Reel Notes w/ CineMasai (Dylan "CineMasai" Green)
Explore every episode of Reel Notes w/ CineMasai
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09 Feb 2022 | S2 Episode 3: Liiight | 01:40:45 | |
My guest this week is Florida-born rapper-producer Liiight. We spoke about Don’t Look Up, Bee Movie, Cowboy Bebop, dubstep, brief histories of Yung Lean and the Sad Boys, Lucki, and Childish Gambino, how Lupe Fiasco’s “Kick Push” changed their life, giving your all while recording, and the creative process behind their latest projects Dwunk and Blacklight. | |||
| 16 Feb 2022 | S2 Episode 4: Brainorchestra | 01:33:43 | |
My guest this week is New Jersey rapper, producer, and DJ Brainorchestra. We spoke about Batman, growing up playing real-time strategy and role-playing games, The Black Cauldron, myths about life in New Jersey, our mutual love for survival movies, how playing instruments influenced his beatmaking, turning his love of rap into a business, and the creative process behind a handful of his projects, including his latest album Big Brain. | |||
| 23 Feb 2022 | S2 Episode 5: Stik Figa | 02:03:10 | |
My guest this week is Kansas-born rapper and podcast host Stik Figa. We spoke about Ozark, Euphoria, the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, American Beauty, the art of appreciating art, how Kansas became a mixtape hub for several different kinds of rap, whether Kendrick Lamar is an all-time great, and the creative process behind several of his projects, including the August Fanon-produced Heresy. | |||
| 02 Mar 2022 | S2 Episode 6: Chanelle Kazadi | 00:57:27 | |
My guest this week is rapper, businesswoman, boxer, and healthcare worker Chanelle Kazadi. We spoke about Love Is Blind, Baking Impossible, horror movies, the nuance behind villains, Jeen-Yus: A Kanye Trilogy, being a first-generation immigrant, falling in love with the music of Mos Def and Common, starting her Harvest Hooligang clothing company, the trials of being an independent artist in 2022, and the creative process behind her latest project Make It Work. | |||
| 09 Mar 2022 | S2 Episode 7: Cheeno Ghee | 01:26:07 | |
My guest this week is North Carolina-based rapper, producer, and label head Cheeno Ghee. We spoke about Kanye West, jeen-yus, the power of a good music documentary, true crime, Belly, the legacy of Hype Williams, growing up between Atlanta, Brooklyn, and North Carolina, what it means to freestyle in 2022, the art of battle rap, founding GCE Tha Label, and the creative process behind her projects Child and To Whomever It Concerns. | |||
| 23 Mar 2022 | S2 Episode 8: Chelsea Reject | 01:39:12 | |
My guest this week is Brooklyn rapper Chelsea Reject. We spoke about the Hulu original movie Fresh, Black Mirror, veganism, the Final Destination series, Dragonball Z, growing up in the church, watching non-secular media in secret, realizing that we both attended New York college SUNY Purchase at the same time, New York hip-hop during the rise of Pro Era, the pros and cons of recording music in 2022, and the creative processes behind all of her projects, including her latest album This Is Not My Final Form. | |||
| 30 Mar 2022 | S2 Episode 9: Chango4 | 01:09:29 | |
My guest this week is Buffalo rapper/singer/producer Chango4. We spoke about the documentary You Can’t Kill Meme, the prevalence of meme culture on and offline, The Ring, Being John Malkovitch, Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Holy Mountain and Santa Sangre, her fascination with carpentry, the Buffalo music scene, genre-blending, her relationship with rapper-producer way2wavybaby, and her general creative process. | |||
| 06 Apr 2022 | S2 Episode 10: BOSCO | 01:25:40 | |
My guest this week is Georgia-born singer, artist, and label head BOSCO. We spoke about Snowfall, Insecure, having her songs featured on Insecure, what sync licensing means, Love & Basketball, Forrest Gump, Raven-Symone, Lauryn Hill, our respective relationships with music and movies as children, founding the creative community Slug, and how it’s influenced her creative process. BOSCO's latest project Some Day This Will All Make Sense is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. You can also hear BOSCO's music on the Insecure soundtrack and official playlists. | |||
| 13 Apr 2022 | S2 Episode 11: Wakai | 01:33:03 | |
My guest this week is Baton Rouge-based rapper Wakai. We spoke about Snowfall, Atlanta, The Wire, Menace II Society, the beauty of local businesses, why binging TV is a privilege, how the video for Kanye West’s “All Falls Down” changed his life, his journey through the hip-hop rabbit hole, how his experience as a film editor has informed his experience as a musician, how COVID affected his approach to putting out music, and the creative processes behind his debut solo album To A Dark Boy. | |||
| 20 Apr 2022 | S2 Episode 12: Vic Spencer | 01:27:55 | |
My guest this week is Chicago rapper Vic Spencer. We spoke about Power, The Waterboy, his love for standup comedy, the power of world-building in music and movies, making music during his time in a group home, the legacy of his breakthrough project The Cost of Victory, the idea behind he and rapper-producer Sonnyjim’s Spencer For Higher series, the artist-to-fan relationship, and the creative process behind he and Doc Da Mindbenda’s collab album Still Here. | |||
| 27 Apr 2022 | S2 Episode 13: Marcel Allen | 01:33:02 | |
My guest this week is New York rapper Marcel Allen. We spoke about Shutter Island, Halloween Kills, Scary Movie, his love of horror movies, watching the movie Cornbread, Earl and Me for the first time, our favorite hood movies of all time, his appreciation for every subgenre of rap, getting Havoc and Boldy James on his debut album, his relationship with producers Thelonious Martin and Jacob Rochester, and the creative process behind his debut album Ebony Goddess. | |||
| 04 May 2022 | S2 Episode 14: V.C.R. (aka V The Martian) | 01:46:09 | |
My guest this week is Tennessee musician, producer, singer, writer, and author V.C.R. aka V The Martian. We spoke about the films of Yorgos Lanthimos, Raised By Wolves, Adult Swim, Smiling Friends, the magic of the Willy Wonka soundtrack, science fiction, Tennessee hip-hop, Lord of The Rings, the importance of the hero’s journey, and the creative process behind her debut album The Chronicles of a Caterpillar: The Egg. | |||
| 11 May 2022 | S2 Episode 15: Sadistik | 01:57:04 | |
My guest this week is Seattle rapper Sadistik. We spoke about Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Batman, the films of Gaspar Noe and Lars von Trier, how The Blob and Quentin Tarantino kickstarted his fascination with film, Stephen King adaptations, the benefits of pushing the boundaries of art, his love for New York and Southern rap, the pros and cons of being honest in your music, his creative process, and working with rapper-producer Kno on their latest collab Bring Me Back When The World Is Cured. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday!
| |||
| 18 May 2022 | S2 Episode 16: Kemba | 01:56:52 | |
My guest this week is Bronx rapper and songwriter Kemba. We spoke about the NBA Street and Def Jam video game franchises, Top Boy, Mr. Robot, rappers-turned-actors, Adam Sandler, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, spoiler culture, Eminem, legacy artists, if honesty is a guarantee to making good music, a handful of videos, his upcoming album and screenplay, and his general creative process. | |||
| 25 May 2022 | Season 2 Episode 17: Dälek | 01:56:53 | |
My guest this week is New Jersey rapper, producer, composer, and deadverse label head Will Brooks, lead MC of the group dälek. We spoke about the work of John Singleton and Christopher Nolan, how we unknowingly attended the same screening of The Dark Knight Rises, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, longevity as an independent musician, what it means to be hip-hop, scoring the documentary Betrayal at Attica, dälek’s 25-year career, and the creative process behind their latest album Precipice. | |||
| 01 Jun 2022 | S2 Episode 18: DJ Diamond Kuts | 01:08:05 | |
My guest this week is DJ, producer, and co-host of the Yo! MTV Raps revival, Diamond Kuts. We spoke about horror movies, the Child’s Play series, how Disney’s reboot of Maleficent helped her appreciate the relationship between sound and image, her relationship with Nicki Minaj, memories of Nicki’s early career, putting on for female rappers, navigating the world of DJing as a Black woman, being a DJ in the age of streaming and algorithms, her relationship with Yo! MTV Raps, and how she and fellow co-host Conceited are reimagining the show for a new generation. | |||
| 08 Jun 2022 | S2 Episode 19: GENG PTP | 02:25:15 | |
My guest this week is producer, rapper, DJ, founder of the blog/label PTP, teacher, and archivist GENG PTP. We spoke about ethics in journalism, The Bob’s Burgers Movie, Ozark, the pros and cons of binging television, the history of Kim’s Video and Music, our relationship with music videos, the skateboarding documentary All The Streets Are Silent, the current underground renaissance, and more anecdotes and detours about music and movie history than I can count. | |||
| 15 Jun 2022 | S2 Episode 20: Pat Junior | 01:46:39 | |
My guest this week is writer, rapper, producer, and sound designer Pat Junior. We spoke about Logic, Top Boy, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Doctor Strange, the Rush Hour movies, The Fifth Element, Gladiator, our favorite film scores and composers, his relationship to hip-hop and classical music, how he approaches music as a sound designer, the pros and cons of overthinking while writing, and the creative process behind his latest album Gold Fangs On Sunday. | |||
| 22 Jun 2022 | S2 Episode 21: THERAVADA | 01:43:11 | |
My guest this week is rapper, producer, and graphic designer THERAVADA. We spoke about Bob’s Burgers, The Sopranos, Life Is Beautiful, AMC Stubs A-List, influencer culture, how And1 Basketball helped him appreciate the synergy of rap and film, streetball’s effect on pop culture, video game soundtracks, the importance of archiving, and the creative process behind his latest project My Own 2 Hands. | |||
| 29 Jun 2022 | S2 Episode 22: Michael Christmas | 02:03:10 | |
My guest this week is Boston rapper, producer, actor, and standup comedian Michael Christmas. We spoke about Father’s Day, Peaky Blinders, Top Boy, Uncut Gems, Ja Rule, horror, Black comedy, Spike Lee, the art of references in rap, respecting The Culture, Van Buren, the Massachusetts rap scene, a handful of his music videos, and the creative process behind he and producer Ricky Felix’s collab project Christmas In 6. | |||
| 06 Jul 2022 | S2 Episode 23: Tyrxne | 01:34:41 | |
My guest this week is rapper Tyrxne. We gave our hot takes on The Batman, spoke about his love for The Fifth Element and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of The Ooze, the art of sneaking into movie theaters, the pros and cons of AMC Stubs A-List, listening to Daft Punk and Cassidy, the origins of his original rap name Breeze Embalm, embracing TikTok and rapping in Spanish, and the creative process behind his first Spanish-language album El Peligro. | |||
| 13 Jul 2022 | S2 Episode 24: Tony Shhnow | 01:52:50 | |
My guest for the mid-season finale is Atlanta rapper Tony Shhnow. We spoke about The Boys, superhero sex, Barry, Soul Plane, Donald Glover’s Atlanta, Futurama, how Wiz Khalifa’s Burn After Rolling changed his life, his prolific release schedule, proving himself as a lyricist, his relationship with his plug, and the creative process behind his latest project Reflexions. | |||
| 03 Aug 2022 | S2 Episode 25: Chuck Strangers | 02:00:03 | |
My guest this week is rapper, producer, Pro Era member, and label head Chuck Strangers. We spoke about Harold’s fried chicken, The Wire, Breaking Bad, White People Can’t Jump, Toy Story, the Friday series, the art of bootleg CDs, how JAY-Z’s “Hard Knock Life” changed his perspective on music, his work with Pro Era, the 10th anniversary of Joey Bada$$’ 1999, and his current position within the rap underground. | |||
| 10 Aug 2022 | S2 Episode 26: Anonymuz | 01:21:32 | |
My guest this week is Florida-bred rapper, producer, and label head Anonymuz. We spoke about the magic of A24 movies, Spider-Man, superhero fatigue, Willem Dafoe, Silence, the work of Martin Scorsese, One Piece, Hunter x Hunter, the value of art, putting himself in his music, his path to becoming a rapper-producer, the significance of the Radicxl movement, striving to be regular, and the creative process behind his latest project ANAGO. | |||
| 17 Aug 2022 | S2 Episode 27: Apollo Brown | 01:39:58 | |
My guest this week is Detroit producer Apollo Brown. We spoke about Euphoria, Atlanta, Mr. In-Between, Flatliners, The Land Before Time, Steven Spielberg’s debut movie Duel, his personal top 5 movies, discovering hip-hop through DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Main Source, and The D.O.C., his production aesthetic, the importance of consistency in hip-hop, a handful of his projects, and the creative process behind his latest album This Must Be The Place. | |||
| 31 Aug 2022 | S2 Episode 28: Messiah! | 01:36:43 | |
My guest this week is North Carolina rapper Messiah!. We spoke about Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist, Catfish, reality TV, King Richard, The Rugrats Movie, The Truman Show, the influence of Chief Keef, how ScHoolboy Q’s Oxymoron changed his perspective on music, forming Killswitch with Mavi, ScoSzn, and Ahmir, crafting his style, a melancholic look back on his older music, and the creative process behind his latest project Perfect 7 | |||
| 07 Sep 2022 | S2 Episode 29: Duncecap | 01:48:08 | |
My guest this week is New York rapper, producer, streamer, and video editor and director Duncecap. We spoke about Bodies Bodies Bodies, his changing relationship with horror movies, The Cabin In The Woods, opinions on a few retroactively problematic movies, the history of defunct New York rap collective the Karma Kids, the importance of humor in his music, finding his voice as a rapper, producer, director, and editor, and the creative process behind his latest album Go Climb A Tree, produced entirely by Hajino. | |||
| 14 Sep 2022 | S2 Episode 30: Meechy Darko | 01:45:10 | |
My guest this week is Brooklyn-born rapper and one-third of the Flatbush Zombies Meechy Darko. We spoke about Idiocracy, Asian horror films, our favorite bad movies, District 9 and the movies of Neil Blomkamp, how Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) changed his perspective on film and music, the origins and legacy of the Flatbush Zombies, finding new ways to show off his trademark raspy voice, and the creative process behind his solo debut Gothic Luxury. | |||
| 21 Sep 2022 | S2 Episode 31: Infinity Knives (with special guest Brian Ennals) | 01:52:22 | |
My guest this week is Baltimore-via-Tanzania producer and musician Infinity Knives. We spoke about Ancestry.com, whether hip-hop is political, Severance, Pan’s Labyrinth, our favorite anime, fantasy novels, video games, and comic books, growing up between Tanzania and Madagascar, merging classical music with hip-hop, trusting the process, and the creative process behind he and Brian Ennals’s latest album King Cobra. | |||
| 05 Oct 2022 | S2 Episode 32: Papo2oo4 (with special guest Subjxct 5) | 01:53:39 | |
My guest this week is New Jersey rapper Papo2oo4. We spoke about Titanic, Good Will Hunting, white classics, hood classics, Get Rich Or Die Trying, the lack of imagination in Hollywood, why he prefers realism over fantasy, listening to the youth, inspiration vs. biting, rap regionalism, hot takes about the 90s, and his creative process. | |||
| 12 Oct 2022 | S2 Episode 33: Brian Ennals | 01:02:40 | |
My guest this week is Baltimore rapper Brian Ennals. We spoke about the MCU, Doctor Strange, why Robocop is a perfect movie, House Party, being influenced by Stevie Wonder and Pusha-T, his early rap career, valuing the art of writing over the art of technical rapping, connecting with producer and multiinstrumentalist Infinity Knives, and the creative process behind their latest album King Cobra. | |||
| 18 Oct 2022 | S2 Episode 34: Soko | 01:32:43 | |
My guest this week is artist manager, independent label head, streaming account manager, and former DJ Soko. We spoke about Atlanta, Ghostbusters, Batman, the art of collecting, growing up in Michigan, the greater Detroit rap scene, his work with Journalist 103 and Apollo Brown as The Left for their 2010 debut album Gas Mask, the life, death, and rebirth of his indie label Left Of Center, and how the many different jobs he’s had within hip-hop led him to where he is today. | |||
| 26 Oct 2022 | S2 Episode 35: Wulf Morpheus | 01:30:30 | |
My guest this week is producer Wulf Morpheus. We spoke about all things anime—our old and new favorites, the impact of Toonami, anime’s growing presence in pop culture, and its mix with hip-hop culture—Max Keeble’s Big Move, Disney Adventure magazine,Cartoon Network, the lo-fi aesthetic, being inspired by every form of rap music, why Knxwledge is a GOAT’d producer, his placements with Chuck Strangers and Mavi, his Instagram clips, and his general creative approach to making beats. | |||
| 02 Nov 2022 | S2 Episode 36: Mavi | 01:20:47 | |
My guest this week is North Carolina rapper and regular human Mavi. We spoke about The Woman King, Bullet Train, Nope, Paid In Full, Menace II Society, Lilo & Stitch, discovering music through video games and movies, the creative process behind his latest project Laughing so Hard, it Hurts, how producers monte booker, Wulf Morpheus, and Dylvinci helped bring the vision together, processing emotions and manhood, and why he feels his music is innocent. | |||
| 09 Nov 2022 | S2 Episode 37: Wiki | 01:35:01 | |
My guest this week is New York rapper Wiki. We spoke about Smile, the Netflix documentary Descent, the early work of Martin Scorsese and Harvey Keitel, the musical and cultural diversity of New York, being consistent over a decade-long career, a selection of his best songs, starting out young, being ahead of your time and paying it forward for the next generation, and the creative processes behind his last two albums—the Navy Blue-produced Half God and the Subjxct 5-produced Cold Cuts. | |||
| 16 Nov 2022 | gum.mp3 (fka Dirty Bird) | S2 Episode 38 | 01:31:01 | |
My guest this week is Virginia-based producer, DJ, animator, and director Dirty Bird. We spoke about The Bear, Drive My Car, Austin Powers, the work of Maasakai Yuasa, the beauty of animation, our love for anime, how racism and orientalism can ruin your favorite movies, creating his own animation studio, how Chief Keef and Odd Future inspired him, his journey through rap and dance music, and the creative process behind his latest project Wagenmuzik. Wagenmuzik is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Gum Animation Studios is hard at work on their debut feature. Read more about the studio here. Follow Dirty Bird on Instagram and Twitter: @dirtybird0_o Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) | |||
| 23 Nov 2022 | S2 Episode 39: Psalm One | 01:33:29 | |
My guest this week is Chicago-born rapper, author, writer, chemist, and activist Psalm One. We spoke about Abbot Elementary, The Muppets, growing up as the child of a journalist, when older favorite movies don’t age well, how chemistry applies to real life, the #BoycottRhymesayers movement, battle rap, and the creative processes behind her latest album Bigg Perrm and her memoir Her Word Is Bond: Navigating Hip-Hop and Relationships in A Culture of Misogyny. | |||
| 30 Nov 2022 | S2 Episode 40: Gat$ | 02:18:15 | |
My guest this week is Florida-based rapper and producer Gat$. We spoke about money, songs in movie trailers, a spoiler-filled breakdown of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the malleability of horror, making music videos based on his favorite movies, building his career and rebuilding it from the ground up twice, a brief tour of his discography, and the creative process behind his latest albums Robbed and 2 Much 2 Robb and his upcoming compilation album Robbers. | |||
| 07 Dec 2022 | S2 Episode 41: Fly Anakin | 02:25:13 | |
My guest this week is Atlanta-via-Richmond rapper, producer, and co-founder of Mutant Academy, Fly Anakin—our first returning guest in 80 episodes. We spoke about fashion shows, identity in hip-hop, the ending of Atlanta, being an introvert, working through anxiety, food, the creative process behind his latest album Frank and Skinemaxxx, his upcoming full-length with producer Foisey, and more stories than I can count. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday!
| |||
| 14 Dec 2022 | S2 Episode 42: Contour | 01:42:02 | |
My guest this week is South Carolina-born producer, vocalist, and composer Contour. We took a critical look at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the MCU and spoke about The Brave Little Toaster, the 2001 Japanese film Pulse, the pros and cons of Letterboxd, the art of film scoring, combining sample-based beats and traditional instruments to find his sound, and the creative process behind his latest album Onwards! | |||
| 21 Dec 2022 | S2 Episode 43: Mars Kumari | 01:56:28 | |
My guest this week is California-based producer and archivist Mars Kumari. We spoke about Squishmallows, Xavier: Renegade Angel, the timelessness of Adult Swim, the Earl Sweatshirt short film Nowhere, Nobody, piracy, how her transition influenced the way she creates music, the pros and cons of musical archiving, and the creative process behind a handful of her projects, including her upcoming album I Thought I Lost You. | |||
| 28 Dec 2022 | S2 Episode 44: Lungs/Lonesword x Phiik | 01:58:27 | |
My guests this week are New York rapper-producers Lungs and Phiik. We spoke about NBA Street, Ghost in the Shell, transhumanism, The Digimon Movie, growing up on Long Island, how they joined up with East Grip, their working relationship, how movies inspire Lungs’s beats as LoneSword, the creative process behind their Another Planet series, Phiik’s latest album Chainlink, and their now infamous appearance on Top Shelf Premium’s Off Top freestyle series. | |||
| 29 Dec 2022 | S2 Episode 45: Koncept Jack$on | 01:29:06 | |
My next guest is Virginia rapper-producer Koncept Jack$on. We spoke about the Avatar movies, reality TV, Black sitcoms of the 90s, Lovecraft Country, coming up on Big L, Kool G Rap, and early 2000s freestyles, the importance of video game soundtracks, perfecting his flows, the art of stretching a rhyme scheme to its breaking point, and the creative process behind his latest project HTR Vol. 1: The Legend of Tawny Tone. | |||
| 30 Dec 2022 | S2 Episode 46: WifiGawd (Season 2 finale) | 01:22:10 | |
My last guest of the season is D.C.-based rapper-producer WifiGawd. We spoke about Tubi’s exhaustive selection of hood classics, the Sticky Fingaz rap opera, the impact of movies like Beat Street and Princess Mononoke had on him, the pros and cons of civil rights movies, his love for martial arts movies, his earliest concert memories, producing for himself vs. producing for others, and the creative process behind several of his best songs of the year. | |||
| 25 Jan 2023 | MIKE (with special guest Sideshow) | S3 Episode 1 (Season 3 premiere) | 01:36:40 | |
My guest for the season 3 premiere is New York-based rapper-producer MIKE. We spoke about Park Chan-wook, Skinamarink, Nigerian cinema, Paid In Full, Belly, the importance of tragedy in art, growing up in London, Philly, and New York, healing, a brief retrospective on his career, and the creative process behind his last two albums Disco! and Beware of The Monkey. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday!
| |||
| 01 Feb 2023 | Suzi Analogue | S3 Episode 2 | 01:16:18 | |
My guest this week is producer, rapper, DJ, professor, label head, and cultural ambassador Suzi Analogue. We spoke about the adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Kindred, Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, Menace II Society, The Color Purple, Ice Spice, teaching hip-hop at a college level, finding meaning in music, and the process behind her latest album Infinite Zonez. | |||
| 08 Feb 2023 | Radicule | S3 Episode 3 | 01:42:05 | |
My guest this week is New York producer, rapper, and writer Radicule. We spoke about anime—specifically Chainsaw Man, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Cowboy Bebop—The Banshees of Inisherin and the work of Colin Farrell, Undercover Brother, A Goofy Movie, SMACK DVD, his producer newsletter Thoughts Beyond The DAW, similarities between music and journalism, and the creative process behind his S-Rank Slaps beat tape series. | |||
| 15 Feb 2023 | Rasheed Chappell | S3 Episode 4 | 01:33:35 | |
My guest this week is New Jersey rapper Rasheed Chappell. We spoke about Everything Everywhere All At Once, It’s A Wonderful Life, seeing Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back with his late father, how movies play to both escapism and reality, New Jersey’s place in hip-hop, the relationship between New Jersey and New York, his early career, why praise from your friends hits different, and the creative process behind his latest album A Portrait Of, produced by Little Vic. | |||
| 22 Feb 2023 | Lordy (fka ANKHLEJOHN) | S3 Episode 5 | 02:12:54 | |
My guest this week is D.C. rapper and label head ANKHLEJOHN. We spoke about Power, 50 Cent’s legacy as a rapper and a TV producer, Lightyear, reliving his favorite movies through his son’s eyes, how go-go music inspired his rapping style, the history of his Shaap Records label, the power of being yourself on record, and the creative process behind several of his albums, including he and producer Look Damien!’s latest collab The Dead Don’t Die. | |||
| 01 Mar 2023 | Lucille Ghatti | S3 Episode 6 | 02:11:09 | |
My guest this week is singer, rapper, and designer Lucille Ghatti. We spoke about Run Sweetheart Run, Mo’nique, horror movies, Song of The South, Cleopatra, Elvis, singing in the choir, her musical journey from the blog era to now, the pros and cons of being ahead of the curve, her relationship to plugg&b, and the creative process behind her latest album Tears of A Clown, produced entirely by Popstar Benny. | |||
| 08 Mar 2023 | Nappy Nina | S3 Episode 7 | 01:10:30 | |
My guest this week is Oakland rapper and co-founder of the label Lucid Haus, Nappy Nina. We spoke about touring Australia for the first time, the perfect grilled cheese, the 2022 Oscar nominees, Flubber, Jumanji, Medicine for Melancholy, how The Fugees’ The Score changed her life, how her name translates to international audiences, how COVID impacted her creativity, and the creative process behind her latest album Mourning Due. | |||
| 15 Mar 2023 | Liv.e | S3 Episode 8 | 01:37:24 | |
My guest this week is Texas singer-rapper-producer Liv.e. We spoke about Reasonable Doubt, CB4, the legacy of Charlie Murphy, Team America: World Police, Eve’s Bayou, Jason’s Lyric, Toni Morrison’s Beloved, the work of Ari Aster, our favorite rap comedy skits, how she was inspired by the horror film Ganja & Hess, and the creative process behind her latest album Girl In The Half Pearl. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday!
| |||
| 22 Mar 2023 | Ché Noir | S3 Episode 9 | 01:42:26 | |
My guest this week is Buffalo, NY rapper, producer, and designer Ché Noir. We spoke about the Creed series, Ozark, Imitation of Life, Carlito’s Way, binging TV shows vs. watching them weekly, why Lauryn Hill and Nas are among her favorite storytellers, coming up under Benny The Butcher and 38 Spesh, a handful of her best storytelling songs, how she almost quit rap music before she truly began, and the creative process behind her latest project Noir or Never, produced entirely by Big Ghost Ltd. | |||
| 05 Apr 2023 | deem spencer | S3 Episode 10 | 01:29:26 | |
My guest this week is Queens-based rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer deem spencer. We spoke about Natasha Lyonne’s Poker Face, watching movies by yourself vs. with other people, Chris Rock’s Down To Earth, Baby Boy, how Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory changed his life, his debut project sunflower, taking constructive criticism, what it means to be an album artist in 2023, trusting his circle of collaborators, and the creative process behind his latest album adult sw!m | |||
| 12 Apr 2023 | Phonte | S3 Episode 11 | 01:52:06 | |
My guest this week is North Carolina rapper, writer, composer, and podcast host Phonte. We spoke about Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Ted Lasso, Prince’s Purple Rain, acting as an extra in The Color Purple, A Soldier’s Story, putting on for North Carolina, his evolution from Little Brother to his solo work, making May The Lord Watch: The Little Brother Story with Rap Portraits, and how his time in music has translated to a career in voiceover, podcasting, and writing songs for movies and television. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday!
| |||
| 19 Apr 2023 | NOLAN (fka Nolan The Ninja) | S3 Episode 12 | 01:40:15 | |
My guest this week is Detroit rapper, producer, photographer, and manager NOLAN (fka Nolan The Ninja). We spoke about Snowfall, Cocaine Bear, Batman & Robin, Belly, the magic of drive-in theaters, his transition from boom-bap to more vibey music, how the pandemic stalled his momentum, developing SPORTCAST by getting into photography and artist management, and the creative process behind his latest album don’t get TOO excited. | |||
| 26 Apr 2023 | Samurai Banana | S3 Episode 13 | 01:59:36 | |
*TW: suicide, self-harm* | |||
| 03 May 2023 | JELEEL! | S3 Episode 14 | 01:11:39 | |
My guest for our 100th episode is California-via-Rhode Island rapper and singer JELEEL! We spoke about The Matrix, The Truman Show, Honey, I Shurnk The Kids, wrestling, similarities between wrestling and music, catching that can of Sprite at Rolling Loud, growing up on Rhode Island, what his own planet would look like, wanting to showcase his range as an artist, and the creative process behind his debut album REAL RAW! | |||
| 10 May 2023 | AJ Suede | S3 Episode 15 | 02:07:58 | |
My guest this week is Seattle-via-New York rapper-producer AJ Suede. We spoke about Beef, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the Nintendo Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, growing up in New York, establishing himself in Seattle, his journey through independent music, linking with R.A.P. Ferrira to form the duo G’s Us, similarities between rappers and journalists, and the creative process behind Parthian Shots, his latest collab with the producer Televangel. | |||
| 17 May 2023 | Dart Adams | S3 Episode 16 | 02:13:40 | |
My guest this week is Boston-based journalist, archivist, author, A&R, and lecturer Dart Adams. We spoke about the Amazon Prime series The Power, the WGA writer’s strike, Y: The Last Man, Infinity Train, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, the phenomenon of cult films, the impermanence of streaming, how the internet has reshaped ideas of nostalgia and memory, and the importance of physical archiving and being outside to experience history. | |||
| 24 May 2023 | Kari Faux (Live from Pirate Studios) | S3 Episode 17 | 01:13:19 | |
My guest this week is Arkansas rapper, singer, producer, and designer Kari Faux. We spoke about How To Blow Up A Pipeline, both film versions of The Lion King, Molly Shannon’s Superstar, Kill Bill, why she prefers watching TV shows to movies, how living in Arkansas influenced her music taste, reflecting on “No Small Talk” nearly a decade later, the value of independence, and the creative process behind her latest album Real B*tches Don’t Die. | |||
| 31 May 2023 | Cisco Swank | S3 Episode 18 | 01:26:00 | |
My guest this week is Brooklyn rapper, producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Cisco Swank. We spoke about meeting at Pitchfork Festival, Snowfall, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Akira, The Incredibles, Inception, the magic of movie scores and soundtracks, what the piano means to him, the relationship between jazz, rap, and gospel, and the creative process behind his debut solo album More Better. | |||
| 07 Jun 2023 | R.A.P. Ferreira | S3 Episode 19 | 01:35:12 | |
My guest this week is Nashville-based rapper, producer, record store owner, and founder of Ruby Yacht…R.A.P. Ferreira. We spoke about the Netflix series From, the horror genre, getting desensitized to violence, Batman, Beetlejuice, Embrace of The Serpent, The Taste of Tea, the power of music while traveling, how an experience on shrooms changed his outlook on his own music, the difference between his milo and R.A.P. Ferreira personae, the legacy of Ruby Yacht, and the creative process behind his latest album 5 to the Eye with Stars. Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) | |||
| 14 Jun 2023 | Kelly Moonstone (Live from Pirate Studios) | S3 Episode 20 | 01:46:30 | |
My guest this week is Queens singer, rapper, and producer Kelly Moonstone. We spoke about anime like Mashle, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., the Goosebumps books, relating to Dory’s neurodivergence in Finding Dory, creating music as The Afr0dite, transitioning to Kelly Moonstone, working with Navy Blue and Jah-Monte Ogbon, and the creative process behind her latest project I Digress… | |||
| 21 Jun 2023 | Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon | S3 Episode 21 | 01:34:00 | |
My guest this week is North Carolina rapper Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon of Melanated People. We spoke about John Wick, marathoning every movie in the Ip Man series in one sitting, a long, winding trip through the movies that defined his childhood and adolescence, how meeting Slim Thug, Paul Wall, and Mike Jones inspired him to take music seriously, finding his voice as a rapper, the benefits of one-producer collabs, the pros and cons of turning 30 in rap, and the creative process behind his latest album Highly Favored. | |||
| 28 Jun 2023 | Chester Watson | S3 Episode 22 | 01:42:17 | |
My guest this week is Atlanta-via-St. Louis rapper-producer Chester Watson. We spoke about Playstation 2 emulators, Snowfall, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Beau is Afraid, The Wiz, films of the New French Extremity movement, longevity in music, being inspired by the modern underground, how his approach to writing has changed over the last decade, the art of the concept album, and the creative process behind his latest album Fish Don’t Climb Trees. | |||
| 05 Jul 2023 | Radamiz | S3 Episode 23 | 01:54:12 | |
My guest this week is LA-via-New York rapper Radamiz. We spoke about The Idol, Atlanta, Dave, the Dominican horror film Andrea: The Revenge of The Spirit, his journey through hip-hop, his feelings on religion, mortality, and community, and the creative process behind his latest project 2409 West Slauson. | |||
| 12 Jul 2023 | Father | S3 Episode 24 | 01:32:48 | |
My guest this week is Atlanta rapper, producer, director, and founder of Awful Records, Father. We spoke about From, Swordfish, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, Dogma, Comedy Central movies,bad dreadlock wigs, the origins of Awful Records, how he creates like a film director, using AI to augment the “Oxenfree” video, and the creative process behind his last two projects Young Hot Ebony 2 and Hu$band 2. | |||
| 19 Jul 2023 | Joy Postell | S3 Episode 25 | 01:22:52 | |
My guest this week is Baltimore-born singer, songwriter, and creative director Joy Postell. We spoke about Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia, The Dark Knight, Stomp The Yard, Love & Basketball, Remember The Titans, her time doing theater in school, finding herself as a solo artist in Los Angeles, how Baltimore, Los Angeles, and New York have influenced her music, the pointlessness of the modern R&B debate, and the creative process behind her 2018 breakout Diaspora and The Magician, the first in a series of EPs she plans on releasing this year. | |||
| 09 Aug 2023 | Reg Mason | S3 Episode 26 | 01:59:46 | |
My guest this week is New Jersey rapper and multi-instrumentalist Reg Mason. We spoke about The Bear, Shameless, Oppenheimer, the 2006 comedy Accepted, the art of bootleg DVDs, how School of Rock inspired him to start making music, finding his love for hardcore punk and blog-era hip-hop, the importance of representing New Jersey in his music, keeping an open musical mind as you grow older, and the creative process behind his debut album TESTDRIVE’. | |||
| 16 Aug 2023 | Fatboi Sharif x Steel Tipped Dove Live from LoudMouth in Brooklyn, NY | S3 Episode 27 | 01:30:04 | |
My guests for the first edition of Reel Notes Live!, recorded at Loudmouth Records in Brooklyn, NY, are New Jersey rapper Fatboi Sharif and New York producer/engineer/label head Steel Tipped Dove. We spoke about Oppenheimer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the Amazon Prime show Patriot, how film scores and directors inspired Sharif’s writing style, creating images with their words and beats, and the creative process behind their collaborative album Decay. | |||
| 23 Aug 2023 | Rhys Langston | S3 Episode 28 | 01:57:21 | |
My guest this week is Los Angeles-based rapper, producer, poet, teacher, and multi-instrumentalist Rhys Langston. We spoke about kung-fu films, Warrior, Jet Li, The Matrix, Monty Python & The Holy Grail, the nature of meta-narratives, balancing entertainment with knowledge, pulling inspiration from Migos and others, and the creative process behind his latest project To Operate This System, produced by Pioneer 11. | |||
| 30 Aug 2023 | SKECH185 | S3 Episode 29 | 01:49:34 | |
My guest this week is Chicago rapper SKECH185. We spoke about Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Bardo, They Cloned Tyrone, his love for A League of Their Own, Juice, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, how his passion for drawing eventually mingled with his passion for rapping, a brief history of Chicago hip-hop and of the Tomorrow Kings collective, the benefits of regionalism in rap music, his history with Backwoodz Studioz, and the creative process behind his latest album He Left Nothing For The Swim Back, produced entirely by Jeff Markey. | |||
| 06 Sep 2023 | Yoh | S3 Episode 30 | 01:42:44 | |
My guest this week is New York rapper Yoh. We spoke about the Portugese show Sintonia, City of God, Bottoms, our mutual love for anime and Hayao Miyazaki, the pros and cons of listing your favorite music or movies, his comeup as a solo act and his role in the band Poetic Thrust, linking with producer and musician CARRTOONS, and the creative process behind his 2016 solo project Tales Over Tea and Mirrors, his 2022 collab with CARRTOONS. | |||
| 13 Sep 2023 | Walasia Shabazz | S3 Episode 31 | 02:20:36 | |
My guest this week is California-based journalist, artist manager, A&R, curator, chef, and musician Walasia Shabazz. We spoke about Kelis’ Cooking with Cannabis, growing up around Hollywood royalty, her family’s roots in film and music, her love for Star Wars and Almost Famous, cheffing for your favorite rappers, her journey through the worlds of music journalism and music management, her relationship with the late MF DOOM, the art of service, and more stories and anecdotes than I can count. | |||
| 20 Sep 2023 | Nakama | S3 Episode 32 | 02:01:01 | |
My guest this week is New York rapper, poet, performance artist, and member of the band Poetic Thrust, Nakama. We spoke about They Cloned Tyrone, our favorite recent anime, The Matrix, Pan’s Labyrinth, our feelings on the series finale of Atlanta, his rap origin story, forming Poetic Thrust, his work on the multimedia piece Places, and the creative process behind a handful of projects, including human_error and Kindling. | |||
| 27 Sep 2023 | Alexander Richter | S3 Episode 33 | 02:12:27 | |
My guest this week is New York-via-Maine photographer, director, and designer Alexander Richter. We spoke about Top Boy, the James Bond series, how both his parents inspired his early love for film and photography, his career as a music photographer, including stories shooting Sean Price’s Jesus Price album cover and a 50 Cent cover story, his extensive history with billy woods and Backwoodz Studioz, and the creative process behind Dark Brother Rise, his 2020 short film about the eponymous hip-hop photographer from Queensbridge. | |||
| 04 Oct 2023 | DiZ | S3 Episode 34 | 01:39:40 | |
My guest this week is Boston rapper, producer, and saxophonist DiZ. We spoke about The Other Black Woman, Natural Born Killers, Balto, Carmen: A Hip-Hopera, his early beginnings as a musician, figuring out his sound, linking with Ovrkast, juggling a burgeoning music career while studying at Berklee, constantly navigating the line between honesty and oversharing in his writing, and the creative process behind several projects, including his breakout Black Water, ULTRA.VIOLET, and this year’s the way forward is not the way home. | |||
| 11 Oct 2023 | Fielded | S3 Episode 35 | 02:08:11 | |
My guest this week is New Jersey-based singer, songwriter, and producer Fielded. We spoke about No One Will Save You, Silence of The Lambs, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, the work of Ari Aster and Todd Solondz, why we’re attracted to dark and disturbing movies, their journey from a musical family to creating the Fielded project, linking with Backwoodz Studioz, and the creative process behind their latest album Plus One. | |||
| 18 Oct 2023 | ZAYALLCAPS | S3 Episode 36 | 01:47:32 | |
My guest this week is California rapper, producer, DJ, and one-half of the group KWAMZAY, ZAYALLCAPS. We spoke about size 8 and up fitted hats, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Space Jam, romantic comedies, Like Mike, Curb Your Enthusiasm, the legacy of Friday, how rap cured his loneliness, going from producing to embracing rapping, Soundcloud remix and mash-up culture, forming KWAMZAY with Kwame Adu, and the creative process behind his debut album BALLING OUT OF SPITE. | |||
| 25 Oct 2023 | Roper (of the production duo Roper Williams) | S3 Episode 37 | 01:43:34 | |
My guest this week is Roper, one-half of the New Jersey-based production duo Roper Williams. We spoke about the Western film Bone Tomahawk, the times we’ve walked out of movies, cult horror films like Await Further Instructions, Chopping Mall, and Skinamarink, the jazz anime Blue Giant, how he and his partner Sanz first met, came up with their name, and their creative process, highlight a handful of their standout beats, how producers are gaining more recognition in the indie scene, and break down the process behind their latest project Infinite Victory Loop, featuring Fatboi Sharif, YL, AKAI SOLO, and Pootie. | |||
| 01 Nov 2023 | Pink Navel | S3 Episode 38 | 02:17:00 | |
My guest this week is Massachusetts-based rapper, producer, streamer, and toymaker Pink Navel. We spoke about our favorite reality TV, the pros and cons of internet culture, their relationship to the Star Wars movies and the filmography of Kevin Smith, forging their own path as Pink Navel, connecting with R.A.P. Ferreira and Ruby Yacht, the creative process behind How To Capture Playful, their collaborative album with Kenny Segal, and, of course, all things video games. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday!
| |||
| 08 Nov 2023 | Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces | S3 Episode 39 | 01:34:38 | |
My guest this week is Ishmael Butler, one-third of Digable Planets and the center of Shabazz Palaces. We spoke about the Amazon Prime original series Them, Afrosurrealism, Superfly, the role blaxploitation soundtracks played in the early days of sampling, his love for horror movies, transitioning from Digable Planets and Cherrywine to Shabazz Palaces, the group’s creative process, his views on rap culture 50 years in, and the process behind Shabazz Palaces’ latest project Robed In Rareness. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday!
| |||
| 15 Nov 2023 | Kipp Stone | S3 Episode 40 | 01:37:50 | |
My guest this week is Ohio-based rapper and producer Kipp Stone. We spoke about Where The Wild Things Are, the Transformers franchise, Soul, Little Bear, being inspired by his surroundings, how long it took him to find his musical style, joining up with, leaving, and re-joining Closed Sessions, the art of saying more with less words, and the creative process behind his latest album 66689 Blvd Prequel. | |||
| 22 Nov 2023 | Maxo (Live from Abrons Arts Center in Manhattan) | S3 Episode 41 | 00:59:30 | |
My guest this week is California rapper and producer Maxo, live from the Abrons Arts Center in Manhattan. We spoke about Being John Malkovitch, 3 Ninjas, Steel, white guilt movies, why Tubi is the best streaming service, the process behind a handful of his music videos, whether he experiences fear while making music, and the creative process behind Lil Big Man, Even God Has A Sense Of Humor, and Debbie’s Son. | |||
| 29 Nov 2023 | Gabe 'Nandez | S3 Episode 42 | 01:27:15 | |
My guest this week is New York rapper-producer and instrumentalist Gabe ‘Nandez. We spoke about Pusher, his relationship with the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, the pros and cons of modern-day cinema, the art and value of music videos, how being multi-lingual influences his writing style, making his 2019 album Diplomacy during one of the toughest moments of his life, and the creative process behind his latest project H. T. III, produced entirely by Argov. | |||
| 06 Dec 2023 | Da$h | S4 Episode 43 | 01:29:01 | |
My guest this week is New Jersey rapper, producer, and photographer Da$h. We spoke about being a father, working with ANKHLEJOHN and Mac Miller, Beau Is Afraid, Killers of The Flower Moon, risk-averse Hollywood studios, tour stories, dealing with addiction, why he’s particularly inspired by the late actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman, embracing photography, physical media, and the creative process behind his music, especially his latest album Skrewface 2. | |||
| 13 Dec 2023 | JUNE! | S3 Episode 44 | 01:37:39 | |
My guest this week is North Carolina-based rapper, producer, and head of the I’ll Never Die collective, JUNE! We spoke about Loki season 2, the highs and lows of the MCU, Friday, Hitch, Soul Food, Lucy, M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable, Split, and Glass, Andre 3000’s ambient album, the impact of Earl Sweatshirt’s Some Rap Songs, the history of I N D, JUNE!’s viral remixes and sample flips, working through struggle, and the creative process behind a handful of their projects, including their latest, What A Life. | |||
| 27 Dec 2023 | Lord Sko | S3 Episode 45 | 01:43:13 | |
My guest this week is New York rapper Lord Sko. We spoke about Violent Night, The Big Lebowski, King of New York, New York pizza, food in LA, bridging age and subgenre gaps in rap music, taking his first two projects off the internet, his general creative process, and the making of his breakout projects—2022’s Museum and this year’s United Palace. | |||
| 29 Dec 2023 | Domo Genesis (season 3 finale) | S3 Episode 46 | 01:28:37 | |
My guest for the season 3 finale is Los Angeles rapper Domo Genesis. We spoke about Leave The World Behind, our mutual love of horror movies, The Lion King, John Q, his start as a founding member of Odd Future, how his Alchemist tape No Idols was ahead of its time, maintaining consistency in his music over a decade, becoming a big brother to the Mutant Academy collective, and the creative process behind What You Don’t Get?!, produced entirely by Graymatter. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday!
| |||
| 21 Feb 2024 | Ms. Boogie (Live from BRIC House in Brooklyn, NY) | S4 Episode 1 | 01:48:15 | |
My guest for the season four premiere is Brooklyn rapper and model Ms. Boogie. We spoke about Prison Song, City of God, voyeurism and representation in media, finding herself in the music of Missy Elliott, Lil Kim, and Sisqo, coming out as a woman in Paper Magazine and transitioning in 2018, the importance of being queer, particularly trans, in rap and being seen in the right way, and the creative process behind her debut album The Breakdown. Come fuck with us. | |||
| 29 Feb 2024 | BbyAfricka | S4 Episode 2 | 01:04:00 | |
My guest this week is California rapper-producer BbyAfricka. We spoke about Saltburn, Joker, A Clockwork Orange, how she transitioned from producing to rapping, the difference between being funny and being real, how her battle with Stevens-Johnson syndrome changed the way she makes music, and the creative process behind her last two albums—2022’s The Art of Geekin’ and this year’s The Rapture. Come fuck with us. | |||
| 06 Mar 2024 | LIFEOFTHOM | S4 Episode 3 | 01:18:58 | |
My guest this week is New York rapper-producer LIFEOFTHOM. We spoke about Poor Things, WALL-E, Inception, his love for anime, particularly the show Bakuman, environmental conservation, the versatility of his discography, and the concept and creative process behind his projects Floor 11 and Room 44. Come fuck with us. | |||
| 13 Mar 2024 | shemar | S4 Episode 4 | 01:42:17 | |
My guest this week is New York rapper-producer shemar. We spoke about Mo’ Better Blue and the films of Spike Lee, Shark Boy & Lavagirl, Spy Kids, and the films of Robert Rodriguez, listening to Kendrick, Tyler, The Creator, and Earl Sweatshirt growing up, transitioning from poetry and beatmaking to rapping, labels and boxes within underground hip-hop, and the creative process behind his two latest projects—obtuse ways to say that i love you and the Child Actor-produced sunscreen. Come fuck with us | |||
| 20 Mar 2024 | Chung | S4 Episode 5 | 01:13:42 | |
My guest this week is Montreal rapper Chung. We spoke about Killers of The Flower Moon, Titanic, Netflix’s Griselda, our respective favorite R&B and hip-hop albums growing up, the pros and cons of coming up in the Montreal hip-hop scene, working with producers Nicholas Craven and Cotola, and the creative process behind her three latest projects—2022’s See You, When I C U, and both entries in she and Cotola’s Chung Shui series. Come fuck with us. | |||
| 27 Mar 2024 | Eric The Young Gawd | S4 Episode 6 | 02:07:38 | |
My guest this week is Florida-based vlogger, critic, and interviewer, Eric The Young Gawd. We spoke about May December, Joker, Drumline, AirPod conspiracy theories, his interview style, Snow on tha Bluff, our respective relationships with Boosie Badazz, Florida and New Orleans rap, some of Eric’s best and funniest interviews, and his interest in the intersection between journalism and psychology. Come fuck with us. | |||
| 03 Apr 2024 | OneShotOnce x Driveby | S4 Episode 7 | 02:38:25 | |
My guests this week are New Jersey rapper OneShotOnce and producer Driveby. We spoke about Quiet On Set, Loudermilk, Dune 2, Mystic River, Love Lies Bleeding, Bound, their respective come-ups in Jersey, what they have to offer to the Jersey scene and rap at large, the beginning of their creative partnership, and the process behind their two projects, 4WD and 6WD. Come fuck with us. | |||
| 10 Apr 2024 | jerrard (fka Danny Watts) | S4 Episode 8 | 01:37:17 | |
My guest this week is Houston rapper jerrard, fka Danny Watts. We spoke about Dune Part 2, finding beats on YouTube and Twitch streams, the Look Who’s Talking series, Baby’s Day Out, Powder, downloading music on Limewire, coming up on east coast hip-hop, quitting his job to work with California rapper-producer Jonwayne, and the journey from his debut album Black Boy Meets World to adopting the name jerrard and releasing his next project here’s what i been doin. Come fuck with us. Join the Reel Notes Patreon today for as little as $5/month to get early access to episodes, our Discord server, exclusive bonus interviews and reviews, and more! My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon here. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday! Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) | |||
| 17 Apr 2024 | NAHreally x The Expert | S4 Episode 9 | 01:59:23 | |
My guests this week are New Jersey-via-Massachusetts rapper-producer NAHreally and Dublin producer-engineer The Expert. We spoke about Netflix reality shows, Severance, Tropic Thunder, Silo, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, He Got Game, Above The Rim, the legacy of Stones Throw and Madvillainy, their respective journeys through rap, joining forces creatively, and the creative process behind their debut collaborative album BLIP, out now via Rucksack Records. Come fuck with us. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday!
| |||
| 24 Apr 2024 | MoRuf | S4 Episode 10 | 01:32:17 | |
My guest this week is New Jersey rapper, poet, producer, and singer MoRuf. We spoke about Top Boy, I May Destroy You, Higher Learning, the filmography of Spike Lee, going from battle rapping and poetry to pursuing music full-time, why he waited a decade to fully commit to making music his career, the power of community building, and the creative process behind his latest project Tiny Mic Raps Vol. 1. Come fuck with us. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, The Zakat Foundation, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday! Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) | |||