#hopping on da trend

[stanfordsweater]

2023 creator wrap-up

hiiiii

this year i posted 15 edits and scrapped 3-4 ideas that i'll get back to at some point, which is less than the 55 (!) i posted in 2022. my resolution for next year is to create more and scroll less but overall i'm still happy with that level of output

top five:

rowena / ruby parallels-- i actually fucking hate this one and i'm really disappointed with how it turned out!! all the same it was me getting back to giffing after a dry period and even though i hated it, i still posted it and some people seemed to enjoy it. i tend to scrap projects frequently, but i managed to power through my self-criticism and put this one out there. it set a good tone for the rest of the year.

hook man edit-- something you may not know about me is that i HAAAAAAATE giffing with subtitles because i cannot grasp how to make them look good. this is the first gifset i've ever made where i don't look back and cringe at how the subtitles look, so it stands as a milestone in my editing career :')

maybe 1996 was-- this was a return to form for me, having not made many asw edits in a while. it's commentary on hindsight and living in the past etc. etc., idealized moments in dean's personal history, but also how it's okay to look at the past with rose-tinted glasses when your life is so painful. the subtext here is that dean is denied heaven through his deal, but in exchange he gets to know that sammy lives (even though we know better, lol). i think this memory of sam and the fireworks was something dean thought about in his last moments.

15.20 letters to milena edit-- this one makes me tender ;~; i like that it's simple and understated but packs that emotional punch. it was pretty easy because as soon as i had that line in my head it was obvious to me what to do with it. i think it looks good too!

my letters to milena wincest edit-- this was created over the span of about 6 hours but is hands-down my favourite edit i've made PERIODDDDD partially because i love kafka but moreso because it came to me so easily... it had been cooking in my head for a few months before i made it and every scene i chose i knew immediately that i wanted to include it. the colour grading was really fun and i liked the process of experimenting with the format. if i could change one thing about it i would swap some of the scenes for the "really a reflection of everything else / which is a lie" portion because it makes more sense if the first line has all the good memories and the second has the bitter reality memories, eg. sad baby sam and the spaghetti-os.

[lunityviruss]

Yeah I'm gon go ahead and uninstall tiktok......

[churipu]

SAY "DADA" 𓆝 ⋆｡𖦹°‧

ִ ࣪𖤐 featuring. gojo satoru, toji fushiguro, nanami kento x fem! reader

ִ ࣪𖤐 warnings. toji cries but he doesn't admit it bye

note. i just spent a good hour watching the "glimpse of us" parents-baby trend, it's so cute. i just had to make something family themed for the jjk men :( i'm so sorry for the lack of updates, i just finished work and boy— it was stressful.

𝐆𝐎𝐉𝐎 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐔

"come on, little guy . . . say dada, da . . . da!" gojo nodded his head slowly, in his grasp stood his one year old son.

all he got in return was a loud strained laugh from the little boy, "it's okay, baby. take it slow, come on, dada . . . da . . ." the blue eyed male softly spells out the word.

"satoru, you've been trying for an hour now." you informed him, eyeing the father-son duo every now and then, "he's going to get it eventually . . ."

gojo chuckled, "i know, baby. 'm just so excited, what if he said his first words when 'm out on a mission," a sad smile etched onto his lips as he cradled the baby in his hold.

"dada!"

it took gojo a few seconds to process what his son just uttered in excitement. slowly, the corner of his lips tugged upwards in happiness — gojo cheers loudly, nuzzling his face into your son's little belly, making him craze out in pure euphoria.

"you just said your first word, good job, buddy! 'm so proud of you," gojo muffled out into the baby's tummy, "daddy's so proud of you."

gojo then faced you, "his first word is dada, i'm going to cry . . ."

to which he did, sniffling loudly — making the little boy imitate him, scrunching his face into a big frown before wailing out a loud cry. hearing your baby cry, gojo softly hushed him, patting his back, "no, no, baby. daddy's crying of happiness, not sadness, please don't cry."

"aren't you two just the cutest?" you asked, kissing the baby on his chubby cheek — calming him down almost immediately. his loud cries ceasing down under your touch.

"we are." gojo chuckled, nose raging red from sniffling mucus.

"please get rid of your snot, satoru . . ."

𝐓𝐎𝐉𝐈 𝐅𝐔𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐔𝐑𝐎

"come on, dada. say it." toji mutters, pulling on megumi's little cheek — gently, and the baby seemingly annoyed, swats off his father's giant fingers.

toji scoffed, "huh, wonder where y' got that attitude from."

you eyed him, "what do you mean? megumi's exactly just like you — i carry him for nine months and he ends up being a copy of you," you chuckled, ruffling megumi's hair.

the young ten month old baby crawled his way over to you, settling himself on his lap, eyeing his father sharply, "what're y'looking at, huh?"

instinctively you hit toji's bicep gently, "stop that."

"'m not doing anything . . ." toji replies back, rolling his eyes before crossing his arms, "stupid baby."

"dada!" megumi shrieks out, pointing his small finger accusingly at toji, a cute glare looming over his dark eyes, "dada!"

toji blinked once. twice. thrice, and he ended up scoffing, looking away from both you and megumi, "he said his first word, and it's me," toji mutters into his skin, clamping his palm over his lips as his elbow propped down onto the couch's hand rest.

"good job, 'gumi!" you cheered, raising the boy up in the air, kissing his cheek which made the baby erupt in small laughter.

megumi crunched his legs happily, yelling out gibberish with a mix of "dada dada!"

"that's right, dada!" you parrot happily, gently hopping with megumi in your arms. eyeing toji who had been silent, "toji, are you okay?"

he grunted, brushing his face with his hands, "do i not look okay?"

"did you cry?" you ask.

toji grunted yet again in disdain, "why would i cry because the brat said his first word?" he did.

𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐈 𝐊𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐎

nanami sat on the floor cross-legged with his eleven month old daughter on his lap as he scanned the newspaper. at every page, his daughter didn't miss every spot on the dull colored paper, pointing at the paper and muttering out incoherent words.

"mhm, that's terrible news, isn't it?" he replies, sipping on his coffee mug.

you emerged from behind the bedroom door, hair disheveled, "good morning," you mumble out, wiping the back of your finger over your eyes.

"dada!"

you froze and eyed your daughter, and nanami did too. his head looked down onto the young girl in amusement, his gaze softening, "your first word . . ." he whispers, carrying the baby into his strong arms.

"you just said your first word, baby!" your raspy morning voice chirped, it was as if your exhaustion had disappeared in a heap of moments and you trotted down the ground, approaching the father-daughter.

"i'm so proud of you," nanami gently placed a kiss on top of his daughter's head, cradling her small body.

you were pulled into a hug by nanami, his arm wrapped around your shoulder and he pulled you to his side — his cheek leaning on your head in content, "good morning."

"dada dada!" your daughter cheered happily, patting nanami's face with her small hands.

"mhm, i'm dada, baby." he mumbles, letting the young girl do as she likes. you cooed softly at the sight, wrapping an arm around his waist.

a good morning it is.

© CHURIPU 2024 , DO NOT COPY OR REPOST ANYWHERE

[skyrigel]

Take a look at my gf trend with Simon

“No way !” Soap annouced smugly,“ Ghost would be caught dead than doing—”

“ Will this do cupcake ?” The door of your bedroom fell ajar, Simon stepped out, his enormous hands carrying a small dainty Polaroid of him in his whole gear.

“—a stupid trend.” But the words were passed away in a gasp, He frowned at your boyfriend or his comrade in war field.

You winked at him, balancing a smirk as you hopped to your big man, taking a look at the Polaroid and giving him your most jovial nod while he leaned to peck your head.

“ Who are you ?? And what have to done to our lieutenant!?” John said accusingly, his face scowling in humour.

“Get ya' ass out, peanut and I need to film a video.” Simon wrapped his arms around your waist, while he waved his Polaroid from other to the door.

“ Or you can help us film it.” You laughed, making him scoff, 'as if'.

~~~

Everywhere I go I keep her picture in my wallet like here—

You waved the Polaroid of your man happily in the camera, Simon's big fingers stopped the video and then he looked up at you.

“Oh my god ! I love you so much babe.” You giggled and told him cheekily, a flush creeped your face and neck as he adjusted himself behind the Polaroid, he was your big-big man, with his puffed chest and wide shoulders and muscled arms, his skully balaclava still on his face and he grinned at you, the way his hand rested on the small of your back.

“Anything for my princess.” He said with a glint in his eyes, and you just wanted to kiss him square on mouth, hard and forever.

You un paused the video, 3,2,1-

… Take a look at my girlfriend

You pulled back the Polaroid, revealing your big man and Riley baby pulled you to him, cupping your whole body as he flicked up his balaclava enough to kiss you through the audio was done, your shirt riding up as climbed on your tip toes despite Simon was leaning his best to claim you.

Some time later while your clothes were tossed somewhere and you were resting on his chest, re-watching the draft.

“We need to shoot it again.” You huffed, trying your best mock glare at him, he watched your with oozing love, putting his finger under your chin.

“Ofcourse Princess...Got distracted this time.” He smirked, and you just about died.

I never seem to get a lot (ba ba da da, ba ba da da)

Grim Reaper! Simon

Masterlist

[wen-kexing-apologist]

Random QL Superlatives: 2024 Edition

Well I see @lurkingshan started the trend, so I better hop on

Most Heartbreaking Use of Weather: Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

I am going to be honest. Korea really fucking came for my throat with multiple shows that wielded weather as a weapon against my emotional state. But Hwang Da Seul absolutely wins the award for destruction of my very soul via snow. I swear to god every time it snowed in this fucking show I was losing my mind over the scene that played out before me. First it was doorways that crushed me (shout out to To My Star 2), and now it’s three snowflakes on Do Hoe’s cheek. 

Most Emotionally Charged Inanimate Object: Ossan no Pantsu ga Nandatte Ii Janai ka (aka No One Cares for an Old Man’s Underwear)

gif by @avorbl

Not a BL but one of the most important stories involving queerness of the year imo. When Makoto went back to that store to buy that wallet for Kakeru I kid you not I spontaneously erupted into tears. This was not the first nor the last time that this show made me bawl like a hungry newborn, but it for sure was one of the best indicators that Makoto was not only beginning to accept, but internalize and reshape his worldview to be more loving and accepting of difference. 

Most Realistic Fight Between a Lawyer and Henchmen: Doku Koi: Doku Mo Sugireba Koi to Naru (aka Love is Like a Poison)

gif by @conscbgb

Step aside Matthew Murdock! There’s a new lawyer in town and he absolutely cannot fight for shit! Honestly an iconic moment in this show to see Shiba Ryo take an offensive stance and then immediately get his ass beat in to the ground because he’s a fucking lawyer, not a goddamn superhero. Also it gives Haruta a wonderful little opportunity to show off his skills and to save his loser boyfriend who loves him. 

Most Important Hand Flex Since Pride and Prejudice (2005): The Trainee 

gif by @namtanlovesfilm

HELLO! I THINK WE MOVED PAST JANE’S DESK GRAB A LITTLE TOO QUICKLY! Seriously, not only was it a great hand scene in general (which you know I live for) but it was also a quick and easy way to demonstrate 1) Jane has feelings for Ryan and is trying to hold back and 2) Jane understands the inherent power imbalance between him as an AD and Ryan’s boss and Ryan as an intern. Zero points for Judy.  

Best Creepy Smile: Dead Friend Forever

gif by @lilitblaukatz

HI HELLO I’M ALREADY YELLING AGAIN! BARCODE! BARCODE TINNASIT! As disappointed as I was with the way DFF ended, I was blown out of the fucking water by Barcode’s performance as Non. From KinnPorsche to here that boy has grown astronomically as both an actor and singer, and I’m really proud of him. He had to navigate a lot of different emotional centers with some incredibly terrible things happening to his character. He was able to make Non extremely sympathetic and also creepy as hell! Be On Cloud lost out big time with Barcode leaving the company. 

Best Use of a Dildo: Knock Knock Boys

gif by @pharawee

Honestly for all the BLs that include sex, we rarely get the acknowledgement that sex toys exist, much less the actual usage of said sex toys. I loved that Almond visited a sex shop, purchased a dildo, and that we got to watch a scene of him attempting to use it. This show was honestly the biggest surprise of the year for me in terms of enjoyment. I wasn’t even really interested in this show but love Seng and wanted to support his work and then this was absolutely delightful and honestly Almond and Latte stole the show for me. Good job boys!

Best Distinction Between Reality and Fiction: BL Drama no Shuen ni Narimashta: Crank Up Hen! (aka I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama)

gif by @itagakimizuki

Full offense to a particular corner of fan culture, the way that the boundaries between real life and fiction have been known to blend when it comes to emotional bonds between fans and famous people can be very toxic and genuinely dangerous to the health and safety of everyone involved. It is difficult for me to think of a show that made me laugh as hard, as loudly, or as often as I Became the Main Role of a BL Drama did, and yet it included one of the most innocuous but brilliant lines of the year when Akafuji realized that his feelings for Aoyanagi were Real and that he could not have those feelings and continue to think of himself as Aoyanagi’s fan. Iconic. 

Best Use of Subtle Foreshadowing: Love for Love’s Sake 

gif by @my-rose-tinted-glasses

Shout out to the sound of water, shout out to some of the opening visuals, shout out to red rimmed eyes, and video game malfunctions that increased as time went on, and shout out to Tae Myung Ha being absolutely drenched after running through the school. Not only were the performances commendable throughout but the story itself was phenomenally supported by hair and makeup, sound, and special effects. I beg you all never to forget the importance of those that work behind the scenes, because goddamn did so much of this show suddenly get darker with context.  

Best Backing Track to Hear Over My Tears: Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna (aka She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat)

Kasuga sitting alone in the darkness of her own car, calling her father and officially, permanently severing ties with her father because she has found her strength thanks to the people she currently has in her life was such a highlight of this year. And of course they really drive the stake through my heart by lifting that entire scene up by having Kasuga walk out of the lonely dark and into warm companionship with fucking ‘Chosen Family’ by Rina Sawayama and Elton John playing in the background. WHAT A PERFECT SONG CHOICE! I am about to cry just thinking about it. Also, I definitely totally did not pause in the middle of typing up this post just to rewatch that scene…I don’t know what you’re talking about….

Best Use of Catholicism: Marahuyo Project 

God. This show struck an incredible number of layers when it gave us Archie. The way his grief and his fear and his internalized homophobia caused him to say and do some truly vile, harmful shit to the queer kids on the island was so heartbreaking and real. I have not really gotten the image of Archie’s neck where he’s been scratching at the rosary out of my fucking head since I watched it. This show was beautiful, and brilliant, and full of light and life, and pain, and it included an intersex character which is only the second of the 180+ shows I’ve watched out of Thailand, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and the Phillipines to have done so. 

Best Use of Internal Screaming: Cherry Magic Thailand

gif by @zhouxiangs

(AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH)

Best 'Mark Me Down as Scared and Horny' Face: Unknown

Wei Qian was not prepared for the fact that sending Zhi Yuan to the United States only made Zhi Yuan stronger. I want to acknowledge that this show had a chokehold on me almost all the way through the end for being rather heavy, but that I was especially impressed with Modi's performance as Wei Qian. And it must be said that the look of panic in his eyes when Zhi Yuan feeds him the congee is comedy gold.

Gayest Little Run: Love in the Big City

(could not find any gifs of Go Yeong running in the park so please enjoy this lovely gif by @taeminie )

Again this is not a BL but the way my tumblr community has engaged with this book and this show is one of my favorite parts of the entire year and this is still a really important piece of queer media. I really hope Nam Yoon Su wins all the fucking awards for his performance as Go Yeong. He breathed so much life and texture into that character and it was a joy to watch him take this wonderfully difficult and complicated character on such a beautiful emotional journey. Also he fully committed to the gay little run and that alone is award worthy. 

__ Shout out to all the thoughtful, intentional, and beautiful queer shows that got made this year. Please tag me in other superlatives if they get made, I want to see what people loved or connected to in the show offerings this year. Love you, family <3

@bengiyo asked to be tagged in superlatives.

[rat-bastard-boy]

Okay so i normally don’t post ship stuff (or post original stuff in general) but i rlly wanted to hop on the barbie mugshot trend so ta da- ship art

[chocolatebassrecipe]

hopping on da trend…

[radio-ghost-cooks]

ghost on the mercs: MEEEEDIIIIIIIC

hello and welcome to ghost yapping abt his interpretations of the mercs bc he's bored and likes to talk abt his blorbos. i have different ideas for the RED and BLU mercs' personalities and i wanna yap abt them. so medic first!

BLU Medic

Fritz

(when i make sfm stuff i also use him to represent me! the loadout i use in-game is what i use on Fritz- Das Maddendoktor, Das Feelenbeterbager, and the Chronoscarf)

AUTISM 💥🤯💣🧨

messy as hell but he knows where everything is somehow

just because he's kinda chill that does NOT mean he's any less crazy

highly egotistical, but manages to hide it

lashes out when stressed

some odd combo of touch-starved and touch-repulsed

contrary to popular belief, can't stand sausages

Shakespeare enjoyer (even if the language trips him up sometimes)

10/10 would do the "you make me un poco loco" trend

gets annoyed easily

in wuv, twue wuv (/ref) with his Engie/Maynard

also obsessed with vivisecting him! Scout walked in on him wearing Maynard's intestines like a scarf while operating and he promptly left as fast as his legs would carry him

always takes a moment to sketch his teammates' innards while operating

can accurately draw Maynard's entire digestive system from memory

atrocious bedside manner for some reason

loves killing REDs, terrified of fucking up during surgery and sending one of his teammates to respawn (he starts obsessing over if he's a good surgeon)

honestly just hates the feeling of respawning

prefers cold temperatures

chocolate FIEND beware Fritz on valentine's day bc he can and will make himself sick on chocolate

sweet tooth, yet doesn't like anything overly sweet

overheats easily so he doesn't wear his coat much

fully aware of the irony of having glasses and goggles at the same time. doesn't care.

keeps pigeons, not doves

soft spot for early hip-hop, drums his tools along with the beat while he operates

RED Medic

Herbert

loves his Misha so very very much

more openly crazy than Fritz

highly egotistical and shows it

covers up stress with confidence

division 1 yapper

could spend HOURS making sure his hair looks just right

actually follows the majority of medical sanitation rules. it's one thing to operate on his teammates, it's another thing to get them sick afterward because he was careless

actually kinda bad at the illness-curing part of medical work. it was never his forte

throws together random medicines that hypothetically should cure sicknesses. normally makes it worse by accident.

accidentally sewed the head of a scalpel into Scout once, never told him because it just went away after respawning

fascinated by respawn, keeps trying to get Engie to hand over this grandpa's blueprints for the machine that does it and failing

secretly constantly replaces Demo's liver

plays classical, pop, or folk music while operating

can you tell who i think abt more ashgilausdhgjkds

[verdemoun]

for their birthdays in modern au, i can see arthur sitting at home and just maybe ordering food, watching a movie and just being with the people he loves. and then i can see lenny going completely all out for his birthday, both him and sean demolishing their bank accounts only to check social media and see they are trending in the morning after other people filmed them on their night out

birthdays are something so wildly different in modern era i imagine most of the gang don't even know their own birthdates.

hosea has always celebrated arthur's birthday and he hates it because it's not actually his birthday (he doesn't know when his birthday is) and being the center of attention is his personal hell. but hosea always gets a small cake and insists on celebrating his 'birthday' as the day they picked him off the streets and he officially became a van der linde.

bessie being met with a room of blank stares as she went to start singing happy birthday because NONE of the gang have heard it. it is a modern concept (well 1924 but well past all the gang's time) she forgot she picked it up in modern era

also the concept of having cake on someone's birthday was still mostly a class thing a lot of them wouldn't have experienced. or candles on a birthday cake. the traditions might have been around but the VDLs just weren't in the position to celebrate birthdays.

lenny was the only one who knew his birthday without a doubt because his parents always bought him a gift toy or trinket on his birthday. july baby

everyone else had to make one up as bessie was helping them forge modern identities. kieran picked january 1st because horse birthday.

sean chose a date in november because he remembers his da always complaining that sean was born just before an unusually cold winter, like his already bright orange hair had sucked the warm from the hearth before he was born. darragh also did not know sean's actual birthdate because he was born in an unwed mother's home.

hosea decided to make his birthday his and bessie's anniversary because that's a date he'd never forget. ironically bessie had the same thought a decade earlier so it is a very big day for them with their faux birthdays and actual anniversary on top.

all of them were very weirded out by the idea of cake and candles and singing creepy birthday song but come around to the idea.

kieran always goes on a trail ride on his birthday so most of the time he's like fidgeting at the door ready to sprint to the car before they get out of bed and takes carrots to wish all the trail ride horses happy birthday too.

lenny goes out of his way to make sure he is working/studying on the day of his birthday to avoid celebrations but does enjoy the nice sit down dinner they have at local restaurant.

the second sean realized most bars do a free drink/shot on your birthday he was sold and has to relive birthday memories through reels after bar hopping for free drinks.

arthur always tries to go camping just before his birthday to avoid it but second he's back in town hosea will corner him with a candle and cupcake and say something sentimental about arthur being one of the best things to happen to him and arthur always gets that soft 'i was gonna say you're like a son to me but you're more than that' smile on his face

[fuckyeslilkim]

Rapper Lil' Kim Has Had A Profound Impact On Fashion Over The Years

hen Lil’ Kim made her debut with the 1996 album Hard Core, she utterly and completely changed the rap game. A protege of Notorious B.I.G., and the sole female member of his hip-hop group Junior M.A.F.I.A., Lil’ Kim, aka Kimberly Denise Jones, had a flow that was raw and gritty, with raunchy, sexually liberating lyrics that made critics clutch their pearls. Hard Core went on to become certified double platinum by the RIAA, cementing the then-22-year-old as a bona fide hip-hop god. But it wasn’t just Lil’ Kim’s lyrical prowess that set her apart from her contemporaries that came before her. Her sense of style also made her a trailblazer, solidifying her as a pop culture fashion icon.

While other women rappers like Queen Latifah, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, and Da Brat favored more androgynous clothing, like oversize T-shirts and baggy jeans, Lil’ Kim’s outfits were ultra-feminine, bold, risqué, and revealing — as provocative and outrageous as her songs. She wore teeny-tiny bikinis, see-through silhouettes, candy-colored wigs, and equally vibrant fur coats. She also helped popularize ’90s and noughties logomania, a trend in which designer branding is made overtly obvious on one’s clothing and accessories (the antithesis to “quiet luxury”). In Kim’s case, logomania also applied to hairstyles, as she famously wore wigs with Chanel’s double “C” logo and Versace’s Greek key motif. (The move made sense for someone who frequently name-dropped designers in her lyrics). Aside from head-to-toe designer monograms, Kim has worn a sparkly catsuit made with 965,000 crystals, embellished headpieces with matching thongs, and a gray, floor-length chinchilla coat (which she modeled next to mob daughter Victoria Gotti in the video for 2003’s “Came Back for You”). The list goes on.

“She was bringing something new that we hadn’t really seen before,” says Elizabeth Way, fashion historian and associate curator at the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). “For so long, female rappers had been kind of marginalized and really tried to fit in with their male counterparts, especially with their style. Lil’ Kim rejected that and embraced her femininity in both her style and her lyrics.” Marissa Pelly, stylist for the rapper Ice Spice, shares a similar sentiment, pointing out how the industry made female musicians feel like they couldn’t boldly embrace their sexuality while simultaneously being perceived as “chic” or “luxury” — as if the two concepts could not co-exist. “Now when I see female artists owning their sexuality, while also being muses for some of fashion’s most elite houses, I think of — and I thank — Lil’ Kim.”

Behind every celebrity style icon is a brilliant stylist; a wizard behind the velvet curtain, so to speak. For Lil’ Kim, it was Misa Hylton. One cannot discuss Kim’s vestiary tours de force without mentioning the industry legend by her side, who had already been masterminding looks for Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans, Jodeci, and her then-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs. But theirs was a match made in fashion heaven; the two women felt an immediate kinship. “I think that Kim and I were magical together and when you have that type of synergy only greatness can come forth. We were thinking outside of the box and unapologetically taking risks. People gravitate to that type of authentic and creative energy,” Hylton told Dazed in 2018.

The two women set the bar high high from the beginning with a legendary look the promotional poster for Hard Core, Kim’s debut album: a leopard print bikini and a sheer, marabou-trimmed duster. The one-piece was designed by Sex and the City costume designer Patricia Field, who owned a store in New York City from 1996 until 2016. It was known to be a hot shopping spot for fellow performers like Debbie Harry, Lady Gaga, and Kim’s friend and frequent collaborator Missy Elliott. Hylton and Kim frequented Field’s boutique almost daily. In the years — and decades — that followed, both the look, and Kim’s signature squatting pose, would be replicated by the likes of Teyana Taylor, Nicki Minaj, GloRilla, and countless others.

Hylton and Kim also went all out for the “Crush on You” music video, directed by Lance Rivera. Inspired by the The Wiz’s color-changing Emerald City disco dance sequence, the video featured the star in monochromatic technicolor outfits and matching wigs — and instantly catapulted her to mainstream MTV fame. “When you think of the blueprint for most female musicians’ styles today, you think the designer logos; the iced-out, statement jewelry; and different styles of wigs — that was all her,” explains stylist Estelle Aporongao. “Kim’s DNA runs through the contemporary fashion industry’s veins.”

In 1998, Kim donned a bejeweled caged headpiece and matching arm sleeves to the 1998 Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, which felt like the ultimate statement. But the rapper topped herself yet again a year later when she attended the MTV Video Music Awards in a purple wig and lilac-colored, sequined jumpsuit, complete with a single purple pasty that garnered an unforgettable reaction from Diana Ross. The moment would become the stuff of award show legend.

That same year, Kim covered Interview magazine’s November issue wearing only a Louis Vuitton headgear and LV logos painted all over her body, a moment described as a “cultural reset” by celebrity stylist Audrey Brianne, who works with Chris Tucker and Tyler Posey. “At the time, it was a fresh idea no other star had rocked quite so boldly. If people weren’t already paying attention to Lil’ Kim by then, they were now,” she says.

To be clear, Lil’ Kim was interested in fashion long before she dressed in colorful furs. “Her high school friends recounted how she would spend her allowance on clothes and had Gucci before they even knew what it was,” explains Nygel Simons, a stylist and archivist, noting that the artist also worked at Bloomingdale’s prior to rapping full time. “It really shines through when an artist genuinely loves fashion.” Nowadays, it’s not out of the ordinary for a designer to dress hip-hop artists for red carpets or sit them front row at Fashion Week, but in the 1990s, that relationship didn’t really exist. Lil’ Kim had a je ne sais quoi that both attracted and inspired designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Giorgio Armani, Betsey Johnson, John Galliano, and Donatella Versace, who would dress her for her 1999 Met Gala debut.

Way long before Barbiecore would become a part of the cultural zeitgeist, Lil’ Kim sported a pink, full-length mink coat with a studded pink bra, matching hot pants, and pink snakeskin boots for the “Rock Style”-themed Met Gala. “Donatella is my girl. We’ve loved each other from the moment we first saw each other,” Kim told Vogue in 2020. “At the Met, you’re a designer’s muse, [and] she loved the fact that I have fun in her clothes.”

Lil’ Kim has also walked the runway for designers including Baby Phat, The Blonds, and VFiles. But her closest friendship is with fashion designer Marc Jacobs, whom she calls her “bestie” and who has played a significant role in her life and career. Jacobs dressed Kim for her court appearances and subsequently became her prison pen pal when she served a one-year sentence for lying to protect friends involved in a 2001 shootout. Kim sent Jacobs the Bratz doll coloring pages she painted, which he then had framed and hung in his house. Jacobs is also writing the foreword for her forthcoming memoir, The Queen Bee.

“These were interesting and important alliances for her during the early 2000s because it further legitimized the message to her fans and the public that her empire and reach extended well beyond music,” says stylist Alison Brooks, who works with television personality and hairstylist Jonathan Van Ness. “I believe it was a turning point, not so subtly signaling to other artists to bling themselves out in designer looks with confidence and embrace their curves with body positivity before body positivity became a thing.”

When it comes to her own work, Pelly says she’s strongly influenced by Lil’ Kim. “I love how effortlessly she would combine her own fun custom pieces with luxury ones, while also demonstrating a great deal of high-end fashion knowledge.” Pelly says she had this approach in mind while styling Ice Spice for the “Barbie World” music video, pairing a custom Chanel-inspired, Christian Cowan tweed set with a Barbiecore bra by Laser Kitten, custom Emilio Pucci, and pieces from the Gaultier archives. “It’s that duality that’s so inspiring to me and creates the most interesting, well-rounded looks every time.” She also drew ideas from Kim’s 2003 “Summer Jam” performance, in which she wears SS03 Jean Paul Gaultier script belts around her waist and chest. “I love when artists love the same brands I do... I tracked down the same belts for Ice’s Paper Magazine cover back in April as a nod to the OG style icon.”

It’s difficult to imagine what would have happened if Lil’ Kim hadn’t paved the way for women in hip-hop to take fashion risks. Cardi B might not have worn archival Mugler to the 2019 Grammy Awards, and who knows if Megan Thee Stallion would have modeled for Calvin Klein. Then there’s the countless Kim homages artists have paid over the years: Beyoncé replicated several of Kim’s famous looks for Halloween 2017; Rihanna has cited the rapper’s penchant for experimenting with different looks as a major influence on her own fashion sense; and Miley Cyrus dressed in Kim’s MTV VMAs look for Halloween back in 2013, purple pasty and all. It’s for reasons like these that stylists like Simons believe Lil’ Kim deserves official acknowledgement for her legacy, particularly from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. (For years, fans have been calling on the CFDA to honor Kim with its annual Fashion Icon award.)

One thing’s for sure: You’d be hard-pressed to find another hip-hop fashion icon with the same enduring legacy. “Lil’ Kim is the blueprint,” says Simons. “Whenever you think you’re being presented with something new, if you search hard enough, you’ll find that Kim has already done it at some point.”

[thelensofyashunews]

GRAMMY NOMINATED RAPPER LATTO AKA “BIG MAMA” RELEASES HER THIRD STUDIO ALBUM, SUGAR HONEY ICED TEA

Today, ATL-based Grammy nominated rapper Latto aka Big Mamareleases her highly anticipated third studio album Sugar Honey Iced Tea via RCA Records.

The album is centered around Latto’s Georgia Southern roots and displays her signature raw, witty lyricism over magnetic beats. The 21-track album features A-List Southern artists including Megan Thee Stallion, Ciara, Coco Jones, Young Nudy, Flo Milli, Teezo Touchdown and more.

This album release follows Latto’s major Billboard July cover print issueand the release of the singles “Big Mama,” “Sunday Service,” “Put It On Da Floor” and latter two track’s respective remixes.

The 2023 BET “Best Female Hip-Hip Artist” award winner has brought everyone to her ATL church this summer starting with the original version of the single “Sunday Service” which garnered viral buzz when Latto teased a snippet of the song on her IG a few months prior, giving fans her signature witty bars over a catchy beat. Directed by Hidji World and Latto herself, the video features Latto in various settings including the Bronx with “twenty black suburbans we pull up like Sunday Service” – click here to watch. 

In June, Latto released the remix to her single “Sunday Service” featuring Megan Thee Stallion & Flo Milli and her next single, “Big Mama.” The latter track was dropped right before her two performances at the 2024 BET Awards – one for a medley of “S/O To Me,” “Big Mama” & “Sunday Service” and the other for Usher’s tribute. She garnered two nominations at the award show this year, “Best Female Hip-Hop Artist” and “Best Collaboration.” Latto also headlined ATL’s Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash that same month and made history as the first-ever female headliner. Big Mama showed up and showed out giving a stellar performance to her fans and surprising them with major special guests including Usher, Flo Milli, Mariah The Scientist and more. Most recently, Latto has been nominated for two 2024 MTV VMA awards –  “Best Collaboration” and “Best K-Pop” for “Seven” with Jung Kook.

In addition to music, Latto wrapped up taping Season 2 of Netflix’s Rhythm & Flow as a judge alongside DJ Khaled and Ludacris, which is coming out this year.

With over 1 billion streams worldwide across all platforms and accolades continuing to rack up from her success, Latto has the stage to become a global superstar. Since the release of her hit RIAA-certified and Music Canada certified 3x Platinum single “Big Energy” in 2021 Latto has been inescapable.

She went on to make history with the single as the first female rapper to ever have a #1 record at Pop, Rhythm and Urban Radio with the same single. Overall, she’s also the first female artist in 12 years to accomplish this feat, joining the company of Rihanna (“Rude Boy”), Alicia Keys (“No One”), Beyonce (“Irreplaceable”),  Mary J. Blige (“Be Without You”) and Mariah Carey (“We Belong Together”), the last five to previously achieve this. Since then, she has won various awards including: “Best New Artist” at the 2022 BET Awards, “Best New Artist”at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards, Variety Hitmakers “Breakthrough Artist” Honoree, 2023 Billboard’s Women in Music “Powerhouse Award,”“Song of the Summer” for “Seven” with Jung Kook at the 2023 MTV VMA Awards, and “Best Female Hip-Hop Artist” at the 2023 BET Awards.

In addition to all the awards Latto has racked up over the past few years, she was also nominated at the 2023 Grammy Awards for “Best New Artist” and “Best Melodic Rap Performance” (for “Big Energy (Live)”) and has graced multiple print covers in 2023 alone such as Cosmopolitan, Rolling Stone “Musicians on Musicians” Issue with Snoop Dogg, XXL Magazine – which included a video component for XXL’s first-ever all female cypher curated bby Latto (that trended on Youtube and went viral) – and a digital cover for Forbes ’30 Under 30’ as the call out for the Musicians section. 

In the summer of 2023 Latto had her firstinternational festival run in Europe that included Wireless Festival (London), Roskilde Festival (Denmark), Rolling Loud Germany, and more. She’s also attended various fashion weeks over the years in New York, Milan, and Paris where shewent shows for Robert Cavalli, Etro, Blumarine, Diesel, Tommy Hilfiger, Rabanne, GCDS and more. With the release of her third studio album, this next chapter of Latto’s career will spolight her new music, have creative vibrant visuals and give more big energy from The Biggest.

[kachikirby]

Hopping on da trend

[omegaremix]

Omega Radio for May 19, 2021; #264.

Main Source ft. Nas + Akinyele + Large Professor: “Live At The BBQ”

Scarface: “Seen A Man Die”

EPMD: “So What Cha Sayin’”

PMD ft. Das EFX: “What Cha Gona’ Do”

Black Sheep: ”Strobelight Honey” (original)

Leaders Of The New School: “International Zone Coaster”

Live Squad: “Heartless” (YG’s RMX)

Beatnuts: “Props Over Here”

Big Daddy Kane: “Prince Of Darkness”

Trends Of Culture ft. Grand Puba: “Valley Of The Skinz”

Grand Puba ft. Mary J. Blige: “Check It Out”

Organized Konfusion: “Stress (Extra P)”

Ultramagnetic MCs: “Ego Trippin’”

Almighty RSO: Revenge Of Da Badd Boyz”

Tucka Da Huntaman: “Watch Your Back”

Diamond D: “Sally Got A One-Track Mind”

D-Nice: “Call Me D-Nice”

De La Soul: “Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)”

Jungle Brothers: “Straight Out The Jungle”

Gang Starr ft. Nice & Smooth: “DWYCK”

Nice & Smooth: “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow”

Outkast: “Benz Or A Beamer”

Slick Rick ft. Warren G: “Behind Bars”

Disposable Heroes Of Hip-Hoprisy: “Television, The Drug Of The Nation”

Lost Boyz: “Renee”

Kurious Jorge: “Uptown Hit”

Cypress Hill: “How I Could Just Kill A Man”

Masta Ace: “Born To Roll”

Grand Daddy IU: “Sugar Free”

Craig Mack: “Get Down” (Q-Tip RMX)

Keith Murray: “The Most Beautifullest Thing In This World”

Kriss Kross ft. Supercat: “Alright”

LL Cool J: “I Shot Ya”

Goodie Mob: “Soul Food”

Arrested Development: “Tennessee”

Paris: “Outta’ My Life”

Intelligent Hoodlum: “Grand Groove”

Thug Life ft. 2Pac: “Pour Out A Little Liquor”

Naughty By Nature: “Written On Your Kitten” (QDIII RMX)

Bonus Omega; second hip-hop, rap, golden-era set.

[gerogerigaogaigar]

We're almost at the end. Since this is the gay sex website or whatever I've put together a list of lgbtq+ rappers. This list obviously trends a little more towards the modern scene and a little more obscure. But there are definitely some very big names here.

TERROR PACKETS Backxwash is my favorite modern rapper. She's a trans woman who often raps about trans issues. She needs to be more popular. please I need people to listen to her she is so good and I want queer horrorcore to be A Thing.

New York Angel Haze's relationship to gender is "I don't consider myself of any sex. I consider myself an experience." I like the beat on this song, just that fuzzy bass hit and claps to help emphasize his bouncy flow.

Georgia You probably know him from rap crew Brockhampton, but Kevin Abstract's solo work is arguably better for the way it blends hip-hop and R&B. Kevin Abstract is an out and proud gay man and he sings about it frequently.

MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) You know this one. Lil Nas X kinda surprised me when he put out an entire album that was actually good start to finish, but the lead single still stands out as one of the best pop rap tunes I've ever heard.

WAP Once again, You know what this is. Both Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion have come out as bisexual. And when you consider how often both women rap about pussy it's clear they weren't really trying to hide it.

Sugar Honey Iced Tea (S.H.I.T.) Princess Nokia feels like they should be bigger. Their music is catchy, a little experimental and brings a bit of punk influence. Their back to back 2020 releases Everything Sucks and Everything Is Beautiful ought to be on more people's mind. Oh and Princess Nokia is bi and uses she/they pronouns.

Rent Bounce music is still a little way from being mainstream, but once people start paying attention they're gonna be bumping Big Freedia nonstop. You might recognize her voice from Beyonce's hit Break My Soul. Her genre defining style blends hip-hop and dance music in a way unique to the New Orleans club scene. Big Freedia identifies as a gay male, but also is okay with any pronouns and acknowledges that a lot of her style and gender presentation is based on the local drag scene.

Don Dada Cakes Da Killa is one of the more popular gay rappers out there. Don Dada has a groovy house beat that gives his voice a nice bounce.

SORRY NOT SORRY Odd Future alumni Tyler, The Creator had been hinting for a bit that he might be bi and this song from his most recent album confirms it. On top of that it is a great dialogue between the two sides of himself, the one that feels insecure for his past behavior and the side that wants to be proud of himself.

Ladies First The first female rap star recently introduced the world to her girlfriend. So it looks like there have been queer rappers as far back as the 80's. Looking back at her biggest hit I guess it is about loving women when you get down to it.

To Be Concluded ===> Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

[kinkandkreep]

~Blue Lock Faves~

Aight so. 👏🏾

I have decided to hop on the trend and list my Bllk faves. 💁🏾‍♀️

(Fair warning, this list 'boutta be short den a' mug 'cus really, I don't have no specific criteria by which I am governing it, so many random, varying factors will have played a part in determining who does and who doesn't make the list.)

Anywho 🙃...

At spot numba 1, we got:

ISAGOAT 🐐

HIMSAGI 😎

MY LOVELY LITTLE BLUEBERRY 🫰🏾😭

DA BOI-EST BOI 🥺

Yoichi, basically 😂

- Yeah, Isagi got my heart y'all. 🤷🏾‍♀️ I once said he was "a sweetheart unless provoked" and that's a large part of why I like him so much.

- He's so cute but also unhinged and an absolute freak and I personally find that so hot. 🙃

Comin' in hot at spot numba 2, we got:

Bombastic Sae-ed eye 👀

Thick Sae's Save Lives 🦵🏼

Sae-yonara 🫡

....

You get it. 😂

- I think I relate to Sae in the sense that we're both the older/eldest sibling (with an annoying lil' brotha 🙃) and also have both felt the crushing weight of responsibility and the high expectations of others (plus his admission that he "no have think, only football on brain" is so hilarious to me that I actually find it kind of endearing)

- His hair is positively atrocious and drawn so inconsistently it makes my vision blurry just thankin' 'bout it but I'm lowkey kinda fond of the style 😂 (but then again, it do sometime be makin' his fohead look gigantic 🫣)

Aight, takin' up spot numba 3:

-Bro honestly? Is really a toss up 'tween Bachira, Nagi and Shidou. 🫠

-It could be either one of them in equal measure and it would technically be correct.

-But for the sake of dis, I'ma saaaaayyyy 🤔...

-I think I'ma give the edge to good ole Mr. Van Barr Jr.'s character, my freaky deak Shidou. 😂

-I'm really quite fond of Shidou's voice and, as I mentioned once before, that "weird, sexual edge" his character possesses, but also that sort of form of innocence he has that causes him to say things like "rad."

- He also fairly acknowledged Isagi and ain't afraid to bully Rin which is +2 points in my book, so 🤷🏾‍♀️...

Ok, now we finna get into some:

HONORABLE MENTIONS~

1.) Julien Loki- What can I say, he's a handsome young Black guy from France wit hella speed and impeccable manners who also possesses his own Ego. He just ticks all the boxes. 😂

2.) Gin Gagamaru- In all honesty, my boy Gagamaru is simply a sweetheart who makes me laugh. And I love dudes who can make me laugh, so there's that. 🙂

Welp, das all I got. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Hope this was an enlightening look into my psyche, or, at the very least, an entertaining read for y'all.

Ari out! ✌🏾