://www.menshealth.com/entertainment/a27253878/marvel-characters-avengers-endgame-most-appearances-mcu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">even more than some of its headline actors</a>.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Ant-Man_and_the_Wasp_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/Ant-Man_and_the_Wasp_poster.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>#10 - ANT-MAN & THE WASP (2018)</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The first <i>Ant-Man</i> and second <i>Ant-Man</i> are like equal in entertainment value. So the first one has to be ranked higher on the list since it was the original.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One major gripe I have with <u>Ant-Man & the Wasp</u> is that we all know, as mature adults, there's really no such thing as a realistic superhero movie. But having a film where some giant dude is traipsing around <b>New York City</b>, with onlookers barely even gasping (and some not reacting at all) - on top of buildings shrinking down to the size of toys with no one noticing - is like an insult to the audience's intelligence. This one is more like a Disney film in the truest sense of the word.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTlmZDRiYTQtNzdmMC00MWY5LWJhYjUtNmIzNTVmZmJhYjg1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzk3NDUzNTc@._V1_SY200_CR50,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTlmZDRiYTQtNzdmMC00MWY5LWJhYjUtNmIzNTVmZmJhYjg1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzk3NDUzNTc@._V1_SY200_CR50,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" /></a> <br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: HANNAH JOHN-KAMAN (GHOST)<br /></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Hannah John-Kaman</b> isn't necessarily the most-talented actress, but man is she a pleasure to look at, just like in <u>Ready Player One</u> (2018). And for the record she is mixed, i.e. her dad being <b>Nigerian</b> and her mom <b>Norwegian</b>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjVjMjU5MGItNDNmMS00YmQ1LWJmNjYtNGY1ZGE1NDBkMGQ1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzk3NDUzNTc@._V1_SY200_CR50,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjVjMjU5MGItNDNmMS00YmQ1LWJmNjYtNGY1ZGE1NDBkMGQ1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzk3NDUzNTc@._V1_SY200_CR50,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;">Honorable Mention: Laurence Fishburne (Bill Foster)</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5095030/?ref_=tt_ch" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">According to IMDB</a>, <b>T.I.</b>, who is also Black and plays the role of sidekick negro <i>Dave</i>, is billed higher than <b>Laurence Fishburne</b>. But still, the latter's character had a more profound effect on the plot and just as much, if not more, screentime. There may have never been a movie that Fishburne starred in where he didn't make an impact.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Ant-Man_(film)_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/12/Ant-Man_(film)_poster.jpg" /></a></b></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>#9 - ANT-MAN (2015)</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Hollywood</b> has a history of making movies based on people shrinking which predates 2015's <u>Ant-Man</u>. And in all of such cases, it isn't so much about the storyline as it is effectively pulling off the related special effects. And in that regard, nothing I've ever seen beats <u>Ant-Man</u>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yes, <b>Paul Rudd</b> did his thing. But this movie wasn't the first MCU film, nor will it be the last where audiences are treated to the lovable, wise-crackin' White male protagonist. Robert Downey Jr. had already successfully set the mode for others to follow.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But what it does hold the distinction of is perhaps being the MCU's first comedy, i.e. the first in which they employed a straight-up comedian in a major supporting role - that being <b>Michael Peña</b>. And <b>Marvel Studios</b> also gets props for once again proving that they could take an antiquated character that no one has really cared about for decades and actually create an interesting movie based on hm.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNzU2NDM0Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjI1MjMxNjE@._V1_FMjpg_UX200_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzNzU2NDM0Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjI1MjMxNjE@._V1_FMjpg_UX200_.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: T.I. (DAVE)</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Whereas T.I. may have gotten more screentime in the sequel, he played a more memorable role in this one. In fact out of the handful of times he's acted that I've seen, this is his best performance.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]-->In the 'hood no one really differentiates between Blacks and Latinos anyway. And it's almost impossible to imagine this <i>Ant-Man</i> (as well as the sequel) without Michael Peña's presence.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4d/Avengers_Infinity_War_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4d/Avengers_Infinity_War_poster.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>#8 - AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Infinity War</i> could have been better, but it could have easily been worse also. Whereas having all of these different, diverse characters in one movie may have been a dream for comic book fans, it must have also been a logistical nightmare for those tasked with putting them there. For instance 2015's <i>Age of Ultron</i>, which proceeded this in the <b>Avengers</b>' timeline, features a lot less characters but is whack AF.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The best parts of <i>Infinity War</i> were actually those that featured <b>Thor</b>. That may be one of the reasons why out of all of the original MCU series (besides <i>Avengers</i>), his is the only one getting a fourth installment at the moment.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.imdb.com/title/tt4154756/mediaviewer/rm2402832128/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="150" height="240" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjQzNjQ4MzA1MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODc1MzczNTM@._V1_FMjpg_UX150_.jpg" width="160" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: LETITIA WRIGHT (SHURI)</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">There are a number of Black/ethnic characters, most of whom have already been acknowledged on this list, that have higher billing in <i>Infinity War</i> than <b>Letitia Wright</b>. But I had to give the trophy to her as, besides for maybe <b>Zoe Saldana</b>, her scenes were the most memorable. And even if you do feel that Saldana played a more noteworthy role, keep in mind that the best <i>Gamora</i> scenes, unlike those of <i>Shuri</i>, were buttressed by the presence of <b>Thanos</b> himself.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/95/Thor_(film)_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/95/Thor_(film)_poster.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>#7 - THOR (2011)</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Being released during May of 2011, <u>Thor</u> was only the fourth film that the MCU had ever put out. And unlike now, where the cinematic universe can survive a cornball or two or three, back during the early goings a project proving successful was more critical. And this was the movie that established the fact that the first two <i>Iron Man</i> films and even <i>the Hulk</i> weren't flukes. Marvel Productions was also able to make <u>Thor</u> a hit, unlike the other MCUs that had come out prior, without putting an established actor in the lead role, and <b>Chris Hemsworth</b> fit in perfectly.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800369/mediaviewer/rm3364327425/" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="350" height="136" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTJiOWZlZTAtMzdmYy00Y2MzLWExNTUtYzU5YTJlMDRkNTFiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_FMjpg_UX350_.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: HEIMDALL (IDRIS ELBA)</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Back in the day <b>Heimdall</b> was one of the coolest characters in the MCU. And Marvel must've known it, considering the love they showed him on the movie's poster. I'm not sure what happened to the character since, though I think he perished in <i>Ragnarok</i>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/The_Avengers_(2012_film)_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8a/The_Avengers_(2012_film)_poster.jpg" /></a></b></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>#6 - MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS (2012)</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u>The Avengers</u> was not the first movie to do a respectable job of putting a bunch of superheroes into one film. That distinction rather belongs to Fox's <i>X-Men</i> series and perhaps more specifically <u>X2</u> (2003). But it accounts for some of the best acting scenes the MCU has to offer, such as the exchange between Tony Stark and <i>Loki</i> inside <i>Stark Tower</i>. There was a whole lotta hype leading up <i>The Avengers</i>, and unlike some other films in the MCU's canon, it actually lived up to it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2RlYWUwMjYtYjEyNy00ZmEzLTg2ZDctZWI4ODZmZDE4ZGMxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDczOTA3ODE@._V1_FMjpg_UX350_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="350" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2RlYWUwMjYtYjEyNy00ZmEzLTg2ZDctZWI4ODZmZDE4ZGMxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDczOTA3ODE@._V1_FMjpg_UX350_.jpg" /></a> <br /></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: NICK FURY (SAMUEL L. JACKSON)</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'll admit being skeptical upon first hearing that <b>Samuel L. Jackson </b>was cast to play Nick Fury. And it's not only because the character is traditionally White, but also Sam is kinda old to be portraying an active action hero. And accordingly the fights scenes involving Fury, such as the one on the <i>Helicarrier</i>, do appear elderly-considerate.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But when it comes time for Nick to preach to an Avenger or two, which is actually his main occupation in the MCU, it's hard to imagine the people who cast Jackson having made a better choice. And at this point it's also impossible to imagine the MCU without him, especially as far as the <i>Infinity Saga</i> is concerned, as he has appeared <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Fury_(Marvel_Cinematic_Universe)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in almost half of the movies</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f9/Spider-Man_Homecoming_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f9/Spider-Man_Homecoming_poster.jpg" /></a></b></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>#5 - SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (2017)</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The first <i>Spider-Man</i> film had a number of advantages over most other <i>Infinity Saga</i> flicks. First is that the special effects are gorgeous. Second is the appearance of <i>Iron Man</i> in the ferry scene, which is perhaps the coolest MCU cameo to date. Third is the fact that the main character had already experienced plenty of Hollywood trial and error under <b>Fox</b>. And fourth would be the performance of <b>Micheal Keaton</b> as <i>the Vulture</i>. That scene where he's threatening <i>Peter Parker</i> in the car makes your skin crawl, not to mention him taking an outdated villain and transforming him into perhaps the most-relatable bad guy in MCU history.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2250912/mediaviewer/rm4200860160/" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="175" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTc4MTI5OTgwN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTg0MTM1OTE@._V1_FMjpg_UX175_.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: MICHELLE (ZENDAYA)</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The trophy would once again go to <b>Zendaya</b> in the role of <i>Michelle</i>, or whatever her name is supposed to be in the MCU. And as I sit here writing this post, the latest big news is that she and <b>Tom Holland</b> <a href="https://pagesix.com/2021/07/02/zendaya-tom-holland-confirm-theyre-dating-with-kiss-pics/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">are actually dating</a> - a movie romance turned real life. So perhaps what MCU fans are hoping for in the back of their minds is that they manage to stay together at least until the completion of the trilogy, with the third <i>Spider-Man</i> slated to be released about five months from now.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_(film)_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_(film)_poster.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>#4 - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014)</b><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Out of all of the films the MCU has put out, this was the one that was the most-surprisingly good, even if a bit racist. Characters such as Iron Man and <i>Ant-Man</i> may have been anachronisms when their movies were released, but at least their powers are intrinsically compelling. Such cannot be said for the <u>Guardians of the Galaxy</u>, give or take. But this proved to be one of the best space action movies ever. Moreover, <b>Lee Pace</b>'s depiction of <i>Ronan the Accuser</i> is underrated. And you also have to give to it <b>Chris Pratt</b> for adding new flair to the never-too-serious, reluctant White hero trope. And another thing <u>Guardian of the Galaxy</u> doesn't get credit for is starting that (increasingly annoying) trend of movies using old songs for their soundtracks.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2015381/mediaviewer/rm605471232/" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="250" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQzODM0NjI2MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDAyOTMyMjE@._V1_FMjpg_UX250_.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: KORATH (DJIMON HOUNSOU)</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I almost forgot that <b>Djimon Honsou</b> was in this movie until I just looked it up on IMDb. Whereas his character was pretty interesting during earlier parts of the show, as the movie progressed he became more and more generic - more or less your typical African lackey.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSslskItls6mwyqkMbjcbq3p3MAujMiFgB5Xgt-JUIhH7QnNk5UJfsQVeodbuKsgpe9fNfQGhM7VQRasM7Fo34urDgt4-WJVSh8U_e1OIrEFZvx1y0xVBJnqKm6KmEKXr1qJgRTPDh4fo/s350/gogezgif.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="146" data-original-width="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSslskItls6mwyqkMbjcbq3p3MAujMiFgB5Xgt-JUIhH7QnNk5UJfsQVeodbuKsgpe9fNfQGhM7VQRasM7Fo34urDgt4-WJVSh8U_e1OIrEFZvx1y0xVBJnqKm6KmEKXr1qJgRTPDh4fo/s320/gogezgif.gif" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>Honorable Mention: Gang of Black Dudes in The Kyln<br /></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm looking at <u>Guardians of the Galaxy</u> like damn, niggas is even getting locked up in space? Indeed, it's rare that you come across any movie with a prison scene where there isn't at least one Black dude locked down, even if the facility is like in <b>Siberia</b>... or galaxies unknown. I tried to look up the actors who actually played said prisoners via IMDb but was unable to track them down.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/53/Captain_America_Civil_War_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/53/Captain_America_Civil_War_poster.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>#3 - CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I know I already mentioned a couple of times how much of a wonder it is that now that we're able to enjoy comic-book movies that put virtually-unlimited characters into a single film. But <i>Civil War</i> is when Marvel really let the world know that, theoretically, they can feature as many quality superheroes in a movie as they'd like. And it wasn't one of those cases where they all have the same power. Instead we were treated to a wide range of personalities and abilities.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">In terms of the former, such would be the result of Marvel hiring serious actors. So then you can afford to have someone like Paul Rudd, who is able to carry a movie as a leading man<span>, rather getting <a href="https://www.imdb.com/list/ls023497988/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">less than six minutes</a> screentime.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This movie also sports some of the MCU's best fight scenes - the introduction of <i>Black Panther</i>, Avenger vs. Avenger and <i>Captain America</i> vs. Iron Man - and is actually one of the more consequential stories in the canon. The only downside is that <b>Daniel Brühl</b>'s <i>Baron Zemo</i> is boring with a capital B. In fact the only MCU villain who was less-interesting is <i>Red Skull</i> from the first <i>Captain America</i>. <br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3498820/mediaviewer/rm4124317952/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="125" data-original-width="300" height="138" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTc5ODYzMTczNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTI0MDkyODE@._V1_FMjpg_UX300_.jpg" width="331" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: BLACK PANTHER (CHADWICK BOSEMAN) <br /></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Both <b>Sam Mackie</b> and Don Cheadle are apparently billed higher than the late <b>Chadwick Boseman</b>, who played <i>the Black Panther</i>. And respectively, both <i>War Machine</i> and <i>Falcon</i> had notable moments in the battle. But overall, <i>the Black Panther</i> was more memorable, maybe because this was his introduction, and Marvel brought him into the mix really well. In fact during this point in time, it almost felt like the MCU couldn't fail even if they wanted to. Indeed, little did we know that future stinkers such as <u>Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2</u> (2017) and the ambitious yet sleep-worthy <u>Captain Marvel</u> (2019) were on the way.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Captain_America_The_Winter_Soldier_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9e/Captain_America_The_Winter_Soldier_poster.jpg" /></a></b></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>#2 - CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER (2014)</b><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>Civil War</i> is actually the <i>Infinity Saga</i> film I saw last. One reason for the delay was being so turned off by the first <i>Captain America</i> that I just wasn't interested. Also, <b>Sebastian Stan</b> simply doesn't have a bad guy's face. Marvel Productions perhaps recognized this when casting him, considering how his character arc has developed. Anyway, <i>The Winter Soldier</i> probably has a higher general re-watchability than any other movie in the cinematic universe. It's like a <i>Fast & Furious</i>, <i>Mission: Impossible</i> and MCU film all rolled into one.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1843866/mediaviewer/rm1857604352/" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="167" data-original-width="250" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTY0NDk4MjYxNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMTUwMDM0MTE@._V1_FMjpg_UX250_.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><i>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: NICK FURY (SAMUEL L. JACKSON)<br /></i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I could've easily went with Sam Mackie on this one or both he and Samuel L. Jackson, but the latter gave a more-memorable performance. This may be the best depiction of <i>Nick Fury</i> in the entire MCU, a fact that lends to the movie's overall greatness. And even though Zoe Saldana may have gotten more <i>Infinity Saga</i> screentime than any other Black actor, Samuel L. Jackson, who doesn't lag too far behind <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/ck14vq/top_30_screen_times_of_mcu_characters_across_all/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on the list</a>, actually appears in more of the films. Also considering that Jackson has had just as many appearances as any other actor (i.e. Robert Downey Jr.) in the <i>Infinity Saga</i>, then he can also be considered the main Black character of the first 23 films altogether.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a1/Doctor_Strange_(2016_film)_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a1/Doctor_Strange_(2016_film)_poster.jpg" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><b>#1 - DR. STRANGE (2016)</b><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I bet you didn't see this one coming. Most MCU rankings I've come across didn't appreciate <u>Dr. Strange</u> at all - the ingrates. And no, this movie isn't perfect. For instance, the hand-to-hand combat scenes are lacking. And <b>Mads Mikkelsen</b>'s portrayal of <i>Kaecilius</i> seems as if it were intentionally designed to be dull. But everything else is on point, even down to the casting and music. In fact, <u>Dr. Strange</u> is the only movie I've ever watched where afterwards I looked up its score. I'm not talking about the soundtrack, like songs from other artists that are featured - I'm talking about the score, i.e. the instrumental designed specifically to be featured in the film. And my favorite is the end credits:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="210" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q4uoNAFfvKg" width="252" youtube-src-id="Q4uoNAFfvKg"></iframe></div><p style="text-align: justify;">But of course this music is way better, as intended, with the associated visuals and within the context of the movie.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1211837/mediaviewer/rm4254745856/" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="126" data-original-width="300" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzZjNmZjMzItMjMyNi00YWU2LThjYjEtYTgzOTlkMTJmOGYxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUxMjc1OTM@._V1_FMjpg_UX300_.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i>MAIN BLACK ACTOR: MORDO (CHIWETEL EJIOFOR)</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This is something I wasn't even thinking of when I first started this list, but <b>Chiwetel Ejiofor</b>, taking nothing away from the likes of Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, etc. is the best Black actor to ever work for the MCU. In fact he may be the second best in Hollywood after <b>Denzel</b>, even if he doesn't get a lot of high-profile leading roles. And man did he kill it in this one, like that scene where he's arguing with <i>Stephen Strange</i> in the <i>New York Sanctum</i>. In other words, his performance is one of the reasons this movie came off so well. In fact, considering the performances of Ejiofor, <b>Tilda Swinton</b>, <b>Benedict Cumberbatch</b>, <b>Rachel McAdams</b> and even to some degree <b>Benedict Wong</b>, this may be the best-acted MCU to come out thus far.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u>Black Widow</u> (2021), the first MCU Phase 4 (i.e. post-<i>Infinity Saga</i>) film, finally came out a few weeks back. And whereas it wasn't a bad movie per se, it did suck as an MCU outing. Then there was the surprisingly-whack <u>Falcon and the Winter Soldier</u> (2021), as well as the snoozefest known as <u>Loki </u>(2021), not to mention that the <i>Infinity Saga</i> closing out with the dreadful <u>Spider-Man: Far From Home</u> (2019). So isn't like a good MCU film is a surefire thing. And whereas <i>Armor Wars</i>, <i>Shang-Chi</i> and <i>Dr. Strange 2</i> may be something to look forward to, for all we know the best may already be behind us. So all that really remains is for the MCU is to come up with a role appealing enough for Denzel Washington to agree to.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Last modified on 12 October 2023</span></i></p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-35582977933790051122021-05-11T00:48:00.002+01:002021-07-22T23:21:31.711+01:00Ranking of All MCU "Infinity Saga" Films (Part I)<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm
sure that you've come across rankings of <b>Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)</b> films before. My personal problem with those that I have
encountered is that they tend to be pretty uniform, regardless of which website is publishing it. In other words they seem to be
based largely on public consensus and <b>IMDb</b> or
<b>Rotten Tomatoes</b> scores as opposed to the writer's own opinion. And yes, some
MCU flicks are universally terrible, while others undeniably good. But
let's just say that this particular ranking is truly from my heart, not
an attempt to make friendly with advertisers or pacify the viewing
audience.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/71/d7/2271d78175fb3615e1ae253f4b53140e.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="636" data-original-width="640" height="199" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/22/71/d7/2271d78175fb3615e1ae253f4b53140e.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></span></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Also,
since this is the <u>Black Arts Review</u>, I will make an attempt to identify
and critique the main Black character(s) from each of these films.
Keep in mind that I haven't seem some of these movies in years. But I
do believe I have watched every MCU <b>Infinity Saga</b> flick at
least once. So I'll do my best based on memories of each one, as
some of them you couldn't even pay me to watch again anyway. And with that
being said let's start at the very bottom of the barrel, which would
be...</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7f/Thor_The_Dark_World_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7f/Thor_The_Dark_World_poster.jpg" width="216" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>#23 - THOR: THE DARK WORLD (2013)</b><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The
first <i>Thor</i> movie was one of the most surprisingly-good films the MCU
ever put out. But by Odin's beard, was the second installment whack AF. In fact it was shockingly-corny considering that the
main cast members which made the first part so interesting all
returned. Yes, <u>Thor: The Dark World</u> featured some impressive special
effects, as big-budget scifi films tend to do. But perhaps the makers
of the flick were banking too much on visuals as opposed to, say,
presenting an interesting and easy-to-follow storyline.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzMyYWQxNGMtOTVlMy00ZjY3LWJmZDctYTg2ZTJjY2E3Yjc0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_SY200_CR140,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzMyYWQxNGMtOTVlMy00ZjY3LWJmZDctYTg2ZTJjY2E3Yjc0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_SY200_CR140,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: HEIMDALL (IDRIS ELBA) </span></span><br /></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I
don't necessarily remember seeing <b>Heimdall</b> in this movie but know by all
means that he had to be in there. It may have even been, to my limited remembrance, one of the best portrayals of the character in the MCU thus far. But
all of that gets lost behind the overall awfulness of the flick. And
just to note, <a href="https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Here-How-Much-Idris-Elba-Hated-Shooting-Thor-2-68054.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Idris Elba isn't overly fond</a> of the movie either.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></b><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/Captain_Marvel_(film)_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4e/Captain_Marvel_(film)_poster.jpg" /></a></span></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></b><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">#22 - CAPTAIN MARVEL (2019)</span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Out
of all the movies on this list, <u>Captain Marvel</u> is arguably the
most-disappointing due to the sheer potential of the character.
Currently she's supposed to be the most-powerful hero in the MCU; she's
intergalactic by nature, and her powers are colorful. So if nothing
else, this movie was supposed to have some ill special effects.
And it did have its moments, albeit painfully few and far between. Moreover
it seems that in this particular case, the critical and public response
have agreed that the movie <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Marvel_(film)#Critical_response" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wasn't all that</a>, even though I have come across quite a few articles arguing the contrary.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODc0OTk3NDAtMmMxOS00YjNlLThkZWMtNzBmOTZhYWI0ODJiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUxMjc1OTM@._V1_SY200_CR137,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODc0OTk3NDAtMmMxOS00YjNlLThkZWMtNzBmOTZhYWI0ODJiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUxMjc1OTM@._V1_SY200_CR137,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">MAIN BLACK CHARACTERS: NICK FURY (SAMUEL L. JACKSON)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODQxMTA3OTI1NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMjY1NDg4NjM@._V1_SY200_CR50,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODQxMTA3OTI1NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMjY1NDg4NjM@._V1_SY200_CR50,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">MARIA RAMBEAU (LASHANA LYNCH)<br /></span></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is perhaps the only entry on this entire list that has two main Black characters. <b>Nick Fury</b> may have enjoyed more screen time than <b>Maria Rambeau</b>, but by the middle of the flick they were both all over the place. And whereas they didn't portray gangsters or prostitutes or anything negative, their characters still fulfilled another Hollywood stereotype, that of the Black engineer/scientist/computer genius.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ab/Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_Vol_2_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ab/Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_Vol_2_poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">21 - GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. II (2017)</span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This may be the first controversial ranking of this list, as <u>Guardians of the Galaxy 2</u> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guardians_of_the_Galaxy_Vol._2#Critical_response" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">enjoys a positive rating</a>
amongst critics and even moreso as far as fans are concerned. But
for me personally, watching it was painful. They totally bastardized
<b>Ego</b>, one of the most-unique characters Marvel ever created it. And relatedly, it
was a total and complete waste of a <b>Kurt Russell</b> feature.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjExNDQxNTQ5MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNzMxNDczMTI@._V1_SY200_CR89,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjExNDQxNTQ5MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNzMxNDczMTI@._V1_SY200_CR89,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: GAMORA (ZOE SALDANA?) <br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Genetically
speaking <b>Zoe Saldana</b> is by and large Latina, with some Black and even
Middle Eastern <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoe_Saldana#Early_life" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">mixed in</a>. But the Latino and Black are
evident just by looking at her. So the reason I put a question mark
next to her name isn't in regards to her Blackness. Rather she
paints her skin dark green to portray <b>Gamora</b>, <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/451556300111449956/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">more or less</a>
in keeping with the character's appearance in the comic books. Also, there doesn't seem
to be anything particularly ethnic about Gamora within the MCU, besides
how her mom was depicted, <a href="https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Gamora%27s_Mother" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">as sort of a Rasta woman</a>, in <u>Infinity War</u> (2018). But imagine if like Saldana had used her natural skin color in the movies? That would have probably been more interesting than the green.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/Spider-Man_Far_From_Home_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/Spider-Man_Far_From_Home_poster.jpg" /></a></span></span></b></div><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></b><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">#20 - SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME (2019) <br /></span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You
know those type of movies where every time you try to watch it you fall
asleep? Well that has been my <i>Far From Home</i> experience. The special
effects, as expected, are top-notch. But this is a poor follow-up to <u>Avengers: Endgame</u> (2018).
And that's saying a lot, considering that <i>Endgame</i> wasn't that
good either. But I would presume Marvel hasted its release to
capitalize on <i>Endgame</i>. And in that regard the movie succeeded, as it
had a box office take exceeding $1 billion big ones.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjExMmU3Y2UtMTBmYS00MWQ2LWJhMzMtNTBlMzg0OGM2YmM2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjczOTE0MzM@._V1_SY200_CR100,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjExMmU3Y2UtMTBmYS00MWQ2LWJhMzMtNTBlMzg0OGM2YmM2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjczOTE0MzM@._V1_SY200_CR100,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: MJ (ZENDAYA) <br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Like
<i> Guardians of the Galaxy</i>, the <i>Spider-Man</i> series is another case of the
MCU using a non-White female lead. In this case that would be <b>Zendaya</b>,
who takes on the role of <b>Michelle Jones</b>.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In
the movie though she is not referred to as such but rather the character's initials, <b>MJ</b>. And of
course when traditional fans of <b>Spider-Man</b> hear "MJ" they think of <b>Mary
Jane</b>, Spidey's long-time love interest (in the comic books), who is in fact White. So the
presumption would be that Michelle Jones is a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zendaya#Early_life" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">bi-racial</a>
re-imagining of Mary Jane. And as with Zoe Saldana, Zendaya also
brings a certain flare to the series even though, once again, her character is not
presented as being ethnic in any sort of way.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/19/Iron_Man_3_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/19/Iron_Man_3_poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>#19 - IRON MAN 3 (2013)</b><br /></span></p></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Iron Man 3</u>, as to be expected, was very impressive visually. It also featured one of the most-entertaining and even meaningful interpersonal relationships in the MCU, between <b>Tony Stark</b> (<b>Robert Downey Jr.</b>) and that little boy (<b>Ty Simpkins</b>). So it says a lot that it has fallen this far down the list. What the movie actually suffers from is a convoluted storyline. In fact it is the most politically-charged MCU film to date. But unfortunately the execution didn't match the ambition.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzM5YWNlZTAtNjMzOS00ZjdiLTk4ZjctY2UyOGZmNDEyZTVlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjk3NTUyOTc@._V1_SY200_CR38,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzM5YWNlZTAtNjMzOS00ZjdiLTk4ZjctY2UyOGZmNDEyZTVlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjk3NTUyOTc@._V1_SY200_CR38,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> <br /></span></span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: DON CHEADLE (RHODEY)</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Another interesting part of the film that wasn't mentioned above is the <b>Iron Patriot</b> subplot. And overall, Don Cheadle's depiction of <b>Rhodey / War Machine</b>, etc. has proven to the most-consistent Black character in the "Infinity Saga". </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/ff/Avengers_Age_of_Ultron_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/ff/Avengers_Age_of_Ultron_poster.jpg" /></a></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>#18 - AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON (2015) </b><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">You
know a movie is bad when you're actually happy when one of the heroes
gets killed. Failures may be far and few between as far as the MCU
is concerned. But this time around they took one of the coolest powers ever, superspeed - one that also happens to translate well on film - and just, I don't know. One theory is that they <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2015/05/02/avengers-review-5-things-age-of-ultron-gets-dead-wrong/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tried to introduce too many characters</a> simultaneously. And truth be told, at the time I wasn't sold on <b>Scarlet
Witch</b> either and had kinda wished that
both Maximoff twins perished (though since then, well, <u>WandaVision</u> was the bomb). Also that scene where <b>Captain
America</b> shot the fair one with <b>Ultron</b> was semi-insulting on the
audience's intelligence, considering how much power the latter is supposed to possess.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://i.redd.it/j6p5fgaferiz.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="600" height="107" src="https://i.redd.it/j6p5fgaferiz.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: HEIMDALL (IDRIS ELBA) <br /></span></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This
film was partially set and filmed in South Africa. And I remember
there being a lot of Black extras but no main Black characters.
According to <i>Wikipedia</i> <b>Falcon</b> (<b>Anthony Mackie</b>), Heimdall and Nick Fury<b> </b>all appeared in the film. I can remember
Heimdall from that <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/MovieDetails/comments/6wv49q/age_of_ultron_during_thors_vision_heimdall_tells/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">unforgettably-WTF scene</a> when <b>Thor </b>
was hallucinating (which later <a href="https://screenrant.com/avengers-age-ultron-infinity-war-thor-visions-fail/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">accidentally proved to be of some significance</a>).
I also kinda sorta remember Nick Fury on the helicarrier or whatever.
But I don't recall Falcon being in the movie at all, though now that I think about it he may have popped up at the very end. Indeed, it's been
quite a few years since I saw <i>Age of Ultron</i>. And I have absolutely
no intention of watching it ever again unless maybe I'm
really intoxicated (i.e. to enjoy the special effects, which are spectacular).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></div></div><div><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/Captain_America_The_First_Avenger_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/Captain_America_The_First_Avenger_poster.jpg" width="205" /></a></span></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">#17 - CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER (2011)</span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It
feels kinda strange putting the <i>The First Avenger</i> so far down on the
list, because out of all of the MCU's series thus far, i.e. trilogies or what
have you, overall <i>Captain America</i> has, oddly enough, proven to be the
best. But I'd rather face the <b>Red Skull</b> on the desolate plains of
Vormir than to watch this movie again. But who knows? Maybe now after
<i>Winter Solider</i> and <i>Civil War</i>, etc. re-watching would be more edifying, even though they totally wasted dude from <i>the Matrix</i>. But for
now, the only thing I remember being really cool about this movie is when
they made <b>Steve Rogers</b> (<b>Chris Evans</b>) appear mad skinny. Like that
scene where he jumped on the grenade is stuck in my mind forever.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelcinematicuniverse/images/7/78/Gabriel_Jones.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="297" height="200" src="https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelcinematicuniverse/images/7/78/Gabriel_Jones.jpg" width="129" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: GABE JONES (DEREK LUKE)<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I
don't remember there really being any Black people in <i>The First
Avenger</i>. But I do know that one of the <b>Howling Commados</b>, as portrayed
in the MCU, was Black. And this character, <b>Gabe Jones</b>, did in fact
appear on screen. This has been <a href="https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Gabe_Jones#Trivia" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">his only notable appearance</a> thus far in the MCU, and he was portrayed by an actor from New Jersey named <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derek_Luke" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Derek Luke</a></b>.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0d/Avengers_Endgame_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0d/Avengers_Endgame_poster.jpg" width="216" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <b>#16 - AVENGERS: ENDGAME</b></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It also feels weird putting <i>Endgame</i> down here in the bottom half of the list because, after all, it is the most visually-stunning of all MCU films to date. However, it also happens to perhaps be the best of the lot to fall asleep to, which is a good thing under some circumstances. But for the most part when viewers sit down to a movie, they intend to actually do so from beginning to end. And accomplishing that task as far as <i>Endgame</i> is concerned is a true act of endurance, even <a href="https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/05/klay-thompson-avengers-endgame" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">for a professional athlete</a>. Also it was like a slap in the face - at least to me - for Marvel to introduce time travel, alternate timelines and what have you into the MCU. That's because when it comes to science fiction and comic books especially, doing so is that like the opening a can of worms. And also, that was like the cheesiest way possible to undo <b>The Snap</b>.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTcyNDQ1ODI2OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjA2OTU5NzM@._V1_SY200_CR89,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTcyNDQ1ODI2OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjA2OTU5NzM@._V1_SY200_CR89,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: DON CHEADLE (RHODEY)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Don Cheadle has developed into an MCU mainstay. In fact as of the writing of this post, he is slated to star in an <a href="https://marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Armor_Wars" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">upcoming Marvel / Disney+ series</a> called <u>Armor Wars</u>, which I'm ultra-excited about. He has become sort of like the MCU's backup Iron Man when Tony Stark himself may not be around. In fact keeping in mind that the MCU recently <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/sam-wilson-is-captain-america-marvel-fans-embrace-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-s-new-cap-101619250999844.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">introduced a Black Captain America</a>, it <a href="https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/why-black-panthers-shuri-is-primed-to-be-the-mcus-next-iron-man" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">wouldn't be totally surprising</a> that a Black Iron Man proper is also soon to follow.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/88/The_Incredible_Hulk_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/The_Incredible_Hulk_(film)_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f0/The_Incredible_Hulk_(film)_poster.jpg" /></a></div><span></span></span></span></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><b>#15 - THE INCREDIBLE HULK </b><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>I remember <u>The Incredible Hulk</u> being a pretty-good addition to the early days of the MCU. The special effects weren't always the best, but it was still exponentially better than <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0286716/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the first time</a> Marvel put out a Hulk movie. Also that scene where the Hulk was fighting against the army was one of the most-memorable in MCU history.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>But what really messes up the legacy of this film up more than anything is the fact it features <b>Ed Norton</b> as <b>Bruce Banner</b>, who has since been replaced with <b>Mark Ruffalo</b>. So it no longer feels like canon, even though it is. And whereas I've grown to appreciate Ruffalo's portrayal of Banner, I can't help but to salivate fantasizing about Ed Norton retaining the character and interacting with Robert Downey Jr., as Ruffalo did, in movies like <u>The Avengers</u> (2012). That probably would have been too much for us to bear.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelcinematicuniverse/images/4/4e/Joe_Greller.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="550" height="200" src="https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/marvelcinematicuniverse/images/4/4e/Joe_Greller.png" width="162" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: PETER MENSAH (GENERAL JOE GRELLER)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>There weren't any memorable Black characters in this film. According to IMDb, the one that gets top billing is <b>General Joe Greller</b>, who was portrayed by <b>Peter Mensah</b>. Like I know Peter Mensah but again don't remember him being in the film, since I haven't seen this movie in a minute. But such is understandable considering that he's only afforded <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/marvelstudios/comments/cpqyey/the_incredible_hulk_screen_time_breakdown/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">14 seconds of screentime</a>.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d6/Black_Panther_(film)_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d6/Black_Panther_(film)_poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></span></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>#14 - BLACK PANTHER (2018)</span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>I know some Black people may view what I'm about to say as sacrilege, but all things considered I actually thought <u>Black Panther</u> was quite whack. Things that cheesed me off was stuff like the late <b>Chadwick Boseman</b>'s flat performance and the killing off <b>Ulyssues Klaue </b>halfway through the film despite he, <a href="https://screenrant.com/black-panther-ulysses-klaue-death/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">even according to director <b>Ryan Coogler</b></a>, being one of the most-entertaining characters therein. And also, the sh*t was racist. For instance if someone made a movie 100 years ago with Black dudes half-dressed, holding spears and making ape sounds, the likes of W.E.B. DuBois and Marcus Garvey<b> </b>would have probably been doing backflips. But one good thing I can say is man, do I love <b>Lupita</b>.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTkyNTUwMDQ5Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDk2MDM5NDM@._V1_SY200_CR50,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" height="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTkyNTUwMDQ5Ml5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDk2MDM5NDM@._V1_SY200_CR50,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> <br /></span></span></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: BLACK PANTHER (CHADWICK BOSEMAN)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Looking back, I guess Chadwick's aforementioned less-than-inspiring performance had something to do with the fact that he deadass had cancer. However <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chadwick_Boseman#Illness_and_death" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">no one reportedly knew</a> at the time, as he opted to keep the diagnosis a secret.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/Thor_Ragnarok_poster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7d/Thor_Ragnarok_poster.jpg" width="216" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>13 - THOR: RAGNAROK (2017)</span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>This is another movie that receives what feels like an unfairly-low ranking, as <i>Ragnarok</i> is actually one of the most-rewatchable films in the MCU. I guess we can say that this marks the official halfway point of this list, i.e. the juncture that separates the bad from the good, with this movie being both good and bad at the same time. For instance the chemistry between <b>Thor</b> (<b>Chris Hemsworth</b>) and the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), adding <b>Valkyrie</b> (<b>Tessa Thompson</b>) to the mix, made for a special moment in MCU history. Also the special effects, such as the treatment of <b>Surtur</b>, were amazing. But then again, the may have done <b>Skurge</b> even worst than they did than they did <b>Kurse</b> in <i>the Dark World</i>. And only the first half of the movie, which focuses on the relationship between Thor and Hulk, is entertaining. So it's like only half of the flick is good.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzc1NTgyMjY0MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODQxMjgwNDI@._V1_SY200_CR50,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="200" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzc1NTgyMjY0MV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODQxMjgwNDI@._V1_SY200_CR50,0,200,200_AL_.jpg" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: TESSA THOMPSON (VALKYRIE)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>Tessa Thompson did her thing and established herself as the first recurring Black (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tessa_Thompson#Early_life" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">yet also mixed</a>) female character in the MCU, even if the one she portrayed is a bit outlandish. In fact if I remember correctly Thor pretty much made her the queen of Tønsberg (aka New Asgard) at the conclusion of <i>Endgame</i>, thus setting her up to perhaps one day headline an MCU film of her own. And</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> the dynamic between she and Chris Hemsworth was so notable that they went on to co-headline <u>Men in Black International</u> in 2019. But unfortunately, that particular outing proved to be one of the worst big-budget sci-fi comedies of all time. However as expected, <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10648342/fullcredits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">she will be showing up</a> in the forthcoming <u>Thor: Love and Thunder</u>, which is good news.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><br /></span></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/02/Iron_Man_(2008_film)_poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="326" data-original-width="220" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/02/Iron_Man_(2008_film)_poster.jpg" /></a><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> <br /></span></span></b></span></span></b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>#12 - IRON MAN (2008)<br /></span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><u>Iron Man</u> (2008) is supposed to be higher on the list than this, if for no other reason than out of respect, because it's the one that actually started it all. Robert Downey Jr.'s portrayal of Tony Stark served as the prototype for what proved to be the MCU's main formula for success, which is to actually make the movie interesting even when no superheroes are on the screen (a concept that the DCEU still has yet to grasp). But this one got knocked down, even lower than <u>Ant Man</u> (2015), once again due to canonical issues, i.e. the actor playing Rhodey, one of the main characters, having been replaced. Also it features one of the most-forgettable villains in the MCU.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><a href="https://images.hindustantimes.com/rf/image_size_630x354/HT/p2/2020/05/18/Pictures/_384b5556-98d8-11ea-b5cf-22f71a9413fe.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="630" height="112" src="https://images.hindustantimes.com/rf/image_size_630x354/HT/p2/2020/05/18/Pictures/_384b5556-98d8-11ea-b5cf-22f71a9413fe.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>MAIN BLACK CHARACTER: TERRENCE HOWARD (RHODEY)</span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span>And that aforementioned actor would be <b>Terrence Howard</b>, one of the best overall performers to ever grace the MCU. It's almost like he was too pretty to play Rhodey anyway. To my remembrance, he never actually suited up as War Machine. But there was that memorable scene when he, a Blackman, was contemplating putting on a gold Iron Man suit, which was pretty cool. And in terms of him being one of the best actors of the MCU this isn't something I'm just making up, as <a href="https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2474473/why-robert-downey-jr-wasnt-the-highest-paid-actor-in-iron-man" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">he was reportedly paid more</a> than even the actual star of the show. In fact <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/hollywood/when-robert-downey-jr-s-iron-man-co-star-terrence-howard-called-him-to-repay-100m-favour-never-heard-from-him/story-I3PLssyER6yrYF9C85CGiO.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">according to Howard</a> he actually got Downey Jr. the job, only to be stabbed in the back when it came time for Robert to likewise stand up for him.<br /></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span>CONCLUSION</span></span></span></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span>It took me a whole lot longer to write this article than I had anticipated. So there's no telling when I'll get around to completing Part II. But I will endeavor to do so in the near future.</span><br /></span></span></p></div>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-61654573704879139852021-01-19T00:09:00.006+00:002021-01-30T18:49:59.942+00:00"Got 'til It's Gone" by Janet Jackson (1997)<p style="text-align: justify;">In keeping with our current shoutout to <b>Janet Jackson</b>, the next track I will delve into is <u>Got 'til It's Gone</u> (1997) featuring <b>Q-Tip</b>. And the funny thing is that despite this being one of my JJ favorites, now that I think about it I don't really know any of its actual words. I guess that's when you know a song really sounds good, when you don't even understand the words yet can still enjoy it. But that being noted, let's jump straight into the meaning of the lyrics.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f5/Janet_Jackson_Got_till_it's_Gone.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="316" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f5/Janet_Jackson_Got_till_it's_Gone.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The cover art to Janet Jackson's <u>Gone 'til It's Gone</u> (1997).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE LYRICS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">For starters, what I didn't know is that this song actually features two additional vocalists - the aforementioned Q-Tip as well as one <b>Joni Mitchell</b>, a Canadian singer whose peak of fame was during the 1970s. In fact it is she who Q-Tip is referring when he says "Joni Mitchell never lies", which is like the only easily-discernible line in the entire song. Moreover, the track itself is largely based on a sample of a tune Joni Mitchell dropped in 1970 entitled <u>Big Yellow Taxi</u>. And just to note, Janet Jackson also gave a shoutout to <a href="https://genius.com/10747946" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"a big yellow taxi"</a> on her 1997 track, <u>The Pleasure Principle</u>. In fact she's actually a fan of Mitchell's, which we will get into later.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u>Big Yellow Taxi</u> is actually a protest song against the destruction of the environment. And it is where the phrase "don't it always seem to go, that you don know what you've got 'til it's gone" is derived from, i.e. the same line that makes up the refrain/chorus of Janet Jackson's song. But of course, Janet & co. aren't talking about the environment. Rather she uses it in a romantic context, speaking to the idea of not appreciating someone you love until you lose them.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile Q-Tip's verse features the rapper going on about his troubled relationship with his shorty. Based on his account, she possesses a type of behavior and attitude which is detrimental to their romance. And as seen in the interlude, he is basically chastising her for behaving in such a manner. Moreover, given the overall theme of the song, Tip himself would be implying that homegirl is not going to appreciate his love until he ends up cutting her off.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So despite the lyrics being somewhat tough to make out at points, the message of the track is quite simple. And such would be that fukin up a good relationship and then regretting it afterwards is sort of a normal part of the human experience.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE TEAM</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://worldredeye.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/12/unnamed-1024x683.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://worldredeye.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/12/unnamed-1024x683.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Q-Tip and Janet Jackson @ Tip's birthday <a href="https://worldredeye.com/2010/04/wheres-q-tip/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in 2010</a>.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I'm happy to have had the opportunity to work on this song, as it allows me to give a shoutout to Q-Tip and by extension <b>A Tribe Called Quest</b> and by another extension the late <b>Phife Dawg</b> (1970-2016), which I never particularly intended to do on this blog. Around the same time this track came out Q-Tip had what was I believe was his most-successful solo offering, <u>Vivrant Thing</u> (1999), a song which by the way irritates the hell outta me. But either way, since then I haven't really heard anything from him except when the Tribe were talking about dropping a new project in the wake of Phife's death. But as can be seen by the pic above, he and Janet have apparently remained cool throughout the years. However this is the only track they have ever actually dropped together.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.facc5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/83166622_2633902399992207_7269618570982588416_o.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=2&_nc_sid=cdbe9c&_nc_ohc=40bUPaIHaZoAX_UFeqz&_nc_ht=scontent.facc5-1.fna&oh=2ebb25d94a64f8af5d52a71543614150&oe=60217745" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="800" height="242" src="https://scontent.facc5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/83166622_2633902399992207_7269618570982588416_o.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=2&_nc_sid=cdbe9c&_nc_ohc=40bUPaIHaZoAX_UFeqz&_nc_ht=scontent.facc5-1.fna&oh=2ebb25d94a64f8af5d52a71543614150&oe=60217745" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Joni Michell and Janet Jackson <a href="https://web.facebook.com/jonimitchellfans1/photos/joni-mitchell-and-janet-jackson-attend-the-pre-grammy-gala-and-grammy-salute-to-/2633902389992208/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in 2020</a>.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And the same can pretty much be said concerning Miss Jackson's relationship with Joni Mitchell. In fact Janet was <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/janet-jackson-the-joy-of-sex-56099/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">known as being a fan</a> of Joni's even before this song ever came out. And in the process of securing the rights to use Mitchell's sample on this track, Joni likewise asked Janet to be featured on a tribute album that was being put together in her (Mitchell's) honor. Janet went on to comply by actually covering a Joni Mitchell track outright, one of her personal favorites, which would be 1988's <u>Beat of Black Wings</u>. However said cover was <a href="https://genius.com/Janet-jackson-the-beat-of-black-wings-lyrics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">never officially released</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><u>Gone 'til It's Gone</u> was produced by<span></span> <b>Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis</b>, who as pointed out <a href="https://www.blackartsreview.com/2020/11/when-i-think-of-you-by-janet-jackson.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in the last article </a>were instrumental in launching Janet into music superstardom. It's like the best music Janet has made, she did so alongside this musical pair. And it must be said that this song in particular does in fact feature some impressive production. For instance it is very difficult for none-rap tunes to effectively incorporate scratching effects, but this one does so beautifully.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.ctfassets.net/rxqefefl3t5b/3apaapei4eyykLPZ9tIAWj/2ec668947ac571d3e1d2c875ed0e5598/branson-richard_archive_janet-jackson-balloon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://images.ctfassets.net/rxqefefl3t5b/3apaapei4eyykLPZ9tIAWj/2ec668947ac571d3e1d2c875ed0e5598/branson-richard_archive_janet-jackson-balloon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Richard Branson, head of Virgin Records, getting <a href="https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog/signing-janet-jackson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">quite close to<br /></a>Janet Jackson, who would remain under the label for almost two decades.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">This particular offering was released through <b>Virgin Records</b> whose co-founder, the eccentric <b>Richard Branson</b>, put a whole lotta of energy (<a href="https://www.virgin.com/branson-family/richard-branson-blog/signing-janet-jackson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">and money</a>) into signing Jackson in 1990.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE SHOWING</p><p style="text-align: justify;">To be honest I always thought this was one of those tracks that just a select few people, such as myself, like. Instead upon actually researching I see that it was a major international success, charting in well over 20 nations, including amazingly enough Taiwan. Its most notable showing was on the UK R&B Chart, where it reached the number one position. It also scored a number one in Canada, on RPM's Dance/Urban list. However it did not appear on the Billboard Hot 100 itself due to the fact that, according to <u>Wikipedia</u>, the track was not released as a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Got_%27til_It%27s_Gone" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"commercial single"</a>, whatever that means. But still it is acknowledged as being the first single dropped from Janet Jackson's sixth album, <u>The Velvet Rope</u>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a7/The_Velvet_Rope.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a7/The_Velvet_Rope.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cover art to Janet Jackson's <u>The Velvet Rope</u> (1997).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">VISUALS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's pretty obvious the cover art to this song (as seen at the beginning of the article) is sending some sort of message, though what exactly I can't tell. What does seem obvious though is that the overall pose Janet Jackson is making is some type of allusion to the Negro minstrel shows of old. At its foundation this form of entertainment was not racist <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show#Black_minstrels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in its origin</a>, but as the genre evolved (as rendered by White people) it became largely so. The music video also, which was directed by<b> Mark Romanek</b>, does at points deal with the topic of old-school racism. And in all I think it's safe to say that the clip is an Afrocentric affair, as there was sort of this Black pride vibe in African-American music at the time (i.e. <b>Lauryn Hill</b>, <b>D'Angelo</b>, <b>India Arie</b>).<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">And as for the glowing red background on the cover art, I would say as far as the music industry in particular is concerned such is usually a reference to (hell)fire. But I don't really want to go too far off the deep end, especially since the lyrics themselves read like a straight-up love/breakup song, and there doesn't really seem to be any subliminal messages in the video.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uznTHSEgx4U" width="320" youtube-src-id="uznTHSEgx4U"></iframe></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As for the video itself, again it's sort of a product of its era, when this kinda nostalgic Black pride was trending. That seems to happen in African-American entertainment from time to time. There is also arguably some sort of female-sexual liberation thing kinda going on here. Also there's a picture of Joni Mitchell at the beginning of clip, and I can imagine people at home who don't actually know who she is being like 'who the hell is that', considering that this is once again a very-Black video.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">CONCLUSION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">By the time the late 90s rolled around, <b>Michael Jackson</b> was no longer a trending musician per se. Yes, <u>Invincible</u> (2001) may have featured some nice tracks, in addition to being a Billboard 200 chart topper. And throughout the last three decades of his life, Michael was undoubtedly the most popular musician in the world. But it's like he wasn't really cool anymore, not like Janet Jackson proved to be with songs like this. Or let's say that just like her big bro helped her get a foot in the door, later on she returned the favor by helping to keep the family name hot.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">UPDATE (30 JANUARY 2021)</p><p style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Mark_Romanek_Tokyo_Intl_Filmfest_2010.jpg/330px-Mark_Romanek_Tokyo_Intl_Filmfest_2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="330" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Mark_Romanek_Tokyo_Intl_Filmfest_2010.jpg/330px-Mark_Romanek_Tokyo_Intl_Filmfest_2010.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Mark Romanek</b>, the director of the well-received<br />music video to this song, decided to give it what<br />he deemed as an authentic (South) African look and feel.<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: justify;">I recently did some additional research on this song and just wanted to point out a few facts and ideas that I totally overlooked the first time around. At the top of list is the fact that the music video does indeed deal with racism, in an indirect way, as in being set in Apartheid-era <b>South Africa</b>. By the time <u>Got 'til It's Gone</u> came out the overtly-racist apartheid system itself had already been outlawed for a few years. However it was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Got_%27til_It%27s_Gone#Music_video" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the idea of Mark Romanek</a> to give the clip an old-school African motif. And in all it did prove to be a wise artistic decision, as the visual was dubbed <i>Best Short Form Music Video</i> at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/40th_Annual_Grammy_Awards#Music_video" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">40th Grammy Awards</a> (1998).</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131207045325im_/http://soulbounce.com/soul/blog_images/janet-jackson-got-til-its-g.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="473" height="167" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20131207045325im_/http://soulbounce.com/soul/blog_images/janet-jackson-got-til-its-g.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Also concerning Janet's hairstyle, it may not have been meant to callback to the days of Negro minstrels but rather, at least as one website <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20131203070244/http://www.soulbounce.com/soul/2010/12/16_janet_jackson_barbie_dolls_that_wed_like_to_see.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">has interpreted the look</a>, some form of African spirituality. That's on the music video itself. But as far as the cover art it seems pretty obvious, at least to me, that Jackson is alluding to early-20th century African-American entertainment; though perhaps I'm misreading it, and she may be referring to that of South Africa instead.<br /></p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-53522670721583974702020-11-29T00:24:00.000+00:002020-11-29T00:24:57.579+00:00"When I Think of You" by Janet Jackson (1986)<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Janet_Jackson_When_I_Think_of_You.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Janet_Jackson_When_I_Think_of_You.png" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The cover to <b>Janet Jackson</b>'s <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_I_Think_of_You" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">When I Think of You</a> (1986)<br />from the album she dropped that same year, <u>Control</u>.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table> PERSONAL INSPIRATION</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Recently I was doing research on <b>the Jackson 5</b>. And while in the midst of such I had came to a startling realization. Yes, the constant presence of his (big) brothers early in his career logically helped <b>Michael Jackson</b> become grounded in the music industry. But none of his siblings, outside of <b>Janet</b>, actually contributed to his immense fame in adulthood. Now I know <b>Jermaine</b> may have had a hit or two, and cheesus used to play the damn out of <b>Rebbie Jackson</b>'s <u>Centipede</u> (1984). But only Janet proved herself successful enough entertainment-wise on a level worthy of being a sibling of Michael Jackson.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img2.thelist.com/img/gallery/the-stunning-transformation-of-janet-jackson/forming-her-self-image-1496956600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="780" height="180" src="https://img2.thelist.com/img/gallery/the-stunning-transformation-of-janet-jackson/forming-her-self-image-1496956600.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Michael (1958) was about seven and-a-half years older than Janet (1966).</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So then after coming to that conclusion I was like okay, let me write an article about Janet Jackson. Then it came down to ascertaining which of her songs, <u>When I Think of You</u> or that track she did with <b>Q-Tip</b>, was actually my favorite. Ultimately, even though I would say the latter has more of a timeless quality, I went with the former because it's older and affords more of a reason to delve more into Janet's history.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span> ACCOLADES</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>And historically <u>When I Think of You</u> is in fact a significant song as it was the first time Miss Jackson, who went on to become one of the most-successful female singers ever, topped the Billboard Hot 100. (She's achieved 10 number ones on the Hot 100 <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/janet-jackson/chart-history" target="_blank">as of 2001</a>). It has also garnered gold certification in the US and has made it onto 10 music charts around the world.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>Now going back to doing Michael justice, when this song made it to number 1 it also made Janet and Michael the only two siblings in history to both individually top the Hot 100. And even now, over 30 years later, that's an achievement that's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_I_Think_of_You#Commercial_performance" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">still yet to be matched</a>.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span><u>When I Think of You</u>, despite being an undeniable hit, didn't sell like crazy. But it is the song which put Janet Jackson on the road to superstardom in a way that legitimized the Jacksons as a genuine musical family. In fact even as I'm writing this article Michael Jackson's daughter (<a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/michael-jackson-biological-father-children-14099819" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">?</a>) <b>Paris</b> <a href="https://www.etonline.com/paris-jackson-debuts-first-ever-solo-track-let-down-and-a-haunting-new-music-video-watch-155650" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">just dropped her first song</a>. And that's what you call a true musical legacy - like <b>Bob Marley</b> for instance - that when anyone in your immediate family decides to come out with a track, the industry has to at least give them the benefit of the doubt.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Jacksonstvshow.jpg/320px-Jacksonstvshow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/be/Jacksonstvshow.jpg/320px-Jacksonstvshow.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Janet Jackson is in fact the youngest member of<br /><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_family" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Jackson family</a>. But as you can see, even from<br />early on she already knew what time it was.<br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>THE TEAM</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>In fact Janet Jackson herself was far from what you would call a musical prodigy. That's a somewhat-euphemistic way of saying that her first two albums before <u>Control</u> (1986) - with her debut project coming out when she was 16 years old - both <a href="https://www.thelist.com/69370/stunning-transformation-janet-jackson/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_5938339" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"bombed"</a>. Meanwhile if you or I were lucky enough to get signed to a record label and dropped even one corny album, our music careers would pretty much be over. But again, this is not only a Jackson we're talking about but also one who didn't give in easily. So as mentioned above, <b>A&M Records</b> still gave her the benefit of the doubt with <u>Control</u>.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F6%2F2019%2F08%2Fjimmy-jam-terry-lewis-2-2000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://imagesvc.meredithcorp.io/v3/mm/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.onecms.io%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F6%2F2019%2F08%2Fjimmy-jam-terry-lewis-2-2000.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Janet Jackson in the studio with Jimmy Jam (left)<br />and Terry Lewis (right) <a href="https://ew.com/music/2019/08/28/jimmy-jam-terry-lewis-janet-jackson-tlc-mary-j-blige/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">circa 1993</a>. The pair <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Jam_and_Terry_Lewis#Billboard_Hot_100_No._1s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">produced<br />9</a> of her aforementioned 10 Hot 100 number 1s.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>And this time around she not only <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janet_Jackson#1986%E2%80%931988:_Control" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">'got out from under her father'</a> but also employed the services of producers <b>Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis</b>. And even though you rarely hear about them these days, back in the dawgs they were amongst the musicians who defined the sound of R&B. And interestingly out of the numerous hits they help create - working alongside the likes of <b>Boyz II Men</b>, <b>Mariah Carey</b> and the late <b>George Michael</b> - the artist they are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Jam_and_Terry_Lewis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">most known for partnering with</a> is indeed Janet Jackson. And in addition to producing <u>When I Think of You</u> they also wrote the song, with Janet also being a co-writer.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>Moreover outside of this track, they produced other hits from <u>Control</u> which went on to define Miss Janet's music career such as <u>Nasty</u> and the equally-unforgettable <u>What Have You Done for Me Lately</u>. And by the time all was said and done, the album proved successful enough the earn the pair a <i>Producer of the Year</i> Grammy Award. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EaleKN9GQ54" width="320" youtube-src-id="EaleKN9GQ54"></iframe><span> <br /></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>Meanwhile the music video was directed by an industry vet named <b>Julien Temple</b>. <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6886172/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">According to IMDb</a> it features <b>Paula Abdul</b> (although I couldn't spot her anywhere offhand). It is also said to contain two of Janet's nephews (via her brother <b>Tito</b>), <b>Taryll</b> and <b>TJ Jackson</b>. The pair later went on to become two-thirds of <b>3T</b>, the group who dropped what I remember to be a slightly-frightening music video alongside uncle Micheal (which would be 1995's <u>Why</u>). You may also notice that Janet is a bit on the thick side in the clip. I remember back in the days there were rumors of her having weight loss surgery, but <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/janet-jackson-reveals-her-private-struggles-true-you-wbna41513295" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">according to the singer herself</a> those were lies. Yet either way, it's pretty obvious comparing her then to now that she's had facial surgery. And in noticing how pretty she was back then, well, let's just say it's bit challenging to understand how she rationalized that decision even though at the end of the day we know that she (and others) followed the lead of MJ.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>THE SONG</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>And now comes to the real nitty-gritty, actually analyzing what the song means. To be totally honest even though this is one of my favorites, I don't know any of the words to the actual verses. However I would presume it's about, you know, love. And whereas the wording isn't anything even remotely complex, the two verses do take slightly-different approaches to the matter at hand.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>In the first, the singer is telling her sweetheart that whenever she's stressed out, thinking of him calms her down. And the second verse is somewhat similar, whereas she likens dude to an anti-depressant. But she also alludes to the notion of her love for him continually growing as time progresses. Indeed when she thinks of him her thoughts doesn't drift to the things she don't like, you know, like a normal lover would do. Rather whenever he comes to mind, 'all she thinks about is their love'. So it really does sound like Janet is portraying the role of someone who is in the early stages of a romance, before you start also noticing things about that special someone which turn you off. But I'm not trying to spoil the mood or anything. After all, Janet was a tender <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_I_Think_of_You#Commercial_performance" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">20 years old</a> when this track came out. So it's like, I just wonder if she'd be privy to drop a song like this today.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>CONCLUSION</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>To me the 1980s and the mega-success of soloists such as Janet Jackson and <b>Madonna</b> marked a shift in the music industry. Janet was someone who got her foot in the door due to, as aforementioned, the success of Michael Jackson in particular. In other words she was not born with natural singing talent, as was Michael. In fact she has an average singing voice, albeit one that has been thoroughly trained and on this track one can even say computerized. Or stated otherwise, Janet's talent didn't make her a star; her drive did. And since the 80s it has become more common for vocalists, who really don't possess anymore singing talent than the next man, to blow up. Or let's put it like this - nowadays a pop musician's drive is perhaps even more important than his or her talent.<br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>And this isn't a diss or anything, not as far as Janet is concerned. Whereas she and Michael <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/MichaelJackson/story?id=7992035&page=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">may not have been as buddy-buddy</a> as some of us would like to think, again it was her efforts which truly legitimized the Jacksons, as a whole, as a musical family. And she was one of the premiere artists who defined late 20th century music. So I may just follow-up this article by researching <u>Got Til It's Gone</u>, i.e. the track she dropped with Q-Tip in 1997.</span><br /></p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7416075577896132234.post-45317746803568493172020-10-04T00:34:00.000+01:002020-10-04T00:34:14.868+01:00"Stranger in Moscow" by Michael Jackson (1996)<p style="text-align: justify;">This is another track I decided to analyze in depth because it's been playing in my head lately. In fact a few days ago I found myself on the roadside spontaneously singing it, for at times I too feel "like a stranger in Moscow". But it was also upon doing so I realized that, outside of the chorus, I don't even really know the words to it. So it's like not knowing the words to one of your favorite songs is as good of a reason to research it as any.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0b/Stranger_In_Moscow.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0b/Stranger_In_Moscow.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The cover art to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_Moscow" target="_blank">Stranger in Moscow</a> (1996)</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Speaking of <b>Michael Jackson</b> (1958-2009), he was indeed a polarizing figure. I guess such is to be expected when you're the most-popular singular human being to walk the Earth during the 20th century. People are going to be all up in your business, and along with the good comes the bad and even <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIStory:_Past,_Present_and_Future,_Book_I#Background" target="_blank">the straight-up lies</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But one thing I will say about Michael is this. Even though he was hands-down the top musician in the world, he didn't come out with mediocre songs or drop half-ass collaborations just to make a quick buck. No, MJ put his all into his music career. In fact it has been said that part of the reason he died prematurely was because he <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-06-26/king-of-pop-dead-at-50/1333516" target="_blank">overworked himself to death</a>. So even though <u>Stranger in Moscow</u> (1996) came out like a decade after his heyday, you can still tell that he put his full emotion into the track.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6858197/michael-jackson-sonic-hedgehog-3-music-theory" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="322" data-original-width="550" height="187" src="https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/5/57/Sonic_and_MJ.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Who knew that <i>Sonic</i>, <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6858197/michael-jackson-sonic-hedgehog-3-music-theory" target="_blank">in his own way</a>, contributed to the<br />creation of <u>Stranger in Moscow</u>?</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">MICHAEL JACKSON & SEGA</p><p style="text-align: justify;">But with that being noted, here's an interesting fact. <b>Brad Buxer</b>, a composer who worked regularly with Micheal Jackson, has stated that at the "base" of the instrumental for <u>Stranger in Moscow</u> is actually music <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Buxer#Involvement_with_Sonic_the_Hedgehog_3" target="_blank">he and MJ put together</a> to be used for the <b>Sega</b>'s <u>Sonic the Hedgehog 3</u> (1994). And this is something which Michael himself <a href="https://www.classicfm.com/music-news/did-michael-jackson-write-music-sonic-hedgehog-3/" target="_blank">reportedly admitted to</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://img.discogs.com/qkst1JyAkQTc5S6nMBR5sNU8E3Q=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/A-268523-1337972559-3678.jpeg.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://img.discogs.com/qkst1JyAkQTc5S6nMBR5sNU8E3Q=/fit-in/300x300/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(40)/discogs-images/A-268523-1337972559-3678.jpeg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">An older pic of <b>Brad Buxer</b>, the dude who is said to have helped<br />Michael Jackson create the musical basis behind <u>Stranger in Moscow</u>. <br />Buxer <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/268523-Brad-Buxer" target="_blank">also worked with</a> other classic Black artists like <b>Stevie Wonder</b> <br />and <b>Smokey Robinson</b>.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">So why did Michael use chords from a song that he actually intended for a videogame? Well the main console which <i>Sonic 3</i> was featured on was the <b>Sega Genesis</b>. And MJ, as implied earlier being a perfectionist, was <a href="https://genius.com/Michael-jackson-stranger-in-moscow-lyrics" target="_blank">frustrated with the quality of sound</a> the machine could produce. So apparently the Moonwalker just got fed up one day and bounced on the project.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bPHg9UB22vU" width="320" youtube-src-id="bPHg9UB22vU"></iframe> <br /></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">However <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_Moscow#Music" target="_blank">it has also been put forth</a> that the reason he behaved so was due to what he was going through at the time - something we'll get into later. But that being established, it is still widely held that some of the music he helped create made it onto <i>Sonic</i>, even if he wasn't credited. So if true, he apparently still retained enough control over what he did produce to use it on his own personal song also, most notably <u>Stranger in Moscow</u> but also <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6858197/michael-jackson-sonic-hedgehog-3-music-theory" target="_blank">quite a few others</a>. And truth be told, according to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPHg9UB22vU" target="_blank">video embedded above</a>, the ending theme to <u>Sonic the Hedgehog 3</u> does sound, at one point, almost identical to <u>Stranger in Moscow</u>.<br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE TEAM</p><p style="text-align: justify;">However at the end of the day, whether Michael had help creating this track or not, it is only he who is credited as its producer and writer. The labels behind that put it out are <b>Epic Records</b>, <b>Sony Music</b> and <b>MJJ Productions</b> - the latter being founded by MJ himself. The song was officially released on 28 August 1997, and it served as the fifth single from Michael's double-disc project entitled <u>HIStory: Past, Present and Fture, Book I</u>.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/35/MJ-HIStory.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/35/MJ-HIStory.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Michael Jackson's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIStory:_Past,_Present_and_Future,_Book_I" target="_blank">History: Past, Present and Future, Book 1</a> (1995) <br />cover art. As implied by the imagery, he opted to stand strong despite <br />what he was going through around the time of its release.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The video to this track, which I guess you could say is perhaps the best parts of the song, was directed by an English photographer named <b>Nick Brandt</b>. And it's obviously the type of visual that's meant to be a work of art, one in which the viewer is tasked with interpreting what the images mean. But at the same time, combined the lyrics the video is pretty easy to understand. And as for me personally, I always thought the video was, you know, actually filmed in Moscow. But it was in fact shot in Los Angeles, which is like Michael Jackson's hometown. And that brings us to the actual meaning of the song.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">THE LYRICS</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Despite his aforementioned fame and wealth life wasn't all peachy for MJ, especially around the time <u>Stranger in Moscow</u> came out. For it was in 1993 when he was first formally <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_child_sexual_abuse_accusations_against_Michael_Jackson" target="_blank">accused of child-sexual abuse</a>. These allegations took a serious and immediate toll on his career as well as health.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Moreover, you know everybody likes making fun of Michael. This was true <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIStory:_Past,_Present_and_Future,_Book_I#Background" target="_blank">even before these accusations</a> came out, and the mocking did not let up while he was going through this ordeal. In fact in the aftermath, the media persecution of the King of Pop <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_Moscow#Background" target="_blank">got a lot worse</a>.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And no, they did not stop even after Michael <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_child_sexual_abuse_accusations_against_Michael_Jackson#Settlement" target="_blank">settled with his accuser</a>, <b>Jordan Chandler</b>, for a whopping $23,000,000 in early 1994. In fact according to the <u>The Washington Post</u> the entire ordeal remained the main story in the news <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/03/02/michael-jackson-denial-child-sexual-abuse-carried-live-around-world/" target="_blank">until the O.J. Simpson Murder Trial</a> of September, 1994. And as many readers can attest to, even well after Michael Jackson passed away in 2009 the media <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/03/05/699995484/michael-jackson-a-quarter-century-of-sexual-abuse-allegations" target="_blank">still hasn't stopped f*kin with him</a>. So I guess you can say this was the negative effect of being as rich and mega-famous - and eccentric - as Michael Jackson was. Or stated differently he was never actually convicted of sexual abuse, even after a thorough and <a href="https://www.news24.com/Entertainment/Strip-search-broke-Jackson-20090703" target="_blank">extremely-humiliating investigation</a>. Moreover he richly settled the matter with the accuser. But regardless the media would not let the issue die down.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So in summation Michael was losing tens of millions of dollars in endorsements, even outside of the money he paid to Jordy Chandler. Also his health got all messed up. Then on top of that, people wouldn't stop making fun of him and prying into his private life. Moreover on even an even more-intimate personal level, as this song reveals, he was also in an exceptionally-lonely state.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://cdni.rbth.com/rbthmedia/images/web/en-rbth/images/2013-08/top/AP96091801318_top.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="673" height="174" src="https://cdni.rbth.com/rbthmedia/images/web/en-rbth/images/2013-08/top/AP96091801318_top.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Wherever Michael went in Moscow, he was <a href="https://www.rbth.com/arts/2013/08/29/lost_tapes_of_michael_jacksons_moscow_show_found_29359.html" target="_blank">flanked by crowds</a>.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">According to the <a href="https://www.songfacts.com/facts/michael-jackson/stranger-in-moscow" target="_blank">legend behind this song</a>, Michael Jackson wrote it while he was indeed in Moscow. This was during September of 2003, while MJ was conducting <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dangerous_World_Tour#The_show" target="_blank">his highly-lucrative</a> <i>Dangerous World Tour</i>. And according to one in-depth account of his time there, despite being constantly mobbed by innumerable fans MJ was <a href="https://www.rbth.com/arts/2013/08/29/lost_tapes_of_michael_jacksons_moscow_show_found_29359.html" target="_blank">"as lonely as maybe never before"</a>. In the same article it has been noted that it was a "surprise" visit he made to Russia just "a couple of weeks after being first publicly accused of child abuse". Or stated differently, he likely already wasn't in the best of spirits even before he landed there.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CbdNUNiXSqI" width="320" youtube-src-id="CbdNUNiXSqI"></iframe></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Above is a short documentary on Michael's visit to Russia in 1993. It's pretty informative, despite being in Russian. You can see that wherever he goes, there's multitudes. Indeed MJ required a presidential level of security, even though he was in fact a long way from Starbucks.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Michael only seems to have one travel companion, some old Black dude that I don't recognize. And not for nothing, but your chances of making friends are likely minimized when you're like hiding your face in public and running from crowds. But at the end of the day, logically speaking nobody knows how it feels to be Michael Jackson other than Michael Jackson. Indeed Michael was rockin' surgical facemasks in public like a good 30 years <a href="https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/23/michael-jackson-fans-confused-image-late-superstar-wearing-mask-surfaces-amid-coronavirus-12444258/" target="_blank">before they became fashionable</a>.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.worldhum.com/images/images2009/michael_moscow_360.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="360" src="http://www.worldhum.com/images/images2009/michael_moscow_360.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Michael Jackson wearing a facemask in Russia <a href="http://www.worldhum.com/features/travel-stories/michael-jackson-and-me-strangers-in-moscow-20090626/" target="_blank">during September, 1993</a>.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: justify;">So with that in mind it doesn't seem that he actually had beef with <b>the Kremlin</b>, as the first verse of the track implies. Indeed even on the official <u>Genius</u> explanation of the lyrics it says that the "Kremlin", as used in the song, is meant to be symbolic of the powers-that-be, <a href="https://genius.com/97218" target="_blank">so to speak</a>. But Michael does goes on to say in the second verse that he was being 'dogged' by the KGB. So maybe, considering that he was in fact accused of a heinous crime, the Russian security forces were conducting extra surveillance on him even beyond their already-infamous norm. And overall, on <u>Stranger in Moscow</u> Jackson partially comes off like a celebrity who wishes he could shed his fame. Using Russia as an example, he's tired of people always being up in his face wherever he goes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">And remember, once again, that the music video to this song was filmed in Los Angeles. So ultimately the phrase "stranger in Moscow" can be interpreted as allegorical language, as in the way Michael felt everywhere he goes. This was an individual who, as ironic as it may sound, suffered from intense loneliness. Indeed according to his own words he used to go out at night and randomly approach people in L.A., <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_Moscow#Music_video" target="_blank">looking for a friend</a>. And with that being said, take a moment to imagine walking down the street and some pinkish-looking Black dude with like relaxed Jheri curls, indeed Michael Jackson himself, suddenly steps to you, trying to spark a random conversation. You'd probably be left speechless, no pun intended.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">So analysts of this song who look past its geographical origins understand that MJ was singing of his overall mental/social state at the time. He had indeed experienced a "swift and sudden fall from grace" which had left him perturbed. Or perhaps another way of looking at it is that, despite how many fans Michael may have had, he felt as if the world had turned on him in a way. But at the end of the day, at least we can say that he got a dope song out of it.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>CHART PERFORMANCE</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span><u>Stranger in Moscow</u> made it onto the <i>Billbaord Hot 100</i> yet only peaked at number 91. To put that into perspective, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_Moscow#Charts" target="_blank">that's the lowest</a> any Michael Jackson song which ever appeared on the Hot 100 has ever charted. But it did reach number 50 on Billbaord's <i>Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs</i> chart.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>But more importantly, <u>Stranger in Moscow</u> did manage to top the charts in the Czech Republic, Italy and Spain. Additionally it made it all the way up to number four on the <i>UK Singles Chart</i> and charted <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_Moscow#Charts" target="_blank">in over 20 countries</a> overall. It also re-charted in handful of European countries in 2006 (again reaching number one in Spain) and in 2009, in the latter case presumably after MJ's passing. But it didn't sell a gazillion copies like some of his other hits. And perhaps in this particular instance that wasn't necessarily his goal.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>But that being said, as implied earlier the negative press he was receiving affected its performance. So it's pretty amazing that it still did as well as it did, proving that verily it is a quality track and that at the end of the day the Moonwalker was a force that couldn't be denied. Indeed <u>HIStory</u> itself sold in excess of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HIStory:_Past,_Present_and_Future,_Book_I" target="_blank">20,000,000 copies</a>.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pEEMi2j6lYE" width="320" youtube-src-id="pEEMi2j6lYE"></iframe><span> <br /></span></span></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>THE VIDEO</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>I had to give another shoutout to the music video because now that I think about it, it's my favorite Michael Jackson. The audio and visual combine to tell a comprehensive, easy-to-follow story, and even to this day I would say the aesthetics are beautiful. This track has stood the test of time better than most of Michael's bigger hits. And here's an interesting fact - the slow motion they used in it <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stranger_in_Moscow#Music_video">is said to be</a> a technological predecessor to the <i>bullet-time effect</i> used in <u>The Matrix</u> (1999). <br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>CONCLUSION</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>I sympathize with what Michael Jackson was going through when he came out with <u>Stranger in Moscow</u>. No, I'm not trying to insinuate that I know how it feels to have thousands upon thousands fans, unlimited dough and still be lonely. But one thing this song helped me realize is that chronic loneliness is chronic loneliness, no matter who is suffering from it.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/01/gettyimages-88775857-2000.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://static.onecms.io/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2019/01/gettyimages-88775857-2000.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Michael Jackson chillin' with one of his homeys, Hollywood child actor<br /><b>Macauley Culkin</b>. It was pretty obvious that Michael was not comfortable<br />in his natural skin which may have logically, in various ways,<br />contributed to his loneliness.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span>Indeed as the old saying goes, "it's lonely at the top". And truth by told MJ was too rich and famous to be hanging out with other Black celebrities. In fact I would say that was part of the reason he tried to make himself White, because his success had reached a point where he could no longer identify with his own people, so to speak. But maybe, just maybe he should have tried a little harder. After all, you can't spend all of your time hanging out with like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/26/michael-jackson-family-friends" target="_blank">Elizabeth Taylor</a> and <a href="https://ew.com/celebrity/2019/01/16/macaulay-culkin-michael-jackson-friendship/" target="_blank">Macauley Culkin</a> and sh*t. So conclusively, I guess if there's one ultimate lesson to be learned from <u>Stranger in Moscow</u> it's that even enviable success has its disadvantages. </span><br /></p>Malcolm Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00911537148908255784noreply@blogger.com0