#in my mike ross era

[crychan]

I AM MY BIGGEST OPP FRFR ORZ

[marvey-sideblog]

[butdaddyilovehimmm]

[spectersgf]

— masterlist ౨ৎ ˖ ࣪⊹

༊ – smut

☁︎ – moodboard

୨୧ – request

ᥫ᭡ – personal fav

⊹ goodbye kiss

harvey's trying to get you in his bed. you just want a kiss goodbye.

⊹ lingering gazes

your annoying work-crush colleague interrupts your very important work, for the sake of pasta (and maybe more).

⊹ beach getaway ᥫ᭡

the ocean treated you almost as well as he did. almost.

⊹ cake by the ocean ༊

birthday + beach + boyfriend = recipe for pleasure

⊹ bookstores and brothers ୨୧

a hotshot lawyer walks into a café bookstore and meets a pretty barista. the world is smaller than he thinks.

⊹ dating harvey specter ☁︎ᥫ᭡

⊹ bookstores and brothers ୨୧

a hotshot lawyer walks into a café bookstore and meets a pretty barista. the world is smaller than he thinks.

⊹ dating mike ross ☁︎

⊹ dating tyler owens ☁︎ᥫ᭡

⊹ driver's seat storm chasing ༊

he was about to take off again, chase another storm, leave you worrying for hours upon hours. the least he could do was give you a parting gift.

⊹ stargazing date

after years of bugging you, tyler finally takes you on a date

⊹ dating married to james potter ☁︎

[halfthebrain]

Omfg

Mike won against Harvey and Harvey didn’t mind at all. Rather the opposite, he’s so amazed by this boy. Oh you stupid fuck, Harvey. What’s more, he loves watching Mike wipe the floor with his opponent.

And when he did win against Mike he barely enjoyed it. Even regretting fighting Mike in the first place.

For someone who has built his whole persona around loving to win this can only mean one thing when he doesn’t care about wining. When wining and being a winner is something else entirely.

[radiofreederry]

I'm trying to get into comics, any recommendations?

I'm a DC girl so this list is gonna be very DC heavy, sorry.

DC

All-Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely: The book that made me a Superman fan. Beautiful, joyful, self-contained story.

The Flash by Mark Waid: Will make you a Flash fan. Some of the first comics I ever read come from this run. The original run is collected in omnibus format but Mark had a second, shorter run from around 98-2000 that wrapped up a lot of loose ends, and another one around 2008. Those are good too.

The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Perez: This book probably saved DC, and it's a wonderful read.

Batman by Scott Snyder: One of the best modern Batman runs, although it suffers from the stink of the New 52 at times.

52 by Mark Waid, Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, and Keith Giffen: Might need some onboarding for this one but it's a great read focusing on some of the second-string characters in the DCU and a triumph of collaborative storytelling. Its spinoff Booster Gold series is great too.

Kingdom Come by Mark Waid and Alex Ross: A surprisingly-accessible refutation of the 1990s trend towards darker and edgier superheroes, it's a must-read for the beautiful painted artwork alone.

Mister Miracle and Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, both by Tom King: Tom King's had some big misses, especially Heroes in Crisis, for which as a Wally West fan I should want his blood. He makes up for it when he hits, though. These two titles are his best work.

Secret Six by Gail Simone: A great off-beat title revolving around a small group of supervillains trying to do good. Wish they'd bring this concept back tbh.

DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke: A love letter to the Silver Age of Comics with gorgeous artwork. Was later adapted into an animated film, which is also very good.

Dwayne McDuffie's original Milestone Comics (incl. Icon, Hardware, and Static), are all very good titles focusing specifically on Black heroes. McDuffie also had a great run on Justice League of America from 2007 to 2009.

Justice League International by Keith Giffen, J. M. DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire: A great and hilarious book that offers a much more lighthearted take on the DC Universe. There's a lot of focus on more obscure and minor characters which I always enjoy.

Doom Patrol by Grant Morrison and Rachel Pollock: If you've seen the TV show, it cribs heavily from this. A lovely series featuring a group of misfits trying to find their way in the world.

Jack Kirby's Fourth World: Brilliant, esoteric, at times close to incomprehensible. A must-read.

The Question by Dennis O'Neil: A wonderfully cerebral and philosophical series. Denny left reading recs in every issue! See also his run on Green Lantern/Green Arrow, which is a bit outdated but still electrifyingly political for its time, and his seminal run on the Batman titles.

Marvel

Uncanny X-Men by Chris Claremont: One of the greatest comic book runs of all time. Largely defined the X-Men for several generations basically until the Krakoa era. Most X-Men stories on the "greatest of all time" list come from this run.

Vision by Tom King: Hey, it's Tom King again! He wrote for Marvel too. This one's a really good character piece featuring a character who often doesn't get to stand on his own.

Daredevil by Mark Waid: The best Daredevil run, hands down.

The Amazing Spider-Man by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko: The original Spider-Man run is still my favorite. Some great Silver Age nonsense combined with great character drama is what put Marvel on the map, and it's on full display here.

Runaways by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona: A really good series that's mostly self-contained about a bunch of kids who run away from home after discovering that their parents are supervillains.

Fantastic Four by Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo: I sing Waid's praises a lot, but damn can he write. The best run for Marvel's First Family.

Others

Bone by Jeff Smith: An epic fantasy adventure starring three cartoon funny animal characters. My favorite comic of all time.

Usagi Yojimbo by Stan Sakai: Another epic starring funny animals, this time set in the Edo period of Japan. Mostly episodic, so it's really easy to jump into.

Astro City by Kurt Buseik: Another love letter to the Silver Age, and to superheroes in general. Essential reading.

[allyspecter]

Today is my first day in court as a social work intern and I feel like I am in my mike ross era.

[i-didnt-hate-it]

I didn't hate Challengers, it just took me forever to finally see! I was sick the week it came out, and I either just haven't had the right vibe, or there's been something else I needed to watch more. But after hearing some great things from a friend whose taste I very much respect, I knew it was time to finally make time. I used Challengers as an incentive to finish the first draft of my final research essay of my English class, which I did!

Anyway, wow. Just wow. The hype is real. Now I'm not a fan of tennis, or sports in general for that matter. The only sports I pay attention to at all are the Olympics, and even then I don't usually watch tennis because it's on the cable channels for some reason. But I couldn't take my eyes off this movie, that's how well made it is.

I'm sure I'm not saying anything that hasn't already been said, but nearly everything about Challengers is absolutely immaculate. This is how you tell a nonlinear story. I've got a feeling we'll be studying this script for a while. There isn't a single shot wasted, every moment is intentional, feeding off of what came before, and preparing for what comes next.

I saw a review somewhere that said something like, "Everything is tennis, except tennis, which is sex," and I fully agree. Conversations are set up and filmed like a match, the camera whipping back and forth like we are watching a ball fly between the characters. The sexual tension between the main characters is so strong throughout the whole film, but it's strongest on the court, rather than in the bedroom.

I could go on awhile about the camera work, but suffice it to say I think I audibly moaned when the camera looked up from below the court like it was glass.

Zendaya is amazing, of course. She's only getting started in her main character era. Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor both play their parts exquisitely as well. The chemistry between all three is just perfect. And however they did the makeup to differentiate between past and present, absolutely fantastic. Like they actually looked younger and older, not just like they were wearing "slightly older person" makeup.

The music was so interesting, very Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross. There were a few times where it seemed out of place, but in a weird way that made it even more in place. It's hard to explain, but I guess it goes along with everything being symbolic of something else. An intensely funky beat might not play during an exciting tennis match like you'd expect, it might start playing as one character gives another character a look that says more than any dialogue.

Like the ending, omg. No spoilers, but saying so much without actually saying anything. Those final moments make all that not blinking so you don't miss anything for 2 hours so worth it.

[mitchipedia]

The Breslin Era: The end of the big-city columnist.

Jimmy Breslin was and is one of my heroes.

Ross Barkan at The Point:

” J.B. Number One," as he affectionately called himself, never graduated college. Why bother with classrooms when the barrooms, pool halls, police precincts and political clubhouses had far more to teach? His father had abandoned the family and his mother was distant, rarely hugging young Jimmy. Once, he caught her holding a pistol to her head. Around age ten, he was publishing his own neighborhood newspaper, The Flash, and he had a headline ready: “Mother Tried Suicide.”

Breslin was one of an era of powerful big-city newspaper columnists that hardly exist anymore, including Mike Royko of Chicago, Herb Caen of San Francisco, Carl Hiaasen of Miami and Steve Lopez of Philadelphia and later Los Angeles. Today, we have a lot of pundits—everybody’s got an opinion—but few combine reporting with opinion as Breslin did, and nobody has his stature.

The death of Breslin’s kind of journalism is part of the death of local journalism.

Breslin was a liberal without being subsumed into the party structure; he didn’t canonize the people he wrote about even when he admired them.

I haven’t thought about Breslin in years. I need to re-read his work, and internalize it.

[loneswaggingranger]

The OG Avengers era will always have a special place in my heart and I just binged suits last month so now my brain is supplying me hcs of Harvey Specter and Mike Ross, every superhero's go-to attorney. Here are the bits:

When Tony says "I am Iron Man" in front of National TV, Harvey pinches the bridge of his nose and Mike groans into his hands. They prepare defamation defence briefs before Pepper even calls.

When Steve Rogers comes out of the ice and everyone wants a piece of him, SHIELD assigns Harvey Specter to be his lawyer. Harvey is the one who finds Steve punching the hell out of that punching bag and decides to join him for a spar. He offers him the Avengers team contract after that.

SHIELD sends Harvey to recruit Tony but Harvey coldly tells them that that would be a conflict of interest. This is around the time that Natasha Romanoff gave her scintillating review of Tony's character.

Following the Battle of New York, Harvey and Mike have a wonderful time settling property damage lawsuits on behalf of the Avengers.

When Peter Parker's identity is revealed and before Matt Murdoch is called in to be his attorney, Mike Ross (who at the time would have already been working on his own) approaches Peter first to make his pitch. It takes only a few minutes before Peter is almost ready to trust him with his life. And then Matt Murdoch comes, and Mike Ross is left keenly aware of the other lawyer's near-superhuman senses. He decides to leave this one to the superheroes for once.

[hannahhasafact]

Things the fucking slap about the non Intrepid Heroes Dimension 20 seasons in order of release:

Escape from the Bloodkeep

Absolutely stellar party with Amy Vorpahl, Erika Ishii, Ify Nwadiwe, Matthew Mercer, Mike Trapp and Rekha Shankar

Includes the one familiar the Brennan refuses to harm, and it’s the most horrible creature you’ve ever met.

Speaking of J’er’em’ih, I don’t think Trapp gets as much appreciation for Sokhbarr as I think he deserves because when Trapp commits he fucking COMMITS. And that one very specific investigation check? Ooh baby it was so good

Speaking of boss ass moves, Rekha’s balloon ass fuckery was such a good move. And Ify being like “can we be bros with the eagles?” ending up being one of the best moves to do? Absolutely fantastic

Honestly one of the funniest seasons of D20 tbh imo. Like I do not like LOTR, so I didn’t think I’d like this season. But it’s such a hilarious season, no wonder it’s one of the side quests I feel like folks recommend the most

Tiny Heist

The McElroy fam? Even if you don’t listen to TAZ (like me) you know they’re a good time

The Rick Diggins speech is just so fucking bananas it’s so good. Rick Diggins is also just the most batshit character

Personally, I love heist stuff. It’s so fun! And I really found the heist itself to be so fun! (Griffin’s part it in is my favorite, Bean is adorable and I love him)

Also there’s always something so fun about the mechanics of tiny universes within our universe? The way they explain toys and stuff coming to life is really interesting and fun imo

Lily Du’s first time at the table and Jess Ross at the table! Speaking of I love how Jess completed her arch, she knew what was going down with her character and made a complete story. It was great!

Pirates of Leviathan

Personally I love this season, and our first time having Aabria at the table ahhhhhh (also my first encounter of “please have the camera focus on Aabria, she makes the absolute best expressions”) Plus, it’s back in the Fantasy High Universe which is always fun to explore more about the universes (and get some NPC cameos/appearances!)

Also tbh I love all of the PCs in this series? Like they’re all so interesting and unique, and are such full characters.

Literally the absolute best PC introduction that exists in d20, Bob I love you so goddamn much

There’s a goddamn Queer Eye joke in this season and at first it’s played for laughs but honestly becomes like… the softest thing? And it warms your soul? And it also features Matt Mercer as a tall ass rat man (this season also has a rare pair I ship and I think no one else does lol but I love it so)

Pirate T-Rex. Just feel like that alone needs its own bullet point lol

Mice and Murder

The mystery!!! Is so fun!!! It’s cool at the end of the season to see how everything was connected, and it’s fun to go on the journey with the party

Katie Marovitch rolling the first nat 20 of the season and not understanding the implications of a natural 20 for a good couple of minutes will always be funny

This season is pretty much all classic College Humor cast mates, so if you’ve been watching College Humor stuff for over a decade like me you’re sure to find some joy in it

Sam Reich has some of the most killer one liners in this season and he’s just such a fun character. Honestly, this season is just so goofy and everyone is just trying to make each other laugh. It’s delightful

The texting element!!! Is so dang interesting!!! And it works so well for the mystery

Misfits and Magic

The first season with a new GM!!!! Aabria!!! When that trailer came out we were all SHOOK, truly began a new era of d20 and we love it

And first time PC Brennan??? Listen he’s such a fun PC we love the strange lil guys he plays

Sam Black deserves so much more love, she’s such a fun PC. Like Danielle would just say one liners that would knock me the fuck out, she’s so dang funny

Listen one of the funniest moments to me will always be Lou and Brennan as their actual selves being like “Mukbang? That’s not a real thing right? No… no it’s not”

The fact that one of the animal companions is straight up just a basketball is hilarious and ridiculous

The Seven

If you love the Fantasy High universe and want to know more about some of the side NPCS, ooh baby they’re PCs now and they’re all played by hilarious cool folks (including our first time having Izzy Roland, Persephone Valentine and Becca Scott in the dome!)

This season absolutely feels like a sleepover with friends. Everyone is giggly and having so much fun, and it’s so fun to watch (and also emotional when you least expect it lol)

I’m having a hard time describing funny moments because it’s just one of those things where you have to experience it to get it? Like this season had me cry laughing but I will never be able to describe the sexy duck outfit as hilariously as Becca does it’s just so good

Oooh before we got killer costume descriptions from ACOFAF you better believe we got it during this season. And if you’re a big costume nerd like me you’ll just be like heart eyes mother fucker

On an interesting note, Brennan is kind of playing both an NPC and PC? Technically he’s still just playing an NPC but Zelda is like… part of the party (obviously part of The Seven). And it’s a fun change!

Shriek Week

Gabe Hicks is a delight as the GM! I am constantly thinking about the line “You may be yolked but this man is a straight up omelette” because it slaps and tbh I would love to see him in the dome again

I think this is canonically the only season where characters FUCK

Another season with a very fun cast, like all of the cast has big horny energy and it’s so silly! If you’ve watched this season you understand Lily’s energy in Dirty Laundry a lot more lollll

Also this season canonically has Mothman and The Count from Sesame Street as characters and it makes me giggle every time

Tbh I really wish this season had more time but if you’re looking for a super short series, it’s only four episodes long!

Coffin Run

Jasmine Bhullar is SO fun as the GM and I feel like really plays off the PC energy well? She was so much fun

This season is another one that is just goofy fun! And you know I love me some goofy fun (the whole eating letters thing is so stupid and so fun)

Personally think the sets for this series are SO cool like oh my god?? The trainnnnnnn ahhh

This is kind of a bigger spoiler but I will never be over the wine glass props for that one combat? When she pulls them out I DIE

This cast REALLY goes in on their characters and plays them so big, it’s delightful

A Court of Fey & Flowers

Do I really need to get into why this season fucking slaps? I’m pretty sure it’s one of the most popular side campaigns because it fucking SLAPS

Aabria is back as GM, bringing poetry and grace to the dome and ahhhh (like she literally recites poetry but also the episode introductions are just straight up poetic

This is the season of romance and brought me to the horrible realization that I like DND actual plays because mostly I like the role playing apparently lolllll

Outfits outfits outfits outfits ahhhhh we love some fantastic outfitsssss

The whole Green Hunter bit is so fucking funny

Anyways moral of the story is D20 side campaigns are fun and you should watch/listen to them

[letthewhumpbegin]

Who / what fandoms I write for

Here's a list of the fandoms and the characters within said fandom I write about.

The characters listed will be the whumpees in the imagines I write. The caretaker does not specifically have to be on this list, but can be anyone from the same fandom (if you have a preference, please specify with your request).

Want to send in your request? I am currently only taking requests from my prompts list, which you can find here and you can also send in your request through there.

A

A-Team (movie): Face, Murdock

Aladdin (live action movie): Aladdin

American Assassin: Mitch Rapp

Avengers / Marvel: Ant-Man/Scott Lang, Captain America/Steve Rogers, Doctor Strange/Stephen Strange, Hawkeye/Clint Barton, Loki, Thor

B

The Batman (2022): Bruce Wayne

The Blacklist: Donald Ressler

Bullet Train: Tangerine

C

Criminal Minds: Spencer Reid

CSI: Greg Sanders, Nick Stokes

CSI NY: Danny Messer, Don Flack, Adam Ross

D

Dune: Paul Atreides

F

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Newt Scamander, Theseus Scamander

G

Game of Thrones: Jon Snow, Robb Stark

Guardians of the Galaxy: Peter Quill

H

Hannibal (tv series): Will Graham

The Hobbit: Fili, Kili, Thorin, Thranduil

I

Inception: Arthur

J

James Bond (Daniel Craig era): James Bond, Q

Jurassic World: Owen Grady

Justified: Raylan Givens, Tim Gutterson

K

Kingsman: Eggsy Unwin

L

The Last of Us: Joel Miller

Lie to Me: Cal Lightman, Eli Loker

Lord of the Rings: Aragorn, Faramir, Legolas

M

MacGyver: Angus MacGyver

Maze Runner: Newt, Thomas

N

Now You See Me: Daniel Atlas

O

Olympus Has Fallen / London Has Fallen: Mike Banning

Our Flag Means Death: Ed Teach/Blackbeard

P

Pride + Prejudice + Zombies: Mr. Darcy

Prodigal Son: Malcolm Bright

The Purge (movies): Leo Barnes

S

Shadow & Bone / Six of Crow: Kaz Brekker, Jesper Fahey, Wylan van Eck

Sherlock (BBC): Sherlock Holmes

Star Trek (2009): Jim Kirk, Spock

Spiderman (Tom Holland era): Peter Parker

Star Wars: Poe Dameron

Supernatural: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester

T

Top Gun Maverick: Rooster/Bradley Bradshaw, Hangman/Jake Seresin

U

Uncharted (movie): Nathan Drake

W

Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon, Rick Grimes

Wonka: Willy Wonka

X

X-Men: Charles Xavier, Hank McCoy

[drkangcl]

( dakota johnson , cis woman , she/her ) las vegas may be packed with people, but lana kensington has been on my mind. originally hailing from melbourne , australia, the fifty-eight thirty three year old has been in vegas for ten years. i know they’re a dj at encore beach club , but there’s a rumor on the strip saying they’re also a vampire. after some thought that makes sense , they can be +tenderhearted , but also -cunning. ask any local they’ll say they remind them of turning down your music to eavesdrop into a conversation, continuing an argument even when you realize you’re wrong, being the last to sing karaoke at a closing bar, & kicking out a one night stand at 6am.

connections + pinterest

statistics

✧･ﾟ: * 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐬 ‣ full name: lana hazel kensington ‣ nicknames: kensington ‣ age:  33 ‣ birthday: april 4th ‣ gender identity & pronouns: cis female & she/her ‣ sexual orientation: bisexual ‣ occupation: dj at encore beach club‣ hometown: melbourne, aus

✧･ﾟ: * 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 ‣ face claim: dakota johnson ‣ height: 5′7 ‣ build: slim ‣ eye color: blue ‣ hair color: brown ‣ style habits: lots of black

✧･ﾟ: * 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚 ‣ positive traits: tenderhearted & affable ‣ negative traits: cunning & chaotic ‣ habits: cigarettes, being late, irish goodbyes, not thinking about consequences

✧･ﾟ: * 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐬 ‣ kol mikaelson ( the originals ) , nick miller ( new girl ), lindsay bluth funke ( arrested development ), chloe ( don’t trust the b in apt 23 ), deandra reynolds ( it’s always sunny ), mike ross ( suits ), roman roy ( succession ) + overall chaotic good characters

biography

lana kensington was a total wild child, born and raised in the swinging '60s of melbourne, australia. That era was like fuel for her unconventional spirit. she thrived in the city's counterculture scene, soaking up all the rebellion, individuality, and freedom vibes. art, music, and fashion became her niche, shaping her tastes and giving her a deep appreciation for nonconformity.

her parents were on the simpler side. she grew up on a small house by the beach. they were the type to walk around barefoot and make sure everyone gets to go surfing at the peak hour. her, her siblings, parents, and little pets got along amazing even through the rough teen years. the love for each other was strong.

but wait, things got even more interesting for lana in her early 30s. that's when she went through her vampire transformation, turning her into this timeless and ethereal being. during that time she worked as a clerk at a gas station. that’s where she met a customer passing through. queue edward cullen moment because he was nothing like she’d ever seen with his pale skin versus her tanned. she was immediately drawn to him. one thing led to another and somehow she ended up in the situation she has to life with for the rest of her life

adjusting to her new immortal existence wasn't always easy, in fact, she’s still guiding herself through it even after 50ish years. but, nevertheless, lana managed to hold onto her youthful exuberance while navigating the ups and downs of eternal life.

her moral compass always pointed towards helping others, even if it meant bending or breaking the rules. lana's journey took her all over the globe. she jet-setted across different cities, immersing herself in all sorts of cultures. along the way, she mastered her vampiric abilities. her agility was off the charts, her charm was irresistible, and she had some supernatural power that she’s still working on to this day.

of course, she ended up in no other than las vegas! here’s she’s been living around for ten years. first a receptionist, then worked at a pizza parlor, the na cocktail waitress, and somehow she worked her way up to being one of the djs at encore beach club.

headcanons

she always has an magic 8 ball in her purse because she would never ask others for opinions rather would use the ball to make some big decision in her life

her phone is always on do not disturb

does not own a bedframe and is more of a mattress on the floor type of girl

has chinese take out every sunday from the same spot

loves to move in silence , you may see her when she enters a party but always disappears by the end

always been a troublemaker even when she was young but hasn’t done anything crazy to get involved with the police

ceo of daytime to nighttime transformation

was once a receptionist at aria hotel but fired because she called the wife of a guy checking into a hotel to cheat on her ( funny bc she is an accomplice for people who cheat )

has the sickest vinyl record collection that her parents started and gave to her

always goes barefoot when dj-ing a set. she just got a habit she cant break!

her sets include a lot of throwbacks which definitely give a lot of positive feedback from the crowd

her apartment is full of knick knacks that she’s collected through the decades

randomly becomes aware like damn im actually e*ting people and will freak out and lock herself in her apartment for days and days to a point where someone has to get her 

wanted connections + tag + board

romantic : exes, tinder/hinge date, current relationship (destined to fail soon), one night stand, friends with benefits, the biggest cheating scandal of the season, was once engaged to

platonic : best friend, someone she knows from melbourne, first person she met in vegas, current neighbors (apt complex), vamp trio, sibling like friends (bickering a lot), former lovers to friends,

familial : siblings, cousins, family friends, uncle, aunt, mom, dad , an older vamp who’s her mentor/parental figure

negative : ex best friends, dated the same person, they just don’t like her (vice versa),

misc : current roommate, ex roommate, the one person she lets behind the dj booth with her, the person who turned her

[jules-has-notes]

Aca Top 10: Old School Rap — VoicePlay music video

If you've ever wanted to hear a group of 30-something white guys cover classic rap and hip-hip tracks, you're in luck. VoicePlay decided to kick it old school and spit some rhymes. It's a little earnest, and a little tongue-in-cheek, just like the music of the era.

Details:

title: Aca Top 10 – Old School Rap

original songs / performers: "La-Di-Da-Di" by Slick Rick & Doug E. Fresh; [0:18] "Going Back to Cali" by LL Cool J; [0:32] "Push It" by Salt-n-Pepa; [0:58] "Parents Just Don’t Understand" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince; [1:09] "Bust A Move" by Young MC; [1:33] "It's Tricky" by Run-DMC; [1:50] "Just A Friend" by Biz Markie; [2:14] "Ice Ice Baby" by Vanilla Ice; [2:22] "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground; [2:44] "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang; [3:10] "Walk This Way" by Run-DMC & Aerosmith

written by: "La-Di-Da-Di" by Douglas "Doug E. Fresh" Davis & Richard "Slick Rick" Walters; "Going Back to Cali" by Rick Rubin & James "LL Cool J" Smith; "Push It" by Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor & Ray Davies; "Parents Just Don’t Understand" by Pete Harris, Will "Fresh Prince" Smith, Jeffrey "DJ Jazzy Jeff" Townes; "Bust A Move" by Marvin "Young MC" Young, Matt Dike, & Michael Ross; "It's Tricky" by Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Doug Fieger, & Berton Averre; "Just A Friend" by Marcel "Biz Markie" Hall; "Ice Ice Baby" by Robert "Vanilla Ice" Van Winkle, Mario Johnson, Queen, & David Bowie; "The Humpty Dance" by Earl Humphrey, Gregory "Shock G" Jacobs, & George Clinton; "Rapper's Delight" by Bernard Edwards, Nile Rodgers, Sylvia Robinson, Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson, Michael "Wonder Mike" Wright, Guy "Master Gee" O'Brien, Curtis "Grandmaster Caz" Brown, & William Hankshaw; "Walk This Way" by Joseph "Rev. Run" Simmons, Darryl "DMC" McDaniels, Steven Tyler, & Joe Perry

arranged by: Geoff Castellucci

release date: 27 May 2016

My favorite bits:

Layne kicking things off with some classic beatboxing

Earl collapsing the boombox antenna in time with the pitch jump on ♫ "right" ♫

Tony busting out some lowkey dance moves from the "Push It" video

the smooth hand-off of the scratching from Layne to Eli during "Parents Just Don't Understand"

the melodramatic grit in Earl's ♫ "oh ba-by youuu" ♫

continuing the running gag of everyone else leaving Geoff hanging during one song in a medley

pulling out the Groucho glasses to emulate the "Humpty Dance" video

Geoff poutily continuing the "Ice Ice Baby" bass line under "The Humpty Dance"

the back row busting out their best Steven Tyler impressions for the end of "Walk This Way"

Trivia:

○ "Bust A Move" was part of VoicePlay's stage repertoire for several years. (See this corporate gig for an example.)

○ Earl also performed an excerpt from "The Humpty Dance" in a James Brown medley the guys did during their 4:2:Five era.

○ The guys are all wearing thematically appropriate shirts:

Eli — corded over-ear headphone print

Earl — "I remember real hip hop" with boombox graphic

Tony — Run-DMC shades logo (+ bonus MTV logo cap)

Geoff — Freddy Krueger with a boombox

Layne — DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince

○ The video description credits Earl as "MC Pee Pants". I'd imagine there's a story behind it, but nothing I've found so far has provided any obvious context. If anyone knows where that came from, I'd be fascinated to hear it.

[nomeancity]

For the unpopular opinions ask meme (though they're probably not that unpopular):

1. I don't know whether it's because my heart still pines for Mike Jardine or the later stories just lack substance, but I'm not fond of the Burke era.

2. I actually loved Livingstone and would have enjoyed watching him and Jardine bicker a bit longer.

3. ff.net assures me this is not as unpopular an opinion as I first thought: I do ship Fraser and Ross.(And I blame the ep 'Bloodlines' for it).

I'm not sure if I'm just supposed to rate these. But I thought it would be fun to put in my two pennies worth anyway.

I don't know whether it's because my heart still pines for Mike Jardine or the later stories just lack substance, but I'm not fond of the Burke era

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

Funnily enough, the Burke era was my introduction to the show (I became a fan while the show was still on air). So, I should be a bigger fan of that era. But I never really found them as rewatachable as earlier eps. I also found myself more excited to watch an older ep I hadn't seen before to an upcoming new ep. While it doesn't help that I became a big Jardine fan, I do think there are other factors as to why I'm not a fan of that era now. But that would take up a whole blog post. 😂

2. I actually loved Livingstone and would have enjoyed watching him and Jardine bicker a bit longer.

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

I partly agree with this. I love Livingstone, and I think the pre-Michael episodes are really interesting. But I kinda feel like he left at the right time. Most of my views on this is a result of knowing that Macpherson was always intended as a replacement for Duncan (with the option of being a replacement for the Kenny Forfar character had the latter stayed). While it might have been interesting to have seen more bickering between them, I think their interaction in "Forbidden Fruit" tells us all we need to know.

And if Livingstone did stay for longer. What happens when he does leave? Would it just be Taggart and Jardine? Or would it mean bringing in a new character? Would that new character be the DS or would Jardine still get his promotion? Would this intefer with Blythe Duff joining the show? Basically, while I enjoy Livingstone. Him staying in it for longer has the power to change the show's history, and not really in a way I really want it to.

3. ff.net assures me this is not as unpopular an opinion as I first thought: I do ship Fraser and Ross.(And I blame the ep 'Bloodlines' for it).

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

This is only neutral as I've never really given it much thought. So I've no strong feelings. But I do see what you mean by that ep. I love the scene when the window gets smashed. Saying that though, I've recently made a gifset of them (which has yet to be posted) that kinda gave me shippy vibes. And it's not from "Bloodlines".

Thanks for the ask. Sorry I went on a tangent. 😂

Send me UNPOPULAR opinions

[cyarskaren52]

One of the most talented rappers in the history of Hip-Hop, Scarface’s legacy has long been established. He’s one of the most consistent artists in music — not just rap — with a discography that was birthed in the late 80s and reaches well into the 2010’s. His influence is just as wide—he’s influenced street weary, perceptive rap just as he has rappers who wrestle with their mental and emotional health, questioning their surroundings and their concept of God. 

#26

"THIS CAN'T BE LIFE" - JAY-Z FEAT. SCARFACE, BEANIE SIGEL [BONUS SONG]

Our BONUS SONG pick is a celebrated classic guest spot! Over a mournful sample of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, three of the best do their thing.

#25

"IT AIN'T, PT. II"

Over a percolating beat from Erick Sermon, 'Face shows that he isn't easily impressed by material nonsense. Coming in at the height of the rap game's flossiest era, it was a statement of being true to self. 

#24

"I'M DEAD"

 On is 1991 solo debut, Scarface weaves an eerie tale about his death, which he later said was inspired by his label mate at the time, Gangster Nipp. The starkness of his lyrics are particularly dark on this track: “My mom and girl talking, holding on to Brad’s kids/I look in the box G/Son of a bitch, I don’t believe it/Thats me…” 

#23

"HOMIES AND THUGS" FEAT. MASTER P, 2PAC

The man has more than a few classic posse cuts. Here, Face connects with Master P, and offers a posthumous verse from 2Pac on the single from his My Homies compilation.  

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#22

"LOOK ME IN MY EYES"

One of Face’s best songs in his long discography came on his 2000 offering, Last of a Dying Breed. Over a pounding beat he produced with N.O. Joe and Mr. Lee, he covers a lot – from his loyalty to Rap-A-Lot and J. Prince despite the feds poking around, to dropping another chilling story about seeing a psychiatrist and having a God-experience during the visit. 

#21

"DIARY OF A MAD MAN"

An early solo example of the brilliance of Face's introspective approach, this chilling track serves as a psuedo-sequel to the Geto Boys' classic "Mind Playing Tricks On Me." Proof positive that nobody does dark storytelling like Scarface. 

#20

"MARY JANE"

Featured on his 1997 album, The Untouchable, “Mary Jane” is also one of the best (if not underappreciated) beats in rap. Produced by Face and Mike Dean, Face’s spaced out lyrics about his love for Mary is a weed classic.  

#19

"HEAVEN" FEAT. KELLY PRICE

As usual, Face spends a lot of time rapping about God, morality, and life on The Fix. “Heaven” touches on three concepts — “heaven in the form a girl,” literal heaven, and finding “heaven” in the midst of hellish oppression. The T-Mix/Kanye West produced track is further brought to life by Kelly Price’s always-stellar vocals. 

#18

"NOW I FEEL YA"

Featured on his second solo album, “Now I Feel Ya” is another example of Scarface’s cinematic storytelling ability. It’s affecting and honest, and one of his best.

#17

"IN BETWEEN US" FEAT. NAS

A thoughtful track featuring two of the most perceptive writers in rap, this is one of a few Scarface and Nas collaborations, and a standout on The Fix.

#16

"GOIN' DOWN"

It’s really the only lighthearted moment on The Diary, but it’s a standout, mostly because of it’s sing-songy hook, and Scarface’s immersive storytelling about grabbing the attention of a woman. 

#15

"SOUTHSIDE"

“Southside” is an ode to Houston’s South Acres neighborhood, and an undisputed classic from The Untouchable.

#14

"DO WHAT I DO" FEAT. Z-RO, RICK ROSS, NAS

Scarface and Nas team up again on what Face says may be his last official album, Deeply Rooted. This time they’re joined by Rick Ross and Z-Ro on the hook to deliver a standout on the album.

#13

"MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND"

A posse cut that also serves a cautionary tale about what greed and blind ambition will get you, “Money Makes The World Go Round” is a mid-album gem anchor track for The Untouchable.

#12

"SOMEDAY" FEAT. FAITH EVANS

A midtempo groove from The Fix, Face is back to exploring faith and God: “I’m confused about a lot of things but not with my faith…” he calmly offers before Faith dips in on the hook with a gorgeous assist.   

#11

WHO ARE THEY?

Houston’s K-Rino and Slim Thug throw an assist on a standout from Emeritus about watching out for shady characters. 

#10

"A MINUTE TO PRAY AND A SECOND TO DIE"

Incorporating a soulful interpolation of Marvin Gaye’s classic “Inner City Blues,” this is vintage Scarface, delivering soul-searching, world-weary bars about life in the streets. 

#9

"MONEY AND THE POWER"

Another detailed example of Scarface’s storytelling skill, the hard-hitting single from Mr. Scarface Is Back, is still powerful. 

#8

"JESSE JAMES"

 Gutter and gangster, “Jesse James” from The Diary is hard, edgy, and vintage mid-90s Scarface. 

#7

"GUESS WHO'S BACK" FEAT. JAY-Z, BEANIE SIGEL

 Scarface linked with Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel for the lead track from what some consider his best album, 2000’s The Fix. Face was the head of Def Jam South at the time, and linked with producers outside of his regular camp to collaborate on the album, like The Neptunes, and Suave House alum, T-Mix. Here, he’s in top form over one of the best beats from Kanye West’s early production.

#6

"LET ME ROLL"

A funky gem from Face’s second solo album, 1993’s The World Is Yours, this is a Face classic. 

#5

"HAND OF THE DEAD BODY" FEAT. ICE CUBE, DEVIN THE DUDE

In 1995, rap was under heavy scrutiny from politicians who loudly blamed its artists for the crime and violence permeating from the country’s inner-cities. Two of hip-hop’s joined forces at their height to shoot down critics and instead point the finger toward America’s long history of racism as the true culprit. Featuring a memorable hook by Devin the Dude, it remains a standout in both Face and Cube’s long catalogs. 

#4

"MY BLOCK"

The lead single from The Fix, Face gets nostalgic over a sample of "Be Real Black For Me" by Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack. The sound was a slicker, more radio-friendly approach than Face had taken previously, but it was still Scarface being Scarface. The track became one of his biggest commercial hits. 

#3

"SEX FACES"

Another one of his most popular tracks, Scarface takes the ordinary boy-meets-girl tale and spins it into an engaging tale on this very explicit classic. With a noteworthy assist from Devin The Dude, Tela and the $hort Dog himself. 

#2

"SMILE" FEAT. 2PAC

The Untouchable was propelled in part by the anticipation surrounding this collaboration with  2Pac. Both rappers were known for grappling with their inner-demons, their thoughts on religion, and the way American racism intersected with all of that. So was the case when they finally connected on this track, which was released a few months after Pac’s tragic death.

#1

"I SEEN A MAN DIE" 

One of his most immediately recognizable songs, “I Seen a Man Die” is spooky, intellectual, and riveting — it’s also Scarface at his best. A chilling look at a not-so-reformed criminal who finds his way back into a life of darkness, it features some of the most evocative storytelling in the history of rap music. If you've never heard a Scarface song in your life, this is the song you have to start with

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