Guava Island

Guava Island is a short film directed by the one and only Hiro Murai (Atlanta). It’s about Kofi (Rihanna) and Deni (Gambino), two young lovers living in “paradise” Guava Island (shot in Cuba). Deni is the lovable yet possibly naive dreamer. He’s tired of seeing his people exploited and his home being taken over by a dictator, Red Cargo (Nonso Anozie, GOT).  Red Cargo owns the factories and docks that employ everyone so he thinks he owns the island. Because of the tyranny Deni wants to hold a festival to celebrate life and so that his people can believe in something again.  

@delourenco

Throughout this short film, Gambino sings along to an adaption of This is America while exclaiming that corruption/capitalism is here and everywhere. But it’s up to the people to take a chance. Deni wants to remind his people of hope and living life for enjoyment and not just survival. But the festival leads to his death.  

This film is melancholy yet whimsical. You want the characters to get their happy ending. You want good to triumph over evil. The illusion of fantasy is so appealing, so when the harsh reality of death hits it’s a deep reminder of power, ego, class-ism and colonialism. I know the timing was to line up with Gambino’s performance for Coachella but with the world still grieving Nipsey Hussle’s death, this short really stuck out to me.   

It seems like we live in a world where anytime a Black man tries to make his community stronger, voices opinions against authority or questioning authority they get shut down. And if they get too close to accomplishing real solutions to problems in their community, they get murdered.  That thought alone had me in light tears as I watched the ending scene of the people of Guava celebrating the life and death of Deni. A sea of blue crowded the streets. Rihanna dressed like royalty, walks with her people knowing Deni’s death wasn’t in vain. 

Rihanna dress by @kate_tabor

It felt like I could hear Keenan Ivory Wayne's voice whispering "Message" in my ear. 

You can watch Guava Island on Amazon Prime

SHRILL

Annie is a writer ( Aidy Bryant, Saturday Night Live). Annie also happens to be a plus size young woman who’s more on the timid, don’t want to take up too much space kind of individual. But also, a woman just trying to live her fucking life without unwanted “healthy” advice from strangers.

She lives with her best friend, Fran (Lilly Adefope) a Black goddess who loves herself, her body and the ladies.  Fran’s legit because she’s always trying to encourage Annie to see herself in a better light and to not settle for bullshit.

Source: @shrillhulu

As a Black fat woman this series definitely has some relatable experiences I’ve had and I’m sure other woman have had as well. Let’s unpack these experiences:

1. People pretending that they want to see you healthy but in reality, you being yourself pisses them off. Nobody wants to see fat people happy. How dare we be okay with our bodies. People will say bullshit like, “give herself permission” or “there’s a tiny person just waiting to get out.”  Annie goes through all the fake sympathy, but really they just want to fat shame her for “not taking steps to loose weight.” It’s ridiculous when people try to play the health card but in reality, they want to control you.

2. Fuck boy Ryan. Not only is Ryan a fuckboy but because of Annie’s low self esteem and trauma she hasn’t process she thinks that Ryan is worth her time. WHICH HE IS NOT. Homie had her sneaking out of his house, climbing over a fucking fence and the only reason she met his mom was being SHE WAS OVER THERE DOING HIS FUCKING LAUNDRY!!  No! We need to stop letting society tell us what we’re worth. And if our bodies take up too much space we are only allowed to be with certain type of people. FUCK THAT. STOP THAT SHIT.

source: @shrillhulu

3. We all know our parents want the best for us, but   don’t know how to deal with issues because they want us to live “normal” lives. But at the end of the day, we have to know ourselves and what makes us happy.  Annie’s mother, Vera (Julia Sweeney) struggles to be superwoman, trying to control everything within her family. But doesn’t realize the message she’s been sending her daughter throughout the years is extremely harmful. I’m no stranger to that mentality with my own mother. My mother always reminded me of my weight, “do you need that second helping”  “don’t forget to suck it in mija” She would train me to suck in my stomach with a belt, pulling it tight and learning to control my breathing. Parents want the best for their children but at the end of the day it’s about our own happiness. And let’s be real, half the time people are just projecting their own insecurities.

4. My favorite scene is when Annie attends a pool party for fat beautiful babes. She goes and sees all these woman enjoying themselves. No one is afraid of being seen or afraid of someone calling them out because of their bodies. Finally Annie takes a moment to not give any of the fucks and dances her ass off and finally gets in the fucking pool. I was screaming with laughter! It was awesome.

Source: @shrillhulu

5. Annie’s bullshit boss, Gabe (John Cameron Mitchell). Gabe is one of those white gay men who’s been around since the 80s/90s so he thinks he discovered everything. He doesn’t acknowledge his privilege or his fucking fat phobia. This motherfucker literally calls Annie his “millennial dumpling.” (Are you fuckin kidding me?) and later on referees to her as a lazy bish “lazy bodies, lazy minds” when she’s late to force fun from the pool party. First off she’s better than me because I would not have shown up, and further more instead of asking her why she’s late he just assumes the worst. GTFOH.

SPOILER ALERT: Annie lets him have it, and walks out!

Source: @shrillhulu

6. Throughout the series, Annie has finally got two articles published, her first about unrealistic beauty standards when she was suppose to do a simple food review at a local strip club and the second when she’s finally has enough and publishes HELLO! I’M FAT on her own. Through the mist of comments praising her work, Annie realizes she has a troll who is constantly bullying her online with grotesque comments and pics. Finally sick of the bullshit, Annie finds and confronts this prick. Who does she find? An insecure snowflake that confides in her that  he used to be fat, that he only trolls her and then has the audacity to try and invite her in for a drink. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?! She doesn’t do it of course but it’s the mentality that men like that think they are doing women like Annie a fucking favor for being interested or trying to straight up fuck. It’s disgusting and just shows how men and society think Fat women aren’t worth real relationships. Shrill is a wonderful representation that that shit isn’t real. Women, Fat women don’t owe anyone anything. We don’t need to feel shame for being okay with our bodies.

The first season was too short and I cannot wait for the second season to see Annie continue to kill the game, to see herself more powerful and to stop waiting on other people to give her permission to live her fucking life.

Source: @shrillhulu

DONT WAIT ON PEOPLE. DO YOU.

Kari Faux: Cry 4 Help

If you don’t know the name Kari Faux you have been sleeping under a rock! Her new EP, Cry 4 Help will take you through all the feels good and bad. But most importantly will remind you to put yourself first!

Known for her track No Small Talk ( Insecure Soundtrack and remixed by Childish Gambino) Kari has shown her skills once again with this EP. I hate to compare artist so I won’t, but her vibe definitely reminds me of the likes of Tierra Whack, Rico Nasty and Rapsody. Powerful outspoken Black Women that refuse to be put into a box with their music and style.

@karifaux

In The Air: a breezy chill track that you can definitely blaze and vibe too. “So high so high, so high. I think I caught a nosebleed from the elevation.”

Leave Me Alone: Just what the title says, Kari ain’t got no time for busted niggas. “Don’t hit my line, don’t call my phone.” Kari talks about being too busy for anyone to wasted her time or energy.

Night Time: Smooth vibes, sultry lyrics “ I know that you gone wanna fuck and smoke, sip the drank, pop the pill, then puff some mo.”

Latch Key: Honestly my favorite track and the most serious one as well. Kari talks of possible rape by her boyfriend, a miscarriage and learning from the past and looking into her future now within her career. “Peel back the layers of trauma like a fuckin banana, I when you tried to make me your baby mama.” This track beat‘s are darker, sets up a scene in your mind as you listen to the lyrics.

You can find Kari Faux on all streaming platforms. Instagram: @karifaux

Seaberg + The Black Velvet Punks

Friday March 8th at 7th Street Entry I had the pleasure of seeing local Minneapolis band, Black Velvet Punks. A trio of Black artists who are taking back rock n roll. The bandmates include genderqueer guitarist/vocalist Taylor Seaberg with drummer/vocalist Travieon Dunlap and bassist Roderick Glasper.

What I love about the band is that you don’t expect these individuals to play the music they do. Which is a mixture of new-soul, punk, jazz, funk, emo grunge sound. It’s dreamy and perfect and I love that there are Black artist showing how versatile they’re sound is and to remind people, we are here. This is our space too.

You can find their digital album, Silhouettes at seaberg.bandcamp.com/releases

instagram @blackvelvetpunks

@childish_fun

Ella Mai

Thursday night at Varsity Theater in Southeast Minneapolis, Ella Mai and opener Kiana Ledé both graced the stage and fucking did the damn thing. The 18+ show was full of diversity and the #blackgirlmagic was on point!

@ellamai

It was my first time seeing and hearing Kiana Ledé. Her performance was amazing. Her vocals were on point and the notes she could hit bought you back to the 90s, giving you Mariah Carey vibes. She definitely caught the crowds attention, with everyone engaged and dancing their asses off.

Kiana Ledé// @childishfun IPhone photo

Of course everyone was too excited for Ella Mai to come out and sing her heart out and have everyone in their feels. She hit tracks from Time, Ready and her self title album. Tracks like she don’t, switch sider, boo’d up, sauce, shot clock, trippin and of course naked.

Ella Mai// @Childishfun iPhone photo

The whole vibe of the show was chill with smoke in the air and everyone cuddled up with their boo’s, friends and situationships. Ella Mai was cute, humble and was impressed that everyone was singing along, but it’s like how could you not?

Ella Mai // @Childishfun iPhone photo

If you ever get a chance to see Ella Mai, it’s fucking worth it. Her self title album, Ella Mai is available on all platforms.

Naél EP

Naél is a Minneapolis artist originally known from the local band, smalltalk. I had the pleasure of seeing them perform last year at Dear Gaza in South Minneapolis. So needless to say, I was super hype to hear that Naél was dropping his self titled EP. Naél is a six track EP that instantly drifts you into another climate.

Right of the back, Face the first track is light and poppy. Your body automatically starts to groove with the instrumentals. For me, personally it’s a reminder of 80’s Dance wave but mixed with some chill alternative R&B. His vocals are soft, almost gleeful as he sings “I don’t want to see your face again.” Another favourite is She’s Crazy feat. Michu. Michu and Naél compliment each other well. This song is chill and the soulful sounds and calming vocals carry you away. Naél’s vocals are distinct and mesmerize you at first sound. He will definitely put you in your feels, like in his track Empath, he makes you feel like he’s singing directly to you all smooth, “Tell me something about you, I don’t want to go, I’m ready to stay.” The overall sound of the EP is euphoric and Naél’s guitar skills will have you wanting more.

Naél photography by @nicetwomichu

TP: So why self-title?

NF: So officially I started working on this project in November of 2017. The working title of it was actually "Feng Shui" because I was really drawn towards the idea of flow and energy in a space or in this case in a musical project. Hopefully those ideas shine through in the music. By the time the EP was mastered and done in December of 2018. I had already lived with those song for what seemed like forever that I felt that the name "Feng Shui" didn’t characterize how I personally saw this music anymore, even though the idea is the driving force of the sound. I also decided on my artist name around the same time (Naél short for Nathnael) and felt really positive about the way it sounded stylistically. With that I thought that this project would represent for me, my musical introduction to the world.

 TP: Will you only be focusing on solo work or will you still be working with bands like smalltalk?

NF: I'm a person who is going to make music no matter who it is with. I especially love making music with my friends and have been doing it for 10+ years now. I definitely plan on continuing to do so for as long as I can. As for my solo music, we'll just have to wait and see.

TP:  How long has CLICKBAIT your label been around and what made them the best decision for you?

NF: CLICKBAIT is comprised of 5 of my best friends and myself. We actually started the group as an artist collective in 2016 and since then have unofficially released music and videos on YouTube, SoundCloud and social media. We are registered as an LLC and have been operating to support our event planning/DJ work as well. I chose to release under CLICKBAIT because CLICKBAIT is an extension of myself.

 TP: What artist are your biggest influences?

I have sooooo many influences musically. Growing up many people knew me as the black kid that listened to screamo and punk music and played drums too loud. But I've also grown a large affinity towards R&B and hip-hop since my teenage years. Foundationally my guitar influences stem from the band Paramore, first and foremost and branches off to other artists like Mac Demarco and Toro y Moi. My friend and collaborator Michu has also influenced a decent amount of my guitar style by teaching me the "7 chords" that’s what gives the sound more of a beachy/whimsical vibe. This project specifically was influenced by the artists Gus Dapperton, J-Dilla, Joji, Clairo, and Ducktails.

TP:  What should we look forward to in the future for you?

I have a few shows that I've committed to in the few weeks but I’m not sure what comes next after that. Unfortunately, orchestrating a project like this and overseeing collaborative efforts for the art that goes along with it can be very energy draining especially when trying to balance a full-time job as a software engineer in the daytime. I see myself laying low for the most part and focusing on some of my other hobbies like photography and technology. I'll always be making music though!

Shout out to Naél for taking time out for this interview and make sure you listen to his EP, streaming on all platforms.

Ariana Grande: Thank u, Next!

After listening to Ariana Grande’s newest album, I’ve realized that I’ve been sleeping on her. No one can dispute that the woman got pipes. But I’m also not that into super Poppy mainstream music as much either. With that being said, this album comes off on a more personally note, especially with all that Ariana has been through it’s not surprise. She recently departed with Pete Davidson, they were to be engaged, and she also had to deal with the death of her ex boyfriend, the beloved Mac Miller.

Thank u, next has a little bit of everything, the poppy songs, the ballads, the heartbreak and the brag tracks. But the songs that really stood out to me were Needy: What I love about this track is are Ariana’s vocals, that are angelic. Her honesty about where she’s at mentally. “I’m sorry I’ve Im up and down a lot/ I’m sorry if I think I’m not enough /and sorry if I say sorry to much/ you can go ahead and call me selfish but after all this damage, I can’t help it.” These lyrics are so relatable and I think a lot of people going through tough shit can relate to these feelings.

@arianagrande

Fake Smile: Another track expressing that she’s not going to pretend that everything’s alright, but still grateful for what she has. Ariana has really poured her heart and creativity into this album. She also made a good touch with the Wendy Rene sample in the beginning and instrumentals that gave me throw back feels of 90s JLo and Mary J. Blige.

Ghostin: By far the track with the deepest meaning and probably very personal for Ariana Grande. she softly sings about mourning for Mac Miller while being with Pete and the complications that can bring up. The feelings, the rethinking over and over. This track will definitely have you in your feels. “Though I wish he were here instead/ don’t want that living in your head/ he just comes to visit me/ when I’m dreaming every now and then.”

@arianagrande

7 Rings: There was a lot of controversy with this song and it’s instrumentals sounding just like Princess Nokia’s track Mine. Which I’m not going to lie, the instrumentals sound the same and the way she’s wording her lyrics like Nokia does, but the biggest difference for me in these two tracks is the fact that Nokia’s Mine is a song about empowerment and telling these Beckys to stay in their lane and not to touch WOC’s hair. 7 Rings sounds more like a brag track wheb you listen to the lyrics. It sounds like she’s trying to fill a void with buying whatever she wants. “Whoever said money can't solve your problems/ Must not have had enough money to solve 'em/They say, "Which one?" I say, "Nah, I want all of 'em"
Happiness is the same price as red-bottoms”

Thank u, Next! : One of my favorite track because the video is everything. Ariana brings back Mean Girls with her video for Thank u, Next! And we all fell in love all over again. But what I do love about this track is the maturity about it. Relationships don’t always last and sometimes people are just in our lives as lessons. This song is a perfect representation to the lessons she’s had to learn.

Overall, I would definitely give this album a listen if you haven’t already. The album is honestly a great representation of life and how we have to balance all these feelings and lessons in life. We don’t always have to dwell on the negative and try our best to see the celebration in all of it. Ariana Grande definitely deserves this celebration too!

Album is available on all streaming platforms!

Random Acts of Flyness

This new HBO Show is fucking everything. I know, I say that every time, but I’m not exaggerating. Random Acts of Flyness is like nothing else and ahead of its time. It’s literally the most beautiful and haunting T.V. show ever. Created by Terrance Nance and friends, this show explores life of being a Black human being and the obstacles, fuckery, racism, sexism and homophobia out and within Black culture. This show expresses these “isms” with so much creativity and raw honesty, like I’ve never seen it. Some sketches were hard for me to watch, because I couldn’t even believe that the creators thought of something so brilliant and dark at the same time. In one sketch, it depicts Death (Tonya Pinkins) and how even she was tired of seeing Black youth always coming her way. In the beginning of the show, Terrance himself, is just starting his day riding his bike through Brooklyn when cops stop just to harass him. The best part is when he sites a statue to the fucking cop!

The show touches on Bi Sexual Black men and Black men who identify as gender fluid, a concept that you rarely hear about within the Black community. The timing of this show is much needed. People need to start having these conversations, but most importantly, Brown and Black individuals need to see they are not alone. I know growing up, you never talked about gender. There was nothing to talk about, it was man or woman in the eyes of my family. It wasn’t until I had to do my own research and making friends where I learned there was more than just straight. Finding that community within your own makes it less frightening, knowing that sexuality is this huge spectrum, where no one is wrong.

Random Acts of Flyness is just that. Sketches of images, words, colors, musical performances, dance and sounds that make your arm hair stick out and goosebumps form on your body. Images that relate to you and make you think heavily. My favorite sketch so far is Nuncaland, the concept of Pan (Kevin Alexis Rivera) who’s depicted as a young boy who is gentle and kind yet severely naive. He wants to protect Wendy (Le’Asha Julius, Quincy Vidal) from “The Man.” But she lets homie know, that she doesn’t need his protection, she needs him and all men to be accountable and to learn from each other’s mistakes, so we can fight against the patriarchy and rape culture.

Le’Asha Julius @randomactshbo

Honestly, this show is incredibly important for everyone to watch and its message is profound. It’s exciting to see what they have in store for future episodes and how they continue to push the boundaries. This is the time, especially in television to have the power, to broadcast something to unapologetic and so completely BLACK.

You can find Random Acts of Flyness on HBO, The first season is already finished so let’s hope for that season 2.

@randomactshbo