#88 key controller

[ladypiscesmoon]

Part 1 Update Timothée Chalamet& Armie Hammer

This reading was done on 22/6/2025

How are Timmy and Armie doing at the moment?

Rutilated quartz/molybdenite/charoite reconciling differences/past life healing 88 (reversed) reward/525 (upright) reshape

Both thinking about each other from time to time and both healing from the hurt they have caused each other in the past. Because they think about each other in a loving way, their wounds are being energetically healed and all negative attachment resolved and released. Timmy is moving forward in a way that he slowly is beginning to accept all of what he is and as he is, that will transform his life for the better. Charoite I feel is more Armie's card since it has to do with meditation and acceptance. Although he's confused about the current things happening with Timmy, the universe asks to accept there it because there is a divine order to the madness.

Like I said before; Armie has learned some lessons in life, Timmy still has to learn some lessons in life. He's getting there.

That's why we see 10:10 (reunion, reconciling differences) they have to forgive each other and move forward, they are close to that reunion. When they will be physically in each other's presence again, their (past life) inner wounds start to heal.

with 88 reversed they both have to get rid of some energy drainers that rule their lives (I see you Kylie, Kris, I see you Elizabeth), and they shouldn't give in to negative mindsets. Timmy has wasted a lot of time on financial things and squanders away his talents, and it has to stop. With 525 he has to take matters in his own hands, not shying away from difficult choices or blaming others for things he has control over himself.

Have they been in contact with each other?

5:5 Breakthrough/Processing Karmic Debris 7:7 Rebirth/personal Freedom Unleased 11:11 Take Me Home/Pathway To Love 911 (reversed) inevitability/717 (reversed) bravery, 2713 (upright) mindfulness

Breakthrough and rebirth both speak of going through something that is referred to as 'the shaman's death' - the death of once old self. Armie had to go through a process to get stronger and becoming the person he was meant to be, now Timmy is in that process. With 11:11 (take me home) both are realizing the feelings for their twin flame (each other). I don't think they have been in contact yet. But I can almost taste it, their reunion. I don't think it will take long for them anymore to have some form of contact. (Please don't ask me to take a guess about when exactly, by now I hope you all understand I can't really predict that) As long as Timmy is stuck in this helpless situation, he delays the reunion. he's running around in circles, refusing to deal with obstacles in his path. it's pure fear and anxiety. He has the key to his happiness: he's got to actualize his dream and speak his truth. This time I feel Armie will listen to him.

Messages to each other:

Timmy to Armie: -I need to sort things out first, before I can come to you -I'm tired of running -insecure: I feel insecure about you. You treat me better than I have ever been treated you&I know that you can give me everything. I really do want that but I'm still struggling with my fears. I feel like I'm not good enough for you. It's my own insecurity holding me back -Thinking: I am thinking about you at this moment. Thought of you never leaves my mind, no matter where I go. The songs I am hearing reminds me of you. It makes me more vulnerable& I think about you even more. -seven of cups: Since I can't control you, I prefer to daydream of perfect interactions between us, where you agree with me. -seven of wands: I'm afraid to show you off because I feel you are out of my league and others will make fun of me or try to steal you from me Armie to Timmy: -I need space -do you miss me the way I miss you? -promise: I want to make a commitment. I wish you knew just how special you are to me. It kills me not to be able to tell you. You amaze me with your compassion and kindness through this time apart.I promise I will make things right between us. -healing: I am healing pain from my past. I am working on letting it go, so I can be free to fully love you. Your love gives me hope. As I am healing my past & childhood trauma I just want you to send me love and healing energy -five of swords: I wish I can take back all the words I said to you. I get very angry when someone doesn't agree with me and I act impulsively. -The hermit: I no longer seek answers from others and I'm starting to appreciate the knowledge that is inside myself, I can now see the real truth!

This reading is alleged/for entertainment purposes only

[blackstarlineage]

The Fall of the Berlin Wall and African Liberation: A Garveyite Perspective on Global Power Shifts, Neo-Colonialism, and the Unfinished Struggle for Black Sovereignty

The fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989, marked the symbolic end of the Cold War and the collapse of Soviet influence in Eastern Europe. This global event had profound implications not only for Europe but also for Africa, as it signaled the decline of socialist support for African liberation movements, the rise of unchallenged Western capitalism, and the acceleration of neo-colonialism across the continent.

From a Garveyite perspective, the fall of the Berlin Wall was not a victory for true African liberation—it was a moment that exposed Africa’s continued dependency on foreign superpowers and the lack of self-sufficient economic and military structures needed to withstand Western neo-imperialism. Marcus Garvey’s ideology warns that African freedom can never be dependent on the shifting tides of global politics; it must be built through Pan-African unity, economic self-reliance, and military self-defense.

This analysis will explore:

The Cold War’s impact on Africa and how superpower rivalries shaped African liberation movements.

How the fall of the Berlin Wall weakened African nations and increased Western economic control.

The rise of neo-colonialism and U.S.-led globalization in Africa after 1989.

How Garveyism provides the solution for real African independence beyond the East-West struggle.

1. The Cold War and Its Impact on African Liberation

For nearly four decades, Africa was caught between the superpower rivalry of the United States (capitalism) and the Soviet Union (socialism).

A. Africa as a Battleground for Cold War Ideologies

Many newly independent African nations, struggling with underdevelopment and instability, sought support from either the U.S. or the USSR.

The Soviet Union supported African liberation movements, providing weapons, training, and financial aid to fight colonial rule.

The U.S. and Western allies backed puppet regimes and right-wing dictatorships that aligned with their economic and military interests.

Example: The Soviet Union provided military support to Angola’s MPLA, Mozambique’s FRELIMO, and South Africa’s ANC, while the U.S. and apartheid South Africa funded UNITA and RENAMO to destabilize these governments.

B. How the Cold War Strengthened African Liberation Struggles

The USSR’s backing of revolutionary movements gave African nations a counterbalance to Western dominance.

Cuba played a major role in anti-colonial struggles, sending 36,000 troops to Angola to fight against apartheid South African forces.

African leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana), Julius Nyerere (Tanzania), and Thomas Sankara (Burkina Faso) implemented socialist-inspired policies that sought self-sufficiency.

Example: The Battle of Cuito Cuanavale (1987–88) in Angola, where Cuban and Angolan forces defeated apartheid South Africa, was a turning point that accelerated the fall of white minority rule in Southern Africa.

Key Takeaway: During the Cold War, Africa had an alternative to Western neo-colonialism. The fall of the Berlin Wall ended that counterbalance, leaving Africa exposed to full Western domination.

2. The Fall of the Berlin Wall: How It Affected Africa

With the collapse of the Soviet Union (1991) and the fall of the Berlin Wall (1989), Africa lost a key source of support for anti-imperialist struggles. This led to three major consequences:

A. The Withdrawal of Socialist Support Weakened African Nations

Without Soviet aid, many African governments lost financial and military backing.

Cuba could no longer send troops or resources to African liberation struggles.

African socialist experiments collapsed, leading to economic crises and internal conflicts.

Example: The end of Soviet support led to economic collapse in Angola, Mozambique, and Ethiopia, forcing these nations to turn to Western financial institutions (IMF, World Bank) for aid, which led to deep debt and structural adjustment policies.

B. The Expansion of Western-Controlled Globalization in Africa

With socialism weakened, the U.S. and Europe expanded economic control over Africa, forcing nations to adopt pro-capitalist policies.

The IMF and World Bank imposed Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), which forced African governments to cut public services, privatize industries, and open markets to foreign investors.

Western multinational corporations took advantage of Africa’s economic instability, gaining control over natural resources and industries.

Example: In the 1990s, the IMF forced Ghana to privatize its industries and cut social spending, leading to worsening poverty despite economic “growth.”

C. The Rise of Western-Controlled Regime Change in Africa

The fall of the Berlin Wall gave the U.S. and NATO free reign to overthrow or manipulate African governments without fear of Soviet intervention.

Western-backed coups increased, targeting African leaders who resisted neo-colonial control.

The U.S. used “democracy promotion” as a cover for regime change, while maintaining economic control.

Example: Thomas Sankara of Burkina Faso was assassinated (1987),with Western backing, because they resisted U.S.-led globalization.

Key Takeaway: After 1989, Africa was left defenceless against Western capitalism, neo-colonial exploitation, and foreign economic control.

3. The Garveyite Critique: Why the Fall of the Berlin Wall Was NOT a Victory for Africa

From a Garveyite perspective, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union did not bring freedom to Africa—it increased neo-colonial domination by the West.

A. Africa Was Still Economically Dependent on Foreign Powers

Even after independence, African nations did not control their own economies—Western banks, corporations, and foreign governments did.

Marcus Garvey taught that true liberation requires economic self-reliance, not just political independence.

Example: Even today, 14 African nations still use the CFA Franc, a currency controlled by France.

B. No Unified African Military Defence Against Western Imperialism

Without Soviet backing, Africa became vulnerable to the U.S. and NATO military interventions.

Garvey envisioned a strong, self-sufficient African military, but Africa instead remained divided and dependent on foreign security.

Example: The 2011 NATO bombing of Libya, which overthrew Gaddafi, showed that Africa had no defence against Western military intervention.

C. The Absence of a United States of Africa Allowed Foreign Exploitation

Garvey believed in a single, powerful African nation-state, not separate, weak countries easily controlled by foreign interests.

The African Union (AU) remains politically weak, with no real power to challenge Western economic control.

Example: Despite Africa having vast natural resources, foreign corporations and banks still control African industries, from oil in Nigeria to cobalt in the Congo.

Key Takeaway: The collapse of the Soviet Union left Africa politically and economically vulnerable, proving that true liberation requires complete independence from all foreign powers—not just from one side of the Cold War.

4. The Garveyite Solution: How Africa Can Achieve True Liberation

To reverse the damage done after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Africa must:

Nationalize Resources – African countries must take back control of oil, minerals, and agriculture from foreign corporations.

End Foreign Economic Control – Africa must break free from IMF, World Bank, and Western trade policies that keep it in debt.

Create an Independent African Military – Africa must build its own defence system to prevent the U.S. and NATO interventions.

Unify Under a Single African Government – A United States of Africa, as Garvey envisioned, is the only way to resist Western neo-colonialism.

Strengthen Pan-African Trade – Africa must trade within its own borders rather than relying on Europe, the U.S., or China.

Final Takeaway: The fall of the Berlin Wall was not a victory for Africa—it was a warning that Africa must become self-reliant, or it will remain under foreign control forever.

Conclusion: The Struggle for True African Independence Continues

The post-1989 world order made Africa more vulnerable to neo-colonialism than ever before. Today, Africa must:

Reject all foreign economic domination.

Unify into a single powerful African nation.

Build its own military and financial institutions.

As Marcus Garvey warned, political freedom without economic and military power is an illusion. Africa must finish the revolution—only then will true Pan-African liberation be achieved.

[feminist-space]

"Today, December 20, marks the official end of the Marburg Virus Disease outbreak in Rwanda. It has been 42 days – two full incubation periods – since the last confirmed case left the national Marburg treatment centre after testing negative.

In previous outbreaks, Marburg, which is caused by a virus related to Ebola, has killed up to 88 per cent of people infected. And Rwanda had never seen this disease within its borders before the current outbreak began in September. Despite Rwandan physicians having never encountered it before, the mortality rate observed in this outbreak is under 23 per cent – the lowest-ever death rate for a Marburg outbreak in Africa.

While the virus initially spread fiercely in two major hospitals in the capital Kigali and among family members of one of the initial cases, Rwanda’s rapid response, with implementation of strict infection prevention and control, isolation and containment of cases, prompt initiation of aggressive supportive care, delivery of investigational therapeutics and vaccines, and tracing and monitoring of contacts quickly brought the outbreak under control. The rate of new cases halved between the outbreak’s second and third weeks and dropped by around 90 per cent thereafter.

One of the most remarkable aspects of this response was an international effort, initiated and led by the Rwandan government, to administer thousands of doses of a promising experimental vaccine to front-line health workers under a clinical trial protocol, with the first subjects vaccinated in a remarkably short timeframe.

...

Rwanda, for its part, has invested heavily in its healthcare system and has incorporated epidemic preparedness into its national health policies. Rwanda has well-trained medical staff working in well-run hospitals and community-based health services. It has been investing in technology-based disease surveillance systems and its laboratories can handle fast, accurate diagnostic testing at scale.

In early September, after months of planning, Rwandan scientists and health officials joined CEPI and other private sector partners to walk through a “tabletop exercise” about the 100 Days Mission. It was through this in-person training exercise that key relationships between disease outbreak experts, Rwandan health authorities and researchers, vaccine developers and clinical trial specialists were cemented.

...

We also have no doubt that with the right focus and funding, such nationally-led, globally-supported, life-saving responses to novel disease outbreaks could be accomplished by any government in any region. By taking a proactive approach and using the 100 Days Mission as a game plan, all countries can get ahead of epidemic and pandemic threats and neutralise their catastrophic potential."

Read the full piece here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/partnerships-preparedness-halted-rwanda-marburg-outbreak/

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/partnerships-preparedness-halted-rwanda-marburg-outbreak/

[cinelestial]

Apple Music’s ‘100 Best Albums of All Time’ list:

#1. Lauryn Hill — The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill

#2. Michael Jackson — Thriller

#3. The Beatles — Abbey Road

#4. Prince & The Revolution — Purple Rain

#5. Frank Ocean — Blonde

#6. Stevie Wonder — Songs in the Key of Life

#7. Kendrick Lamar — good kid, m.A.A.d city

#8. Amy Winehouse — Back to Black

#9. Nirvana — Nevermind

#10. Beyoncé — Lemonade

#11. Fleetwood Mac — Rumours

#12. Radiohead — OK Computer

#13. Jay-Z — The Blueprint

#14. Bob Dylan — Highway 61 Revisited

#15. Adele — 21

#16. Joni Mitchell — Blue

#17. Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On

#18. Taylor Swift — 1989 (Taylor’s Version)

#19. Dr. Dre — The Chronic

#20. The Beach Boys — Pet Sounds

#21. The Beatles — Revolver

#22. Bruce Springsteen — Born to Run

#23. Daft Punk — Discovery

#24. David Bowie — The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars

#25. Miles Davis — Kind of Blue

#26. Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

#27. Led Zeppelin — Led Zeppelin II

#28. Pink Floyd — The Dark Side of the Moon

#29. A Tribe Called Quest — The Low End Theory

#30. Billie Eilish — WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?

#31. Alanis Morissette — Jagged Little Pill

#32. The Notorious B.I.G. — Ready to Die

#33. Radiohead — Kid A

#34. Public Enemy — It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

#35. The Clash — London Calling

#36. Beyoncé — BEYONCÉ

#37. Wu-Tang Clan — Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)

#38. Carole King — Tapestry

#39. Nas — Illmatic

#40. Aretha Franklin — I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

#41. OutKast — Aquemini

#42. Janet Jackson — Control

#43. Talking Heads — Remain in Light

#44. Stevie Wonder — Innervisions

#45. Björk — Homogenic

#46. Bob Marley & The Wailers — Exodus

#47. Drake — Take Care

#48. Beastie Boys — Paul’s Boutique

#49. U2 — The Joshua Tree

#50. Kate Bush — Hounds of Love

#51. Prince — Sign O’ the Times

#52. Guns N' Roses — Appetite for Destruction

#53. The Rolling Stones — Exile on Main St.

#54. John Coltrane — A Love Supreme

#55. Rihanna — ANTI

#56. The Cure — Disintegration

#57. D’Angelo — Voodoo

#58. Oasis — (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?

#59. Arctic Monkeys — AM

#60. The Velvet Underground & Nico — The Velvet Underground and Nico

#61. Sade — Love Deluxe

#62. 2Pac — All Eyez on Me

#63. The Jimi Hendrix Experience — Are You Experienced?

#64. Erykah Badu — Baduizm

#65. De La Soul — 3 Feet High and Rising

#66. The Smiths — The Queen Is Dead

#67. Portishead — Dummy

#68. The Strokes — Is This It

#69. Metallica — Master of Puppets

#70. N.W.A — Straight Outta Compton

#71. Kraftwerk — Trans-Europe Express

#72. SZA — SOS

#73. Steely Dan — Aja

#74. Nine Inch Nails — The Downward Spiral

#75. Missy Elliott — Supa Dupa Fly

#76. Bad Bunny — Un Verano Sin Ti

#77. Madonna — Like a Prayer

#78. Elton John — Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

#79. Lana Del Rey — Norman F*****g Rockwell!

#80. Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP

#81. Neil Young — After the Gold Rush

#82. 50 Cent — Get Rich or Die Tryin'

#83. Patti Smith — Horses

#84. Snoop Dogg — Doggystyle

#85. Kacey Musgraves — Golden Hour

#86. Mary J. Blige — My Life

#87. Massive Attack — Blue Lines

#88. Nina Simone — I Put a Spell on You

#89. Lady Gaga — The Fame Monster

#90. AC/DC — Back in Black

#91. George Michael — Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1

#92. Tyler, The Creator — Flower Boy

#93. Solange — A Seat at the Table

#94. Burial — Untrue

#95. Usher — Confessions

#96. Lorde — Pure Heroine

#97. Rage Against the Machine — Rage Against the Machine

#98. Travis Scott — ASTROWORLD

#99. Eagles — Hotel California

#100. Robyn — Body Talk

[dol--blathanna]

So since CR campaign 3 is ending today (RIP) I’ve been seeing a lot of Hot Takes about the campaign overall, the events of the past few episodes, and the fact C3 is ending now. I generally try not to get involved in CR discourse (also I am primarily a witcher-themed blog lol) BUT I wanted to share my Super Duper Important and Urgent Campaign 3 Hot Take because I haven’t seen anyone mention it and I'm beginning to gaslight myself over if I'm remember things wrong:

I Can’t Believe Bells Hells Never Called Ira Out For Erasing Ollie’s Memories/Mind-Controlling Him

So way back in the campaign, in episode 31 “Breaking Point”, Ira betrayed the group (including Birdie and Ollie), stole the Moontide crown, and vanished. Imogen and FCG entered Ollie’s mind and found various “grey smears” in his memories, including one where “Birdie was crying”, then both she and Ollie angrily gathered their belongings with the intent to leave as fast as possible…only for the memory to go into the grey smear, and then the next memory having Birdie and Ollie working alongside Ira again, as if their moment of wanting to ditch Ira never happened.

So obviously, Ira was either erasing Ollie’s memories or magically controlling him and Birdie (or maybe both) in order to stop them from leaving. Not only that, but there are these grey smears all over Ollie’s mind – Matt even describes it as “Swiss-cheese”, i.e. Ira did this a LOT! Bell’s Hells even theorise that perhaps Birdie and Ollie kept on discovering that Ira was evil and wanting to leave, or – most importantly – wanting to go back to Fearne. And Ira robbed them of their choice!

And Bell’s Hells…completely forget about this. The next time they see Ira, they’re asking him to help stop Ludinus during the solstice and the first attack on the Malleus Key (and, very importantly, to Please Not Let Xandis Die when they make the plan to crash the airship into the key). And like, I totally get it – they were trying to gather as many allies as possible, and Ira is both very useful but also not particularly trustworthy, so accusing him and starting an argument with him before a very dangerous and time-sensitive mission would have been unwise.

But, 88 episodes since they entered Ollie’s mind have passed and – nothing! It has never, ever been brought up again, despite them working with Ira a number of times since then. And I think that’s a shame because Fearne feeling abandoned by her parents, then all the additional drama with Zathuda, was a very interesting part of her character, and Ira mind-controlling her parents could have been part of why they didn’t go back to her – but unless it’s brought up in the 8hr finale tomorrow, I guess we’ll never know. (Of course this isn’t even touching the question of whether Nana Morri stretched time secretly to give herself more years with Fearne, considering it had been 90 years since Fearne saw her parents but Birdie was under the impression it was 6/7 years – that’s a whole other can of worms that unfortunately was never opened, iirc).

But anyway Bells Hells might have forgotten about Ira meddling with Ollie’s mind but NOT ME. I haven't and I have held a grudge against Ira this entire time and I have no regrets for that. Fearne I love you, Birdie and Ollie I’ve got your back, FUCK Ira all my homies hate Ira, I hope he steps on a lego with his nasty 2-toed feet, also isn’t it funny that he FAILED to blow up his nemesis Sorrowlord Zathuda with a giant bomb on the moon haha what a LOSER. Meanwhile Chetney threw a chisel at Zathuda’s head and Orym slashed him and then Zathuda DIED wow Ira you are so CRINGE you couldn’t even manage that. Also I am Totally Not in Denial About Campaign 3 Ending. We’re definitely getting another 100 episodes trust me. Source: my delusions.

[dani-says-stuff]

Madison Seminary

❥ Back to the Control Center

❥ Nate Hardy Masterlist

-Do not fear, this will be a multi-part fic and I will end up finishing it at a different time, an explanation can be found in my reblogs here

━─━────༺✧༻────━─━

Nate Hardy x fem!medium(?) reader

Summary: Ahh yes, finally a haunting where the spirits don't hate women

Word Count: 852

Warnings: hauntings, language, inconsistent capitalization, my usual grammar warning, short

Dialogue Key:

Y/N

Nate

Sam

Colby

Steve

━─━────༺✧༻────━─━

"Oh. Well that's fun." you joked walking through the door, "My favorite thing to see when entering a haunted area," you turned, watching as the boys filtered in behind you-Sam filming, "Is a shit ton of creepy-ass dolls." 

"No!" Sam exclaimed, walking over to film some of the dolls closer up, "you don't just walk in and there's this many dolls just staring in your direction"

Probably wasn't the best idea to kick off the night by making fun of some weird and possibly haunted dolls... but you only live once, right? 

After a thorough bullying session, the four of you went to do a quick walk around the building, some light exploring, if you will, before the night truly begins. 

Nate was in the front with Colby, followed by Sam who was filming, you walking slightly behind him at the end of the group.

"Isn't there supposed to be some strange occult shit in here too?" Nate called back, as he looked at all the walls, trying to find any of the alleged sigils. 

Sam stopped, moving to the side as he positioned the camera to look at the triangular thing he found on the floor. "What is that?"

You, however, weren't phased by the "sigil" he found and walked right on top of it. 

"What are you doing Y/N?!" he shouted, "That could mean anything-"

You pierced your lips, trying to hold back your laughter at your blonde friend, "It's a shuffleboard, Sam."

The blonde looked down one more time, tilting his head slightly as he did so. "Ooh, ok, yeah I see it now." 

━─━────༺✧༻────━─━

"Guys, this building is actually insanely huge" Colby explained, during the initial information portion of the video, "it actually has 88 rooms in it and the haunting s are rumored to be started at the beginning of the 20th century, so it's been haunted for a very very long time."

"Legend has it," Nate joined in, "that there have been approximately 200 bodies found here. It's frequent for people to experience shadow visitations, they will get disoriented, dizzy, nauseous-"

"There are even reports of people getting like choked."

"Poltergeist activity, things getting moved around, getting pushed... this is not a good spirit place."

"And, they don't like men"

Your eyes widened as you looked between the three guys around you, "wait are you serious?"

They all nodded solemnly, mistakenly believing you to be worried on their behalf. 

At least until you fist-pumped and started cheering. 

"I'm sorry" you spoke despite the unapologetic grin on your face, "it's just, this is new to me" you explained gesturing to yourself, "usually in the place we go, the spirits all hate women"

Colby tilted his head to the side with a shrug, "Yeah, yeah that's true" 

"So" you spoke nonchalantly, raising your arms to grasp Sam and Colby's shoulders in faux sympathy, "how's it feel to be in my shoes" 

Sam laughed, shaking his head at you, "Honestly? Not a fan."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah... we might need to be more considerate in the future"

━─━────༺✧༻────━─━

You truly began the investigation within the basement of the Seminary. It is believed that this was the area where a woman was buried under the floor.

In this area, an anomaly was detected beneath the floor as well as a cadaver dog hit about three feet away. However, when they looked into it and dug the hole, nothing was there. 

"Alright" Nate announced, stepping around the railings "I'm goin' in the hole."

"You're really going for it this video" Sam nodded from the corner, "Proud of you."

"Thanks, man" he deadpanned looking between the blonde and the raven-haired man controlling the camera, "Yeah, I'm stoked you guys brought me out to butt-fuck Ohio to be in a hole." 

You stood behind him on the other side of the railing, laughing softly as he jumped in. 

"I just want to point out" Steve spoke looking over the railing, "this is the second night in a row that we made Nate be a dead body."

"Wow!" Nate mocked, "I didn't even notice that dude."

"Wait, yeah!" you joined in, raising your voice and crunching up your face a little, "Can we talk about that for a second? It took me long enough to not be single... can we please stop killing my boyfriend" you whined stomping your foot for good measure. 

The boys laughed at your antics, all the while Nate leaned forward, grabbing onto the bars, "Can I have a good-bye kiss this time?" he pouted, "You know before I leave this earthly plane and die... again"  

You leaned forward and grabbed his cheeks looking straight into his eyes, "You're just pitiful, aren't you?"

"Please" he whined, dragging out the end of the word and keeping his pout. 

"You're ridiculous" you whispered before leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

He smiled, pushing himself from the bars and plopping down in the hole, "Kay, thanks babe!" 

Colby 'Aw-ed' obnoxiously from behind the camera, whipping it back and forth between zooming in on Nate who now was crouched below the floor, and yourself as you leaned over the railing looking down at him. 

Sam just blinked owlishly, feigning annoyance for the video, "Ok, now that that's over, can we begin the investigation now?"

once again, don't worry, i will be making a pt. 2 for this fic

[harrowharr0w]

ok here is my father's tier list of all wxs songs along with notes i made him take for each song:

buriki no dance:

80's rock beats, bizzare lyrics (saying random things), 6 notes total in the whole song. B tier

2. sweet magic

cheesy pop beats, generic j-pop, saccharine lyrics. anime girls. C tier

3. the world hasn't even started yet

chiptune sound. like better than sweet magic. like key change. weirdly kind of like lyrics. A tier

4. your adventure log has vanished

very chiptuney, lyrics are funny, rhythm game-y. B tier

5. law evading rock

rock song, like the part where bass drops, like the break into high tempo. A-tier

6. dance robot dance

like the upside-down part, still don't like emu, like energy. C tier

7. miracle paint

electro swing/jazz sound, big band, key change. A tier

8. becoming potatoes

song is awesome + has potatoes S tier (he knew the song beforehand 😭)

9. nijiro stories

jazzy. S tier

10. chururira chururira daddadda

guitar heavy, rhythm (??). A tier

11. positive dance time

jpop to the max, scream may have moved it down. D tier

12. once upon a dream

falling asleep while listening, picking up a bit. D tier

13. as you like it

rockin' intro, anime outro vibes, a little generic. C tier

14. king

very rhythm game-y. A tier

15. tondemo wonderz

very trippy. like a hard rhythm game chart that i don't want to play. C tier

16. glory steady go

weird in a good way, sonic the hedgehog theme. B tier

17. telecaster b-boy

like it so far, chorus wasn't as good as i wanted. A tier

18. showtime ruler

like bass drop, anime theme song, amping up is taking forever. C tier

19. fixer

like the beginning, makes me think of persona 5 soundtrack. S tier

20. theme of niccori survey team

escapes d tier by being so weird. C tier

21. literary nonsense

strong opening, middle part not that exciting. B tier

22. 1, 2 fanclub

definitely unique. love this chorus. A tier

23. 88☆彡

not a promising start. key change. key change. C tier

24. remote control

video game theming, otherwise unremarkable. B tier

25. at god's mercy

appreciate emu lowering pitch for this song. feel minorly hyped. A tier

26. goodbye declaration

key change. S tier

27. starry sky melody

better than i thought from intro and title, chorus is not great. C tier

28. alien alien

jaws intro, chorus is great. A tier

29. odore orchestra

too disneyland, too much like mario kart track. D tier

30. ego rock

unimpressed, wait for chorus. like energy. B tier

31. love ka?

electro-swingy. S tier

32. online game addicts sprechchor

feel targeted by lyrics, very targeted, key change? D tier

33. starry sky orchestra

ending musical number energy. A tier (i have zero clue how this ended up in a tier don't ask me)

34. 1925

irish jig opening. B tier

35. mr. showtime

love big band sound. key change. high A tier

36. childish war

like opening, robot apocalypse music. like fighting sounds. B tier

37. coral

very unremarkable in every way. sounds like most generic j-pop imaginable. bottom of D tier

38. ah, it's a wonderful cat's life

like jazzy songs. key change. A tier

39. solar system disco

generic sound. don't like emu's voice. chorus not terrible. C tier

40. kirapipi kirapika

WOW so high. tonal shift out of place. opening musical number. C tier

41. all i need are the things i like

diddly-diddly at beginning. A tier

42. selfish princess

modern pop vibes. electro swing vibes. "is this emu? i really want to like one of emu's songs and give her an s tier." S tier

43. filament fever

weird distorted beginning, jazzy start, what is happening now, like tempo change, don't like major theme songs. C tier

44. kyoufuu all back

like off-key recorder. B tier (wanted to change ranking to higher after showing him the music video)

45. cyberpunk dead boy

thought i would hate it, like verses. C tier

46. tonal twinkle tetrad

theme song energy. too cheerful. D tier

47. murder case at the mansion of books

chinese-sounding action. lots of key changes. C tier

48. living millenium

good use of "oxymoron". jazzy. A tier

49. ochame kinou

backing beat reminds me of something. A tier

50. opera! space opera!

i was expecting more from a song called opera! space opera! this sounds like a generic jpop song. C tier

51. today is also cheerful

firmly theme song territory. don't like major songs. D tier

52. seibai itaaaasu

i like intro because it's weird. funny japanese voices make me laugh. rhythm heaven vibes and i love rhythm heaven. A tier

53. queen

despite maximum emu-ness i like this. A tier

54. chigau!!!

immediate theme song energy. massive rhythm game energy too. B tier

55. reincarnation apple

love pinocchiop vibes. S tier (pinocchiop is like the one vocaP he knows)

56. boku no kamisama

i have heard this a lot. it's just ok. C tier (yes i was holding back the urge to fight him on this one thank you for asking)

57. konton boogie

bothers me that they never count to three. want more boogie. C tier

58. chuubyou gekihatsu boy

only 5 notes so far. C tier

59. smile*symphony

like the chorus. musical closing number. B tier

60. liar dancer

very up tempo jpop. C tier

61. do re mi fa rondo

dogs. sounds like (my old school)'s weird chinese youtube videos. D tier

62. all save challenge

i would like playing this in a rhythm game. love transition between intro + when everything kicks in. A tier

63. touhou wonderland

too uptempo and chaotic for me. musical equivalent of bullet hell. C tier

[rewriting-fairy-tail]

Celestial Spirit Magic - New System

Celestial Spirit (CS) magic in Fairy Tail has some... unfortunate implications that are never really addressed. Spirits are summoned via keys that are bought and sold to anyone with the cash for them, and the Spirit seems to have no choice but to create a contract with them, whether they agree with the wizard's morals/methods or not. So much so that having a wizard that actually cares to fight alongside her Spirits rather than using them as cannon fodder/shields is considered an anomaly.

As it is in the series, we basically have the wizard equivalent of slavery in CS magic. Cool. Even though Lucy is a kind master, she is still their master until she decides she doesn't want to be anymore.

~~~

In my new system, Spirits work quite a bit differently. Firstly, there are only 88 keys to match the number of constellations - no duplicates of silver keys. Secondly, and more importantly - the Spirit chooses the wizard, and they are able to leave whenever they want. So it's in the wizard's best interest to treat their Spirits well, lest they lose the one thing giving them power in the first place.

Spirits have their own caste system, based on their general level of power and also their "species" - animal spirits are all in their own class, expect for the Zodiac animals who are in a league of their own. More to come on the specifics of the caste system later.

Each Spirit has the ability to move in between the human world and the Spirit world on their own, and stay there for some length of time. Most silver key Spirits are able to spend a day or two in the human world before they need to retreat back to their home to recharge, while the most powerful Zodiac Spirit might be able to spend years in the human world before they begin to feel drained.

Making a contract with a wizard gives a Spirit far more freedom and power, since they connect with the wizard's well of magic. Thus, most silver key Spirits come to the human world with the express purpose to make a contract.

To make a contract with a wizard, all a Spirit needs to do is give their key to the wizard in question, with the express intention to make a contract. A Spirit cannot be forced to make a contract they don't want to, and their key cannot be stolen by another to make a contract either.

Most Spirits have their own criteria they want their wizard to have before they choose to make a contract. Some value intelligence, while others value raw strength, and others might value courage or ingenuity or kindness or any number of traits. To find a human with their desired quality, the Spirit will pose a test to prospective wizards. An animal Spirit looking for a kind wizard might take an injured physical form on the side of a road, waiting to see if anyone will stop and help. A Spirit looking for a clever wizard might create a puzzle with an unorthodox solution. Most of the time, these Spirits are not visibly identifiable as Spirits by the naked eye, and might only chose to reveal themselves after the test is complete.

In their true form, Spirits are uncanny in appearance, but in all forms they are uncanny in temperament. Interacting with them makes it obvious that there is something very not-human about them, even if visibly there is nothing different to them that they can identify. Spirits also don't have morals the same way a human does - they don't necessarily care about killing or stealing or if they're on the "right" side of a human conflict, so long as their chosen wizard meets their desired criteria.

In present day Fairy Tail, Celestial Spirit magic is considered a pretty weak form of magic - not only is it a Holder type magic, which carries it's own strong weaknesses compared to the more powerful on average Caster magic, but CS magic relies on the whims of a creature who isn't able to be fully controlled by the wizard, which makes it seem flaky and unreliable.

In practice, this reputation is partially true since most Spirits looking to make a contract are pretty weak, since the stronger a Spirit is, the less incentive they have to tie themselves to a wizard no matter how good they are. As such, most Guild Wizards have never fought against a Key Holder with actual offensive Spirits, and most consider it an accessory magic at best that can perform a few party tricks, but certainly isn't viable as a main form of magic for a professional wizard.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Greg Owen at LGBTQ Nation:

A week away from the conclave that will determine who succeeds Pope Francis as next leader of the Catholic Church, LGBTQ+ rights are proving central to a lobbying campaign already underway among the cardinals who will vote for him. Some of the candidates are predicted to build on Francis’ more progressive agenda, while others represent a return to a more conservative worldview. In his time as pontiff, Francis met with trans women, condoned the blessing of same-sex couples, and urged parents of LGBTQ+ people to “accompany their children and not hide in an attitude of condemnation.”  “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him?” Francis told reporters. Sticking to church doctrine, Francis, who died at 88 on April 21, did not express support for marriage equality. [...]

Homosexuality is an “abomination,” declared one cardinal considered a possible successor to Francis, Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, the archbishop of Kinshasa in Congo, Africa. [...] Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah is another African traditionlist being pushed by anti-LGBTQ+ Catholics. [...] German cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, an outspoken critic of Francis’ progressive views on LGBTQ+ people, said the next pontiff should be “strong on doctrine” and “determined to stand up to ideological lobbies, including the gay lobby.” [...] In 2017, Francis declined to extend Müller’s term as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.  Conservatives are also pushing for Cardinal Péter Erdő of Hungary, who has been silently complicit in the wake of repressive laws aimed at LGBTQ+ people by Hungary’s authoritarian leader Viktor Orbán. Orbán has launched public campaigns to erode LGBTQ+ rights and villainize migrants and refugees.

Conservative Catholics seek to regain control of the Chair of St. Peter, as LGBTQ+ issues are a key focus in their anti-Francis angst.

Some of the leading papabili from the conservative faction include Robert Sarah from Ghana, Péter Erdő from Hungary, and Fridolin Ambongo Besungu from Congo.

[mariacallous]

With the clock ticking before the end of Joe Biden’s presidency, his administration has imposed a new round of sanctions targeting Israeli extremists deemed responsible for violence against Palestinians and destabilizing the West Bank.

These sanctions will be short-lived if Donald Trump or his appointees decide to lift them when he returns to the White House in January. 

The Treasury and State departments on Monday announced sanctions against Amana, which it called “the largest organization involved in settlement and illegal outpost development in the West Bank.”

Also added to the sanctions list were two other entities and three Israeli individuals that the United States determined are detrimental to its efforts to protect Palestinian civilians and stabilize the West Bank.

Sanctions entail a U.S. travel ban and nearly worldwide financial restrictions.

According to the State Department, Amana has supported the Israeli settlement movement by engaging in “dispossession of private land owned by Palestinians.” Amana, which was previously sanctioned by the United Kingdom and Canada, has established dozens of settler outposts — West Bank settlements that are considered illegal under Israeli law — sometimes by deploying flocks of sheep to assert Jewish control over patches of land. Its leader, Ze’ev “Zambish” Hever, was briefly imprisoned the 1980s for his role in an extremist group.  

“We once again call on the government of Israel to take action and hold accountable those responsible for or complicit in violence, forced displacement, and the dispossession of private land,” the State Department said in its announcement. “The United States will continue to promote accountability for those who further destabilize conditions in the West Bank and support extremist violence in the region.”

The Biden administration has levied sanctions on Israeli extremists multiple times since the beginning of the year, reflecting the White House’s increasingly aggressive effort to use diplomacy to calm tensions in the West Bank. But it has so far resisted pressure to target two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Last month, 88 Democratic lawmakers in Congress signed a letter urging sanctions against the two politicians.

Trump has reportedly told the Israeli prime minister to “do what you have to do” regarding Israel’s war with Hamas and Hezbollah in Gaza and Lebanon, and the two have spoken several times since Trump’s election, which could spell a shift from U.S. policy under Biden, who has supported Israel while also seeking to restrain Israel on humanitarian grounds. 

U.S. support for the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel could also be upended in light of Trump’s intention to nominate people who have spoken in favor of settlements and of annexation of the West Bank by Israel for several key roles, including Mike Huckabee, Trump’s nominee for U.S. ambassador, and Peter Hegseth, the proposed secretary of defense.

David Friedman, a Trump ally who was his ambassador to Israel during his first term, condemned the latest sanctions.

“The Biden Administration is imposing financial penalties on Israeli companies lawfully building homes in Judea and Samaria with the approval of the Israeli government. It is interfering in an entirely domestic Israeli zoning issue and ignoring US State Department precedent that Jews have the legal right to live in their Biblical homeland,” Friedman tweeted. “This is as ridiculous as Israel trying to prohibit an American builder from constructing homes in California. January 20 can’t come soon enough.”

[kyliafanfiction]

What was the fic concept that ended up not being workable?

I've had several, but the one I was probably talking about most recently was an attempt to do a Fusion-AU between Worm and NBC's The Blacklist (which has at least 3 good seasons. I dropped out early Season 4, so I don't know where it goes. I hear... things about later seasons, but I don't know about the middle) (If you're familiar with the premise of that show, you'll see the parallels here in the premise)

The idea was to adapt the story of the first episode of the Blacklist to a Wormish verse as the oneshot, leave it open for more later.

The premise would have been in a world were parahuman powers were a bit more low-key, or at least, generally were (Also no Endbringers or Scion). Less OP powers too, generally.

Victoria Dallon is recently divorced (from Dean. I actually like Dean, but the story I wanted worked better if he was out of the picture) and crashing at her sister's place in DC. Victoria is Glory Girl/Polaris, and Amy is still Panacea. Victoria's 'day job' is a field agent for the PRT. She gets called in on her first day not to her normal investigative position, but a new task force.

Anne-Rose Weaver, international criminal mastermind with the power to control bugs, has turned herself in, but is saying she'll only talk to Victoria Dallon. So a small task force led by Assistant Director for Parahuman Terrorism Emily Piggot and Hannah Washington (AKA Miss Militia when in costume) as the leader of the OG Weaver Task Force is now handling her.

Weaver (who is Taylor, but no one has linked her to that name yet, but Victoria does feel like Weaver looks oddly familiar) says that the daughter of General Tagg is going to be kidnapped shortly by Victor, a former Empire 88/Former Geselleschaft cape gone rogue. She wants Victor dealt with, they want Victor dealt with, their interests align.

The story started to fall apart as I tried to both stick to the general trajectory of the OG episode and also have things account for parahuman powers better. Amy was supposed to get abducted and pretty badly hurt.

(There's also a bit early on in the one-shot about Amy's string of bad relationships ever since her HS gf 'Taylor' vanished right after graduation, but Amy is really looking forward to introducing her latest girlfriend, Cherie Vasil, to Victoria, because she really thinks this one will last.)

Amy would be recovered, Victor dealt with, and Weaver would reveal she has a whole list of criminals, parahuman and otherwise, that the Federal government doesn't, in many cases, even know exist and she wants to cut a deal to start turning them in. But she'll only tell those names to Victoria Dallon.

The oneshot would have ended with Victoria finding an old picture of Amy and her gf Taylor Hebert... and realizing that Weaver is Taylor.

(The loose backstory I had established so far was that Marquis had stolen something or acquired something that could have outed Cauldron - which in this verse would have been akin to the 'Cabal' of the Blacklist, shadowy international conspiracy of intelligence officers, criminals and other elites that Reddington, the MC of the Blacklist, had blackmail info on, or claimed to, anyway - and somehow Amy inherited it, but didn't know. Taylor somehow finds out, somehow gets her hands on that thing or at least makes Cauldron think she has it, and goes off and builds her international criminal empire to give her the resources to protect Amy from Cauldron if she had to. Weaver is turning herself in now because of some other enemy she's dealing with - who would have been eventually revealed to be Lung, filling the same role as Berlin from the OG show - and Lung had someone connected Weaver to Amy Dallon... and had hired Cherie Vasil to be a spy on Amy to figure out the nature of the connection and potentially leverage that against Weaver)

The idea also ran into issues of a shortage of certain types of characters in Worm to repurpose for the AU, so I ran into the question of if I should start bringing in Blacklist characters to fill certain roles or not. And the oneshot got to 10k words at the halfway point when I realized the whole thing wouldn't work, even as the oneshot. The idea still has some merit, but I'd have to do a lot more legwork to make it work than I was prepared to do. Come up with some original baddies in a lot of cases, which - I'm not actually good at writing procedural type stories, which is still a lot of what's happening in the Blacklist day to day - and some other stuff.

[kemch122]

Name: Dominik

Age: 19

Position in Resurgence: Protector and Combat Trainer

Date of Initiation: July 22, 2024

Circumstances of Admission:

Dominik was discovered after repeatedly being bullied by his classmates. Despite his small and weak appearance, he exhibited strong aggression and an unbreakable will to resist. Members of Resurgence recognized his potential and saw the opportunity to transform this inner aggression into a tool of strength and determination.

Transformation Description:

Dominik underwent the transformation process in a specialized machine developed by Marek and Alex. During the procedure, his body transformed into a muscular fortress, and his aggression was redirected into strength, which he now wields with incredible precision. After emerging from the machine, he became an imposing warrior and protector.

Post-Transformation Incident:

Shortly after his transformation, Dominik encountered one of his former classmates who had previously humiliated him. Dominik lost control of his newly acquired strength and engaged in a highly intense confrontation, which escalated quickly and aggressively. His anger and power caused significant damage to the building and alarmed onlookers who witnessed the incident. Several members of Resurgence had to intervene to subdue Dominik and prevent further escalation. This incident led to the implementation of stricter measures to control his aggression.

Measurements Before Transformation:

Weight: 65 kg

Body Fat: 17%

Bicep: 28 cm

Chest: 88 cm

Quadriceps: 50 cm

Calf: 34 cm

Bench Press: 60 kg

Deadlift: 80 kg

Squat: 75 kg

Measurements After Transformation:

Weight: 115 kg

Body Fat: 6%

Bicep: 58 cm

Chest: 135 cm

Quadriceps: 80 cm

Calf: 58 cm

Bench Press: 240 kg

Deadlift: 290 kg

Squat: 270 kg

Notes:

Dominik's aggression was identified as a key trait upon joining Resurgence. The organization capitalizes on this trait, and Dominik now serves as a combat trainer for new members and as a protector of the organization. His aggressive nature is managed to serve the interests of Resurgence, and with his trained strength and skills, he is exceptionally effective in combat and in safeguarding Resurgence’s secrets.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Hilarious Dodgeball (1994) 爆笑躲避球

Date: 1994 Platform: iPod / iPhone / iPad / Android Developer: panda Publisher: panda Genre: Sports Game Type: Crossover

Summary:

The dodgeball game produced by Panda in 1994 has quite funny characters. It's just that players who are not in control cannot pass the ball, and it is not easy to control the characters in control. For example, pressing Enter and the direction key at the same time on the sideline to kill the ball, but sometimes it will end up walking to the opponent's area. Put the ball on the ground; when using the secret technique and pressing in the wrong direction, sometimes you will hit the ball backwards, which is a benefit to the enemy, so it becomes more difficult to win.

Source: https://cn-dos-games.fandom.com/zh/wiki/%E7%88%86%E7%AC%91%E8%BA%B2%E9%81%BF%E7%90%83_(1994)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=8FRyLQaJ_F4

[songforaname]

disjointed thoughts on pianos and midi controllers

doing some casual research on pianos and trying to figure out if a midi controller setup can accomplish combining all the weird piano variations there are. everything points to not really?

going off the major variations of pianos i came across on wikipedia, youd need a handful of seperate midi controllers to cover the following:

stuart & sons - 108 keys [c0-b8]

pedal piano [37 notes (bass)]

emanual moör [76 keys one octave up]

most midi organ pedalboard that i can find that aren't incredibly expensive or custom made max out at 20-25 keys, making the 37 key pedal piano difficult to factor in. you can easily reach to 108 key main piano and 76 key emanual moor second keyboard with an 88-key, 25 key, and 76-key keyboard setup.

theres an extra variation on the pedal keys known as the pinchi piano system that gives it three different note spans ([A0-A3][A1-A4][A2-A5]) which would add even more complications to a setup.

the real fun part comes with enharmonic keyboards though. (which do not seem to exist outside acoustic pianos so this is all theoretical nonsense) those split the G#/Ab and D#/Eb notes, giving 14 keys per octave. that would bring the 108-key piano to 126 keys alone if my math is right. adding the enharmonic keys to the 76-key emanual part would bring it to 86? for a total of 212 keys without the pedal keys. add 43 for enharmonic pedal keys for a grand total of 255 keys amongst three keybeds

very impractical. i dont think theres any music software that could easily support that. i dont think there are any piano vsts that even cover the stuart & sons 108-key range

there is no conclusion to this. 👍

[music-flavor-autismm]

Top 100 songs of all time (c. 2024)

While I do claim to be an avid music listener, there is no possible way to take into account every song that has been released or will ever be released, which is why I plan to make another ranking like this with songs released from any time period that I consider deserving of a place on this in the moderatley far future, perhaps around new year 2028.

TL;DR, here is the playlist

100. Tommy Richman - "WHITNEY"

Powerful and floaty synths, cryptic and enamored lyrics, and well compesed and produced drums make this one of the best modern synthpop tracks of all time, I originally had ranked this track much higher in the list

99. JVKE - "golden hour"

A Balladesque track with a catchy and heartfelt piano hook and a powerfully driven chorus. It also has beautiful poetic lyrics that are convey the song's message of a woman's beuaty and tastefully minimalistic trap drums. They're barely noticable that give it a modern feel, but enough that if you don't like them they are very minor

98. Mario, Enya, Diddy - "I Don't Wanna Know"

Inspired by The Fugees "Ready or Not," which it shares an Enya sample with, "I Don't Wanna Know" has beuatifully produced boom bap drums and keys under an Enya sample, and heartbreaking and crative lyrics from both Mario, and to a lesser extent Diddy.

97. Kendrick Lamar - "King Kunta"

"King Kunta" is a about Kendrick's position as a succesful musician relative to his to position as a Black man from particularly difficult roots. embracing early funk music. including a guitar solo, and flexing his wealth to those in his hood, "King Kunta" absolutley slaps.

96. Frank Ocean, John Mayer - "White"

A light alternative jazz track with a booming bass track, and a mellow lead guitar. This short interlude could have been so much more, but is still a masterpiece.

95. OutKast, Erykah Badu - "Humble Mumble"

With outstanding vocal performances from Andre, Big Boi, and Erykah, beautiful production and composition of all the instruments, this is an OutKast's best songs

94. Frank Ocean - "Pyramids"

Floaty production, a catchy synth hook, and two great choruses in two movements tonight make this one of the best songs on Channel Orange.

tw: offensive lyrics

93. Tyler, The Creator - "Tamale"

A staple of Tyler, The Creator's shock rap era, which main appeal is unique production, and offensive lyrics like, "I'm back like I'm Rosa Parks fare on the same damn bus like, 'You're going to jail now.'" Tamale is produced very uniquely with horns, an interesting snare melody

92. Chappel Roan - "My Kink is Karma"

With compelling storytelling lyrics and Dan Nigro's signature style of production, taking ispiration from 1970s pop and incorporating his and Chappell's own style into his music. This track also takes full advantage of Roan's impressive vocal range

91. Chappell Roan - "Good Luck, Babe"

This track has many of the same good qualities. Some ways this track is better include the drums groove and control over the song, and the catchy strings in the chorus

90. Frank Ocean - "Nights"

This track from Frank draws me like many others to enjoy it due to it's catchy guitars and floaty second movement. The vocals on the second movement are also very compelling in delivery and in lyricism

89. P.M. Dawn - "Paper Doll"

A niche track from a band I first heard on Jack FM. Paper Doll is a mellow hip-hop jazz track that embraces P.M. Dawn's style of combinig singing and rapping (before it was cool) and floaty production with breakbeats.

88. Childish Gambino, Jhene Aiko - "Pink Toes"

This tropical and drien synthpop bop has wondefully designed synths, catchy vocal and string hooks, and and moving, rythmic drums. A standout for both Gambino and Aiko.

87. Lemon Demon - "Touch-Tone Telephone"

A nonsensical rant about having discovered an interconnected network of fantastical forces wotking in tandem set to a synthpop beat with a catchy violin hook. It makes a perfect introduction to narrative of Spirit Phone and is a wonderful taste of that project. An Absolute Masterpiece.

86. Kendrick Lamar, MC Eiht - "m.A.A.d city"

Speaking on life in Compton, "m.A.A.d city" is a tragic introspection on Kendrick's past over a absolutely diabolical string driven trap and a quality jazz rap beat. It masterfully samples 1000 MILAN's "Ridin' Rollercoaster."

85. Madvillain - "Accordion"

An absolute classic from MF DOOM, the God of jazz rap. "Accordion," like many of Madviilain's tracks like is defined by MF DOOM's unique style of rapping and Madlib's excellent jazz rap production. This track's beat in particular is based on a sample with an accordion

84. Madvillain, MED - Raid

Like "Accordion," "Raid" is defined by MF DOOM's unique flows and Madlib's production. "Raid" is much more upbeat than "Accordion;" it's main sample is a jazzy piano. MED, the the songs guest rapper, also performs very well.

83. Metallica - "The Unforgiven"

"The Unforgiven" is a tragic tale set to aggresive and somewhat symphonic metal. It is defined by an arpeggic acoustic guitar riff that plays at the beggining between the chorus and verse and and electric underlick that plays during the verse and under another lick in the bridge.

82. Busta Rhymes, Janet Jackson - "What's It Gonna Be?!"

On "What's It Gonna Be?!," Busta Rhymes uses his signature fast flow over a sexy R&B track with lots of scatchy guitars. Janet sings the chorus, which is very sexual. Overall the song is very soft and flowing.

81. Prince - "I Wanna Be Your Lover"

Prince's breakout single "I Wanna Be Your Lover" has a catchy guitar hooks, a wonderfully simple, stabilizing drums, classic pop lyrics, a great chorus, and a great take on 70s style pop.

80. The Notorious B.I.G - "Juicy"

"Juicy" compares The Notorious B.I.G.'s past spent in poverty to his present as a succesful rapper, but instead of considering how his present can reconnect to his past, like in "King Kunta," but simply takes a moment to reflect on how far he's come over a peaceful, yet lively Diddy beat.

79. The Jackson 5 - "I Want You Back"

Michael Jackson's breakout single, "I Want You Back" is a late 60s pop soul masterpiece. It has an amazing ensemble of piano, string, guitar, drums, and more all spread across any stereo player. I normally don't particularly enjoy stereo effects, but they're done tastefully on this record.

78. Tyler, The Creator - "EARFQUAKE"

A heartbreaking synth ballad on denial of a boyfriend leaving. The different vocal styles including Tyler's singing voice, Playboi Carti's feature, and Tyler's speaking and rapping voice keep different parts of the song fresh/

77. The Fugees - "Killing Me Softly With His Song"

"Killing Me Softly With His Song" is an R&B ballad about Lauryn longing for a stage performer, sang over a jazz sample beat. It has soulful, poetic lyrics and minimalistic verses. The verses only only have drums, and the chorus and bridge add bass.

76. Nelly, Kelly Rowland - "Dilemma"

One of Nelly's most famous tracks, "Dilemma" tells the story of a wife and man in an affair, but in a sweet way, because Nelly is both the artist and the person in the affair, and the wife loves him. This plays over a R&B beat by Bam and both Nelly and Kelly perform excellently in terms of vocals.

75. Kendrick Lamar - "euphoria"

I believe this track may be the greatest diss of all time, because most of the most brutal things said about Drake can be proven easily, as opposed to simply calling Drake a pedophile. euphoria is mostly a drum-based trap song, but it begins with a calm jazz sapmle to show Drake that he's unfased. Kendrick also writes with a high degree of meaning and raps at an impressive rate.

74. Stevie Wonder - "Visions"

The mellow title track off of Stevie Wonder's Innervisions, "Visions" has a catchy guitar hook and poetic lyrics describing people cooperating in love in a perfect world, and recognizing that this is an improbable ideal.

73. Tyler, The Creator - "ARE WE STILL FRIENDS?"

The outro to one of Tyler's most experimental albums, the fan-favorite IGOR. This track also has a catchy guitar lick in the verse, but is also a lot more dynamics introducing synths and samples in the bridge, chorus and intro. It backtracks from the end of IGOR's themes of Tyler's relationship stating that Tyler "Doesn't want to end the season on a bad episode." Overall a great track.

72. JPEGMAFIA - "Baby I'm Bleeding"

One of my favorite rappers' breakout single, "Baby I'm Bleeding" starts with a repetitive noise, which is the main part of the beat once the drums. Peggy spits absolute bars being incredibly agressive both in content and in delivery, and the beat is incredibly creative. Words cannot do this track justice in the context that I'm trying to be brief.

71. Tyler, The Creator, Lil Wayne - "HOT WIND BLOWS"

A catchy japanese jazz sample flip, dynamic drums, and witty lyrics and hypnotic flows from both Tyler and Wanye make "HOT WIND BLOWS" the best track off of the original Call Me If You Get Lost and earns it it's place on this list.

70. Daft Punk - "Aerodynamic"

With it's creative mechanical sampling noisy distorted guitar solo and chill beat switch, "Aerodynamic" is a staple of classic Daft Punk. It has a catchy melody, does it's drums in two compelling different methods throughout the song, and helped solidify Daft Punk as the Pioneers they're known as today.

69. Madvillain - "All Caps"

This track is probably DOOM's most iconic. It features incredibe jazz rap production from Madlib, and iconic flows and lyrics from MF DOOM like, "And you like a poet, like baby doll. She she tried to give her all she played ball." and "The beat is so butter. Peep the slow cutter as utter the calm flow. (Your Mother) Don't talk about my moms, yo. Sometimes he rhyme quick sometimes he rhymes slow"

68. Silk Sonic - "Fly As Me"

A soulful guitar underlick, an amazingly complex yet simple beat and bragadocious, flirty lyrics make this one of both Bruno and Anderson's best tracks. Nice.

67. Frank Ocean - "Lost"

"Lost" is a slow 70s style yet timeless romantic pop track detailing some sort of affair a woman is on with Frank . The lyrics are very cryptic, but still very romantic and mature. It's also built upon a great subtle synth melody

66. Silk Sonic - "Skate"

A gimmicky and themed love song, "Skate" is reminiscent of classic stringed disco tracks like "The Hustle" or "September." It has catchy, dynamic strings, a rythmic rythym guitar part, and is Bruno's most prominent vocal performance on An Evening With.

65. Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock - "Money Trees"

"Money Trees" is an introspective on life in Compton written after 2010 from from the perspective of Kendrick in 2004. It shows Kendrick refldcitng on the motives behind his day-to-day actions and starting realise that his greedy, crimeridden lifestyle is might not be a good direction for him. Its production is wonderfully poppy, synthy and driving.

64. Tyler, The Creator - "DOGTOOTH"

This track is in a way the the anti-"Money Trees," in the sense that it's a big-picture view of Tyler's life at a certain point in time. Instead of reflecting on his past, he shares his perspective of his present and his goals for his life, instead considering how he could gorw emotionally and change his actions, "DOGTOOTH" shares Tyler's perspective on others, simply calling himself "Mr. Peculiar," and instead of reflecting on an impoverished lifestyle, he brags about his lavish lifestyle. It's also very similar to "Money Trees" from a production standpoint, it has a soulful piano hook and is very synth driven with powerful drums.

63. OutKast - "Red Velvet"

From one of OutKast's best records, Stankonia, "Red Velvet" features absolute bars from both Big Boi and Andre, wonderful synth and guitar based production. Lyrics describe OutKast fear of some violent people.

62. Genesis - "Tonight, Tonight, Tonight"

An absolute banger of a ballad. It shows just how Phil Collins' voice can be. It's composed, played and produced very well, It's lyrics are vague, still carry an immense amout of emotion. Overall one of The best ballads ever.

61. Justin Timberlake, Timbaland - "What Goes Around.../...Comes Around"

A pop music diss track directed towards toward Justin ex-grilfriend Britney Spears, "What Goes Around Comes Around" has two movements each with beautiful production, an impressive vocal performance, and devastatingly petty lyrics. In the second movement, "Comes Around," Timbaland absolutely cooks on the beat using powerful synths, horns, and repeating "What Goes Around Comes Back Around "

60. Kendrick Lamar, Wallie The Sensei, Siete7x, Roddy Ricch - "dodger blue"

"dodger blue" is a chill pop track off of GNX with many features. It's prodution is very poppy and it's are very critical in anyone who doesn't like Los Angeles as a city. All four vocal performances and production are superb .

59. Kanye West, Rick Ross - "Devil In A New Dress"

Absolutely godly production sampling Smokey Robinson and mixing Mike Dean's guitar solo. Kanye raps very well, and Ye's lyrics beautifully a sense of love and passion between him and a woman who didn't succedd at abstaining from realtions. While Rick's verse is shallow and bragadocius; Easily my least part of the song.

58. Genesis - "That's All"

A groovy, emotional rock track with a catchy piano hook and vocals, a dynamic structure that contastanly builds on an amazing concept, and moving, heartbreaking lyrics detailing a toxic relationship. "That's All" is one of the best tracks on Genesis and very deserving of a spot on this list.

57. Red Hearse - "Half Love"

"Half Love" is a dynamic indie pop track. It it has lyrics detailing a toxic relationship, but contrary to "That's All," Dew declares he's "just too good for that half love." This track is produced superbly by the two other members of Red Hearse: Jack Antonoff and Sounwave, just like all their other tracks.

56. MF DOOM - "Hoe Cakes"

Sampling JJ Fad's "Supersonic," "Hoe Cakes" is a divergence from DOOM's traditional jazz rap sound. It has a simple piano soul feel and witty lyrics describing a dreamy woman and DOOM's experiences with her.

55. Tyler, The Creator, Vince Staples - "STUNTMAN"

Like many tracks on Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale, "STUNTMAN" does not have incredibly specific subject matter and is mostly about how great Tyler is. Both Tyler and Staples rap with dynamic flows. The production on "STUNTMAN" is very dynamic featuring both dynamic aynths in the chorus and a variety of percussive sounds and alarms in the verses.

54. Kendrick Lamar - "heart pt. 6"

A narrative of the beginning of Kendrick's career over an angelic and orchestral g-funk beat, "heart pt.6" features Kendrick describing his emotional connection to fellow rappers and labelmates current and past such as Jay Rock, Dave Free, Top Dawg, and ScHoolboy Q with meaningful lyrics and excellent flows.

53. JPEGMAFIA - "HAZARD DUTY PAY!"

"HAZARD DUTY PAY!" features a soul flip over agressive trap drums and blown out and yelly vocals, but it's still blends simply with with it's sample from The Winans "Ain't No Need To Worry"

52. Kanye West - "Dark Fantasy"

The choral, orchestral, introduction and title track to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, "Dark Fantasy." Kanye's flow is superb and his lyrics are deeply inspiring. The production is great and handles both the jazz rap sample and the choral section with total mastery. Absolute masterpiece

51. Yachts On Fire - "Argentina"

An electronic yacht rock jam, "Argentina" is credibly unique in concept. Its guitar melodies and production are funky and resonant, Its bass parts add great drama, and it manages to have complex that aren't very noticeable, because the rest of the song is also very complex, but really changes the feel every time the beat changes.

50. Busta Rhymes, Eminem - "Calm Down"

"Calm Down" is a shock rap song with aggresive lyrics and flows from both Busta and Eminem, and a simple chop of the intro of "Jump Around" by House of Pain. Despite ery aggresive lyrics, "Calm Down" doesn't seem to be directed at anyone in particular and seems to be a simple release of anger and show of strength.

49. Tyler, The Creator, GloRilla, Sexyy Red, Lil Wayne - "Sticky"

Not quite shock or gangsta rap, but still violent in nature, "Sticky" is a marching band inspired rap track by Tyler, The Creator with lots of features. It's production is very unique and well done, in it's mixing of Tyler's traditional floaty synth-based style and marching styles. It's flows are mostly very well done, especially from GloRilla. It's lyrics are violent and bragadocious and violent, but aren't in any way affiliated with gang culture. It is in that way similar to music from Ludacris, Busta Rhymes and DMX.

48. Kanye West, Dwele - "Flashing Lights"

One of the best Kanye songs of all time. It's production is dynamic, executing creating advantage of making both a catchy string section and synth chord chops. It's lyrics depict Kanye's remorse of a relationship that's ending, describing their differences and things that they did. (or maybe not, I'm confused with the timeline), and begging her not.

47. Childish Gambino - "Redbone"

A soul track insprired by Bootsy Collins' "I'd Rather Be With You," "Redbone" is an explorative music venture from Childish Gambino, and it absolutley goes hard. It's production goes from calm to energetic very quickly, featuring a distorted synth solo close to the end, and is supported by lots of synthesizer licks

46. JPEGMAFIA - "either on or off the drugs"

Using artificial intelegence to remake a Future sample into a soul track an flip it, Peggy absolutely cooks near the end of the greatest album ever made with "either on or off the drugs." Rapping with decent flow about his experiences and vices, arguing his excellence, and using a downtempo change to introduce a heavenly guitar solo. Brilliant.

45. Kendrick Lamar - "i"

The best thing about "i" is that it's composed and produced with unmatched creativity. It features Kendrick rapping over an incredibly energetic guitar and Latin-style piano. It also features an amazing breakdown where guitar begins to stratch. It narratively acts as an end to To Pimp A Butterfly, adressing the current state of BLM and enforcing Kendrick's self-love and his victory over his depression.

44. OutKast - "Ms Jackson"

A heartbreaking, yet hopeful perspective on unplanned pregnancies, "Ms. Jackson" is produced dynamically, using a drum loop, synths, pianos and guitars in a creative way in terms of both production and composition. Both Andre and Big Boi with excellent and moving lyrics. Andre even sings decently.

43. Lemon Demon - "Spiral Of Ants"

A depressing and relatable take on the monotony and ratrace-like qualities of lower-to-middle class life, comparing it to an incredibly bleak natural metaphor that when the queen of an ant colony and the ants no longer have a leader, the ants simply follow each other in a circle, hence the name, "Spiral Of Ants." It's very thematically different from the rest of Spirit Phone, most of which is about fictional monsters or phenomena. It's produced very well with a variety of synths, and few real instruments like bass and horns. It's jarringly bouncy for it's dark subject matter and minor key and tone.

42. P.M. Dawn - "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss"

Primarily sampling Spandau Ballet's "True" and The Soul Searchers' "Ashley's Roachclip," "Set Adrift On Memory Bliss" is about about reminicising a past relation and all the emotions that come with it, including most importantly, acceptance. It is lyrically conveyed through both rapping and singing. The drum beat is sampled from "Ashley's Roachclip" and layed on top of the the hook from "True." It also samples Bob James' "Meet Me At The Mardi Gras." Great Song.

41. Lemon Demon - "No Eyed Girl"

A love ballad dedicatd to a cryptid with no eyes, "No Eyed Girl" has great production featuring reverberant, almost Phil Collins style drums, a great string section in the pre-chorus, a beautiful showcase of Neil's 80s style vocal style, and great synths throughout. The lyrics are nonsensically dedicated, revealing that Neil's Character caused a sort of apocalypse in which more of the No Eyed Girl's kind enter our world stating that he'd "do it all again."

40. Tyler, The Creator - "Like Him"

A beautiful ballad about Tyler's fear of being like his absent father, and spiraling when he's told he looks like him. The lyrics are very moving and poetic. The production is absolutely amazing going from from a simple piano piece, to a more synthesized and full version of the original chorus, to a Daft Punk style version, and Tyler's mom telling him that she wouldn't let him be present even though he wanted to be.

39. Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna - "LOYALTY."

From Rihanna's rap era, "LOYALTY." is a smooth pop rap track with lyrics that ask sometime to spend time with them highand questioning if they're really loyal to them, but very cryptically. It samples Bruno Mars' "24K Magic" and puts it on top of a mellow trap beat.

38. JPEGMAFIA - "JIHAD JOE"

A rap metal track with a suspenceful intro, "JIHAD JOE" has violent blown out vocals and scary production. Guitars, vocal rises, alarms, and drum fills come out of nowhere. Ambient noise plays in quiet pats of the parts. JPEGMAFIA spits hypnotic flows, arguably even when he's screaming at the top of his lungs.

37. Vince Staples - "Etouffee"

A chilled out rap song with sung vocals from Vince. It's lyrics describe Vince's perspective life in inner LA, but adds fantasy elements like Vince being a martian and landing there to symbolize not belonging there. It's production is amazing, using a variety of synths in a variety of ways. The song briefly scratches into a cowbell driven 808 beat, and promptly ends, great song.

36. JPEGMAFIA, Denzel Curry - "JPEGULTRA"

Featuring marching band style composition and witty lyrics from both Curry and Peggy that brag criticise all the JPEGMAFIA haters. Halfway through the song an acoustic guitar plays a classicalesque melody and Peggy raps over it calmly. It's production makes this track sound more metallic than "Sticky," despite being composed in a similar style.

35. Kendrick Lamar, U2 - "XXX."

A commentary on the hyposcrisy of Lowerclass-on-Lowerclass violence as a concept. The first movement is a trap-driven poemabout violence in poverty, a story about someone getting roped into gang violence, and a rant to a friendadvocating vengeance against some whose killed his son. The second movement with U2 takes a big-picture at America as a whole, and how all the violence was intentionally or unintentionally set up by the upperclass.

34. Kendrick Lamar, Busta Rhymes - "Look Over Your Shoulder"

Sampling John Cameron's "Sympathy" and Michael Jackson's "I'll Be There," this track is a testament to the production skill of a relatively unknown producer called Nottz. Both Kendrick and Busta Rhymes have very hypnotic flows and decent bragadocious lyrics. THis was My 2nd most listened to song of 2024.

33. Madvillain, Viktor Vaughn - "Fancy Clown"

Featuring heartbreaking lyrics about a failed relationship and the different emotions that come with it, and hypnotic flows from DOOM and production from Viktor Vaughn and Madlib. "Fancy Clown" samples ZZ Hill's, "That Ain't The Way You Make Love," and adds it's own drums, It's produced very well

32. Daft Punk - "Veridis Quo"

An emotional yet repetive instrumental, "VerIdis Quo" contains a synth orchestra and electronic drums. it features a catchy flute melody that plays the entire track add synth elements in and out.

31. Gustav Holst, Berliner Philharmoniker - "Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity"

The only classical piece on this list, Jupiter is a dynamic piece featuring a very fast and bouncy lead in to in. It's of the most famous orchestral performances to one of the greatest melodies of all time, with great accompaniment too. Masterpiece.

30. JPEGMAFIA - "OG!"

Featuring a superb sample flip of "Gangster of Hip-Hop" by Just-Ice and Human DMX, and bragadocious lyrics set to a unique flow, "OG!" is one of Peggy's best tracks. The bass adds an unexplainable sense of motion to the track, which I really appreciate.

29. JPEGMAFIA, Kimbra - "TIRED, NERVOUS AND BROKE!"

A synthy, electronic and messy masterpiece that features a sample of the xbox startup sound and a unique range percussive and synths sounds. There are a number of different drum grooves, including, traditional trap, sidechain, and a sort of simple drumline beat. The production is masterful. The flow is very shouty, but also very hypnotic, The lyrics are very bragadocious, violent, and witty. Good Tune.

28. Prince - "Purple Rain"

A love ballad begging a woman to take him back, and maturing thought learning to leave the woman to her husband. The drums are very echoy and the ensemble of strings, bass, drums, piano, and guitar work very well together. The show of Prince's vocal range is very appealing, the lyrics are very heartfelt and loving, and the guitar solo is absolutley heavenly.

27. Mariah Carey - "Honey"

Featuring a funky bassline and drums, a catchy piano lick, and filling strings, "Honey" is an absolute R&B pop masterpiece. All of this is mixed absolutely perfectly, and serves as a great testestament to Mariah's absolutley god-tier range. This song is absolutley amazing.

26. Kendrick Lamar, Drake - "Poetic Justice"

A romantic rap track from two of the 2010s biggest rapper, each in their prime, "Poetic Justice" masterfully samples Janet Jackson's "Any TIme, Any Place," and the drums both mold the track to fit the song to good kid m.A.A.d citty's sound and Kendrick's rapping in itself. Both Kendrick and Drake's vocals and lyrics are absolutley beautiful, but Kendrick's first verse is definitley the best one.

25. Tyler, The Creator, Daniel Ceasar - "St. Chroma"

A masterpiece with a unique ensemble, including whispering vocals from Tyler, marching, various synths, electonic or sampled drums, and beautiful and layered vocals from Daniel, "St. Chroma" is the crown jewel and title track of Tyler's lastest album, CHROMAKOPIA. The music not featured in the music video is absolutley is amazing, featuring Tyler rapping in his regular and a more calm version of Daniel's chorus. Amazing.

24. Kendrick Lamar - "Rigamortis"

A jovial and hypnotic track off of Kendrick's first album, "Rigamortis" features a jazzy horn hook, and celebratory lyrics set to a hypnotic flow. The lyrics are not only celebratory but jump from jump from topic to topic. This on top of the fact that raps quickly with a complex rhyme scheme, make it very hard to follow the lyrics beyond the fact that hes's the G.O.A.T.

23. OutKast - "B.O.B. (Bombs Over Baghdad)"

Featuring lyrics reflecting on Andre and Big Boi's present in a fragmanted and hard to understand way. Featuring absolutley banging production, this track is moslty driven by a chopped up breakbeat, an organ, and features great synths and guitars in specific parts.

22. Donkey Kong Country 2 OST - "In a Snow-Bound Land"

A floaty track composed for Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, "In a Snow-Bound Land" has amazing production that uses lots of subtle synths and very well-mixed drums. The melody is also amazing.

21. Eshrack_, [kyle davis] - "RUNTZING"

From one of my favorite gem producers, [kyle davis] absolutley in both the production and rapping areas. Both the beat from Kyle and both of the pairs' flows are amazing. One of the best touches is the harsh snare fills. Absolutley amazing.

20. Childish Gambino, Chance The Rapper - "The Worst Guys"

Featuring a hypnotizing synth hook, a great structure, witty lyrics set to great flows, amazing and a Ludwig Gorransson guitar solo. It pairs really well with its interlude, "Dial Up." It's nearly perfect, but almost too perfect.

19. JPEGMAFIA - "Exmilitary"

With a menacing sound that goes from metal guitars to choral backing vocals and everything in a snap, "Exmilitary" is easily one of the most menacing diss tracks of all of all time, presumably agaisnt Drakewith lyrics refrencing his allegations like, "Is you Harvey, Jeffrey, R. Kelly or is you Opposite," and more. Perhaps it's maybe refrencing a less obvious feud that I'm unaware of.

18. Metallica - "One"

An anti-war metal anthem, "One" is one of the best metal songs of of all time. It's written with both symphonic and thrashy section, both of which are very iconic. It's production is infamously lackluster for making the bass very quiet, but aside from this, the production is somewhat normal, and the writing and instrumental performace full well makes up for this.

17. Childish Gambino - "Life: The Biggest Troll [Andrew Aurenhimer]"

A futuristic synth piece that Childish Gambino happens to be rapping over. Gambino has meaningful lyrics, and impressice flow. The beat is amazing, but it doesn't necessarily need rapping over it because of it's amazing underlick.

16. Genesis - "Mama"

A floaty ballad driven heavily by Tony Banks' synth work, of Rutherford's best guitar solos, and one of Phil Collins' most iconic drum parts. It's lyrics call to either Phil Collins wife or mother, begging for affection and aid in a momentof desperation. The intro features electronic drums that deceive the listener into think the first beat is differnt than what it actually is. very creative, very moving, very well done.

15. Kendrick Lamar - "The Art of Peer Pressure"

While not my favorite track for casual listening right now, "The Art of Peer Pressure" is a beautifully produced track with great writing rapping broken by short spoken skits over the beats, all about you geussed it, Kendrick doing despicable thing with his friends that he wouldn't have done otherwise. It has two great beats, but one of them is very short.

14. Tyler, The Creator, Daniel Ceaser, LaToiya Williams - "Take Your Mask Off"

Either an introspective on Tyler's past, or a diss track against Drake combined with advice to a self-abusive mother, "Take Your Mask Off" is a chill mellow track about being true to oneself. It's production is very mellow, but allows to let the lyrics when the low horns become more prevalent. Amazing.

13. UGK, OutKast - "Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)"

Flipping Willie Hutch beautifully and adding 2000s trap drums and bass. Andre, Big Boi, Bun B, and Pimp C all rap beautifully. The appeal of this song is very simple, the Willie Hutch sample that was used is very orchestral, and the trap drums add a unique yet familiar element, and that's the perfect mix of familiarity to build the song upon, and to add amazing rappers to.

12. Tyler, The Creator, Kanye West, Lil Wayne - "SMUCKERS"

An absolutley amazing rap song with three of the greatest rappers of all time, and a beautifully produced beat. Another appeal of this track is the conversation style in the second part of the track. Along with the second verse in general; Tyler made yelling, "HOLD YOUR FUCKING HORSES," go absolutley hard.

11. TOTO - "Georgy Peorgy"

A heartbreaking rack soft rock track about leaving a women due to having messed up in some way. With a beautifully composed piano, string, bass and guitar parts and dynamic, well played drums, "Georgy Porgy" just barely got edged out of the top 10.

10. Kanye West - "Family Business"

A beautifully produced look into Kanye's good relationships within his family. Featuring an original piano so good that I thought it was sampled, a chorus that's beautifully sung, and euphoric lyrics that highlight the potential joys of spending time with extended family

9. Kanye West, Pusha T - "Runaway"

Making a symphony with a simple E major melody and a few samples, "Runaway" is considered one of the essential tracks for one of the greatest artists of all time. It's lyrics describes Kanye's struggles with his relationship in the most vulnerable yet poetic yet blunt way possible. Pusha T's verse is great, but still holds "Runaway" down, because Runaway was already so good. After 5 minutes, the song returns to the piano hook and adds a string ensemble and distorted humming vocals in the best part of the song.

8. Tyler, The Creator, Doechii - "Balloon"

A beautifully produced symphonic rap track about with bragadocious lyrics with a quirky synth hook. It's giving healthy self-confidence. All the backing vocals and synths are amazingly full. Both Tyler and Doechii's flows are absolutley godly. Words can describe how good this track is even less than they can describe "Honey."

7. Daft Punk, Paul Williams - "Touch"

"Touch" is a very dynamic track, to say the least. It goes from an ASMR-esc noise, to a disco section about some sort of sentient computer who is feinding for the sensation of touch, to a lovely balland telling us that, "Oh. Hold on. If love if the answer you're home. Hold on." It's produced very very well, the drums are very powerful, but don't overpower the rest of the track, all the noise is ver different from the rest of the track, there's a synth solo, and a disco piano. Absolutley amazing

6. Kanye West - "I Wonder"

Banging drums, inspring lyrics, make the track the 6th best song of all time. It's also one of Mike Dean's first production credits on a Kanye West project. The sample cuts out for amazing breakdown, which adds strings and lets the drums go. Amazing.

5. Donkey Kong Conutry 2 OST - "Forest Interlude"

Another frutiger aero track from a DKC2, "Forest Interlude" is one of the best produced tracks ever conceived. It has a wonderful flute parts on top of all the synthesizers, and there's great call and response in the chorus. The drums are dynamic, like one's you'd expect in a Donkey Kong game. I don't know why they made the soundtrack so good for this game.

4. Kendrick Lamar - "Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst"

A two-in-one emotional jazz rap track from good kid m.A.A.d city, "Sing About Me, I'm Dying Of Thirst" looks at life in compton from a big picture sense. It has beautiful production in both the first and second halves, which are very different. The first half, "Sing About Me" is a mellow yet sorrowful set of messages to Kendrick from old friends from compton. The second half, "I'm Dying Of Thirst" is a chorally driven, jarring and dark reflection on life and death in Compton. The song in full ends with Kendrick and his friends giving up violence and repenting to God.

3. Tyler, The Creator - "GONE GONE / THANK YOU"

An orchestral art pop piece in two parts by Tyler, The Creator with a great mastery over synth design and production in general, creative production like adding graniteblock percussion, acoustic guitars, and gunshot sound effects. Absolutley heavenly production. "GONE GONE / THANK YOU" tackles the difficult of a faded love in a relationship and all the emtions that come with leaving.

2. Baby Keem - "16"

A sorrowful yet comforting yet barely decipherable love song that shows the pinnacle of Baby Keem's surprising ability to sing well. It's production very futuristic with various moving synths and glitchy drums. The lyrics are very heartfelt and poetic, yet very down to earth. Wonderful.

Donkey Kong Country 2 OST - "Stickerbrush Symphony"

With a unique and amazing synth kit, a decent beat, and very lyrical composition of said synths, an amazing backing synth that fades in and out of the song, and a catchy meoldy with a catchy synth to play it. "Stickerbrush Symphony" takes risks like not having lyrics, or instruments that are hard to draw parelells to or being released in a video game, but it simply feels safe in structure and melody, Absolutley and amazingly brilliant.

[sloshed-cinema]

The Piano (1993)

The gothic romance, it would appear, has an uncanny valley. Shipped off by her family from rainy Scotland to muddy and rainy New Zealand, Ada McGrath is forced into the arms of her arranged husband Alisdair Stewart. Finding herself in a strange land with her young daughter Flora, Ada is forced to deal with harsh terrain and unfamiliar people, all while needing to communicate through either her daughter’s fiery translation of her sign language, written notes, or rigid and firm body language. She cannot speak, expressing herself instead through her piano playing, and she is stuck between two men. Alisdair is controlling and distant, and local handyman George Baines is coarse and blunt. Both men desire her, and she wants none of them. In its unfolding, The Piano manages to fall directly into the gulf between romance which is transgressive and charged, and that which is intended to be such but just comes across as creepy. Alisdair expects that his chosen spouse perform her duties because that’s her role and generally skulks around; not much needs to be said of him for that part. He is the patriarch incarnate. But George, in his game of exchanging sexual favors for the 88 keys of the piano that he’s holding hostage in a bid to garner her favor, is no better. The relationship blossoming between them seems to be prodded along because the film desires it to go in a direction rather than it happening in an organic sense, coercive that it is. That’s not to say it’s not without wit: writer-director Jane Campion finds indulgence within this, having George finger a hole in Ada’s stocking in an obvious innuendo, and later matching the handyman going down on the landowner’s wife to said landowner peeping in while having his hand eaten out by the family dog. Cue the train entering the tunnel. But the relationship between George and Ada isn’t love borne out of shared suffering, it’s some variation on Stockholm Syndrome. Ada’s position is unenviable, and the film leans into that, but it’s hard to buy that in the grander scheme of things. It just comes off as another case when I have to walk away scratching my head and wondering why movies seem to find these dynamics so sexually interesting. This has all of the trappings of a Wuthering Heights type situation but in its execution cannot balance transgression with coercion.

But perhaps this viewing was colored by my aversion to films that feel the need to hammer in the messaging or symbolism of their narrative. This is more Nathaniel Hawthorne than Haruki Murakami. Early on, we establish that the piano is Ada’s voice in the world. Indeed, her playing is anachronistic in its lyricism and fluidity, commingling freely with composer Michael Nyman’s lyrical and flowing score. People notice and comment on this. But needing to draw attention to something which is already clear is the least of the worries of the film. Throughout, conscious parallels are drawn in the most achingly obvious manner: the church pageant features a pantomime of the Bluebeard tale, a jealous man beheading his wives with an axe. Cue Alisdair with an axe. Ada removes a key from her precious piano, intended as a gift and love-affirmation to George, but it is intercepted by the vengeful Alisdair. By chopping off Ada’s index finger, he deprives her of her pre-stated voice. All of this would be fine, but for the fact that a play within a film literally tells you an idea you’re supposed to pay attention to, and the finger-severing is commented on obliquely when a Māori worker notes that the separated key no longer has a voice. All of this would be poetic but for how sweatily intentional is the presentation of it all. When the parallels are clear by implication, it starts to feel insulting when they get pointed to time and again by characters within the film. To that end, the conclusion of the film feels a little mixed: Ada finds a new life with George, and yet comments on her soul through her piano still binding her to its watery grave. Well, which is it gonna be, Jane? Just drown your character and put this to its watery grave, as you said you wanted to do so later.

The handling of the Māori was… not great. They’re present within the world of the film, as would make sense for the time period of the story. But at no point does the film look their way and think about the effects of colonialism inflicted on these people. Instead, they are largely presented as simpletons who cannot understand theatre effects but are useful when it comes to rowing canoes or carrying cargo.

All said, the ratio of loss from piano keys to human fingers isn’t exactly equivalent. SUCK IT, METAPHOR!!!

THE RULES

SIP

Someone uses a synonym for 'silent'.

Ada starts to play piano.

Close-up of piano hammers.

BIG DRINK

Flora tells a lie.

A number of keys is named in the piano ownership bargain.

Obscene amounts of mud.