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jezfletcher · 3 years

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1000 Albums, 2020: Top Tracks #25-1

Following on from Part 1 of my Top 50 tracks, here are the very top tracks I loved this year. It's been a terrible year, of course, but there has been some truly excellent music released. Read on. />

25. rook&nomie - soft atrocity (hyperpop)

me&you by rook&nomie

Once I fell in love with the music of Ada Rook earlier in the year, I sought out her other work—and being the prolific artist she is, there were several more releases that fell within the ambit of the 2020 music project. This is a beautiful bit of off-kilter pop, complete with synthpop bubblegum riffs and a combination of softly, sweetly sung lyrics and harsh screams. It’s a killer combination.

24. Will Joseph Cook - Something To Feel Good About (indie pop)

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Will Joseph Cook has a kind of effortless charm in writing enjoyable pop tracks, and this is the top effort from his (very late) 2020 effort. This is a pleasantly two-gear track, with almost a soft adult-contemporary verse, that somehow ratchets up the energy in the chorus to make you want to groove. It’s a catchy, very agreeable track.

23. Courteeners - Better Man (britpop)

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A beautiful piece of oldskool rock n roll, imbued with the melancholy of 90s and 00s indie rock. It makes it feel undeniably modern, despite the fact that all of its influences are at least 20 years old. Courteeners have provided some excellent music this year, but this track is the best. “I’m trying to be a better man/Whatever that is”. Aren’t we all?

22. MOBS - School’s Out (80s pastiche pop)

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A really fun bit of pop from Australian outfit MOBS, who are really leaning into the 80s-ness of modern synthpop. This has exactly the synth set you might expect from a 1988 boy band, delivered with a danceable energy that almost makes you visualise the terrible, terrible video clip that would accompany it. But it’s unashamed about what it is—and the energy it brings as a result is great. My only concern with this song (the better of the two MOBS songs on my wider list here) is that unlike Big World, it doesn’t have a horn section. And really, that’s a criminal oversight.

21. Luis Pestana - Sangra (experimental electronica)

Rosa Pano by Luis Pestana

A great, evocative and unnerving piece of music, working through highly edited plainchant, fuzzy noise and a repeated motif of chiming bells. This whole album from Luis Pestana was an outstanding collection of music, but this is the piece of music which first made me realise how momentous it was.

20. Hugo Kant - High Gravity (downtempo nu-jazz)

Far From Home by Hugo Kant

Hugo Kant is an artist that really came from nowhere for me this year (well, not nowhere: I found it on Bandcamp’s weekly “releases you might like” list), but his brim-filled November album was a clear stand-out, and took out my #4 Album of the Year. This is the top song from it, a plunderphonic downtempo soundscape that matches a complex syncopated rhythm to a menacing bassline with jazz flute twiddles over the top. Who doesn’t like that?

19. The Flaming Lips - Mother I’ve Taken LSD (psychedelic rock)

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The Flaming Lips’ 2020 album was the best of their music I think I’ve ever heard. This song nicely captures what was so good about it. It has an almost orchestral trajectory to it, evoking a sense of longing and disassociation perfectly for its psychedelic roots. But the overall effect is not mind-opening, but melancholy and introspective. It’s a great piece of music.

18. eleventyseven - Battlecats (synthpop punk)

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I really love this track, but it’s undeniably very stupid. As an exercise, it seems to be trying to cram in as many pop culture references as it can. The cynic in me would love to write it off in the way I wrote off Ready Player One, but there’s something undeniably playful and satirical about it. Couple this with a genuine punk energy—filtered through many layers of synths—and you get a song that’s genuinely a huge, huge amount of fun. It’s certainly enough for me to forget that eleventyseven used to be a purely Christian rock band. We all develop over time, don’t we?

17. Igorrr - Lost in Introspection (baroque breakcore)

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Igorrr is an absolutely ridiculous artist who in a perfect world would be shunned like a medieval circus freak. But somehow, his bizarre mix of baroque chamber music, thrashing breakcore beats and operatic vocal lines can absolutely take you on a musical journey. Never is this clearer in the jagged, unnerving Lost in Introspection, which pinballs between overdriven guitar, concert piano, tremolo-laden vocals, all with a constantly shifting meter. You can never predict where it’s going. Even as I’ve heard it about 20-30 times this year it still manages to surprise me.

16. Polly Scattergood - In This Moment (spoken word triphop)

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There’s something to this track which reminds me a lot of the great Kae Tempest. Scattergood doesn’t spit truth in the same way, but there’s definitely something poetic to her softly delivered spoken word lyrics, while an almost industrial triphop gives a dark synthwave atmosphere underneath. Even better is the way it builds across the track—it gets more urgent, darker, louder, more immediate. Excellent stuff and absolutely the standout from Scattergood’s album.

15. Dent May - Hotel Stationery (indie fuzzpop)

Late Checkout by Dent May

I don’t make up these genres by the way (a lie: I make up a huge number of these genres, but I didn’t make up “fuzzpop”). What is fuzzpop? I still don’t really know, but this is quite a folkish tune, downtempo and melodic, but incorporating some of the more atmospheric ideas of dreampop and folktronica. There’s something hauntingly beautiful about the melody here, coupled with some touchingly banal lines of lyrics (it opens “I’m writing you a note/On hotel stationery/Just to let you know/You’re extraordinary”, which requires some pleasingly acrobatic scansion). It’s definitely one of the melodies of this year’s music project which I get in my head a lot. That’s certainly the kind of thing which can propel a song quite high in this list.

14. Another Sky - Fell In Love With The City (indie prog rock)

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A hauntingly beautiful piece of rock, it’s atmospherically created with glissing guitar riff and lead singer Catrin Vincent’s ethereal vocals. She has a beautifully androgynous quality to her voice, jumping between upper tenor and soaring soprano, and it’s mesmerising instrument to put with this captivating piece of music. I love this piece of music and it absolutely elevated the whole album.

13. Lola Marsh - Like In The Movies (Israeli pop rock)

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Not the last Lola Marsh we’ll see in this list, which gives you an indication why this album ended up my #5 album of the year. This is a beautifully put together bit of soft, dreamy rock. Underneath everything it has this gently pulsating bass that grooves back and forward, end which eventually leads to a surprisingly exultant climax, perfectly matched with a swell of strings. It’s a great bit of music.

12. Ada Rook - Reverie (JH Ligation Experiment 1) (breakbeat electropop)

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There’s a shudder in this track everytime the overdriven bass thumps the first beat of each bar, it absolutely drives the music forward, but captures perfectly the anguish and anger of this song thematically. This is coupled with industrial synths, beautifully edited vocals which showcase both Rook’s vocal delicateness and her heartfelt screams (an absolute trademark of the artist). This was my favourite track from Rook’s 2,020 Knives, my #1 album of the year, and more than anything it encapsulates everything I loved about that extraordinary collection of music.

11. Trixie Mattel - Video Games (country folk cover)

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My favourite Drag Race alumna Trixie Mattel had a whole album of music this year, which included the excellent Malibu. But her top track was this surprise cover of Lana Del Rey, done with a wonderfully atmospheric outlaw country vibe. Trixie’s sweetly clear vocals reverberate beautifully over her ubiquitous autoharp, midnight dark whistling, and subtle tympanies drawing out a sense of dark drama from the song. As far as I’m concerned, this is now the canonical version of this song—it has more atmosphere and more emotion than the original.

10. KES - Na let go / (when ah) Jamdong / (with d) Boss Lady (soca)

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I’ve spent some amount of effort in the music project trying to find the particular brand of reggae that I like. It’s something that I feel should exist—upbeat, but still chilled, danceable with island rhythms. Dancehall gets a bit closer, but still isn’t quite in the sweet spot. It turns out, what I was looking for all this time was Trinidadian soca. This has calypso rhythms done with a punchy dancehall drive, and a Latin horn section to really exalt the mood. I realised when listening to KES’s album earlier in the year that this style of music is one of the reasons I so like Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights, musically often the superior of his shows (or at least certainly the more danceable and upbeat). This track is a medley of three tracks which blend really nicely into each other, and which give you a little journey that never loses its energy. It’s 7 minutes of pure fun.

9. Emerson Hart - Lucky One (heartland rock)

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If we’re talking anthemic songs, this has to just about take the prize for the year. This has the kind of song you just want to chant at the top of your lungs with your arm slung around the person next to you in the crowd. Of course, 2020 doesn’t allow for opportunities like that, but I’m glad that Emerson Hart is still providing songs for this purpose anyway. The rollicking 6/8 rhythms perfectly switch between a quietly building verse that smashes into an almost octave-higher swoop at the start of the chorus. The Americana-tinged instrumentation gives it an earthiness that grounds it as well. It’s a great bit of songwriting, and one that I’ll continue singing along to exuberantly. Even if that’s just alone in my room.

8. Uncanny Valley - Beautiful the World (AI dance pop)

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You’re forgiven if you’ve never heard of this band. This is in fact the Australian entry in this year’s Eurovision-style AI music competition. Melodically and lyrically, this was written by an AI, and this is absolutely and amusingly evident when you listen to it. But there’s something I absolutely love about this as a concept—how an AI parses and reinterprets music gives us fascinating insights into the patterns we find in music written by humans, and while there are moments of this song which are ridiculous, the input from the AI absolutely takes the music in places that it wouldn’t have gone. Of course, to call this a pure AI track is disingenuous, as it’s very much structured with human help, and part of the joy is the oddities nestling in what’s otherwise a very enjoyable bit of upbeat electropop. But so many of the elements just click for me—I certainly don’t think this is the last AI-augmented track that will end up on my end-of-year lists.

7. Villagers - Did You Know? (indie folk)

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Villagers are a band who I hold in very high esteem with regards to the music project. They were a band I came across very early in 2016, just as we’d started the very first music project, and they made me realise just what a valuable experience listening to so much music was going to be. Annoyingly, by our official guidelines for the project (which are that it runs from December to December), this is just outside the released dates, as the EP it came from was released in the last week of November 2019, which was the week after we’d stopped last year’s project. So by the rules, it’s ineligible, but by our own actions, there was literally not a year that it fit into. Anyway, I’m including it because it’s obviously a great song, haunting in melody with a pleasant acoustic backing track that still manages to evoke an eerie atmospheric quality. It’s Villagers back in form for sure, and this is an excellent song, well deserving of a high place in this list.

6. Chemtrails - Uncanny Valley (psychedelic garage pop)

The Peculiar Smell of the Inevitable [LP] by Chemtrails

A really fun track, which owes a lot of its schtick to finding more and more outlandish rhymes for “Uncanny Valley” (“we don’t dilly-dally”, "they don't get pally", “dark trash alley”). My favourite line though is “so I fell a few rungs on the social ladder/Things are bad, but they could be badder”, which is *chef’s kiss* to me. It’s beautifully rounded out with a competently driven surf/garage rock riff or two which provide a persistent bounce and almost a pop punk energy. It’s a catchy little tune that just has those little hooks—the humour, the riffs, the rhythmic push—that absolutely elevate it to song of the year status. It constantly puts a smile on my face no matter how many times I’ve heard it this year.

5. Andy Shauf - Try Again (indie pop)

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This is such a beautifully simple song. It has a storytelling element, as Shauf recounts a series of lightly amusing anecdotes in his relationship, all prefaced with “somewhere between drunkenness and chivalry/sincerity/honesty/etc…”. But there’s a beautiful light melody driving it forward, pleasantly augmented by a clarinet counterpoint, which also provides part of the iconic riff between chorus and verse (I still haven’t managed to tease out what else is part of that mix). It’s a simple, sweet bit of music which shows that tracks that capture something unique within a straightforward format can absolutely stand apart.

4. Lola Marsh - Echoes (Israeli pop rock)

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Here’s the second track from Lola Marsh in this list. These two tracks (this and Like At The Movies) were always high in my mind, and I thought they were likely to drag the album very close to being my Album of the Year. In the end, they stood out individually a bit more than they did in the album as a whole, but a top 5 finish for its top song provides a nice mirroring for the position of the album. This is melodically and harmonically great, and put together with a style that captures some Lana Del Rey style folk pop and a kind of dark country in the guitars. Best is the swirling harmonies of the chorus, which seem to develop modulations into deeper and darker minor tonalities before bursting out into an exultant burst of resolving suspended chords. It gives me shivers. There’s a different version of this track on the album performed as an outro without any percussion, and both versions work so well you can see why they included both.

3. Sea Girls - Do You Really Want To Know? (indie pop rock)

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Here’s possibly the best example of chunky, upbeat pop rock of the year. It follows the formula, sure, especially the split between verse and chorus. But there’s moments of truly exaltant fun—subtle steel drums in the chorus, bringing in an off-beat hihat for the chewy rich instrumental section after each chorus, the stomp-and-chant quality of the vocal line. I love it and it constantly provides a mood boost, no matter how many times I’ve heard it this year. It’s a perfectly constructed pop rock track as far as I’m concerned. I also got great joy earlier in the year watching the 4-year-old unabashedly dancing around the living room to this track. I’ll admit that that image promotes this somewhat in my mind.

2. Kishi Bashi - Never Ending Dream (indie pop)

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I am a tiny bit conflicted about this track. Because it’s a stunningly awesome bit of chamber pop—it’s a sound that Kishi Bashi has absolutely made his own over the past 5-10 years, and this is honestly probably the best track Kishi Bashi has ever made. That’s saying something for an artist who has made two albums in my top-of-the-year lists in the past 5 years. The conflict comes from the fact that this was written as the theme song for a children’s CG-animated TV show on Apple TV, called Stillwater, about three kids and their friendly neighbour who is an anthropomorphic panda. Obviously, it being a TV theme is not a disqualifier; I mean one of the greatest pieces of music ever written (“Theme to Ducktales”) was a kids’ TV theme. But part of me wants to believe that there’s a purity to the music that transcends the ties to the commercial. I’m probably being naive. And, I am willing to take this song on its own merits, because it has these in abundance. The chorus is exulaltant, filled with Bashi’s trademark pizzicati and delicate falsetto, and the moments of quiet are pierced by fierce percussive moments of syncopated rhythm. Let’s hope that Kishi Bashi is raking in the sweet, sweet TV theme dollars as a result. A song like this deserves it.

1. Dyble Longdon - Obedience (chamber folk)

Between A Breath And A Breath by Dyble Longdon

So we’ve had some instances in the past where I’ve been clearly wrong about a song, or an album, in the week that I’ve heard it. But this is perhaps the most egregious we’ve seen, because this took out neither Track of the Week, nor Runner Up in the week it came out. To some extent, this was because I’d already given Dyble Longdon an album award (I said at the time “I have a feeling that Obedience is actually the best song of the week”)—but it’s still unforgivable that what is now my Song of the Year couldn’t even win its week. This is a sullen song in some parts, with a melody that comes very much from the tradition of English folk music—it evokes thoughts of Scarborough Fair, perhaps—but multi-instrumentalist David Longdon brings an ecstatic crescendo to the music, with a full orchestral swell and complex almost tribal percussion in the second half of the track. It’s a blissful, absolutely thrilling moment when that full sound roars out. In a devastating stroke of cruelty, Julie Dyble, one half of the duo (and formerly of Fairport Convention), died not long before the album was released, meaning this is the one and only collaboration we’re going to have between the two. But let’s celebrate the moment that we get. There you have it. These Top 50 tracks are available as a sorted Spotify playlist if you're so incined. Later this week, when I post the longer list of tracks and albums, I'll post an even more comprehensive playlist of my favourite tracks, including tracks from all of my top albums, and at least my full 100 top tracks. Until then, enjoy your break. Now I have a magnum of Tripel Karmeliet with my name on it waiting for me.

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wobc-fm · 4 years

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SleepWalker Freshman List 2020

Written By Amari Newman Quentin Zimbalist

We are SleepWalker Entertainment. Starting off as a radio show on Oberlin College’s WOBC 91.5fm in 2018 dedicated to highlighting underground Hip-Hop and the community that surrounds it, we have expanded into the journalistic side of music, publishing various reviews, lists, and articles related to music. These have ranged from album of the year lists to interviews with different musicians who have performed at Oberlin including Suzi Analogue, VRITRA, Ethereal, NappyNappa, and SIR E.U. Right around this time last year we published our very first “Freshman List,” built off of XXL magazine’s idea of highlighting artists relatively new to the rap game who gained a lot of attention in the most recent year. Seeing how XXL’s list seemed to increasingly lose touch with the current wave of genuine Hip-Hop, SleepWalker looked to create our own list of new(ish) artists who we believe are making important impacts on the direction of the genre. The following list will highlight the breakthrough rappers, producers and visual artists of this past year, who we believe people are listening to and want to experience.

Rappers: Producers: Visual Artists:

Pop Smoke (RIP) Evil Giane Nitetive Visuals

Baby Smoove Adé Hakim Revenxnt

Hook Axl Beats DVD CITY

Baby Fifty JWords The Realest Photographer Ever

Babyxsosa Hi-C Brick Productions

Camden Malik DamnJonBoi 1Drince

BKTHERULA GAWD She Skin

Pop Smoke:

Sleepwalker wanted to write a tribute post to the late young superstar, Pop Smoke. The young Brooklyn-born prodigy emerged in the public eye in January with his hit record, FLEXIN, and followed that up with the song of the summer, Welcome to the Party. Pop Smoke’s 2019 was one of the greatest breakout years of all time within the hip-hop music industry, and it was apparent that he would remain a star for years to come. His death was a tremendous tragedy for not only those within the Hip Hop community, but millions of his fans across the world.

Rest in Peace, Pop Smoke.

Baby Smoove:

Baby Smoove, one of Detroit’s newest household names has actually been dropping music for quite some time now. The oldest song of his I could find was Supersonic, a track he dropped in 2012 under the name “Bandcrew Smoove”, he used a few different aliases before finding his current stage name. Smoove holds onto instrumentals in an incredibly natural way. Sliding in and out of rhythm, on and off of the beat, he always finds his place when the downbeat comes back around. His quiet, inflectionless delivery is a stark contrast to his lyrical content. Smoove raps about his lavish lifestyle, he enjoys splurging on the indulgences he lived without as a child. Other Detroit artists recognize Smoove’s prowess and collaborate with him when allowed. Recently he has worked with big name artists and producers from all over the city like Veeze, Icewear Vezzo, Rocaine, Michigan Meech, and Topside. Needless to say, Baby Smoove definitely earned his position in life, and on this list.

Songs to listen to: Palm Angels, Hellcat, Free Game

Hook

From Riverside, California (Inland Empire /IE) the 21 year old has been gaining steady recognition for her unorthodox flow and distinct style. Hook has been making music since she was 9 years old, travelling and performing in an R&B/Rap group with her step-sisters. As Hook got older, she shifted her focus onto her solo career, garnering a lot of attention throughout the underground with the release of her mixtape “Bully” in early 2019. Hook has made a name for herself for her deliberate flows that incorporate elaborate mid-verse pauses, laughs, gasps, and signature ad libs emanating an unparalleled energy that makes a listener's body uncontrollably convulse from pure pleasure. In the latter half of 2019 and early 2020, Hook put out a few more mixtapes alongside her debut album Crashed My Car, which displayed her steady evolution in sound and abilities to make great music. A frequent collaborator of legendary underground producer nedarb, Hook has also worked with Bootychaaain, WorkingOnDying, RCB and even comedian/rapper Zack Fox. More and more people are becoming aware of the greatness that is Hook, making the rest of 2020 even more exciting for herself and supporters.

Songs to listen to: I’m Shinnin, HEEM, Stand It

Baby Fifty

From Southeast, Washington D.C., the 19 year old’s nonchalant delivery of bars describing rampant death and destruction over any type of beat has quickly solidified himself as one of the most exciting rappers in the city. Fifty’s spaced out delivery accompanied with lyrics packed with punchlines, lingo, double entendres and signature ad libs allows each one of his sinister bars to imprint itself on any listener’s mind. There are very few rappers who can make you feel like everything they say is true, and Baby Fifty is one of them. Every song feels like he is having a calm conversation about the lethal activities he partakes in on a casual Monday. Fifty remains pretty individual in his output with his last few projects being featureless, but he has worked with frequent collaborator Hu$tle, MoneyMarr, and Cheecho. Fifty is one of the youngest and most respected artists from the DC area, and will continue to raise the bar for the remainder of the year.

Songs to listen to: sunniD, Walkout, Roll Out

Babyxsosa

The 19 year old Richmond, VA native grabbed attention from the whole underground with the release of the GAWD produced single “EVERYWHEREIGO” in the middle of 2019. She then joined the New York-based collective Surf Gang and continued to pump out amazing music, including her newest EP BABYXOBAMA. Even though her recognition is relatively recent, Babyxsosa has been releasing musical content since 2015 making waves in the Richmond area as a DJ and producer. Her musical experience is clear in her diverse selection of beats, and complex structures of harmonies and verses. Babyxsosa’s high pitched voice allows her to casually hit octaves that sound perfect in your eardrums, and her mastery of switching between rapping and singing mid-verse creates a distinct flow that only sosa can achieve. She has collaborated with fellow Surf Gang members Evil Giane, Polo Perks and Pasto Flocco, and has a notable catalogue of collaborations with fellow Richmond artist and freshman GAWD. Babyxsosa has undeniable potential, which she fulfills with every new release, making the rest of her 2020 an exciting sight to see.

Songs to listen to: UBERXL feat Polo Perks, PUSSY FREESTYLE, DOWN

Camden Malik

From New York City by way of Sacramento, California; Camden Malik has proved time and time again that he is beyond worthy of his place on this list. I was made aware of Camden when I saw him perform Live this past summer. I attended a Show Me the Body show in Ridgewood, Queens because of the opener, MIKE. During MIKE’s set, he allowed some friends of his to perform their music as well. Among these friends were big names such as Pink Siifu and King Carter, as well as Camden Malik, whom I was unaware of at the time. He performed his track “Dreams”, and it was easily the best performance of the set. Malik seemed to hit every word of the song, captivating the entire crowd as he spit circles around the mic in his gold-rimmed glasses. After the performance, I began researching him, only to find his stockpile of music on the internet, recently working with artists like ZelooperZ and Darryl 10k. He finds ways to pack all of his rhymes with meaning, while placing them into pockets of the beats that most artists would not even know existed. I truly think this guy could rap over anything and I can’t wait to see what he brings to 2020.

Songs to listen to: Lie Detector, Hear da Same Thang, World Different (ft ZelooperZ)

BKTheRula

From Atlanta, Georgia, BKTHERULA is proving to be one of the most exciting female rappers coming from the area. She started putting out music in 2017, but gained attention at the beginning of 2019 for her underground hit “Faygo.” BK continued to pump out hits throughout 2019 including her biggest hit “Tweakin Together.” BK’s punch-in delivery mixed with her high vocal octave is entrancing, and is combined with a myriad of futuristic melodies and next level 808s, making her music impossible to not bob your head to. She has enhanced her singing capabilities over the year dropping her debut project Love Santana where more than half of the songs explore her melodic capabilities that hit a sonic sweet spot, giving a soothing massage to a listener’s heart and mind. But BK can follow up any ballad with an intense barrage of strictly bars, that automatically gives you the stank face. This past year, BK has worked with Atlanta producers Digital Nas and Rxlvnd, and has been a frequent collaborator of Autumn! and fellow freshman Hook. In fact, the two artists are rumored to have a collaborative mixtape that could be released at any moment. BK already stands apart from the flood of artists who gained attention in 2019, and her willingness to explore her capabilities on more experimental releases gives her the potential to truly skyrocket to another level.

Songs to listen to: LEFT RIGHT, UH HUH, DAMN

Producers:

Evil Giane

Surf Gang CEO evilgiane is probably at the forefront of the New York City underground right now, and moving upward at an astounding speed. Giane has been producing for a few years now, using other monikers such as YUNALOE and aloevine before adopting his current alias. Originally, Aloevine dropped mostly house music tracks, but he began releasing hip-hop beats a few years ago and has not slowed down since. Giane’s trademark sound these days consists of clean and punchy drums, and uplifting melodies, though through his leaks and posts online, it is clear that this producer’s talent extends way beyond his sound, as his drill and even experimental punk beats rival some of the greats. Recently, Evilgiane has placements with a plethora of up and coming stars; HOOK, Babyxsosa, and Pasto Flocco, as well as songs with established underground heroes like Black Kray and BootyChaaain. I’ve already called 2020 as the year of Surf Gang so it only makes sense that Giane will continue to fly as the CEO. Expect big things.

Songs produced by Evil Giane: MOH BARETTA - ALL4U IV, POLO PERKS - RICH GIRL/starpower, Hi-C - tr3nd1ng t0p1c juiced

Adé Hakim

From the Bronx, NYC, the 21 year old rapper and producer has been putting out music as far back as 2014 under the name Sixpress. Adé is a member of the [sLUms] collective, and has helped curate the next phase of New York’s sound that gained a lot of mainstream popularity this past year. Hakim incorporates a wide range of sonic layers in his production including violins, horns, cries and moans from blues songs, piano riffs, and video game effects. These are all stretched, reversed and changed in pitch, creating a brand new authentic melody. This is accompanied by snares, claps, kicks and 808s that are also adjusted, giving them a mechanized sound that allows the expansive nature of his production to fully form. Listening to an Adé Hakim beat sounds like you are strolling through a busy robotic construction site with headphones on that is playing Miles Davis at half the normal speed in one ear, and the Sonic The Hedgehog videogame score in the other. Hakim has worked with a large number of New York legends in the making including MIKE, King Carter, Medhane and Navy Blue, and has expanded his sound past the city working with NAPPYNAPPA, Pink Siifu and Earl Sweatshirt. Adé Hakim is one of the most positive artists in the game and his constant output of good will continue to come back to him for the rest of the year.

Songs produced by Adé Hakim: LIKE ME, MIKE - PLANET, Sticking to My Roots

Axl Beats

If this list was based sheerly on streaming numbers, Axlbeats would be at the top. Axl found himself in 2019 getting placements with world renowned superstars such as Travis Scott and Drake. Luckily, Here at Sleepwalker we believe in more than numbers on the screen below the song, but we wanted to acknowledge AxlBeats’ accomplishments nonetheless. The London Based Producer’s career began in 2016, where he became locally popular for flipping Chicago style drill beats into more modern, new sounds. Axl then rode the drill wave all the way to Brooklyn, producing for artists like Sheff G, Fivio Foreign, and Pop Smoke, as well as A-List Celebrities Rich the Kid, and Jay Critch. Axl ended his 2019 incredibly strong, by producing Drake's drill inspired track “War”. If you haven’t heard Axl beats by now you may need to check and see if your radio is still working, but you will definitely hear him in 2020.

Songs produced by Axl Beats: Drake -War, Fivio Foreign - Wetty, Travis Scott feat Pop Smoke - GATTI

JWords

From Union City, New Jersey, JWords is rapidly making waves across the Hip-Hop and Electronic community. Releasing music as far back as 2015, JWords produces intricately structured soundscapes that incorporate digital synths with complex progressions, and old soul samples. The jazzy layout of her bass patterns, and mystical sounds that accompany them, reminds one of a chandelier of chimes flowing in a slight breeze. JWords can also switch it up, creating fast paced and unique sound structures that sound like futuristic versions of Salsa and Bachata, which she notes are heavy influences on her musical output. Her preference of hardware in music creation gives it a more genuine feel, and contributes to her next-level live performances. Listening to JWords feels like traveling through the ocean in an underwater spacecraft at 1000 mph, but the speed isn’t overwhelming, it's actually very soothing. Now a member of the NeverNormal Collective, JWords has been garnering attention throughout the past year. She’s worked with MIKE, Suzi Analogue, King Carter, and Nappy Nina, while also performing with other contemporary greats at live shows throughout New York City. She released her debut EP Sin Senal earlier this year and recently led an Ableton-sponsored beat making workshop. The momentum is only building for JWords, and 2020 seems like it will be her breakout year.

Songs produced by JWords: Stay Away, Shine <3, Numb feat MIKE

Hi-C

A member of the infamous Reptilian Club Boyz (RCB), Hi-C has been making waves in the underground as far back as 2013. Adopting various monikers like HighCee and C Boogie, the Richmond-based artist has always stood apart for his futuristic and majestic melodies, reminiscent of the soundtrack to a final boss battle in Ninja Gaiden, that are combined with hard-hitting 808s and kick patterns. This sound is leveled up by an insane assortment of sound effects that range from soundbites from Super Smash Brothers, SoulCaliber, Dragon Ball Z, Nascar races, thunderstorms, gun shots, applause and evil laughs. This past year, Hi-C’s talents seem to have been collectively noticed by the underground, landing him features and placements with fellow RCB members Diamnodsonmydick and Cartier’GOD, along with Surf Gang, Hook, Marcy Mane,and NolanBeRollin. Everything is lining up for Hi-C and RCB to reach massive heights in their musical content and impact on the general rap culture this year.

Songs produced by Hi-C: No Emotionzzz, DOMD feat Hook - BRATZ, DOMD feat SickBoyRari - King Lamagra

DamJonBoi

The Detroit Hip-hop scene saw a flourishing 2019. Reaping many of the benefits of this newfound popularity was the incredibly versatile and talented DamJonBoi. 2019 gave Jon placements on underground smash hits with talent like Teejayx6, Sada Baby, Kasher Quon, FMB DZ, Drego Baby, and Lil Beno. On top of all of his 2019 placements, he had a strong end of 2018 producing Drego & Beno’s “Recipe 2”, which has amassed over 5 million views on Youtube and a plethora more streams. Aside from producing, DamJonBoi has been laying down vocals of his own. His smooth voice and classic Detroit style inflection work amazingly in his songs, many of which showcase his lavish rockstar lifestyle. Needless to say, JonBoi is up now for 2020.

Songs produced by DamJonBoi - Super saiyan, Brainstorm Feat. Babyface Ray, Teejayx6 - Dark Web

GAWD

The 20 year old Richmond, Virginia native is one of the most hardworking artists in the game. Holding the largest discography of released songs on our list, GAWD has nearly 1,200 tracks just on his SoundCloud. With a vast amount of monikers including 65 Cent, Black John Stockton, DJ Lil Stank, and Lil Coochie Burp, GAWD has consistently been dropping great music since 2014. His production consists of Pharrel-like synths and chord progressions matched with signature distorted 808s that often fall in a simple 4/4 pattern. His addition of piano runs, harps, and video game effects to this formula elevates his sound to another level. Every GAWD beat is pleasing to the ear and always has a bounce, no matter how different they are from each other. Even though he has been on the scene for years, GAWD has gained a lot of attention this past year as his collaborations with fellow Richmond artist Babyxsosa have grown in popularity. On top of collaborations with Karmah and RCB, GAWD did a DJ session with Noble Spell in New York for Corpus Radio this past summer. It seems like he is finally getting the necessary recognition for years of hard work, and it's exciting to see what the rest of 2020 holds for him.

Songs produced by GAWD: 65 Cent - CHANGE TALK, Babyxsosa - EVERYWHERIGO, RCB - #bloodthisrsty #711

Visual Artists:

Nitetive Visuals

The 20 year old videographer based out of France has stood apart from the surge of artists producing intricate edits for the current output of music videos. Nitetive has been releasing video content since 2017, often consisting of minute long edits of rappers like A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert being put in alternate dimensions, video games or outer space. In 2019, Nitetive began to focus on producing full fledged music videos. Although he has shot and directed a good amount of videos, Nitetive has gained a reputation for his ability to edit footage. Collaborating with other visual artists including MarkoVisuals and fellow freshman Brick Productions, Nitetive has gotten to edit some of the most mind bending music videos of 2019 and 2020. Nitetive’s visuals consist of a fast paced barrage of glitches, rainbow styled effects, shattering glass and datamosh transitions, and 3D animations that place the viewer in an alternate reality. With footage that is often reversed, layered on top of one another, and switched between crystal clear and VHS quality, Nitetive’s videos are truly mind bending. The quick flashing of logos and important lyrics throughout his videos make the viewer feel like they’re watching a sped up hypnotization reel that’s subconsciously tricking them into becoming cool. In the past 6 months, he has worked with the likes of Pi’erre Bourne, SickBoyRari (Black Kray), Bladee, Cyrax and K$upreme. Nitetive seems to get better with every release, making 2020 exciting for what else he has in store.

Videos edited by Nitetive: SickBoyRari (Black Kray) feat Bladee - Blue, Pi’erre Bourne - Try Again, Cyrax - Breeze

Revenxnt

If 2019 gives any indication as to how someone’s 2020 will go, then we should all keep our eyes peeled for Revenxnt this year. This Newark, NJ based visionary had a high point in 2019 of producing a Pusha T video for Vogue. Besides being a video artist, Rev also produces music (with placements like Sha Hef, Grimm Doza, and DA$H), is a prolific painter, and even dabbles in clothing design. A typical Revenxnt video consists of interesting colors, often double exposure shots and ambiguous angles, lots of adjusting focuses, and quick transitions. All these elements come together to create glitchy looking masterpieces that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. Recently he has made some masterful instant classic visuals with the likes of Medhane, Mavi, and Moh Baretta. Rev has an amazing internet presence, always tweeting his mind and uplifting his followers. A staple post of his will be a photo wad of money with the caption “IF YOU READING THIS YOU’RE GETTING MONEY TODAY” One thing that is for sure about is he will never stop hustling and never move backwards. I have no questions about 2020 being as big a year for Revenxnt as ever.

Videos directed by Revenxnt: Medhane - Allegedly, Moh Baretta - Phew, Mavi - Sense

DVD CITY

Based out of Detroit, Michigan, the collective of visual artists have been putting out content since 2015. Originating as VHS Country, the group has stayed true to its roots putting out visual mixes that incorporate off-coloring VHS-like effects. Various clips are layered on top of one another and fast forwarded, reversed or flipped sideways with frequent freeze frame trails filling the screen. These clips include viral youtube videos, infomercials, orchestra concerts, anime, hockey fights, animals, Mandelbrot sets, Tekken, WWE clips, and Kung Fu movies. Those watching a DVD CITY exclusive may believe their youtube webpage has gone haywire with effects that make the viewer feel as if they are watching 20 VHS films at once that are being fast forwarded and rewinded at the same time, but at different speeds. In the past year, the collective has produced music videos and snippets for Akai Solo, Pink Siifu, GAWD, MIKE and JWords. They also did the visuals for Never Normal Records’ most recent annual 4/20 live stream. The collective is pushing audio/visual boundaries to a new length with their consistent output and in-tune video references that are bound to entrance any viewer.

Videos directed by DVD CITY: DVD CITY 24//5GHOTSPOT, Black Sand - 2K4ev, DVD CITY 22//JWORDS

Brick Productions:

The Richmond-based videographer has been releasing content since 2017, and immediately started gaining notoriety throughout the underground for his diverse capabilities in making any type of music video. Brick’s ability to incorporate close zooms, still frames, and 3D animations into footage that can be of the highest or lowest of qualities is practically unrivaled. This is enhanced by transitions that take advantage of intentionally shaky camera footage that is often at a high frame rate, making some of the cleanest videography out there. These quick and clever transitions engage the viewer, but at a pace that is perfect, giving them a moment to fully enjoy the beauty of each shot before it is followed by another. That being said, Brick can also flood the screen with a flurry of effects including colored trails following body movements, crows flying in the background, Dragon Ball Z characters quickly appearing, snow falling, and flames engulfing the screen. This past year, Brick Production’s diverse visual output has landed him collaborations with SickBoyRari (Black Kray), Hunned Mill, A$AP ANT, Trippie Redd, Cyrax and Bootychaaain. He has also worked with Utmost, a Richmond-based skating company, in their recent collaborations with DC Shoes and Round Two. Brick Production is steadily evolving, learning how to merge creative and off the wall editing with smooth and straightforward shots that find happy balances with every new release. The rest of 2020 is his for the taking.

Videos directed by Brick Productions: Black Kray - PERIODT, Sunny2point0 feat Trippie Redd - Man Down, BOOTYCHAAAIN - MESSROUND

Realest Photographer Ever

Being the most secretive artist on our entire list, it’s hard to pinpoint when exactly the Realest Photographer Ever started dishing out creative content. The artist made their debut under this name with frequent collaborator Zelooperz for his video “Bootleg” in mid 2019. Their use of footage that looks like it's been shot off an iphone, shows a minimalist yet effective approach to making videos. Clips of people doing regular activities, such as chilling on a couch, hanging out by a river, or walking through a city, is manipulated and arranged in a way that creates a brand new reality that is incredibly engaging. An entire screen can be full of different scenes from different places at different times, allowing one to find something new every time they watch a video. The Realest’s perfectly timed transitions, reverse playbacks and freeze frame layers eliminates any need for fancy visual effects. Their straight forward visual production has landed them collaborations with Earl Sweatshirt, Zelooperz and Caleb Stone this past year. Since the Realest has no accessible social media, other than a Youtube page with 3 videos on it, it is hard to tell what they have in store for the future, but whatever it is, it will be great.

Videos directed by The Realest: Earl Sweatshirt - EAST, ZelooperZ - Going on a Date, Zelooperz feat Earl Sweatshirt

1Drince

One of the members of the ClockWork Productions collective, 1Drince has been delivering top tier videography to DMV based artists since 2018. The Washington D.C. native has gained a lot of attention the past year for his frequent collaborations with fellow freshman Baby Fifty, directing 10+ videos for the rapper over the past 9 months. His use of menacing shots and close zooms will send chills up your spine. Drince’s smooth transitions and high quality footage perfectly captures the chaotic and deadly energy of the people he shoots often flashing drugs, money and weapons of all shapes and sizes at the camera. He is able to perfectly capture the feel of every song he does a video for, thoroughly enhancing it. Every time one hears a song, they automatically think of the Drince video that accompanies it. In addition to Baby Fifty, he’s worked with MoneyMarr, Baby 9eno, Q Da Fool, Big Flock, YungManny, and RXPeso this past year. Drince and the ClockWork Productions team continue to solidify themselves as the go to videographers for DMV artists, making it exciting to see what they have in store for the rest of the year.

Videos directed by 1Drince: Baby Fifty- One On One, MoneyMarr - Cable Box, YungManny & Big Flock - TPA

She Skin

From Salem, Virginia, She Skin is the most versatile visual artist on our list. He started his visual output as far back as 2012, releasing creative and distinct skate videos. He soon transitioned into making music videos during the 2014/2015 SoundCloud Golden Era, providing music videos, visualizations, cover art, production and audio mixes for Divine Council and other Richmond-based artists. On top of videos, She Skin also established his own line of merchandiseincluding acrylic pieces, figurines and t-shirts.

Clearly, She Skin’s extensive catalogue sets him apart from the typical definition of a freshman, but he is on this list because it seems like he is finally gaining the recognition and praise that has been years past due. In addition, he seems to have found a signature look for his videos. His high frame rates and frequent zoom-ins are meshed with intentionally shaky camera work that cuts the artists in and out of frame at perfect moments. This is accompanied by sped up, slowed down, and chopped footage that creates a feeling in his videos that is unsettlingly soothing. She Skin has recently done videos for SickBoyRari (Black Kray) and hernbean5150, while releasing a series of minute long snippets from other Richmond artists including FHN Mook, Karmah, and Hunned Mill. He has also collaborated with Utmost throughout the years, providing pictures for the company’s most recent collaborations with Round Two and DC Shoes alongside fellow freshman Brick Productions. Even though She Skin has been a present and respected force in the underground for years, it seems like 2020 is shaping up to be the year his capabilities become known across the country and world.

Videos directed by She Skin: Herbean5150 - Felons, SickBoyRari (Black Kray) - Feel My Pain, FHN Mook - Undaground Sluggroad

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lakambinimagph · 5 years

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“Pssst Miss!”: The Manyak Rhapsody

Here’s how the story goes: A woman dressed to the nines—with her on fleek eyebrows, classic red lipstick, tassel earrings, and graphic tee—is totally slaying her looks. She glanced at the mirror one last time, before tucking her stray hair behind her right ear. No one can mess with her upbeat mood and cheery disposition today—not even her unruly hair. Until she heard a car honking behind her back which made her upper body jolt. “Psssst ganda! Isang ngiti naman dyan!” the driver of the car demanded.

Does that sound familiar? Well it’s too familiar and it’s happening to three in five Filipinas every day. Catcalling has become universal in the country that every Filipina has faced it at least once a day. Experiencing catcalling is like experiencing last song syndrome (LSS), however it is more extreme and psychologically-destructive since even days after the incident, the manyak’s (aka perverted man in Filipino slang) unsolicited comments and sexual advances still linger in the listener’s mind.

Manyak is like a one-of-a-kind show-stopper that commonly performs in alleyways and in streets. He sometimes performs solo or with an equally “talented” group. They are like beyond confident impromptu performers who can make eye contact with the audience, while they whistle. Manyaks perform everywhere and anytime that they like—as long as they spot a woman who passes by. So what are the elements involved in the extraordinary songwriting process and singing prowess of a manyak?

Introduction: “Psssst!”

The first verse in popular music usually offers the most interesting—if not, the unique and upbeat part of the music track that would attract pool of listeners. Introductions make or break music tracks. Usually, it contains just music—either through humming or by using musical instruments—and not words. Intro must capture the “feel” of the music track. Manyak, in this sense, entices his listeners (aka women in the streets) by humming “Psssst!” which signals the beginning of the music track.

“Psssst!” proves to be a successful musical technique since the listeners truly feel something once they heard it. Some manyak, on top of their outstanding performance, sometimes smirks to the women. Ally, 20, said that sometimes a malicious smirk is paired with an intense stare. Some listeners such as Luisa, 19, detailed that some manyak perform whistling—almost comparable to Mariah Carey’s five out of eight octave—which she considered as an over-the-top gesture for a street performer. She also recounted that she vividly remembers the clothes that she wore on those days. Meanwhile, Celine, 20, described their performance as heart-stopping and mind-numbing. The kind of musical act that will make you question your existence. “Psssst!” in this sense, desists to be just a whistle, but encapsulates the manyak’s desire or infatuation towards the women who pass by.

First Verse: “Hi Miss.”

In popular songs, the first verse must set the musical track’s tempo, key, and energy. The first verse must be memorable enough for women to remember, since it is not repeated throughout the duration of the song. The goal in establishing first verses must be to encourage the audience to listen. Manyak achieve this goal by chanting “Hi Miss” as if he were casting a magical spell among women. Manyak delivers “Hi Miss” in a sing-song manner enough for the victim to turn her head and briefly glance at him. At times, other versions of the lyrics are used such as “Miss, hatid na kita,” if the manyak is gentleman enough to offer a woman either a ride or a walk to bring her home. He sometimes uses “ganda” and “sexy” to acknowledge her ethereal beauty and to appreciate her oozing sexual appeal.

“Uso pa ba ang harana?” Parokya ni Edgar once sung and in the case of every manyak busking in the street, they compose their own version of “harana” to serenade and to woo women. Harana is Juan Dela Cruz’s traditional way to profess his love for someone. The harana seems silly and gimmicky today but in the case of manyak, it works wonders. Although the traditional harana and manyak’s “harana” are both unsolicited, manyak’s intention is filled with malice. Imagine a manyak confidently standing with his camisa de chino and his jersey shorts as he delivers the lines: “Miss, I love you.” Manyak, indeed, will do anything to “win” a woman's heart.

Chorus: “Ang sarap mo.”

Chorus in popular music boasts the most pivotal part of a music track. Chorus must be rhythmically and lyrically catchy. It must be addictive and flavorful enough to attract listeners’ attention. It is also usually repeated throughout a song. Since Manyak chooses his words carefully and tastefully, he would deliver lines enough for a woman to have a knee-jerk reaction—oftentimes of fear and disgust. They would usually sing “Ang sarap mo” and “Miss, ‘yung legs mo” during the chorus. The performers sing the chorus effectively that women feel embarrassed, angry, and confused all at once.

Bridge: “Ganda, hatid na kita.”

Bridges in popular music are anti-climactic yet strongly hold on to the musical track’s tempo and direction. Bridges are usually placed after chorus. It somehow beautifully captures the overall essence of the musical track. More importantly, it is often use to prepare for the return of chorus. Interestingly, manyak recites bridge using the popular lines “Ganda, hatid na kita.” to implicitly reinforce what he sang at the beginning of the track. At this point, bridges are lyrical manifestations of manyaks that they want to be with the woman.

Just like music, catcalling is slowly becoming embedded into our DNA. Although musical tracks ease our soul, catcalling serves as the bane of women’s existence, because not only are these acts unsolicited, but they also degrade our individuality. Some might say these are merely words, but people ignore the fact that words can make or break an individual.

As long as there are manyaks, who are more than willing to showcase their macho ability, unsolicited performance like catcalling will continue to exist. To dissect and to deconstruct different kinds of catcall is a move towards understanding women’s everyday struggles, and acknowledging that something like this exists means upholding women’s rights. Our right to be respected and to feel safe on the streets.

Seriously, the act of catcalling takes away women’s voice and highlights men’s voice. Now is the time to reclaim that lost voice. Men need to realize that they are not the center of attention. They need to know that women don’t seek their “voices,” if anything, men need to accept that we can dress whatever we want, whenever we want. We need to move the spotlight towards women who face the harrowing threat and danger behind catcalling.

Words by Chelsea Joy Serezo

Graphics by Jannah Lei Junatas

#careful whisper #what is catcalling #catcalling meaning #catcalling act #philippines #catcalling philippines

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prasanttricolour · 4 years

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Mantras for Maa Durga are as follows: Na Mantram No Yantram Tadapi Cha Na Jane Stutimaho Na Chavhanam Dhyanam Tadapi Cha Na Jane Stutikathah INa Jane Mudraste Tadapi Cha Na Jane Vilapanam Param Jane Matastvadanusaranam Kleshaharanam II Meaning: O Maa Durga! I don’t know any prayer or any magical summons to invoke you. Neither I know any mantra and have no idea how to meditate on you. I don’t know your story or glory as well. I neither know your various postures nor am I given to crying in distress. The only thing I know is that seeking shelter under your protection and following your command will definitely end all sufferings. Vidheragyanen Dravinavirhenalasataya Vidheyashakyatvattva Charanyorya Chyutirbhut ITadetat Kshantavyam Janani Sakaloddharini Shive Kuputro Jayet Kwachidapi Kumata Na Bhavti II Meaning: O Durga, assure salvation to all troubled, I don’t know how to worship you. I don’t have resources or temperament since I am nasty by nature. I don’t have special knowledge to conduct your worship as well. In rendering service to you if, I have made any mistakes or errors, forgive me Mother because there could be a bad son but never a bad mother. Prithivyam Putraste Janani Vahavaha Santi Saralah Param Tesham Madhye Viralataraloaham Tava Sutah IMadi Yoayam Tyagah Samuchitamidam No Taya Shive Kuputro Kwachidapi Kumata Na Bhavati II Meaning: O Maa Durga, this earth has many of your naïve sons, but I am the most fickle among them. There would be hardly any one like me. Yet, O Shive! Rejecting me like this is not proper in this world, as there could be a bad son but never a bad mother. Jaganmatarmatastava Charanseva Na Rachita Na Va Duttam Devi Dravinamapi Bhooyastava Maya ITathapi Tvam Sneham Mayi Nirupam Yatprakurushe Kuputro Jayet Kwachidapi Kumata Na Bhavati II Meaning: O Mother of the World! I have never rendered any service to you. I never offered money to you. Yet, you bless me always for the reason that in this world there could be a bad son but never a bad mother. Parittyakta Deva Vividhavidhisewa Kulataya Maya Panchasheeteradhikamapneete Tu Vayasi IIdani Chenmatastava Yadi Kripa Napi Bhavata Niralambo Lambodar Janani Kam Yami Sharanam II Meaning: O Parvati, mother of Lord Ganesha, I had been busy restlessly. But now, I have stopped worshipping other gods as I cannot worship them ritually. Therefore, I don’t even expect any help from them. In such a condition I am absolutely helpless. From whom I seek shelter? I have no hope from any other god except you. Shwapako Jalpako Bhavti Madhupako Magira Niratanko Ranko Viharati Chiram Kotikanakaih ITavaparne Karne Vishati Manvarne Phalamidam Janah Ko Janeete Janani Japaneeyam Japvidhhau II Meaning: O Maa Aparna! One word of your holy prayer that falls in the ear of a foolish rascal is sufficient to make him utter sweet speech like an experienced scholar. With your blessing, a pauper then becomes rich owning millions of gold coins and enjoying life with all its joys till ripe old age. When listening to one word can work such wonders, who can presume the reward obtained by those, who continuously chant your name with full custom of worship. Chitabhasmalepo Garalamashanam Dikpatdharo Jatadhari Kanthe Bhujagapati Hari Paushupatih IKapali Bhootesho Bhajati Jagdeeshai Ka Padavin Bhavani Tvatpanigrahan Paripati Phal Midam II Meaning: O Durga Bhavani! The one, who keeps his body smeared with the ashes of the dead-bodies; who takes poison for food, who remains naked; who has matted hair on head and the serpent king Vasuki surrounding his neck; who has a cupal like container in his hands. If such a Bhootnath, Lord Shiva (Pashupati-Lord of Animals) is crowned with a title of Jagdeesh, then what is the reason behind it? How did he gain such importance? The clear evidence is your marriage with him. Na Mokshasyakancha Bhavavibhavavancha Cha Na Mey Na Vigyanapeksha Shashimukh Sukheccha Na Punah IAtastvan Sanyache Janani Jananam Yatu Mum Vai Mridani Rudrani Shiv-Shiv Bhavaneeti Japatah II Meaning: O Maa Durga, with face of moon’s elegance, I don’t crave for Salvation or for material possessions. I don’t even hope to get any expertise in sciences. I don’t long for pleasure as well. My only request to you is to permit me to pass my entire life chanting “Mridani Rudrani Shiva-Shiva Bhavani”. Naradhitasi Vidhina Vividhopachareh Kim Rukshachintak Pareirna Kritam Vachobhib IShayme Tvameva Yadi Kinchan Maiyyanathe Dhatse Kripamuchitalam Param Tavaiva II Meaning: O Maa Shyama! I never worshipped you with complete rituals or lots of offerings. I was always occupied in harsh words, which crime did my speech not commit? Yet, if you care for this shelter less orphan on your own, this is eligible only for you. Only a kind hearted mother like you can give refuge to such a bad son, as I am. Aapatsu Magnah Smaranam Tvadeeyam Karomi Durge Karunarna Veshi INaitaccha Thatvam Mum Methah Kshudhartrisharta Jananim Smaranti II Meaning: O Compassionate Goddess Durga! If I remember you after falling in trouble and not before, please do not treat me like a dishonest rogue for the reason that all children yell for mother when they are troubled. Jagdamb Vichitramatra Kim Paripoorna Karunaasti Chenmayi IAparadha Parampara Param Na Hi Mata Samupekshate Sutam II Meaning: O Mother of the World! If you still show your kindness towards me should not cause any surprise for the reason, if a son has bent on committing sin after sin, still his mother does not abandon him. Matsamah Palaki Nasti Papaghni Twatsama Na Hi IEvam Gyatva Mahadevi Yatha Yogyam Tatha Kuru II Meaning: O Maa Durga! I am the greatest sinner and you are the greatest sin-destroyer. Considering this fact in mind, kindly do whatever you think proper. 108 Names of Maa Durga:: 1. Bhaavya Represents Future 2. Bhavya With Magnificence 3. Mahatapa With severe penance 4. Manah Mind 5. Buddhi Intelligence 6. Ahankaara One with Pride 7. Chittarupa One who is in thought-state 8. Chita Death-bed 9. Chiti The thinking mind 10. Sati One who got burned alive 11. Saadhvi The Sanguine 12. Bhavaprita One who is loved by the universe 13. Bhavaani The abode of the universe 14. Bhavamochani The absolver of the universe 15. Aarya Goddess 16. Durga The Invincible 17. Jaya The Victorious 18. Aadya The Initial reality 19. Trinetra One who has three-eyes 20. Shooldharini One who holds a monodent 21. Pinaakadharini One who holds the trident of Shiva 22. Chitra The Picturesque 23. Chandaghanta One who has mighty bells 24. Sarvamantramayi One who possess all the instruments of thought 25. Satta One who is above all 26. Satyanandasvarupini Form of Eternal bliss 27. Ananta One who is Infinite or beyond measure 28. Bhaavini The Beautiful Woman 29. Vikrama Violent 30. Krrooraa Brutal (on demons) 31. Sundari The Gorgeous 32. Sursundari Extremely Beautiful 33. Vandurga Goddess of forests 34. Maatangi Goddess of Matanga 35. Matangamunipujita Worshipped by Sage Matanga 36. Braahmi Power of God Brahma 37. Maaheshvari Power of Lord Mahesha (Shiva) 38. Aeindri Power of God Indra 39. Kaumaari The adolescent 40. Sarvaastradhaarini Possessor of all the missile weapons 41. Anekashastrahasta Possessor of many hand weapons 42. AnekastraDhaarini Possessor of many missile weapons 43. Komaari The beautiful adolescent 44. Ekakanya The girl child 45. Kaishori The adolescent 46. Yuvati The Woman 47. Yati Ascetic, one who renounces the world 48. Sarvavidya Knowledgeable 49. Dakshakanya Daughter of Daksha 50. Vaishnavi The invincible 51. Chaamunda Slayer of Chanda and Munda(demons) 52. Vaarahi One who rides on Varaah 53. Lakshmi Goddess of Wealth 54. Apraudha One who never gets old 55. Praudha One who is old 56. Abhavya Improper or fear-causing 57. Sadagati Always in motion, bestowing Moksha (salvation) 58. Shaambhavi Consort of Shambhu 59. Devamata Mother Goddess 60. Chinta Tension 61. Ratnapriya Adorned or loved by jewels 62. Dakshayajñavinaashini Interrupter of the sacrifice of Daksha 63. Aparna One who doesnt eat even leaves while fasting 64. Anekavarna One who has many complexions 65. Paatala Red in color 66. Paatalavati Wearing red-color attire 67. Pattaambaraparidhaana Wearing a dress made of leather 68. Kalamanjiiraranjini Wearing a musical anklet 69. Ameyaa One who is beyond measure 70. Vriddhamaata The old mother (loosely) 71. Balaprada The bestower of strength 72. Mahodari One who has huge belly which stores the universe 73. Muktakesha One who has open tresses 74. Ghorarupa Having a fierce outlook 75. Mahaabala Having immense strength 76. Agnijwaala One who is poignant like fire 77. Raudramukhi One who has a fierce face like destroyer Rudra 78. Kaalaratri Goddess who is black like night 79. Tapasvini one who is engaged in penance 80. Narayani The destructive aspect of Lord Narayana (Brahma) 81. Bhadrakaali Fierce form of Kali 82. Vishnumaya Spell of Lord Vishnu 83. Jalodari Abode of the ethereal universe 84. Shivadooti Ambassador of Lord Shiva 85. Karaali The Violent 86. Ananta The Infinite 87. Purushaakriti One who takes the form of a man 88. Vimalauttkarshini One who provides joy 89. Gyaana Full of Knowledge 90. Kriya One who is in action 91. Nitya The eternal one 92. Buddhida The bestower of wisdom 93. Bahula One who is in various forms 94. Bahulaprema One who is loved by all 95. Sarvavahanavahana One who rides all vehicles 96. NishumbhaShumbhaHanani Slayer of the demon-brothers Shumbha Nishumbha 97. MahishasuraMardini Slayer of the bull-demon Mahishaasura 98. MadhuKaitabhaHantri Slayer of the demon-duo Madhu and Kaitabha 99. ChandaMundaVinashini Destroyer of the ferocious asuras Chanda and Munda 100. Sarvasuravinasha Destroyer of all demons 101. Parameshvari The Ultimate Goddess 102. Katyayani One who is worshipped by sage Katyanan 103. Savitri Daughter of the Sun God Savitr 104. Pratyaksha One who is real 105. Brahmavaadini One who is present everywhere 106. Sarvadaanavaghaatini Possessing the power to kill all the demons 107. Sarvashaastramayi One who is deft in all theories 108. Satya The truth For More Details, please visit - http://www.elicitodisha.com/

http://unmaskodisha.blogspot.com/2020/05/mantras-and-108-names-of-maa-durga.html

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mauricevalentino-blog · 6 years

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“What’s beef?” my favorite MC of all-time spit more than 20 years ago, which became an important question for context every time in my community when discussing “beef” (dispute) on a micro level between individuals, macro level between entities and even nations, and beef on a Hip Hop spectrum.

But what really is “rap beef?” It’s a colloquial term used for when rappers are sending subliminal disses or personal statements in public media about their disdain for another rap artist or rap entity. There are so many rap beefs of Hip Hop Culture that have shaped the entire history of rap, being excellent conversations up for debate, while some are more dark or comical than others. As I was talking with a colleague about our favorite rap beefs, I began to recall how the developments and end results of these beefs related to one of the most lauded books of all time that I had read: Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.

The book can be very repetitive at times, but otherwise brilliant in the lessons it can teach you for school, business relationships, and beef of any spectrum in your life. Thus this article, taking a few of my favorite rap beefs for analysis, will use The Art of War to elucidate some lessons regarding the proper and improper methods to employ when beefing with another artist or entity.

Let’s Begin.

The Notorious B.I.G (Biggie) vs. Tupac [1990s]:

Although this is the most fatal example of rap beef that has changed how Hip Hop culture addresses it, it is still a notable example. In this time, focus on the smooth style of East Coast Rap switched to a focus of the Gangsta Rap/Hardcore Rap/G-Funk Era of the West Coast. The West Coast had NWA, Ice T, Dr.Dre as one of the greatest Hip Hop producers of all-time, and a roster on Death Row Records that was absolutely legendary for its time. The playful and jovial rhymes of the East Coast were fading out of popularity until then entered Christopher Wallace a.k.a The Notorious B.I.G, one of Bad Boy Record’s flagship artists. With rap versatility on an inhuman level in terms of style, Biggie’s mix between hardcore lyrics and smooth wordplay/storytelling allowed for commercial and underground success. Hailed as one of the best lyricists of all time (save the “girl you so fine-daddy” and “stick your d**k in this” lines), the East Coast was able to have one of its own go up against the leviathan of West Coast Rap while biding enough time for the East Coast up and coming rappers to revamp their brand to throw down. To make it even better, Biggie had forged a friendship with the West Coast’s greatest rising star of that time, Tupac Shakur. Their friendship, as portrayed in many books and even movies like Notorious and All Eyez On Me, was extremely genuine to the point Biggie even wanted Tupac to be his manager at one point. Smooth sailing right? WRONG. A tragic setup, one that Biggie distanced responsibly from by claiming innocence, left Tupac beat up, shot, mentally scarred and betrayed as he attempted to visit Biggie at a recording session in New York. Tupac vowed revenge and total, relentless retaliation and at this time, Biggie made a fatal mistake, ignoring this aspect of the Art of War:

“Be extremely subtle even to the point of formlessness. Be extremely mysterious even to the point of soundlessness. Thereby you can be the director of the opponent’s fate.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

One of his greatest tracks to date, “Who Shot Ya?” debuted. Analyzing the lyrics, it would only take a middle school reading level to see that it looked extremely suspect from a man who claimed innocence from the setup. (Another dialogue for another time). With further confirmation of Biggie’s involvement, Tupac then incorporated this Art of War concept:

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Tupac, striking with a fury quite not seen again in rap beef, released “Hit Em Up;” which is, in actuality, the single greatest rap diss of all time in terms of no wasted bars, execution, and level of aggression/disrespect (debate your thirst trappin’ baby momma on Instagram). The track starts off with the most disrespectful opening statement: “That’s why I f****d your b***h you fat motherf*****r.” After “dumbing down” his lyrics for a while and keeping it simplistic, Tupac let loose his fully powerful lyricism that was precise, simple, but still devastating. His first couple of bars alone were enough to cause a cringe in anyone he was beefing with, especially Biggie: “FIRST OFF, fuck yo’ b***h and the clique you claim/Westside when we ride, come equipped with game/You claim to be a player, but I f****d your wife/We bust on Bad Boys, niggas f****d for life”. He proceeded, with his entire Outlawz team, to do an onslaught against the rest of Junior M.A.F.I.A, Puff Daddy, Bad Boy as a label, and even Mobb Depp by coming at one of their member’s medical condition (pretttttttty savage.)

Unfortunately, the heat was not quelled as individuals on the East and West Coasts began to take sides and matters into their own hands in deciding which coast was better. Eventually, not only did Hip Hop lose two of their greatest rappers and figures of all-time in the crossfire, setting a precedent for the limits to which rap beef could go, but it proved an important lesson from The Art of War as well:

“Anger may in time change to gladness; vexation may be succeeded by content. But a kingdom that has once been destroyed can never come again into being; nor can the dead ever be brought back to life.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The disses and beef were spicy entertainment at one point, but never so good that it justified taking lives on either side.

Jay-Z vs. Nas [2000s]

How did this even start? In summary, Biggie’s “King of New York” status was not necessarily a vain proclamation. His death left a hole in New York at the time, leading many of the New York Rap scene wondering who would take his place as many simultaneously vied for the throne. One of the prime prospects for heirs was Nas from Queens, who was coasting off of not only his debut album Illmatic, proclaimed as the greatest rap album of all-time across many debates, but It Was Written as well. His sophomore effort not only contained magnificent tracks full of area radio play, but was argued to be even better than Illmatic.

At the same time, Jay-Z was also vying for the throne, but more arrogantly than other candidates. Even then, Jay-Z had the track record to back it up with a number of dynamic features under his belt, radio singles, and albums that helped get his name in the ring for debate over the true King. Ironically, in this time, Jay-Z was treated like the Sophomore in high school that tried to rule the place once the senior left. He was not treated as well at award shows as compared to Nas and Biggie, and Nas (his actual fault in this situation) essentially ignored practically every attempt Jay-Z made to collaborate.

It was not until Jay-Z gave subliminal disses on tracks and even Summer Jam that made Nas even give a subliminal response via another track. Jay-Z was tired of the ignoring, and then, he launched into the mainstream what became the Top 2, if not the greatest rap beef of all time.

“Move swift as the Wind and closely-formed as the Wood. Attack like the Fire and be still as the Mountain.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Jay-Z’s “Takeover” was elemental in its devastation and construction, relating to this rule from The Art of War. Jay-Z had released a track with such mathematical effiency and infectious energy that honestly would have ended any other rapper’s career. Add in Nas’ declining sales and popularity from his Illmatic days and Jay-Z’s rising position in clout and you had an opponent that clearly had the higher ground in the fight. How could you compete with stinging lines such as “So yeah, I sampled your voice, you was usin’ it wrong/You made it a hot line, I made it a hot song,” comments about Nas’ record deal leaving him underpaid, a math equation in the middle of the song, and proof that Jay-Z is a messy b***h that lives for drama like Joanne the Scammer when he finished off the verse with “Because you-know-who did you-know-what/With you-know-who, but let’s keep that between me and you?”

Nas, unlike rappers in beefs nowadays, had the flexibility to bide his time for a response against a career ending diss. He prepared his retaliation quietly, while using his dexterous knowledge to prepare his saving grace and studying his opponent. It was the mightiest mogul vs. the street prophet.

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt; if you know Heaven and know Earth, you may make your victory complete.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Yes, “Takeover” may have been more ear-pleasing in terms of a hook and an addicting instrumental produced by Kanye West, but Nas’ “Ether” was just as relentless, if not more, as Jay-Z’s “Takeover.” Emerging from the depths of defeat after being left for dead by the rap world, Nas stood triumphantly in his confidence to equal the higher ground Jay-Z had established as gunshots raged over the beginning of the track. The spirit of Tupac came through a tone-setting and blatant “F**K JAY-Z” and Nas reminded the world of his power with a globe-stopping “What’s up n****s?” before mercilessly letting loose.

“Engage people with what they expect; it is what they are able to discern and confirms their projections. It settles them into predictable patterns of response, occupying their minds while you wait for the extraordinary moment — that which they cannot anticipate.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Oh yes, Nas responded as Jay-Z anticipated, but in a way no one expected. The research was done and the esoteric lyricism was not held back not even a bit. He stated his opinion of what it meant to be the best of all-time in the rap realm, then commenced to give accounts of the life he knew of Jay-Z before the flaunting and Mafiaso raps. Jay-Z’s ultimate authority as an innovation was dismantled bar by bar as a convincing narrative of Jay-Z leeching from the greats before him was enough to do the damage and reveal to the culture who was truly the more authentic and not just the King.

“His manuscript just sound stupid/When KRS already made an album called Blueprint!/First Biggie’s your man? Then you got the nerve to say/That you better than B.I.G./D**k-suckin’ lips, why don’t you let the late great veteran live?” More unforgettable rap lyrics were spit that shook the entire game, which ultimately decided the battle, and even had Jay-Z in a sobbing-like state on the radio when the song came out post-interview with Angie Martinez. Jay-Z tried to bust back with Supa Ugly, which was labeled largely as distasteful and unnecessary, but by then, the damage had been done by the unexpected magnitude of the “Ether” counterattack.

“There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

“Ether” and its execution by Nas incorporated so many elements of The Art of War that it is seen as the template to rap beef diss tracks. No one says “You got Takeover’d” or “You got Supa Ugly’d!” correct? They say you got “Ether’d.” In defense of Jay-Z, many will try and argue that while Nas won the battle, Jay-Z won the war, referencing Jay-Z’s commercial and business success over Nas’ as well as social capital that Jay-Z built (i.e marrying the single biggest superstar of our time). If you are one of the greatest rappers of all time, with 13 platinum albums, Forbes List capital through the roof, a wife who is essentially worshipped as a deity on this Earth, and other aspects of living as a true King. However, if there is that one person who you know you can definitely not go to war with, can you really say you won? I’ll let you tell it.

Drake vs. Meek Mill [2010s]

As a new generation, we do not have the severity of the Tupac vs. Biggie beef, nor the destructively delicious drama of the Jay-Z vs. Nas beef, but the Drake vs. Meek Mill beef in the summer of 2015 nevertheless provided an excellent historical case study for rap beef. A lot of previously established norms of rap beef were thrown out the window with this instance.

“[He] who wishes to fight must first count the cost.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Enter Meek Mill in 2015: A growing and successful career, his first #1 album with Dreams Worth Than Money, and the top earning and most commercially successful Femcee in her era by his side. With a cosign by Jay-Z himself popping bottles with Meek in celebration of his blessings, the Philly rapper was living his dreams without the nightmares. Who would have known that he would artificially create his own? One ill-fated night, while heavy under the influence of drugs, someone put into Meek Mill’s ears that Drake was having sexual relations of some sort with Nicki Minaj, Meek Mill’s then girlfriend at the time. With his ego on the line, and against the cool-calculated boss persona he attempts to display in his music on a regular basis, Meek waged war with arguably the most infamous tweet of all time without first counting the potential cost of the war.

In Hip Hop culture, authenticity and originality in perfecting one’s truth is paramount down to the DJs, producers, break dancers, and most importantly: the rappers. You cannot claim to be the greatest if you are not writing you own music, period. Hip Hop is more strict of this rule considering its historical past with its origins. Drake’s entire legacy was on the line, even with his massive star power, sales, endorsements and fanbase. Meek arrogantly believed he won because of simply revealing a damaging damaging fact. As with Jay-Z to Nas, Meek commenced to make a sin of The Art of War by underestimating his opponent. To gauge the strength of his opponent, Drake delivered the subtle “Charged Up.” Although light in its attack, “Charged Up” sent a message to Meek that Drake received his message. The discussions around the Hip Hop community began to happen as Meek made a statement, calling the song “Baby lotion soft…,” and by this time, the setup could not have been more perfect for landing an uppercut and knocking Meek off balance.

“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Although not the best diss track of all time, Drake’s follow up, “Back to Back” did the trick quite like what any other rap song did before. The bait was to appear weak as the song began, and then the shots came: “You love her, then you gotta give the world to her/Is that a world tour or YOUR GIRL’S tour?/I know that you gotta be a thug for her/This ain’t what she meant when she told you to open up more/Yeah, TRIGGER fingers turn to TWITTER fingers/Yeah, you gettin’ bodied by a SINGIN’ N***A/I’m not the type of n***a that’ll type to n****s/And shout-out to all my boss b*****s wifin’ n****s/Make sure you hit him with the prenup!/Then tell that man to ease up”

“So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong, and strike at what is weak.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Drake himself knew that he was not a better battle rapper than Meek, who was classically trained in the art. However, instead of striking at Meek Mill’s strength, Drake struck at every weak point that Meek Mill would be hurt from despite the thuggish demeanor he tried to represent: confusing Meek’s stability in his own masculinity by stating the obvious that his rich and more commercially successful girlfriend at the time, Nicki Minaj, had more power than the amounts Meek bragged about. The section came about talking about how Meek’s constant tirade of trying to look tough was blowing back in his face all across the board. The Twitter fingers line is now forever a quotable, but the follow up “You getting’ bodied by a singin’ n***a,” an occurrence unique and exclusive to this mainstream rap beef, make a point that was never made before, doing the trick. The next few lines were for reinforcement but the damage was already done.

“Supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The song, as clever as it was in parts, was not enough to deal a finishing blow, although damaging, as described by connoseiurs of Hip Hop Culture. Then, Drake, in all of his secret tactical genius with his team, orchestrated the finishing blows without even having to make a direct attack. The song was a setup for a classy executed attack. Drake’s words that seemed mundane held true at the beginning of the track. Drake indeed sent six bottles to Charlemagne, one of the leading Hip Hop radio hosts in the nation that dominated the flow of conversation about Hip Hop developments. Drake’s investment and Charlemagne’s thanks displayed not only Drake as a classy brother, but very petty enough as to state “Yes, I did do it.”

Drake, in the song, mentioned AR-Ab, a underground Philly rapper that was popular and that Meek Mill wanted to sign to a record deal, but AR-Ab had beef with Meek. The artwork of the diss track was a picture captured of when the Toronto Raptors (Drake’s hometown team) won “back-to-back” championships. It did not help at all that the same night this track was released, the Philadelphia Phillies (from Meek’s hometown) lost to the Blue Jays. “Back to Back” became the first ever diss nominated for a Grammy Award in 2016, further cementing the songs’ poisonous effects that would make the kill.

When Meek executed his response, the rather lackluster and lyrically sloppy “Wanna Know,” especially considering his battling prowess, Meek’s response was so bad that The Undertaker, who was sampled, threatened to sue.

Lastly, Drake had a secret weapon to deal the final blow that none of his predecessors in rap beefs had: social media. Social media, Twitter primarily because of its updates in real time, archived and commented on the beef from start to finish with reaction tweets, pictures/gifs, videos and most damagingly: memes. It did not matter if “Back to Back” was not an “Ether,” or “Takeover,” or “No Vaseline;” groupthink and the jokes from celebrities, decade-long businesses, politicians, and every type of racial and age demographic all participated in the antics. They already hyped up “Back to Back,” but Meek Mill dug himself in the public coffin with another lackluster response with “Wanna Know,” which made the jokes come even harder. It was not “Back to Back” that ended Meek, it was the Internet.

Drake, in Summer Jam fashion at his OVO Fest later that year, proceeded to show all of the top memes from the beef while performing, as celebrities like Will Smith (a Philly native himself) were invited and caught on camera in groups laughing at Meek. In masterful execution on all fronts, Drake decisively won the battle on world display as Meek would go on to be clowned to this day, regardless of how successful he continues to be. Drake’s credibility damage of not writing his own raps were never forgotten in the Hip Hop community, as rappers and lovers of the culture never stopped discussing the topic in songs and lengthy commentaries after. However, Drake succeeded this with the win and his further success, as the victory over a clearly lyrical opponent further solidified Drake’s spot as one of the top leaders of New Skool Rap. Drake created his own higher ground, and that is the art of war.

Whether you appreciated the way these stories were told or not, or have different opinions on these important parts of rap beef history, there are definitely lessons to be learned from all these battles if you want to beef.

What are your favorite rap beefs that exemplify different tactics of strategic war? Leave your comments below as well as quote and share the article to spark conversation between your other rap connoisseurs and Hip Hop historians.

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