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peaskyblonders · 4 years ago

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Tease

GIF NOT MINE!!!

John Shelby x reader

26: “Bite your lip one more time. I dare you.”

Warnings: swearing, slight choking (oops), reader being a tease

1.8k words

You had known the Shelby family for a few years now. You first met them when applying for a job as a bookkeeper when their business was still considered "small" and consisted mainly of family members, but considering you were one of the only women in Small Heath who knew how to add and subtract, they gave you the job and welcomed you with open arms.

The company eventually started to expand and grow and with that, so did your position at Shelby Company Limited. You moved from bookkeeper to John Shelby's secretary, a position that you were content with and wouldn't change for the world.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, you secretly favoured the mischievous Shelby brother to the rest. You remember how giddy you felt when you got offered the job and recall having to stop yourself from jumping with glee upon hearing the news.

You came to work early every day, making sure that Johns desk was tidy and everything was in place, you then wrote him a to-do list for the morning before moving towards your smaller desk across from his room. Your desk was placed directly in front of his windows so you had a clear view of him throughout the day. It was helpful as you could tell if he was too busy to deal with clients, bringing it upon yourself to take a message from them which you would forward onto him later in the day.

The placement of your desk also meant that John could see you at any given moment of the day, he wasn't complaining, of course. He was actually the one who insisted your desk be placed there. Truth be told, if he could have it his way, your desk would've been placed in the room with him, but he couldn't always get what he wanted and he supposed that what he was given was more than good enough.

Johns feelings for you started to shift after a month of you working for him. You had both gotten into a steady routine and were getting used to each other's company, you were getting more confident around the people that you worked with and started wearing clothes that you enjoyed wearing, rather than clothes you thought made you look professional. The first day you ever came to work for the Shelbys, you had on a pair of trousers, a day which John hasn't forgotten since. You seemed to have favoured wearings skirts to work recently, John had noticed, but he wasn't complaining as he knew you'd look good in anything and everything.

You had been wearing a skirt the day everything changed between you and John. You got into work and did all your necessary tasks, you believed it was just a normal day, but John, on the other hand, was frustrated the moment you sat down at your desk. He wasn't sure if you had noticed that your stockings were on full display to him, but he didn't really care as he was finding it difficult to concentrate on anything except them.

You were silently killing him as he nervously bounced his leg up and down behind his desk, hoping somehow to ease the tension that was building around him. He found it even worse that you had no idea what you were doing to him, you were just simply doing your work, he couldn't believe what kind of effect you had on him.

You, of course, knew exactly what you were doing. You could see how uncomfortable John was and you were loving every minute of it. You could see him from the corner of your eye as you did your paperwork and you were determined to see how far you could go before he cracked.

You knew you had to step it up a notch when you saw that John had calmed slightly, you shifted in your seat, trying to make your next moves appear to be as seamless as possible. You crossed one leg on top of the other and ran your hand along your thigh, exposing the garter of your stockings to John. You never once looked up from the paperwork on your desk and silently prayed that he was watching your every move.

He was, you realized when you looked up for a split second to find him already looking at you with his jaw clenched and his hand placed firmly on his knee, holding the majority of his body weight upwards. You gave him an innocent smile, as you normally would, and continued on with your work, trying your hardest to ignore the butterflies in your stomach.

You carried on with your work for an hour or two, until you eventually got bored and looked up into Johns office, finding him emersed in paperwork. You heard the telephone ring from your desk and quickly picked it up. "Shelby Company Limited, Y/N speaking, how may I help you?" you asked, you saw John's head shoot up at the sound of noise outside the office and you made eye contact with him as you continued your conversion with the man on the phone.

You bit your lip slightly as you listened to the man, and raised your eyebrows at John when he requested to speak with him. John furrowed his eyebrows at you causing you to smile and point at the phone and then towards him. He nodded his head when he seemed to understand your message so you redirected the call and hung up from your end. John leaned back in his chair as he took the call, but never seemed to remove his eyes from yours. He was staring at you with a look of hunger in his eyes and you were starting to think that you may have taken your game to far.

You tried to go back to work, putting an end to your childish game. Out of habit, you bit your lip as you calculated numbers, you hadn't even noticed you were doing it until you heard the phone slam down. Your head shot up and a shiver ran down your spine when you saw John motioning for you to come into his office.

You took a deep breath as you stood up, flatting out your skirt before you walked the short distance to his office and opened the door. "Everything alright, Mr Shelby?" you asked, an innocent look plastered on your face.

John scoffed at your words. "Would you like a drink?" he asked as he walked to the other side of his room, you made your way closer to his desk, wondering what the hell was happening and if you were about to get fired.

"Em no thank you, I don't drink while I work."

"You don't think it's ok to drink while working, but you think it's ok to tease me all day and not let me get any work done, huh doll?" he spoke as he took a predatory step towards you, causing you to walk backwards and lean on his desk.

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't act all innocent now, darling" he scoffed as he swallowed his drink in one long gulp. He leant down to place it beside you on the table. You could feel his breath on your shoulder and you bit your lip to stop yourself from letting out any noise. John straightened up and his eyes immediate fell towards your lips. He hand moved to gently grab your chin, his tumb removing your lip from your teeth before his hands fell down to hold the desk, entrapping you between him and the desk. "Bite your lip one more time. I dare you," he whispered as he looked deeply into your eyes.

You felt your breath hitch in your throat and john smiled mischievously at the sound. "We shouldn't be doing this, John" you warned, although your body seemed to be betraying you as you leaned closer to him.

"And why the fuck not?" he wondered, his head ducking down to be eye level with you.

"It's wrong, I'm your secretary, Imagine if Tommy found out-"

"Tell me you don't want this. Tell me and ill step back."

You, once again, bit your lip at his words, knowing that there was no way you could tell him you didn't want this when you had constantly dreamt about it for over a month. You opened your mouth to speak but before you could get any words out, John had slammed his lips onto yours, his two hands cupped your face, pulling you into him while his body pushed you further against his desk.

You kissed him back with as much force as you could, grabbing the sides of his suit jacket and pulling him even closer to you. You were certain he could feel every curve of your body and the only thought going through your mind was that you wanted him even closer.

John eventually pulled away, his chest rising and falling rapidly with every breath the took. He closed his eyes as he rested his forehead against yours. "Told you to stop biting that fuckin' lip, Y/N"

You brought your hand up to gently run your fingers over the side of his face. His eyes fluttered open at the feeling, causing a smile to grace your face. "Make me."

Those words seemed to be a breaking point for john. His eyes darkened in colour as he shoved the books off his desk and placed you on top of it. Standing in between your legs, he ran his hands along your thighs as he kissed you again, with more passion this time. One of his hands moved to grab the side of your neck while the other squeezed your thigh. You involuntary let out a moan and John grinned at the sound.

His mouth moved to your neck, kissing every bit of flesh that he could find until he found your sweet spot. He began to suck lightly on the patch of skin before pulling away and blowing lightly on it. "No hickeys, John," you warned.

He laughed as he placed a quick peck to your lips. "I'm afraid its too late for that, sweetheart. Besides, it'd be nice to look at tomorrow, a little reminder so to speak." You rolled your eyes at him, the action being cut off as he applied the tiniest amount of pressure to your throat. "None of that love."

"Just kiss me you idiot" you moaned as he resumed his previous position. You felt his hand move higher on your thigh, hissing lightly as he lifted your garter and let it fall against your skin.

"Now these have caused a tremendous amount of pain for me, think id prefer to just take them off, hmm?"

"John your anyone could walk past" you scolded, although your eyes were closed and you were leaning into his touch, so you doubt you put up much of a fight.

"Lets put on a show then," he grinned before kneeling down and removing your stockings at a painstakingly slow pace.

And put on a show he did.

#john shelby x reader #john shelby imagine #john shelby one shot #Peaky Blinders #john shelby #john shelby fanfic #peaky blinders imagine #peaky blinders fanfiction #Shelby #peaky blinder fanfic #peaky blinder imagine

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imtryingsomething · 6 years ago

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Irrational

A/N- This was a really fun request to write. Feel free to send in more. This kinda just took its own life. Hope it turned out decent, feed back is welcome. Sorry if there are any errors. Please like and reblog just don’t repost this claiming it as your own.

Characters- Robb Stark, Theon Greyjoy, Greywind, Gage the kitchen master

Parings- Robb Stark x fem reader

Warnings- violence, slight suggestion of rape(not prominent), angst?, fluff(kinda), blood, injuries. Think that’s it.

The northern air fills your lungs, the scent of pine and fresh snow dance throughout the air. The courtyard rings with life. The scuffing of stone under foot. The baying of hungry dogs. Metal clanging together. The laughter of a lord.

It isn’t your place to gaze so fondly at a lord. Your were just some servant who attended the fires or cleaned the stables or cut fruit for breakfast or did whatever was asked of you. You just couldn’t help it, not many people truly noticed you but he had. He asked you for your name and if you needed help carrying the firewood up the stairs, which of course you said you didn’t. That’s how your ‘relationship’ started, whenever you’d cross paths he’d talk to you. Ask about your day, tell you about his. It felt right but it could never happen.

“Y/N!” Gage, head of kitchens, shouts from across the courtyard, “Come here ya’ small thing. I need you to go out and pick me some wild mushrooms.”

“But wild mushrooms are poisonous.” You give a puzzled look, what in the seven hells does Gage need with toxic mushrooms.

“Not all of ‘em are. Here take this as a guide on what to pick,” he handed you a thick flat red mushroom cap, “You’ll fine ‘em just a ways into the woods. There’s a grove with plenty of ‘em so don’t be shy in pickin’ a big basket full.”

“Fine Gage but if I get in trouble for missing some chore I’m blaming you.” You say sternly, pointing a finger at his chest.

With a laugh he gently pushes you in the direction of the Castle gates. You make your way past the stables where you grab an empty firewood basket. You greet and smile at fellow servants on your walk out of the castle.

You pull your wool cloak tightly around you bracing against the ice wind which isn’t being blocked by the high stone walls anymore. With your free hand you hike up you long skirts in the deep snow. How can mushrooms grow in such weather? You think bitterly as you almost fall face first into the snow.

You finally reach the grove and Gage was right it’s covered in the red mushroom caps. The sunlight filters through the tree tops and the grove feels so peaceful, like another world. You start to quickly pick the fungi not wanting to stay in the cold much longer. Your basket is near full when you first hear it. The hard snap of a tree branch. The crunch of snow underfoot.

Suddenly the grove didn’t seem as peaceful. Looking around into the forest trying to spot the source of the sound. You spot the rustling of a bush not too far away. Turning to walk back towards the castle, your stomach is churning and your heart racing. The rustling gets louder and you run.

Cloak flying out behind you with the wind. Your skirts gets caught underneath you. Stumbling forward mushrooms soar through the trees as you fall. Snow blocks your vision as you turn onto your back. Wiping away the ice they come in around you.

Your heart is in your throat. You try scrambling backwards to get away. The wildlings just laugh at your febal attempt at escaping.

“Why looky what we’ve caught here. A little castle rat.” Sneered a foul man, grinning to show stained teeth.

“She looks so juicy. Do they feed you good there in the castle, Rat?” Taughted the wild woman.

“Please I don’t...I don’t have anything of..of value.” You stammer out.

“I’m sure you don’t but a woman has other things to offer.” The foul man smirks in disgusting pleasure.

Suddenly two of them are on you grabbing your arms. You kick out your legs and shout. Screams tear from your throat as the foul man takes out a knife.

“HELP!!!” Bounces off the trees and birds take flight in fear.

“Hold her still will ya’” complained the foul man.

The wildling woman is ripped from your right arm in a series of snarls. Her screams are drowned out by hot blood. The heavy clanking of metal can be heard quickly approaching. Filthy hands yank you upwards, burning cold iron digs into your throat. You can feel the trickle of blood.

In front of you are two horses both carrying armored riders. One with the famous auburn curls.

“I suggest letting her go if you value your head.” Robb angrily yells dismounting, sword in hand.

“She’s the only thing separating me from your steel.” His rancid breath sears the inside of you nostrils.

Robb takes a tentative step forward, Greywind snarling at the wildlings. Your eyes catch his. The iron presses deeper causeing you to bend your head farther back against the wildling. Theons bow is notched and aimed towards the other wildling man.

Nothing good is going to come about in your current predicament. Slowly raising your booted right foot you slam it down onto the grotesque mans foot. Groaning in pain he lessens his grip on you enough for you to pull to the left falling down. Blood stains the snow around you, the knife had cut across your neck as you pulled away. A whistle and thud-a whistle and thud follow after you hit the snow. Both of the remaining wildlings lay twisted in their own filth and blood.

A flurry of snow washes over you and a pair of gloved hand gently lift you to sit. Blue eyes look over your face and neck. A leather thumb brushes against your cheek collecting tears you didn’t know had fallen. His other hand gingerly presses on you wound. You wince at the painfull contact. Scanning the scene you spot the three wildlings, the two horses, Theon Greyjoy nudging the dead with his boot, Greywind lapping at the fresh blood, and the mushrooms strung about.

“My mushrooms.” You sigh dejected.

A low chuckle comes deep from within Robbs chest, “Mushroom? That’s what you’re worried about? After all this?” He gestures around you.

“Gage isn’t going to be happy about not getting his mushrooms.” You state a small smile tugging at your lips.

“I am sure Gage will understand. Now come on lets get you looked at.”

You ride infront of Robb, his arms pressing into you sides as he grips the reins. You lean back against his chest, matching his steady breaths. Your gashes bleeding subsidies at some point on the ride back to the castle. Theon cracks a few tasteless jokes about the wildlings and how Greywind wouldn’t need dinner tonight. You and Robb just roll your eyes at him.

Ridding back through the grounds past the kitchen where Gage peeks out. His face immediately twisted into concern and shock.

“Y/N what happened? Little one are you ok?”

Robb slowes the horse down a tad for Gage.

“I’m fine Gage, it’s nothing. But I do have some dreadful news.” False sorrow weaves throughout your words.

Eyebrows pinch together, eyes pleading, “What is it?”

“I don’t have your mushrooms.” A mischievous smirk works it way onto your face.

“To the Old Ones! Child you worried me to death!” Gage says clutching his chest.

Robb chuckles behind you, “I do need to get her to the Grand Maester.” Kicking his horse into a faster pace.

“Of course, get better fast little one. I still need my mushrooms!” Gage half shouts.

The Grand Maester looks you over making sure that there weren’t any other major injuries. You only have a few minor scraps and cuts from the few rocks sticking out of the snow. He bandages the cut on you neck and puts some sort of herb pulp onto it in case of infection.

“You are going to need to come back tomorrow so I may change the dressing.” The Maester orders before releasing you.

You and Robb walk down the castle halls silent for a time. Just enjoying each other after such a stressful day. Robb stops grabbing your upper arm gently.

“Are you alright?” He asks looking deep into you eyes, searching for any sign that you’re not.

“Of course I’m not. I was just attacked by wildlings, who were then killed. But that doesn’t mean I won’t be fine in the near future.” You respond truthfully, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze.

“So that means if I do something a bit irrational you won’t hit me?” He bit his bottom lip waiting for your answer.

“Depends on what that something is.”

His eyes flicker down to you lips. Reading his mind you rock forward onto you toes and press your lips together. His hands go to your waist while yours wrap around his neck. The kiss is full of unspoken feelings. It’s tender and sweet with a pinch of lust from you.

After a too short of a time you both have to pull away for air. He presses his forehead against yours, a bashful smile graces your lips. His thumb strokes you hip wanting to pull you as close as possible. That’s when you know it’s the true beginning of your relationship together.

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rowingchat · 7 years ago

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Guest Blog: Winter Workouts: Why do Rowers Fear the Erg?

Friend. Not Foe. Courtesy: RowingRelated

I am really frustrated by our sport when it comes to the erg being viewed as a torture device rather than a helpful tool that people can enjoy. This negative mindset, which is extremely contagious, plagues the sport, preventing athletes from training to their potential and possibly serving as one of the reasons that careers in rowing, at every level, are often so short.

My main problem is that everywhere I turn in the rowing community, whether it’s high school guys and girls, college guys and girls, or even National Team hopefuls, I hear of people dreading the erg. I’ve never heard about a cross country runner ‘dreading’ a track workout. True, basketball and football players may dread running wind sprints or other such conditioning activities, but I can live with that because those are not endurance sports. In other words, when strength, power, endurance, mental toughness, and monotonous activity are the bread and butter of your sport, it seems wholly inappropriate to create a culture that disdains such fundamentally important and central activities.

When compared to other endurance sports like cycling, running, swimming, etc., I have not encountered an equal level of disdain for such fundamental mental and physical endurance training. A track runner might complain if he or she had to be on the treadmill all winter long, but the idea would not strike fear into his or her heart, as track athletes are forced to be accountable at all times. I don’t know why, every Winter, I have to go on Row2k and read Rowing News to find out about “How to get through winter training,” or, “How to find ways to spice up/find alternatives for the erg.” Why can’t people just say, “Time to erg? Okay great. What is the workout, what am I trying to accomplish and what is the best way to do that in this workout?”

Another issue: rowers complaining about mysterious injuries that only seem to affect performance on land. How common is it to have an injury that allows you to row on the water but not on the erg? I think that, in actuality, such injuries are exceedingly rare. I’ve had a number of athletes tell me about an injury they have, but somehow that injury only comes up on the erg. Rarely do I hear about an injury when coaching on the water. It is all too common for people to say, “but it doesn’t hurt in the boat.” Really? You mean that when you have to carry a heavy load, rowing by pairs, fours and sixes in an eight, have to twist out to one side with your torso and overload that side (all of this in a potentially unstable environment), that it doesn’t hurt, but that when you are on a stationary machine that is completely stable and balanced, with a resistance setting that you can control, then it hurts? It seems very unlikely. I have a hypothesis: either it doesn’t hurt on the water because you aren’t pulling very hard, or it’s because you aren’t really injured and don’t know the difference between pain and injury, or a combination of both. Again, track athletes are held accountable 100% of the time. The coach is standing there with a stop watch. When a rower is on the water, it’s up to him or her to “give full measure.”

I have a simple solution to this: you can’t erg, you can’t row. It’s amazing how many less injuries occur when this is the policy. Also, I don’t care how hard you work when running, cycling, swimming or doing whatever cross-training you might be doing — you aren’t going to be in very good rowing shape based on your potential without the sport-specific training development.

Another common phrase: “I’m just not good on the erg, but I’m good on the water.” Nonsense. Sure, you might be able to beat someone on the water with a better erg score, but that is because that person is not technically skilled, and thus isn’t able to utilize the extra power and fitness that they have. It’s not complicated. I don’t boat based on erg scores, but I give people with erg scores the presumption — they must lose a seat race to a weaker teammate in order to lose their seat in the boat. If that happens, it’s not a good thing. It just means the rower with the stronger erg score is not technically skilled. Show me any good Olympic boat and I will show you a boat with great erg scores. Hamish Bond and Eric Murray of New Zealand are excellent rowers with great boat feel and technical ability, but they also have tremendous power and fitness. What about Mahe Drysdale, or Olaf Tufte, or Xeno Muller? Tremendous erg scores. Sure ergs don’t float, but they don’t lie either. If you can’t pull an erg it means you have no engine. I don’t care how beautiful, sleek and aerodynamic your race car is, if it has V6 engine, then the only way it is going to win a race against a race car with a V12 engine is if that V12 is in an extremely inefficient car.

Now, I understand people might have a problem with the erg because it doesn’t perfectly simulate the rowing stroke, and can, undoubtedly, end up rewarding things that will hurt boat speed on the water (like rushing the slide). I don’t have a problem with those people, because that, to me, is a valid concern and viewpoint. These people are not afraid of the erg and it doesn’t cause them mental distress which affects their ability to perform and achieve their best. However, I think it’s time for the rowing community, beginning at the high school level, to be more willing to embrace the ergometer as a training tool, rather than coming up with millions of reasons to fear the machine and letting it play games with our minds. In my opinion, this attitude, which is perpetuated year after year in programs throughout the country, creates mental blocks and leads people away from the training intensity they need to achieve their best possible results.

This may be, in part, the result of coaches requiring athletes to go too hard on every workout on the machine. Sometimes, workouts should be easy. I suspect that if one went around to various rowing programs to find out how their ‘steady state’ speed on a 10k erg piece compared to their 2k or 5k time, and then went around to cross country and track coaches to find out what pace they had their runners run on a typical easy or steady state run, one would find that the rowers work much harder. For instance, let’s say a runner runs a 5k in 18:36. This works out to six minute pace per mile, and 1:51.6 per 500 meters. According to the McMillan Running Calculator, easy steady state runs should be done at 2:02.5 — 2:06 per 500 meters and easy/long runs should be done at 2:18-2:27 pace per 500 meters.

Take a rower who pulls an 18:36 for 5k, which is that same 1:51.6 pace per 500 meters. I bet many high school and college coaches would have that person doing their steady state erg workouts at 1:58-2:00, and would never have them go as slow as the running calculator recommends on the easy/long runs.

It’s possible that because rowing is so low impact as compared with running, rowers can handle a faster pace for all of their workouts than runners and still recover. But this is a difference of 8-18 seconds per mile, which would be 45 seconds to a minute and a half difference over 10k. Finishing a 10k a minute faster than someone else is a pretty significant difference, especially if done day after day and week after week. The cumulative effect on the body wearing down could potentially be significant, as the body’s physiological systems would be constantly over-taxed. Perhaps this is why so many people hate the erg and “burn out” in rowing — far more often and much earlier in their careers than the majority of runners. Many coaches seem to adopt the approach that Jack Daniels refers to as the “Eggs Against the Wall” theory of coaching, which he defines as the metaphysical act of throwing a basket of eggs against a wall and hoping one of them doesn’t break. When you train as hard as most coaches recommend, the few, stellar athletes that can handle the training will succeed, and some of them might even go on to compete in the Olympics. What about all the rest? They will burn out, get injured and leave the sport. The key is balance: your training program needs to be well thought-out, with enough days of easy, longer training to complement the extremely demanding sessions. If the erg is used purely for the most difficult of training sessions, it will not only solidify a negative mindset regarding the machine, but also, unintentionally, contribute reduced accountability on the water. If water training is looked at as ‘easier,’ you will undoubtedly underachieve when it comes time to race. Rowers should look at both kinds of training as equally as difficult. For this to happen, coaches must bring a balanced approach to both land and water training.

Finally, I think many rowing coaches fall victim to creating a crutch when it comes to an erg workout, rather than dealing the fundamental, underlying problem. Here is a common example of the kind of patchwork solution to a more serious problem: steady state erg workouts broken up into intervals like 4′ on, 1′ off when such rest is not needed to accomplish the physiological goals of the workout. In my mind, that type of rest should be used for speed intervals (in other words, when you actually need the rest to recover between intervals). I don’t think if you are trying to keep your heart rate at between 60-80% of your maximum, for example, that having a minute off every five minutes will help keep your heart rate down over the course of the workout. At that intensity, if you are in good aerobic shape, you will not notice much variation in your heart rate between an hour straight through and an hour of 4′ on, 1′ off if it is done at a consistent ‘steady state’ effort (steady state being heart rate between 60-80% of its maximum). To me, this is appears to be another way of perpetuating the problem of disliking the erg, as it is clearly a concession to the idea that the erg is difficult to deal with mentally.

This belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I wonder how many running coaches would say to their athletes, “Today we are doing an easy steady state run of eight miles, I want you to run at your easy/steady state pace for four minutes and then stop, walk or jog for one minute before resuming your steady state run pace until you complete the eight miles.” I don’t believe many running coaches, anywhere in the world, at any level, would do this. I think they would say, “Today we are going to do a steady state run of 8 miles at your easy/steady-state pace to work on aerobic development. Stay within this zone by running X pace and I will see you when you get back.” Maybe running is in the dark ages and rowing is just ahead of the curve on this one, but somehow I think it might be the other way around.

-The RowingRelated Team

The post Guest Blog: Winter Workouts: Why do Rowers Fear the Erg? appeared first on Rowperfect UK.

2 new rowing books! On sale now.

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mixtapekings · 5 years ago

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Listen Review of Drake’s ‘Dark Lane Demo Tapes’ Project by djbooth.net

Drake delivers a fan service release during quarantine, allowing him to clear out his vault of throwaways, loosies, and leaks.

The world stood still on February 13, 2015, when Drake released his surprise mixtape If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. I remember the hair on my neck standing straight up during the intro track. It was a big moment for Drake. He believed he reached the status of legend, and the release of IYRTITL showed us that he wasn’t afraid to say it.

Five years and a few months later, rap’s global superstar returns with another surprise mixtape, Dark Lane Demo Tapes, featuring 14 tracks and guest appearances by Playboi Carti, Young Thug, Future, Chris Brown, and more. I have no further thoughts; let’s see what Drake has to say.

In usual 1-Listen album review fashion, the rules are the same: no skipping, no fast-forwarding, no rewinding, and no stopping. Each song will receive my gut reaction from start to finish.

1. “Deep Pockets”

It’s always nice to hear a background sample on a Drake intro. I just looked at the album cover and laughed. Why does Drake look like a cat burglar? Whose house is he breaking into during quarantine? “Deep Pockets” sounds like a throwback. This song is like watching a veteran ballplayer shoot from his old sweet spots on the court. I’m not in love with the production, though. “Deep Pockets” is dragging. “My soundtrack is the second Carter.” Drake is getting bars off. I’m listening to a graceful layup, but I’m here for the 360 windmill dunks. I’ll revisit it.

2. “When To Say When”

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The “Song Cry” sample sounds heavenly. This is a good canvas for this variety of Drake. I respect how much he big ups Birdman and Wayne. There’s a sense of sincerity to his stream of consciousness. He’s saying what’s on his mind. This is my favorite kind of Drake. Just a free-flowing diary of thoughts. “When To Say When” is the most elegant rant Drake has ever rapped.

3. “Chicago Freestyle” feat. Giveon

Giveon’s voice. That’s it, that’s the tweet. Drake’s conversational flow is working well because he raps with a photographer’s attention to detail. What I like about “Chicago Freestyle” is how the beat, Drake’s flow, and Giveon’s feature complement one another perfectly. There’s a synergy that makes for a graceful banger.

4. “Not You Too” feat. Chris Brown

A slow cut. I like the production. There’s a looseness here that’s atmospheric. Drake’s singing is conversational. Not in love with this one, though. I’m too sober for “Not You Too.” The pace of Dark Lane Demo Tapes is pretty slow. Drake is in no rush. I love the sudden drum rolls and synthy textures. Drake is sweet singing to some woman, but I’d rather have another elegant scolding. I don’t know if Chris Brown did anything. If he appeared, I might’ve missed him. [Editor’s Note: He sang background vocals.]

5. “Toosie Slide”

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“Toosie Side” is no “Swag Surf” was my initial take when Drake released this song, but I’m not upset at another dance song. Okay, I might change my mind. I can’t imagine any reason I would play this song. I do love how he snuck the subtle imagery of plotting violence. “Gotta dance, but it’s really on some street shit.” Mafia music for the suburbs of Pasadena. Is this the extended version? “Next time I swear the truth will get revealed.” Drake is still alluding to things. I can’t imagine Drake getting in another rap beef. No one wants that, and I don’t want this extended “Toosie Slide.”

6. “Desires” feat. Future

All these songs sound good, but I hear why they’re loosies. They sound like good ideas that weren’t great. Future! It’s nice to hear another voice. His flow on here is a treat. It’s the way he launches into a sudden tangent without ever losing the cool. Future and Drake really get together and scold women. “Desires” is fine. It’s a vibe. I wouldn’t skip it, but I don’t love it. After a decade of Drake singing, I’m okay if he only raps for here on out.

7. “Time Flies”

I love this beat. Easily my favorite track thus far. The hi-hats are tapping with such eloquence. A great mid-tempo rhythm. The singing rap style here is great. It’s so steady, like a leaf floating on the top of a river. Drake is in a good pocket. Something that he does well is bringing his life to the song and still making it feel like something you might experience. He attempts reliability. As soon as I complain about his singing, he pulls out “Time Flies.”

8. “Landed”

The bounce! It’s a trampoline. This is good. Drake’s stunting is whimsical. He has the braggadocio of a winner. Drake is running through women like Charlie in the fifth season of Californication with the way he’s rapping. That’s a reference for Donna. “Landed” sounds like a More Life leftover. “Pushing five Cadillacs like a politician.” “Landed” is the sleeper hit. Keeper.

9. “D4L Freestyle” feat. Future & Young Thug

I’m liking this build-up. Thugger! The beat is vibrant and springy. Future and Thug together are two stylish supervillains. “D4L Freestyle” is the best song title on the album. Young Thug vocals are hilarious. Drake is ripping this. He sounds like he’s having a great time. The Spaceship/Bankhead line. Some of his best rapping on the album. Here’s Future. Future is making the money counter sound with his mouth. Has he been practicing that? It’s such a perfect money counter. Not in love with the beat, but Drake went to outer space.

10. “Pain 1993” feat. Playboi Carti

Drake’s throwaways are good. Dark Lane Demo Tapes is the opposite of If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late. Instead of feeding us aggressiveness, Drake’s energy is Sunday morning relaxed. His voice is impeccable here. The most casual rapping. Pi’erre Bourne’s price going up, again. Carti’s ad-libs are killing me. Southside Carti came to dunk on Drake. His voice is stealing the show. How does he get his voice that texture? He sounds like a cartoon character. Reboot the Rugrats with Playboi Carti as Tommy Pickles. Keeper.

11. “Losses”

It sounds like an older gentleman talking to his Instagram. [Editor’s Note: That older gentleman is Drake’s father, Dennis Graham.] I like this not-an-album. It’s perfectly okay. Dark Lane Demo Tapes is a playlist of slow-burning Drake vibes. I’m post fascinated with the pacing. “Losses” is dragging. Rap has felt so fast in 2020. There’s a clarity to Drake that I like. He makes sure you see his point of view. Ironclad rapping. He doesn’t miss a detail. It’s the lyricism of a politician. The day he decides to run for office will be a wild day on Twitter. Another elegant scolding. Keeper.

12. “From Florida With Love”

I love the bounce. Love the Static Major nod. This is the one. There’s a few hit records on this album if Drake wants them to be hit records. “From Florida With Love” feels like a banger. He loves executing subtle threats on potential bangers. “You know that lesson stuck.” I didn’t need the second verse. I might be tired. This one would sound great in a room full of people.

13. “Demons” feat. Fivio Foreign & Sosa Geek

This summer, I need Drake to give me a 30-minute LP. I’m getting too old for 50-minute sermons. I miss Pop Smoke. Been thinking about him a lot lately. Sighs. Drake can do any style of rap, but Drill Drake is hit or miss to me. He’s sliding on “Demons.” This is some of the most aggressive rapping on the album. Fivio has good energy. Drake always finds a young star to spotlight. “Demons” could’ve been a strong single. Sosa Geek is fine. He got character. “Demons” is the banger that feels a little late to the party.

14. “War”

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“War” is a Drake song I feel indifferent about. It sounds awkward, but I love how the words bend to his flow. It’s a slick song. The lyricism is an example of Drake’s best kind of stream of consciousness. He doesn’t miss a beat. Even the way he described The Weeknd is like a mob boss speaking in code. “Everyone I know has code names.” Drake sounds silly at times, but he puts up enough shots to always strike gold in various styles. A true shooter.

Final (First Listen) Thoughts on Drake’s Dark Lane Demo Tapes

The title Dark Lane Demo Tapes is spot on. Drake has delivered a fan service release during quarantine, allowing him to clear out his vault of throwaways, loosies, and leaks.

There is no attempt at a crossover pop song or shiny, big-budget radio record. Dark Lane Demo Tapes is a playlist project filled mostly with surface-level rap tales by a rich and famous superstar who can craft a hit—any type of hit; you name the type—in his sleep. And some of these songs (“Desires,” “Not You Too”) sound like he did.

As a variety pack of mostly effortless rapping and R&B throwaways with only a few potential Billboard chart-toppers, Dark Lane Demo Tapes presents as 50 minutes of graceful layups from a living legend. Drake didn’t feel the need to surprise us with a dunk. Sure, a 360 windmill would have been nice. But for that, we’ll have to wait for album number six.

from Listen Review of Drake’s ‘Dark Lane Demo Tapes’ Project by djbooth.net

#Albums #Dark Lane Demo Tapes #DJ Booth #Drake #Yoh Phillips

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expertdigitalmarketingthing-blog · 6 years ago

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Case Study Findings on Google Service “Questions and Answers”: Concern over Business Owner Apathy

Google rolled out Questions and Answers in August 2017 and many studies have tried to understand its impact and acceptance among consumers, businesses, and brands. This feature has been helping local business owners to answer consumer questions. Initially, it was restricted to Android Google Maps. There is consensus among consumers and brands that Google Q&A is a good platform for effective communication in terms of exchanging requests, advice, and copious help. Scope and Limitations It has been noticed that several big corporations and SMBs are not showing any enthusiasm to this Q&A feature. A study by Get Five Stars says that questions exist for an average 25 percent of locations on Google Maps. Despite the hype, it seems Google Questions and Answers are still underutilized by small business owners (SMBs) and marketers. They are yet to monitor the questions received from the business listings. This is contrary to the passion with which SMBs track online reviews. The same zeal was expected in tracking questions on their listings. That is yet to show up. Despite the service being there for more than 200 days traction seems slow. According to a study by GetFiveStars,’ nearly 25 percent of businesses have pending questions. Some SMBs also complain that nowhere in the Google My Business dashboard notifications for new questions are showing up. There is also a perception that Google is more oriented toward Local Guides in getting answers than making the business owners themselves answer questions. How Can Business Owners Track Qs? There are two options for a business owner or marketer to track Qs. One is –installing the Google Maps app on the mobile phone and turning on notifications. For this, the SMB must log on to the account that manages Google My Business to get push notifications every time a new question is asked. Then there are paid services from agencies monitoring the feature. Currently, there is Get Five Stars active in monitoring the service and makes the questions pretty well organized. Digital Marketer Makes a Study To assess the reality an expert has compiled a case study on the Google service using upmarket San Francisco as a sample and came up with interesting findings. In the first step, the volume and nature of questions that targeted a San Francisco’s 20 busy industries were evaluated. Then the answers and responders were divided into three groups. Local Guides (LG), random users (RU), and owners (O). The top 10 businesses included the following. Dentists Plumbers Chiropractors Mexican Restaurants Italian Restaurants Chinese Restaurants Car Dealers Supermarkets Clothing Stores Florists Hotels Real Estate Agencies General Contractors Cell Phone Stores Yoga Studios Banks Carpet Cleaning Hair Salons Locksmiths Jewelry Stores Key Takeaways from the Study Stark patterns were observed from a table plotted to study the 123 questions that generated 274 answers from SF businesses. Generally, big brands avoid Google Questions and Answers. San Francisco was no exception. The city was chosen for a case study because it is famous for grooming new tech. Questions unanswered from Whole Foods, Sephora, Taco Bell, Macy’s, Denny’s, Cracker Barrel, Target, and T-Mobile. Walmart garnered thousands of questions but the brand gave no response. The key take aways included the following. The number of answers exceeded the questions. Some questions received no answers Certain questions had answers ranging from five to 10 or more. Some industries like hotels and restaurants generated more questions. Mostly the owners’ column remained completely blank. The findings revealed that local businesses in San Francisco were not attaching much importance to the questions and no effort was made in answering Google Questions and Answers. Local Guides Dominating Answers Majority of the answers were provided by Local Guides. Out of the 274 answers, 232 were replied by Local Guides designated by Google. These users called local guides get alerts when questions are asked and they are motivated by the award of 3 points per answer. These points fetch perks such as Google Play Music free for 3 free months and 75 percent discount on Google Play Movies. Quality Problem According to an expert, Google’s strategy of incentivizing replies is involving sources whose knowledge base is of questionable quality. An example will suffice--when a consumer asks a hotel whether they have in-room hair dryers, there are 10 local guides replying “yep”! Many local guides also replied “I don’t know,” “maybe,” and “call the business and find out.” At the same time, there were many helpful answers from Local Guides. Many consumers also appeared confused as evident from the trend of thanking people replying to their questions instead of using the ‘thumbs up.’ Confusion about the Format Some consumers were making statements and posting reviews instead of raising straight questions. Hotels and restaurants topped with both questions and answers. There was no surprise as people love talking about them. Questions were very few for businesses like yoga studios, florists, and hair salons. Maybe these are early days and predicting an ultimate outcome will be hard. Risks of Non-Management for Brands Marketing expert Mike Blumenthal suggests companies should proactively handle the feature by making use of FAQs to provide expert answers. Else reputation damage will follow if others start responding. The case study author notes that a limited exploration of San Francisco has left wondering on the number of companies or consumers paying attention in most industries. Slow but Steady Growth According to the GetFiveStars study, total numbers of questions for the 1700 locations investigated have doubled between November–December of 2017. The San Francisco sample shows that the apathy of SMBs on answers needs to change. Maybe that more volumes of questions can make business owners rethink. Future Gains from Google Questions and Answers An early adoption makes sense for business owners. An active Questions and Answers presence could double up as a ranking signal. The local pack rankings do matter in business growth. The SMBs need to understand the risk of leaving answers in the hands of the public. Such answers will vary in accuracy and the risk of losing leads and online reputation looms large. Use the Opportunity for Consumer Engagement As a way forward, businesses must diligently inspect the knowledge panel to see questions received. If there are Questions, answer them in the best style. Spend a few hours every week to make a company’s 5 most common FAQs into Google Questions and Answers queries and try to answer them. Log on to the company’s Google account while replying to make sure the message passes off as the reply from the business owner. In case you are marketing a business that has some good Questions and Answers align this to the social media rounds for better reputation management. Using the service of GetFiveStars will be effective in monitoring Google Q&A feature. Their ORM software (object-relational mapping) packages also take care of spam inquiries and responses. To assess the utility of Google Q&A, the following questions can help. Have you ever asked a question using Google Q&A feature? Did you get an answer; was it helpful? Who answered? The business/random user/Local Guide? Have you seen examples of business owners answering questions effectively? How do you rate Google Questions and Answers? Is it a winner? Is it worth your time? Overcome Delay Factor Regarding the motivation to sustain this feature, picking up the phone and asking questions straight to a business for a faster response will remain the preferred method. For example, when you want to confirm the availability of organic avocados from California in a supermarket, calling them and finding out is the best way. It is unlikely that you will visit in Google Q&A and wait for a knowledge panel to answer the query by lunchtime. Answers should fly faster. Moreover the problem of some questions receiving useless answers wastes time. It is hoped that such teething problems will vanish once the feature picks up more pace. Read the full article

#FutureGainsfromGoogleQuestionsandAnswers #GoogleQ&A #googlequestionsandanswers #googleservices #HowCanBusinessOwnersTrackquestions #howgooglequestionandanswerscanhelpyou #howtoimproverankthroughgooglequestionsandanswers #importanceofgooglequestionandanswers #importanceofgooglequestions #whataregoogleQ&A #whataregooglequestionandanswers #whatistheuseofgooglequestionsandanswers

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expertdigitalmarketingthing-blog · 6 years ago

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Case Study Findings on Google Service “Questions and Answers”: Concern over Business Owner Apathy

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expertdigitalmarketingthing-blog · 6 years ago

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Case Study Findings on Google Service “Questions and Answers”: Concern over Business Owner Apathy

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expertdigitalmarketingthing-blog · 6 years ago

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Case Study Findings on Google Service “Questions and Answers”: Concern over Business Owner Apathy

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expertdigitalmarketingthing-blog · 6 years ago

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Case Study Findings on Google Service “Questions and Answers”: Concern over Business Owner Apathy

#googleservices #whataregooglequestionandanswers

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expertdigitalmarketingthing-blog · 6 years ago

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Case Study Findings on Google Service “Questions and Answers”: Concern over Business Owner Apathy

#googleservices #whataregooglequestionandanswers

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expertdigitalmarketingthing-blog · 6 years ago

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Case Study Findings on Google Service “Questions and Answers”: Concern over Business Owner Apathy

#googleservices #whataregooglequestionandanswers

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expertdigitalmarketingthing-blog · 6 years ago

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Case Study Findings on Google Service “Questions and Answers”: Concern over Business Owner Apathy

#googleservices #whataregooglequestionandanswers

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expertdigitalmarketingthing-blog · 6 years ago

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Case Study Findings on Google Service “Questions and Answers”: Concern over Business Owner Apathy

#googleservices #whataregooglequestionandanswers

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expertdigitalmarketingthing-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Case Study Findings on Google Service “Questions and Answers”: Concern over Business Owner Apathy

#googleservices #whataregooglequestionandanswers

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expertdigitalmarketingthing-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Case Study Findings on Google Service “Questions and Answers”: Concern over Business Owner Apathy

#googleservices #whataregooglequestionandanswers

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