#Fresh Hip Hop Talent

[thetunesclub]

🌟🎤 The Rising Rapper 24Kay Is Here To Blow Some Minds! 💥🔥

[marksmelodies]

forever only

idol eric x fem reader

genre: angst, smut, fluff

warnings: suggestive, mentions of sex, unprotected sex, lots of kissing

note: if you haven’t watched eric’s LA vlog on theboyz youtube channel you definitely should before reading this since it’s heavily based on that!

minors dni

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walking out of your apartment in los angeles you head to your favorite cafe down the street, walking through the door hearing the bell chime as you enter, you order your coffee and sit at a table finishing up some work for college. fall semester just started and it was always the most stressful but this time around you didn’t sign up for many classes making the workload a lot easier to handle

you could finally focus on dance a little more which is your passion ever since you could walk your parents put you in dance and you absolutely flourished. now a college student you spend most of your time teaching dance classes, mostly hip hop because that was more of your style

as you work on your computer with your headphones on you hear a text message notification go off, ignoring it you continue with your work, until it goes off again, you check your phone to see a message from an unknown number

unknown #: hey y/n, it’s been a long time, i hope you’re doing well! i just wanted to let you know that i will be in LA for a few days this week with my group, if you aren’t busy tomorrow, i’m having a get together with miles at my place to meet my members you should come too

unknown #: oh this is eric by the way

your heart immediately drops as a state of nausea washes over your body “ god damn it miles” you cuss under your breath as you call him

“ yo what’s up” he answers the phone

“ you’ve got to be kidding me” you sigh

“ what’s wrong with you?” he asks

“ what’s wrong with me? oh i don’t know maybe what’s wrong with me is i just got a text from eric.. eric sohn” you whisper yell over the phone as you exit the cafe to get some fresh air

“ oh yeah i gave him your number” he laughs

“ why, why would you do that” you yell

“ he asked about you, he wants to see you again y/n” miles sighs

“ i don’t understand why you would give him my phone number after the whole reason why i got a new one was to avoid him”

“ listen y/n it’s been years, don’t you think it’s time to see him again, he asks about you all the time and i’m tired of making up excuses to why you avoid him, he hasn’t been back to los angeles since he left freshman year and the first thing he asked me is if he can possibly see you again while he’s here” miles says

you feel the tears begin to pull from your eyes

“ it’s just really hard for me miles, you don’t think i want to see him too? i want nothing more than to see him again, to see how far he’s come, but i don’t know if my heart is ready for that”

“ i know, but it’s been years maybe it’s time to truly move on and hopefully seeing him can give you enough closure to do so” he says

“ yeah maybe your right” a long pause comes from you before you speak again

“ i’ll go tomorrow” you say

“ good, i’m glad to hear that, everything will be okay i promise” he says, after hanging up the phone you walk back into the cafe packing up your stuff and heading back home,as you sit on the bed looking at the message eric sent you finally get the courage to respond

“ sounds great i’ll be there” you text back before shutting your phone off

you and eric met in middle school, he was popular due to his talent in baseball, all the girls obsessed over him, not you though at least not at first,you had biology class together and eventually got assigned to do a project with one another, after that you two became inseparable, eric introduced you to your now best friend miles and the three of you became the friend group that everyone wanted to be apart of

as time went on you started to have a little crush on eric, that crush only got bigger and bigger as you two got older, eric felt the same way about you, although eric had been in total awe the second he laid his eyes on you for the first time, the more he got to know you the more he fell in love, the summer going into your eighth grade year eric confessed his feelings to you and you confessed back

your relationship with eric was very lighthearted, a simple middle school fling, acting the same way towards eachother as you did when you were just friends maybe with the benefit of hand holding but that was it, to everyone’s surprise you both made it over a year which was super long for a middle school relationship, but you and eric were truly in love and a lot of people underestimated your feelings for each other

you remember the day that eric told you he was leaving to move to korea to pursue his dreams , you were heartbroken but being the supportive person you were you didn’t let him see how sad you were about it, you gave him all the best wishes and the two of you split up on good terms, you both knew it was impossible to continue this relationship when you would be across the world from each other

that wasn’t the last time you saw eric though, once you became a senior in high school you and your dance team got invited to a dance workshop in seoul south korea, of course the universe just had to mess with you because during your trip you ran into him while visiting the han river late one night, one thing led to another and you ended up hooking up with him that night.. and the next morning…in full retrospect the intimate moments you shared with him during that trip was amazing but after you left it made you feel like shit, you kept in contact with eachother for a few months after you saw him but eventually the text messages became less frequent and then just stopped all together, it was your own fault letting him break your heart for the second time, you got your own hopes up, you couldn’t blame him for his inconsistency, you saw how busy his life had become, how hard he worked everyday without a break.

but selfishly you wished sometimes that he would have stayed in LA, become a college student like yourself and the two of you could be together again, maybe even be on the road to getting married and building a life together, you knew that was never in the cards for him, he was meant to be an idol there was no doubt about it but every so often you find yourself thinking about an alternate reality, one where the two of you could be together for good

that night was rough on you, tossing and turning over all the possibilities that could come out of the events of tomorrow, being honest with yourself you don’t even know how you’re going to look him in the eyes without falling in love with him all over again. as if you got over him in the first place, which newsflash.. you never did

waking up in the morning was hard, your alarm blared in your ears as you crawled out of bed. you spent most of the day mentally preparing yourself to see eric again, miles had arrived not too long ago as you were getting yourself ready

“ does this look too slutty” you say doing a turn in your bikini for your best friend

“ no you look good, hurry up though we’re going to be late” he says. quickly throwing on a minidress as a coverup you both leave your place as you head over to eric’s house

“ are you nervous” miles asks noticing your leg shaking up and down as you sit in the passenger seat

“ yeah i am, i feel like im going to throw up everywhere” you respond, finally pulling up to eric’s place you can hear the music playing and some faint yelling coming from the pool

getting out of the car you walk through the back gates to the pool area, standing behind miles trying to shield yourself from the sight of eric. that didn’t work “ miles, y/n, over here” eric waved the two of you down

walking over to the big canopy and a large table filled with a ton of korean dishes you finally stand there in front of eric for the first time in a long time, eric walks up to miles dabbing him up and then turning to you, he smiles at you pulling you into a hug “ im glad you made it y/n it means a lot that you’re here” he says

his familiar scent fills your nostrils causing you to gain a wave of nostalgia, pulling away you flash a tight lipped smile at him. “ guys this is my best friend miles and this is my friend y/n” eric says hesitating on the word friend, his members all smile and wave as you both do the same back

you sit next to miles during dinner, thankfully eric is across the table filming a vlog for the groups youtube channel, once dinner was finished everyone decided to go swimming

setting your stuff down on a chair you begin to take your dress off leaving you in nothing but a tiny bikini, you felt eyes on you, turning around eric’s eyes met yours before he turned away quickly trying not to make it obvious that he was staring at you

“ hey” eric walks up to you “ hey” you respond back looking to the ground “ im sorry if it’s awkward seeing me again” he says itching the back of his neck

“ no it’s fine it’s not awkward” you say completely lying. “ i missed having you around you know” eric says looking into your eyes “ yeah i missed you too” you say as you feel your heart beating out of your chest

he looked so good with nothing but his swim trunks on, his toned upper body out for display. “ let’s go in the pool yeah?” he asks

“ yeah i just have to put my hair up” you say to him as he gives you a look

“ you never changed have you” he laughs “ you’re going to get your hair wet regardless” he rolls his eyes at you

“ fine whatever” you say leaving your hair down

you walk with him to the deep end of the pool, everyone is already in but the two of you, “okay let’s jump in together on the count of three ready..one.. two… three..” eric counts, you had planned to pretend to jump in that way eric would have been the only one to actually jump but eric had the same idea as you

you both laugh as eric approaches you “ no eric don’t” you yell before he pushes you into the pool

quickly swimming up to the surface of the water you put your hand out to eric “ what the hell eric, at least help me out” you yell as eric grabs your hand. before he could pull you up you yank your arm back pulling him into the water with you

“ i should’ve saw that coming” he says laughing

“ i can’t believe you fell for that” you laugh

joining the others in a game of water spikeball miles makes eye contact with you smirking as you and eric continuously flirt with each other

“ that was a point” you yell to eric

“no it wasn’t” he yells back

“ yes it was” you splash water on him, he walks closer to you splashing you back before picking you up, eric lifts you up throwing you into the water, he swims over to you as you splash water in his face one last time “ that was mean” you say to him

he tucks a strand of lose hair behind your ear “so pretty” he whispers, the two of you now inches away from each other, you wanted nothing more than to kiss him right then and there but before anything could happen one of eric’s members yells for him to come join in the game again

eventually you get out of the pool, feeling tired from the continuous swim races that eric challenged you to even though you beat him every time. eric approached you sitting on one of the chairs “ come back in” he whines

“ no i’m tired of swimming” you say looking up at him “please y/n i’ll carry you” he says. you nod your head yes, knowing you could never say no to him “ sure” you say walking to the steps of the pool

all the guys had gotten out and were now inside the house talking to eachother, leaving just you and eric alone together in the pool. it had gotten dark, the sun was long gone, the pool light shined as you swam over to eric wrapping your arms around his neck and your legs around his waist, he looks down at you smiling as he places one of his arms around your waist and the other on your ass to hold you up, you knew it was wrong, you knew that you shouldn’t be doing this but when it came to eric all of your sense left your brain and you begin to think with your heart instead

you lay your head on his shoulder as he carries you to the deep end sitting down on the ledge “ i meant what i said earlier, i really missed you pretty girl” eric whispers

“ i meant when i said i missed you too” you say lightly kissing the side of his neck. he rubs his hand up and down your back as the other rubs your thigh, taking your head off of his shoulder looking up at him, both of your eyes locking , you feel butterflies in your stomach as eric moves closer and closer until finally his lips are on yours

the kiss was passionate, you both had been waiting for this moment for a long time, he moves in closer holding the side of your face as one of your hand reaches into his hair while the other is pressed against his chest, you softly moan into the kiss as eric moves your bottoms to the side before entering his finger into your pussy without breaking the kiss

“ fuck eric” you moan noticing his eyes are now darker than they were before “ you’re so tight baby, when’s the last time you had sex” he asks kissing your neck “ the last time was with you” you say looking at him, eric smiles at the thought of no one else fucking you but him

he enters another finger into you causing you to moan loudly before eric covers your mouth with his other hand “ shh babygirl they can still hear you over the music, you don’t want anyone to hear us do you?” he says as he fucks you with his fingers “ fuck eric i’m gonna cum” you whine, he stops thrusting his fingers in you “ fuck yourself on my fingers baby” he says kissing your head, you feel the knot in your stomach tighten as you ride his fingers “ cum for me love” eric says, you throw your head back letting yourself ride out your climax releasing onto his fingers, you moan as your body begins to shake “ good girl” eric kisses your lips once again before letting you catch your breath as he fixes your bathing suit

getting out of the pool you notice eric’s dick poking out of his pants “ i feel bad let me help you” you say as he looks down at you “ i’ll be okay for now, i think somone will come looking for us if we’re out here any longer” he chuckles palming his boner

the sliding glass door opens “ hey we’re going start up a game of football if you wanna join” miles says poking his out of the door “ okay we’ll be right there” eric responds drying himself off as you do the same

sitting in the grass you watch majority of the guys play football, kevin and jacob walk up next to you as you invite them to sit down “ im finally meeting the girl eric won’t ever shut up about” kevin says looking to you

“ really he talks about me?” you ask

“ literally all the time” jacob responds

it goes quiet for a moment before kevin speaks again “ the two of you have chemistry you know?” he says. “ yeah we all could sense it the moment you got here” jacob adds

you sigh “ yeah that’s how it is with eric and i, no matter how long we go without talking to each other the moment we’re together we act as if we’re magnets constantly gravitating towards one another”

“ i haven’t seen eric this happy in a while” jacob states

“ yeah i’ve never seen him so in love” kevin says

“ you think he’s still in love with me?” you ask

“ oh we know he’s still in love with you” they both reassure you

“ i never stopped loving him you know, i did everything to avoid him, to stop thinking about him and look where it led me” you laugh looking over at eric who was running with the football in his hands

“ i think you should tell him that, he’s been beating himself up a lot about still being hooked on you all these years later” jacob says quickly stopping the conversation as eric approaches you

he sits down next to you pulling you into a hug “ ew eric get off of me your all sweaty” you yell pushing him off of you as he laughs hysterically, kevin and jacob smile at the sight of you both as you get up running away from eric as he tries to wipe his sweat on you. eventually capturing you in his arms eric throws you over his shoulder as you kick and scream pleading him to let you down

you are now all in front of the big tv everyone spread across the living room watching a horror movie, eric laid behind you on the couch as his arms wrapped around your waist, legs tangled together, at this point everyone had caught on that you and eric weren’t just “friends” miles smiles at the two of you cuddled on the couch. throughout the movie you and eric scream every so often hugging eachother tightly, everyone laughing at how scared you two are. as the move comes to an end eric moves closer to your face “ spend the night” eric whispers into your ear, “ okay” you say turning around placing a soft kiss to his lips

everyone except eric says goodbye to you and miles before leaving to go back to their hotel “ you ready to head out” miles asks you, you look at him before speaking “ um actually i think im gonna spend the night here with eric” you say to him, he lets out a big sigh before speaking again “ you know what’s going to happen if you do that right?” he asks as you nod your head yes

“ are you okay with having sex with him and then being thousands of miles away from each other again when he leaves, look i’m not going to tell you what to do with your life but this is exactly what happened last time” miles says

“ i don’t know what to tell you miles, im in love with him, im going to have alot more regret if i don’t spend every minute that i can with him before he leaves” you tell him. he pulls you into a hug “ you know i just care about you” he says before walking over to say his goodbyes to eric

“ i need to shower i feel gross” you say as he laughs bringing you up to his room, you and eric both shower together, it wasn’t in a sexual way but more of a romantic moment between to two of you, his hands roam your body as he washes your hair giving you kisses here and there as you do the same to him

as the two of you get out and dry off you feel eric’s naked body hug you from behind, his hard cock poking your back while he kisses your neck as you watch him in the mirror, feeling the warmth between your legs you can tell you’re getting wet for him “ i need you” you moan

that was all he needed to hear before picking you up and throwing you on the bed, leaning over you he hooks his mouth to one of your boobs while playing with the other, leaving open mouth kisses to your body, you trace his abs as you look into his eyes letting him know that you’re growing impatient, eric chuckles before kissing your lips, after spreading your legs eric drags his tip over your clit a few times causing you to whimper before lining his cock up with you as he slowly sides himself into your hole

“ oh my god eric” you choke out, as he stays still for a moment letting you get used to his size “ you’re so tight love” he says before slowly thrusting into you “ faster” you moan clawing at his back, eric brings one hand up to your neck while the other one grips your waist as he rams himself into you“ fuck baby you’re so wet for me” he grunts

turning you over leaving you on all fours arching your back for him, he grabs a handful of your hair before ramming into you once again causing you to scream when he hits your g spot “ you’re taking me so well babygirl, i’m so proud of you” he says as grab onto the sheets tears streaming down your face“ i’m coming” you moan as you squeeze around him, your hips shake repeatedly hinting that you had finished, “ good girl” he says flipping you around again once again placing your legs in his shoulders as he chases his own high, squeezing around him once again his thrusts become sloppy and rushed as he whimpers “ shit i’m coming” he says looking to you “ oh fuckkkk” he says moaning as you feel warm strings of him cum shoot into you, he stays inside of you as he wipes away your tears giving you multiple pecks on the lips “ you did so well for me baby, made me feel so good” he says pulling out of you watching his cum leak from your pussy as he used his fingers to push it back in causing moans to slip out form your mouth

the two of you weren’t even close to being done for the night, you went multiple rounds from having you on top riding him to him eating you out and then fucking you in front of the bathroom mirror, you both went at it, making up for lost time

the last round however was different, seeing you so fucked out made eric want to do nothing but be gentle with you, he layed you down on your stomach as he laid on top of you slowly thrusting into your pussy as he played with your hair, kissing on your shoulders “ as much as i love fucking you until you can’t walk nothing will ever beat making love to you” he whispers in your ear as you arch your back a little bit still lying down, his hands roam your body as he praises you “ you’re the most beautiful girl i’ve ever laid my eyes on” he carefully turns you over to look at your face

you wrap your legs around his torso as your hands play with his hair slowly and gently moving his length in and out of you“ i love you so much y/n” he says caressing your cheek, you look up at him “ i love you too eric” you say as he leans in to kiss you gently

after he came in you for the last time he cleaned you up putting the covers over your body before getting in bed with you, scooping you up into his arms he places a kiss on your forehead while gently rubbing your back “ eric?” you mumble into his chest “ yes sweet girl?”

“ did you mean what you said earlier about loving me” you ask looking up at him, he smiled before kissing your lips “ of course i did, i’ve loved you since i first laid my eyes on you, and i never stopped” he said raking his hands through your hair, you smile at his answer “ good because i never stopped loving you either”

a silence washed over the both of you until you spoke again “ eric?” you ask once more he chuckles at you “ yes sweet girl” repeats himself you stop and think about the question you’re going to ask “ is this the last time we’re going to see each other” your voice begins to tremble as your tears begin to fall onto his naked chest

“ oh sweetheart come here” he says pulling you up more so that your head in is in the crook of his neck as he rubs your back, “ look at me” he says as you sit up, eric places both of his hands on your cheeks wiping away your tears

“ i promise to do everything in my power to make sure that we see eachother a lot more often” he says before pulling you back into his chest as you begin to cry harder, “ i just never want to repeat what happened last time” you say trying to calm yourself down “ it won’t i’ll make sure of it” he says

“ im so sorry i stopped answering your calls and your messages, i just felt like i was holding you back on so many levels,i never wanted you to hold you back from finding love with someone who would be there for you way more than i could’ve” eric feels his eyes build up with tears, trying his best to hold them back, but he couldn’t causing him to break down, you lift your head up off of his chest when you feel eric’s body shake with his sobs

“ oh my god eric” you coo, the sight of the boy you had known since you were fourteen breaking down in front of you made you sob again along with him

eric had always been an emotional person, but around you he never showed that side of himself, for all the years of knowing you he was always the one wiping your tears not the other way around

you sit up placing his head to your chest letting him sob in the crook of your neck this this time. “ i don’t want to lose you again, i don’t think i can handle it this time” he says in between sobs. “ you won’t lose me eric i promise, if i start taking online courses for school i can visit you all the time and once i get my degree we can talk about me moving to korea” his head shoots up off of your chest “ y/n i cant ask you to leave everything and everyone you love behind just for me” he says, you shush him “ you’re not asking, i’m offering, eric i would move anywhere if it meant i get to be with you”

“ you would do that for me, leave everything you’ve ever know behind, move somewhere completely different on the other side of the world.. just for me” he asks. you chuckle at him before kissing his lips that taste like salt due to his tears

“ i would do it in a heartbeat” you say. as the two of you calmed down you lay back on his chest staring at the ceiling “ have you ever thought about our future together, like getting married and having kids” you ask looking to him, he looks down at you “ i think about it a lot actually, i think about how i would propose and what our wedding would be like, how beautiful you would look walking down the isle in your white dress, i think about how sexy you would be with the baby i put in your belly, how hot you would look waddling around pregnant with our child, you would make a hot mom by the way” he laughs

“ how about you? do you think about our future?” he asks raising his eyebrow “all the time, i think about marrying you a lot more than id like to admit, i think about having kids with you, i even think about you doing the sexy dad walk out of the hospital with our baby” you laugh

“ i promise one day we’ll get to experience all of that together”eric says before placing another kiss to your lips, he pauses before opening his mouth again to speak

“will you be my girlfriend again, this time for good” eric asks

“of course my love, i would love nothing more” you reply giving him one last kiss

“ goodnight i love you so much y/n”

“ goodnight eric i love you more”

you went to sleep peacefully that night, even though eric was leaving the next morning you felt content with his departure for the first time, you felt really confident in your relationship this time around, you knew you both were serious about doing anything and everything to be together as much as you could

you would have never believed that the boy you met in your middle school biology class would end up being the one you plan on sharing the rest of your life with, but here you are all these years later, that boy is now a man laying in your arms after a long night of making love to each other, your naked bodies tangled together as he lets out small snores, holding each other close promising to never let go again

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i know i usually only write for nct but recently eric has been on my mind a lot so i needed to write for him hehe, i hoped you enjoyed <3

[a-killer-obsession]

Shared Smiles [Heat x Reader]

🔞 MINORS DNI 🔞

Despite being forced on board against your will, you find yourself connecting with a commander, and finding solace in your shared traumas.

CW: wounds, off-screen amputation, loss of limb, comfort, trauma, mentions of mutilation, fingering, p in v sex, afab reader

WC: ~6k

Masterlist || AO3

The chains holding you creaked slightly as you swung back and forth, blood running down over your face and dripping to the floor below you as you hung upside down. Your ankles were bound together in metal cuffs, your hands tied to your torso with chains, and your body bare save for your panties and the many fresh wounds that littered your body. Two Supernovas of the Worst Generation stood in front of you, Eustass ‘Captain’ Kid and his first mate, Massacre Soldier Killer. The captain pressed his boot against your face again, letting back off and making your body swing, the ankle cuffs digging into your skin at the added pressure the movement created.

“Last chance,” the redheaded captain gloated, kneeling and grabbing a handful of your hair to force you to look at him. You could barely keep eye contact, not out of fear but, because you'd been upside down for so long that you were nearly unconscious. “I don't usually give out mercies like this, but your skills are useful to me, and my girls enjoyed your company before you fucked up”

Said fuck up was simply rejecting the large man of his sexual advances. You'd met some of his crew, a couple of girls named Hip, Hop, Quincy, Emma and Dive, at a bar nearby. You'd seen a lot on your travels as a for-hire mercenary, but female pirates were not common on the Grandline. They'd made you laugh, a rarity for you, and hadn't judged your unusual mask that hid your mouth and the end of your nose. Of course they hadn't, they were used to a first mate who covered the entirety of his face in white and blue stripes. They didn't even ask questions about it, which was a breath of fresh air for you, only commenting on how cool the sculpting that decorated it was - a relief of a open lion's jaw, with large, sharp teeth and a lolling tongue, trimmed by a nose and cheeks curled mid roar. The whole mask gave you the appearance of having a lion's snout, and along with the clawed gloves you wore during combat, was the guiding force for the moniker the marines had given you: ‘The Lioness, [Y/N]’.

Now, had your rejection perhaps been a little harsh? Maybe, by normal standards. A large, attractive man with such infamy as him was probably not rejected often, let alone with such sass. You knew you had a knack for being too brutally truthful, never filtering your words or pulling your verbal punches. It'd gotten you in trouble on more than one occasion, but you were a talented fighter, fast and agile, you didn't usually get caught in situations like this. When the Massacre Soldier snuck up on you in the alley outside though, you found you were no match for him, he had such a high bounty for a reason.

“How bout it little kitty?” Kid purred in faux sweetness, bringing you back to reality, blinking as you fought the pull of unconsciousness. “You can join my crew, or you can stay here and get tortured till you die. This is the last time I'll ask”

Did you want to be a pirate? No, you liked running solo, you liked having the freedom to go wherever you wanted and take whatever jobs were convenient. Having your life dictated by someone else was the last thing you wanted, and being around the same people every day would make it hard to avoid forming attachments. You had sworn to never get close to others again, after your last relationship resulted in the unforgivable reason you wore the mask. Making friends you'd never see again in bars was one thing, but you weren't looking for long term relationships, platonic or not. On the other hand, you liked being alive. You would not let a man be your death, not after everything you'd been through.

“Fine,” you spat. The single word was a struggle to push out, your head felt like it was in a vice and the rest of your body was going numb as a new droplet of blood rolled down your face and caught in your eyelashes.

“Wise choice,” the first mate noted from behind his unreadable mask. “One of our commanders is gonna love that pretty little smile of yours”

“Bite me,” you spat back, voice laced with venom.

“Tell the girls to clean her up and get her settled,” Kid addressed the first mate as he used his devil fruit to release your bindings, dropping you to the hard floor unceremoniously. He threw your mask at you, bouncing with an audible clunk off your already sore head, and you grabbed it greedily. Killer watched you with empathy as you desperately covered your mouth back up, he knew that feeling well and felt like an asshole for knowing what you hid underneath. You shot daggers up at him as the mask was settled in its rightful place, the room brightening for a moment as the door opened for the captain to leave before returning to its barely lit state.

As the months passed, you found yourself feeling surprisingly comfortable amongst the Kid Pirates. It'd taken you a while to heal and stop being so jumpy, but it came as no surprise to learn you were not the only crew member who had been hired via torture after pissing the short-fused captain off, and they all thought it was hilarious in retrospect. You hoped one day you'd find it funny too, but for now you still had aches from where new scars pulled taut on your skin as you moved. You found yourself at home among the other girls, and learned that Kid protected them with fierce loyalty. You had expected to have to reject more advances from him, but as it turned out, he treated the girls on his crew like sisters, and after months of getting past the violent way you were brought on the ship, you found yourself able to laugh in his presence. You never expected to enjoy the life of a pirate, but in truth it was nice to not have to fight for everything and take care of yourself, it was soothing to know someone had your back if you got into trouble. The girls had been diligent in tending to your wounds and nursing you back to health, and you'd gotten to know them well over the last few months. At first you thought about running every chance you got, but now you felt a pang of guilt whenever you thought of leaving the women you'd come to call friends, and ultimately pushed away the idea of leaving all together.

Much like the first mate though, you never removed your mask in front of the others. They'd allowed you to put up a curtain around your cot so you could sleep without it in privacy, you ate your meals in solitude sitting on the figurehead skull of the ship, and thankfully the showers were built as separate cubicles with doors. Nobody asked why you wore the mask, they respected your privacy the same way they respected Killer's, to ask what lay underneath would be a disrespect against both of you. As for the two that had seen, Kid and Killer kept your secret, even from the other commanders. Their word was gospel, so nobody pried, and it helped to make you feel safe here. You hadn't gone this long without someone asking about what the mask hid for months, the only questions you ever got from the crew were in regard to the mask itself. How was it made? Why a lion? Where did you get it? Is it annoying to wear? Curiosities that you couldn't fault, but always asked in a respectful manner.

This evening, like many other evenings, you found yourself drinking with the crew. It was a crew of around thirty, and although there were a few members held higher than the rest - the captain, first mate, and four commanders - it was clear the whole crew were friends, and there was no divide when they drank. You found yourself sitting next to Heat, a quiet, tall man with an almost grey skin tone, thick blue hair that fell in waves, and an almost perpetually sad expression. He was sweet, and easy to be around, and you often found yourself seeking his company. He didn't pry about your past as long as you didn't ask about his, and he was okay with a comfortable silence, making him one of your favourite people to spend time with, along with his best friend Wire, another commander who was similar in personality, though a lot more stoic, an a significant amount taller. Heat looked tough, but on a more personal level seemed far too soft to be a pirate. He didn't have a devil fruit, but he could breathe fire, and his long thorn-like tattoos fascinated you. He was an interesting man, someone you could see yourself opening up to in the past, if you hadn't sworn to close your heart from all men after the betrayal you experienced with the last one.

For obvious reasons, you didn't actually drink around the others, you just took part in the conversations. Unlike the Massacre Soldier, who could thread a straw through the holes in his mask, your mask was one solid form, the only holes being a mesh for ventilation hidden under the top row of sharp teeth, and the holes in the lion's nose where there the anatomy dictated, again so you could actually breathe. You enjoyed the company none-the-less though, and you'd never been one for drinking before the mask anyway so it was no loss. You didn't like the way alcohol made you feel, you preferred to keep your wits about you. That was another thing you enjoyed about Heat, he was your comrade in sober arms, also preferring not to drink. Apparently last time he got drunk he accidentally set fire to a bar, so he chose to stay sober for everyone's safety.

You laughed wholeheartedly as Quincy fell victim to a well planned truth or dare, admitting she'd had a raunchy sex dream about another crewmate, Bubblegum, the crew erupting in laughter as the two of them flushed bright red. The laughter died down and it was Quincy's turn to ask a question to the next victim, and your breath caught as you thought she was going to pick you, only to move one more over and pick Heat. You let out a sigh of relief.

“Truth or dare Heatie!” She coughed out, trying to quickly divert the crew's attention.

“Truth,” he replied calmly.

“Okay, mmmm,” she pressed a index finger to her mouth as she thought, “tell us who you have a crush on!”

A few of the crew went “ooooooh” as Heat turned bright red, and Kid sat up, his attention piqued.

“Look how red he is!” Kid barked, “there's definitely someone!”

“Tell us! Tell us!” Someone called out.

“It's… it's…[y/n]” he finally stuttered out, finally breaking, curling in on himself and trying to hide his flushed face from you. Your own face went pink at the admission, you hadn't expected it at all and there were butterflies in your chest. Heat quickly picked the next victim to move the attention, and you quietly excused yourself from the gathering.

“I didn't mean to offend you,” Heat said softly as he approached where you sat on the figurehead skull, facing the ocean. You quickly wiped your tears and sniffed, replacing your mask which you'd removed to keep it dry from your crying. “Were you crying? [Y/n] I'm so sorry, please forget I said anything, it's just a dumb game”

“It's not that, Heat,” you sniffed, “it just… brought up some not very nice memories is all. It's not your fault”

“Oh, well I'm sorry anyway,” he shifted awkwardly on his feet, “do you want to talk about it?”

“The last man I was with was not kind,” you tried to explain, “he… decided I was no longer worth the trouble, and he did this,” you pointed at the mask.

“Can I… see?” He asked shyly.

You looked out to the ocean, thinking hard about whether you were ready for that, ready to let someone past that heavily guarded wall. If anyone would understand, it was him. In truth, you didn't want to carry this burden alone anymore, and you knew he was more than willing to carry it with you. You looked around the deck for spying eyes, and seeing no other life you gave him a small nod and patted the figurehead next to you, inviting him to come sit. He climbed up and sat beside you, cross legged and patient. You sighed nervously as you unlatched the mask with shaky hands, turning to him anxiously.

“Oh,” he said softly.

Staring back at him, stretching from the corners of your mouth to the apex of your jaw, were the jagged scars of a Glasgow smile, just like his own. His heart stung when he saw it, he knew the pain you'd been through, physical and emotional, and the way you no doubt feel every time you look in the mirror. You turned away from him again, replacing the mask and looking back out to the ocean.

“Did you kill him?” He asked, shuffling a little closer so your shoulders touched, staring out to the sea with you.

“Yes,” you replied flatly.

“Good,” he huffed. “How long ago did it happen, if you don't mind me asking”

“Three years,” you idly picked at the cuticles on your fingers.

“The dysphoria will pass, in time,” he assured you, then pointed at his own scars, “rival gang, eight years ago. I wore a scarf over the scars for five years before I finally got comfortable with my own reflection. It'll pass, and nobody here will judge you when it finally does”

You nodded quietly and rested your head on his shoulder, and the two of you sat in comfortable silence till you started to fall asleep and decided to head to bed.

“MOVE, GET OUT OF THE WAY!” Heat shouted at the other crewmates that had crowded around your fallen form.

In a blink of an eye, everything had gone so very wrong. The crew had been raiding a marine base, rampaging through it as they always did, cutting down marines left and right. Nobody could have known the building you were fighting next to was structurally unsound, closed off from use years ago, scheduled to be demolished before it could collapse on someone's head. One small shake of the ground from a nearby explosion and the whole outer wall crumbled, burying you in heavy cement faster than you had a chance to register what was happening. The crew had been quick to dig you out, working together to move the large slab of concrete that was crushing you. Heat took in your seemingly lifeless body with baited breath, the limbs on your right side twisted in unnatural positions, deep purple bruises already forming on any skin that was visible, blood running from your nose and ears.

Your body moved just a little, and suddenly you were screaming. Awaking in absolute agony, everything was on fire, you could barely think through the pain. Only one coherent word escaped you, a shrill, desperate scream of his name, before the world went black again. Thankful that you were unconscious again so you didn't have to feel your injuries, Heat carefully lifted you, holding you close to his chest as he carried you back to the ship, tears silently rolling down his cheeks and neck as he tried his best to keep it together for you, to get you somewhere safe and start the long, hard process of healing.

For five days you slept in the infirmary of the Victoria Punk, and for those five days Heat never left your side, sleeping in an old metal chair next to you, his head against your arm and your good hand held gently in his, praying to whatever god that would listen that you'd wake up. His back ached from sleeping upright, he had deep, dark bags under his eyes, and he smelt as bad as he looked, still covered in the grime and blood from the battle, refusing to leave your side for long enough to shower. You needed him here, he needed to be here when you woke up, because you had to wake up, and he fought tooth and nail against anyone who dared to try and drag him away.

When you finally awoke, you did so with a small whimper, unable to remember what had happened, or understand why half your limbs weren't reacting the way you wanted them to. Heat had been asleep next to you, but was quickly at attention, standing over you and making sure you knew he was here before you had time to question whether you were all alone.

“Shh, don't try to move,” he said softly, stopping you from sitting up too fast with a firm but gentle hand against your chest, “you got hurt real bad, but you're safe now, you're gonna be okay”

Your hand flew to your mouth, feeling for your mask, looking up at him with wide shocked eyes when you found it was missing.

“Shh, shh, it's okay,” he took your hand back in his and removed it from your face, “only the doc saw, nobody else except Kid and Killer have come in here, and they said they'd already seen”

Your breathing calmed down again as you accepted his assurances, squeezing his hand and trying to sit up again. You wanted, no, needed to know how bad the damage was, you needed to see for yourself. You felt heavy, no doubt from painkillers, but you could still tell something was very wrong, your right arm and leg still not responsive. Heat saw your efforts and sighed, he knew there was no keeping you from it any longer.

“I'm gonna help you sit up okay?” He slid his arm around your shoulders and held the other against your chest, “But I need you to not panic. Your injuries were life threatening, Emma did everything in her power but she couldn't save everything”

You tried your best to stay calm but you couldn't help but start to hyperventilate as he sat you up and pulled the blanket that covered you aside, finally seeing the damage for yourself. Your right arm was in a cast, from your armpit to your hand, set in a bend. Your pinky and ring finger were missing, only stubs of them remained. You were wearing nothing but your underwear, your entire torso wrapped in bandages, healing graze marks and yellowing bruises peeking out from wherever the wrapping didn't cover. But the worst of the injuries was your right leg. Or rather, lack thereof, because from your mid thigh down was just empty space where your leg should have been, a bandage wrapped tightly around the short nub that remained.

Heat held you tight to his chest as you took in the damage and started to sob, your tears soaking into his corset shirt and rehydrating some of the blood and dirt on his chest. You weren't sure how long you cried for, at some point he climbed up on the bed and sat behind you, rocking you back and forth and cooing reassurances in your ear until you were able to settle your breathing and your sobs turned to teary-eyed hiccups.

“It's gonna be okay,” Heat assured, his arms around your torso as he pressed a kiss to your dirty hair, “Kid is already working on a prosthetic for you, Emma said the amount she was able to save is plenty to learn to walk again with one, it's gonna be okay, I'm gonna be here the whole time”

You nodded as you let yourself rest back against him, the weight of your emotional burden too much to bare alone anymore, letting him support your exhausted body and keep you afloat.

A few days had passed and Emma, as the ship's doctor, had cleared you to leave the infirmary. You couldn't walk given you would need two working arms for crutches, and with your dominant arm out of action you struggled at even the most basic tasks, so Heat insisted you stay with him. He'd pulled a spare mattress from the henchmen's quarters and was sleeping on the floor with it, leaving the entire queen size bed for you. As a commander he had his own room and a small humble bathroom, nothing compared to the grand rooms Kid and Killer had, but it was private and it was comfortable, and it kept you from embarrassing yourself in the middle of the night whenever you needed to go to the bathroom. He'd even rearranged his room for you, and made Kid install metal railings, all you needed to do was hop a few supported steps to make it to the toilet. If you had to travel any further he didn't hesitate to carry you, he didn't even need to be asked, all you had to do was look at him and he was moving.

The first thing you needed after leaving the infirmary was a good wash. Emma had done her best with Heat's assistance to sponge bath what they could to keep your wounds clean of the blood and debris you'd been covered in when Heat had carried you in, but you really needed a soak to wipe away the thick layer of grime. You couldn't wash yourself though, you needed to keep your casted arm out of the water, which meant a shower was out of the question - not that you'd be able to stand in one - and with only one hand there was no way you were washing your hair on your own. Even with the one working arm, your chest and side were still aching from the deep bruising you'd received as a result of being crushed, you were lucky you hadn't broken any ribs, but every movement hurt badly.

Emma had offered to wash you, but you'd surprised yourself and Heat by asking him instead. Somehow you felt more comfortable with the idea of him seeing you naked. Not that you had anything against Emma, you just felt safest with Heat. He'd carried you wordlessly to his room, wrapped in the infirmary blanket, and sat you on the closed toilet seat in his bathroom while he ran the water. Emma had given you the all clear to remove your bandages, though the one on your amputated leg would need to be replaced afterwards, so you worked on removing them while you waited. When the water was ready he helped you to your… foot… and held you steady while you used your good arm to manoeuvre your underwear past your hips, letting it fall to the floor at your ankles and leaving you entirely naked in front of him except for your cast.

He lifted you gently and lowered you into the water, your good arm around his neck for support. Using the old bandages he fashioned a sort of sling hanging from the curtain railing to keep your other arm out of the water, so you wouldn't have to worry about holding it up yourself the whole time. He was so careful and methodical as he washed you, a light dusting of pink on his cheeks the whole time, unable to look you in the eye for shame of how much he enjoyed seeing your naked body, how much he enjoyed touching you, when such horrible circumstances had led to this.

He avoided your genitals, letting you wash them yourself, and you sighed as his strong fingers worked shampoo into your scalp, washing away thick layers of grime that a sponge bath couldn't touch. It was quiet and intimate, the only words shared being him asking consent and you granting it as he worked on the different parts of your body, wiping away the blood and dirt. You whimpered as the cloth ran over your stump, burying your face in his chest for moral support as he diligently cleaned the old blood from it, the conditioner in your hair transfering to his skin.

Finally finished, he discarded the cloth and held you close while he knelt next to the tub, and you couldn't help but cry more at the awful state of your body. He didn't question your need to cry, he just held you while you got it all out till you took a deep breath and pushed yourself away from him, nodding that you were ready to move on. He rinsed the conditioner from your hair and drained the tub, wrapping you in a soft towel as he picked you back up and carried you to the bed. He held you in his lap as he dried you with an extra towel, patting dry your hair and wiping the dewdrops from your limbs. He held you firm to his chest, your arm around his neck, your head tucked under his chin as you listened to his rhythmic breathing. It was enough to lull you to sleep, so he carefully slipped an old baggy t-shirt over you, trying his best to not wake you, and tucked you into his bed, leaving you to rest.

It'd been close to six weeks since the accident. Your arm cast had been removed a week ago, so you were now able to get around on your own using crutches, though the distance you could go before tiring was limited. Kid had built you a beautiful prosthetic leg, even going so far as adding a lion's clawed paw for the foot to match your mask, and Emma had given the go ahead for you to try using it in a few more days. For now, your stump remained covered in a compression sock, to promote healing and make sure it was ready for the prosthetic to be fitted. Kid had become an unlikely ally in this battle, having lost a limb himself he understood how you were feeling, and had helped you through more than one dark episode while you mourned the loss of your leg.

Mostly though, it was Heat that was there for you. You were still staying in his room, even though you assured him you could manage on your own. He insisted you would be more comfortable here, and try as you might he refused to share the large bed with you to at least alleviate a little of your guilt, telling you over and over that he was more than comfortable on his mattress, even though it was clear to everyone that his back was hurting and his eyes had heavy bags. You could hear him toss and turn at night, his quality of sleep significantly diminished because of his chivalrous sacrifice, but he'd give up anything to make you even slightly more comfortable. You had to admit though, having the privacy to sleep without your mask without fear of peeping toms was a luxury in itself. You didn't wear the mask in the bedroom, more than comfortable without it in front of Heat. He still helped you bathe, but it'd become significantly less awkward, now a time for conversation and laughter. You no longer had a cast to keep dry, and you really didn't need help anymore other than getting in and out of the tub, but neither of you had said anything about it, so he happily continued to help you, and you graciously accepted the help and his company. Subconsciously, neither of you wanted to let go of that time alone together, and you secretly enjoyed the feel of his hands wandering over your body, and the way he silently scanned your curves, a quiet hunger in his eyes that never left no matter how many times he saw you naked.

On this night, the ship was on route to a winter island, the long reaching weather system already chilling the air significantly as Heat helped you into bed. He stole a chaste kiss on the top of your hair, as he often did these days, before excusing himself to his mattress on the floor.

Hours passed, and he woke as he often did, sighing to himself and twisting his torso to crack his sore back. He strolled in his sweatpants to the bathroom to get a glass of water, thankful that his natural abilities kept him well heated, so he didn't feel the chill of the snowy weather outside. You, however, were not a fire breather, and were very much feeling the cold. You were shivering in your sleep, hunched in on yourself to try and conserve any heat from escaping but failing miserably. He felt a pang of guilt at your shaking form, and opened a cupboard to get you another blanket, only to discover you were already using the extra one. What was he to do? His own blanket was barely anything, more of a thin fabric to cover him for comfort than for warmth, it wouldn't make any difference to put it over you. Should he go find you another blanket? Where from? Maybe he could wake Wire and see if he had a spare? Everyone else on the ship felt the cold the same as you though, they were no doubt all using their blankets.

Stressed that you would fall ill, he pulled at his hair, trying to find a solution, till a small whimper escaped you and the solution was abundantly clear. He lifted the blankets and slid in beside you, wrapping himself around your body, covering as much of your icy frame as he could with his hot skin. Your shivering quickly stopped, and a small smile formed on your face as you settled into a deeper sleep. He let go a sigh of relief and shuffled till he was comfortable, laying so close that his head was on the same pillow as yours. It felt like a violation of your personal space, but he couldn't bare to watch you shiver anymore, and he felt butterflies at being able to hold you so close in what was really his bed, even if it mostly smelt like you these days, not that he had complaints.

You were so warm when you woke up, wrapped in what felt like an army of hot water bottles, your skin sticky with sweat but you were too comfy to care. It took you an embarrassing long time to realise you weren't alone, a soft breath rustling your hair gently in a rhythmic pattern that matched the movement of the warm form next to you. Your eyes traced the thorn like tattoos that ran up and down the arm that was draped over you, a thick, muscular thigh trapped between yours, a pillow of pale blue hair intermingled with your own. You had wrapped yourself around him like a koala on a tree, seeking out his warmth in the night and clinging to it so it couldn't escape. You tilted your head up, your face now millimetres from his, inspecting fondly the scars on his face that matched your own. The dark eyeliner he liked to wear under his eyes was smudged, always too lazy to remove it before he slept, and his chin was covered in a fine layer of blue stubble. You blushed at how handsome he was, and how close said handsome face was to yours, his strong arms wrapped around you like he was just as unwilling to let go as you were.

His eyes fluttered open, his dark irises immediately focusing on you and his pupils blown wide in surprise as he realised the position he was in. He tried to pull away, an apology on the tip of his tongue, but you pulled him back to you, pressing your lips to his on instinct, in a desperate plea for him to stay. For a moment he didn't move, frozen in fear that this wasn't real, that you hadn't really kissed him, till he finally accepted the reality and kissed you back. His kiss was tender, full of devotion and longing, and you made a small moan as his tongue ran over your bottom lip and his hand wove into your hair. You opened your lips for him and his tongue dove inside, rutting against yours with his own quiet moan as you held him tight, pulling lightly on his hair to wordlessly beg for more.

He rolled you on to your back, pressing his thigh further up between your legs, and you whimpered into his mouth as you tried to roll your hips to rub against him, desperate for friction but unable to get it with your stupid useless stump. Understanding your frustration he ran his hand quickly down your front, threading it under the waistband of your pyjamas and your panties to slide between your wet folds. He pressed a thumb to your clit, circling it as his index finger toyed with your entrance, before sliding in and pumping you with slow, shallow movements that made you cry out. You hadn't realised how badly you needed him, how much you needed him inside you, filling you and sharing your breaths. He pulled away from the kiss and you could see your own feelings reflected in his eyes, all that longing and need and love. Love you didn't think was possible for you to even feel again, but it was there, without a doubt, and you knew he felt it too.

He watched your face carefully as he slid a second finger inside you, then a third, his pace quickening as your walls fluttered around his digits, his clothed erection rutting against the thigh of your good leg in his own desperate need for friction. He wanted to he inside you so badly, he wanted to feel your hot wet walls take him in and see your face contort as you came on his cock, the thought alone was almost enough to make him cum as he groaned and kissed you with fervour. He swallowed your moans as you clamped down on his fingers, your back arching off the bed as you came hard, shuddering underneath him.

As soon as your high had settled, you were sitting up and trying your best to claw away at his pants. You wanted him inside you so fucking bad, you'd already cum once but you ached with need. He pushed down his pants, his cock springing to attention, red and swollen with equal need, precum leaking from the tip. You eyed him hungrily, he was thick and longer than average, a set of three piercings running up the underside, you wanted to know how they would feel inside you. He helped you pull off your own clothes before settling between your legs, his tip prodding at your entrance but not yet inside, much to your frustration.

“Are you sure?” He asked nervously. You pulled him down by his neck and kissed him, forcing your tongue in his mouth before biting his bottom lip, pulling a groan from him.

“Please, Heat,” you begged, “I need you inside me, please”

He returned his lips to yours as he slid inside you, stretching you out, till the need to breathe was too much and you broke the kiss to pant, holding his shoulders tight as he sheathed himself inside you. You let out a stuttered moan, your breathing haggard as you rolled your hips to try and get him to move. He pumped you deep and agonisingly slow, just enjoying the pull of your walls on his length, till you wrapped your good leg around him and pressed your heel against his ass, moaning and clawing at his back as his pace finally picked up. He buried his face in your shoulder as he fucked you hard and fast, holding the headboard above you for support while his other hand held your hip tight, his fingers leaving bruises in your skin. You cried out a flurry of curses, mixed with his name and a string of yes yes yes as he groaned and panted in your ear, whispering sweet nothings and praising you for how well you were taking him.

His movements became erratic as you started to tighten around him again, your fingernails sinking into the skin on his back as you screamed his name and came hard, clamping around his cock and pulling him forcefully with you. His thrusts stuttered and stilled as he unloaded inside you, his hot thick load dripping out of you for lack of space as he shook and groaned. He collapsed to your side, pulling you with him, his softening cock still buried inside you as he held you to his chest. You draped your leg over his hip, kissing him softly, slowly, your tongues pressing together with more careful and tender movements, no longer driven by the carnal need for him to be inside you. You were full and content, comfortable despite his cock still buried in you, you felt like you could stay connected like this forever. He made you feel safe, and beautiful, despite your scars and mutilated body, as he pressed loving kisses over your Glasgow smile, and you returned the favour with kisses traced along his.

[everythingbap]

📰 ViewoftheArts: Bang Yongguk: A Fiery Return to the London Stage – Concert Review A/N: posted on 241031

ang Yongguk moves like a flame, his aura alive with passion and purpose. Every time he steps on stage, even with songs like I Remember [yes, yes that’s one of my favourite songs] from 2011, he breathes new life into his music, each note more powerful than the last. To witness his journey from a young, determined teenager to the man he has become is like watching a river carve its path through stone – steady, uncompromising, and beautiful. Seeing his career evolve fills me with a deep sense of pride as his artistry truly reflects the passion and soul he invests in everything he does.

Yongguk has found a kindred spirit in Europe, particularly in the heart of London, where music flows like the River Thames. Camden has become a cherished destination for his performances, filled with the sounds of jazz, rock, and the beats of hip-hop and K-pop. It’s an ideal setting for an artist like Yongguk, who loves experimenting with various genres.Bang Yongguk at Dingwalls / Image © Maggie Zhu for View of the Arts

Our first encounter with Yongguk as a solo artist was in 2019 at the Underworld, a venue steeped in history and artistry. Fast forward to 2023, and we were thrilled to experience him again, this time at Dingwalls. As fate would have it, we found ourselves returning to Dingwalls once more. This venue, with its intimate atmosphere and rich musical legacy, is a perfect stage for talents like Yongguk, who have the power to satisfy even the most demanding concertgoers.

Let’s not forget, Dingwalls saw its fair share of legends pass through its doors, from the iconic Oasis and Blur to the legendary The Ramones, Coldplay, and the one and only Foo Fighters. It is a sanctuary of sound that hosts the best of the best, and on October 20th, we witnessed Yongguk’s magic once again. 

It all began with DJ’s intense set – and   I truly mean intense! He undeniably set the house on fire even before Yongguk appeared on stage. And when Yongguk did, he brought even more heat with his superb performance.

Yongguk delivered a dynamic mix of old and new tracks, kicking off his set with the 2022 single RACE. Dressed in his signature black and sporting a fresh hairstyle, he “injected” the song with such explosive energy that the entire room was ready to go wild. Together with his DJ, he flared up the stage from the first beat, and no matter how he entered, once he was on stage, he simply owned it. 

Yongguk’s first full-length self-titled album, BANGYONGGUK, is one of a kind, so there was no surprise that the artist decided to include Xie Xie in the setlist too. During his first MENT, he addressed his fans with sincere energy: “What’s up everyone, I’m Bang Yongguk. I’m finally back in London – I’ve really missed you. It feels incredible to be here with all of you again. Thank you, always, for standing by my side.”Bang Yongguk at Dingwalls / Image © Maggie Zhu for View of the Arts

Ride or Die from Yongguk’s mini-album The Colors of Love, released last year, was, and still is, a great hip-hop track that displays both his singing and rapping. And as the red stage lights washed over the crowd, everyone felt like part of the experience. His fans, loyal as ever, became an essential part of the performance.

Yongguk also performed tracks like IXLU and NUMB from his 2024 release EP 3 as well as Off from the 2022 EP 2. Once again, the lighting worked in his favour, perfectly complementing the mood of each song allowing him to deliver a performance that was both powerful and emotionally impactful.

In his next MENT, he expressed his appreciation towards his fans once more and fondly mentioned his former B.A.P members, sharing his hope to one day perform together with them in London.  

I Remember, one of his earliest solo projects, hit differently. Released in 2011, this track, featuring Yang Yo-seob, took me on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, filled with unfiltered lyrics and energy. Even in this early solo release, Yongguk demonstrated that his lyricism has always been a central part of his artistry.

Yongguk also included HIKIKOMORI + AM 4:44, Up, UFO, YAMAZAKI, and BUSS IT DOWN in his setlist – and what a powerful performance it was! Then came MOVIMIENTO from his EP 3, where he fully embraced the dancefloor – the stage – powered by a club beat driving every moment of the track. 

If you thought that was the full set, you’d be mistaken. Yongguk gave the audience even more, performing five additional songs, including BAD and Green, before closing the night with Ride or Die, MOVIMIENTO, and Orange Drive. With each track, he painted an intimate portrait of his journey – at times raw and rebellious, at times reflective and nostalgic. It must also be pointed out that Yongguk’s artistic range is impressive, making him one of the most exciting artists of his generation. The energy was superb, leaving us all longing for his triumphant return to London!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Written by Maggie Gogler

Featured image © Maggie Zhu for View of the Arts

View of the Arts is an online publication that chiefly deals with films, music, and art, with an emphasis on the Asian entertainment industry. We are hoping our audience will grow with us as we begin to explore new platforms such as K-pop / K-music, and Asian music in general, and continue to dive into the talented and ever-growing scene of film, music, and arts, worldwide.

[shineemoon]

SHINee ✨ Femina India Interview FULL Interview → HERE

You’ve always been completely ahead of the curve when it comes to genre, often blending several sonic elements in one album. In this album, for instance, you have wobbly drum and bass and soulful vocals on The Feeling, a really fresh take on the clear drum breaks of ’90s hip-hop on HARD, and dance-pop on Identity. Yet, you can tell a SHINee track from a mile away. How do you connect so many diverse sounds to the SHINee colour, and what – in the first place – would you say is SHINee’s colour? KEY: Rather than defining SHINee with one colour, I believe SHINee’s colour consists of all the colours each one of our fans sees us as. MINHO: SHINee is quite an interesting team because we have the ability to make any song into SHINee’s own colours. It’s our biggest weapon. We’ve built up this skill since our first album, and it only strengthened as we tried out various genres and concepts. Now, all our members know how to make any track SHINee-like. TAEMIN: SHINee’s colour is a combination of the various music styles we’ve experimented with. Without being limited to a specific genre, we capture several different colours and find SHINee’s own way of uniting everything into one.

SHINee has a way of tapping into a collective sense of nostalgia – whether we go back to View, Married To The Music, or 1 of 1 even. Yet, you somehow manage doing this in a future-forward way with both your look and sound. How do you access and communicate a wide spectrum of emotions for people across borders and gender? KEY: Songs and melodies are very effective in expressing emotions and conveying messages to different people and genders. Though the lyrics might be interpreted differently depending on one’s culture, I believe a melody has a relatable power for everyone. MINHO: We try to convey emotions directly instead of hiding them. One of those characteristics is being upfront about how one feels and not hiding one’s emotions. TAEMIN: Even if we do not speak the same language, it’s the energy we’ve poured into this album that makes it possible for us to connect and communicate with those who listen to it.

Often, when you’re with a group of people who end up knowing you inside out, it helps you to see yourself more clearly. How would you say the close bond that exists between all of you has affected or changed you? TAEMIN: I was able to learn a lot from my (fellow band) members since they are all very talented. The bond we’ve formed through our time and experiences together is such a valuable gift to me.

How does the future look? KEY: SHINee will always remain the same. MINHO: The future will always be SHINee. TAEMIN: I’d like to live a happier life by giving back to our fans with good music and maintaining the precious relationships we have together. And I hope to perform overseas more often.

[thepopcultureramble]

K.Dot Reigns Supreme

Alright, so let’s talk about the boogeyman.

Kendrick Lamar's responses were paramount to the 2024 rap feud that practically had the entire internet hitting replay on his Like That verse. This wasn’t just a typical rap beef; it became a statement on artistry, authenticity, and the distinct paths these two rap giants have taken in their careers. Here’s a breakdown of how this beef escalated into a full-blown saga and why Kendrick ended up with the final victory lap, Grammy nominations included.

Round 1: The “Like That” Shockwave

This all started when Kendrick appeared on Like That, a track on Future and Metro Boomin’s album We Don’t Trust You. Kendrick’s verse was classic, chest-out Kendrick, calling out the “pop” sensibilities of Drake and even taking a jab at J. Cole. He didn’t mince words, throwing lines that questioned Drake’s authenticity and his pursuit of superstardom over artistry. This set the internet on fire, with fans picking apart every line, speculating about Kendrick’s intentions, and unanimously agreeing he delivered one of the year’s hardest-hitting verses​

Drake’s First Response: “Push Ups”

Drake, never one to let a diss slide, fired back with Push Ups, which leaked online. The track was loud, catchy, and aimed directly at Kendrick’s commitment to “keeping it real.” But where Kendrick’s verse felt raw, Drake’s response, filled with energy but short on substance, felt like it was leaning too heavily on production. He even brought out AI-generated vocals of Tupac in a follow-up track, Taylor Made Freestyle, which drew backlash and left some questioning Drake’s creativity. AI Tupac was a bold, if somewhat desperate, move​

Kendrick Strikes Back: “6:16 in LA” and “Euphoria”

Kendrick returned fire with 6:16 in LA and Euphoria, each song dropping a fresh layer of introspection mixed with his signature critiques of modern hip-hop. On 6:16 in LA, Kendrick dug into the LA scene and his struggles, contrasting his life journey with Drake’s commercial path. In Euphoria, he softened the tone, showcasing his artistic side and reaffirming that for him, this was more than just a back-and-forth; it was a reminder that hip-hop at its core was art, not just business.

Drake’s response? Not as strong. While Taylor Made Freestyle created waves, it didn’t make the kind of impact Kendrick’s tracks did. By this point, fans were calling it: Kendrick wasn’t just competing—he was setting a new standard.

“Meet The Grahams” and “Not Like Us” – Kendrick’s Grand Finale

Kendrick released Meet The Grahams, directly addressing Drake’s family ties and hinting at the disconnect between public persona and personal reality. It was a move that hit hard, showing Kendrick wasn’t afraid to get personal but did so with finesse. Then, in Not Like Us, he laid down his final argument, emphasizing the differences in their artistry, where Kendrick’s work was meant to be dissected and remembered, and Drake’s, he argued, was made to be consumed and forgotten.

By the time Kendrick’s songs started getting Grammy buzz (and eventual nominations), while Drake’s responses got snubbed, it was clear: Kendrick had won. This wasn’t just about who had the best verse; it was about who captured the soul of hip-hop​

The Character Difference: Why Kendrick Came Out on Top

Let’s face it, Drake’s no stranger to beef—he’s clashed with Meek Mill, Pusha T, and others. But this feud with Kendrick brought something new: a contrast between two artists with radically different goals. Kendrick has always been about the craft, pushing boundaries lyrically and stylistically. Drake, while talented, has often pursued mainstream appeal and pop success.

Kendrick’s approach is what makes him “the people’s champ.” He doesn’t do interviews about his every move, doesn’t drop a new product every week—he lets his music speak. Drake, on the other hand, came across as more concerned with maintaining his status and putting out hits. Kendrick’s ability to stay above the noise and focus on his message ended up resonating more deeply.

Grammy Nominations: The Icing on the Cake

Today’s Grammy nominations solidified Kendrick’s win. Like That and Not Like Us both received nods, showcasing that even the industry recognized Kendrick’s mastery. Meanwhile, Drake’s tracks were nowhere to be seen, a signal that his AI-assisted attempts and rapid-fire releases didn’t connect as intended. Kendrick’s Grammy nods aren’t just about one-upping Drake—they’re a testament to his artistic approach that values longevity, impact, and a sense of purpose that outshines the temporary appeal of chart-topping hits​

Final Thoughts?

This beef, in all its layers, wasn’t just about who could out-rap whom. It was about what each artist stands for. Kendrick reminded us of the essence of hip-hop, the kind of artistry that transcends trends and accolades. While Drake’s contributions to music are undeniable, Kendrick’s journey through this beef proved why he’s the GOAT or at the very least, top three, not just as a rapper but as a true artist who doesn’t need validation to solidify his place.

This has been a ramble by,

The Pop Culture Ramble

[ultrakdramamama]

To size up the impact South Korean superstars SHINee have had on music is a difficult task. With a panorama that spans both K-pop and the world’s stage, the band’s dominance has grown exponentially since their debut 15 years ago. With their latest album, it’s also clear that SHINee’s future could only get even brighter. 

When someone goes around muttering, “Hard like a criminal, hard like the beat” under their breath for about two months straight, it’s bound to attract a few stares at the workplace. Especially when you yell, “We go HARD” when your colleagues enquire about your state of mind. But that’s SHINee’s effect for you. The lyrics from the title track of the legendary band’s eighth Korean language studio album, fittingly titled HARD, tend to imprint themselves on the listener’s temporal lobe. But this isn’t a new phenomenon for SHINee. Fifteen years since the band’s debut, it’s safe to say that they have created K-pop’s (and pop in general’s) most satisfying earworms and anthems, from Replay (2008) to Ring Ding Dong (2009), and Amigo (also 2008) to View (2015), to name a nanoparticle of songs off a daunting discography. ONEW, KEY, MINHO, TAEMIN – and the late beloved JONGHYUN – together form one of the finest, most well-rounded groups to emerge from South Korea’s competitive music industry, and their longevity speaks volumes about their talent and relevance. This includes solo projects, too – each of their individual offerings is a class apart.

So, how does one even begin to dismantle SHINee’s hypnotic hold on both their Korean and global devotees? To be honest, there is no need to divide them because once a ‘SHINee WORLD’ (the name given to the band’s beloved fanbase), always a SHINee WORLD regardless of age, gender or geographic distinction. With their vocal prowess, stage mastery, and dexterity of movement, they’ve filled stadiums worldwide through the course of a 15-year-long juggernaut. ONEW possesses one of the most iconic voices known to this oeuvre, with a dominant baritone and operatic tenor. KEY’s aura and presence is impossible to translate into words. MINHO’s a towering personality in terms of both talent and charisma. It’s also not hyperbole to state that TAEMIN is the king of movement – an unparalleled dancer, and a star. Together, they’re extraordinary. Solo, their personalities jump off the screen too. They’re each lovable matrixes of sass, humour, gravitas... clumsiness (the fans will attest to this). If one were to sum them up, ‘real’ would be the word to choose. Even though they’re revered in the industry, and active in all its different aspects – variety shows, musicals, performing on OSTs, solo projects, etc – they’re as humble as the day they started.

In this email interview, three of the band members dive into their music, providing perspective on the landscape they inhabit. ONEW, the leader of the band, is currently on hiatus for health issues. (However, he did send out a message to fans to reassure them of his rest and recovery and his imminent return.) One thing is for sure – it’s SHINee’s world, and we’re happy to be living in it.

You’ve always been completely ahead of the curve when it comes to genre, often blending several sonic elements in one album. In this album, for instance, you have wobbly drum and bass and soulful vocals on The Feeling, a really fresh take on the clear drum breaks of ’90s hip-hop on HARD, and dance-pop on Identity. Yet, you can tell a SHINee track from a mile away. How do you connect so many diverse sounds to the SHINee colour, and what – in the first place – would you say is SHINee’s colour? KEY: Rather than defining SHINee with one colour, I believe SHINee’s colour consists of all the colours each one of our fans sees us as. MINHO: SHINee is quite an interesting team because we have the ability to make any song into SHINee’s own colours. It’s our biggest weapon. We’ve built up this skill since our first album, and it only strengthened as we tried out various genres and concepts. Now, all our members know how to make any track SHINee-like. TAEMIN: SHINee’s colour is a combination of the various music styles we’ve experimented with. Without being limited to a specific genre, we capture several different colours and find SHINee’s own way of uniting everything into one.

Having said that, can you reveal the most “SHINee” song on this album for you, and explain why that would be your pick? KEY: For me, that would be the title track Hard, because it shows best all the efforts we’ve put into the visuals, performance, and recordings to demonstrate the genre of hip-hop. MINHO: It’s hard to select just one track. Many might say The Feeling but, rather than selecting one, I’d like to say this album in itself is “SHINee”, and it opens up our new chapter. TAEMIN: I’d say Satellite, because it shows the harmonious vocals of SHINee.

SHINee has a way of tapping into a collective sense of nostalgia – whether we go back to View, Married To The Music, or 1 of 1 even. Yet, you somehow manage doing this in a future-forward way with both your look and sound. How do you access and communicate a wide spectrum of emotions for people across borders and gender? KEY: Songs and melodies are very effective in expressing emotions and conveying messages to different people and genders. Though the lyrics might be interpreted differently depending on one’s culture, I believe a melody has a relatable power for everyone. MINHO: We try to convey emotions directly instead of hiding them. One of those characteristics is being upfront about how one feels and not hiding one’s emotions. TAEMIN: Even if we do not speak the same language, it’s the energy we’ve poured into this album that makes it possible for us to connect and communicate with those who listen to it.

Often, when you’re with a group of people who end up knowing you inside out, it helps you to see yourself more clearly. How would you say the close bond that exists between all of you has affected or changed you? TAEMIN: I was able to learn a lot from my (fellow band) members since they are all very talented. The bond we’ve formed through our time and experiences together is such a valuable gift to me.

People say there is always one side of the brain that’s more dominant. The left brain vs right brain – largely the analytical vs the creative. The artistes in you must make use of the right brain, but, to navigate this industry and learn from it, the left brain has to come into play. Given your successful ongoing careers, how do you balance the two sides? KEY: Balance is something I’m constantly thinking about not only as SHINee’s KEY, but also as an entertainer on variety shows so that I can continue to better myself and grow. MINHO: This is an interesting question that I’ve never thought of before. I probably use my left brain more since I’m always thinking about things that others might not have done yet or tried before. TAEMIN: When I tested myself, I found that my right brain functions better than my left!

Is it possible, as an artiste, to be happy and satisfied at the same time? MINHO: I’m not quite sure if happiness and satisfaction can be felt at the same time, though it’s different for each person. Even if I’m happy, I might not be satisfied, but I think that’s because I’m a bit of a perfectionist [laughs].

Can you talk about how the performance aspect of music has evolved for you over the years? Does it feel more poignant being on stage together again after a break? [The members of SHINee fulfilled their mandatory military enlistment duties, staggered, over the last five years.] KEY: I’m not sure if this properly explains it, but I’d like to think of our growth as ‘still strong’. As the years add on, there is a sense of pressure from wanting to show our best selves and great performances but, through this album, SHINee was able to show persistence and strength. Whenever I step on stage, it’s an overwhelming feeling. MINHO: You can see just how much we’ve grown through our performances. Compared to before, we’re more experienced so there’s a sense of ease. Yet we do feel more nervous when we return to the stage after a long time. ‘Will I be able to perform well on this stage? What if I make a mistake?’ These are the kinds of thoughts that run through my mind but that’s what brings out a perfect performance. The most important thing in all of this is to look as if you’re not nervous! [laughs] TAEMIN: The K-pop market has grown, and we’ve also benefited from that. The lifespan of K-pop idols has also increased compared to before, but I believe it’s (everyone’s) hard work that’s made this possible.

What sort of music are you gravitating towards right now? Do you connect music and movement given how proficiently you link the two? TAEMIN: I usually listen to calm music. I also enjoy humming or dancing along to whatever I’m listening to.

Fifteen years down the line, what is something you know now that you wish you had known then? KEY: That I don’t need to have any regrets because I’ve done my best throughout. MINHO: There are many things I wish I had known but, since I didn’t know anything at that time, I’d want to keep them a secret [laughs]. TAEMIN: What we’ve learned throughout holds greater value and meaning because of the process. If I were to say one thing to my past self, it would be to travel around the world more and study English.

Does the desire to experiment and the ability to actually be able to follow through with ideas become easier with time? KEY: It becomes harder with time but that’s why I make sure to put in more thought and effort to bring out the best I can.

As the world evolves at an almost breakneck speed, music evolves with it; you’ve also been witness to the shift in the influence of K-pop. How would you say the K-pop industry has also changed over these years as it has become a global phenomenon? KEY: From training to performing, everything has become very systemised and specialised. There’s also a wider variety of messages that can be delivered through performances. MINHO: K-pop has changed rapidly and, as a part of the generation that has seen that process of change, it is quite fast. The best development is the fact that the whole world can see what I’ve uploaded in seconds! TAEMIN: As a person who has been in this field for quite some time, I am amazed by K-pop. There have been a lot of changes through the years, changes that I did not realize at the time!

Looking back to when you started, would you say you are where you want to be as an artiste at this stage of your life? MINHO: I’m getting closer to where I dreamed I’d be when I debuted, but there’s still quite a way to go to get there.

How does the future look? KEY: SHINee will always remain the same. MINHO: The future will always be SHINee. TAEMIN: I’d like to live a happier life by giving back to our fans with good music and maintaining the precious relationships we have together. And I hope to perform overseas more often.

Would you please send a message to SHINee WORLD in India – any thoughts you’d like to share? KEY: I’m very much looking forward to the day we’ll get to meet our fans in person. Thank you for always showering us with love. MINHO: I’ve been to India before, but have not had the opportunity to perform. I hope that chance will come sometime soon, so please wait for us! TAEMIN: I really want to meet our fans in India and I’m sorry we haven’t been able to visit. I promise you we will create precious memories together!

[reyaint]

ari.gen members | kang avelino sadire junseo

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

date: february 5, 2025.

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"𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒗𝒊𝒃𝒆"

✧˖*°࿐background

cypher was born in Jeju Island, Korea, to a Korean father and a Filipino mother. Growing up in a multicultural household gave him a unique perspective on life and helped shape his easygoing, sociable personality. he was always surrounded by music and dance, with his mother being a big fan of Latin music and his father a former K-pop dancer who taught him the basics of rhythm and movement from a young age. cypher has always been passionate about performing, with an innate talent for dancing that quickly stood out in school and local competitions.

cypher’s passion for dance emerged early, and he took up various styles, from hip-hop to contemporary, quickly becoming a standout in local dance circles. his smooth yet powerful moves earned him recognition, and soon he started gaining attention from smaller agencies. however, it was his ability to pick up on various genres of music, blending them into his performances, that truly set him apart as a well-rounded artist. his vocal skills also developed in parallel, and he took up vocal training alongside his dance lessons.

cypher was a core member of the Genesis Crew, which later became the foundation of ARiSEN : GENESiS. before their debut, the group participated in a variety of underground performances and dance showcases. they had initially started as a dance group but had greater aspirations. cypher’s versatility in both dancing and singing played a key role in the crew's evolution into a full-fledged idol group.

cypher's journey took a significant turn when he joined JYP Entertainment as a trainee in 2013. He trained rigorously for several years, honing his vocal and dance skills. However, Cypher and the rest of the Genesis Crew found themselves at a crossroads, feeling limited by the constraints of their contract. In 2015, after much discussion, the group left JYP and signed with DeadSound Entertainment, seeking more creative freedom and a fresh start. Their decision was pivotal, allowing them to finally debut under the name ARiSEN : GENESiS in 2018.

"𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘"

✧˖*°࿐basics

დ. stage name. cypher დ. full name. kang avelino sadire junseo დ. korean name. kang junseo დ. english name. jay avelino

დ. date of birth. october 1, 2002 დ. place of birth. jeju island, korea დ. nationality. filipino-korean დ. ethnicity. filipino-korean დ. race. asian დ. languages. — Korean (100%) — Tagalog (100%) — English (97%) — Japanese (92%) — Spanish (89%) — Italian (81%)

დ. height. 180 cm (5’11″) დ. weight. 60 kg (132.3 lbs) დ. zodiac sign. libra დ. blood type. A+ დ. gender. male დ. pronouns. he/they დ. sexuality. onmisexual დ. s/o. n/a

დ. personality. —cypher's personality is warm and charming, which is evident in his interactions with the members. he has a tendency to take on a supportive, big-brother role, despite being the youngest. —cypher is the kind of person who thrives on human connection, and he has a natural talent for making people feel at ease —he is caring and emotionally invested in the well-being of his friends, often going out of his way to ensure everyone is happy and united. —despite being the youngest, he’s also incredibly hardworking and determined, constantly pushing himself to improve. —he holds a special place in the group, often being the one to lighten the mood with his playful nature and infectious laughter.

mbti. ESFP (the entertainer) enneagram. 2w3

"𝑻𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒇𝒕, 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒆"

✧˖*°࿐career

დ. training period. 2013 to 2017 დ. company. jyp entertainment ( 2013 - 2015 ), deadsound ( 2015 - present ) დ. group. arisen genesis (2018 - present)

დ. rep color. orange დ. rep emoji. 🐶 დ. positions. main dancer, vocalist, maknae

დ. their performance style is characterized by sharp, yet graceful movements that captivate audiences. cypher is known for their fluidity and precision in dance.

დ. their stage presence is magnetic, and they can switch from playful, youthful energy to a more mature, powerful persona in an instant, making them a versatile performer.

დ. cypher contributes to the group's dynamic concept, blending a mix of contemporary dance with K-pop's high-energy performance style. the group is known for their bold and innovative choreography, and Cypher plays a crucial role in creating impactful dance sequences.

დ. as the Main Dancer and Maknae, he often brings a high-energy presence to their performances, especially during the more upbeat, aggressive moments of their songs.

"𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒉 𝒂𝒉 𝒚𝒆 𝒚𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒉"

✧˖*°࿐facts

დ. despite his confident, bold persona, Cypher still gets nervous before performances, especially solo ones. he’s learned to manage his stage fright by doing breathing exercises and visualizing his success before stepping on stage.

დ. cypher is known for his signature scent, a mix of citrus and musk with subtle woody undertones. His favorite perfume is a high-end brand that he picked up during a trip to Paris, and he uses it sparingly to maintain its mystique.

დ. cypher is also a fan of K-dramas, and his favorite is Crash Landing on You.

დ. cypher’s fashion sense is a blend of urban streetwear, modern K-pop flair, and athletic comfort. his style is edgy yet approachable, allowing him to stand out both on stage and off. he’s known for his ability to balance comfort with bold statements, often sporting pieces that showcase his vibrant, playful personality.

დ. his favorite Filipino dish is Adobo, and he often finds comfort in eating it when feeling homesick.

დ. he is a coffee enthusiast and enjoys experimenting with new ways to make his perfect cup. a self-proclaimed coffee lover, Cypher can often be found sipping on iced coffee or a freshly brewed cappuccino during rehearsals. he says it’s essential to keep him alert during those long, tiring practice session

დ. hobbies: cooking, street art, sketching, coffee

დ. inspirations: JHope, blackpink, cl, tupac

დ. he’s known for his love of dogs and has a pet dachshund named “Bobo.”

დ. personal motto: "Be the rhythm in the silence, the spark in the dark."

[palecoal]

My first album is out since October 30th 2024 and it’s called “𝘿𝙀𝘾𝘼𝙔𝙄𝙉𝙂 𝙄𝙉𝙏𝙊 𝘼 𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙐𝙎𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝘽𝙔𝙏𝙀𝙎”

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/palecoal/decaying-into-a-thousand-bytes

It’s an 18 tracks project that I wrote during the second half of 2023, mostly at home, facing the screen of my laptop, drowning into layered realities and fragmented truths. My life has been so dedicated to this project this whole time that I can’t see any boundaries between what I am and this record. When I look at it, I only see my pixelated reflection. It is by far the most personal piece of art I’ve ever done.

During this whole writing/production process I had been lucky enough to travel and to collaborate with many talents to push the album beyond its limits. It wouldn’t be the same without all these persons.

Amaury Sauvé did an amazing job during the 2 sessions we had together to refine my sound and to bring some fresh ideas on the table, and of course to make the heaviest record we could have. Thibault Chaumont has been the master-chief for vocals production and my last-mile runner trying to keep all the low-end that I needed. My brother Mathieu Garcia has been my counselor, my personal engineer, my hip-hop referrer and the best friend I could have, standing by my side during the last 2 months of the process.

I’m also so proud and happy to have 2 incredible artists singing on the record. Douglas Dare (Erased Tapes Records) who released some of the most beautiful albums in recent years and my long-time friend Bart Balboa (Birds In Row) whose voice always gave my chills.

Here’s the tracklist: 1. Maze 2. Vanities 3. Acid Bliss 4. No Sins, No Flesh 5. Cut the Lights 6. BSOD 7. My Med (feat. Bart Balboa) 8. Walls of Pixels 9. Facing the Decay 10. Upgraded 11. Face Up (feat. Douglas Dare) 12. Monochrome Emptiness 13. 1000 Bytes 14. Stray 15. Can’t Smile 16. Nexus 17. CLA(Y)MOR 18. And So I Dance

[lovejustforaday]

2024 Year End List - #10

The Collective - Kim Gordon

Main Genres: Industrial Rock, Noise Rock, Industrial Hip Hop, Experimental Rock

A decent sampling of: Trap, No Wave, Witch House, Power Noise

Look, at this point it's no secret on this blog that I am a big Kim Gordon fan.

As a former vocalist and bass player with Sonic Youth, Gordon developed a reputation for being, well, not much of a "singer" in the traditional sense. Her style is more that of poetic recital, often sardonic while other times sincere.

As a lyricist, Gordon has a knack for vivid and avant-garde first-person storytelling, particularly excelling at writing poignant and bleak character studies that usually carry a subtext of feminist critique about how women are pressured and molded by a patriarchal society. She has a way of writing that is witty, sometimes deeply sad, and ultimately profoundly human. For examples of some of her greatest verse, look no further than the somber tribute of "Tunic (Song for Karen)" and the chilling nightmare of "Pacific Coast Highway".

Among those with real taste, Kim Gordon has solidified her legacy as one of the coolest figures in all of alt rock history. She's avant-garde, but down to earth and laidback even. She's penned some of the greatest lyrics in her medium, but she's very modest about her own talents as a musician, preferring to be understood as a visual artist first.

What's even more incredible is that Kim Gordon has shown no signs of slowing down with old age. The woman is 71 years old, and somehow she's still putting out music that is loud and rebellious, and challenging on a level that most of her younger contemporaries aren't capable of being.

Gordon has had mild flirtations with the world of hip hop throughout her career as a musician. In 1990, she sang along with the legendary Chuck D of Public Enemy on arguably Sonic Youth's most famous track "Kool Thing". In 1993, She featured as a guest vocalist that sang the refrain on Cypress Hill's "I Love You Mary Jane".

And then there was her 2019 debut solo record No Home Record, featuring the track "Paprika Pony" which caught more than a few long time fans and newbies off guard. Here's this woman in her 60s (at the time) trying her hand at a trap beat and making something genuinely fresh in the process. Wouldn't it be wild if she made an entire record like this? Ha! If only....definitely not foreshadowing.

So anyway, The Collective is a Kim Gordon industrial hip hop record, and no I'm not making that up. Gordon has taken everything she learned about making beautifully discordant guitar noise during her Sonic Youth years, combined it with the industrial sound art of her debut solo record, a characteristically witty but altogether more of stream-of-conscious approach to lyrics, and some genuinely fire hybrid beats courtesy of co-producer Justin Raisen, who deserves a lot of credit as well for making this record so twisted. The resulting sound is loose, dystopian, abstract, uncanny, and chaotic.

When I first heard about this project, I was instantly gushing over the idea. Kim fucking Gordon doing her noise rock thing over devious, twisted and fucked up trap beats? Mind you, she's not exactly rapping over these beats, so much as expressing her thoughts un-rhythmically with discordant moans. It is hip hop strictly in an instrumental sense.

Would this be anybody's cup of tea? Abso-fucking-lutely not, and I don't expect it attract a lot of huge fans of hip hop especially. Kim Gordon is definitely a curious outsider in this context, dipping her toes into a world that she has never belonged to, but always seemed fascinated by. In fact, I might describe the way that Gordon interacts with the medium of hip hop as being synonymous to the way an alien studying humans might interact with human pop culture in general. Regardless, the result is honestly quite refreshing to my ears.

The album opens with "BYE BYE", sampling an open car door alarm and featuring Kim reciting a list of travel items and belongings. It hearkens back to her previous record with its themes of materialism, artificiality, and impermanence. I often find myself looking around the room I'm in and noticing the sheer fucking magnitude of plastic things, and this song perfectly captures that kind of alienating, unsettling feeling of realizing your sense of place and self is tied to so many hyper-artificial objects. Beat goes hard too.

"I Don't Miss My Mind" is essentially about losing a sense of self. The track quivers and screeches with this really grating turbine sound that I personally really can't get enough of. If anything will make or break this album for you, it's probably this track, which appears relatively early in the track-listing.

If you're able to make it through that filter, you'll be rewarded with the aural orgasm of low-hum guitar drone and crunchy trap hi-hats that is "I'm A Man". This track is the most traditional Kim Gordon track in terms of lyricism - a comically offbeat, sobering and depressing portrait of the vengeful and wounded traditional male ego in a late stage capitalist society where becoming "the breadwinner" is an increasingly unattainable and unrealistic goal, and where women are increasingly distancing themselves from the cultural ideals of machismo. Gordon demonstrates eloquently (and very crassly) the fundamentally tragicomic and unfulfilling nature of the archaic male role that is pursuing financial success and sexual conquest to prove one's worth. No one else pulls off this kind of dark irony quite the way that she does.

The penultimate "The Believers" let's all hell break loose. The production takes the front seat here - just a downright nasty, menacing fucking contraption of malice. Makes me feel like I've broken out in a cold sweat and something ungodly is breathing down the back of my neck, stalking me. The lyrics are occult and manic. Completely bonkers track.

I do think there are the occasional moments lacking direction, and one or two filler tracks IMO toward the mid-section. And I'm usually the first one to defend Kim Gordon's vocals from the endless hoards of dude-bros who think every female vocalist ever has to sound "pretty" and conventional, but I must admit on those more filler-y tracks that her vocals can start to feel a little aimless.

Still, when this record is at its best, it fucking bites. The Collective is definitely one of if not the most forward-thinking rock record this year. It's also a very fitting album for a year where our painful awareness of bullshit like stable diffusion being shoved down our throats, the strengthening corporate oligarchy rule over the internet, and the collapse of many social programs having those of us on the left feeling more than a little unhinged.

And yeah, Kim's definitely still got it, and this project is solid proof. If you want to challenge yourself with a truly left-field and daring record that goes HARD at the gym (or during a mental spiral), I highly recommend this one.

Oh yeah and, free my man Luigi.

8/10

Highlights: "The Believers", "I'm A Man", "BYE BYE", "I Don't Miss My Mind", "Dream Dollar"

FOR FANS OF: Visions of Bodies Being Burned by clipping. Shaking The Habitual by The Knife

[trapangeles]

Tycoon62: Loyalty, Ambition, and the West Coast Sound

Emerging from the vibrant roots of West Coast hip-hop, Tycoon62 is making waves with his authentic storytelling, unwavering ambition, and deep commitment to loyalty and brotherhood. The Lancaster-based artist has been steadily building his name in the music industry, and his journey is one of resilience, creativity, and an undeniable connection to his culture.

“Music has always been in my blood,” Tycoon62 shared. Growing up surrounded by various genres, he was inspired to start writing lyrics in middle school, channeling his life experiences into art. “I decided to pursue music seriously after performing locally and collaborating with friends. It became clear this was my passion, and I dedicated myself to finding my unique sound.”

The name Tycoon62 is just as significant as the artist himself. “‘Tycoon’ reflects my drive to succeed and build something great,” he explained. The number 62 holds personal milestones that remind him of his journey and motivate him to push forward. “Together, the name represents my ambition and where I come from—it’s all about growth and legacy.”

Breaking Into the Big League: Dogg Pound Records

Tycoon62’s affiliation with Dogg Pound Records, a cornerstone of West Coast hip-hop, has been pivotal in shaping his career. “The connection came about organically through networking and mutual respect,” he said. Collaborating with legends like Daz Dillinger, who discovered him, opened doors to opportunities he could only dream of. “We have a song called ‘Running Man’ that’s available on all platforms. It’s been an honor to work with someone whose music I grew up admiring.”

Describing his experience with the Dogg Pound team, Tycoon62 said, “It’s like being part of hip-hop royalty. Their talent and dedication inspire me every day. They’ve taught me to embrace my authenticity while pushing creative boundaries. Having their mentorship and support is like having a family that’s always got your back.”

Brotherhood and Resilience: The Making of All My Niggaz

Tycoon62’s latest release, All My Niggaz, stands as a powerful anthem of loyalty and unity. “The song is about celebrating the bonds of brotherhood while addressing the challenges we face together,” he explained. The track delivers an emotional yet uplifting message about solidarity in the face of adversity.

The collaboration with Mac9Most added another layer of depth to the project. “Our styles complemented each other perfectly,” Tycoon62 noted. “The process was organic, fueled by our shared passion for creating something authentic and impactful.”

Recording the song was an exhilarating experience. “There was a moment in the studio when everything just clicked—the energy in the room was unforgettable,” Tycoon62 recalled. Deep conversations about their shared experiences fueled the lyrics, resulting in a track that resonates deeply with listeners.

Listeners have responded enthusiastically to All My Niggaz. “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. People are sharing their own stories of friendship and loyalty, and it’s amazing to see how the song is connecting with them on a personal level,” he said.

A West Coast Legacy

The rich tradition of West Coast hip-hop is embedded in Tycoon62’s music. “The West Coast sound—laid-back beats, smooth melodies, and storytelling—has always influenced me,” he shared. “I honor those roots while adding my own experiences to create a fresh take that resonates with both old-school fans and new listeners.”

Tycoon62 also draws inspiration from hip-hop legends like Tupac, Snoop Dogg, E-40, and Brotha Lynch Hung. “Their storytelling and authenticity shaped my perspective as an artist,” he said.

Looking Ahead

When asked about his vision for the future, Tycoon62 was clear: “I want to build a diverse body of work that reflects my growth as an artist and individual. In five years, I see myself performing on bigger stages, collaborating with artists across genres, and connecting with fans worldwide.”

He’s also focused on giving back to the community. “I’d love to start a nonprofit to support young artists and use my platform to raise awareness about social issues that matter to me.”

For upcoming projects, fans can expect themes of resilience, personal growth, and the complexities of love and relationships. “I’m excited to tell more stories from my life and spark conversations through my music,” Tycoon62 said.

“If there’s one piece of advice I’d give to aspiring artists, it’s to stay true to your voice and vision,” Tycoon62 concluded. “The industry can be tough, but authenticity is what truly resonates with people.”

With his relentless drive and dedication to his craft, Tycoon62 is undoubtedly a rising force in the West Coast music scene. Stay tuned for more music, visuals, and live performances as he continues to leave his mark on hip-hop.

Have you been spending all your money and time on making music and shooting videos, but still not getting any exposure? Tired of just spinning your wheels? You know to get exposure you need to get featured on blogs, radio stations, playlist, and get your music e-mail blasted out to the masses. Need help getting all that done? Then check out the Package we’ve made available for you below!

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A New Platform for Indian Rap Talent

In a recent announcement shaking up the Indian hip-hop scene, content creator Rohan Cariappa, comedian Samay Raina, and popular rap duo Seedhe Maut have come together to launch The SoundCheck Rap Show. This initiative aims to provide a fresh platform for emerging rap talent while prioritizing creative freedom and authenticity. 

Stay connected with Desi Rap Network for more updates on Indian hip-hop and the latest rap culture news.

[kvibe-test]

Middle Eastern Hip-Hop Revolution: A Cultural Sound Explosion

TITLE: The Evolution of Hip-Hop and Trap in the Middle Eastern Music Scene

In recent years, hip-hop and trap music have made notable strides within the Middle Eastern music landscape, creating an electrifying blend of cultural expressions. This dynamic musical and cultural exchange is transforming the region's auditory landscape, offering exciting and novel sounds that appeal locally and worldwide.

Combining Genres and Heritage

Musicians in the Middle East are creatively fusing traditional music elements with the vibrant energy of hip-hop and trap. This amalgamation of genres acts as a cultural connector between the East and the West. Producers such as Morocco's Ramoon lead the charge in this trend, adeptly integrating Moroccan traditional rhythms with contemporary hip-hop beats to generate a uniquely captivating sound.

Khalifa Santo from Abu Dhabi epitomizes this fusion by weaving current radio hits with classical Arab tunes, enchanting audiences both at home and abroad. These acts are reshaping the identity of Middle Eastern music, appealing to those who appreciate the familiar while seeking fresh, innovative sounds.

Social and Political Themes

Music has long been a powerful medium for social commentary, and Middle Eastern hip-hop artists are harnessing their platforms to tackle pressing social and political topics. Palestinian producer Al Nather's work serves as a prime example, using synth glitches to bring social stories to the forefront, resonating strongly with audiences spanning generations. This storytelling through music elevates its cultural value, making it much more than just entertainment.

Streaming data reveals that artists from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have experienced phenomenal growth in their global audience, showing a strong international interest in their music. Artists like Algeria's Dxrk ダーク and Lebanon's Anthony Keyrouz have gained significant recognition on the world stage, pulling in considerable streaming figures from diverse countries such as France and the USA. Their achievements underscore how musical talent transcends cultural and geographic borders.

Growing Local Scenes

In Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, gifted artists are driving innovation within their regional music scenes. NBL, a Saudi-Palestinian producer, is acclaimed for his Ramadan beat series "Jalsat Nabilia," which cleverly combines traditional Saudi music with contemporary genres such as trap and Afrobeats. Likewise, Dina Ayada from Morocco is garnering attention with her festival performances, showcasing the abundant talent within the Arab world.

The international expansion of Middle Eastern artists is fueled further by their cross-border collaborations and tours. For example, ElGrandeToto's albums include collaborations with artists from Belgium, Spain, and Nigeria, broadening his global reach. Additionally, Egyptian rapper Wegz and Saudi-Ecuadorian singer Mishaal Tamer are captivating audiences worldwide with their tours, extending their musical influence far beyond Middle Eastern borders.

Online platforms, particularly TikTok, play a critical role in promoting Middle Eastern music on a global scale. Issam Alnajjar's track "Hadal Ahbek" went viral, demonstrating the astounding capability of social media to elevate regional music to a worldwide platform. Effectively using these tools enables artists to connect with wider audiences, allowing their voices to be heard across continents.

Tactical Insights and Opportunities

Middle Eastern artists aiming to build on this momentum can adopt several best practices to sustain their progress:

Cultural Fusion: Continue to merge traditional and modern musical styles to develop innovative sounds.

International Engagement: Collaborate with artists from various countries to expand their audience and achieve worldwide recognition.

Social Media Savvy: Use Instagram and TikTok to promote music in a viral manner.

Perform Globally: Seize opportunities to perform at international festivals and tours to introduce their music to new listeners.

Expressive Content: Utilize music as a medium for social and political discourse to engage deeply with audiences.

In summary, the fusion of hip-hop and trap with Middle Eastern music is a rich tapestry reflecting a broader cultural dialogue. By employing these strategies, MENA artists continue to surpass barriers, pushing the boundaries of what is possible both sonically and culturally.

#HipHopMiddleEast #CulturalFusion #TrapMusic #MENAArtists

Dive deeper into the blend of cultures creating new musical horizons. Join the conversation today!

[everythingbap]

📰📸 View of the Arts: Bang Yongguk: A Fiery Return to the London Stage A/N: posted on 241101

Bang Yongguk moves like a flame, his aura alive with passion and purpose. Every time he steps on stage, even with songs like I Remember [yes, yes that’s one of my favourite songs] from 2011, he breathes new life into his music, each note more powerful than the last. To witness his journey from a young, determined teenager to the man he has become is like watching a river carve its path through stone – steady, uncompromising, and beautiful. Seeing his career evolve fills me with a deep sense of pride as his artistry truly reflects the passion and soul he invests in everything he does.

Yongguk has found a kindred spirit in Europe, particularly in the heart of London, where music flows like the River Thames. Camden has become a cherished destination for his performances, filled with the sounds of jazz, rock, and the beats of hip-hop and K-pop. It’s an ideal setting for an artist like Yongguk, who loves experimenting with various genres.Bang Yongguk at Dingwalls / Image © Maggie Zhu for View of the Arts

Our first encounter with Yongguk as a solo artist was in 2019 at the Underworld, a venue steeped in history and artistry. Fast forward to 2023, and we were thrilled to experience him again, this time at Dingwalls. As fate would have it, we found ourselves returning to Dingwalls once more. This venue, with its intimate atmosphere and rich musical legacy, is a perfect stage for talents like Yongguk, who have the power to satisfy even the most demanding concertgoers.

Let’s not forget, Dingwalls saw its fair share of legends pass through its doors, from the iconic Oasis and Blur to the legendary The Ramones, Coldplay, and the one and only Foo Fighters. It is a sanctuary of sound that hosts the best of the best, and on October 20th, we witnessed Yongguk’s magic once again. 

It all began with DJ’s intense set – and   I truly mean intense! He undeniably set the house on fire even before Yongguk appeared on stage. And when Yongguk did, he brought even more heat with his superb performance.

Yongguk delivered a dynamic mix of old and new tracks, kicking off his set with the 2022 single RACE. Dressed in his signature black and sporting a fresh hairstyle, he “injected” the song with such explosive energy that the entire room was ready to go wild. Together with his DJ, he flared up the stage from the first beat, and no matter how he entered, once he was on stage, he simply owned it. 

Yongguk’s first full-length self-titled album, BANGYONGGUK, is one of a kind, so there was no surprise that the artist decided to include Xie Xie in the setlist too. During his first MENT, he addressed his fans with sincere energy: “What’s up everyone, I’m Bang Yongguk. I’m finally back in London – I’ve really missed you. It feels incredible to be here with all of you again. Thank you, always, for standing by my side.”Bang Yongguk at Dingwalls / Image © Maggie Zhu for View of the Arts

Ride or Die from Yongguk’s mini-album The Colors of Love, released last year, was, and still is, a great hip-hop track that displays both his singing and rapping. And as the red stage lights washed over the crowd, everyone felt like part of the experience. His fans, loyal as ever, became an essential part of the performance.

Yongguk also performed tracks like IXLU and NUMB from his 2024 release EP 3as well as OFFOfffrom the 2022 EP 2. Once again, the lighting worked in his favour, perfectly complementing the mood of each song allowing him to deliver a performance that was both powerful and emotionally impactful.

In his next MENT, he expressed his appreciation towards his fans once more and fondly mentioned his former B.A.P members, sharing his hope to one day perform together with them in London.  

I Remember, one of his earliest solo projects, hit differently. Released in 2011, this track, featuring Yang Yo-seob, took me on a nostalgic trip down memory lane, filled with unfiltered lyrics and energy. Even in this early solo release, Yongguk demonstrated that his lyricism has always been a central part of his artistry.

Yongguk also included HIKIKOMORI + AM 4:44, Up, UFO, YAMAZAKI, and BUSS IT DOWN in his setlist – and what a powerful performance it was! Then came MOVIMIENTO from his EP 3, where he fully embraced the dancefloor – the stage – powered by a club beat driving every moment of the track. 

If you thought that was the full set, you’d be mistaken. Yongguk gave the audience even more, performing five additional songs, including BAD and Green, before closing the night with Ride or Die, MOVIMIENTO, and Orange Drive. With each track, he painted an intimate portrait of his journey – at times raw and rebellious, at times reflective and nostalgic. It must also be pointed out that Yongguk’s artistic range is impressive, making him one of the most exciting artists of his generation. The energy was superb, leaving us all longing for his triumphant return to London!

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Written by Maggie Gogler

Featured image © Maggie Zhu for View of the Arts

[moochilatv]

Cruzu presents: Reveal the Veil

This track sounds like old Mac Miller great songs

Press:

Experience "Reveal the Veil," where chill meets fierce in a blend of old-school hip-hop beats and raw rap vocals with modern production. Featuring a European producer and a St. Louis rapper, this track merges jazz elements with gritty flow, ideal for fans of Joey Badass. It has a NYC vibe. With a music video on the way, it’s perfect for playlists like 'Fresh Finds Hip-Hop,' 'Jazz Rap,' and 'Focus Flow.'

Cruzu is a music producer, songwriter, and beatmaker, based in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In 2019, he started releasing his first productions in collaboration with talented vocal artists from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Cameroon, and Malaysia which resulted in over 55.000 streams. Currently, he is focused on creating rap, trap, hip-hop, r&b, afrotrap, and pop music for an international audience.