#THE THE We Can&039;t Stop What&039;s Coming

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Video: THE THE Shares Brooding and Feverish "Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot"

New Video: THE THE Shares Brooding and Feverish "Linoleum Smooth To The Stockinged Foot" @thethe @grandstandhq @warnelivesey @do_or_diy @timpopedirector

Acclaimed British post-punk outfit THE THE was founded by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matt Johnson back in 1979 and through various iterations and configurations, Johnson and his collaborators have developed a sound and approach that seems to inhabit its own difficult to define genre: music of long shadows, high hopes, channeled anger, feverish passions and sweetly disturbing…

[kurowvie]

notes:

⋆ the angst part is like... real angsty (esp number 52, it got my eye twitching)

⋆ the angst part has some sensitive topics like being blamed for someone's death and mental illnesses

⋆ it was really hard for me to think of fluff prompts so i got almost all prompts after number 15 from here.

⋆ I don't write smuts (U), yandere(U), mafia(C), agere(C) or poly(C)

U = uncomfortable writing

C = i just can't write these, the final product is usually shit HELP

A N G S T

001. ❝Stay away from me.❞

002. ❝I can't believe you've done this!❞

003. ❝Can I ask you one thing? Could you... Could you please leave me alone right now?❞

004. ❝You're a psycho!❞

005. ❝Revenge is not the answer to everything!❞

006. ❝Do you like hurting people?❞

007. ❝Why are you acting like this?❞

008. ❝Maybe if you weren't being a b*tch.❞

009. ❝You're so annoying.❞

010. ❝F*ck off!❞

011. ❝How can you be so happy?❞

012. ❝You should be sad.❞

013. ❝You broke me first.❞

014. ❝Why are you always so negative?❞

015. ❝I can't handle your *mental illness* anymore. Forgive me.❞

016. ❝You're sick!❞

017. ❝You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me.❞

018. ❝I saved you!❞

019. ❝I was eighteen! I was jobless, I had no family, I couldn't get into a good university! Then came your stupid little heart break, I had to leave everything and come to your house in the middle of the night! I missed my admission test because you wanted me to be there for you! That night I went home and had nothing to eat! Not even a single slice of bread while you had the latest phone, the most comfortable bed, all the food you ever wanted, rich parents who got you into your favourite university but when you cried I came! Why? Because I was your best friend. ❞

020. ❝When your b*tchy girlfriend said shit about me, I said nothing because i knew you would believe her, like you always did. Like you are doing right now. And... God must hate me because I have no single proof that she did that.❞

021. ❝Tsk tsk tsk.❞

022. ❝This is why no one loves you.❞

023. ❝This is why your parents are dead.❞

024. ❝You killed your parents.❞

025. ❝If I had a child like you, I would k/ll myself too.❞

026. ❝You deserve nothing.❞

027. ❝You belong to the streets.❞

028. ❝You could never fit in.❞

029. ❝You're so embarrassing.❞

030. ❝I'm ashamed to be seen in public with you.❞

031. ❝You dress like trash.❞

032. ❝You can never get things done.❞

033. ❝I don't know why I told you to do that when I knew you would mess it up, like you always do.❞

034. ❝Stop thinking about yourself for a moment.❞

035. ❝You're so selfish.❞

036. ❝No this isn't self-love. You're so obsessed with yourself, gosh.❞

037. ❝Do you realize that other people also have feelings.❞

038. ❝Don't you think I loved you too much to be used and discarded?❞

039. ❝Why don't you believe me?❞

040. ❝You out of everyone!?❞

041. ❝I regret loving you.❞

042. ❝All I ever wanted was to be enough for you!❞

043. ❝I was insecure!❞

044. ❝Maybe in another life.❞

045. ❝I can't stay here anymore.❞

046. ❝Gosh, I hate you so much.❞

047. ❝You left me there crying!❞

048. ❝I was just trying to get close to you-❞ ❝You were embarrassing me!❞

049. ❝I... I don't know what to do now.❞

050. ❝Please love me back.❞

051. ❝F*CK THE PATRIARCHY!❞

052. ❝Aw, did i hurt your wittle feelings?❞

F L U F F

001. ❝Let me get that for you.❞

002. ❝Here, hold my hands.❞

003. ❝Would a kiss make you feel better?❞

004. ❝Your hands are so small.❞

005. ❝We fit into each other's arms perfectly! We're meant to be!❞

006. ❝If I could do anything to ease your pain, I would.❞

007. ❝You're so strong and I am so proud of you.❞

008. ❝I told you that you could do it!❞

009. ❝I will be here beside you.❞

010. ❝You are the best thing that happened to me.❞

011. ❝You're the most beautiful person i've ever seen.❞

012. ❝You look cute but you'd look cuter in my clothes.❞

013. ❝Your smile is so pretty.❞

014. ❝You're so good at what you do.❞

015. ❝I wish I could be as talented as you!❞

016. ❝Come cuddle.❞

017. ❝Damn, you look so good.❞

018. ❝You're so good at this!❞

019. ❝And I thought I was the best at this.❞

020. ❝I like the way your hand fits in mine.❞

021. ❝You can't leave without letting me hug you first.❞

022. ❝Your lips are really warm.❞

023. ❝You look so comfy, and cuddle-able.❞

024. ❝Why are you staring at me like that!❞ ❝Oh, don’t mind me. Just enjoying the view.❞

025. ❝Would you mind if I kissed you?❞

026. ❝I remember when you first held my hand. I was blushing for days!❞

027. ❝God, you’re perfect.❞

028. ❝You’re hair is really soft after you wash it.❞

028. ❝I don't mean this in a creepy way but you're so cute when you're half asleep.❞

029. ❝You are my new pillow.❞

030. ❝I think I love you.❞

031. ❝Don’t be silly. You didn't upset me.❞

032. ❝Your bed head is really cute.❞

033. ❝I love your hugs.❞

034. ❝Shush and go back to bed.❞

035. ❝But I want to hear you sing.❞

036. ❝I like it when you pat my head.❞

037. ❝Let me do it for you.❞

038. ❝I think that's enough for today. Go sleep.❞

039. ❝I feel this urge to protect you whenever I'm around you and I know you're tough and badass but... still. So, please let me be there for you and protect you.❞

040. ❝Here, I saved some for you. Try it?❞

041. ❝You. Me. Movie marathon. Get all the snacks you can carry.❞

042. ❝This would look so cute on you!❞

043. ❝Fight me. Pillow fight. And by fight I mean cuddle.❞

044. ❝C'mon, with anyone else this would be too weird.❞

045. ❝That sounds like a bad idea. I’m in.❞

046. ❝I want to kiss you and hold your hand any time I want.❞

047. ❝I am who I am because of you.❞

048. ❝Your eyes are amazing… do you know that?❞

049. ❝Wow - you look… amazing.❞

050. ❝We just met, this is crazy, I’m referencing a song… but call me maybe?❞

[woundepoxy53-blog]

Chuck's Daily Check In - 06.21.19

The NBA offseason, already firing on all cylinders with trades involving Anthony Davis and Mike Conley respectively, did not disappoint on draft night as the Pelicans, Hawks, Timberwolves and Suns were active. It all played into the hands of the Bulls.

The Bulls did not surrender a roster player, nor a future pick to grab the player they coveted.

Prior to the draft, if someone told me the Bulls would come away with Coby White at seven, I would have said, "Case closed, let's go home."

My initial thoughts as I'm writing CCI at 1:42 AM:

White has a huge upside. You can't coach speed and he is a nightmare to stop in the open court. His play making decisions will improve. He will be coached and will learn the pro pick and roll game. He has the athleticism to be a solid defender. He was the primary ball handler at North Carolina. He has "leadership" written all over him. He is 19. I repeat. He is 19. Patience, please. Head Coach Jim Boylen loves players with "spirit"...White has plenty of that.

After Minnesota and the Suns hooked up swapping first round picks with Dario Saric packaged to the Suns as well, I was convinced White was headed to Minnesota but the T-Wolves elected to go with Jarrett Culver. Love Culver, but White is the player the Bulls needed with the current group of players assembled and I am convinced in time he will prove me correct. The NBA game is changing with transition hoops and running the floor essential creating easy buckets. A message to the Bulls players: Better be in shape when training camp begins because Coach Boylen plans to jump start the offense with Chris Fleming joining the coaching staff from Brooklyn.

Coby White is "The Blur". The Bulls are going to be a fun, exciting team to watch.

Second round pick Daniel Gafford is athletic. I mean atttttthletic! He can finish around the rim (led the SEC in FG% at 66%) and is a presence on defense. Gafford is a roll to the rim talent and loves to run the floor, which only adds to the versatility of the Bulls. He too is a developing young player at 20. He is committed to working on his offensive game and body. He will compete with Cristiano Felicio for back up minutes.

Atlanta is percolating. The Hawks, similar to the Bulls, continue to stock pile young talent. As expected, Atlanta found a willing trade partner with NOLA. The Hawks from day one targeted Virginia's De'Andre Hunter who is a magnificent defender and understands his offensive role. The "X Factor" is Cam Reddish. Incredible skill set. It's a hit or miss. Don't sleep on the Hawks. Superb job by GM Travis Schlenk.

The Pelicans continue to wheel and deal as NOLA guru David Griffin is adding piece after piece after piece. I absolutely loved their selection of Jaxson Hayes at eight...yea, that guy, Zion is pretty good as well.

Memphis with a revamped front office did very well selecting Ja Morant (a no brainer) and Brandon Clarke.

Pistons GM Ed Stefanski in a 24 hour period acquired Tony Snell from MIlwaukee, drafted Sekou Doumbouya and then flipped the last pick in the first round for four -count em' four- second round picks.

The Cavs were solid: Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. who has a big time upside. Can Garland and Collin Sexton play together? We will soon find out.

Indiana picked up TJ Warren from the Suns. On paper, I like the move for the Pacers but can Warren stay healthy?

Nassir Little of North Carolina was projected to be a 10-14 guy and fell to 25th. How badly does he want to be a great player? If he can't bring it nightly for Terry Stotts, that's on the player. Little has a great skill set. I'm shocked he went 25th...now it's time for him to look in the mirror and get after it.

What a night for Canada...a record setting six Canadians selected.

Tons and tons of story lines but this night belonged to the young men and the entire NBA basketball who put in the time, effort and long, long hours of intel work securing talent.

The free agent period is around the corner followed by Summer League.

I am totally fired up.

Thanks for reading CCI. Reach out: cswirsky@bulls.com or Twitter @ctsbulls

Always a pleasure.

Source: https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/chucks-daily-check-062119

[beamheat2-blog]

Chuck's Daily Check In - 06.21.19

The NBA offseason, already firing on all cylinders with trades involving Anthony Davis and Mike Conley respectively, did not disappoint on draft night as the Pelicans, Hawks, Timberwolves and Suns were active. It all played into the hands of the Bulls.

The Bulls did not surrender a roster player, nor a future pick to grab the player they coveted.

Prior to the draft, if someone told me the Bulls would come away with Coby White at seven, I would have said, "Case closed, let's go home."

My initial thoughts as I'm writing CCI at 1:42 AM:

White has a huge upside. You can't coach speed and he is a nightmare to stop in the open court. His play making decisions will improve. He will be coached and will learn the pro pick and roll game. He has the athleticism to be a solid defender. He was the primary ball handler at North Carolina. He has "leadership" written all over him. He is 19. I repeat. He is 19. Patience, please. Head Coach Jim Boylen loves players with "spirit"...White has plenty of that.

After Minnesota and the Suns hooked up swapping first round picks with Dario Saric packaged to the Suns as well, I was convinced White was headed to Minnesota but the T-Wolves elected to go with Jarrett Culver. Love Culver, but White is the player the Bulls needed with the current group of players assembled and I am convinced in time he will prove me correct. The NBA game is changing with transition hoops and running the floor essential creating easy buckets. A message to the Bulls players: Better be in shape when training camp begins because Coach Boylen plans to jump start the offense with Chris Fleming joining the coaching staff from Brooklyn.

Coby White is "The Blur". The Bulls are going to be a fun, exciting team to watch.

Second round pick Daniel Gafford is athletic. I mean atttttthletic! He can finish around the rim (led the SEC in FG% at 66%) and is a presence on defense. Gafford is a roll to the rim talent and loves to run the floor, which only adds to the versatility of the Bulls. He too is a developing young player at 20. He is committed to working on his offensive game and body. He will compete with Cristiano Felicio for back up minutes.

Atlanta is percolating. The Hawks, similar to the Bulls, continue to stock pile young talent. As expected, Atlanta found a willing trade partner with NOLA. The Hawks from day one targeted Virginia's De'Andre Hunter who is a magnificent defender and understands his offensive role. The "X Factor" is Cam Reddish. Incredible skill set. It's a hit or miss. Don't sleep on the Hawks. Superb job by GM Travis Schlenk.

The Pelicans continue to wheel and deal as NOLA guru David Griffin is adding piece after piece after piece. I absolutely loved their selection of Jaxson Hayes at eight...yea, that guy, Zion is pretty good as well.

Memphis with a revamped front office did very well selecting Ja Morant (a no brainer) and Brandon Clarke.

Pistons GM Ed Stefanski in a 24 hour period acquired Tony Snell from MIlwaukee, drafted Sekou Doumbouya and then flipped the last pick in the first round for four -count em' four- second round picks.

The Cavs were solid: Darius Garland and Kevin Porter Jr. who has a big time upside. Can Garland and Collin Sexton play together? We will soon find out.

Indiana picked up TJ Warren from the Suns. On paper, I like the move for the Pacers but can Warren stay healthy?

Nassir Little of North Carolina was projected to be a 10-14 guy and fell to 25th. How badly does he want to be a great player? If he can't bring it nightly for Terry Stotts, that's on the player. Little has a great skill set. I'm shocked he went 25th...now it's time for him to look in the mirror and get after it.

What a night for Canada...a record setting six Canadians selected.

Tons and tons of story lines but this night belonged to the young men and the entire NBA basketball who put in the time, effort and long, long hours of intel work securing talent.

The free agent period is around the corner followed by Summer League.

I am totally fired up.

Thanks for reading CCI. Reach out: cswirsky@bulls.com or Twitter @ctsbulls

Always a pleasure.

Source: https://www.nba.com/bulls/news/chucks-daily-check-062119

[newssplashy]

Strategy: These people make hundreds of dollars a month flipping products from a skater brand that teens are obsessed with. Here's how they do it.

Supreme is more than just an obsession for some teens — it's how they make money. Supreme products that retail for around $40 often end up on eBay for $300 within minutes of selling out. Here's how people that flip Supreme do it.

Teens are obsessed with Supreme, a skater brand that has seen mainstream success in recent years.

Supreme has garnered a lot of attention in the last week after copies of the New York Post with Supreme ads on the cover flew off the shelves. Almost all Supreme products sell out instantly.

There is a huge market for reselling Supreme products because of the extremely high demand. Some fans who shared their stories with Business Insider said they are able to make hundreds of dollars a week by flipping products they're able to buy before they sell out.

Supreme, Gen Z's favorite skater brand, has become a source of income for some savvy shoppers.

Supreme was founded in 1994 by James Jebbia and has since grown from a skater-centric brand to a mainstream apparel brand with its own cult following. The brand ranked seventh among upper-income teens' favorite brands in a spring 2018 survey by Piper Jaffray, and in 2017, Supreme received a roughly $500 million cash infusion from The Carlyle Group, which valued the brand at $1 billion.

Last week, loyal fans snatched up copies of the New York Post that featured a wraparound Supreme ad on the cover. The papers, which typically costs $1.50, flew off the shelves. Copies of it are now listed on eBay for many times its normal listing price.

There's a huge market for reselling Supreme products because of the extremely high demand. Some fans are able to make hundreds of dollars a week by flipping products they're able to buy when they're released in product launches called "drops."

But because of how quickly products sell out, people who flip them have to prepare.

"During Supreme season, I'm constantly researching, buying, and selling — it usually doesn’t stop until the season is over," 21-year-old Supreme fan Jake Morell told Business Insider.

Morell says he typically makes as much as $600 per month throughout a season, which includes one drop a week from August to December.

We spoke to two Supreme fans who flip products and make hundreds of dollars each week. Here's how they do it:

Supreme has two seasons: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer. New products are released in events called "drops" every Thursday throughout the season, and they usually sell out within seconds online.

Source: Business Insider

Before drops, people who flip Supreme typically do hours of online research to see what products will be coming out, what products people like or dislike, and what is predicted to have the highest resale value. One website fans use is Supreme Community, which leaks the details of product releases before they happen and allows users to vote on their favorite products.

"On the Supreme Community website, when you look at each drop, they have a voting system — underneath each picture of an item, you can see if it has thumbs-up or thumbs-down ratings, like on Rotten Tomatoes," Christopher Young, a 21-year-old who says he makes as much as $300 per week flipping Supreme products, told Business Insider.

"That gives you a general idea of, 'Oh, this is something that people really like, or this is something people don't really like.'"

Because of how quickly products sell out, people who flip Supreme products practice using the website to make sure they can buy the most-wanted items before they're gone.

"You have to go on in advance and figure out what section your item is going to be in — is it going to be in 'tops' or in 't-shirts?' Is it going to be in 'accessories' or in 'bags?'" Young said.

Morell said that he is usually on the computer, waiting, at least 30 minutes before everything goes on sale.

Checking out can be a scramble — products can sell out even when they're already in your cart, so many people only buy one product a week to make sure they get something to sell. Even if you're buying just one product, you can turn a profit of as much as $300 a week throughout a season.

"It's an interesting game," Young said.

"Sometimes you'll be really happy with it, and sometimes you'll be super disappointed."

Part of why it's so hard to actually buy anything before it sells out is the use of automated bots. Some people who plan on reselling reportedly spend as much as $150 on automated bots that can be programmed to automatically buy products in certain colors or sizes in seconds.

Several shoppers and bot sellers have said that if Supreme catches you using a bot, it can block your IP address and shipping address.

Supreme did not immediately return Business Insider's request for comment on that reported practice.

"I remember there was one jacket that I really wanted, so I clicked on it on the website at 11:00 a.m., and it was already sold out by the time the page loaded. Stuff like that happens all the time, and it's very obvious that it's bots," Young told Business Insider.

Typically, small items like pins and stickers are under $30, while shirts, bags, and hats will cost between $30 and $100. Jackets, hoodies, and pants usually cost between $100 and $300, with a few outliers.

Within minutes of going on sale, the most popular products can end up on eBay for many times the original price. One of the most popular items from week one of the season — a Madonna t-shirt — cost $48 at Supreme, and within hours of the in-store drop, it was listed on eBay at a starting price of $250.

Another popular reselling website is Grailed. Within 45 minutes of Supreme's online launch, products like backpacks, t-shirts, and bags were listed on Grailed for more than twice the retail price.

Most sellers wouldn't even have the product in hand at this point — as long as an order confirmation is posted, people will buy it. It can take as little as 15 minutes to turn a profit.

Morell told Business Insider: "I set a budget for myself every week, which usually ranges from $300-$500. As soon as I get a shipping confirmation email, I immediately post the items I want to sell on Grailed. I usually receive a ton of offers within the day, and bargain with them as much as I can."

Results from flipping can be pretty hit or miss. "I got a lot for the Supreme Zippo last season. It retailed for $60, and I ended up selling it for $150. I remember being super shocked by that," Young said.

"The lowest amount I ever got was retail value on a sweater. I once sold a bag very quickly, and made twice the original value of it — the bag was $70, and I made $135," he said.

And profits aren't always guaranteed. "My biggest Supreme mistake was buying a Kayak for $480. Predicted resell was over $1,000. I went ahead and copped one, only for it to lose value immediately when it went on sale. I ended up selling it for $470 after fees and shipping," Morell said.

Though the sellers we spoke to typically make under $1,000 a month, some sellers are able to make much more than that from just one item. For example, a big-ticket item like the Supreme/Louis Vuitton Box Logo Tee — originally $495 — goes for well over $1,000 on eBay.

source http://www.newssplashy.com/2018/08/strategy-these-people-make-hundreds-of.html

[sbknews]

New Post has been published on Superbike News

New Post has been published on http://superbike-news.co.uk/wordpress/toni-elias-takes-win-superbike-title-saturday-njmp/

Toni Elias Takes The Win, Superbike Title Saturday at NJMP

Eighteen months ago Toni Elias was at home in Spain contemplating retirement from the sport in which he’d tasted success at the very top. Now he’s the 2017 MotoAmerica Superbike Champion after a dream season in which he never finished worse than second, except for a crash that was no fault of his own.

And the 2010 Moto2 World Champion and former MotoGP winner wrapped up his title in style with his ninth victory of the season. This one came in the MotoAmerica Championship of New Jersey, presented by K&N, and it gave him an insurmountable 265 points, 84 more than his Yoshimura Suzuki teammate Roger Hayden with three races left to run in the 2017 season.

The championship also ended a drought for Suzuki, the 192nd victory for the brand giving it its first AMA Superbike Championship since Mat Mladin won on a Yoshimura Suzuki in 2009. Since Hayden has also wrapped up second in the title chase, it marks the first one-two championship finish since Ben Spies and Mladin did the deed in 2008. Since then, Yamaha’s Josh Hayes, Josh Herrin and Cameron Beaubier had run the table with seven Superbike titles in a row.

The win was also the 15th of Elias’ career and it moves him into a tie for ninth with Eric Bostrom and Freddie Spencer on the all-time Superbike win list. His next victory would move him into a tie for eighth with his childhood hero Wayne Rainey, the president of MotoAmerica.

“I’m so happy, for many reasons, first of all because Suzuki gave me this important deal last year,” Elias said. “I found an incredible team (with) good bosses, the technicians, the mechanics, Suzuki from Japan, Yoshimura U.S., (they are) always the best. This year the new bike has been amazing. We could fight a lot with this new bike power. The last rounds the situation came better and better. I didn’t want to wait (to win the championship), I wanted to win today and we did it. Josh (Hayes) and Roger (Hayden) pushed me a lot. I was trying to open a gap and it looked possible, but at the end I was thinking no. They came back, but at the end everything finished in a good way. We could win this championship. It is an amazing feeling for me (and) for all this group. I’m so happy and proud of these people, so for me it’s not only a championship, it’s more than that. It’s coming from s**t, because I was in a big s**t. I decide to quit between five or six hundred days ago, and look at how the situation can change, no? Just a phone call (from Yoshimura Suzuki), come here, I start to get good results. This time, being here, winning, and being champion is amazing for me. I did some mistakes in the past, and this has been a big lesson I will remember for the rest of my life. I will continue doing my best. I will enjoy this moment, and congratulations to my rivals, Josh, Roger, Cameron (Beaubier), they have been so strong. We’ve had big battles. We enjoy, we suffer and they did an incredible job. They pushed me hard and in the end we finish perfectly. I’m so happy.”

Hayden finished a close second to his teammate, fighting his way past Monster Energy/Yamalube/Yamaha Factory Racing’s Josh Hayes late in the race to make a run at Elias. At the finish, he was just .039 of a second from making the 34-year-old Spaniard have to wait another day to earn the title.

“I wanted to make Toni (Elias) at least wait another day,” Hayden said. “As a competitor, you don’t want him to wrap it up this early. But, I struggled early in the race with the front end of the bike a little bit. I’m not sure what it was. In the middle to end of the race when these guys tapered off their lap times a little bit mine kind of stayed the same. I tried Toni once in Turn 1 and I got a good run on him. The last corner, I remember last year I passed him up the inside, and I think maybe he was expecting it because he blocked it a little bit, so I just went wide and got the best run I could get. It was actually pretty close at the line. I’m happy, somewhat happy, to (finish) second in the championship, Suzuki first and second. For the team, I’m happy for them. All those guys work hard and they put a lot of faith in us. We’ve gotten beat pretty bad the past couple years and it’s been a while for those guys to be top dog for the year. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and it’ll be another dog fight.”

Hayes led the race and was in the fight for most of the 23 laps before settling for third place, 2.4 seconds behind. Hayes, who has won 11 Superbike races in his career, will try again tomorrow in Motul Superbike race two.

“I actually felt really good on the motorcycle all weekend,” Hayes said. “I was just digging in there pretty hard. When I have a clear racetrack in front of me I’m able to do pretty decent work, even when Toni (Elias) was there and had a small gap I was able to just focus on where to put my motorcycle I felt like I was doing okay and was just biding my time. It was hard, but I could maintain it and keep doing it. But when I would get close to him and have to look underneath him I just paid for it fairly dearly every single time. In the end, I just beat my bike up and ended up not having the tools I needed to do anything with them at the end. I was pretty disappointed with how it finished. I felt pretty good all weekend, but they just had some pace at the end that I couldn’t do. We’ll go back to the drawing board and see if we can figure it out for tomorrow.”

Fourth place went to Josh Herrin, the replacement rider for the injured Cameron Beaubier nabbing the spot from Genuine Broaster Chicken Honda’s Jake Gagne in the final corner on the last lap. Gagne held on for fifth, his second-best effort of the season.

Sixth place went to YCRS/Cambr/KWR’s Kyle Wyman, some three seconds behind the Herrin/Gagne battle.

TOBC Racing’s Danny Eslick finished seventh and that gave him victory in the Bazzaz Superstock 1000 class, the Oklahoman some two seconds clear of M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Jake Lewis. Bazzaz Superstock 1000 Championship points leader Mathew Scholtz was ninth (and third in class) on the Yamalube/Westby Racing YZF-R1 and Cycle World Suzuki’s Hayden Gillim rounded out the top 10.

Scholtz now leads the title chase by 60 points with three races left on the schedule, including tomorrow’s second Motul Superbike race at NJMP. Scholtz has 347 points to Lewis’ 287. Quicksilver Latus Racing Kawasaki’s Bobby Fong is third in the standings, 78 points behind after struggling to 14th today.

Supersport: Gerloff Takes His Ninth

It took two starts to get the Supersport race going at NJMP as the first attempt was stopped on the opening lap when Mike Selpe crashed out, but when the race ran its completed and shortened distance of 16 laps it was again Garrett Gerloff at the front of the field for the ninth time – and sixth in succession – the Texan again showing complete dominance.

JD Beach was leading his Monster Energy/Yamalube/Y.E.S./Graves Yamaha teammate Gerloff when the race was stopped, but the order was reversed when they started for a second time. This time it was Gerloff out front and he instantly went to work on pulling away from Beach and the rest. The gap was .263 after one lap, 1.118 seconds after two laps, 1.3 seconds after three laps, 1.8 after four laps… 4.8 seconds after nine laps. And that gap steadily increased until he crossed the line with his ninth win, 10.6 seconds clear.

“(The race) was really good,” Gerloff said. “We were kind of feeling weird yesterday in practice and qualifying with the way the bike was handling. It wasn’t very consistent. It was so fast, I just couldn’t do it every lap. We came up with a plan this morning and in qualifying it worked really well. I was able to be really consistent. I didn’t even go as fast as I did yesterday, but I was able to do it every lap. I was really happy with how the bike felt. That was really nice to be able to know going into the race, just know that I needed to be consistent and do my laps. Luckily, I was able to get a good (restart) and just ride my own race, and hit my marks. Everything was going pretty well. All in all, it was a pretty good race and I’m ready for tomorrow.”

Second place went to M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Valentine Debise, the Frenchman getting the better of Beach on the final lap. Fourth place went to Team H35 Honda’s Benny Solis with Michael Gilbert finishing fifth on the Team MG55 Yamaha, the Californian winning the Superstock 600 race in the process.

Gerloff now leads Beach in the championship standings by 41 points and can wrap up the 2017 MotoAmerica Supersport Championship in tomorrow’s race two if he wins and Beach finishes third or worse. Debise is a solid third with 216 points, 24 clear of Solis.

Gilbert helped himself mightily in the Superstock 600 Championship with his victory combined with championship leader Jason Aquilar’s fourth-place finish. Gilbert now trails Aguilar by just five points heading into tomorrow’s race two at New Jersey Motorsports Park.

KTM RC Cup: Dumas Takes Third In A Row Two weeks ago, 15-year-old Canadian Alex Dumas won his first-ever KTM RC Cup race at Pittsburgh International Race Complex. A day later, he backed it up with a second victory. Today, at NJMP, Dumas did it again, winning his third straight race and putting himself back into contention in the KTM RC Cup Championship.

Dumas and his JP43 Junior Team KTM RC390 beat CSVMoto’s Cory Ventura by just .735 of a second after a scrap that went the distance. Third place went to Sean Ungvarsky, the Savage Racing rider earning his first MotoAmerica podium.

Championship leader Benjamin Smith crashed out of the race early and it’s closed the championship race considerably. Smith now leads Ventura by just four points with Dumas just 10 behind in third place. Quarterley Racing/On Track Development’s Jackson Blackmon, fourth today, is 19 points behind in fourth place.

“I’m happy for this win and I hope to do four race (wins) in a row tomorrow,” Dumas said. “I had a good battle with Sean (Ungvarsky) and Cory (Ventura), even if he didn’t get in front of me. It was very fun and I hope to have a good race tomorrow too.”

RESULTS

Motul Superbike

Toni Elias, Barcelona, Spain, Suzuki

Roger Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki

Josh Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Yamaha

Josh Herrin, Dublin, Ga., Yamaha

Jake Gagne, San Diego, Calif., Honda

Kyle Wyman, Macadon, N.Y., Yamaha

Danny Eslick, Tulsa, Okla., Yamaha

Jake Lewis, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki

Mathew Scholtz, Durban, South Africa, Yamaha

Hayden Gillim, Philpot, Ky., Suzuki

Motul Superbike Championship Standings

Toni Elias, Barcelona, Spain, Suzuki – 365

Roger Hayden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki – 281

Cameron Beaubier, Roseville, Calif., Yamaha – 255

Josh Hayes, Gulfport, Miss., Yamaha – 196

Mathew Scholtz, Durban, South Africa, Yamaha – 166

Jake Lewis, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki – 144

Bobby Fong, Stockton, Calif., Kawasaki – 140

Josh Herrin, Dublin, Ga., Yamaha – 127

Danny Eslick, Tulsa, Okla., Yamaha – 120

Kyle Wyman, Macedon, N.Y., Yamaha – 108

Bazzaz Superstock 1000

Danny Eslick, Tulsa, Okla., Yamaha

Jake Lewis, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki

Mathew Scholtz, Durban, South Africa, Yamaha

Hayden Gillim, Philpot, Ky., Suzuki

Anthony West, Australia, Kawasaki

Bobby Fong, Stockton, Calif., Kawasaki

Alan Nelson, Towson, Md., Kawasaki

Max Flinders, Preston, England, Yamaha

Alistair Hoogenboezem, South Africa, Kawasaki

Bazzaz Superstock 1000 Championship Standings

Mathew Scholtz, Durban, South Africa, Yamaha – 347

Jake Lewis, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki – 287

Bobby Fong, Stockton, Calif., Kawasaki – 269

Danny Eslick, Tulsa, Okla., Yamaha – 245

Hayden Gillim, Philpot, Ky., Suzuki – 174

Bryce Prince, Bakersfield, Calif., Yamaha – 167

Max Flinders, Preston, England, Yamaha – 125

Anthony West, Australia, Kawasaki – 68

David Anthony, Murrieta, Calif., Kawasaki – 66

Tyler O’Hara, Petaluma, Calif., Kawasaki – 54

Supersport

Garrett Gerloff, New Waverly, Texas, Yamaha

Valentin Debise, Albi, France, Suzuki

JD Beach, Owensboro, Ky., Yamaha

Benny Solis, North Hollywood, Calif., Honda

Michael Gilbert, Santa Ana, Calif., Yamaha

Braeden Ortt, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Yamaha

Nick McFadden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki

Jason Aguilar, Placentia, Calif., Yamaha

Connor Blevins, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki

Jody Barry, Lake In The Hills, Ill., Kawasaki

Supersport Championship Standings

Garrett Gerloff, New Waverly, Texas, Yamaha – 321

JD Beach, Owensboro, Ky., Yamaha – 280

Valentin Debise, Albi, France, Suzuki – 216

Benny Solis, North Hollywood, Calif., Honda – 192

Jason Aguilar, Placentia, Calif., Yamaha – 118

Michael Gilbert, Santa Ana, Calif., Yamaha – 115

Nick McFadden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki – 103

Connor Blevins, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki – 89

Shane Richardson, Wellington, New Zealand, Kawasaki – 84

Daytona Anderson, Riverside, Calif., Suzuki – 82

Superstock 600

Michael Gilbert, Santa Ana, Calif., Yamaha

Braeden Ortt, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Yamaha

Nick McFadden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki

Jason Aguilar, Placentia, Calif., Yamaha

Connor Blevins, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki

Anthony Mazziotto III, Hammonton, N.J., Yamaha

Shane Richardson, Wellington, New Zealand, Kawasaki

Eziah Davis, Hopkington, R.I., Yamaha

Lucas Silva, Miami, Fla., Yamaha

Joseph Giannotto, Hastings, Fla., Yamaha

Superstock 600 Championship Standings

Jason Aguilar, Placentia, Calif., Yamaha – 239

Michael Gilbert, Santa Ana, Calif., Yamaha – 234

Nick McFadden, Owensboro, Ky., Suzuki – 187

Conner Blevins, Oklahoma City, Okla., Kawasaki – 179

Shane Richardson, Wellington, New Zealand, Kawasaki – 164

Braeden Ortt, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Yamaha – 161

Anthony Mazziotto III, Hammonton, N.J., Yamaha – 120

JC Camacho, Deer Park, Texas, Suzuki – 117

Andrew Lee, Clovis, Calif., Yamaha – 91

Brandon Cleland, Fort Worth, Texas, Suzuki – 64

KTM RC Cup

Alex Dumas, Quebec, Canada, KTM

Cory Ventura, Union City, Calif., KTM

Sean Ungvarsky, Phoenix, Ariz., KTM

Jackson Blackmon, Rock Hill, S.C., KTM

Jake Leahey, Hammonton, N.J., KTM

Toby Khamsouk, Banning, Calif., KTM

Trevor Standish, Roswell, Ga., KTM

Ryan Wissel, Medina, Ohio, KTM

Gavin Anthony, Hilliard, Ohio, KTM

Jamie Astudillo, Gilbertville, Pa., KTM

KTM RC Cup Championship Standings

Benjamin Smith, Glenmoore, Pa., KTM – 208

Cory Ventura, Union City, Calif., KTM – 204

Alex Dumas, Quebec, Canada, KTM – 198

Jackson Blackmon, Rock Hill, S.C., KTM – 189

Draik Beauchamp, Knoxville, Tenn., KTM- 165

Toby Khamsouk, Banning, Calif., KTM – 130

Trevor Standish, Roswell, Ga., KTM – 114

Gavin Anthony, Hillard, Ohio, KTM – 90

Nate Minster, Oak Grove, Minn. KTM – 70

Jake Leahey, Hammonton, N.J., KTM – 65

http://superbike-news.co.uk/wordpress/josh-hayes-top-njmp/

About MotoAmerica

MotoAmerica is the new North American road racing series created in 2014. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

New Video: THE THE Shares Trippy Visual for Slinky and Brooding "Cognitive Dissident"

New Video: THE THE Shares Trippy Visual for Slinky and Brooding "Cognitive Dissident" @thethe @grandstandhq @warnelivesey @do_or_diy @timpopedirector

Acclaimed British post-punk outfit THE THE was founded by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matt Johnson back in 1979 and through various iterations and configurations, Johnson and his collaborators have developed a sound and approach that seems to inhabit its own difficult to define genre: music of long shadows, high hopes, channeled anger, feverish passions and sweetly disturbing…

[thejoyofviolentmovement]

Acclaimed British post-punk outfit THE THE was founded by singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matt Johnson back in 1979 and through various iterations and configurations, Johnson and his collaborators have developed a sound and approach that seems to inhabit its own difficult to define genre: music of long shadows, high hopes, channeled anger, feverish passions and sweetly disturbing poignancy that meshes elements of pop, rock, blues, folk and soul among others while spanning alienated electronics to twisted cinematic soundtracks, guitar tumbling swing to crimson ballads, rants and prayers to diaries and hymns. Over the course of their 45 year history, Johnson and company have released only five full-length albums of original material, 1983’s Soul Mining, 1986’s Infected, 1989’s Mind Bomb, 1993’s Dusk and 2000’s NakedSelf. Having a long-held reputation for being unpredictable, the band has also tackled covers, such as 1995’s Hanky Panky; film soundtracks, including 2009’s Tony, 2010’s Moonbug, 2014’s Hyena and 2019’s Muscle; art installations, a the Radio Cinéola podcast series; 2017’s moving, 84 minute documentary/multimedia project The Inertia Variations and various book publications including 2018’s Matt Johnson biography Long Shadows, High Hopes: The Life and Times of Matt Johnson & THE THE. 2017’s The Inertia Variations took inspiration from British poet John Tottenham’s 2005 book of the same name — particularly the idea of “brooding, abstraction and evasion” getting in the way of the creative process. The Inertia Variations eventually resulted in not just the documentary, but also the Radio Cinéola Trilogy triple album box set. At the end of The Inertia Variations documentary, Johnson was filmed performing a new song live in his studio, “We Can’t Stop What’s Coming,” an energy to his older brother Andrew Johnson, an artist professionally known as Andy Dog, who died in 2016. “It was not an easy song to write,” he says. “That was the first time I’d sung in many years. I enjoyed it but found it very emotional.” The experience prompted Johnson to revive THE THE as a live band — and it lead to the sold-out 2018 The Comeback Special world tour. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the release of the accompanying live film and album until 2021. And of course, the pandemic also delayed the intended start on the writing and recording of first THE THE album in almost 25 years, Ensoulment. Instead, Johnson and company released a series of 7 inch singles that started with 2017’s “We Can’t Stop What’s Coming,” 2020’s “I WANT 2 B U,” and last year’s “$1 ONE VOTE!” The 12-song Ensoulment is slated for a September 6, 2024 release through Cinéola/earMUSIC. The album reportedly contains echoes of the acclaimed British outfit’s multifaceted and lengthy musical past, however, it’s richly representative of the mercurial band’s here and now. The album continues Johnson’s long-held reputation for being unafraid to tackle the inherent emotional complexity of the human condition — in particular, intimacy in an age of alienation; democracy in a post-truth age; empire and vassalage; the seemingly inexorable rise of AI and more. And yet, the album is rooted in hope. “It’s vital to be hopeful,” Johnson states. “And I hope people get out of the album what we put into it. It was created under very happy circumstances, with a great vibe amongst the band and all the people that worked on it. There was a lot of thought, a lot of work, a lot of love, a lot of laughter!” The album’s material were further refined in rehearsals, just before a six-day recording sessions at Bath, UK-based Real World Studios, where Johnson was joined by long-standing band members James Ellen (bass), DC Collard (keys), Earl Harvin (drums) and Barrie Cadogan (lead guitar). The album also marks the return of co-producer and engineer Warne Livesey, who worked with the band on Infected and Mind Bomb. The album also features contributions from Gillian Glover (backing...

[newssplashy]

Wizkid: What is the impact of Sounds From The Other Side, a year after?

An in-depth look at how Wizkid's bold attempt to crack the huge American market with 'Sounds From The Other Side'.

Today, July 14, 2018, marks the one-year anniversary of Wizkid's ambitious third solo body of work 'Sounds From The Other Side'.

In his fast-paced, chaotic career, SFTOS would be his most high stake solo project, an audacious attempt to announce himself properly on the American stage. 

The album or EP as it was touted at the time would be his most ambitious work ever, aiming to crack the usually receptively cold American market.

Background

As fate would have it, the frigid American music market had started flirting with sounds from the motherland. His bromance with international pop star/bad boy Chris Brown starting from 2012 would gradually ease Wizkid into the American market.

 We can't also forget about the rapper Wale. The two acts would collaborate often resulting in 'Drop', a lusty urgent track put out in July 2013 and 'Murder' that featured in Wizkid's second solo effort.

With his profile steadily rising in North America, Wizkid told DJ Abrantee he recorded a new song with Chris Brown 'African Bad Girl' on Capital Xtra in late 2014. Wizzy revealed the song would be the first single off his next project. This would be the first announcement of a new album after his sophomore LP 'Ayo (Joy)' which earned mixed reviews.

 In July 2015, his globe-trotting efforts would pay off big time. UK Grime star Skepta who is of Nigerian origin linked the biggest rapper in the world Drake to Wizkid's sensational single 'Ojuelegba'. Drake who had heard of Wizkid jumped on the remix. The song would be released on his Apple Music station OVO Sounds.

 This singular move would take Wizkid's name from conservations between taste makers to the artificial thick lips of the Jenners/Kardashians in California, Los Angeles.

 With his international wave on the rise, Wizkid rearranged his rollout plans, a move not familiar to his longtime fans. By September 2015, Wizkid characteristically announced that he had scrapped his third album after being inspired by 2face Idibia's legendary catalogue. To appease his fans he would put out a 10 track EP by October 2015.

That EP would not come out in October. From late 2015 to July 2017, Wizkid would continually tease his fans with high stake project. The recording of SFTOS started from 2014-2017. The principal architects would be Sarz (his frequent collaborator), Major Lazer, Picard Brothers, Dre Skull, Del B, Spellz, DJ Mustard, Twice as Nice and DJ Maphorisa.

To further concentrate on his album, Wizkid rented out an L.A mansion in March 2016. He and his cohorts, Legendury Beatz, Sarz and Efya would spend hours in the studio working on his big North American debut.

 This was also the period he debuted his new nickname Pablo, most likely named after Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. The HBO series 'Narcos' would introduce the narco-terrorist to millennials.

 By March 2016, Wizkid would collaborate with Drake on a number of songs for his icy testimonial ode for the cold city of his childhood and upbringing Views. One of the lead singles for Views would be 'One Dance', a blend of Drake's R&B/pop vibe, British pop and Caribbean influenced background vocals delivered by Wizkid.

"I think I put up something on my Instagram and Drake heard it and was like 'yo dawg that sh*t sounds crazy. We need to do something for my album real quick" he told Ebro during his Beats 1 on Apple Music interview.

The collaboration would further push Wizkid into the music scene in North America. The song earned Wizkid a Grammy nod and an ASCAP recognition.

One of the other recordings from Wizkid and Drake's collaborations was a rough sketch song called 'Come Closer'.

The track would leak in February 2017 and it was initially called 'Hush Up The Silence'. Despite speculations that Drake wanted the song as a collaboration with him and his Jamaican buddy Popcaan, Wizkid would officially release the track as his featuring Drake on March 31, 2017.

Earlier on March 1, 2017, Billboard broke the news that Wizkid had signed "a multi-album worldwide deal with RCA Records/Sony Music International." The stars were aligning for Wizkid's official North America roll out.

"Just from having conversations with them. I really just wanted to go with people that understand my dreams and my vision. From the first meeting with RCA, they just understood it.

 "It wasn’t really about money or about numbers, it was just about getting the vision to where it should be. That’s why I did that with them and they’ve been amazing people out there. I couldn’t ask for nothing better" he told XXL Magazine in July 2017.

'Sweet Love' an oft-teased track that almost made it mystical was released by Wizkid on March 1, 2017.

On April 6, 2017, Wizkid would release the 'Come Closer' video sans the presence of 6 God. The mysterious no-show of Drake wasn't strong enough to deter the video to become a hit and a testament to the rising acceptance of African excellence and appreciation of melanin beauty. As of today, it has racked up an impressive 60 million views on YouTube.

"I took like 4 days to make that video," he told MTV Base in May of 2017. "I just want to DAPS and I was like 'yo I've got a crazy idea and this is how I want it.' I literally called the girls in the video."

 The video and track itself were way better received than 'Daddy Yo' which had come out in December 2016 as a teaser of what was to come. Wizkid's use of reggaeton was questioned by some of his fans.

 On June 29, 2017, Wizkid would unveil the artwork for his all or nothing project. The album cover wasn't well received and even Wizkid would poke fun at it. Still, this couldn't stop the momentum of SFTOS.

 D-Day

On July 14, 2017, Wizkid dropped the body of work that took him 3 years to record. Sounds From The Other Side was finally here.

The initial critical reactions of the project were good. Here are some of the reviews of SFTOS by international media;

Pitchfork - "WizKid is primed to carry Afrobeats to great heights" 7.4/10

Rolling Stone - "Wizkid’s Major Label Debut Is a Border-Blurring Dance Party" 3 out 5 stars

Okay Africa - "a true afro-fusion album, well-balanced between world-conquering ambitions and the culture whence it came."

Pulse Music Review described the body of work as "well-crafted, one-dimensional pop dance project that is all about vibes than actual substance."

Commercially in the United States, SFTOS sold 6,286 units in its first week. That’s broken down into 2,672 pure album purchase, 6,079 song downloads, 4,510,897 song streams. All of these made up the first week sales for Wizkid.

It also debuted at number 107 on the Billboard 200 chart. There is no information available on the latest number of copies SFTOS has moved.

A Year After

365 days after the release of Sounds From The Other Side, what is the body of work's impact? Did Wizkid achieve his desire to crack the North American market?

Numbers-wise Sounds From The Other Side did not make a commercial dent in America's massive music recording industry. Conservatively speaking the project should have done at least 50,000 units with a single going at least Gold. Yes, Come Closer has been certified Gold in Canada (40,000 Units) and Silver in UK (200,000 units) but the aim was to crack the US. 'Come Closer' has yet to move 500,000 units in America even with Drake on it.

 "SFTOS was a DUD. It had zero impact in both Africa and the world in general and that makes no sense seeing as the guy is the 'hottest' with a huge following to back him up.

"Also, when you consider the fact that this album had all the creative and structural support that a Major label offers, it's more glaring that SFTOS FLOPPED!  Drake, Major Lazer, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla Sign, Efya, Bucie, Trey Songz, Sarz, Del B, Spellz, Dre Skull, DJ Mustard, Major Lazer, and the Picard Brothers and yet...

"It's not a project that we're going to remember or celebrate. That's saying a lot" says Obinna Agwu, Talent Manager and A&R exec who was worked with M.I Abaga and Timi Dakolo.

Back home in Nigeria, Sounds From The Other Side was not activated. There was a free listening session for SFTOS in London sponsored by Beats by Dre. There was also an album release party in New York. Also, there were billboards in America promoting Wizkid's latest body of work. Lagos, Nigeria got little from the promo run.

With Wizkid also predominantly choosing a more Caribbean flavoured sound, many of his Nigerian fans felt that SFTOS wasn't for them. "I like Wizzy but that album was too much of Jamaican vibes. He should have done more Naija stuff for us his real fans" says, Yinka 20, who has been an ardent Wizkid fan since his first album.

"Its just a collaboration between my producers, and international producers and international artists. I am just blending my sound with theirs. That is sounds from my side and their sides and merging it to make good music" said Wizkid in an interview with MTV Base in 2017.

 For him, the project was a mix of both worlds but for longtime fans, it wasn't.

Another SFTOS flaw is that there was no clear communication on what Sounds From The Other Side was, an album, EP or mixtape. Wizkid would use the last two terms interchangeably confusing fans and music lovers.

Also, the post-release marketing of SFTOS has been non-existent. While the album has a lot of strong singles in it, no single has been released since. The project has been laid dormant.

'Africa Bad Girl' that was christened as the first single by Wizkid never got released. Maybe we can blame this on Wizkid who has been a no-show in the United States for some time now, another puzzling factor on why Wizkid's North America agenda seems to have stalled.

However, we should not be in a hurry to give Wizkid's adventurous sojourn an F9 just yet. Sounds From The Other Side was an avenue to show the world what Africa could offer to the global sound.

Let's go back to June 2011, a sweltering summer not only for North America but Nigerian music as well. That month, music entertainer D'banj would do the unthinkable by signing to G.O.O.D Music owned by Hip-Hop's ego god Kanye West. This move would shake the foundation of Nigerian music.

 Out of the array of new-gen superstars, D'banj had made the boldest move into North America. Out of his peers, he dared to seek a new frontier, the expansive and dominative American market.

Expectations were high for the Koko Master. With Don Jazzy having production credentials on the iconic Watch The Throne collabo album between JAY-Z and Ye, it seemed the time had come for Nigerian pop music to be on the world stage.

 A year later D'banj would have a scene-stealing moment in the G.O.O.D Music posse cut 'Lamborghini Mercy'. Sadly, by the time the compilation album dropped, D'banj would have a paltry 23-second vocal contribution on the entire album.

 D'banj's own compilation album D'Kings Men was more an effort of the entertainer trying to create his own imprint after the break up of Mo' Hits, than a G.O.O.D Music project. Apart from some forgettable contributions from Big Sean and Kanye West, D'Kings Men wasn't the project that would shatter the North American barrier for D'banj.

In 2016 both parties would part ways without an official solo body of work to show for it. A knee-jerk reaction would be to dismiss D'banj's efforts as a failure.

However, with a bird's eye view, you can see that D'banj clearly laid the way for younger Nigerian pop artists to make further inroads into North America. Wizkid said it himself that he grew up around D'banj especially during the Mo' Hits era.

 Partly, we must avoid the temptation to slam Wizkid's SFTOS as a flop commercially without looking at the cultural aspect.

Bankulli, who has credited vocals on Watch The Throne and Kanye's experimental cult classic 'Yeezus' says Wizkid's last body of work is just beyond numbers.

"The album was a passport for African music," he tells Pulse. "As of now, Wizkid is the ambassador of African music" he further says.

"His album was a platform to show the world what African music could in terms of merging with the global sound. D'banj tried to do this earlier" explains Bankulli.

"Wizkid basically took the Fela sound and mixed it with Caribbean sounds. By doing that he showcased what Africa could offer" he says. Bankulli, however, admits that "the album was marketed in America but there was no activation in Nigeria and because of this Nigerians didn't really embrace it."

It's been 365 days since the release of the daring Sounds From The Other Side. Since then Wizkid has walked the runway of Dolce & Gabbana, sold out the Hammersmith Apollo and 02. Yes, these are UK stints but let's not forget he was also billed to perform at Coachella this year which he surprisingly didn't show up for. He also worked and gone on tour with trap god Future.

 He might not be doing crazy numbers in the US but he has a steady profile. Also how many black acts outside of the United States has made a huge mark on sales in America's music industry? Maybe Sean Paul?

Like Wizkid told Channel 4 in 2017 "The U.S is catching up right now" and it might take a long time to embrace the sounds of Nigerian pop music.

Cracking the American market will never be easy for a non-white artist not born in North America. Yes, while Sounds From The Other Side wasn't a masterpiece or perfect with regards to marketing we should be aware that it has pushed the narrative of African music in North America forward.

 "It’s a great thing happening with music. I’m excited to be a part of this generation of artists making music to impact the world...And for the artists and the producers and really everyone from the entertainment industry in Africa, this is the right time to leverage off of that. It’s a great thing" he told XXL Magazine.

SFTOS might have been a small step for Wizkid but it's a leap for African pop music. We now have to watch out for the next act who will take it further.

source https://www.newssplashy.com/2018/07/wizkid-what-is-impact-of-sounds-from.html

[newssplashy]

An in-depth look at how Wizkid's bold attempt to crack the huge American market with 'Sounds From The Other Side'.

Today, July 14, 2018, marks the one-year anniversary of Wizkid's ambitious third solo body of work 'Sounds From The Other Side'.

In his fast-paced, chaotic career, SFTOS would be his most high stake solo project, an audacious attempt to announce himself properly on the American stage. 

The album or EP as it was touted at the time would be his most ambitious work ever, aiming to crack the usually receptively cold American market.

Background

As fate would have it, the frigid American music market had started flirting with sounds from the motherland. His bromance with international pop star/bad boy Chris Brown starting from 2012 would gradually ease Wizkid into the American market.

 We can't also forget about the rapper Wale. The two acts would collaborate often resulting in 'Drop', a lusty urgent track put out in July 2013 and 'Murder' that featured in Wizkid's second solo effort.

With his profile steadily rising in North America, Wizkid told DJ Abrantee he recorded a new song with Chris Brown 'African Bad Girl' on Capital Xtra in late 2014. Wizzy revealed the song would be the first single off his next project. This would be the first announcement of a new album after his sophomore LP 'Ayo (Joy)' which earned mixed reviews.

 In July 2015, his globe-trotting efforts would pay off big time. UK Grime star Skepta who is of Nigerian origin linked the biggest rapper in the world Drake to Wizkid's sensational single 'Ojuelegba'. Drake who had heard of Wizkid jumped on the remix. The song would be released on his Apple Music station OVO Sounds.

 This singular move would take Wizkid's name from conservations between taste makers to the artificial thick lips of the Jenners/Kardashians in California, Los Angeles.

 With his international wave on the rise, Wizkid rearranged his rollout plans, a move not familiar to his longtime fans. By September 2015, Wizkid characteristically announced that he had scrapped his third album after being inspired by 2face Idibia's legendary catalogue. To appease his fans he would put out a 10 track EP by October 2015.

That EP would not come out in October. From late 2015 to July 2017, Wizkid would continually tease his fans with high stake project. The recording of SFTOS started from 2014-2017. The principal architects would be Sarz (his frequent collaborator), Major Lazer, Picard Brothers, Dre Skull, Del B, Spellz, DJ Mustard, Twice as Nice and DJ Maphorisa.

To further concentrate on his album, Wizkid rented out an L.A mansion in March 2016. He and his cohorts, Legendury Beatz, Sarz and Efya would spend hours in the studio working on his big North American debut.

 This was also the period he debuted his new nickname Pablo, most likely named after Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. The HBO series 'Narcos' would introduce the narco-terrorist to millennials.

 By March 2016, Wizkid would collaborate with Drake on a number of songs for his icy testimonial ode for the cold city of his childhood and upbringing Views. One of the lead singles for Views would be 'One Dance', a blend of Drake's R&B/pop vibe, British pop and Caribbean influenced background vocals delivered by Wizkid.

"I think I put up something on my Instagram and Drake heard it and was like 'yo dawg that sh*t sounds crazy. We need to do something for my album real quick" he told Ebro during his Beats 1 on Apple Music interview.

The collaboration would further push Wizkid into the music scene in North America. The song earned Wizkid a Grammy nod and an ASCAP recognition.

One of the other recordings from Wizkid and Drake's collaborations was a rough sketch song called 'Come Closer'.

The track would leak in February 2017 and it was initially called 'Hush Up The Silence'. Despite speculations that Drake wanted the song as a collaboration with him and his Jamaican buddy Popcaan, Wizkid would officially release the track as his featuring Drake on March 31, 2017.

Earlier on March 1, 2017, Billboard broke the news that Wizkid had signed "a multi-album worldwide deal with RCA Records/Sony Music International." The stars were aligning for Wizkid's official North America roll out.

"Just from having conversations with them. I really just wanted to go with people that understand my dreams and my vision. From the first meeting with RCA, they just understood it.

 "It wasn’t really about money or about numbers, it was just about getting the vision to where it should be. That’s why I did that with them and they’ve been amazing people out there. I couldn’t ask for nothing better" he told XXL Magazine in July 2017.

'Sweet Love' an oft-teased track that almost made it mystical was released by Wizkid on March 1, 2017.

On April 6, 2017, Wizkid would release the 'Come Closer' video sans the presence of 6 God. The mysterious no-show of Drake wasn't strong enough to deter the video to become a hit and a testament to the rising acceptance of African excellence and appreciation of melanin beauty. As of today, it has racked up an impressive 60 million views on YouTube.

"I took like 4 days to make that video," he told MTV Base in May of 2017. "I just want to DAPS and I was like 'yo I've got a crazy idea and this is how I want it.' I literally called the girls in the video."

 The video and track itself were way better received than 'Daddy Yo' which had come out in December 2016 as a teaser of what was to come. Wizkid's use of reggaeton was questioned by some of his fans.

 On June 29, 2017, Wizkid would unveil the artwork for his all or nothing project. The album cover wasn't well received and even Wizkid would poke fun at it. Still, this couldn't stop the momentum of SFTOS.

 D-Day

On July 14, 2017, Wizkid dropped the body of work that took him 3 years to record. Sounds From The Other Side was finally here.

The initial critical reactions of the project were good. Here are some of the reviews of SFTOS by international media;

Pitchfork - "WizKid is primed to carry Afrobeats to great heights" 7.4/10

Rolling Stone - "Wizkid’s Major Label Debut Is a Border-Blurring Dance Party" 3 out 5 stars

Okay Africa - "a true afro-fusion album, well-balanced between world-conquering ambitions and the culture whence it came."

Pulse Music Review described the body of work as "well-crafted, one-dimensional pop dance project that is all about vibes than actual substance."

Commercially in the United States, SFTOS sold 6,286 units in its first week. That’s broken down into 2,672 pure album purchase, 6,079 song downloads, 4,510,897 song streams. All of these made up the first week sales for Wizkid.

It also debuted at number 107 on the Billboard 200 chart. There is no information available on the latest number of copies SFTOS has moved.

A Year After

365 days after the release of Sounds From The Other Side, what is the body of work's impact? Did Wizkid achieve his desire to crack the North American market?

Numbers-wise Sounds From The Other Side did not make a commercial dent in America's massive music recording industry. Conservatively speaking the project should have done at least 50,000 units with a single going at least Gold. Yes, Come Closer has been certified Gold in Canada (40,000 Units) and Silver in UK (200,000 units) but the aim was to crack the US. 'Come Closer' has yet to move 500,000 units in America even with Drake on it.

 "SFTOS was a DUD. It had zero impact in both Africa and the world in general and that makes no sense seeing as the guy is the 'hottest' with a huge following to back him up.

"Also, when you consider the fact that this album had all the creative and structural support that a Major label offers, it's more glaring that SFTOS FLOPPED!  Drake, Major Lazer, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla Sign, Efya, Bucie, Trey Songz, Sarz, Del B, Spellz, Dre Skull, DJ Mustard, Major Lazer, and the Picard Brothers and yet...

"It's not a project that we're going to remember or celebrate. That's saying a lot" says Obinna Agwu, Talent Manager and A&R exec who was worked with M.I Abaga and Timi Dakolo.

Back home in Nigeria, Sounds From The Other Side was not activated. There was a free listening session for SFTOS in London sponsored by Beats by Dre. There was also an album release party in New York. Also, there were billboards in America promoting Wizkid's latest body of work. Lagos, Nigeria got little from the promo run.

With Wizkid also predominantly choosing a more Caribbean flavoured sound, many of his Nigerian fans felt that SFTOS wasn't for them. "I like Wizzy but that album was too much of Jamaican vibes. He should have done more Naija stuff for us his real fans" says, Yinka 20, who has been an ardent Wizkid fan since his first album.

"Its just a collaboration between my producers, and international producers and international artists. I am just blending my sound with theirs. That is sounds from my side and their sides and merging it to make good music" said Wizkid in an interview with MTV Base in 2017.

 For him, the project was a mix of both worlds but for longtime fans, it wasn't.

Another SFTOS flaw is that there was no clear communication on what Sounds From The Other Side was, an album, EP or mixtape. Wizkid would use the last two terms interchangeably confusing fans and music lovers.

Also, the post-release marketing of SFTOS has been non-existent. While the album has a lot of strong singles in it, no single has been released since. The project has been laid dormant.

'Africa Bad Girl' that was christened as the first single by Wizkid never got released. Maybe we can blame this on Wizkid who has been a no-show in the United States for some time now, another puzzling factor on why Wizkid's North America agenda seems to have stalled.

However, we should not be in a hurry to give Wizkid's adventurous sojourn an F9 just yet. Sounds From The Other Side was an avenue to show the world what Africa could offer to the global sound.

Let's go back to June 2011, a sweltering summer not only for North America but Nigerian music as well. That month, music entertainer D'banj would do the unthinkable by signing to G.O.O.D Music owned by Hip-Hop's ego god Kanye West. This move would shake the foundation of Nigerian music.

 Out of the array of new-gen superstars, D'banj had made the boldest move into North America. Out of his peers, he dared to seek a new frontier, the expansive and dominative American market.

Expectations were high for the Koko Master. With Don Jazzy having production credentials on the iconic Watch The Throne collabo album between JAY-Z and Ye, it seemed the time had come for Nigerian pop music to be on the world stage.

 A year later D'banj would have a scene-stealing moment in the G.O.O.D Music posse cut 'Lamborghini Mercy'. Sadly, by the time the compilation album dropped, D'banj would have a paltry 23-second vocal contribution on the entire album.

 D'banj's own compilation album D'Kings Men was more an effort of the entertainer trying to create his own imprint after the break up of Mo' Hits, than a G.O.O.D Music project. Apart from some forgettable contributions from Big Sean and Kanye West, D'Kings Men wasn't the project that would shatter the North American barrier for D'banj.

In 2016 both parties would part ways without an official solo body of work to show for it. A knee-jerk reaction would be to dismiss D'banj's efforts as a failure.

However, with a bird's eye view, you can see that D'banj clearly laid the way for younger Nigerian pop artists to make further inroads into North America. Wizkid said it himself that he grew up around D'banj especially during the Mo' Hits era.

 Partly, we must avoid the temptation to slam Wizkid's SFTOS as a flop commercially without looking at the cultural aspect.

Bankulli, who has credited vocals on Watch The Throne and Kanye's experimental cult classic 'Yeezus' says Wizkid's last body of work is just beyond numbers.

"The album was a passport for African music," he tells Pulse. "As of now, Wizkid is the ambassador of African music" he further says.

"His album was a platform to show the world what African music could in terms of merging with the global sound. D'banj tried to do this earlier" explains Bankulli.

"Wizkid basically took the Fela sound and mixed it with Caribbean sounds. By doing that he showcased what Africa could offer" he says. Bankulli, however, admits that "the album was marketed in America but there was no activation in Nigeria and because of this Nigerians didn't really embrace it."

It's been 365 days since the release of the daring Sounds From The Other Side. Since then Wizkid has walked the runway of Dolce & Gabbana, sold out the Hammersmith Apollo and 02. Yes, these are UK stints but let's not forget he was also billed to perform at Coachella this year which he surprisingly didn't show up for. He also worked and gone on tour with trap god Future.

 He might not be doing crazy numbers in the US but he has a steady profile. Also how many black acts outside of the United States has made a huge mark on sales in America's music industry? Maybe Sean Paul?

Like Wizkid told Channel 4 in 2017 "The U.S is catching up right now" and it might take a long time to embrace the sounds of Nigerian pop music.

Cracking the American market will never be easy for a non-white artist not born in North America. Yes, while Sounds From The Other Side wasn't a masterpiece or perfect with regards to marketing we should be aware that it has pushed the narrative of African music in North America forward.

 "It’s a great thing happening with music. I’m excited to be a part of this generation of artists making music to impact the world...And for the artists and the producers and really everyone from the entertainment industry in Africa, this is the right time to leverage off of that. It’s a great thing" he told XXL Magazine.

SFTOS might have been a small step for Wizkid but it's a leap for African pop music. We now have to watch out for the next act who will take it further.

via World News In A Splash

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Will recently went on Tidal's Rap Radar podcast and said that he and Jada "don't even say we're married anymore."

Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith have been #couplegoals for practically forever now and, it seems, they feel that way about each other too.

Will recently went on Tidal's Rap Radar podcast and said that he and Jada "don't even say we're married anymore."

"We refer to ourselves as life partners, where you get into that space where you realize you are literally with somebody for the rest of your life," he said.

"There's no deal breakers. There's nothing she could do-ever. Nothing [...] would break our relationship. She has my support til death and it feels so good to get to that space where you’re not complaining, and worrying, and demanding that a person be a certain thing.”

Will also said that “this right no w is the best time in my life, ever, I’ve never been happier.”

Whoa, those are pretty impressive statements. The couple, who have been married since 1997 and have two kids together, have been hit with divorce rumors off and on for years, but both Will and Jada have both made that clear that it’s never going to happen.

In Will’s single, In the Clique, which he released in May, he raps, "Stop the divorce rumors and mind your damn business." Jada also said on "Sway in the Morning" in June that she and Will are in it for life.

"We are family. That's never going down," she said. "We are family. Take out all that whole marriage, relationship crap, at the end of the day, Will and I are family. I am going to hold him down, doesn't matter.” She continued, “All that relationship [stuff] and what people think ideas of a husband, partner and all that, man, whatever. At the end of the day, that is a man that can rely on me for the rest of his life, period."

Jada also told Megyn Kelly on Today in June that she and Will have a “very, very, very, unique partnership.” “It’s really great because when you get to a place where you can love someone and allow them to be exactly who they are,” she said, per People. “Through my journey, [I have] learned to love him in the most pure way and love everything that comes with that and he’s learning to do the same.”

And, for the record, Jada said on Watch What Happens Live in 2017 that she and Will aren’t swingers, despite rumors. “I’m like, ‘Yo, I wish! I wish,’” she said, laughing.

“I really think that Will and I just have amazing chemistry on a lot of different levels. We love to laugh together. We love to learn together and we just love each other. We just have a good time together. I guess that’s the secret. We just really like each other.”

via Latest Nigerian News Online-Nigerian News,World Newspaper