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narancias-headband · 2 months

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A big announcement...

Hi everyone! Very long time, no see.

I've gone through and cleaned things up around here a good bit, deleting old posts and fixing up my masterlist again. You might have seen some posts as I fix things up around here.

But the short and sweet version of this post is...

I'm coming back to this blog!!

It's going to be a decent bit different than before, but I do want to write and share my thoughts with you all again. :)

An important note! I will no longer taking 'requests', but I'd love some inspiration from everyone! I'm not going to hold myself to write anything that doesn't seem right for me. Feel free to send in requests/ideas for inspiration, and please do not be offended if I never get to them! I promise, I'm not judging! Some brief rules on what to ask for are here in my pinned post (they're mostly the same as before haha).

A very LONG rambling update under the cut for anyone wondering what in the world I've been up to.

So... A lot has changed in the past few years here... It's been like a year since y'all have heard from me... Mainly, my hyperfixation on JoJo's went away for a while. So that's my brain's fault haha. I've done this a few times with a few blogs, so I guess I was expecting to drop it sooner or later. What I didn't expect was how much I miss this blog (believe me, I have no regrets on my old blog deaths).

I've been watching JoJo's with a dear friend of mine lately, and the need to write has been stirring again. And then we hit Part 5... My brain was shifted back into fanfic mode instantly. I saw Formaggio and remembered my dear husband. I went and read through so much of my old stuff and remembered how much fun I used to have writing. I'm already working on a few new things, and a few old things, but I'm in no rush.

Which relates to some of the changes I'm hoping to make here. In all honesty, I did a lot here for the attention of people and the approval of the fandom. And that is not sustainable! No wonder I had writing burnout so much... I'm not planning to take as many requests anymore, and I will be much more focused on creating things that make me happy than anything else. Hopefully others enjoy it anyway :)

So... What have I been up to? My life has been taking lots of unexpected twists and turns. My, not entirely intentional, unemployment has opened up some free time to get back to things I enjoy. And I will never let a job take over my life like that again. Good news is, I'm working on my mental health and I finally feel creative again! I want to write and draw and think and I actually have the energy for it!

I've been very lost in the awful job market lately, and being at home alone all day isn't the most thrilling, but even just the minor things I've been doing behind the scenes on this blog have made me feel great. It's a bit more fulfilling than just playing Fortnite all day 😅

And me? I've grown up a lot lately. Working through mental issues, focusing on myself and my happiness, making changes for the better. Which is the main reason I really want to come back! This blog made me so happy and that's my main goal lately. I'm back into JJBA hardcore, I've become a Fortnite kid, and my love of Pokémon has come back in full force. And I have a new pretty gaming PC to sit and write at and the more I use it the more it's worth the $1500 I spent on it.

Oh, and one last thing... For better or worse, I've pretty much ended up a functional stoner. 😅 Probably expect more headcanons about getting high with diff characters that will be way better than the goofy ones I wrote way back when.

#i wanted to boop a bunch of people to signal my return but my dumbass didn't realize it was an april fools thing oof #to the one person i booped ily lmao #anyway... hello again everyone! glad to be back :)#ill probably reblog this tomorrow cuz im posting late woof

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potatojayjams · 2 years

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Me ranting about She-Hulk

Hello, so bit different from my usual things here, but recently I have watched She-Hulk Attorney At Law and as such I have went on a deep dive into most articles written about the show. (Mainly because I didn't want to do school work). There was a pattern to the ones that I read, so I'd like to bring it up. I read around a dozen all by different sources, but for sake of not writing an entire essay I have chosen four.

The first one I chose talks about how "...should be comedy gold, and that is what this sitcom strives to be..." now it may just be me but She-Hulk was not intended to be a sitcom, even the genre of the show has no mention of it being a sitcom. It has some comedy elements that don't really hit the target most times. Now later in the article they say that the legal scenarios are 'creative' enough to carry an episode. It may just be me but I didn't really feel like the cases that were taken on were the primary focus of the show, instead the main focus felt more like the things that Jennifer struggled with being the main theme. As she somewhat struggles with the whole law thing and the fact that she is in a newer law firm she wouldn't have may clients so not as much time in a courtroom. If you're looking for a more law centred TV show from Marvel, I would say Daredevil.

Second one is more of the author having a rant about how it is a 'terrible TV show'. Also the author talking about how the men in the show are portrayed. If you've watched the show, you'd know that the men aren't the main focus, because it follows the struggles that She-Hulk has to face as a woman superhero. They also say, "They might has well have called the show, Lawyer-Lady: How Men Suck and Women Rule." now in this they also spell Lawyer wrong which well... But that's not the point, the point is that the show follows how hard it is for a women to live in the world. It is more centred around how women are treated in this day and age, like the villains are literary a group of men that are angry that Jennifer got powers and they didn't, because they think that they deserve powers and Jennifer does not. In every episode you see how women are treated in the world, with catcalling, harassment, etc. I would argue that this is one of the main themes of the show, bringing attention of the hate that women superhero's get just because some men think that they should have been the ones to get those powers. Now before this the person decides to talk about how the latest line of Marvel TV shows and Movies have 'failed'. Mentioning how 'forgettable' Loki is, how Ms Marvel has been shoved to the 'bottom of the dumpster' and how Moon Knight was a 'try-hard failure'. Okay, Loki was decent to say the least, the story line was good but the self-cest was ew. I liked Ms Marvel it was good how they showed a different culture, instead of the-dead-parents-white-person gets powers type. Moon Knight I loved, how they showed mental illness, them showing more than black and white descriptions of gods. It was like gold for me, top of my Marvel watches. Holy cheese balls, “Like what is Megan Thee Stallion; Some kind of super-powered horse in the MCU? No, it’s a rapper! And a terrible one at that.” Tell me you haven’t been outside in years without telling me.

Now this is me done with these two articles, I'll link all of them below, but for now can you guess who wrote these ones? Both were written by men. To no ones surprise there. Now onto the ones that were written by women, who managed to see the whole point of the show.

Both the ones by women talk about the main theme of the show, how the show is focused on those of a woman; the hate that she faces as a superhero because she is a woman, online dating, etc. The show dives head first into the misogyny that is in the Marvel fandom. It shows the struggles of what women in our world go through, it's more realistic than most. That's the main reason that I enjoyed it, as a girl in this world I've seen first hand the world we live in, now I could go on a rant about the things in the real world (I've already written an essay on it) but this is not what this is about. Now the ones by women explain this way better than I could ever, so please feel free to look at them. 🐝

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extorchic · 3 years

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TOP 5 SK8 Episodes

So I got tagged by @akira-cr to make this list, it took some time but I think I've sorted out my mind, thank you for considering me 😊. Now here comes the list, sorry if it's supposd to be objective, but I'm gonna let my heart out over here (It's gonna be a long post and I'm not gonna cut it ):

NUMBER 5 - Episode 6 - Steamy Mystery Skating?! (A.K.A. The beach episode 🏊‍♂️)

Well this is supposed to be "breather" episode, and it's basically the one that sold the series to me. I like how fun and chill this episode is, although it does (further) foreshadow Reki's insecurity issues. The music is of course SUBLIME! "Seize the Moment" is probably my favorite insert song of all time! (it's been present in Reki's beefs as well, but here it really reflects the fun nature of his character and the show overall). And of coruse, FANSERVICE, not so much in how the boys were in swimsuits (though I gotta admit Reki does look good in them), but on the RENGA interactions!

That hug gave me life! How Langa was worried 24/7 about Reki being injured, at the end when they skated together to escape from the Bantu! I gotta admit that I have some mixed feelings about the implications of Reki being attracted to the faceless girl (I mean, Bi rep is very important too), but I guess my shipping side was just as jelaous as Langa was supposed to be (according to the fans LOL).

NUMBER 4 - Episode 11 - King vs. Nobody (A.K.A. Reki rising! ✨🌺🌞⚙️)

Reki is, without a doubt, my favorite character. He doesn't need to win, he doesn't need to be super flashy while skating, he just needs to be himself. He's been through a lot, many people (including me) have felt tremendously related to him, and seeing him in this episode is just satisfying. With his issues behind, with a promise to skate with Langa after he wins and no longer fearful, Reki rematches against Adam; and the way he does is fantastic! Taking advantage of his creativity, observative skills and mechanical knowledge on skateboarding, he faces up against the main boss and manages to not only endure his violent ways (which were gruelling to see, TBH), but also SOUNDLY HUMILIATE HIM in front of the whole S Community!

Yes, Adam, the "God of S", in the ground covered in mud by a boy almost everyone dissmissed! It was really sunshine through rainfall! I must also add how much I liked to see his renewed relationship with Langa, how much they treasure their company after patching up. I want to elaborate on this in its own post but I personally see that their interactions from this point on are more, I don't know, tender, caring, still playful but not in an entirely comedic way. The way they see each other is also deeper, anyway, it's just what I see.

NUMBER 3 - A DRAW: Episode 8 - The Fated Tournament! and Episode 9 - We Were Special Back Then (A.K.A. The month in which I was in an emotional crisis because of anime sk8t3r b0is 🍎🐍😭🛹❄🍵🌸 )

This is the point in which I got into the show, and the fandom (Yeah, haven't been around for too long). At this point the show wasn't the same, and I realized it when I caught up. Though there were some cool skating scenes in these episodes, the events that caught my attention were outside the road (Yeah, this was no longer just a skateboard anime, it's a whole lot more). Though I had been mainly focusing on Reki and Langa, I really liked having more backstory related to Joe, Cherry, Adam and Tadashi. Seeing how Adam went through a terrible childhood, convoluted teeange years to culminate in an adult with too much power for his own good and a twisted sense of "love", along with some extremely serious psychological issues was very interesting.

I acknowldge him as a complex villain, but that DOES NOT justify what he did to Cherry. This only proves that just because we know his backstory, we don't have to sympathize with him (Adam's just such a terrible person). On the RENGA side, we see Reki avoiding Langa after their rift, and how this affected both. We have Langa's sadness increase scene after scene, as well as his passion for skating dwindling as progressively. Reki on the other hand, just falls deeper and deeper in his depression, but also being unable to stop thinking about Langa, and he ends up going to S to see the latter's match against Joe. It's hard to see whether there's envy, jelaousness, frustration, admiration, pining or fear of being left behind in his mind. It must have been hard for a 17 y/o.

Reki also defends Langa from people speaking behind his back and shouting his name during the race boosts Langa's performance tremendously. This culminates on Reki realizing that the thing he actually wanted was to skate alongside Langa, not on the side, not as support, but together, he just couldn't. There's also the scene which may or may not confirm that Langa's feelings for Reki are more than just friendship! (Felt represented, for reals).

NUMBER 2 - Episode 7 - We Don't Balance Out (A.K.A. This was supposed to be a fun show!😭⛈️💔️)

I wrote a lot about the episodes in the previous spot, but this is the one that flipped the tables, the game-changer, and the one that hit closer home. It is a sad episode, no races there, it's just here for us to see how the circumstances affect the characters. It was hard to see how Reki, who at this point had been nothing but supportive and proud of Langa, starts to see him flying farther from him. Is it jealousness? Dissatisfaction? Is it fear of loneliness? Adbandoment issues? Is it feeling inferior? Frustration? Not being able to improve? Admiration? Care?

And on top of that a broken promise. I just can't imagine how hard is it for a 17 y/o to deal with all of those conflicting issues in his head, as well as the toxic competitive environment on the "S Community". This just came to show that he wasn't just the excitable, goofy sidekick character, he goes deeper than that, and makes him relatable. We also see a deconstruction of the cool, aloof prodigious character in Langa, as he just can't comprehend what's going on with Reki, and he's hurt by it, but still needs to figure out his own ambitions and desries. This leads to the emotional conclusion of the episode (which in turn left me in the aforementioned 4-week-long emotional crisis, thank you)

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Episode 12 - Our Infinity! - The race was cool, the Renga hug gave me life and everyone had a happy ending

Episode 5 - Passionate Dancing Night! - Despite the beef between Langa and Adam being cool, we start to see Reki worrying about Langa and opening up to him, further deepening their bond.

Episode 2 - Awesome for the First Time! - There's just something special about sharing something you're passionate about with someone else. Watching Reki teaching Langa the basics of skateboarding was heartwarming

NUMBER 1 - Episode 10 - DAP Not Needing Words

After 4 weeks waiting, the anticipation for this episode was gargantuan. Reki's depression was hitting its lowest point, bordering in self-harm, and hurting others as well. Langa continues to look for Reki after seeing him briefly at the hospital while visiting Shadow and we get to see this loving scene where he watches videos of Reki learining how to skate. After confronting Tadashi and realizing that he loves skating because it's fun, he returns home to find out that Langa had been waiting for him but left shortly before he arrived.

This leads to a heartful reunion, where words can't express their feelings, so they resort to do their thing, to skate, and that's where the feelings flow. This is when Langa tells Reki how he admires him tremendously and Reki understands that Langa'll be there by his side, and leaves his fears behind. With a mutual desire to skate together infinetely and a new dap, they rekindle their bond. People watched this show for different reasons, and though I like the skateboarding aspect because it looks cool, my interest leans more on the relationship aspect, and Reki and Langa's is so deep and intimate, and I liked seeing it grow from zero through different hardships (in other words, in all of the years I've been in a fandom, I had never shipped any other pair like these two, I needed to say that).

So I guess it's time to tag some people:

@pico-sour, @sleebycryptid, @elizabethslee, @itsamole, @kaorucherry, @blueflame97, @trieizieme, @tardiskitten, @lady-pendragon-9

So, if you've read until this point, thank you very much (I know it's not supposed to, but this post is yet again a very long "I love Renga" one, but it's what my heart wanted me to write 😅). I'd love to see people other than the ones I tagged showing their lists 😃

#sk8 the infinity #sk8 #sk8 reki #reki kyan #sk8 langa #langa hasegawa #sk8 renga #renga #lanreki #rekilan #top 5 #sk_8

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epen409 · 5 years

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My Top 18 Favorite Movies, TV Shows and/or Cartoons of 2018 (in no particular order) Part Dos

10. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Ignore the neckbeards who have nothing better to do, so they complain about reboots of cartoons from the quote on quote "golden age of animation, the 80's". She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is a really great show, that yes, is better than the original 80's show. It's able to create a more fun and engaging story, while also having a lot of memorable and likable characters. It also has a theme that I found very interesting, where the villains aren't born evil, they are just misled in the wrong direction and don't truly know wrong from right. It's quite a bold theme for the show. If there is a kind of big flaw, the animation is a little wonky. Some shots and scenes look great, while others are very easy to see where the animation mistakes are. That said, it's still a great show that takes advantage of all of it's fun and interesting characters, and brings them together in a new show that blows its predecessor out of the water. And yes, LGBT fans. It's very, very gay.

11. Spider-Man Into the Spider verse

What a comeback story. Who would have thought that the studio that made the whole world of animation cry last year would end up making the best animated film of the year? But anyways, Spider-Man into the Spiderverse is not only able to live up to all the hype it's been getting for the past year, but it also blew our expectations away. First of all, it looks GORGEOUS. It's able to make a visual style that's not only very beautiful and interesting, but it also happens to create a loving tribute to the original medium of comic books. Second, they put just as much effort in the story as they did with the visuals, which is not only a very fun superhero film, but also manages to be a very engaging emotional story as well, with lots of fun, interesting and memorable characters as well. If there is something to say isn't perfect, I did notice at least one plot hole that left me a bit confused, and they kind of blew the wad for putting in a few too many characters, where, while fun and memorable, don't have that much screen time and don't leave as big of an impression as the main characters. But still, it's one of the year's best movies, so go watch it NOW!

12. Flcl Progressive and Alternative

The first anime I ever saw was FLCL. It was insane, had gorgeous animation, memorable characters and I loved every minute of it. Do its sequel series' live up to the original's legacy. Well, let me put it this way. I very much enjoyed both shows, equally too. I thought they were very fun shows, and their themes, while sometimes a little hit-and-miss, still got their points across, the new characters were very fun and memorable, and the action scenes were also animated very well. With all that said, they still don't hold a candle to the original show. But that's okay, because I imagine it'd be very hard to. I still think that both of these new shows were very good, and although not as great as the original FLCL, was still lots of fun, and somewhat worthy successors to one of the greatest animas of all time. I still recommend both, since they still were good in my opinion.

13. Hilda

Miss Gravity Falls and Over the Garden Wall? Then have I got the show for you. Hilda is a great show from Netflix that manages to capture the spirits of both those shows, but also having its own identity and voice. One thing I appreciate about the show is that not only can it be calm and laid back in more character and establishing moments, but it also can be equally as exciting and fun for its more adventurous and action scenes. The characters are all very charming. Hilda is a free-spirited and adventurous young girl, but she's not a pushover or overly cheery either. Her friends both regular and supernatural, can sometimes fall into familiar tropes, but also are very fun and enjoyable to watch. (Alfie's my favorite). It's a great show to watch, especially on days you want to cozy up with a cup of hot liquids of some kind, and take it all in. It's a great show, and I highly recommend giving it a watch.

14. Christopher Robin

I missed Winnie the Pooh. Yes, an 18-year old male misses the adventures of a talking teddy bear. Deal with it. But anyways, for a while it seemed that Disney had somewhat given up on the bear with little brains, but they've given him another chance with this new film, but this time, mainly focusing on his human friend, Christopher Robin. One thing this movie gets right is the feeling of Winnie the Pooh. Pooh has never been known for incredibly convoluted stories, just mainly simple tales that it's colorful cast of characters can bounce off of, and this movie nails that feeling down. It's also close to the original cast of characters, since deviating away from their personalities would be considered a form of blasphemy. Also, the performances here are great too. Evan McGregor makes a surprisingly good Christopher Robin, Hayley Atwell is charming as his wife, the girl who played their daughter was pretty good too, and of course, our friends from the 100 Acre Woods are played very well by the new cast, especially the one and only Jim Cummings, the only modern voice for both Pooh and Tigger. Now it does have flaws, like the story is kind of the typical "Dad's too busy for the kids", and although I've grown to like it over time, but sometimes it got a little too dramatic for some scenes, and at time Christopher Robin himself came off a bit as whiny and unlikable in some scenes. With that said, it's very easy to see that the whole film is a big love letter to Winnie the Pooh. No, it's not the best movie of the year, Or anything like that, but if you want a nice, enjoyable and cute movie to watch, then Christopher Robin is the perfect film to watch.

15. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

I'll break my rule just this once to include a video game here. Super Smash Bros Ultimate was the biggest game from Nintendo this holiday season, and boy did it deliver. The last Smash Bros. game, was lots of fun, with it bringing all of our favorite (popular) video game characters together for a huge brawl. This next one, takes it up to 11. One thing I walkways admired from the games is that it's not the world's most complicated fighter game, while also still being oodles of fun. Only one big flaw: no Waluigi. Nah, just kidding. It's a great game, and a great farewell to the world of Smash from it's director, Masahiro Sakurai.

16. The Dragon Prince

Here's another show that didn't get that much attention on Netflix, The Dragon Prince. Made by the head writer from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and the creator of the Uncharted games, comes a massive fantasy epic focusing on the Battle between humans and fantasy creatures like elves and dragons. One thing I really love about this show is just how complex the characters and their morals are. It's a show that takes a lot of advantage from this theme. It's also filled with lots of fun, yet also very interesting characters. You will probably get attached to them by the end of the show, which may break some hearts too... But yeah, might as well address the elephant in the room, the animation. In fact, I do think that maybe the reason it didn't immediately catch on was because a lot of people were turned off by the animation style. But I still recommend it and ask that you give it a chance, because not only was it lots of fun, and very interesting, but the story and characters help redeem the animation, plus it does improve itself over time. Please, please, please give The Dragon Prince a chance, it's a great show.

17. Ralph Breaks the Internet

Don't worry. It's not another Emoji Movie. Ralph Breaks the Internet is not only a worthy successor to the original film, but it also manages to expand a lot on the heart from the original. This time, instead of arcade games, it plucks our characters into the Internet, and unlike the Emoji Movie, manages to make more clever and creative ideas while being on the Internet. And yeah, maybe the scene when Vanellope visits the Disney website might be Disney patting themselves on the back a little too hard, but it's still a very funny and enjoyable scene that also helps move the plot forward. But one thing the movie was amazing at was expanding on its characters and their development. It even manages to avoid the typical happy ending, which, without spoiling anything, actually makes a change in the characters lives. If there is a flaw, like I said, it's 10 times better than the Emoji Movie, but I will admit, between the cameos from Youtubers and the one scene where Ralph becomes a meme, did kind of make me roll my eyes, but thankfully, unlike the Emoji movie, it doesn't dwell too much on these scenes all that much, and knows when to move the plot forward in the right direction. I still say it's a worthy sequel that's worth your time.

Also, Yesss is my new waifu.

18. Mary Poppins Returns

Here's one of the few live-action Disney films in recent years, I feel are very worthy to the legacy of their original film. Mary Poppins Returns is just a complete and utter joy of a film, not unlike the original classic. The performance of Emily Blunt as the titular nanny is a worthy successor the original by Julie Andrews, and character in general. Lin Manuel-Miranda not only does a great job in continuing the spirit of Dick Van Dyke from the first film, but also in writing a plethora of great songs that are amazingly performed and choreographed by the cast, while also giving tribute to the Sherman Brother's original songs. Even the kids, who I kind expected to get on my nerves, are actually pretty likable and fun, and are given, eh passable performances by their actors and actress. The animation sequence brought a tear to my eye, not only because it was lots of fun, but because I'm just happy to beautiful 2D Disney animation on the big screen again. If there is some flaws, yeah, the story is yet another Dad needs to spend more time with kids plot again, and it does bring some more action/suspenseful moments that I don't feel are completely in spirit to the original film's more laid back tone. But regardless, it's an overall great and very charming new film from Disney, and although I would like them to try doing some more original stuff with their live-action movies, I hope can keep the spirit of both this film,and a lot of the classic live-action Disney movies (like the original Mary Poppins, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island, Darby O' Gill, Swiss Family Robinson and some others you guys probably never heard of).

So that's about it. Thank you all for sticking around listening to me talk about all these Movies and TV shows are worth remembering from this year, and there's a lot I'm excited for next year, and I hope that this next year can be an improvement, with more kindness and joy from the world and from people. Yeah, it's wishful thinking, but it's not a bad wish to have. Thank you all for supporting this page for the last year,and I'LL see ya in 2019!

#she ra #spider man into the spider verse #hilda #Super Smash Bros. Ultimate #flcl alternative #flcl 2 #Christopher Robin #The Dragon Prince #ralph breaks the internet #Mary Poppins Returns

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thelocalshooter · 4 years

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The Local Shooter Vs. Quan Draper

(LS) Hello thank you being apart of this great come up can we go ahead and start by introducing yourself for those who don’t know you? Who are you? Where are you from and what do you do?

(QD) What's good! My name is Quan Draper. I'm an artist and entrepreneur from Iowa - born and raised in Sioux City. I graduated from Iowa State University in May '18, but I been in the music game since before I even went to college.

(LS) How do you think music affected your life? What was your first memory you remember where you knew that music would be your passion?

(QD) Music's always resonated with me especially as a young half black / half white kid. Music is woven through sports, TV, film, etc and it shaped who I wanted to be. Music affords me the opportunity to influence people and relate to them without having to get to know them. I'm able to entertain, inspire, empathize, and educate people by using my creativity and my taste. Some of my first memories of music stem from early memories of my father. Having looked up to him as my primary role model, I looked forward to him picking me up from daycare and after school activities with his 22" rims blastin' hip hop through his speakers. He's a hip hop head so my preference for bars comes directly from him. Since I could remember, music was important for me and it was always a passion. As a kid though, I was encouraged to do some other things that I was good at - mainly academics. It got me a full ride to college, but I knew music would prevail for me because I was always writing music - in class, in traffic, at home. That type of consistency spoke to how much I loved it and it drove me to take my career seriously as I got my bag up.

(LS) You have a couple projects out of major platforms right now, with lovely being your most recent release what’s your next move? What’s in the works right now for Quan?

(QD) I have a lot of music in the vault, I just have to prepare them for release! I wanna drop a couple visuals, a couple EPs, and a lot of singles to really establish myself with my core fans. I gotta be more invested in giving them content and being visible.

(LS) What are you goals as a musician are you looking to get signed eventually if so what would be the top three label you would want offers from or are you better of being independent?

(QD) I'm honestly not looking for a deal right now. I believe in my skills as an entrepreneur so I don't see myself needing to work with a major unless they could solve a problem that I couldn't solve myself like radio play or securing a direct support slot on a major tour which could benefit me greatly. Most production can be done without a label's backing, you just have to get on the phone or get in the DMs of the right people and take action. It's cliché, but life really is what you make it. Nobody will pickup the phone and give you opportunities. You have to earn them and you have to ask for what you want.

(LS) When it comes to your creative process are you picky about your studio? The time? The people or are you one of those who can literally put a mic in the center of the room and get things done?

(QD) I'm particular, yes, but I'm all about working with what you have. You can successfully record at home, on the road in a hotel room, at a recording studio, or anywhere. It depends on context though.

(LS) Who are some artist you look forward to working locally or even out of state? Do you look for certain something in the artist you work with or how does that work?

(QD) Features goin up in 2020 for sure. Psychedelic Sidekick, Zypher, and iswearimjoey from my city are all dope as fuck. Marc J as well. I'm good friends with Norman from Ames, Iowa. We got a solid rapport. And there are a couple guys out of Omaha that are nice, too - BODA and K Sean. I pay attention to how guys move and if they're forward thinking. I wanna link with guys who are building short term and long term. It's not easy or cheap to move like a boss, but I refuse to work with anybody who moves like an employee. I can hire for that, I need partnership.

(LS) As far as local talent how do you think you place? Do you find your friendly locals to be more of competition or just peers?

(QD) I'm not gonna compare because everyone has their own lens on it, but I know I'm top tier talent-wise globally. I'm not even thinking locally. I haven't proven myself completely, but I can compete with anybody when it comes to this music shit. I'm comin from all angles - merch, visuals, projects, singles, and at some point short films and a youtube show, etc. It's all in the works, I just need time. We're peers though. They wouldn't fuck with me on a competitive standpoint. I don't think they have any incentive to make that sort of choice.

(LS) You have visuals out for “QB1” already do you plan on doing any more for any other singles this year or is your focus more on the tracks for now?

(QD) Visuals are a toppppp priority. I got a few concepts I'm ready to shoot with my guy Devin Phaly. Hardest working guy I know! Very grateful to work with him. He pushes me to be great and not just good at my craft. We'll do at least 3 more videos this year, maybe 4 if I can build momentum.

(LS) As you’ve grown and traveled through the journey of making music what’s one valuable lesson you learned going through it that you carry with yourself through the rest of the journey?

(QD) I think trusting the process and commitment to your definite chief aim is mission critical. I've learned that you don't get better at making songs unless you make more songs. It's easy to set long term goals. It's a challenge to stay committed when you aren't seeing results. Detaching from results and focusing on what you control can really drive productivity and quality up because you're harnessing your energy in the right place - the product. That's what lasts. That's what people remember. Not the cover, not marketing, but the song itself. I've made a commitment to myself that I'll chase this dream and I'll make the necessary sacrifices to see it through.

(LS) Thank you again for being apart of this great come up, anything else you’d like to let the fans and viewers know about what you got going on or any links you’d like to drop where they can listen to your music? Should we keep our eyes open for anything else coming this 2020?

(QD) Add me on every platform - Quan Draper or @quandraper. I'll have more everything out in 2020, but specifically be ready for content in all forms. Thank you for having me! I gotta do this again soon. I appreciate your time!

The Local Shooter Vs. Quan Draper

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