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twilightknight17 · 5 years ago

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Today on Royal: Pain! :’D

He’s eating the map and I’m getting steadily more weirded out by all of this the longer it goes on.

I’m definitely worried now. Where the fuck is the Velvet Room. How is he powerful enough to override the Velvet Room?

So he wants me to see “his reality”. Which means going out and seeing how happy all of Akira’s friends are. And they are happy! ...but not happy enough that a few well-placed dialogue choices can’t start poking holes in the story they’ve been fed. Maruki’s not perfect at this. And honestly, he’s taken Akira’s friends, not given him anything. We went from everyone wanting to spend time with Akira to everyone having other things to do. Ryuji doesn’t even know why they’re friends. Thinking about how they met is what starts to crack his illusion.

While I was looking for my friends, I ran across this couch outside the furniture store in Kichijoji.

Examining it yields only this:

So now I gotta go back to Kichijoji after it frees me from the plot so I can see what’s up with this conspicuously Velvet blue couch.

(I will say, if I have one complaint about this part, is that it’s six days of the same thing. Wake up, locate Friend, see how they’re doing, return home, spend evening in bed contemplating whether this is a good thing because Friend is happy. You can’t do anything else, see how any of your other confidants are doing... What does Iwai’s ideal world look like? Takemi’s? Hifumi’s?)

I think out of everyone I feel the most bad for Morgana.

I mean, he spends half the game as it is worrying that he’s some sort of monster instead of a human. And now that he’s human and I’ve gone and jabbed a hole in his dream, he’s spending a week growing more and more afraid as he realizes that something isn’t right about himself. That’s just straight-up existential terror.

Goro didn’t really find a lot during his week of investigating. Mostly just that Maruki’s been doing cognitive psience stuff since college, and that Okumura and Wakaba are...actually alive.

Does that mean if we end the dream, we’re murdering them?

Not taking the Misericorde with me feels like a betrayal of my role as heir to the title of Trickster, but I can’t really turn down an extra thirty points of attack. X’‘‘D Especially since Goro and I are going into the Palace alone.

Other than the weird security cameras, this place really is beautiful. And apparently the music that I like so much is called “Gentle Madman”. Stop hitting all these fucking tropes I like, Maruki. It’s not fair.

Oh heck, wait, are we doing this now? This is an actual question? I assumed that was for the endgame. Well, if I’m here... The safe room was right downstairs...

Let me be selfish. Just for one moment. Please.

Please.

.....no, wait, this hurts.

This hurts a lot.

Because they deserve this. They all deserve this happiness. I’ve never heard Goro sound that genuinely happy as he did in this ending. But the only way to give them this is to leave them trapped under the will of a dictator. And they deserve better than that.

From the Den:

They’re looking at you. Judging you for the sin of the choice you made.

I find it interesting that while Akira and Goro are clearly looking at you with full knowledge of what you did, the game itself doesn’t seem particularly judgemental. I got the “view the ending” trophy and the option to save clear data, which to me implies that it’s...obviously the wrong choice, but a valid choice regardless. I never got the “Good” Ending in vanilla P5, so I don’t know if that offered the same level of legitimacy. This was treated as a real ending.

[reloading save data]

Of course we can’t accept this reality, why would he even think we would do that? X’‘D

Sumire is throwing a fit because she still wants to be Kasumi, and is getting ready to fight us. Shit. Still, she’s inexperienced, and both of us are strong enough to han--

Goro: I could deal with this, but I’m assuming you want her to leave here alive, right?

It’s sweet of you to take what I want into consideration, but yeah, I’d really rather not kill her, so just tone it dow-- Aaaaand he’s walking away and leaving me to fight her alone. Thanks, honey.

Shoutout to using the same strategy as the battle arena and just equipping something that repels physical. She took her own swords dance to the face and got knocked out.

......what the fuck are you doing? This just looks like torture.

I know for a fact that that’s not Nyarlathotep because I’m pretty sure I’d have had people beating down my door to point it out already. Because crucifixion pose by itself? Common imagery. Tentacles? ...coincidence, probably. But if this had been Nyar puppeteering Maruki or something? I’m one step away from being Super Duper Valid. I already feel pretty valid anyway.

HELLO, Persona 3! Nice(?) to see an out of control persona again. I wonder how close her persona was to reverting to a shadow? Sumire feels like more of a “dungeon” sort of person. Since she’s suppressing something.

But...what was Maruki’s goal here? Beating us into submission? He’s just letting Sumire’s emotional torment go out of control; hell, he’s literally feeding into it with the Biyarkis. He’s using her to fight us, and that’s...disgusting, honestly. You want everyone to be happy, but you’re going to let her throw herself at us over and over? Really?

Why do I feel like all of this “I want you to understand, we can talk, you’ll see things my way”, all of this asking for consent, is bullshit? Does he really want us to see things his way? Or can he actually not alter our reality without consent?

Thank god for the cavalry because this battle was clearly impossible from the first round. I love that the other Thieves have no idea what the fuck is going on, but their leader is in danger so they’re gonna Fight.

I think there’s not. We don’t want to talk. Fuck off. And also stop swiping tropes I like. You’re not Rubicante; you’re not earning my respect by refusing to fight me when I’m tired.

Goro, I know you’re Done with everything, but that’s really not helping.

The Phantom Thieves are momentarily baffled, because it’s clear that we have to change Maruki’s heart, but they’re getting thrown off by the fact that he’s not “evil”. Yeah, he’s not. He has good intentions. But he’s doing bad things to accomplish those intentions. Doing bad things for good reasons is still bad.

...if he wasn’t like this... maybe it would be okay. If he could make everyone happy, erase their trauma, make the world better...without rewriting memories or being a brainwashing dictator... That might not be wrong. But he’s made it pretty clear that he’s on a power trip and doesn’t want dissent, which is no better than Yaldabaoth.

What we did to Futaba and what he’s doing are vastly different things.

...Morgana calls her “Lady Lavenza” and that’s really cute, actually. I’m realizing I portray Lavenza as more of a child than the game does, but I like both.

Oh so now we can press Morgana for what’s wrong. Learned from your prior mistakes, huh, ‘Kira? XD

.....I love her.

It’s extremely weird to have the whole squad interacting with the Velvet attendant and addressing her by name. That’s so strange in comparison to how it usually is. But these are strange times, and once again, it’s unnerving how much power Maruki has.

He’s strong enough that he’s suppressing the Velvet Room. That’s horrifying. I wonder if he knows they exist; I could see him considering them a threat to his ideal world. Normally I’d be sure that Igor and Lavenza could kick his ass if he tried anything, but... I genuinely don’t know anymore. Igor is still recovering from being imprisoned, and Lavenza is barely able to manifest to talk to us.

Meanwhile, Maruki is using a persona.

Normally I’d be fussed about him summoning in reality, but apparently reality is still half-fused with Mementos, which in the greater scope of Persona lore feels like something similar to what was happening in P1 and P2. The collective unconscious is very close to the surface. I’d be curious whether or not the kids could summon outside of the Palace with a bit of practice, but I’m sure the game won’t go into that.

...although, that doesn’t explain him being able to use his powers in reality before the beginning of the year. Mementos only started fusing with reality in December.

I’m looking directly at you, Atlus. You made a human villain stronger than what I imagined for the strongest persona-user?

......oh, Mona, I’ve got like 3 different notes documents for you to read about why that can be allowed. X’D

*cracks knuckles* Not to take Goro’s side, but...we already killed one god, didn’t we?

But...this is our fault, and we have to fix it. I don’t completely understand how Maruki granting the Thieves’ wishes transferred the belief of the masses to him, but... This can’t go on. If Mementos completely fuses, this becomes permanent, and there will be no way out. Time to go.

I really do appreciate that Goro was invited as one of the Phantom Thieves. And Ryuji asked for his input on whether we’re going after Maruki.

...you all said it. He’s one of you now. No take-backs.

#Li plays P5R #long post #these posts keep getting longer #so much is happening X'''DDD

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biggy-habes · 5 years ago

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So another year came to an end. But not just the end of a year, but the end of the decade! The '10s have come to an end. With the end of every year there is always a reflection. What happened? What was great? What really sucked? What could I have done differently? What do I hope for in the new year? Well, this was not just a single year but an entire decade to process! In the past 10 years I have lived in 3 different states. I've worked 4 different jobs. And like a typical drifter, I am a bit private with my past. I seem to just appear at a new job in a new state every couple of years and apart from some lingering drama I seem to have an undisclosed past. There are many of you who did not know me before I came to North Carolina. There are quite a few of you who did not know me before I was in recovery. And only a few of you who knew me before I lived in New York (the first time). I have lived several lives and have displayed countless shades of personality. Well, here is your chance to catch a glimpse of what my life has been like. Well, for these past 10 years anyways. The ups, the downs, the shitty heartaches, and the bitchin' experiences. A lot has happened and my memory is absolutely horrible, so I will recruit the assistance of my timeline on The Facebook and a few Spotify playlists. I have added a few songs to give a soundtrack as you are reading. I carefully selected these to be specific to the time period as well as where I was during that era. So now, here is a walk down memory lane. The Tens of Haber.

I welcomed 2010 in at a 12 Step Recovery function in Lawton, Oklahoma. I had recently moved back to Lawton after spending a year working in Washington, DC. You see, I had grown roots while stationed in Oklahoma during my time in the service. Life apparently felt like that I needed a second tour, but this time as a civilian. I had carried a lot of emotional baggage with me from my year living in Maryland, and I believed that running and starting a new life was the best course of action. When I returned to Lawton I was losing my mind. I was straight off my rocker! I was at the height of one of my worst mental breakdowns. I recently moved back to Lawton, Oklahoma. By choice. From Maryland. Yeah. See the previous statement. Anyways, I was waist deep in 12 step programs and played a very active role in my local Narcotics Anonymous group. But one thing that I had always had was a weakness for women. I would fall hard for girls that I had no business being with. At this particular time I was messing around with girls from the local halfway house. And I was getting the results that you may expect. I had fallen hard for a girl named "Lori" (no need to drag her real name into this), who I allowed to tear into my life and my heart like a goddamn tornado! She had recently started coming to meetings after ending up how most addicts end up in the rooms. The courts. She was what you would refer to as "adorable". Short dark hair that seemed to reflect light with its shine. She had deep, sultry blue eyes with long, fluttering eyelashes. When she started to show attention to me I was immediately became hooked. When things came crashing down and my heart got crushed I started sliding down the slippery slope of sanity. Fortunately I had an amazing friend, Nicole, who lived in Oklahoma City. Nicole is one of the most enjoyable people that I have had in my life. We briefly dated and she has played an incredibly important role in my story! I have so many wonderful stories and experiences involving us. Stories that I will save for another post.

Anyways, Nicole and I share the same birthday, and we both love to go big so we both took a trip to Boston to celebrate my 31st birthday. As it turns out the Yankees were in town so I fulfilled a lifelong dream of watching the Sox and Yankees play in Fenway Park! We got lost in downtown Boston and had to find our way back to our hotel using public transportation in the middle of the night. Nicole, who has lived in Oklahoma all of her life, got to get a wonderful glimpse of the not-so-nice parts of South Boston. It was a great birthday weekend for the both of us.

I got back from our trip with a clear head and I decided to get my ass back in school. I remained active in my NA group (shoutout to Different Way in Lawton, OK! That place was my home for a long time!) I may appear salty sometimes when speaking of my time in NA, but recovery mad a lot of positive changes in my life. One of those changes was gracing me with the motivation to complete my Bachelor's Degree. My apartment was an 8 minute ride away from the local university (Cameron University…GO PIONEERS, BITCHES!!!). I was able to focus my energy on studying. I have always had a knack for school, and I really enjoyed studying psychology and sociology so I was easily able to focus on my schoolwork. I was working a side job as a per diem psychometrist for a neuropsychologist named Dr. Hamil. I have so much credit to give to him for taking me on as a mentor. He saw something special in me. He saw talent. And I was happy to work for him whenever he needed me to. I was taking a lot of trips to Oklahoma City for testing assignments in assisted living facilities. And to be honest I was making a decent amount of scratch doing it. Now my full time job was working with the trainees going through Fort Sill that were having a difficult time adjusting to military life. On slow days I would have plenty of opportunity to work on the testing data that I had collected over the weekend. One day while scoring testing paperwork that I had sprawled all over my desk there was a knock on my office door. It was the chief of the clinic giving a potential psych tech the grand tour. "Mr. Haber, I would like you to meet one of the interviews for the tech position." She was slim and stylish, with long, dark hair and a smile that seemed to radiate comfort. And that was the first time I laid my eyes on the woman who I would eventually ask to be my wife. She extended her warm, slender hand. "Hello! I'm Amanda."

Our first encounter was short and sweet. And to be honest, it really did not leave much of an impact. A few months would pass before I would learn that she was hired. So this would be the first time that Amanda would actually enter into my life. By the time she was hired I was back working at the main behavioral health clinic on Fort Sill. I shared an office with several other psych techs. At any one time there could be 8 or more of us fighting over a computer. I walked into the clinic and was told a crop of newbies had started. I went in to introduce myself. And there she was. I reintroduced myself and blushed a little when she told me that she remembered me from our first encounter. We commenced with the getting-to-know-you chit chat. As the weeks went on we talked more and more, and flirting began. She knew about my side job in the city and asked if she could sit in on a session with me to learn more about what I do. So one night after work her and I drove to OKC for a 4 hour testing session with an ADHD child who was bouncing all over the room. Afterwards we stopped at McDonalds on our way back to Lawton and shared a 20 piece Chicken McNugget (because yo boy Haber is classy!). I would later find out that she had no interest in learning about psychometry. She just wanted a reason to spend time with me. Anyways, while driving back I mentioned that MC Hammer was going to be at the Oklahoma State Fair and if she would like to go. And that, my friends, is how my relationship with Amanda began. At an MC Hammer concert! In TRUE Haber form!

Eventually Amanda and I started dating. And it was incredible! She was a great woman. And she was great for me. When we had met I was going through a lot of internal strife, and being with her was calming me down. That November, after discussing the idea with Amanda (and after we got back together following a HUGE argument and eventual "break") we decided to adopt a pup. I went to the pound on Fort Sill. I walked down the row of cages and looked at every one of the hopeful pups. I stopped at this scrawny auburn-colored little shit who was barking as loud as he could as he put on his meanest look. But there was something in his eyes that told me that he has been in some shit and he was just needing someone to love him. I could relate to that. I asked the Poundtender (I'm really not sure what the manager of a pound would be referred to as, so we will go with this) about him and he told me that he was surrendered by an elderly couple for being too aggressive. I asked if I could take him for a walk in the yard. I sat on the grass and reached out my hand and he timidly came over to me, not certain whether to trust me or not. This was all it took for me. On November 8, 2010, I took Fennie into my home and into my life. Which means that it has been him and I for an entire decade! Women and jobs would come and go, but he has remained by my side through all of it. He truly is my Ryde or Die!

The winter this year was unusually harsh in Oklahoma. It seemed as if at least once a week work was closed due to ice and snow. I was living in a shitty 1 BR apartment on the borders of the Lawton hood and the heat just was not capable of handling the cold temperatures for so long. There were several days where Amanda, Fennie, and I would just huddle around the fireplace and turn the oven on to keep us warm. December rolled around, and we were still in the still-kinda-dating-but-not-sure-where-this-is-going phase so I chose to spend Christmas with my family. My sister had been living in Georgia at the time and my mother had recently moved up there as well. Two days before to make the long drive to Atlanta I received a call from an old friend Jake. Jake and I had worked together at a treatment center in Tampa. He informed me that a mutual friend of ours, Emilio, was reported missing. Emilio was a gentle soul who, like most of us that got deep in the drug lifestyle, had his share of demons. But he was a kind and fair man who had a heart that was filled with love for others. He was a new daddy and one night he just vanished. While walking into Moe's to have dinner with my family Jake called to let me know that Emilio's body had been found. I will never forget that Christmas. I sat in front of my loaded burrito with a dazed feeling all over my body. Emilio was a remarkable human being, and the world lost a great man the day that he was taken from us.

2011 began with Amanda and I…well…shit was getting kinda real.

Amanda and I ended up making the decision that I would move into her apartment. The reasoning that she gave was that it would be more economical, but I am sure that her being afraid of staying at my shitty apartment played a major role. Around this time I also started getting an itch to do something more with myself. I was one year away from completing my Bachelors degree and I was starting to question what I was going to do with myself now that I had no schoolwork to complete or classes to attend. This was when the idea came to me….BAM! I am going to become Dr. Haber! So this was when I made the decision to pursue my PhD in Psychology. If I had only known how much of an uphill climb the next 3 years would be on me because of this decision, perhaps I would have reconsidered. I developed a plan of action. I would boost my vita with extracurricular positions and accolades. I was asked to join the psychology honor society and attend the Psychology Club meetings. I worked with an outstanding neuropsychologist and mentor named Dr. Jason Albano, who pushed me to be the best PhD candidate that I could possibly be. I would spend hours in his office just asking for direction and recommendations. He suggested that I take the Psychometrist Certification exam, the gold standard in the field of psychometry. Dr. Albano would help me find time to study and my colleagues were an invaluable resources.

I will get more into the certification exam. But first, I am aware that I dropped a bit of a twist earlier with the Starting Attending Mass Again comment. As you could probably deduct from my postings on The Facebook that this just ain't me! Well, let me tell you about my Catholic Jon phase. Gowing up I attending Mass every Sunday with my grandfather. This was mostly due to the fact that he would buy me McDonalds afterwards. I never really had a strong belief in a god. Even as a kid I remember reading my CCD workbook and would think "Hey, wait a second. Something does not add up." It was once I got sent to rehab that I slowly started to build a belief in a higher power. We would get taken to 12 Step meetings and I would hear everyone talk about how you can't make it in recovery without a Higher Power. So, I guess I better get one of those! So I would work with my sponsor and talk about it at meetings and eventually I had some sort of Higher Power of my own. It hit all of the qualifications that they told me. It was loving. It was forgiving. It was greater than me. Cool cool cool. Let's go full speed ahead with this whole recovery thing. It wasn’t until I started seeing a girl named Jill in Oklahoma that I was able to call it by the name God. I would attend church with her and one day I decided to go up and get "saved". And ever since then I started learning more about Christianity and my idea of God would change as I grew. I started going back to Mass after encouragement from a friend who was heavily into the Catholic Life. One thing about me is that I latch onto something and go deep into whatever that might be. Catholicism was no different. Before too long I was absorbing anything involving Catholic Dogma that I could get my hands on. Every night I would pray the Rosary. During Lent I would practice self-mortification. When Amanda and I started she started attending Mass with me and it became a fairly strong bond in our relationship. She was accepting of my zeal towards my beliefs at the time and would support me however she could. This was something that I would eventually take for granted, and what would be a major factor in the demise of our relationship.

And that is where I will end this chapter. I will get further into all of the changes that 2011 would bring. I will label this period the "Amanda Era".

Now I will say that there was a lot of heartache involved in the ending of our relationship. However, I will only write about her in a positive light. She played a very important role in my story, and there were so many great memories in my story that involved her. At this point time has faded most of the hurtful memories and the good ones are what remained. So stayed tuned for the next chapter where we will tag along with Amanda and Jon on their journeys around the country.

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sheilacwall · 5 years ago

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Album Review | Little Brother – May The Lord Watch

This album was released on August 20th this year. Honestly, this is one of the best things that’s happened in 2019. Earlier this year, Rapper Big Pooh & Phonte reunited for the first time in almost a decade for a borderline impromptu performance at the Art of Cool festival in my hometown of Durham, North Carolina. Or maybe it was late last year. I’m almost positive it was this year though. It doesn’t matter. Anyway, I was super excited when this news came out because I’m obviously a huge fan of the duo. Perhaps I’m a little biased since they’re from my hometown, but I genuinely think their music is amazing. I also feel like they’re super underrated. It annoys the s*** outta me that people act like Outkast is the only good Southern rap group. Not only do I like every Little Brother album more than almost every Outkast album, but I even like the solo work from Phonte & Pooh more than almost every Outkast album. That’s beside the point though. This album was announced less than 24 hours before it dropped, and I was shocked in the best way possible when I found out about it. I really should’ve seen it coming. There were a lot of signs hinting towards another project. I guess I just didn’t expect them to release it so soon. Real quick, I wanna give a shoutout to Holland Randolph Gallagher. He’s the producer of a web series called Hype that takes place in Durham, and he’s been working with Phonte on it. He also put together this short film documenting the Little Brother reunion.

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It came out a little over a week before the album dropped. It’s a really entertaining video, and it’s cool seeing areas I used to frequent as a little kid in it. Little Brother really put Durham on the map for Hip Hop, and not a lot of other artists have been making noise in the city, so I’m not used to seeing this much attention around it. In fact, Durham has really been a very small, kind of obscure city for most of my life. If you’re not from NC you most likely haven’t even heard of it. There’s been a s*** ton of gentrification in recent years though, and it’s becoming a really popular place for white hipsters. It looks almost completely different from how it was when I was younger, and they kinda explored that in the Hype web series. Some of the dialogue in the series is a little awkward, and you’re not gonna be getting Oscar-worthy performances, but overall it’s an entertaining watch. Anyway, I saw that some people were kinda disappointed that 9th Wonder wasn’t involved in the composition of this record, and to an extent I understand why. However, he had very little involvement on the previous two records from Little Brother, so I really didn’t mind his absence at all personally. It’s not like Little Brother’s work took a severe drop in quality when 9th Wonder left. Their later albums are just as good in my opinion. Anyway, let me stop dickin’ around and tell y’all why this is one of the best albums I’ve heard all decade.

1. The Feel produced by Khrysis

The album immediately injects nostalgia directly into my veins with a callback to the U.B.N. Network from The Minstrel Show. “U Black N***** Network: Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill.” The album really feels like a love letter to North Carolina. The production from Khrysis is absolutely amazing too. This beat alone is better than any instrumental that appeared on that first Jericho Jackson album. I seriously hope the next Jericho Jackson project has production this good. I love this piano-driven beat. Really, there’s not a single aspect of this song that I don’t love. The first verse from Phonte is spectacular, and I love the hook. I really don’t know how Phonte could’ve started this project off any better. When he said “flexin’ on an old bike; I never forgot how to ride,” I literally yelled out “YES!” the first time I heard it. The uncredited female vocals sound fantastic on the hook by the way. I’m not sure who they belong to, but I know that Bobby McFerrin’s daughter, Madison McFerrin, is featured on track 5. Maybe she did all the uncredited vocals for this project. Anyway, the second verse from Big Pooh was awesome too. I love the way he ended it. When he said “another one!” I… Well… My reaction was pretty much the same as it was when I heard that Phonte line that I just quoted. This song is amazing. Get used to reading that because I’m gonna be writing those words a lot in this review. I have zero nitpicks. This s*** is dope af.

2. A Word from the President

It wouldn’t be a Little Brother album without these comical skits that have insanely high production value. I usually feel like skits are a waste of time, but that was never the case with Little Brother’s albums. They were always entertaining, and the skits on this album are no different. This skit in particular is an announcement of the death of Percy Miracles, who was a character from Little Brother’s earlier work. The president of U.B.N., Peter Rosenberg, announced that his memorial services will be broadcasted live from the Clifton Powell Center for the Performing Arts in Ahoskie, NC. The “long-awaited reunion concert from Little Brother” is supposed to have occurred at this memorial service. Even if you don’t give a s*** about what Peter Rosenberg is saying, it’s still an entertaining skit because the music in the background sounds great. It transitions into the following track really well too.

3. Everything produced by Khrysis

This song has another incredible beat. It’s honestly one of my favorite beats on the whole project. It sounds amazing. It kinda gives me the same feeling that Fear by Drake gave me, and I personally think that’s the best beat Drake has ever rapped over. The first verse from Phonte is amazing too. The way he expresses what’s on his mind just seems so effortless. I love how Pooh comes in right behind him too. They’re kinda describing the process of mending a damaged relationship. I really don’t know who this female vocalist is, but she sounds angelic on this chorus. After the first recital of the hook, the structure of the first verse is repeated, but in opposite order, so Big Pooh goes first, and then Phonte finishes it off. The chemistry these dudes have is just perfect. This is another flawless song for me. Just from these first two songs on this album, I’m already struggling to choose a favorite track. I’ve been listening to this album for days, and I still haven’t chosen a favorite song. They’re all amazing to me, and this one is obviously no exception. It’s dope af.

4. Right on Time produced by Nottz

So, these days when I listen to an album, I’ll write little notes about each track in the “comments” box in iTunes. After a few tracks I just stopped taking notes for this album because I was pretty much saying the same thing for every song, and that’s probably how this whole review is gonna seem to be honest. The production is incredible, and Pooh & ‘Te are rapping at top condition. I really love how they brought back this U.B.N. theme for this album. The first verse from Pooh is really awesome. He was rapping about how these days he’s driving for Uber, and how it’s bittersweet when people don’t recognize who he is. It’s a great verse, and Phonte’s singing on the hook is glorious. I love the way Phonte was flowing on the second verse too. This song is amazing. I have no issues with it at all. This s*** is dope af.

5. Black Magic (Make It Better) featuring Madison McFerrin produced by Focus…

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This song has yet another phenomenal instrumental. The way it starts is really similar to the intro of DNA by Danny Brown. I kinda wanna say that this song has some of the best rapping on the album, but I feel like I want to say that about every track. Every song has top tier rapping. That ASCAP line from Phonte was fire. I f****** love this hook too. This is one of the best hooks on the album in my opinion. Well, it’s hard to say since there aren’t really any hooks that I don’t love on this project. I’m sorry if this review ends up sounding redundant. I’ve noticed that when I have literally zero gripes at all, there’s not really much for me to say. I think this s*** is perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s dope af.

6. Life After Blackface

This skit is amazing. Y’all remember that white dude Joe Scudda who was featured on Lovin’ It from The Minstrel Show? He was performing in blackface to fit in with Phonte & Pooh. This skit is all about how he regained his whiteness. The way this skit ends with Phonte singing “It’s so good to be a white man again!” is hilarious. Seriously, the skits on this album are genuinely funny. Y’all don’t understand how f****** rare it is for me to actually enjoy a skit on an album this much. I literally never listen to the skits. I play this entire album without skipping them though because they’re just as enjoyable as the music itself. I love this s***.

7. Goodmorning Sunshine produced by Focus…

This song has yet another phenomenal instrumental. Every producer on this project really came through. These beats are fantastic. The first verse from Pooh is awesome too.

I was taught men ain’t really supposed to have no feelings But Lil Wayne said I shouldn’t have no ceilings I was raised on Rap music, I’ma need some healing

The way Phonte came in right behind him was fantastic too. Everything about the way they’re rapping together is just awesome. That hard drive line that Phonte had was great.

Punch up the data, man; it’s rather tough To stand strong if you ain’t man enough I’m just out here bein’ happy, baby; why they mad at us? Work ethic and a hard drive, now back it up Wait, back it up

I also love how they keep using “BLACKNESS” as an ad-lib any time one of them says something that’s typically associated with black American culture. Phonte’s singing on the hook is f****** incredible too. I love that hook so much. The very minimal record scratches that come in after each line sound great. Phonte’s verses are so well written too. Pooh rapped his a** off on that last verse as well.

I’m addicted to her She my down a** offensive-slur Inexpensive furs Louis Vuitton, that’s picture perfect

It’s a beautifully written song. I generally don’t f*** with love songs like this unless they’re really well written. They really pulled it off. Little Brother has always been good at this kind of track though. This s*** is dope af.

8. Dyana Change My Life

This is another hilarious skit. It’s basically a commercial for a fake soap-opera. It sounds like a commercial I’d hear on the radio in a Grand Theft Auto game. That’s a good thing by the way. One of my favorite aspects of the GTA games is the hilarious radio content. The voice acting is perfect too. I love this s***.

9. What I Came For produced by Khrysis

Once again, the production here is marvelous. The first verse from Big Pooh on this song is great, and this track has one of the smoothest hooks on the whole project. It sounds like sugar in the form of music. Not in a bad way though. Phonte f****** murdered that second verse too. The way he was rhyming was insane. It’s such a great dedication to NC too. That’s definitely one of the better verses on the whole project.

Man, life is marvelous Word to Paul Wall, I’m with all the shits No matter how narrow the margin is For the art of it, not the artifice Gotta stay forthright ‘Cause 2020 ain’t s*** without foresight County boy: Wake, Durham, Guilford, and Forsyth Where you can hear some Bill Withers under porch lights

Man, I really wish I could just quote the entire verse. His flow is fantastic. The Fortnite line was great, and I loved that Eddie Griffin bar too.

The fight goes on; the nights is long & regimented So I can go on a run that’s unprecedented Them bars is comedy, king; n****, you Eddie Griffin Two pools & a sip; now here’s to better livin’

Again, I have no f****** clue how I’m gonna choose a favorite song. I wish I knew who this uncredited female vocalist was. She sounds great. Overall, this is yet another amazing song that I have no gripes with. The record scratches at the end of the song were great too. This s*** is dope af.

10. Inside the Producer’s Studio

This is another fantastic skit in which ?uestlove interviews Roy Lee, who, as you may remember from his skit on The Listening, is the fictional producer played by Phonte. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised that ?uestlove made an appearance on this album, but I wasn’t expecting it at all, despite his appearance in the documentary that I mentioned in the preamble. I’m not gonna say exactly what happened in this interview, but it’s very entertaining, just like all of the other skits.

11. Sittin’ Alone produced by Nottz

The way the previous track transitions into this one is very clever. Again, this production is f****** phenomenal. It sounds cheerful, yet somber at the same time. It’s one of those beats that sounds really happy, but it’s the kind of happy that you really need when you’re feeling depressed in order to lift your mood. It kinda puts me in the same mood as Family Business by Kanye West. I definitely like this song more than that one though. This first verse from Big Pooh is super relatable too.

My new normal ain’t normal at all Scrolling through my contacts, like “who can I call?” Now I’m on Instagram, “damn, they havin’ a ball.” That was me once upon a time back in my prime; now I’m happy to fall Fast asleep; sound of rain on repeat Instead of counting sheep I’m counting all the likes from the newest post Then the toast with the magnum bottles Then the picture with the IG models Wide awake, rockin’ envy goggles

He’s basically expressing the whole “fomo” idea in a verse. Not only can I relate to the verse in that aspect, but I also have literally been falling asleep to the sound of rain the past few days. I just feel like that verse is so well written. People always praise Phonte, but I don’t know why they act like Pooh isn’t a great rapper in his own right. I guess he’s seen as the Big Boi to Phonte’s Andre. I like Pooh way more than Big Boi though, especially when it comes to their solo discographies. Anyway, the sample that Nottz flipped for the hook sounds really great. The second verse from Phonte is awesome too.

My mans hit me up and said “tonight, dog, we celebratin’ My son is goin’ to college.” I said congratulations He said “nah, you don’t get it; it’s two graduations Him from high school & me from child support payments” (BLACKNESS)

Man, in terms of the content alone, this might actually be my favorite song on the whole album. I f****** love this s***. Once again, there’s an uncredited female vocalist who sounds great. F***, man. F***. This s*** is incredible. It’s dope af.

12. Picture This produced by Black Milk

This is another amazing song. The beat from Black Milk is gorgeous, and Phonte’s singing, my n****? That s*** is f****** incredible. I swear to god, I have no f****** clue how I’m gonna choose a favorite song. I don’t use this term often because I think it’s corny as hell, but I really don’t know how to describe this song without saying “eargasmic.” This s*** is amazing. The first verse from Pooh in which he recounts his pre-Little Brother history is great. Phonte killed it too. He ended his verse with what’s already become the most quoted line on the whole album.

So fresh, so independent So free, so me while you in your feelings I needed shelter and I couldn’t find the antidote So god gave me the words to let me pen a ceiling

I’m tellin’ y’all, man. These n***** don’t play. People need to start recognizing these dudes as the legends they are. They’re the best rappers from North Carolina. I know these mainstream listeners love DaBaby & J. Cole, but there are a s*** ton of NC rappers that are better rappers than them, and Little Brother are at the top of that list. Also, the skit at the end of this song made me so f****** happy. It’s a parody of Bill O’Reilly’s infamous “DO IT LIVE” meltdown that he had when he was on Inside Edition. That dude has to be one of the biggest f****** idiots in the country. How the f*** does a grown man not know what “to play us out” means, especially given the context? Dude is a f****** idiot. Anyway, if I haven’t already made it clear enough, this song is dope af.

13. N***** Hollering

As the title of this track indicates, it’s a bunch of n***** hollering and arguing about basketball in what I assume is a barbershop because where else do n***** congregate and have these types of discussions? The best line is from the dude who said that Bill Russell singlehandedly defeated the Lakers and racism at the same time. This is yet another fantastic skit. I swear, U.B.N. is such a brilliant theme for an album. I love it.

14. All in a Day produced by King Karnov

This King Karnov guy may seem unfamiliar to some of you, but he actually has placements with a lot of very esteemed artists such as Anderson .Paak & Busta Rhymes. He had placements on the previous Little Brother album, as well as Phonte’s amazing solo album from last year. According to his website, he even worked on Dr. Dre’s Detox, which we’ll never hear. Even if Detox does come out some day, it probably won’t feature the songs that King Karnov helped produce. Anyway, his beat on this track is f****** extraordinary. It’s definitely one of my favorite beats on the album. Jesus f****** Christ man. I’m really not gonna be able to choose a favorite song. The uncredited female vocalist returns for this song, and she sounds great. The way Pooh starts the first verse is so dope. He killed that s***.

Y’all can Cirque du Soleil all day Word to Yahweh, I’m good on whatever y’all say So whenever y’all play my quotes jot their notes, examine the things I wrote Just get the story right; I brought my lunch pail to work every day You decide to walk away, that’s when they wanna sing your praises Like (BLACKNESS), “we always loved that n****” And the next week nobody remembers; it’s like that

The second verse from Phonte was fantastic too. Should I quote that Spotify bar he had, or do y’all already know it? I feel like that’s another one of the most quoted lines on the album. F*** it; I’ll write it just in case y’all aren’t aware of it.

Streamed your little album; s*** was inconsistent Meh… Spotty fire

Bruh, I’m not gonna be able to choose a favorite song. I’m just not. F***, man. This s*** is incredible.

15. Work Through Me produced by Blaaq Gold & Focus…

This track is a really stellar finale for the album. Once again, the production is wonderful. The beat actually kinda reminds me of Free Baby by Mr. Carmack. The way Pooh & ‘Te are trading verses on this one is f****** awesome. When these n***** said “WONDER TWINS: ACTIVATE” at the same time, maaaan…

I wish y’all could’ve seen my reaction the first time I heard that s***. They f****** rapped their asses off on this s***, man. I was super excited when I caught that reference from Phonte about Company Flow’s Mr. Len.

It’s showtime when my Company Flow just like Mr. Len Throw me off my game; I just smile, tell ’em “do your best” Scratch that, go fish, n****, bouillabaisse

It’s f****** perfect. I love this s*** so much. I can’t praise it enough. It’s a genuinely beautiful end to the album. I f****** love it. It’s amazing.

This album is incredible. This is easily the best album I’ve heard this year, and it’s honestly one of the best albums I’ve heard period. I don’t have any gripes with a single track on this thing. It’s literally perfect to me. The beats are incredible. The verses are amazing. The hooks are superb. These are some of the best skits I’ve ever heard on an album. I saw someone say that there were too many skits, but it really wouldn’t be a proper Little Brother album without them. They’ve always had great skits. I’ve also seen people say that this isn’t a true Little Brother album since 9th Wonder wasn’t involved, and, to put it bluntly, I think that’s bullshit. To me Little Brother is a duo. Yes, 9th Wonder produced their two classic records, but it’s not like they didn’t continue as a group without him. Saying Pooh & Phonte rapping without 9th Wonder isn’t a true reunion would be like saying an album by Slug & Ant without Spawn isn’t a true Atmosphere album. It’s bullshit. Would it have been cool to see a placement from 9th Wonder? Of course. It’s not like the production isn’t amazing without him though. He’s an amazing producer, but they frankly don’t need him if they’re getting beats like this from other people. 9th Wonder isn’t the only person who can make amazing beats for them. This record is flawless to me as it is. Literally every second of the album is entertaining. The sequencing is perfect. It’s emotional, nostalgic, and even humorous. I couldn’t have asked for a better product. I love Little Brother, and I was excited for this project, but I certainly was not expecting it to be this good. I forget which one of them said this—it might have been Pooh—but they wrote the entire album together, and you can really tell. They didn’t just email verses back and forth. This is a true collaborative effort, and the chemistry between these two is undeniable. Oh, by the way… I know I kinda brought up Outkast and threw them under the bus a couple times, and I really hope nobody gets upset about that. I obviously really like Outkast. I may not love them as much as most other Hip Hop fans do, but by no means do I think they’re wack. I just prefer a lot of other artists and it gets on my nerves that people act like they’re the only talented Southern group. This is a Little Brother review though, so maybe I shouldn’t have brought Outkast up.

Anyway, if it wasn’t clear enough, I think this is the best possible work of art Little Brother could’ve possibly released after all these years. I couldn’t imagine myself enjoying an album more than I enjoy this one. It’s like they never left. I always choose a favorite and least favorite song when I write reviews, but honestly you shouldn’t take it too seriously here because I genuinely love every single track on the project. I’ve literally been listening to this m*********** multiple times a day since it came out. This album is a masterpiece to me.

FAVORITE SONG: ALL IN A DAY LEAST FAVORITE SONG: RIGHT ON TIME

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sheilacwall · 5 years ago

Text

Album Review | Little Brother – May The Lord Watch

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1. The Feel produced by Khrysis

2. A Word from the President

3. Everything produced by Khrysis

4. Right on Time produced by Nottz

5. Black Magic (Make It Better) featuring Madison McFerrin produced by Focus…

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6. Life After Blackface

7. Goodmorning Sunshine produced by Focus…

This song has yet another phenomenal instrumental. Every producer on this project really came through. These beats are fantastic. The first verse from Pooh is awesome too.

I was taught men ain’t really supposed to have no feelings But Lil Wayne said I shouldn’t have no ceilings I was raised on Rap music, I’ma need some healing

The way Phonte came in right behind him was fantastic too. Everything about the way they’re rapping together is just awesome. That hard drive line that Phonte had was great.

I’m addicted to her She my down a** offensive-slur Inexpensive furs Louis Vuitton, that’s picture perfect

8. Dyana Change My Life

9. What I Came For produced by Khrysis

Man, I really wish I could just quote the entire verse. His flow is fantastic. The Fortnite line was great, and I loved that Eddie Griffin bar too.

The fight goes on; the nights is long & regimented So I can go on a run that’s unprecedented Them bars is comedy, king; n****, you Eddie Griffin Two pools & a sip; now here’s to better livin’

10. Inside the Producer’s Studio

11. Sittin’ Alone produced by Nottz

12. Picture This produced by Black Milk

So fresh, so independent So free, so me while you in your feelings I needed shelter and I couldn’t find the antidote So god gave me the words to let me pen a ceiling

13. N***** Hollering

14. All in a Day produced by King Karnov

Streamed your little album; s*** was inconsistent Meh… Spotty fire

Bruh, I’m not gonna be able to choose a favorite song. I’m just not. F***, man. This s*** is incredible.

15. Work Through Me produced by Blaaq Gold & Focus…

It’s showtime when my Company Flow just like Mr. Len Throw me off my game; I just smile, tell ’em “do your best” Scratch that, go fish, n****, bouillabaisse

It’s f****** perfect. I love this s*** so much. I can’t praise it enough. It’s a genuinely beautiful end to the album. I f****** love it. It’s amazing.

FAVORITE SONG: ALL IN A DAY LEAST FAVORITE SONG: RIGHT ON TIME

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