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there-must-be-a-lock · 4 years ago

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Business As Usual

Criminal Minds Rockstar AU!

Word Count: ~3890

Warnings: Implications of offscreen shenanigans, Reid and JJ being devious little shits, but nothing too wild.

A/N: Why does this exist? Fuck if I know! Was it a fucking blast to write? Fuck yes it was! The headcanon popped into my brain fully-formed while I was driving home from work one day, @stunudo and @rockhoochie encouraged me, and here I am. This will, at some point, be tied into the SPN rockstar au that I’ve been dicking around with, but for now it’s just the BAU doing their thing!

Business As Usual

Talking Family and Feminism With Rock’s Hottest New Band

There are already fans lining up outside Terminal 5 when I arrive in the afternoon. It’s the first time Business As Usual will be playing in New York since the release of their sophomore album, Wheels Up, which has become the runaway surprise hit of the summer, largely thanks to the success of the first single, “Revelations.” They’ve gone from critically praised indie darlings to the brink of mainstream stardom, seemingly overnight.

Band manager David Rossi, for one, isn’t surprised at the sudden attention.

Rossi is an industry vet with almost four decades of experience under his belt. He’d been retired for a couple years when a friend dragged him out to see B.A.U. playing in a dive bar. He says that within two songs, he knew “the kids,” as he calls them, would be huge. By the end of the show, he was ready to come out of retirement if they’d let him manage them.

With attention comes scrutiny, and for most bands, the rumors would be flying already. However, B.A.U. definitely isn’t most bands; there are no whispers of groupies, crazy parties, or other rockstar antics here. When you meet them face to face, that reputation makes perfect sense. They’re quiet and quirky, and they seem like five of the unlikeliest rock stars in modern music.

“Very nice to meet you, Paul,” Rossi says, turning on the charm. This one’s gonna be a piece of cake. “Now. Before we get any further, just a couple things.”

He gives the reporter his best fuck with my kids and I will fuck you up look and makes sure the guy looks suitably intimidated before he continues.

“First, don’t believe half of what comes out of Penelope’s mouth, at least not until you confirm with somebody else. She likes to see what ridiculous things journalists will print.” This is, obviously, a lie, but they’ve found it’s the best way to deal with Penelope’s inability to keep anything private. “Trust me. You listen to her, you’ll end up with egg on your face.”

“No problem,” Paul says obediently.

“Second, you do not mention Reid’s stalker. Is that clear?”

Paul nods, but Rossi waits for a moment, until he starts wilting slightly under the stare.

“I understand,” he says, nodding emphatically, and Rossi gives him a clap on the shoulder and a big smile.

“Wonderful. Other than that, we’re an open book. Come in, they’re just getting ready for soundcheck. Let’s get you something to drink.”

Officially, the band is made up of Emily Prentiss (vocals), Derek Morgan (guitar), Jennifer “JJ” Jareau (bass), Spencer Reid (keys), and Aaron Hotchner (drums). At first glance, they don’t look like they have anything in common; most bands tend to dress in a similar style and come from similar musical backgrounds, but these five couldn’t be more different. Reid, for example, was a classical piano prodigy who graduated from Berklee at the age of seventeen, and has a tendency to dress like an absentminded professor, while Prentiss, with her Siouxsie Sioux eyeliner, dropped out of prep school to tour with a riot-girl band.

Producer and sound tech Penelope Garcia is the unofficial sixth member of the band, and they all credit her with melding their various eclectic songwriting styles into one distinctive, experimental sound.

Garcia is an anomaly in a male-dominated field, possibly even more so than Prentiss and Jareau, but instead of trying to blend in or prove that she’s tough enough to fit in with the rest of the crew, she makes a point to stand out. During sound check, she’s wearing a wildly colorful dress and pink heels, which match the pink streaks in her hair and her thick pink-framed glasses. When I ask whether she deals with sexism in the music industry, she just laughs.

“Of course there are jerks,” she says, shrugging. “There are always going to be jerks. But I know I’m good at what I do, and my band knows I’m good at what I do, and that’s what matters.”

“And the other women? Do they get heckled or catcalled a lot?”

“The only person who’s allowed to objectify my band is me,” Garcia says cheerfully, and then makes a face. “Kidding! I would never.”

“Nicely done on that solo, hot stuff, you play that guitar almost as well as you fill out those jeans,” Penelope says into the dead mic. It goes directly to the band’s in-ear monitors, so nobody else can hear. Derek laughs and the rest of the band roll their eyes.

When they set up the extra mics and the band-to-booth-only channel, this was not what they had in mind (as Rossi keeps reminding her) but… it’s so much fun. She hasn’t made Derek crack up mid-show yet, but she’ll get there.

“One of these days you’re gonna use the wrong channel and the entire house is gonna hear you,” JJ says into her own second mic, but she’s grinning too.

“Let ‘em listen, they’d just be jealous,” Penelope says breezily. “Another one?”

“Can we run ‘Eviler Twin’ with the new bridge?” Spencer asks.

Penelope adjusts levels on his synths and shoots him a thumbs up. “You got it, Boy Wonder. Hotch, count ‘em in.”

Lead singer Emily Prentiss has a larger-than-life presence from the moment she steps onstage. She’s commanding and confident, and it’s hard to take your eyes off of her, whether she’s crowdsurfing, jumping around the stage, or delivering one of her trademark fiery speeches between songs.

When Prentiss first expressed an interest in singing, her mother hired a private vocal coach who specialized in opera, and was disappointed when her daughter showed interest in less classical genres.

“She was pissed,” Prentiss says, smiling to herself. “I started sneaking out when I was fourteen or so and going to this one little local dive bar that got all the punk and hardcore bands. I’m still not sure how I convinced them to let me in. But seeing the Dead Kennedys made me decide I was going to be in a band. I just looked at Jello Biafra and thought, I want to do that.”

While their music isn’t explicitly political, the band themselves aren’t shy about expressing their opinions, Prentiss in particular.

“...and that’s why I never wear a bra,” Emily finishes. “Does that answer your question?”

“I think so?” Paul says hesitantly. He’s making a noble effort not to look down at her tits.

Emily’s pretty sure it doesn’t answer the question, not even a little bit, but she’s also pretty sure the question was about relationships, so. Fuck that question.

Emily’s not great at press, but she is excellent at rambling about the patriarchy until people tune her out.

Drummer Aaron Hotchner, best known as “Hotch,” has become the unlikely sex symbol of the band, despite being the only one who’s happily married. The attention only seems to embarrass him.

“It’s real fun to read him thirst tweets and watch him turn colors,” Penelope says, with a devilish grin. “But you didn’t hear it from me.”

When Hotch goes out to greet fans after the show, the female shrieks reach a deafening pitch. He greets everyone with a charming, dimpled smile and talks to each one as if there’s no one else waiting for his attention. The crowd is sizeable and some of the fans are overfamiliar, to put it mildly, but Hotch spends over an hour there, speaking to everyone individually. He remains unfailingly polite, taking pictures and signing things even after the rest of his bandmates have excused themselves for the night.

“He’s just the sweetest,” one girl sighs to her friend as they finally head home.

Hotch, who is notoriously unenthusiastic about talking to the press, did not want to comment.

“Love you too, Jack. Take care of your mom,” Hotch is saying, as he walks through the green room door. He hangs up, and Emily can see the moment he notices Paul; his smile vanishes and his eyebrows flatten in a scowl.

“Was that your son?” Paul asks politely.

“Yes.”

“How is he?”

“Fine.”

Paul’s smile falters for a second. “Do you talk to them every night, when you’re on the road? Touring must be tough.”

Hotch just gives him a curt nod this time and Emily winces. Paul clears his throat.

“So… you used to play in a grunge band, is that right?” he asks tentatively.

Hotch gives him another stony look. “That is correct.”

JJ opens the door, and Emily can’t help but mutter, “Oh thank fuck.”

JJ looks between Hotch, who is holding eye contact without blinking, and a petrified Paul. Then she quirks an eyebrow at Emily, who gives her a panicked nod.

“Hi there, you must be Paul,” JJ says warmly. She jabs Hotch discreetly in the side as she passes him. “Rossi and Morgan are getting food, Hotch, they said you should join them.”

He looks like he’s about to protest, but Emily shoots him a look and he heads for the door.

JJ sits next to Paul with a dazzlingly bright smile, eyelashes fluttering. “It is so nice to meet you. Reid and Garcia are in the batcave, I’m happy to take you out there, but I’m all yours if there’s anything you’d like to ask me about first.”

Emily shoots her a thumbs-up and escapes before Paul notices.

Jennifer Jareau, better known as “JJ,” has the sort of wholesome, all-American beauty that turns heads wherever she goes; she wouldn’t look out of place on a magazine cover. In fact, modeling was what led her indirectly to the band.

JJ started playing music in her high school marching band, but never intended to pursue it seriously. She was the valedictorian of her small town’s high school and had a full scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh. Between her sophomore and junior years, though, she was spotted by a modeling agency and offered a job; it would just be one week, in Los Angeles. She says she was most excited about the opportunity to fly in an airplane for the first time.

While in L.A., JJ met Prentiss, and the rest is history. The two women seem to work seamlessly together and frequently complete each others’ sentences, but while Prentiss is commanding and confident, JJ is soft-spoken and feminine, almost motherly.

“I always wanted a family,” JJ says, with her most heartfelt Colgate-ad smile. “It ended up looking a little different than I expected, but here we are.”

JJ’s 95% sure that’ll be the pull quote for the article. Men like Paul eat that traditional shit up with a spoon; she should probably rein it in before he jizzes himself.

The “batcave,” as they call it, is so full of gear and recording equipment that I stand in the doorway while I talk to Reid and Garcia. Her desk takes up a third of the room, and it holds two laptops in addition to several sound boards and microphones. She’s putting together a rough demo of a song they started working on a couple days earlier.

Reid, meanwhile, is sitting on the floor, surrounded by the disassembled parts of two amps, and he’s tinkering with something tiny and delicate-looking. When I ask what he’s doing, he rattles off a rapid-fire string of technical jargon, and I have to ask him to repeat himself. He looks to Garcia, who holds up her hands as if to say ‘don’t look at me,’ and Reid turns back to me to say, simply, “I’m making it sound better.”

Reid has a tendency to speak at three times the speed of most humans, and frequently goes off on baffling tangents about everything from obscure composers to beekeeping to the origins of Halloween. It’s hard to follow, sometimes, but his bandmates seem used to it.

When asked if anything has changed with the band’s recent success, he says thoughtfully, “I honestly haven’t noticed. None of it makes a difference to me, as long as I get to play music.” He pauses for a moment, then adds with a smile, “My high school reunion last month was very satisfying, though.”

“... William Onyeabor, of course! Lately, also, a lot of Philip Glass and Gil Scott-Heron.”

Spencer realizes he’s been staring up at the ceiling instead of talking to the reporter. He blinks and refocuses. Paul looks slightly shell-shocked.

“So to answer your question, yes, we do spend a lot of time writing when we’re on the road,” Garcia interjects. Spencer winces. “We’ll probably have almost an album’s worth of demos by the time the tour is over. We could stay in here all day, the trick is getting Reid to remember to eat.”

Spencer rolls his eyes.

“So is that how you guys spend most of your spare time? Writing and playing music?” Paul asks.

“Well, it’s not like we’re total shut-ins,” Garcia says. “We go out and have fun too. Admittedly, JJ and Emily’s idea of fun is starting bar fights, but -”

“Really?” Paul asks, looking at Spencer curiously.

He scoffs. “No, she’s kidding.”

Garcia, absorbed in whatever she’s doing on her laptop, continues absent-mindedly: “Well, it’s not that they start fights, but they both do Krav Maga and also attract a lot of idiots, so… idiots start bar fights and then the girls finish them. Let me tell you, you do not want to mess with JJ.”

Paul looks at Spencer again. He shakes his head quickly.

“I mean, can you really picture JJ in a bar fight?” he asks, forcing a laugh.

Garcia’s still rambling. ��Honestly though you really gotta watch out for this one right here. Reid’s our resident wild child.”

He gives Paul a disarming, wide-eyed, ‘who, me?’ smile and shakes his head again.

“Oh, man, one time in Boston he -”

“Garcia,” Spencer interrupts. She looks up, glances at the tape recorder in Paul’s hand, and shuts her mouth hastily. Paul is starting to look suspicious.

“Ha! Just kidding,” Garcia says shrilly. “He’s a big ol’ dork, really.”

Spencer nods earnestly, doing his best puppy eyes. “I spend most of my time reading, honestly. She’s just trying to make me seem cooler.”

Paul’s expression clears slightly. “That… makes sense.”

He doesn’t press for details, which is good. The legendary Boston Incident is not something Spencer needs in print.

Derek Morgan learned guitar from his father, a Chicago blues artist, but says that when he began to write his own music, he immediately gravitated to classic rock. He cites Hendrix, the Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin as influences, and it’s easy to see that onstage; Morgan has the rakish charm and suggestive swagger to rival the moves of any of his idols. If anyone out of the group were to fit the mold of the traditional rockstar, I’d expect it to be him.

The truth is much more innocuous. Offstage, he’s a perfect gentleman, respectful and chivalrous to a fault. He doesn’t drink, and he somehow finds time to work out almost every day, even when they’re on the road.

“Sorry to disappoint, but I’m dead boring,” he says, with a wide grin. “Truth is, none of us really fit into any of the usual boxes. That’s why we get along so well.”

He says Garcia is his best friend in the group, and I can tell he’s fiercely protective of the band, especially the women. When asked if he’s usually the one looking out for the girls, he laughs.

“Honestly, they’re not the ones I worry about,” he says. “But sure. We all look out for each other, really.”

The bartender shows up, finally, and slides two glasses over to JJ. She knocks back the shot first. If this dumb hipster keeps slurring at her about how much artistry there is in dubstep, she’s going to need another one very soon.

“People just don’t get it,” he says, sidling a little closer. JJ steps back.

“Ben - Ken?” she asks, and the guy pauses, affronted. “I’m sure that’s very interesting, but you should probably know that I’m gay.”

He raises his eyebrows. “Like, gay gay?”

“Gayer by the second,” JJ says coolly.

“How do you know, though?” Ken says, which is a level of douchebag she didn’t actually expect from him. He must be even drunker than he looks.

JJ gives him a polite smile. “I’m going to go find my friends now.”

“Hey, hang on.”

He grabs her arm as she turns away. Behind his back she can see Derek heading in their direction. She gives him a little “stand down” wave.

“Bad idea,” she warns Ken.

“Oh yeah? What -”

“Back off,” Emily snaps, appearing at her side.

Ken looks at them mutinously, and as they turn away, he mutters something that sounds like (but probably isn’t) “Duckin’ bikes.”

“Say it to my face,” JJ tells him sweetly. “Let’s see how that goes for you.”

“What are you gonna do about it?” he asks belligerently.

Emily grabs one of his wrists and twists hard, while JJ gets the other. Ken yelps.

“Everything okay here?” Derek says from behind him. He’s doing what can only be described as looming in a distinctly menacing way. “I think it’s time for you to head home, buddy.”

“Shoo,” Emily adds. “Go on. Skedaddle.”

Ken skedaddles. JJ can’t help but laugh.

“We had it under control,” Emily reassures Derek.

He frowns. “You sure?”

“Just another one who thought he could cure me with his magic dick,” JJ says with a shrug. “More shots?”

“No way, uh-uh,” Derek interrupts sternly. “Emily. Come on. You remember what happened last time you tried to outdrink JJ?”

“It was so much fun until then, though,” JJ chirps. He knows them too well. She exchanges a look with Emily.

“Hey, have you seen Reid lately?” Emily asks innocently, and while Derek is scanning the crowd and scowling, JJ gestures to the bartender.

Only time will tell whether Business As Usual will continue to grow in popularity, but Rossi seems confident that they’re here to stay. To hear him tell it, he’s met everyone from the Stones to the Strokes (“And I have the scars to prove it!”) and he has an eye for which bands are in it for the long haul.

He says, “Long-term success isn’t about who’s the most talented musicians or the best performers, although these guys are both. So many bands crash and burn early.”

“Why is that? What makes you so sure these guys will be different?”

“You hear people blame it on the lifestyle, the drugs, the parties, but truth is, those don’t matter all that much as long as the band is taking care of each other.” He smiles proudly. “These guys, they’ll always have each others’ backs. They’re a team.”

“You about ready to head back to the hotel?” Hotch asks quietly, lining up his shot. “This isn’t going to last much longer.” Sure enough, he sinks the ball neatly and straightens up, giving the table a calculating look.

“Let me round ‘em up,” Derek says. “Meet you outside in five.”

“When has it ever taken five minutes to round up this bunch?” Hotch asks wryly. “You have fifteen and then I’m leaving. Shout if you need help.”

He spots Penelope first. She’s in the middle of the dancefloor, dancing with a guy who might as well have cartoon hearts popping out of his eyes. She’s not drunk to the point where she’s doing her signature Shitfaced Shimmy, so she won’t be too hard to wrangle. He catches her eye and taps his wrist, then points to the door, and she shoots him a thumbs up.

Piece of cake.

He looks around for Reid next, hoping against hope that the kid hasn’t attracted any crazy tonight. He’s not sure why or how, but Reid has proven more prone to disaster than the rest of the crew combined. If you asked Derek who in the band was most likely to get slapped, get kidnapped, get stabbed (accidentally), lose his shoes on the way back from the bathroom, get fully lost on the way to the bathroom, get hit on by a prostitute, puncture his own foot with a dart, snort something sketchy and end up wired til dawn, or befriend a mob boss, the answer would be Spencer Reid, every damn time.

He knows this because Reid’s already done most of those things.

Emily pops up at his side. Her level of sobriety is surprising until Derek notices the smug smile on her face and the phone number Sharpied on her arm. He gives her a fist-bump.

“Meet you outside,” she says cheerfully.

This might be even easier than he thought.

“Hey, Emily,” he calls, and she turns back to look at him. “Have you seen Reid or JJ?”

“JJ found me a while ago to borrow my swiss army knife,” she says thoughtfully, and then her eyes widen in realization. “She never came back and I haven’t seen Reid. Shit.”

“Alright, you check outside, look in the alley, I’ll do a sweep around here. If Garcia’s not already outside, call Hotch.” Emily nods curtly and turns toward the door.

Derek elbows his way around the fringes of the dance floor, scanning the crowd for JJ’s blonde hair, but no luck. He checks a couple of the out-of-the-way nooks and crannies where Reid likes to curl up to pass out, even glances under a couple tables, but there’s no sign of him. He heads for the door that leads to the hallway with the bathrooms.

He almost runs right into JJ and Reid, who are arm-in-arm as they burst through the door.

“Oh good,” he says, mildly surprised to see them both upright. Then Reid looks up with big, innocent eyes, sniffing and twitching his nose like a goddamn rabbit, and JJ flaps her hand urgently toward the front of the bar, stepping around Derek without breaking stride.

“We should go,” she says quickly. “Now.”

“What did you do?” he groans, shepherding them through the crowd. He can see them exchange a glance. JJ wipes her nose with the back of her sleeve, Emily’s multi-tool still clutched in her fist.

“We may have rearranged some things,” Spencer mutters.

“There might be some physics magic brewing,” JJ adds.

Just as Derek half-shoves them through the front door, he hears a shout from the direction of the bathrooms.

Amazingly, everyone is standing on the sidewalk waiting for them.

“Double time,” Derek says hurriedly, and they all fall into step.

“Eight minutes and thirty-seven seconds,” Hotch says, looking at his watch. He holds a hand out to Penelope. “Pay up.”

“Thing One and Thing Two over there were just stirring up some chaos,” Morgan explains.

“Do I want to know?” Penelope asks, fishing a twenty out of her purse. “Is this a plausible deniability situation?”

Emily shakes her head. “I swear, Reid, one of these days I’m going to put a leash on you, and not in a fun sexy way.”

JJ and Reid are already half a block ahead of the rest of them, arms linked, heads together like they’re plotting again. JJ lets out one of her weird little coke-giggles and Derek can hear Reid chattering about… the Wizard of Oz, for some reason? Whatever.

Just another day for this weird-ass bunch he calls family.

#criminal minds fic #criminal minds #spencer reid #emily prentiss #aaron hotchner #penelope garcia #cm fic

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madwomanpro · 3 years ago

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New Single from Pretty Frankenstein

{MAD LISTENS}

Music Review by Justine Lucas at Madwoman Productions

In Mirrors

Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Strokes spin fire at the loading docks of Oakland’s bay port. A Luscious Jackson infused bass line meets a Pixies textured guitar line. Loud, extra, and well groomed, In Mirrors is both captivating and danceable. Pretty Frankenstein delivers crisp musicianship, a singable chorus, and a fluid arrangement. A clever linguistic work with effortless flow from singer Grey Starr. Full of pride and wisdom, lyrically compact yet digestible:

“Some of us are queer and work our whole damn lives Just to keep our lights on and play shows at night”

I’ve followed this band for a while, and this is a totally new avenue for them. Makes me thirst for their new album and all of its delicious surprises (out this summer).

My Spooky Valentine

Iggy Pop and Supergrass put on a DIY production of Rocky Horror Picture Show, in which Jello Biafra plays Frank N. Furter. The New Pornographers and Queen sit in the audience, singing along and throwing blood-kissed roses up on stage.

This song is like a mini-rock opera. Heads up: there's a nuanced slow-down solo vocal moment two minutes in. This vulnerable voice presents a single somber moment, that is of course until the zombie choir comes in with “for blood and brains”. Laugh my ass off… while still crying (lmao wsc). Lyrics range from comedic and playful to dark and bold.

“[He] had hair like Ziggy Stardust, and a mind like Vincent Price I never thought that I could ever find a guy so right”

A total dreamboat for all you sapiosexuals out there just waiting to dive into a world of ghoulish intellectual fantasy.

Later on in the song, singer Grey Starr speaks against prejudices towards the LGBTQ community by stating a rhetorical question laced with reverse psychology and nihilistic sorrow:

“How is life worth living if living is a sin?”

We’ve all felt this way about something or other at different points in our lives; judged, unheard, out-of-place... The question is: how can we rise above it all and pick each other up in the process? Music is definitely one of the most effective ways.

A poignant message, a bold attitude, a queer Halloween party anthem from Bay Area’s own Pretty Frankenstein.

About the Band & Upcoming Album:

This double single is a sneak-peek at Pretty Frankenstein’s new album, also titled In Mirrors which will be released in June later this year. The album is a celebration of Oakland: of the arts, diversity, and of rock and roll. Singer Grey Starr is a trans woman from Oakland and a celebrated “rainbow goth”, a term her friends invented to describe the way she dresses and presents. Navigating sensitive personhood in a senseless world… Grey expresses her journey and transition through the lyrical storytelling in her new songs. She courageously speaks out against the injustices she sees around her. Gey’s lyrical articulation and theatrical voice paired with the band’s musical flavors of punk, rock, metal, and pop makes this group a powerful machine.

The album In Mirrors comes out June 24th! Go listen to this radical double single now and tell your punk-ass friends about it. The rainbow goth rebellion… has begun.

LISTEN TO THE NEW RELEASE HERE:

In Mirrors (Double Single) | Pretty Frankenstein (bandcamp.com)

Music Review by Justine Lucas 02.22.2022

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naijastudio · 3 years ago

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NIGERIA AT 61: The Most Difficult 18 Months in the National past — President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that the last 18 months had been the most difficult in the country's history. He made the announcement this morning in a nationwide broadcast to commemorate the country's 61st Independence Day. According to the president, the country has not faced problems like those it has faced in the last year and a half since the Civil War. “Fellow Nigerians, the past eighteen months have been some of the most trying times in our country's history,” he added. I don't think we've experienced a moment with more heightened challenges than this since the civil war.” President Buhari also revealed that high-profile persons are funding the operations of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB), and Sunday Adeyomo, a Yoruba separatist leader. He named a sitting member of the National Assembly as one of the secessionists' backers. Buhari stated that the government is prepared to arrest and prosecute anyone who incites violence by words or actions, and that the administration's commitment to a peaceful, united, and undivided Nigeria is unshakeable. The president stated that words sow the seeds of violence in people's minds, claiming that the reckless comments of a few have resulted in the deaths of many innocent people and the destruction of property. Such unfiltered and unverified lies and hate statements by a few terrible people, he believes, must be stopped. President Buhari further remarked that news organizations and commentators must move away from simply publishing reckless utterances and instead investigate the truth behind all assertions and present the facts to viewers. “We must all speak out against the lies that are being spread. At this point, I'd like to express my heartfelt gratitude to a large number of our traditional, religious, and community leaders, as well as other well-intentioned Nigerians, who are openly spreading the message of peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution through dialogue in their respective communities through their various fora. “Nigeria belongs to us all. Its unity cannot be compromised, and its ultimate success can only be realized if we all work together toward a single objective of peace and prosperity for our country. “We will continue to work on solutions that are based on conversation in order to resolve legitimate issues. However, we continue to be prepared to take firm action against separatist agitators and their backers who pose a threat to our national security. “The recent arrests of Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Adeyemo, as well as the ongoing investigations into their backgrounds, have revealed several high-profile funders. He said, "We are following these financiers actively, including one identified as a serving member of the National Assembly." The president went on to say that if Twitter complied with the federal government's requirements, the suspension would be lifted. He bemoaned the fact that recent events have demonstrated that social media is more than just a harmless tool for disseminating information. Rather, he pointed out that some users have exploited the network to plan, coordinate, and carry out illegal operations, spread fake news, and incite ethnic and religious hatred. To combat these negative trends, Buhari said that the federal government would ban Twitter's operations in Nigeria on June 5, 2021, giving the administration time to put measures in place to solve the issues. “Following the suspension of Twitter operations, Twitter Inc. reached out to Nigeria's Federal Government to resolve the impasse,” he stated. Following that, I formed a Presidential Committee to work with Twitter to see if there was a way to resolve the problem. “The Committee has worked with Twitter, together with its technical Tteam, and has rectified numerous critical issues. National security and cohesion; registration, physical presence, and representation; fair taxes; dispute resolution; and local content are the items on the list. “The difficulties are being addressed as a result of the numerous discussions, and I have directed that the suspension be lifted, but only if the requirements are met to allow our residents to continue to use the platform for business and constructive engagements. “As a country, we are dedicated to ensuring that digital businesses use their platforms to improve the lives of our citizens, respect Nigerian sovereignty and cultural values, and promote online safety,” he said. Buhari said the country has observed a recurrence of insecurity in various sections of the country as the economy continues to free up following the COVID-19-related lockdowns. “Over the previous four months, the valiant men and women of the military and security agencies have made significant headway in confronting these new security problems. We're attacking our adversaries from all sides, and we're winning.” Over 8,000 Boko Haram terrorists have surrendered in the North East region alone, according to the president. “The Nigerian Armed Forces have recruited over 17,000 people across all ranks to support our surge approach to combating banditry. In addition, I have authorized the Nigerian Police Force to hire 10,000 police personnel per year for the next six years. “I'm also happy to report that the majority of the Air Force systems we've acquired in the last three years have begun to arrive in Nigeria. These will have a good influence on our security operations around the country,” he said. As Nigerians prepare to commemorate our sixty-one years as a nation, he says, "we must remember that Nigeria does not begin and finish with the federal government." “This country is a great collective in which the government, at all levels and arms, the business sector, and, most importantly, individuals all have a role. “Security, in particular, is a top-to-bottom endeavor. By joining our hands and hearts, we will be able to protect ourselves and our country. “I well appreciate many Nigerians' concerns about the country's failure to progress from a great nation to a great one, despite its seemingly limitless potential. “Infrastructure, social care, governance, Nigeria's image and influence in Africa and the international community have all improved significantly in the last six years. “However, detractors confuse modest development with stasis. Despite limited resources, this Administration has taken on our problems front on since taking office. Since 1999, no government has done more to get Nigeria back on track than we have in the last six years. “We will continue to serve the country, listen to everyone, and defend our democracy and country,” Buhari said. Nigeria at 61: Currency depreciation, insecurity, high inflation, and insufficient power supply stifle economic growth. As if the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and its associated social disruptions weren't bad enough, the Nigerian economy also had to deal with insecurity, high inflation, poor power supply, and a currency crisis, to name a few issues that hampered its modest growth in the previous year. Despite the government's frantic efforts to contain these problems, the end does not appear to be in sight. The country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by 5% in the second quarter of this year, reversing the losses that sent it into recession in November last year. GDP increased from -6.10% in the second quarter of 2020 to -0.79% in the second quarter of 2021. Naira In the parallel market, the Naira's value plummeted the most during the year. Following the Central Bank of Nigeria's (CBN) decision to stop providing foreign exchange to Bureau de Change operators and surrender the task of selling dollars to commercial banks for travel allowance, education and medical costs, the Naira began to depreciate. The Naira's value decreased from N395 to N575 in three months, prompting the CBN to target websites that aggregate the currency's street value, such as abokifx.com. Inflation The economy has also been subjected to significant inflationary pressure in the recent year, with inflation rising from 13% to over 18%, eroding many people's purchasing power. From 15.48 percent a year ago, food inflation soared to 22.95 percent in March 2021, the highest level since 2001, before easing to 20.30 percent in August this year. In March 2021, however, headline inflation reached 18.17 percent, the highest level since January 2021, when it was 18.72 percent. However, in August 2021, it fell to 17.01 percent. Nigeria also experienced its largest foreign trade deficit since 1981, with a N7.38 trillion trade deficit in 2020. According to data received from the National Bureau of Statistics, this is the case (NBS). Total imports in 2020 were valued at N19.9 trillion, exceeding total exports of N12.52 trillion, resulting in a trade imbalance of N7.38 trillion, according to a recent international trade report. Nigeria has had a negative trade balance for the second time in the last ten years. In the second quarter of 2021, the power industry contributed significantly to the overall gain in GDP, with the electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply sector growing by 114.30 percent year on year. Recent measures to improve cash returns, such as a 50% increase in electricity tariffs in November 2020 and again in January 2021, as well as greater meter supplies and the federal government's financial investments in the sector, were credited with the increase. Despite massive interventions totaling N4.23 trillion over the last few years, the power industry has seen no change. The performance of Nigeria's power sector has remained terrible, with less than 4,000 megawatts of electricity produced, which analysts say does not represent the country's progress. Nigeria's power generation remained at 3241 megawatts as of September 29, 2021, according to data from the country's System Operation (SO), a far cry from its 13,000 megawatt capacity. The financial industry grew somewhat over the last year, with the nation's capital market gaining N6.5 trillion and pension fund assets increasing by N780 billion between October 2020 and September 2021, according to NAIJAGENRE Friday. The Nigerian stock market has fared admirably in the last year, with market capitalization rising from N14.105 trillion on October 2, 2020 to N20.523 trillion on September 29, 2021. The All-Share Index (ASI) increased by N46.72 percent from 26,985.77 points on October 2, 2020 to 39,592.29 points on September 29, 2021. The N6.5 trillion increase is equivalent to over half of the existing national budget. Similarly, according to the National Pension Commission's most recent monthly report, the nation's pension fund assets increased by N780 billion between October 2020 and July 2021. (PenCom). At the end of October 2020, the pension fund's assets were N12.05 trillion, but by the end of July 2021, they had risen to N12.78 trillion. According to the inquiry, investment income was critical to the continued expansion of pension funds, despite the fact that governments, particularly at the state level, are not paying their workers' monthly pension contributions on time. Similarly, the large increase was related to increased pension contributions, interest on fixed income securities, and net realized on stocks and mutual fund investments, according to research. Meanwhile, despite surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nigerian economy has not had a dull moment in the previous year, with policies and events nearly back to back, with inflation surging from 13% to over 18%, eroding many people's purchasing power. The CBN created the Naira4Dollar initiative to stimulate increasing remittance inflows by incentivizing remittances into the country. After the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) announced the launch of the eNaira on October 4, 2021, the Nigerian banking industry became one of the few countries to have implemented the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). The ICT sector benefited the most from the epidemic because most commercial transactions are now done online, which helps the sector's patronage. According to the latest data issued by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on the gross domestic product (GDP), the Nigerian economy's ICT sector expanded by 14.70 percent in the fourth quarter of 2020. The sector was not only the fastest growing, but it was also the only one with double-digit growth, at 12.90 percent, across the full GDP evaluation. According to Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, the ICT sector has sent over N1 trillion to the Federal Government account in the two years since his resume in office. Meanwhile, according to statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), telecommunication companies lost 20.83 million subscribers in the first half of 2021 as a result of the decision to prohibit the sale of SIM cards until the National Identification Number (NIN) registration process is completed. The federal government had opened proposals for the concession of four international airport terminals in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, and Kano in August 2021. The request for qualification (RFQ) is open to corporations or consortia with a track record in airport terminal management and a net value of N30 billion per bidding firm or consortium, as part of attempts to administer the facilities effectively and profitably. The federal government has previously suggested a concession period of 20 to 30 years for the facilities, allowing private investors to own, operate, and recoup their investments. Following the reopening of the country-wide lockdown imposed by the COVID-19 epidemic, the Nigerian oil and gas industry began to slowly return to normalcy towards the end of 2020. Following the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) 2021 and President Muhammadu Buhari's assent to it, the industry experienced a watershed moment in the previous few months. The bill's main goal is to establish a legal, governance, regulatory, and fiscal framework for the Nigerian petroleum industry, as well as the development of host communities and other associated issues. Furthermore, the federal government announced a meter implementation program under the National Mass Metering Program (NMMP) in November 2020, as part of attempts to close the country's metering gap. This was also done to mitigate the impact of the Service Reflective Tariff on the country's power users. Meanwhile, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari announced in March 2021 an ambitious plan to power the country's economy exclusively with gas by 2030. The manufacturing sector, which had been expected to do well after a high performance due to the border closure, experienced a major blow. In the same line, inflationary pressure has remained a cause of concern since COVID-19 disturbed the global economy's demand and supply sides. “The pandemic created unprecedented challenges for economies across the globe as the period under review recorded an unprecedented distortion in the value chain as countries directly or indirectly shut their borders and imposed export restrictions on critical raw materials, while some imposed outright bans on food,” said Engr. Mansur Ahmed, president of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). He went on to say that, in order to mitigate the impact, the government launched a slew of spectacular initiatives in the shape of economic policies, plans, and projects targeted at boosting enterprises and building on previous accomplishments. “It is our conviction that the foreign exchange unification initiative will engender a regime of balanced participation for forex users and promote a transparent as well as efficient allocation of forex required for sustained economic growth,” MAN said, praising the government for its initiative to unify foreign exchange windows in the country. However, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has had difficulty purchasing new locomotive engines to operate passenger and goods trains on the narrow gauge railway line since the few engines in its stock break down on a regular basis. Only five operational locomotive engines are currently in the corporation's fleet across the narrow gauge network, acquired during the late Musa Yar'Adua's administration. Rent defaults and legal evictions have continued to rise in stratospheric proportions in the real estate sector, as more tenants face eviction and court proceedings to evacuate their residential units and premises owing to insolvency and rent default. As a result, there is a decrease in the use of office space as more organizations evaluate their space requirements, profit margins, capital formation, overhead costs, and supply side penetration while considering the benefits of remote working and online jobs. The APC has returned Nigeria to pre-independence days – the PDP Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) declared Tuesday that despite the failures of President Muhammadu Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, Nigeria will never fail. In a statement commemorating Nigeria's 61st anniversary of independence, the party claimed that the Buhari presidency and the APC had returned the country to pre-independence days, “with associated bondage mentality and frustration resulting in many losing faith in the system and leaving our country in droves within the last six years.” Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP's national publicity secretary, said this during a news conference, accusing the APC administration of driving the country to the brink, as evidenced by our daily lives. “Our nation has continued to exist by the resilient spirit of Nigerians,” he said, accusing the APC-led administration of lying, injustice, human rights violations, state-sponsored violence, impunity, nepotism, treasury theft, harsh economic policies, and accommodation of terrorists. Despite the PDP's criticism, Mai Mala Buni, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee and the Governor of Yobe State, remarked that Nigeria's 61 years of independence give a significant source of unity and strength. The governor stressed that Nigerians should focus on issues that unify the country rather than divisive tendencies, citing the country's long history of integration among various ethnic and socio-cultural groups as a source of unity in diversity. Despite the fact that Nigeria has not yet achieved its goals after 61 years of independence, Governor Buni noted, "we have cause to rejoice our existence as a country." Let us work together for peace and progress. Others, like Lawan, Abdulsalami, and Atiku Abubakar, have urged Nigerians to vote. Ahmad Lawan, the president of the Senate, has urged Nigerians to unify for the country's prosperity and to be loyal to their fatherland. “This is the first year of our seventh decade as a nation, as well as the second year of the third decade of the Fourth Republic,” Lawan said in a message commemorating the country's 61st anniversary of independence. “It strikes me as incredible that we are living in the longest period of democracy in our country's history. “While that may appear to be a minor accomplishment, it is a cause for celebration in light of our political experience. “Every patriot will remember with joy the momentous moment on October 1, 1960, when the British Union Jack was lowered and replaced with our Green-White-Green flag. “That moment represents our independence from colonial tyranny. But it also signals the start of the difficult work that we have set for ourselves: establishing a united, peaceful, and successful nation.” Under the leadership of General Abdusalami, Nigeria has become more united. General Read the full article

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voodoorhythmrecords · 7 years ago

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With a True Music Fan Jello Biafra and his Lovely Wife ,in Virginia City Opera house Build in 1890 foto by @ciderupshows #jellobiafra #reverendbeatman #operahouse #virginiacityoperahouse

#virginiacityoperahouse #reverendbeatman #jellobiafra #operahouse

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sveniasblog · 5 years ago

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Wole Soyinka

Wole Soyinka was born on 13 July 1934 at Abeokuta, near Ibadan in western Nigeria. After preparatory university studies in 1954 at Government College in Ibadan, he continued at the University of Leeds, where, later, in 1973, he took his doctorate. During the six years spent in England, he was a dramaturgist at the Royal Court Theatre in London 1958-1959. In 1960, he was awarded a Rockefeller bursary and returned to Nigeria to study African drama. At the same time, he taught drama and literature at various universities in Ibadan, Lagos, and Ife, where, since 1975, he has been professor of comparative literature. In 1960, he founded the theatre group, “The 1960 Masks” and in 1964, the “Orisun Theatre Company”, in which he has produced his own plays and taken part as actor. He has periodically been visiting professor at the universities of Cambridge, Sheffield, and Yale. During the civil war in Nigeria, Soyinka appealed in an article for cease-fire. For this he was arrested in 1967, accused of conspiring with the Biafra rebels, and was held as a political prisoner for 22 months until 1969. Soyinka has published about 20 works: drama, novels and poetry. He writes in English and his literary language is marked by great scope and richness of words. As dramatist, Soyinka has been influenced by, among others, the Irish writer, J.M. Synge, but links up with the traditional popular African theatre with its combination of dance, music, and action. He bases his writing on the mythology of his own tribe-the Yoruba-with Ogun, the god of iron and war, at the centre. He wrote his first plays during his time in London, The Swamp Dwellers and The Lion and the Jewel (a light comedy), which were performed at Ibadan in 1958 and 1959 and were published in 1963. Later, satirical comedies are The Trial of Brother Jero (performed in 1960, publ. 1963) with its sequel, Jero’s Metamorphosis (performed 1974, publ.1973), A Dance of the Forests (performed 1960, publ.1963), Kongi’s Harvest (performed 1965, publ. 1967) and Madmen and Specialists (performed 1970, publ. 1971). Among Soyinka’s serious philosophic plays are (apart from “The Swamp Dwellers“) The Strong Breed (performed 1966, publ. 1963), The Road ( 1965) and Death and the King’s Horseman (performed 1976, publ. 1975). In The Bacchae of Euripides (1973), he has rewritten the Bacchae for the African stage and in Opera Wonyosi (performed 1977, publ. 1981), bases himself on John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera and Brecht’s The Threepenny Opera. Soyinka’s latest dramatic works are A Play of Giants (1984) and Requiem for a Futurologist (1985). Soyinka has written two novels, The Interpreters (1965), narratively, a complicated work which has been compared to Joyce’s and Faulkner’s, in which six Nigerian intellectuals discuss and interpret their African experiences, and Season of Anomy (1973) which is based on the writer’s thoughts during his imprisonment and confronts the Orpheus and Euridice myth with the mythology of the Yoruba. Purely autobiographical are The Man Died: Prison Notes (1972) and the account of his childhood, Aké ( 1981), in which the parents’ warmth and interest in their son are prominent. Literary essays are collected in, among others, Myth, Literature and the African World (1975). Soyinka’s poems, which show a close connection to his plays, are collected in Idanre, and Other Poems (1967), Poems from Prison (1969), A Shuttle in the Crypt (1972) the long poem Ogun Abibiman (1976) and Mandela’s Earth and Other Poems (1988). The Nobel Prize in Literature 1986 was awarded to Wole Soyinka "who in a wide cultural perspective and with poetic overtones fashions the drama of existence."

From Les Prix Nobel. The Nobel Prizes 1986, Editor Wilhelm Odelberg, [Nobel Foundation], Stockholm, 1987

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biofunmy · 5 years ago

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Reimagining Old Friends at the National Theater in London

LONDON — Shall we all speed-read together? I mean, as in consume hundreds and hundreds of pages as fast as the human eye permits.

We’ll let our attention alight briefly on names of characters, central plot points and major thematic statements, via a text that has been helpfully illuminated with neon marker. And all those pesky auxiliary words used to summon nuance and detail will runtogetherlikethis into an inky cloud.

Such is the experience of watching “My Brilliant Friend,” the breathlessly paced, two-part stage interpretation of Elena Ferrante’s “Neapolitan Novels” at the National Theater. Adapted by April De Angelis and directed by Melly Still, this production compresses the acclaimed four-volume portrait of two women who come of age in mid-20th-century Naples into less than five hours of galloping onstage synopsis.

Though I haven’t seen any of the Italian television version shown on HBO (eight episodes so far, with a projected 24 more to come), I eagerly devoured each of Ferrante’s books as soon as they were published in English, so I was generally able to follow what was going on in De Angelis’s version.

But heaven help the innocent theatergoer who meets Ferrante’s characters for the first time in this production by the National Theater and the Rose Theater Kingston. After watching both parts of the show in successive performances, I saw fellow audience members stumbling out with glazed eyes and what-was-that-all-about expressions. “Well, it might make a good movie,” I heard one of them say to another.

“My Brilliant Friend” was one of three new theatrical adaptations I recently caught at the National, each of which inevitably inspired reflections on their differences from the works that inspired them and the perils and pleasures of recontextualizing the familiar. Less than 10 hours after arriving in London, I was plunged into the churning, fantastical waters of “The Ocean at the End of the Lane,” based on Neil Gaiman’s popular 2013 novel about a British boy’s encounter with cosmic forces of evil, which I had read on the plane from New York.

Two days later, I spent time with a set of unhappy women I have been enthralled and irritated by since I was 12. They would be the title characters of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters,” who have been reimagined by the playwright Inua Ellams as residents of the civil-war-torn Nigeria of the late 1960s.

Curiously, of these three productions, “My Brilliant Friend” was both the most faithful, in literal terms, to its source material and the furthest from what makes its prototype so seductive. The play manages to cover most of the entire five-decade course of Ferrante’s plot, while dexterously signaling political and social changes in Italy via period pop songs and video projections.

There are more than three dozen individual characters listed in the program, which doesn’t account for the many other figures who show up to flesh out scenes depicting weddings, riots and natural disasters. They are portrayed by a cast of 24 humans and several winsome puppets, who all tirelessly dash up and down the four steep staircases that dominate Soutra Gilmour’s otherwise minimalist set, while the revolving stage of the Olivier Theater turns. And turns. And turns.

So very much happens in the course of human events here that when an earthquake hits Naples, it feels neither more nor less convulsive than the more soap opera-ish plot turns that have been occurring all along. At the center of this off-the-charts Richter scale tumult are two enduring female frenemies, and fortunately they are portrayed here, from childhood into late middle age, by Niamh Cusack and Catherine McCormack.

Cusack is Lenù Greco, the bookish one who studies hard and escapes from their old, squalid Neapolitan neighborhood to become a celebrated novelist. McCormack is the willful and wayward Lila Cerullo, a person of infinite intelligence and perversity to match.

Both actresses are great fun to watch, especially McCormack, who has the showier part. But with reversals of feeling and fortune happening so abruptly, it’s hard to make much sense of this central relationship. Delivered in theatrical shorthand, finer shades of ambivalence in Ferrante’s prose become baldfaced contradictions.

“Three Sisters” is nearly as replete with historical detail and eventfulness as “My Brilliant Friend.” The script by Ellams (who wrote the wonderful “Barber Shop Chronicles”) provides equivalents for each of Chekhov’s original characters, starting with the wistful, provincial siblings of the title.

They are embodied with commanding grace by Sarah Niles, Natalie Simpson and Racheal Ofori. It’s Lagos, instead of Moscow, that’s now the unreachable destination of their dreams.

Ellams’s title characters are hemmed in by newly insurmountable obstacles when war erupts between Nigeria and the breakaway republic of Biafra, where they reside. Chekhov’s discussions about the meaning — and meaninglessness — of life have accordingly been expanded to embrace subjects like the evils of British neocolonialism and the erasure of cultural history.

In this version, the women’s new and unloved sister-in-law (an entertainingly overripe Ronke Adekoluejo) isn’t just a pushy parvenu; she’s Yoruban and may even be an enemy spy. And every so often, a spectral figure in ceremonial garb — a sort of spirit of place incarnate — shows up to roam Katrina Lindsay’s expansive indoor-outdoor set and chant forebodingly in the Nigerian language of Ibo.

It is to the credit of Ellams and the director Nadia Fall that so much historical and atmospheric detail is folded into “Three Sisters” without undue congestion. But the bigger picture provided here tends to make the sisters’ relentless worries — domestic, romantic and existential — feel kind of incidental.

When the threesome started moaning per usual after the local town market had been bombed, with devastating casualties, I found myself thinking of what Humphrey Bogart told Ingrid Bergman at the end of “Casablanca”: “The problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.”

Of course, when you’re still a child — like the reluctant hero of Gaiman’s “Ocean” — nothing seems more important than your own private fears. Gaiman’s book ingeniously gives a cosmic dimension to such solipsism, as a 7-year-old boy in rural England finds his quiet existence rattled by life-consuming, supernal forces of darkness.

Joel Horwood’s stage adaptation of Gaiman’s novel, directed by Katy Rudd, ages up its unnamed central character, who is now 12 and played by the very good Samuel Blenkin (and by Justin Salinger as the man he becomes). The play also diverges from the novel in making its young hero motherless.

Our hero’s allies in his battle against darkness are a mysteriously wise girl named Lettie Hempstock (Marli Siu, charming) and her earthy but otherworldly ma (Carlyss Peer) and grandma (Josie Walker). His mortal enemy is his dad’s perky new lodger (Pippa Nixon, having a great time), who sheds human form to become one really scary evil fairy known as Skarthach. (Despite placing a pubescent lad in mostly female company, sex never rears its inconvenient head here.)

This creature and the ungodly darkness from which she emerges are brought to nastily lyrical life by an expert team that includes Fly Davis (set), Samuel Wyer (costumes and puppets), Paule Constable (lighting) and the genius movement director Steven Hoggett. As such, “Ocean” is a pretty entertaining spook house.

What makes Gaiman’s book so arresting, though, is its summoning of the awful sense we have as young children that our darkest fantasies may be real. In externalizing those internal feelings, and making its hero an adolescent, Horwood’s play feels safer and more predictable, more in the mold of a conventional young adult adventure fantasy.

I completed my marathon of stage adaptations at the National with the impression that in such ventures, something is perhaps always lost in translation. All the productions did, though, make me savor afresh what I had enjoyed and admired about the pieces that inspired them. I am now wondering, by the way, if it’s too soon to start rereading Ferrante’s Naples quartet.

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airadam · 5 years ago

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Episode 126 : None More Black

"These evil streets don't sleep..."

- Pharoahe

Here's an idea I've been holding for a while - an episode showcasing Hip-Hop tracks that took a rock sample or influence! I thought it'd be an interesting one to select and mix without reaching for the most obvious standby picks, and we've got tracks spanning almost thirty years at the extreme ends. Don't worry, the guitars come along with plenty of bars and beats!

Links for the month... Michelle Grace Hunder - wicked music photographer!

The Flyest Xmas party on Dec 20th, featuring The Soul Twins

Twitter : @airadam13

Playlist/Notes

Ice-T ft. Jello Biafra : Shut Up, Be Happy

One of those tracks that seems more relevant now than ever, this was the opener on Ice-T's underrated 1989 album "The Iceberg". A great marrying of elements, as Jello Biafra of the punk band Dead Kennedys delivers a totalitarian announcement (based on his own "Message From Our Sponsor" over a Black Sabbath loop. I couldn't put this anywhere but as the intro to the episode!

Camp Lo : 82 Afros

Kicking the pace up a touch, we move straight into a killer Camp Lo cut from the "Black Hollywood" LP, with Ski cooking up a banging rock-based beat. The kick and snare are straight boom-bap, but the toms add an unexpected extra element on top of the distorted guitar and vocal sample. Cheeba and Geechi might be known for their smooth styles, but this is just one demonstration of the fact that they can get busy over any kind of beat.

J-Zone : Moonwalk / Gel N' Weave Remix (Instrumental)

I was struggling to find just the right instrumental for this spot, but went back to "The Headband Years" to find this beat from a producer who could make a beat our of almost anything. He's full-time on his funk drumming now, but has a great catalogue of Hip-Hop that can't be fronted on.

Kobaine : Ko.Bain

This is an artist I know very little about, as as far as I'm aware this is his only release to date, a nice little contribution to the 2002 "Subway Series Vol.1" compilation on Major League Entertainment. I got this on digital release which had no credits included, so I'm not sure who produced it - I can imagine it being a Nick Wiz or Tribeca track though.

Agallah : Ag Season

Brownsville's Agallah has often channelled the rockstar vibes in his career, and this woozy-guitared track from "Bo : The Legend of the Water Dragon" sounds entirely natural for him. Self-produced as always, it's short, rock solid, and to the point.

Fabolous : Breathe

Fifteen years old, already? This was a huge single for Fabolous, taken from his "Real Talk" album, and is one of his best-known tracks even after all these years. Just Blaze laced him with a beat based around Supertramp's "Crime of the Century", and got a surprise when Fab told him he'd written his lyrics around the "breathe" vocal sample on the track...because that's not what it said! However, on hearing the bars, Just went back and made some changes to align the audio with what Fab thought he heard!

Ras Kass ft. Killah Priest : Milli Vanilli

Ras Kass' "Quarterly" was collection of tracks he released once a week, finally brought together in late 2009 - and there are some great cuts in there. Here's one, with Veterano's beat sounding like a cybernetic heavy metal group trying to destroy the speaker stack! Ras cuts through it regardless, and special guest Killah Priest (fellow member of THE HRSMN) matches him bar for bar as always. The hook of course channels the then-recent Lil Wayne track "A Milli", which was a heavily-used beat for freestyles around this time.

Body Count : C-Note

This was one of the shorter and gentler tracks on the debut Body Count album, but was always one of my favourites - Ernie C makes that guitar cry for real. Ice-T's metal project was waved off by some doubters in the beginning, but the music was solid from their first appearance on the "OG: Original Gangster" album and they're still killing it to this day.

Bumpy Knuckles : Swazzee

This one is so aggro, you have to love it. Seriously, you'd better. Bumpy Knuckles is in fine form on this guaranteed weight-training motivational track from "Konexion", taking out sucker MCs, snitches, haters, and pretty much everyone else. The hook is reminiscent of an old Sly Stone cut, and Knockout's beat is ferocious - precise, measured drums with the harsh guitar over the top. Bumpy might be the king of the third verse but a track like this lets you know he can handle the first two just fine!

Public Enemy : Go Cat Go

The "He Got Game" soundtrack was unfairly overlooked by too many heads, but is an absolutely worthy entry in Public Enemy's long and storied discography. Chuck D's political awareness and love of sports (he actually wanted to be a sportscaster at one point) combined for a really interesting listen. Jack Dangers of Meat Beat Manifesto and Danny Saber of Black Grape cover this one in heavy guitars which would drown out most MCs, but not Chuck! As the album subtitle says, this one is about the game behind the game...

Boogie Down Productions : Ya Slippin

It's hard to think now of BDP being a crew with a future in doubt, but this is how it was back in 1988 as "By All Means Necessary" was released, not long after the murder of founding DJ Scott La Rock. KRS might be young here but he rhymes with the confidence of someone who left home as a child to become an MC, survived homelessness, and achieved his goal. He scolds weak MCs like "The Teacha" he is, and gets down on the production too - the rock heads will recognise this guitar sample a mile off!

Pharoahe Monch : Got You

Shout out to Vicky T for reminding me of this tune! The lead single from the "Training Day" soundtrack is one where I think the radio version (as heard here) surpasses the original. Monch perfectly encapsulates the essence of Denzel Washington's character, who is one of the classic movie villains of modern times - and strikingly, is based on real police.

[J-Zone] Boss Hog Barbarians : Celph Destruction (Instrumental)

Zone again, and while it one didn't come to mind immediately, the aggressive sonics of this instrumental get it the nod here. The Boss Hog Barbarians (J-Zone and Celph Titled) album is an absolute tribute to ignorance (intentionally), but if you can deal with that then it's an excellent addition to your collection.

LL Cool J : Go Cut Creator Go

Another 80s classic hard rocking track, from LL's "Bigger And Deffer" album. It's the kind of track we don't get now - the MC just bigging up the DJ. DJ Cut Creator was with LL from the very beginning, and was the one who actually helped him to get him name known, so it's nice to hear the appreciation. The scratches still stand up today and cut through even the loudest of the guitar samples on the track!

Sly Boogy : Fatal Mistake

Sly may not have put anything out for a while, but the San Bernadino native did drop a few nice tracks in the early 2000s. This one has him totally disregarding the common standards of Hip-Hop song structure, opening up with a thirty-two bar first verse just to show he's not playing. DJ Revolution provides the cuts, and production is courtesy of a then-emerging Jake One. This actually doesn't have a rock influence, but is here because of how well it goes with the next instrumental...

[Rick Rubin] Jay-Z : 99 Problems (Instrumental)

The combination of this and "Fatal Mistake" is one I discovered while doing a mix years and years ago, and wanted to bring out again when the opportunity arose! You probably all know the vocal version of this track, which appeared on Jay-Z's "The Black Album". While working with the legendary Def Jam co-founder and producer Rubin, Jay said he wanted something like the flavour he used to give to the Beastie Boys and this was the result - a meshing of several ideas that came together perfectly.

Public Enemy : She Watch Channel Zero?!

Let's be real - the sexism is heavy on this track! It'd be entirely reasonable to argue that spending all day watching sports on TV isn't any better than soap operas, but that's just my opinion :) 1988's "...Nation of Millions..." yields this song which had an interesting connection - sampling the group Slayer, who were produced by Def Jam founder and major PE supporter Rick Rubin.

Lacuna Coil : The Game

Going pure rock on this selection from this veteran Milanese gothic metal band! I actually learned about this group from "Guitar Hero" of all places, and "Our Truth" led me to the 2006 "Karmacode" album that included this track. It always reminded me a little of "Channel Zero", and while the guitar riffs are definitely fire and the drums bang, it's the combined and contrasting vocals of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro that can't fail to grab your ear.

RJD2 : Exotic Talk

Prog rock meets Hip-Hop sensibilities as RJD2 twists and turns, chilling things out in parts before bringing the thunder crashing back in. Definite standout from 2004's "Since We Last Spoke".

Z-Trip : Rockstar

We close with a standout track from the "Return of the DJ, Volume II" compilation, with Phoenix's Z-Trip putting together a masterpiece of DJ/producer song construction. The sample list is long, and since I don't know what was and wasn't cleared, I won't give anything away here!

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

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