#can you tell i got way too off track with Andre's pose

[edgamz]

Scene re-draw :3

(ignore that I drew Andre's clock chain necklace thing wrong... 🤫)

[toujoursmiraculous]

Thoughts and Reaction to Lies!

It's another long one because so much happens in this episode! The episode starts with Marinette trying to figure out a "secret" within the grimoire. Literal first thought was that this "secret" may be the key to waking up Emilie. It's obviously going to be of huge significance later, anyway. By looking at that piece on Adrien, it does appear Adrien has an amazing life. And really, that's what a lot of people think. That's the point of featuring him. A life of a celebrity is pretty amazing, really interesting and fascinating. But it's also filled with a lot of stress, chaos, loneliness, etc. But viewers rarely ever see it. As for Marinette, while Adrien has said things about what his father allows that makes him sad, we haven't ever heard him complain to her in any way about that lifestyle. To her, he's a guy whose father has him busy with activities (interesting ones at that) and very rarely ever lets him spend time with friends. I love how this episode parallels Truth! But Adrien's POV. My boy has an episode centered around him, finally!

So we know her standing Chat Noir up is because Luka came by reminding her of a date she forgot she rescheduled. You know she's extremely distracted and stressed when she can't remember a date with Luka or a patrol with Chat Noir, or remember that she planned them at the same time. It's really not her fault, and I feel so bad for her that things are becoming so difficult. "No messages, but don't forget my cheese!" LOL this is perfect. Plagg has to get that reminder in wherever he can! The Chat Noir appreciation was so wholesome to see awww, I bet so many boys in Paris look up to him, so sweet x33 Mr. Banana, Chat Noir, and the man who frequently is Mr. Pigeon just chilling on a bench in the park together. What a scene! lol But Chat wanting them to be akumatized so he could see Ladybug. Big oof. He's going to get his wish, a few times over. Careful what you wish for, Kitty! "A glass of milk as usual, mister Chat Noir?" Okay so when Chat's down, he goes to that bar and has a glass of milk. Or more if he's having a bad day. Awwwww. If you think about it, Adrien probably isn't allowed to have milk. With the fat content and all. :/ Kagami lying to her mother and Nathalie/Gabriel just to spend some time with Adrien. Considering how difficult their lives are, that's pretty impressive to be so brave. Not too fond of the lying part though, since there's not a noble reason for doing so. But I can understand it. We found out Kagami's real passion: drawing! Which is pretty cool. That's one thing Kagami and Marinette have in common that'd make them good friends. Very sad how her blind mother tells her she's not good enough. That just tells you what she thinks of her daughter and what she wants her to do with her life. She's afraid she'll pursue the arts rather than something practical, so best shoot down any thoughts of being an artist now. And then, like with all episodes that have Kagami in them, this is where I start to dislike her. "I want to draw the real you, on the inside." Adrien makes various model poses, none work for her as she knows they're just him being a model. Then he actually poses as himself. A silly, goofy cat having fun and being happy. Adorable. "What do you think of... CAT?" deathglare "No, this is absolutely not natural." "Yes it is. I promise, this is really me!" "NO! This is you when you're acting like a clown!" Adrien looking hurt, "But maybe when I act like a clown, it's really me." Then she takes his hand, (gently) pushes him back up against the wall, her hands on his chest, "That way, that's who you really are." What way? Her telling him how to be is who he really is? He stammers, looking very uncomfortable. "But are you sure?" "Yes... you are perfect." Then she leans in to kiss him, while he's still looking uncomfortable. Right here, she's trying to tell him who he is. What kind of relationship is healthy and a good one one at that, when one side is trying to tell the other who they are, how they must act, etc? That's toxic. Keep in mind, after this scene, during Truth's attack. He found out that Ladybug actually in fact loves (said she prefers) the humorous, "clown" side of him. Yes, she only knows it as Chat Noir for now, but she actually appreciates and loves Chat for who he is. Kagami doesn't love nor appreciate that side of Adrien. Which is a very big and important side of him. We knew this in Ikari Gozen, she couldn't stand the thought of Chat Noir being compared to Adrien, pretty sure she even seemed offended by it if memory serves. But it's laid out more in Lies, it's more direct. (Marinette's done this too in the past, but when she's done it, her tone's more like pssssh please! while she looks off to the side, like she's mostly just telling herself that, to convince herself, rather than believing it.) Kagami thinks she knows Adrien, knows that him being funny and a clown is not the "real" him. Acting like she knows him better than he knows himself. Thinking he's perfect. That was a very hurtful thing to have said and you can see it in his expression the same kind of pain and hurt

he gets a lot. I also want to talk about how watching her back Adrien up against the wall like that and leaning into kiss him made me feel particularly uncomfortable. While they might have a little thing going on, he was clearly not comfortable by it and it just did not sit well with me. This entire scene was riddled with red flags. Adrien smiled at the end of that on his way out, yes, but having someone tell you you're perfect would seem like a compliment to you, wouldn't it? The one you like thinks you're perfect, thinks the facade you put up is perfect and anything less isn't okay with them. That'll end up so well! The almost kissing scenes this episode literally had me like

I'm sorry, I just feel so very uncomfortable by them, I can't help it. xD Just before Chat Noir sneaked up on Ladybug, he almost kissed Kagami right? And yet here he is, being a bit flirty, saying he's missed her on patrols. I also want to point out she tells him to stop with his stupid jokes, because she doesn't want to accidentally hurt him! She could've hurt him by scaring her like that. While she likes his humor, they're only problematic if it puts himself in danger or distracts them from fighting an akuma. "I promise I won't forget our patrols anymore." The looks that passed between LB and CN here is just so cute! OOOF as Luka walks away sad because Marinette had to run off, here comes Adrien, about to do the exact same thing as Marinette to Kagami... Now Kagami's not as accepting of him running off as she was just a little while ago.

Even Andre's like, what the heck was that?! His expression watching Adrien run off made me laugh, I had to share it. I was wondering how Adrien got to the boathouse before Marinette did, as it made it seem like Adrien was there long before Marinette was. He just ran in and started playing along where they were. Good lord, he has a lot going on too, doesn't he? Only difference from Marinette here is Adrien has a built-in and believable excuse he can tell his friends. Kagami's forceful "Adrien, it's time." "Five little minutes?" *shakes head sternly* Who does this remind you of in Adrien's life already? Is this what a good girlfriend, what a good friend would do? And here again is the pattern we see a lot with Kagami. She manipulates situations so that they can spend time together. Adrien wants to spend time with his friends AND girlfriend at the same time. Rehearsing for their band, it looks like. He rarely ever gets to spend time with others, be a normal kid. But no, she drags him away early, making it sound like they had to leave, but it's just her wanting him to herself. When he couldn't go to New York, oh well that's unfortunate you're sad, but we can spend more time together now, isn't that great? It's about what she wants, not what he wants or what's best for Adrien. She spends more time with Adrien (not counting Ladybug spending time with Chat Noir here) than anyone else does by the looks of it, and she doesn't even know him at all. It's really sad. Adrien still carrying around Marinette's lucky charm bracelet in his pocket x3333 This never fails to make me happy. But oof that boy's seriously going to lose it one of these days if he's not careful! There's something different about seeing the Ladynoir scene on the roof that we got in Truth, but from Adrien's perspective. Something about it feels like it means more to me, idk. Adrien gets caught in a lie, saying he lost something but found it. Kagami asked what it was, holding Marinette's lucky charm behind her back. He says it was the lucky charm Marinette gave her, as he's scrambling in his pocket to pull it out seeming a bit frazzled, but realizes he actually in fact lost it (again! he says). But Kagami caught him in that lie, showing him that she actually had it.

I'm not sure if he's so shocked because she actually had it and wonders how she got it, or if he looks like that because he just got caught in a lie. But the way his eyebrows raised a little makes it seem like he's surprised she had it after all and was testing him the whole time. I've always hated the way sometimes someone when in a relationship will test the other one like this. Really not fair in Adrien's case at all. Things aren't always as they may seem. And here's the thing, she's admitting to him that she's lying just to be with him. She lies all the time. Adrien caught on that she was lying, but didn't really understand why I don't think. Earlier in the episode he says, "What are you hiding, Kagami?" he didn't know her purpose for it. Now she says, "We're both liars, the difference is I lie to be with you. You. You lie to get away from me." Which is a yes but actually no situation. It's not that he doesn't want to be with her, it's that he needs to get away temporarily. It just looks really, really bad. Getting off track from that conversation briefly, but that scene where the akuma goes off into the night, with the blurred city lights that becomes clear. Just wow. That shot is beautiful, I can't help myself from playing it back and admiring it. I'm also totally digging the new transformation music! it gives me 90s vibes and makes me happy. Seeing Jagged after Truth is just completely different xD "I fear nothing, I am an artist! I still hold to my fans." Both Roth: "Wrong, you lie to them about your age!" "That's not Rock and Roll!" Had me rolling!! Jagged sure is something XD Chat just up and about to cataclysm the sphere, thinking he'd be okay because he doesn't lie. Except he lies all the time to protect his identity and get himself away from people so he can transform. xD Silly Kitty. The drone as a Lucky Charm is super cool! In Truth, Chat Noir said a truth about how he felt about Ladybug. In Lies, he tells lies to Lies to get her attention. "My name's not Chat Noir! I'm not a superhero! I hate Ladybug! And I think Hawk Moth should've called himself Panfly! It's funnier! Oh, I was about to forget: my favorite dish is cabbage with white sauce! Yummy!" Cabbage...with white sauce... as a dish. Is this like, a real fancy dish or something or is this boy being completely starved? o.o CN: "There are only two more liars left in Paris, and one of them knows how to turn his attention." LB: "No, wait! Don't do that! What if I'm mistaken?" "You know what? I trust you." he lets go, sacrificing himself again "Chat Noir, no! Don't do that! You're crazy!" "Yes, crazy for you, m'lady." Says softly, sadly, "No, you're just crazy unconscious." This ENTIRE scene right here. The love, the trust, the pain in this scene. It's so beautiful and well done that I can't stop getting emotional from it and gushing! Everything's on the line from that decision, and the trust he has for her, the faith he has in her really helps her know she can do what she needs to do. She's always doubting herself, and he's always there to say he doesn't feel that way at all, and it gives her that confidence and courage she needs. The moment Chat Noir is okay, the first thing Ladybug does is run up and smack him, grabbing him anxiously saying "Seriously, you need to stop doing this to me!" The girl is stressed seeing her partner sacrifice himself time and again! IF THIS BOY DOESN'T REALIZE JUST HOW MUCH SHE CARES ABOUT HIM AT THIS POINT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. Any fan that still thinks Ladybug doesn't love Chat Noir and thinks poorly of him, clearly does not understand it at all. My Ladynoir heart is SO HAPPY! I was thrilled with them in Truth, but this is a totally different level. I'm almost in tears with how happy I am. And then I noticed something. I don't know if it's anything or not. But Chat Noir says to her, "Yes, but it's because I find that angry look of yours irresistable." and Kagami turns around to look at him, only him and never Ladybug. Just watching him. Which is a bit... odd. "Ahh, Ladybug..." he sighs. After what

just happened, I don't blame him! x3 These two are honestly fire. When D'Argencort has to step in to keep Kagami from hurting Adrien during fencing... Doesn't matter how upset she is, that's gross to physically take it out on him to the point a teacher has to intervene. Kagami tells Adrien she knows he's hiding something, but that he's sincere, too. But when he asks if they can't be friends then, she responds, "How can you trust someone who lied to you?" and finally gives him back the lucky charm. Ever since Gorizilla, I've been worrying of him losing it for good! Glad she gave it back to him. I've said it already, but he's really going to lose that thing if he's not careful! "When I'm ready to see you again, I'll let you know." and she just leaves. I get she's upset, he's been lying to her to get away when he's with her and all that. But this is worse than what happened with Lukanette. Luka wanted to actually know what was going on, he asked Marinette about it directly. She told him honestly, it's the one thing she can't tell him. Kagami on the other hand never actually asked. During one of the scenes when he was spacing out, she asked what was the matter is all. All she's cared about is that he's lied, and now that he's lied she can't trust him. Doesn't even want to hear him out, not that he'd explain it to her. Kagami doesn't even want to see Adrien for awhile now. At least Luka's more understanding and isn't as harsh being in the exact same situation. This poor boy... But it's also for the best. Marinette and Adrien both after breaking up with Luka and Kagami, decided to transform and meet up to just be in each other's company. They're both sad, but not especially so. "Do you know what the difference is, between us and the rest of the world, m'lady? We can't be completely honest with each other. We have our secrets, and sometimes we have to lie." Ladybug frowning hums in agreement. But at the same time, they both turn to each other and say happily "But we know we can trust each other!" finishing with a pound-it! IT'S JUST SO BEAUTIFUL AND MY HEART IS HAPPY After Truth, where Luka and Marinette were so sad and having a hard time, I really needed such an episode with such good Ladynoir! It really looks like the story is going in a really good direction, in my opinion. x3

[a-solitary-marshmallow]

Do No Harm Take No Shit Chapter 4: You, Me Some Mew-vies

Take two. He’d failed after school, but there was nothing stopping him from asking out Marinette that evening.

Adrien had planned it out – how he would introduce the topic, where they would go, how they would get there. He’d kept track of some of her favourite things and planned to incorporate them on the way. Only the best for Marinette – their first date had to be unforgettable.

He’d spent half an hour in front of the mirror, psyching himself up. He’d asked Marinette out before as Chat Noir – this was no different. So why did glancing at his phone send butterflies through his stomach?

Adrien shook his head and strode over to his bed, picking up his phone from the covers. Marinette’s contact was pink with a smily face after her name – that wasn’t quite right. It needed a heart, at least. Adrien quickly edited it to read ‘Love of my Life’ with three heart emojis after it. Keeping it cool, obviously.

Adrien clicked call.

He turned to face the darkening Paris skyline through his window as the phone rung once, twice, thrice. On the fifth ring there was a click, a rustle, and then Marinette’s clear voice rang through like a bell.

 “Adrien! Hi. I wasn’t expecting a call from you, is everything okay?”

 “Everything’s fine.” Adrien hurried to assure her. “It’s just, there was something I was going to ask you after school today that I forgot to do.”

 “Hmm?” Another shift, as if Marinette was currently sifting through fabrics at her work table? His lady was always working, never still, even with a broken arm and masses of homework to catch up on. God he loved her. “Sure.”

 “So.” Come on, Agreste.

 “So.” Marinette echoed.

 “There’s this movie coming out in a few days, and I was thinking… um, well, as well as that…” His plan was crumbling! “Okay basically I was wondering if you’d want to go on a date with me?”

 Marinette squeaked, and then there was clatter and a rustle. Adrien held his breath as the rustling continued. She grabbed the phone and put it up to her ear again. “A-A date?”

 ‘I made a mistake. This was too soon. Maybe she doesn’t like me anymore now she knows I’m Chat Noir. Maybe it was just a crush and she doesn’t want anything serious. Maybe-‘

 “I would love to!” Marinette blurted out. “I – yes, I’d love to go out with you, Adrien.”

His face burned. He turned away from a snickering Plagg, trying to calm the rapid beating of his heart. “Really?”

“Of course.” Marinette giggled. The sound of it was like bells. Adrien’s smile stretched so wide that it hurt.

“Okay! Um, can I pick you up on Saturday? You don’t have anything on then, do you?”

“No, I’m free then.” Adrien could hear the grin in Marinette’s voice. “What time?”

“Is nine in the morning okay?”

“Definitely.”

“Great.” Adrien breathed. “So, it’s a date?”

“Yeah. It is.” More rustling. “Oh, Adrien? Can we… keep this a secret? Just for a bit. I mean, Alya’s always kinda gotten into my business – I love her, of course, but she can go a little overboard sometimes, and I want to figure this out with just us. Does that make sense?” She groaned at her own clumsy wording.

“Definitely!” Adrien blurted. “Yeah, we can keep it a secret for a bit.”

“Maybe just until next Monday? After our date.”

Hearing her say the word ‘date’ made Adrien’s heart sing. He nodded, before realizing she couldn’t see him. “That sounds like a good idea.” And he couldn’t help adding, “Though it’ll be hard not to sweep you off your feet during school, this cat will try his best.”

Marinette laughed. “He’d better! Alya already interrogated me about when you picked me up at the hospital.”

“Picked you up, huh? So you admit my pickup lines work?”

“Ugh, Adrien!” Marinette snorted.

He grinned and teased, “You know you love my jokes.”

“They’re so bad.”

“That why you love them, Bugaboo.”

“I hate that you’re right.” She groaned good-naturedly. On the other end of the line Adrien heard a faint call. “Oh, my parents want me down. Are you driving me into school tomorrow? You know, I’m the hero of Paris, I’m capable of walking.”

“Now what kind of prince would I be if I let my princess walk?”

“Pfft.” Marinette snorted. “Ugh, worst one yet. I’ll see you then.”

“Okay then! I’ll – I’ll see you tomorrow, Marinette.”

“Goodnight, Chaton.”

A click, and the call ended. Adrien pressed his forehead to his window to cool the burning in his face. He was going on a date. With Marinette Dupain-Cheng. He was the luckiest cat alive. Now all he had to do was make sure it went well. How could the plan fail when it was so well thought through?

   “Plagg! I didn’t think this through!”

“You’re telling me.” Plagg yawned from Adrien’s pillow, while Adrien paced rapidly from window to window, pausing every so often to glance at his watch and then pacing a little bit faster. Saturday morning, and he hadn’t thought about this yet? Where had the time gone?

“What am I supposed to wear? She’s a fashion designer, Plagg. I can’t look like an idiot in front of her.”

“It’s not like you wear a skintight leather cat suit most days.”

“That’s different and you know it!”

Plagg groaned. “You know your father’s a famous fashion designer, right? Why don’t you just go ask him?”

“He already gave permission for me to be out today, I don’t need to jinx that. And besides, that’s him! I want to choose what I wear today, and it has to be perfect.”

At Plagg’s insistent whining Adrien finally picked out an outfit – a salmon shirt under a light grey jacket, and dress pants. You couldn’t go too wrong with that, right? Right???

Somehow he made it into the limousine in one piece, flowers and all. Adrien hadn’t really had anyone to go to for advice, so he’d resorted to Google for answers and ended up on a page about flower meanings. Blue roses for love at first sight, red roses for passion, orange tulips for happiness, and pink carnations simply because they reminded him of her. It looked kind of messy and Plagg had laughed, but hopefully Marinette would like them?

The Gorilla pulled up to the Dupain-Cheng bakery at nine on the dot. Adrien hurriedly straightened his jacket and hurried out to knock on the door, bouquet in hand.

“Kid, chill out.” Plagg whispered from his pocket. Adrien vibrated with nerves. Ugh, he was taking this too far wasn’t he? The flowers were too much. He’d almost made up his mind to toss them away when there was a click and the door swung open.

Tom Dupain towered over him with a brilliant smile. Adrien stood caught in its beam. Well, now he knew where Marinette got her room-lighting grin from.

“Adrien! So nice to see you. Marinette’s just getting ready, she’ll be out in a minute. Are those flowers? Oh, Sabine, come and see what the Agreste boy got our Marinette!”

Adrien felt his face flush as Mrs. Cheng poked her head out and ‘awwww’ed.

“So, what time do you expect to be back?” Tom asked cheerfully.

“Er, we were going to have lunch, so three?”

Marinette appeared around her father with rolling eyes and a cute white blouse, with black patterns to match the signatures on her cast. Her pink skirt fluttered around her legs as she stepped out onto the street.

“Papa, I already told you when I’ll be back.”

“I was just checking!” The giant man defended. Marinette turned her gaze to Adrien and froze, freckled cheeks darkening in a blush. Adrien gulped and mustered all his Chat Noir suaveness (it may have actually been dorkiness but he didn’t care right now) to bow and hold out the bouquet with a cheeky smile.

“For Milady.”

Tom and Sabine cooed. Marinette hesitantly took the flowers. Electricity zinged through Adrien’s arm when their hands touched. Marinette coughed and squeaked out, “You look really good Adrien.”

“I was just about to say the same thing.”

The two teens may have stood there all day, blushing, if Tom hadn’t plucked the flowers from Marinette’s grasp with an, “I’ll put these in water.” The movement startled them out of their state and Marinette shyly lifted one arm. Adrien looped his elbow through it and led her to the limousine.

“So.” Marinette said as Adrien opened up the door. “Do I get to know what we’ll be doing today?”

“Not yet. It’s a surprise.” Adrien climbed in after her and nodded to the Gorilla in the mirror. His trusty bodyguard nodded back and pulled out onto the street with a rumble, the car quickly slotting into traffic. Marinette hummed and cracked open her purse to hear Tikki’s whisper.

“Plagg told me about it, Marinette. You’ll love it.”

“Plagg!” Adrien objected, scandalized. Plagg snickered from his pocket. “How could you?”

“Top ten anime betrayals.” Marinette giggled. Adrien fixed a glare at the lump in his jacket.

“Well, if the stinky sock in the room is just going to spoil it, I’ll tell you our first destination for today. We’re going to find Andre and get special ice cream.”

Marinette clapped excitedly, and the sight of her face was more than enough to make Adrien smile again. “Do you have the clue?”

“Ready and waiting.” Adrien presented his phone’s screen, which held the first clue that would eventually lead to the whereabouts of Paris’s renound ice-cream vender. Well, Adrien could have just checked social media for spoilers – but half the fun of it was figuring out the mystery! “And I came prepared.”

Marinette sent him a questioning look. Adrien grinned and pulled out the black jacket, hat and sunglasses he’d placed there earlier.

“It’s a disguise.” He explained, slipping on the sunglasses. “So we don’t get mobbed.” Adrien struck a pose. “How to I look?”

“Like a huge dork.” Marinette said affectionately.

“But I’m your dork.”

“Next time, please let me choose your disguise. I love you, Adrien, but you are terrible at disguises.”

She loves me. Adrien flushed to the tips of his ears. Marinette didn’t seem to have realized what she said, because she was still laughing and poking out her tongue adorably. Adrien put on his best Chat Noir smirk.

“Oh, so there’ll be a next time?”

“Of course there will be, you dumb cat! Now, let’s see that clue.” Marinette leaned over to look at his phone screen. Adrien held it away from her teasingly.

“Well, if you’re gonna be like that, maybe I don’t want to share.”

Marinette’s hand went up, and too late did Adrien realise she wasn’t reaching for the phone. Her hand landed in his hair and scratched teasingly right behind his ear – a dirty move, she knew that was his weak spot! Adrien couldn’t stop the purr from escaping his chest. He leaned into the contact, rumbling. Marinette cackled and snatched the phone from his distracted hands.

“Hey! No fair!”

Adrien pouted, until she leaned over to place her head on his shoulder. She was too cute to not forgive! Adrien caved and read the clue with her. He hummed in thought.

“The park, maybe?”

“Maybe. Or near a shopping centre? It’s kind of ambiguous.”

“Then I guess we’ll just have to go exploring.”

[drippeddaily]

Album of the Year #25: Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids Still Daydream

Album of the Year #25: Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids Still Daydream

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Artist: Open Mike Eagle

Album: Brick Body Kids Still Daydream

Listen:

Youtube

Spotify

Apple Music

Album Background:

Open Mike Eagle, born in the South Side of Chicgao, 37 years old, and member of Project Blowed has become a staple in the underground hip hop scene and started making waves with his poignant and concise projects starting in 2010 with his first full length release Unapologetic Art Rap.

You may have heard of Mike outside of his music by his features in Vice videos such as Why rappers love Grey Poupon or Rapping, deconstructed: The best rhymers of all time. If not those, maybe you’ve seen him on Eric Andre’s show in Rapper Warrior Ninja. And, again, if not that then maybe you know him as a friend of famous comedian and Bill Cosby exposer Hannibal Buress.

Before becoming a rapper, Michael W. Eagle II went to Whitney M. Young High School which is a selective enrollment public school in the Near West Side of Chicago. After high school, Mike went to Southern Illinois University Carbondale as a psychology major where he met his now good friend Hannibal Buress. He graduated and moved on to do one year of grad school before moving to Los Angeles where he worked a few different jobs such as Americorps, a non-profit halfway home, and as a third and fourth grade special education teacher. At this time, he only rapped as a hobby until he found Project Blowed, where he became affiliated with now long time collaborators Busdriver, Dumbfoundead, and Pyschosiz.

Open Mike Eagle’s 5th full length LP Brick Body Kids Still Daydream was released on September 15, 2017 under one of my favorite labels Mello Music Group. Mike grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago which was a series of project housings that is now demolished. They were erected in the early 1960s, and demolished over the course of nine years from 1998 to 2007. Here is a picture of the last standing building via Wikipedia. These buildings were designed to hold up to 11,000 residents, and in actuality housed up to 27,000 people at its peak. The complex was riddled with gang violence and crime throughout its entire existence.

The source of inspiration for this album is made clear by the title, the album cover, and Mike’s upbringing which leads to this album being a tell all of Mike’s feelings about the Robert Taylor Homes, and subsequently he touches on the problems in America in a way that is very personal to him.

Review:

Mike’s style of rap is soft and inviting, like he is telling a story out of a book by your bedside. With the opening track Legendary Iron Hood, he invites you into his dream world at the Robert Taylor Homes. He sets up with references to a superhero in the X-Men with lines like “I keep my head down, pushing like I’m walking to school, yeah / I hold em tight like Infinity Gems” and “Got a brother named Charles that be on that bullshit / I protect my neck with some magical jewels.” While Mike’s rapping is smooth and harmless, it’s exciting like he really wants you to listen to his story. His childish daydreams tells you just enough to make you interested to hear more about his life growing up, and see how he solves the problems he establishes in this first track.

Mike keeps you on your toes as one emotion that’s being conveyed never lasts very long. This album in the 40 minutes run time takes you from happy and comfortable, to a dark and depressed place, and this can quickly change from track to track. One track that shows this dichotomy is Happy Wasteland Day, where Mike gives us his take on the political landscape of 2017 while never mentioning the name of the largest contributor to the current state of affairs. The beat most prominently features a looped string instrument, backed by simple drums and bass supporting it. Mike’s lyricism in this track varies from on the nose to more abstract questions in simple lines. “When the king is a garbage person / I might wanna lay down and die” he repeats quite often as he wonders what he’s supposed to do. He poses a problem and offers a solution to himself within two lines, “Zombie sheriffs is tryna lynch us / Guess I’ll call up my congressman.” Mike makes a grim joke saying that the police force are like zombies out for their next meal, and what can he do about it but call his congressman? Mike knows it’s ultimately a futile act, and this sort of change is much bigger than one person.

The climax of the album can not go without mention, and that is Brick Body Complex. The rebellious and hyped up track explains the title of the album. Mike’s ultimate comparison is that a black child in the hood is literally a building. That kid, because of a system designed to keep him down, has no upward mobility or anyway to move away from his current situation much like the building that he lives in. However, Mike tries to fight back this notion by saying that he is giant, he’s a superhero, and and that he’ll never fit their descriptions. They, in this case, being those who generalize an entire group of people because of their skin color and living situation. It’s a fantastic concept that Mike fully realizes on this song with his passionate, fast, and angry rapping about this state of affairs. This song truly showcases Mike’s talent as a musician, storyteller, artist, and this track is something that sets him apart from other rappers. It is a fleshed out idea, told in a personal way that makes comments on the truths of America, and delivered in a 4 minute showcase of lyrical wit and storytelling.

The final track that deserves its own paragraph also happens to be the final track of the album. My Auntie’s Building is perhaps the dreariest song on the entire album, and despite the fighting back like Mike showed in Brick Body Complex, this is the beaten down side of him. “I’ll fight you all, I’m willing / Just show me who’s that villain / I don’t see no one, I don’t see no one / I can’t find nobody,” Mike says as he ultimately realizes this battle is one that can’t be one. There is no one single person to fight as this is a systematic problem. “They say America fights fair / But they won’t demolish your timeshare” are two simple bars that summarize the issue of gentrification. The beat is slow, with Mike rapping fast and he is pissed off. The album ends with him repeating “That’s the sound of them tearing my body down to the ground.” Mike one last time before his “death” reiterates that there is no hope or choice for him or kids like him, and that the system is too strong for one hero to beat alone.

While the above tracks are worthy of their own paragraphs the others are just as good and are certainly not wasted space. Every track on this album is just as important as the ones surrounding it, and something that should be mentioned and something that Mike is known for is his humor. Mike still manages to keep his signature wit and humor despite the foreboding message. Like on No Selling (Uncle Butch Pretends It Don’t Hurt) he mentions how he had an asthma attack in the last bar, or on TLDR (Smithing) how he’s been woke for so long he needs a nap. He even seems to call this out on (How Could Anybody) Feel At Home where he says he’s told some goofy shit that sounds like a poem, and reading through Mike’s bars there’s a lot of truth to that statement. Mike often feels like he’s reading to you, and his personality is full of wit and funny bars, and while this album is more serious in tone Mike does not give up what he’s known for to deliver his message.

The beats on this album are also worthy of praise as Mike decided to take in ten producers over the course of twelve tracks. Exile (Legendary Iron Hood & Happy Wasteland Day) and Illingsworth (Daydreaming In The Projects & TLDR (Smithing)) both produced two tracks. Mike’s lengthy list of producers each bring their own flavor to each track, and shows how Mike is unafraid of going up against some experimental or different beats. Legendary Iron Hood features a beautiful and serene piano and guitar which is completely different from No Selling which makes uses of a simple low synth and vocal samples. And both of these tracks are completely different from something like 95 Radios which is the poppiest track on the album, and has a more prominent yet simple drum beat and bells. Every track is distinct and stands on its own, but is all brought together by Mike’s confidence over them. Mike knows exactly what to bring to each track to complement the beat and most importantly deliver his message and see his vision.

Something that I picked up on throughout this record is that Mike mentions some form of motion whether it is him being still or being in perpetual motion, and a reference to this can be found on almost every track on the album. In the beginning of the album he talks about moving a lot like on Legendary Iron Hood he talks about how he can't be stopped and nothing will stop him, or on (How Could Anybody) Feel At Home he “spun around in circles on the globe.” But as the album progresses he is tired and in pain. The entirety of No Selling is about working too hard, and is a direct reference to “selling” in wrestling meaning that a wrestler is selling to the audience how hurt he is. In this case, Mike is “no selling” or trying to pretend like he’s not hurt, but truly all of this work is tiring him out. In the later points of the album there is emphasis on standing still or being in the same place, and this goes hand in hand with Mike making the comparison of a black kid to a building. Buildings are constant. They never move, even when it rains, or in the wind, or in the snow, and they will always be right where they were intended to be. Black kids living in the hood think they will move, get out of the hood, and live better lives, but throughout this album Mike is telling us that this is just a daydream, that it will never happen and that is by design. The final track My Auntie’s Building continues to hammer this point home. “And they hit that shit with a wrecking ball so hard / Thought the whole earth broke / All them people dispersed though / Federal to commercial.” The people of the Robert Taylor Homes were forced out, nowhere to go, and ultimately ended up lining the pockets of the wealthy by having to live in for profit housing.

This record is a fantastic, and beautiful commentary on Mike’s upbringing and the climate of 2017. This record is as much of a commentary on Trump as it is on Mike’s home in Chicago, and has become one of my favorite records of the year and by far my favorite record that feels like it is a response to the election of Donald Trump. I truly loved this album, and as I continued to relisten to write this review I only fell more in love with it. Open Mike Eagle did an incredible job with this record, and I’m excited to see where he goes next, but I’d also be content if he takes his time with the next one because I’ll be playing this for a long time.

Favorite Lyrics:

1.

My big dumb brain’s an electrical ocean

Started walking now my legs in perpetual motion

2.

Don’t call me nigga or rapper

My name is motherfucking Michael Eagle, I’m sovereign

I come from a line of ghetto superheroes

3.

Between shrooms and touring I'm sure to take a bunch of trips

And fuck that one guy who’s screen name was "thunderlips"

Pelt him with a bag full of mesquite flavored Kruncher chips

4. (Bars from feature guest, Sammus)

On my Apple updating my E-Shops

Eat a apple a day, take a brief pause

Take a nap, lie awake in-between sobs

Then I rap and I pray and the grief stops

5.

The old me would drink a 40

And eat bologna, shinobi

On NBA Live, I play with Kobe

Discussion Questions:

I’ve seen a lot of debate on whether or not this is better than Dark Comedy? Thoughts?

As far as “reactions to Trump” go, how do you feel about this album compared to others who did the same?

Do you find any validity in my claims about Mike’s use of motion in this album?

Do you think Open Mike Eagle’s use of several different producers was a benefit, or would you have preferred he stuck with only a few. Would you like to see other rappers take this sort of approach?

Merry Christmas, y'all!Artist: Open Mike EagleAlbum: Brick Body Kids Still DaydreamListen:YoutubeSpotifyApple MusicAlbum Background:Open Mike Eagle, born in the South Side of Chicgao, 37 years old, and member of Project Blowed has become a staple in the underground hip hop scene and started making waves with his poignant and concise projects starting in 2010 with his first full length release Unapologetic Art Rap.You may have heard of Mike outside of his music by his features in Vice videos such as Why rappers love Grey Poupon or Rapping, deconstructed: The best rhymers of all time. If not those, maybe you’ve seen him on Eric Andre’s show in Rapper Warrior Ninja. And, again, if not that then maybe you know him as a friend of famous comedian and Bill Cosby exposer Hannibal Buress.Before becoming a rapper, Michael W. Eagle II went to Whitney M. Young High School which is a selective enrollment public school in the Near West Side of Chicago. After high school, Mike went to Southern Illinois University Carbondale as a psychology major where he met his now good friend Hannibal Buress. He graduated and moved on to do one year of grad school before moving to Los Angeles where he worked a few different jobs such as Americorps, a non-profit halfway home, and as a third and fourth grade special education teacher. At this time, he only rapped as a hobby until he found Project Blowed, where he became affiliated with now long time collaborators Busdriver, Dumbfoundead, and Pyschosiz.Open Mike Eagle’s 5th full length LP Brick Body Kids Still Daydream was released on September 15, 2017 under one of my favorite labels Mello Music Group. Mike grew up in the Robert Taylor Homes in Chicago which was a series of project housings that is now demolished. They were erected in the early 1960s, and demolished over the course of nine years from 1998 to 2007. Here is a picture of the last standing building via Wikipedia. These buildings were designed to hold up to 11,000 residents, and in actuality housed up to 27,000 people at its peak. The complex was riddled with gang violence and crime throughout its entire existence.The source of inspiration for this album is made clear by the title, the album cover, and Mike’s upbringing which leads to this album being a tell all of Mike’s feelings about the Robert Taylor Homes, and subsequently he touches on the problems in America in a way that is very personal to him.Review:Mike’s style of rap is soft and inviting, like he is telling a story out of a book by your bedside. With the opening track Legendary Iron Hood, he invites you into his dream world at the Robert Taylor Homes. He sets up with references to a superhero in the X-Men with lines like “I keep my head down, pushing like I’m walking to school, yeah / I hold em tight like Infinity Gems” and “Got a brother named Charles that be on that bullshit / I protect my neck with some magical jewels.” While Mike’s rapping is smooth and harmless, it’s exciting like he really wants you to listen to his story. His childish daydreams tells you just enough to make you interested to hear more about his life growing up, and see how he solves the problems he establishes in this first track.Mike keeps you on your toes as one emotion that’s being conveyed never lasts very long. This album in the 40 minutes run time takes you from happy and comfortable, to a dark and depressed place, and this can quickly change from track to track. One track that shows this dichotomy is Happy Wasteland Day, where Mike gives us his take on the political landscape of 2017 while never mentioning the name of the largest contributor to the current state of affairs. The beat most prominently features a looped string instrument, backed by simple drums and bass supporting it. Mike’s lyricism in this track varies from on the nose to more abstract questions in simple lines. “When the king is a garbage person / I might wanna lay down and die” he repeats quite often as he wonders what he’s supposed to do. He poses a problem and offers a solution to himself within two lines, “Zombie sheriffs is tryna lynch us / Guess I’ll call up my congressman.” Mike makes a grim joke saying that the police force are like zombies out for their next meal, and what can he do about it but call his congressman? Mike knows it’s ultimately a futile act, and this sort of change is much bigger than one person.The climax of the album can not go without mention, and that is Brick Body Complex. The rebellious and hyped up track explains the title of the album. Mike’s ultimate comparison is that a black child in the hood is literally a building. That kid, because of a system designed to keep him down, has no upward mobility or anyway to move away from his current situation much like the building that he lives in. However, Mike tries to fight back this notion by saying that he is giant, he’s a superhero, and and that he’ll never fit their descriptions. They, in this case, being those who generalize an entire group of people because of their skin color and living situation. It’s a fantastic concept that Mike fully realizes on this song with his passionate, fast, and angry rapping about this state of affairs. This song truly showcases Mike’s talent as a musician, storyteller, artist, and this track is something that sets him apart from other rappers. It is a fleshed out idea, told in a personal way that makes comments on the truths of America, and delivered in a 4 minute showcase of lyrical wit and storytelling.The final track that deserves its own paragraph also happens to be the final track of the album. My Auntie’s Building is perhaps the dreariest song on the entire album, and despite the fighting back like Mike showed in Brick Body Complex, this is the beaten down side of him. “I’ll fight you all, I’m willing / Just show me who’s that villain / I don’t see no one, I don’t see no one / I can’t find nobody,” Mike says as he ultimately realizes this battle is one that can’t be one. There is no one single person to fight as this is a systematic problem. “They say America fights fair / But they won’t demolish your timeshare” are two simple bars that summarize the issue of gentrification. The beat is slow, with Mike rapping fast and he is pissed off. The album ends with him repeating “That’s the sound of them tearing my body down to the ground.” Mike one last time before his “death” reiterates that there is no hope or choice for him or kids like him, and that the system is too strong for one hero to beat alone.While the above tracks are worthy of their own paragraphs the others are just as good and are certainly not wasted space. Every track on this album is just as important as the ones surrounding it, and something that should be mentioned and something that Mike is known for is his humor. Mike still manages to keep his signature wit and humor despite the foreboding message. Like on No Selling (Uncle Butch Pretends It Don’t Hurt) he mentions how he had an asthma attack in the last bar, or on TLDR (Smithing) how he’s been woke for so long he needs a nap. He even seems to call this out on (How Could Anybody) Feel At Home where he says he’s told some goofy shit that sounds like a poem, and reading through Mike’s bars there’s a lot of truth to that statement. Mike often feels like he’s reading to you, and his personality is full of wit and funny bars, and while this album is more serious in tone Mike does not give up what he’s known for to deliver his message.The beats on this album are also worthy of praise as Mike decided to take in ten producers over the course of twelve tracks. Exile (Legendary Iron Hood & Happy Wasteland Day) and Illingsworth (Daydreaming In The Projects & TLDR (Smithing)) both produced two tracks. Mike’s lengthy list of producers each bring their own flavor to each track, and shows how Mike is unafraid of going up against some experimental or different beats. Legendary Iron Hood features a beautiful and serene piano and guitar which is completely different from No Selling which makes uses of a simple low synth and vocal samples. And both of these tracks are completely different from something like 95 Radios which is the poppiest track on the album, and has a more prominent yet simple drum beat and bells. Every track is distinct and stands on its own, but is all brought together by Mike’s confidence over them. Mike knows exactly what to bring to each track to complement the beat and most importantly deliver his message and see his vision.Something that I picked up on throughout this record is that Mike mentions some form of motion whether it is him being still or being in perpetual motion, and a reference to this can be found on almost every track on the album. In the beginning of the album he talks about moving a lot like on Legendary Iron Hood he talks about how he can't be stopped and nothing will stop him, or on (How Could Anybody) Feel At Home he “spun around in circles on the globe.” But as the album progresses he is tired and in pain. The entirety of No Selling is about working too hard, and is a direct reference to “selling” in wrestling meaning that a wrestler is selling to the audience how hurt he is. In this case, Mike is “no selling” or trying to pretend like he’s not hurt, but truly all of this work is tiring him out. In the later points of the album there is emphasis on standing still or being in the same place, and this goes hand in hand with Mike making the comparison of a black kid to a building. Buildings are constant. They never move, even when it rains, or in the wind, or in the snow, and they will always be right where they were intended to be. Black kids living in the hood think they will move, get out of the hood, and live better lives, but throughout this album Mike is telling us that this is just a daydream, that it will never happen and that is by design. The final track My Auntie’s Building continues to hammer this point home. “And they hit that shit with a wrecking ball so hard / Thought the whole earth broke / All them people dispersed though / Federal to commercial.” The people of the Robert Taylor Homes were forced out, nowhere to go, and ultimately ended up lining the pockets of the wealthy by having to live in for profit housing.This record is a fantastic, and beautiful commentary on Mike’s upbringing and the climate of 2017. This record is as much of a commentary on Trump as it is on Mike’s home in Chicago, and has become one of my favorite records of the year and by far my favorite record that feels like it is a response to the election of Donald Trump. I truly loved this album, and as I continued to relisten to write this review I only fell more in love with it. Open Mike Eagle did an incredible job with this record, and I’m excited to see where he goes next, but I’d also be content if he takes his time with the next one because I’ll be playing this for a long time.Favorite Lyrics:1.My big dumb brain’s an electrical oceanStarted walking now my legs in perpetual motion2.Don’t call me nigga or rapperMy name is motherfucking Michael Eagle, I’m sovereignI come from a line of ghetto superheroes3.Between shrooms and touring I'm sure to take a bunch of tripsAnd fuck that one guy who’s screen name was "thunderlips"Pelt him with a bag full of mesquite flavored Kruncher chips4. (Bars from feature guest, Sammus)On my Apple updating my E-ShopsEat a apple a day, take a brief pauseTake a nap, lie awake in-between sobsThen I rap and I pray and the grief stops5.The old me would drink a 40And eat bologna, shinobiOn NBA Live, I play with KobeDiscussion Questions:I’ve seen a lot of debate on whether or not this is better than Dark Comedy? Thoughts?As far as “reactions to Trump” go, how do you feel about this album compared to others who did the same?Do you find any validity in my claims about Mike’s use of motion in this album?Do you think Open Mike Eagle’s use of several different producers was a benefit, or would you have preferred he stuck with only a few. Would you like to see other rappers take this sort of approach?