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papaziggy-devblog · 2 years ago

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Could we get Harper SFW Alphabet?

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?) Harper is super affectionate! He shows it though physical contact (if you're ok with it), acts of service, and some light teasing

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?) Absolute gremlin. Playfull bullying. Throwing rocks at your window at 2am to come out and join him for some questionable shinanigans. He's all about being an absolute goof and having a good time. Though if you ever need anything he'd insist you don't hesitate to come to him, he'll help out a buddy however he can (Whether by legal means or not :) )

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?) Harper fucking LOVES to cuddle. He'll wrap his long ol arms around you and hold you as close as he can without hurting you. Nuzzling his face into your hair with the biggest, goofiest grin… Good luck getting away from him any time soon :)

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?) He likes the idea of having a family some day, but he won't raise a fuss or anything if you're not for that! He's an excellent cook since its one of his main hobbies, and he likes to keep things fairly tidy… He isn't very diligent about laundry though… putting it away neatly anyway, he more often than not has a pile of unfolded clean laundry frequently being transfered between his computer chair and his bed. He does keep the dirty ones in the hamper though

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?) HAHAHAH Break up? HHAHAHAHA Thats funny :)))))))))))

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?) Harper already ready to get down on one knee the moment he gets you to like him back… fuck he's prolly ready before even that

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?) He can be very gentle if thats what you prefer! He's a big guy but he knows how to be careful. Soft tender hugs, holding your hand in his, gentle kisses to the cheek. As far as emotionally, with you he's more than happy to open up and let you know just how much he adores you, going on and on about every little thing about you that makes him smile

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?) He loves hugs! He'll take em any time he can get em. Hugging you close while cuddling… Hugging you from behind while you're working on something… Man could just be looking at you for a few seconds and he's just filled with the urge to wrap his arms around you~

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?) Dawg already been saying it to you while watching you sleep for like the past year LMAOOOOO

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?) Ahah… Ahahahah…. Ahahahahahah.. You remember that guy you told Harper about who was hitting on you last night? It looks like they're now on fucking fire… shame really ( ovo)

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?) His kisses can range from soft and gentle to rough and firm depending on the mood. His lips are very soft n you kno he keeps those suckers moisturized He loves to kiss your thighs and neck, also leaving little nibbles as well uvu Personally he loves to be kissed on the cheek, lips, and on his scars… Just makes him feel all tingly inside |D

L = Little ones (How are they around children?) Harper is pretty ok around kids, he def tolorates them better than he does older people, especially if they match his goofy gremlin energy. He's very much one to egg them on to be mischevious and if they're all going gremlin mode you'll 100% catch him playing and messing around with them, letting them hang off his arms, giving them piggy back rides, playing video games with them, ect. He'd also be very protective of em. He def has a soft spot for kids… And if they were his own then even more so

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?) Harper isn't the most early of risers, he's a lil slow to wake up and usually goes through 2 whole ass pots of coffee before he's even functioning, then even more throughout the day He also takes a little bit of time to get ready in the morning just tending to his teeth alone, he has a whole routine for them that takes up half an hour. And expect to be spending at least another half hour even before that just trying to convince him to let you go so you can get out of bed

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?) If its not a date night or anything then usually chilling together, watching movies, playing games, doing whatever fun little activities you guys can come up with. Though he'd love to take you out frequently for nights on the town, shopping and taking you to nice resturants and events. He wants to spoil you day and night but he also knows the importance of down time uvu

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?) He'll start slow, trying to get you to warm up to him. But once you're official he'll gradually open up more and more… Though there are some things he'd rather you never find out :)))

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?) At you? Rarely if ever. At everyone else? They're on thin ice just being in the same room as him… and even more so the same room as you :)))

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?) Harper memorizes everything he can about you. Every little bit of information he can get his grubby, oversized hands on he's already commited to memory and he knows more about you than even some of your closest friends thanks to all that good ol fashioned stalking he been doing uvu

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?) When you both first reached the camp and he realized now he'd be able to openly interact with you without you easily being able to get away uvu

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?) Mega protective, the minute Harper even thinks something or someone is a danger to you he's immediately putting that big ol body of his between you and whoever/whatever it is. And if you were ever hurt? Whoever is responsible is going to be finding their subscription to breathing being cancelled real soon

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?) Oh the man is going all out on special events like those if you let him… Fancy dates, taking you to your favorite places, making you the absolute BEST food if not taking you out to wherever you wanted to eat. He'd make sure every date, anniversary, special event with him is one you'll never forget0 As for chores, he doesn't mind doin em, especially things like cooking :)

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?) He doesn't bother with small things like matching his socks. And he has a bad habit of picking at his fingertips especially when he's nervous

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?) Harper likes looking cleaned up but other than that his style and vibe is pretty chill. Not like grungy or anything but also not super fancy… I guess just slightly above average attention to it?

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?) Very much so, he wouldn't be able to bring himself to function much past taking care of his Nonna, and when she's gone he'd pretty much just… give up

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.) He makes random noises when he's bored or focusing on something, half the time he doesn't even realize he's doign it. But sometimes he'll just look at you, freeze for a few seconds, and then make some silly noise before giving you a goofy laugh

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?) He hates avacados. He also doesn't like things being super messy/dirty

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?) He talks in his sleep sometimes… Sometimes its just random gibberish, others you could hold full, if not very strange, convorsations with him while he's sleeping

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noxmachinimafr · 1 year ago

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Untold Tale - Close Up: Mei-Phang's models

Hi there, The progress of the next episode is getting pretty fast and smooth! I now render per layer, which enables me to render complex animation really quick, so I can spend more time fixing and polishing them. I am already reaching one of the last cutscenes, in which Tho and Mei "officially" meet again, about 15 years after the prologue.

To keep the whole story short for now, Mei has the most complete and diverse wardrobe of the machinima!

Because they play so many roles in the city! They are Lord Han-zhu's secretary and healer, but they are also an elite warrior who give classes at the Dojo of the Silver Serpent. By night, they may work as a waitress in rough places, to look after Tho and keep an eye on his alcohol consumption. As an heir of the Zhu clan, they are also highly respected as a lord.

I love this character so much. We can guess that they undergo a lot, but they always find the strength to stand strong and dignified.

I found them pretty cool and charismatic, either in a qipao or in a gi. And I like this ambiguity.

For this first reunion with Tho, I first thought about re-using the dojo uniform. But this would have been totally out of character for Mei: This is just not bearable for this elegant Pandaren to just show up in front of their ex-lover, sweaty, in "sportswear" (although Tho would have clearly loved that! OvO). On the other hand, a complete kimono may not sound appropriate either. Tho lives in a rough street, and Mei is not heading there alone. While they could totally stand to fight 1v10 robbers on their own, they are too worried about Zhu-en getting harmed in a potential fight. I thus gave them a traveler look that is pretty close to their daimyo outfit. The symbol of the Zhu clan is discrete but easily seen, so people may think twice before causing them trouble. The fact of opting out for a traveler's outfit also enables me to avoid the crafting of their katana and wakizashi, for now.

I did not spend that much time on the details of this model, but I really like the haori I made. Funnily enough, the base color is close to the first attempt I did for the Fenghang costume.

I cannot wait to get the fully animated cutscene! How do you feel this gonna go between those two characters? ... :D

#world of warcraft #pandaren #3d animation #blender3d #mists of pandaria #wow oc #oc talk #3d model

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leam1983 · 3 years ago

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On Grief

This is a long one. You're under no obligation to push further if you don't want to. It's a personal post, so I'll more than understand if this isn't to your tastes. The normally-scheduled pedantry, commentary and memes will resume shortly.

One of my relatives was diagnosed with ALS. What started as an odd case of palsy in her left set of vocal cords that could've been far more benign was just confirmed by her referred physician. It's Lou Gherig's, and with her age and current condition, her prognosis is of three to five years, tops. Sure, Stephen Hawking blew his own prognosis out of the water, but a combination of notoriety and luck enabled him to eke out as much existence as medical tech could've possibly allowed.

We knew things were suspect when my aunt, a marathoner with a monthly sub to Runner's World, stopped running. Her food intake dropped like a stone, and she soon took to increasingly simple painting and drawing styles. At first we thought it was just her wanting to explore simpler rendering techniques, but then...

Then we noticed the twitching. How awkwardly her pens and brushes were set in her hands. She was in great shape and didn't mind living in the ass-end of Sutton, basically in the open country and with a path leading up to her front door that was all in rough cobblestones. She broke a hip against them, last year.

Her speech started to slur, lately. Her last bike trip also landed her in the ER. She doesn't bike anymore. She doesn't run, and being a gourmand by nature, feels obligated to restrain herself, for fear of gaining weight. She's aggressively vegan. Not towards others, but towards herself. No meat, no eggs, nothing. Most of us ovo-lactos and omnivores in the family know her constant snacking meant her seventy-plus body is desperate for energy.

From the look of things, it feels like the diagnosis broke through her bullshit reasoning for being vegan. She wasn't vegan for the sake of limiting her carbon footprint or making more responsible choices at the grocery store, but because she, as a lifelong anorexic, thought she was ugly and needed to lose weight. That's been a constant with her. Age catches up and skin sags? She mistakes it for a love handle, cuts out virtually all sources of protein and carbs safe for tofu, seitan and bean-based preps. Of course, like a lot of anorexics, she'd have bulemic episodes. I used to sleep over at her last bachelor pad, as a teen, and I remember her pantry was loaded up for bear with Danish cookie tins, Nutella jars and whipped cream. I remember she invited me over specifically when she intended to cheat. Then it was back to yoga, pot-smoking, meditation and shopping runs - and she probably kept her purging for when I was gone.

So yeah. I'm betting Belgian Asshole (see one of my previous posts) convinced her to break her vows and went looking for a "slice of authentic Tikka Masala", to quote his email. The entire family is made up of ethnic food diehards, so we spam-flooded his inbox with recommendations. Looks like she'll be eating meat again, soon. Her own email mentioned concerns of strength and stamina, so I get it.

Otherwise? We're gobsmacked. Imagine spending an entire weekday both at work and off work, aggressively goofing off because you're trying as hard as you can not to think of your favourite aunt's mention of assisted suicide as an option.

Three to five years. Maybe one, or two good Christmases. After that, her condition should probably have started to deteriorate quickly.

I'm not close with a ton of my own family. I love them all, but it's more a sense of polite respect than anything involving solid bonds. The only two folks I know I'll be devastated for when they'll die are her, and my youngest cousin on the other side of the family.

I'm mostly okay now. No doubts, no crisis of unbelief, no anger, no rage... But then I'll see her in a more diminished state, one of those days. How am I going to take to it?

Part of me keeps a tally of the deaths in the family. First, it was my uncle on my mother's side. Ruptured abdominal artery, with a leak small enough to pool into the gut's cavity for months. Decay settled in, guy got anesthetized for an intervention...

They didn't even bother sewing him back up.

Second one was my other paternal aunt's new husband. First one was great, but left the country in the seventies to go live in Stockholm with his medical assistant. Second one was a geologist and physicist at the same campus she taught as. French guy, the son of innkeepers four generations down. It showed, too. Our Christmas tables haven't been the same since he left us his recipie books, all his corny jokes on provincial eating habits, and his obstinate focus on turning every 25th of December into a Roman orgy probably befitting of the old Saturnalia traditions. I mean, when's the last time you've had an eight-course meal, outside of Thanksgiving?

Tumors in his mesenteric artery lined the blood vessel's inner walls, deposited virtually everywhere in his body. He was diagnosed in June and dead by August. He'd always been the lanky type, bone-thin even if he hoovered food like he'd never have enough. He looked even thinner in his hospital bed.

Then, my maternal grandpa bit it. Decades of casual alcoholism, cirrhosis more or less jumping on him around his seventy-sixth year. He looked a bit like John Keston, the actor who played Gehn in CyanWorlds' Riven. Same hairline, same hawkish nose, same eyes - just more Cajun and less New England-esque. I don't know if it was youth or stupidity or - anything, really, but I dropped by to see him, just two days before he died. I didn't realize he was tallying my life, asking me if I had everything in order, if things were planned.

Now, I understand.

Next one on the chopping block is Aunt Doris, still on Mom's side. She of the serial mooching, she of the concept of not needing much to get by if you were the cute one of the family. She was pretty enough in her prime, sure - if by pretty you meant "cigarette-butt blonde with a discount Farah Fawcett blow-up and an unfinished High School degree". First husband was an abusive ass who gave her an uncommonly sensitive son, second one figured she'd stick to the minimum-wage circuit while he tore out rotator cuffs or busted his C7 while on his outboard like clockwork. By the end, she roped my grandmother into living with her, spent her days sloppy-drunk and died on her ratty couch while falling asleep and choking on her own vomit.

Before them all, the youngest of my uncles died at age two. Cancer. Never knew which one, was told it didn't matter. You didn't survive much of anything cancerous, back in the late fifties.

Ping-pong this back to three years ago, and my oldest paternal uncle dies. Paul, who smoked like a chimney for most of his life and successfully stopped after discovering Champix. He got to live five great years as the high-IQ oddball he'd always been, smoke-free. Paul was the weird bird in the family, the type to remember a really engrossing story at two in the morning and making a note to call you up first thing in the morning to share it. He always had a project of some sort to work on, like a simulated investors' tank for young entrepreneurs looking to learn the ropes, or a Byzantine arrangement of coaxials allowing four of his lakeside neighbours to pirate his cable sub. He'd invite us over for dinner, gather all the ingredients we'd need for whatever it was he wanted to treat us to - and then he'd let us cook it - just sitting by the sidelines, chatting away.

He was also a bit of a narcoleptic, and looked a bit like William Howard Taft if you'd worked him out of these old sack suits and into modern shirts and suspenders. He fell asleep practically everywhere, with his more wakeful environments being his workshop and his property's dock. He took me out fishing, once, and knew what the entire family expected.

"Oars're here, Gremlin, fish're that way. Wake me up when you've got a bite."

At this point, it wasn't even a point of concern; it was just an Uncle Paul Thing, the exact thing you'd have expected out of this kind, eccentric blob of a man whose idea of fishing involved pushing his hat over his eyes and basically all but ensuring that his roaring snores would scare prey away. He'd been a supposedly high-IQ type, terminally bored with almost everything, only really getting agitated and interested back when I asked him for help for my Junior High Computer class's Javascript calculator. Once the syntax hit something familiar and he realized that JS has some similarities with FORTRAN, he was on a roll, acting like someone had snuck a Red Bull in his coffee.

Well, fibrosis caught up with him. His last hours were spent directing us on how to cook what would've been his last meal. I think he really just wanted to know we were alright, that we still could exchange laughs around the kitchen counter. He clocked out the way he always did, except he had an oxygen tube running under his nose. His head bobbed down, he snored loudly for a few minutes, then turned increasingly quiet...

And that was it.

And now there's Isabelle. The marathoner, my partner-in-crime when it comes to professing to have a healthy diet while occasionally cheating in glorious, weekend-defining means, my gateway to cannabis and also the first person who took my cringy self-insert fanfic fodder and went No, that's worth it! Push it, develop that universe of yours!

I wouldn't be almost two-thirds of the way through my first decent manuscript, if not for her, and I wouldn't be shopping for publishers with the same energy you'd reserve for weekend-grade Facebook putzing-about. I owe her part of my self-acceptance, and part of my discovery of what defines my routine to this day. Isabelle was my first meditation coach.

And in three to five years, she might be gone.

I just thought grief might be... noisier, is all. Louder. Right now, it's just germane to confusion, and it's sitting there. There's a pinch of fear in it, too. My parents are in their mid-sixties. How long do I have left with them?!

And the family and I just covered that up with jokes and, well, cooking. I've been told I'd make a half-decent therapist but - navigating your own emotions is hard work...

I don't know. I guess I needed to put this down somewhere.

#personal life #tw: cancer mention #tw: alcoholism mention #tw: death mentions #grief #coping

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fxtelism-moved · 6 years ago

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MEET THE MUSE

► Name ➔ Amy Rowen

► Are you single ➔ “Yes, I am.”

► Are you happy ➔ "I am.”

► Are you angry? ➔ "No, not momentarily.”

► Are your parents still married ➔ "Yes, they are.”

NINE FACTS

► Birth Place ➔ Vertille

► Hair Color ➔ Brown

► Eye Color ➔ Dark orange

► Birthday ➔ August 16th

► Mood ➔ Optimistic

► Gender ➔ Female

► Summer or winter ➔ Summer

► Morning or afternoon ➔ Morning

EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

► Are you in love ➔ "Well, maybe...” *cough*Joseph*cough* @betterdcyz

► Do you believe in love at first sight ➔ “In some cases, it can happen.”

► Who ended your last relationship ➔ “Nobody, and hopefully it won’t happen very soon.”

► Have you ever broken someone’s heart ➔ “Not that I’m aware of, and hopefully not.”

► Are you afraid of commitments ➔ “Sometimes you have to, for the better to myself and others.”

► Have you hugged someone within the last week? ➔ “The children in my daycare yesterday!”

► Have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ “Not that I know, but I’m curious though.”

► Have you ever broken your own heart? ➔ “No, why would I hurt my own feelings?”

SIX CHOICES

► Love or lust ➔ “Love.”

► Lemonade or iced tea ➔ "Why not both?”

► Cats or Dogs ➔ "Hard choice, if I really have to choose, dogs.”

► A few best friends or many regular friends ➔ "A few best friends.”

► Wild night out or romantic night in ➔ "Romantic nights.”

► Day or night ➔ “Day.”

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

► Been caught sneaking out ➔ "Maybe, when I was around ten years old.”

► Fallen down/up the stairs ➔ "A few times...”

► Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt? ➔ "Not really.”

► Wanted to disappear ➔ "No, I have so much things to cherish for.”

FOUR PREFERENCES

► Smile or eyes ➔ "Both!”

► Shorter or Taller ➔ "Doesn’t really matter to me.”

► Intelligence or Attraction ➔ "Intelligence.”

► Hook-up or Relationship ➔ "Healthy relationships are always a must!”

FAMILY

► Do you and your family get along ➔ "Yes.”

► Would you say you have a “messed up life” ➔ "Not for me, unfortunately I know a childhood friend of mine who has...”

► Have you ever ran away from home ➔ "No, I haven’t.”

► Have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ "No.”

FRIENDS

► Do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ "No, if I did, they wouldn’t really be my friends anymore, don’t you agree?”

► Do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ "Even if some of them are rough around the edges, I still see them as a friend.”

► Who is your best friend ➔ "Nell.”

► Who knows everything about you ➔ "Well, myself, and perhaps my parents?”

Tagged again by: @muses-of-ideen and @armaxlucis (thank you again, you two! ovo )

Tagging: @hearts-of-coal, @everampir, @yokoholic, @nattjeger, @devotiox, @mcsesofhope, @angelusprinceps, @cinnarollsx, @babysitters-club, @xmenageriie, @unoculus, and anyone who wants to do this / OR simply steal it from me!

#( tag games. )#;amy #( muse headcanon. )#( muse headcanon; amy )

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newssplashy · 6 years ago

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Wizkid: What is the impact of Sounds From The Other Side, a year after?

An in-depth look at how Wizkid's bold attempt to crack the huge American market with 'Sounds From The Other Side'.

Today, July 14, 2018, marks the one-year anniversary of Wizkid's ambitious third solo body of work 'Sounds From The Other Side'.

In his fast-paced, chaotic career, SFTOS would be his most high stake solo project, an audacious attempt to announce himself properly on the American stage.

The album or EP as it was touted at the time would be his most ambitious work ever, aiming to crack the usually receptively cold American market.

Background

As fate would have it, the frigid American music market had started flirting with sounds from the motherland. His bromance with international pop star/bad boy Chris Brown starting from 2012 would gradually ease Wizkid into the American market.

We can't also forget about the rapper Wale. The two acts would collaborate often resulting in 'Drop', a lusty urgent track put out in July 2013 and 'Murder' that featured in Wizkid's second solo effort.

With his profile steadily rising in North America, Wizkid told DJ Abrantee he recorded a new song with Chris Brown 'African Bad Girl' on Capital Xtra in late 2014. Wizzy revealed the song would be the first single off his next project. This would be the first announcement of a new album after his sophomore LP 'Ayo (Joy)' which earned mixed reviews.

In July 2015, his globe-trotting efforts would pay off big time. UK Grime star Skepta who is of Nigerian origin linked the biggest rapper in the world Drake to Wizkid's sensational single 'Ojuelegba'. Drake who had heard of Wizkid jumped on the remix. The song would be released on his Apple Music station OVO Sounds.

This singular move would take Wizkid's name from conservations between taste makers to the artificial thick lips of the Jenners/Kardashians in California, Los Angeles.

With his international wave on the rise, Wizkid rearranged his rollout plans, a move not familiar to his longtime fans. By September 2015, Wizkid characteristically announced that he had scrapped his third album after being inspired by 2face Idibia's legendary catalogue. To appease his fans he would put out a 10 track EP by October 2015.

That EP would not come out in October. From late 2015 to July 2017, Wizkid would continually tease his fans with high stake project. The recording of SFTOS started from 2014-2017. The principal architects would be Sarz (his frequent collaborator), Major Lazer, Picard Brothers, Dre Skull, Del B, Spellz, DJ Mustard, Twice as Nice and DJ Maphorisa.

To further concentrate on his album, Wizkid rented out an L.A mansion in March 2016. He and his cohorts, Legendury Beatz, Sarz and Efya would spend hours in the studio working on his big North American debut.

This was also the period he debuted his new nickname Pablo, most likely named after Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. The HBO series 'Narcos' would introduce the narco-terrorist to millennials.

By March 2016, Wizkid would collaborate with Drake on a number of songs for his icy testimonial ode for the cold city of his childhood and upbringing Views. One of the lead singles for Views would be 'One Dance', a blend of Drake's R&B/pop vibe, British pop and Caribbean influenced background vocals delivered by Wizkid.

"I think I put up something on my Instagram and Drake heard it and was like 'yo dawg that sh*t sounds crazy. We need to do something for my album real quick" he told Ebro during his Beats 1 on Apple Music interview.

The collaboration would further push Wizkid into the music scene in North America. The song earned Wizkid a Grammy nod and an ASCAP recognition.

One of the other recordings from Wizkid and Drake's collaborations was a rough sketch song called 'Come Closer'.

The track would leak in February 2017 and it was initially called 'Hush Up The Silence'. Despite speculations that Drake wanted the song as a collaboration with him and his Jamaican buddy Popcaan, Wizkid would officially release the track as his featuring Drake on March 31, 2017.

Earlier on March 1, 2017, Billboard broke the news that Wizkid had signed "a multi-album worldwide deal with RCA Records/Sony Music International." The stars were aligning for Wizkid's official North America roll out.

"Just from having conversations with them. I really just wanted to go with people that understand my dreams and my vision. From the first meeting with RCA, they just understood it.

"It wasn’t really about money or about numbers, it was just about getting the vision to where it should be. That’s why I did that with them and they’ve been amazing people out there. I couldn’t ask for nothing better" he told XXL Magazine in July 2017.

'Sweet Love' an oft-teased track that almost made it mystical was released by Wizkid on March 1, 2017.

On April 6, 2017, Wizkid would release the 'Come Closer' video sans the presence of 6 God. The mysterious no-show of Drake wasn't strong enough to deter the video to become a hit and a testament to the rising acceptance of African excellence and appreciation of melanin beauty. As of today, it has racked up an impressive 60 million views on YouTube.

"I took like 4 days to make that video," he told MTV Base in May of 2017. "I just want to DAPS and I was like 'yo I've got a crazy idea and this is how I want it.' I literally called the girls in the video."

The video and track itself were way better received than 'Daddy Yo' which had come out in December 2016 as a teaser of what was to come. Wizkid's use of reggaeton was questioned by some of his fans.

On June 29, 2017, Wizkid would unveil the artwork for his all or nothing project. The album cover wasn't well received and even Wizkid would poke fun at it. Still, this couldn't stop the momentum of SFTOS.

D-Day

On July 14, 2017, Wizkid dropped the body of work that took him 3 years to record. Sounds From The Other Side was finally here.

The initial critical reactions of the project were good. Here are some of the reviews of SFTOS by international media;

Pitchfork - "WizKid is primed to carry Afrobeats to great heights" 7.4/10

Rolling Stone - "Wizkid’s Major Label Debut Is a Border-Blurring Dance Party" 3 out 5 stars

Okay Africa - "a true afro-fusion album, well-balanced between world-conquering ambitions and the culture whence it came."

Pulse Music Review described the body of work as "well-crafted, one-dimensional pop dance project that is all about vibes than actual substance."

Commercially in the United States, SFTOS sold 6,286 units in its first week. That’s broken down into 2,672 pure album purchase, 6,079 song downloads, 4,510,897 song streams. All of these made up the first week sales for Wizkid.

It also debuted at number 107 on the Billboard 200 chart. There is no information available on the latest number of copies SFTOS has moved.

A Year After

365 days after the release of Sounds From The Other Side, what is the body of work's impact? Did Wizkid achieve his desire to crack the North American market?

Numbers-wise Sounds From The Other Side did not make a commercial dent in America's massive music recording industry. Conservatively speaking the project should have done at least 50,000 units with a single going at least Gold. Yes, Come Closer has been certified Gold in Canada (40,000 Units) and Silver in UK (200,000 units) but the aim was to crack the US. 'Come Closer' has yet to move 500,000 units in America even with Drake on it.

"SFTOS was a DUD. It had zero impact in both Africa and the world in general and that makes no sense seeing as the guy is the 'hottest' with a huge following to back him up.

"Also, when you consider the fact that this album had all the creative and structural support that a Major label offers, it's more glaring that SFTOS FLOPPED! Drake, Major Lazer, Chris Brown, Ty Dolla Sign, Efya, Bucie, Trey Songz, Sarz, Del B, Spellz, Dre Skull, DJ Mustard, Major Lazer, and the Picard Brothers and yet...

"It's not a project that we're going to remember or celebrate. That's saying a lot" says Obinna Agwu, Talent Manager and A&R exec who was worked with M.I Abaga and Timi Dakolo.

Back home in Nigeria, Sounds From The Other Side was not activated. There was a free listening session for SFTOS in London sponsored by Beats by Dre. There was also an album release party in New York. Also, there were billboards in America promoting Wizkid's latest body of work. Lagos, Nigeria got little from the promo run.

With Wizkid also predominantly choosing a more Caribbean flavoured sound, many of his Nigerian fans felt that SFTOS wasn't for them. "I like Wizzy but that album was too much of Jamaican vibes. He should have done more Naija stuff for us his real fans" says, Yinka 20, who has been an ardent Wizkid fan since his first album.

"Its just a collaboration between my producers, and international producers and international artists. I am just blending my sound with theirs. That is sounds from my side and their sides and merging it to make good music" said Wizkid in an interview with MTV Base in 2017.

For him, the project was a mix of both worlds but for longtime fans, it wasn't.

Another SFTOS flaw is that there was no clear communication on what Sounds From The Other Side was, an album, EP or mixtape. Wizkid would use the last two terms interchangeably confusing fans and music lovers.

Also, the post-release marketing of SFTOS has been non-existent. While the album has a lot of strong singles in it, no single has been released since. The project has been laid dormant.

'Africa Bad Girl' that was christened as the first single by Wizkid never got released. Maybe we can blame this on Wizkid who has been a no-show in the United States for some time now, another puzzling factor on why Wizkid's North America agenda seems to have stalled.

However, we should not be in a hurry to give Wizkid's adventurous sojourn an F9 just yet. Sounds From The Other Side was an avenue to show the world what Africa could offer to the global sound.

Let's go back to June 2011, a sweltering summer not only for North America but Nigerian music as well. That month, music entertainer D'banj would do the unthinkable by signing to G.O.O.D Music owned by Hip-Hop's ego god Kanye West. This move would shake the foundation of Nigerian music.

Out of the array of new-gen superstars, D'banj had made the boldest move into North America. Out of his peers, he dared to seek a new frontier, the expansive and dominative American market.

Expectations were high for the Koko Master. With Don Jazzy having production credentials on the iconic Watch The Throne collabo album between JAY-Z and Ye, it seemed the time had come for Nigerian pop music to be on the world stage.

A year later D'banj would have a scene-stealing moment in the G.O.O.D Music posse cut 'Lamborghini Mercy'. Sadly, by the time the compilation album dropped, D'banj would have a paltry 23-second vocal contribution on the entire album.

D'banj's own compilation album D'Kings Men was more an effort of the entertainer trying to create his own imprint after the break up of Mo' Hits, than a G.O.O.D Music project. Apart from some forgettable contributions from Big Sean and Kanye West, D'Kings Men wasn't the project that would shatter the North American barrier for D'banj.

In 2016 both parties would part ways without an official solo body of work to show for it. A knee-jerk reaction would be to dismiss D'banj's efforts as a failure.

However, with a bird's eye view, you can see that D'banj clearly laid the way for younger Nigerian pop artists to make further inroads into North America. Wizkid said it himself that he grew up around D'banj especially during the Mo' Hits era.

Partly, we must avoid the temptation to slam Wizkid's SFTOS as a flop commercially without looking at the cultural aspect.

Bankulli, who has credited vocals on Watch The Throne and Kanye's experimental cult classic 'Yeezus' says Wizkid's last body of work is just beyond numbers.

"The album was a passport for African music," he tells Pulse. "As of now, Wizkid is the ambassador of African music" he further says.

"His album was a platform to show the world what African music could in terms of merging with the global sound. D'banj tried to do this earlier" explains Bankulli.

"Wizkid basically took the Fela sound and mixed it with Caribbean sounds. By doing that he showcased what Africa could offer" he says. Bankulli, however, admits that "the album was marketed in America but there was no activation in Nigeria and because of this Nigerians didn't really embrace it."

It's been 365 days since the release of the daring Sounds From The Other Side. Since then Wizkid has walked the runway of Dolce & Gabbana, sold out the Hammersmith Apollo and 02. Yes, these are UK stints but let's not forget he was also billed to perform at Coachella this year which he surprisingly didn't show up for. He also worked and gone on tour with trap god Future.

He might not be doing crazy numbers in the US but he has a steady profile. Also how many black acts outside of the United States has made a huge mark on sales in America's music industry? Maybe Sean Paul?

Like Wizkid told Channel 4 in 2017 "The U.S is catching up right now" and it might take a long time to embrace the sounds of Nigerian pop music.

Cracking the American market will never be easy for a non-white artist not born in North America. Yes, while Sounds From The Other Side wasn't a masterpiece or perfect with regards to marketing we should be aware that it has pushed the narrative of African music in North America forward.

"It’s a great thing happening with music. I’m excited to be a part of this generation of artists making music to impact the world...And for the artists and the producers and really everyone from the entertainment industry in Africa, this is the right time to leverage off of that. It’s a great thing" he told XXL Magazine.

SFTOS might have been a small step for Wizkid but it's a leap for African pop music. We now have to watch out for the next act who will take it further.

source https://www.newssplashy.com/2018/07/wizkid-what-is-impact-of-sounds-from.html

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newssplashy · 6 years ago

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