#joe cole image

[tomcherryoldtimeradioshow]

Tom Cherry’s Old Time Radio Show returns to the Farmland Community Center on November 26, 2022 at 3:00 pm! The classic fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin will be presented as well as a new episode of The Happy Hoppy Hopper Show! A lucky audience member will get a chance to play It Pays to Be Ignorant and Wendy Carpenter will sing!

The cast includes Wendy Carpenter, Bob Green, Katy Wolfe, Debby Girtman, Joe Skeen, Jim Meyer, Barry McMullen and the sound effects team, Judy Cole and Jeff Rapkin!

That’s November 26 at 3:00 pm at the Farmland Community Center (100 N. Main St, Farmland, Indiana)! Tickets are just a dollar! For more information, please call 765-468-7631.

Radio fun for everyone!

Poster image by Tony Morris

[simmyfrobby]

The Pugilist

Joe Nelson, Fan films unreal view of Vancouvers Kyle Burroughs hammering Wilds Brandon Duhaime | Ariel Glucklich, Sacred Pain: Hurting the Body for the Sake of the Soul | Canucks Army, Analyzing what the Canucks might like about Wild forward Brandon Duhaime | Mikki Tuohy, NHL Trade Rumours: Will the MN Wild Trade Brandon Duhaime? | René Girard, Violence and the Sacred | Kayla Hynnek, Brandon Duhaime Brings It Every Night For The Wild | Max Bultman and Dan Robson, The mental toll of hockey fighting goes beyond getting ‘punched in the face’ | Joel Auerbach via Getty Images | Anne Sexton | Kayla Hynnek | 1 Corinthians 4:9 | Bultman and Robson | Catherine of Siena, The Prayers of Catherine of Siena (trans. Noffke) | Tyson Cole, Analyzing what the Canucks might like about Wild forward Brandon Duhaime | Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, The Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (c. 1599-1600) | Bultman and Robson | Joe Smith, ‘Vintage Flower’: Behind the scenes of Marc-Andre Fleury’s emotional night in Wild’s win | George Bataille, Guilty (trans. Bruce Boone) | Toni Calasanti, Feminist Gerontology and Old Men | Becoming Wild: Brandon Duhaime via YouTube | Cole | Eimear McBride, The Lesser Bohemians | Cole | Vitor Munhoz, NHLI via Getty Images | Elly McCausland, 'Mervayle what hit mente': Interpreting Pained Bodies in Malory's "Morte D’Arthur" | Capfriendly: Brandon Duhaime Injury Updates | Calasanti | McCausland| Kenneth Hodges, Wounded Masculinity: Injury and Gender in Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte DArthur | Becoming Wild: Brandon Duhaime | Dieric Bouts, Christ Crowned With Thorns | David Berding via Getty Images | Bataille | Brandon Duhaime vs Will Borgen Feb 24, 2024 | Michael Russo and Joe Smith, Brandon Duhaime traded by the Wild: Why they moved him, and what he adds to the Avalanche | The Winter House (2022) dir. Keith Boynton | Joe Smith, Wild’s special teams deliver, Fleury exits early on ‘Fight Night’: Key takeaways vs. Panthers | Vibeke Olson, Penetrating the Void: Picturing the wound in Christ’s side as a performative space | Joe Smith, What Brandon Duhaime’s deal means for Wild salary-cap situation and Filip Gustavsson talks | Girard | Ocean Vuong, Devotion | Caravaggio, Sacrifice of Isaac (1598) | Bultman and Robson | Bultman and Robson | Bultman and Robson | Amelia Arenas, Sex, Violence and Faith: The Art of Caravaggio | Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov | Girard | Michael Russo and Joe Smith, Wild GM Bill Guerin working phones ahead of trade deadline, no regrets over training-camp extensions | Concannon, “Not for an Olive Wreath, but Our Lives”: Gladiators, Athletes, and Early Christian Bodies | Matt Blewett - USA Sports | Michael Russo and Joe Smith, Wild trade tiers: Who is on the block? Who could be dangled? Who is untouchable? | Thornton Wilder, Our Town

[dream-this-nightmare-over]

Joe Cole imagine

This one is for @shelundeadxxxx (i see you bestie), and @fckyeahjoecole (wake up bestie wherever you are, its been 5 years since we heard from you yet your posts are curing my new obsession), and @moonlit-void-to-the-far-unknown cause you are hoe for this man just like me.

You can find more of my imagines in my book Imagines on wattpad.

Hope you enjoy as much as I enjoyed getting lost in this daydream and eventually sitting down to write it.

Text came on 21st of July out of nowhere when y/n already thought it will be another cold summer.

'You me 9pm screening'

Joe never forgot his friend and deal they made on one of Ed's dinner parties or was it on some other occasion they gravitated almost always toward each other naturally pulled through people who's attention never brought peace like that of a friend in mischief. They would find each other and leave the crowd or stick to each other making rounds settling in corner with champagne and micro cupcakes making up what they taste like cause trends all seem to be tasteless left to one's interpretation, making fun of pumpered faces who only knew to call them out for being themselves.

They were going to see Oppenheimer together, on opening day. It was pinky promise sealed with smiles that even from shadows put candlelight to shame.

They meet outside, under glow of newly installed Barbenheimer titles at entrance, when heat died down a bit, and dusk rushed to its paintbrushes coloring hastily sky in purples and blues, overneeded relief in scenery. 'Hey you!' Joe excitedly greets coming toward y/n. As she was watching him come closer, mental image appeared and it grew bigger until he was in his full John attire walking John walk spreading his arms sassy and coy, feisty edges softened to gentleness and consideration irl. Perhaps this is why its so easy to fall for actors: they can be anybody they can play into any role we think of in our heads, its easy to imagine them following another script, no one knows who they really are, a mold for imaginative minds, perhaps even they don't recognize the reflection without all the makeup and pretence, it's easier to look at world through anyone's eyes but your own. They share their significant handshake, he doesn't part but pulls her in quick hug and they fall in easy chatter of laughs and jokes. It was hard to believe y/n will see any of the movie cause his eyes held her whole world and attention and thoughts captive. No imagination could compete with real thing. Drown me in you, for i am sinner.

In one incredibly brave moment during movie, Joe looked over at his friend, in darkness he can let go of his shyness social restraints loose it's okay to give air to your feelings and appreciate the moment indulge in secret admiration he will mask with smile when caught; from blue shadows playing on her face thought arose flickered into wonder what would cillian think of them together, if maybe he had it already figured out, he wondered if it's possible to love without flexing about it, if anything can survive without going through ordeal of condemnation, and he was pained to conclude this friendship is too sacred for world to touch it with their critical prejudicial opinions. But then she smiled at him quizzically and he knew he thinks too much. Love finds a way. It curves like river changes environment reshapes the world until it finds its freedom.

Neither wished for night to end. It was too late to chase one masterpiece with another, so they decided to meet tomorrow at same time to see Barbie.

They walked from cinema aimlessly wandering through town, hoping they never run out of pathways that lead to merging point from where no goodbye needs to be said again.

He held her hand never letting go laughing as she laughed at stars, pulled her back and spun her around in the middle of street under street lamp, slow danced night away, until sudden rain sent them running opera reaching its crescendo. They stood under his jacket he kept overhead covered stage them main characters , everything is funny if company is non judgemental, pitter-patter matching musical of hearts clock ticking midnight, y/n was lost in haze from when he put his arm around her in the dark and kept it there through breaks and credits as she showed him reaction memes that were already pouring Internet and they compared their experience with 'same. Omg so true. He killed it. Omg yes that part was something else'

She stayed the night, on his couch. He left the door open so they never feel too far away, he didn't want to keep walls when around her, he was tired of feeling forced separation from what he wants, forced pretence forced silencing of hapiness found.

On brink of slipping away, he realised he didn't kiss her. There will come time for that. Right words aren't born yet. But it's all in the making.

They went to show love for their friend Cillian but it was all masterly planned and excuted excuse to show love for each other.

In the morning, they checked the earliest showtime for barbie and went cause they were too excited to wait and there was no real reason to, since yesterday turned into tomorrow, friends turned to I never want you to go, time was theirs to make or break but they were way ahead of doubt it can't catch them now. Joe only smirked when y/n pulled bright shade of pink lipstick form her bag and offered it to him with innocent mischief written in her eye, he smirked cause her knew he will love her for the rest of the time they have together. He wouldnt check even if he had chance. Destiny can't be manipulated, so what's the point of knowing the outcome, you can't enjoy the ride if you only worry about the the end. End comes whether we try to fight the current or go with the flow. So why not relax and enjoy?

It was y/n's couch from then on.

[ryukang1995]

I was bored, so I did a movie cast meme featuring characters present within my AU based on the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie.

The cast: - The hero - Liu Kang (Ludi Lin)

- The hero's love interest - Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee)

- The sidekick - Kung Lao (Max Huang)

- The sidekick's friend - Cole Young (Lewis Tan)

- The sidekick's second friend - Jax (Mehcad Brooks)

- The sidekick's love interest - Li Mei (no actress yet)

- The redeemer - Kuai Liang/Sub-Zero (Yoshi Sudarso)

- The redeemer's friend - Hanzo Hasashi/Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada)

- The redeemer's love interest - Kitana (Adeline Rudolph)

- The hero's parents - Lee Kang and Lin Kang

- The hero's best friend - same as the sidekick

- The hero's superior - Raiden (Tadanobu Asano)

- The traitor - Kano (Josh Lawson)

- The traitor's friend - Kabal

- The traitor's second friend - nobody else (I can't really see anyone else befriending Kano)

- The one who dies first - Johnny Cage (Karl Urban)

- The villain - Shang Tsung (Chin Han)

- The villain's bodyguard - Goro

- The villain's henchmen - Bi Han/Noob Saibot (Joe Taslim), Mileena (Sisi Stringer), Syzoth/Reptile, and Reiko (Nathan Jones)

- The villain's love interest - Nitara (Mel Jarnson)

Author's notes:

- While Karl Urban is playing Johnny Cage in the upcoming sequel, I used the image of Simpy Cage aka his counterpart from the Legends animated movies. I'm not too excited for the sequel, one of the reasons why is because of a huge emphasis on Johnny Cage and what his role will be over arguably more important things like whether or not Liu Kang will be the hero and defeat Shang Tsung.

- Jade, Shao Kahn, Sindel, Quan Chi, Baraka and Jerrod have been cast for the upcoming sequel, but I did leave them out of this meme since I had nowhere to include them. I could have easily cast Jade as Kung Lao's love interest, and it's great if you ship them, though I kinda ship him with Li Mei more.

- The images for Li Mei and Reiko are from New MK1 since Li Mei is not in the film universe yet (and whether or not she will be depends on whether or not the film franchise keeps going), and the way Reiko was depicted in MK 2021 was really lame.

- Yoshi Sudarso isn't confirmed to be Kuai Liang/Sub-Zero in the sequel (at least, as far as I'm aware), but he is quite a fan favorite choice to play the character if he ever does appear in the film universe.

That's all for now.

[justthegreat1]

Talk To The Hand: Talk To Me Review

Pictured above is the Talk To Me poster.

Image credit: A24

So, this will be my 2nd A24 movie review and I am still processing this movie so if this review isn’t great, I’m sorry. Now, when I first heard about this movie which was a month ago, I honestly thought “oh great…another possession movie.”, but no this is not your typical possession movie and I’m going to tell you right now dear reader… I think this might be one of the best years to be a horror fan. Anyways, enough talking and cut to the chase and “Talk” about this movie in this spoiler-free review…I’m sorry about the pun.

Talk To Me is a 2023 supernatural horror film directed by Danny and Michael Philippou (RackaRacka) and this is their feature film directorial debut. Talk To Me is produced by Samantha Jennings and Kristina Ceyton. This movie is written by Danny Philippou and Bill Hinzman. The cast includes Sophie Wilde as Mia, Alexandra Jensen as Jade, Joe Bird as Riley, Otis Dhanji as Daniel, Miranda Otto as Sue, Zoe Terakes as Hayley, Chris Alosio as Joss, Marcus Johnson as Max, Alexandria Steffensen as Rhea, Ari McCarthy as Cole, and Sunny Johnson as Duckett.

The Plot:

When a group of friends discover how to conjure spirits using an embalmed hand, they become hooked on the new thrill, until one of them goes too far and unleashes terrifying supernatural forces.

Positives:

One positive I have about this movie was how the cast worked so well with each other, each cast member nailed their roles…especially Sophie Wilde, her performance makes the viewer feel what she goes through, and she was unsettling in the possession scene which was shown in the second trailer. I appreciated how each character didn’t feel like just another body count as they served their purpose.

Pictured above is Mia in of the many possession scenes in the movie.

Image credit: A24

The second positive I have about this movie was that it didn’t depend on jump scares or violence (except for one scene) to make you feel uncomfortable, rather it was the story itself that made the viewer feel uncomfortable. This movie was made to make you feel something whether that’s discomfort, fear, or whatever emotion you get from watching this movie.

Pictured above is the character of Riley played by Joe Bird in a very unfortunate situation.

Image credit: A24

The third positive is that I’m glad we don’t get a clear explanation as to where the hand comes from, we get hints throughout the movie from the characters, but I liked how they don’t fill the movie with exposition on where the hand came from. This movie is straight to the point which is another positive I have about this movie. It isn’t slow like Insidious: The Red Door or too fast, it is a crisp 1 hour 35 minutes which is a great run time for a movie like this.

Pictured above is the hand that each of the characters used to communicate with the dead.

Image credit: A24

Negatives:

Sooooo, when it came to the negatives, I couldn’t think of one. Now I’m not calling the movie perfect by any means, but when I rewatch this movie I’m sure I will find some flaws but right now, I think this might be one of the better supernatural horror films we had in awhile (Conjuring 2 being my favorite one).

My overall thoughts:

I think this movie is worth your time if you want a supernatural horror movie that has plenty of twists and turns throughout to keep you invested, likeable characters throughout, and has plenty of suspenseful moments. I can picture myself owning this on physical media and rewatching it to find things I might’ve missed in my first viewing.

What did you think about Talk To Me if you have seen it?

Feel free to comment your thoughts and please keep the comments respectful.

Thank you!

Where to watch Talk To Me?

Talk To Me can currently be watched in movie theaters.

[dewitty1]

Monday, April 8,2024

IMPORTANT

PLEASE SHARE FROM THE FAMILY OF

COLE BRINGS PLENTY

!! Joseph 'Joe" Brings Plenty, Sr. respectfully requests that anyone who has created merchandise featuring his son Cole's name, face, image, or likeness and is selling it please stop. No one has spoken to Joe, and he is unaware of anyone speaking to any family member about it. Even if someone had, Joe would have kindly asked them not to, as his son's passing is not and should not be an opportunity to make money.

!! Mo Brings Plenty has never contacted anyone through direct messages on any

social media platform. We want to remind everyone that the people posing as Mo will tell you whatever they think you want to hear to gain your trust and/or sympathy, but it's all a scam. If you trust anything, trust this Mo does not, has not, and will never use direct messages to contact people. If you think you have been speaking to Mo, you haven't; the frauds are using 'sympathy; to ask for money.

!! We know some will not honor the family's wishes that they not sell merchandise.

Like we know, despite our repeated statements that Mo does not engage in direct messaging, some still mistakenly believe otherwise.

All we can do is urge everyone not to purchase or believe. Thank you.

COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT

MlCHELLE SHINING ELK 661-200-4822 TEXT IS BEST

[deepdisireslonging]

Choices: Epilogue

A month after the reveal of the Dealer, Wardlow hosts another Bull Session with new seats at the table. They finalize, as a group, a deal that benefits all of them.

Warnings/Promises: paperwork, thinly-veiled threats

Word Count: 1302

Chapter 11: Ace of Hearts

March 26, 1929

The dining room chairs creaked as the visitors readied to leave.

Joe finished making his mark, laying down the pen without flourish or theatrics. When he looked up from his seat on one end of the table, several of the other visitors shied away from his glance. As they should, he marked with a nod. Today, he was a visitor as well. Sitting far away from where he had eaten many a meal as the right hand. At the far end, directly across and directly in view, Wardlow stood up.

“Then it’s settled.” The War Dog watched Joe flick his thumb over the bottom edge of the page. “We are all agreed and mutually beholden to keep our previous violence to a minimum moving forward. Chicago is not a war zone, despite what the press accuses us of. And if we are able to handle… situations like men of business instead of bullets, then we can keep the law from breathing down our necks. Though,” he nodded at Jericho, “we appreciate your inflow of information from the force as always, as well as your… guidance of their warrants.”

Across from one another, Julia Hart did nothing to muffle her snicker. If Jericho had any inclination of telling her to speak her mind so he could answer, the slow way she dragged her finger down the front of her chest buttons stopped him. Her movements boldly outlined the blade there. And, in an effort not to repeat the experience from the last Bull Session, Jericho snapped his jaw shut. He nodded at Wardlow to mark his compliance, much to Omega and Co’s amusement.

Reaching over the table, Friedman picked up the paper they all had signed, with their aliases of course. On the surface of the ink, it was a simple agreement of donations to the city. Nothing about territory borders or about the agreement to cut down inter-family disagreements. If anyone thought to use this ambiguity for their benefit later, and stir things up, there was a spoken agreement that all the crews would send one person each to remind the offshoot of the new order. Friedman had been skeptical at first, but he had soon realized the benefit to his public image with such a paper.

He bobbed his head. “Will Miss Garnier be sending round a copy for all of us?” He mockingly caught his mistake. “My apologies. I had forgotten that she is no longer in your employ. But her voice, shall we say, is all over this. Did she write this for you before she left?”

Only Spears dared to see how Wardlow’s ire was hackled at the mention and veiled threat towards Esther. But the leader went on. “No. She didn’t write a word. Though she inspired it.”

“How is she?”

Joe hmphed. “Probably happy in her retirement with Starks. You flipped them.” He shook his head with a sniff. “Not how I would have done it.”

“Yes, and we all know how you would have done it. How you tried to do it.” Adam Cole leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on the table while Britt Baker smiled dangerously at his side. They were keeping separate territories, having separate enterprises. And with Cole’s arrival, Joe’s controlled move, and Jade Cargill’s new entry, the table was crowded by the three new spots.

Unperturbed, Joe leaned back in his chair, crossing his hands over his stomach like a baron who had everything he wanted. “Do you even know where they are? That they aren’t planning something? It is Starks, after all. He can’t sit still for long.”

If anyone caught the glance he slid over to Cargill, Wardlow didn’t care. If anyone did see, he didn’t care what they thought either. “I don’t know, and I don’t care to.” He leveled his gaze with his former lieutenant. “And even if I did… I wouldn’t tell you.”

“Finally,” Joe grinned, “a smart stance.”

In only a few more minutes, the meeting broke up. Wardlow invited Omega and the brothers to stay for drinks but was relieved when they declined. Once everyone was gone, he and Spears would walk the contract to the office safe, which had, surprisingly, been Joe’s suggestion. After all, he did know more than anyone how secure it would be there than anywhere else. All the combinations had been changed in the house, though.  

At the door, the last one there, Joe paused when putting on his hat and coat. “You’ve grown up quite a bit, boy, since I last saw you,” he grinned, “on that windy day in February.”

Warmly, Wardlow took the hand offered to him. “Thank you. And you seem more at ease, now that you’re not having to sneak around.”

That made Joe’s smile disappear. He remained cordial until he walked out the door, but he would always be a threat.

The clattering of a tray announced Mrs. Anne’s entry into the office a half-hour after the contract was sealed away. She prepared their drinks while Spears eyed the small plate of tea biscuits. “Another successful meeting. If I might request-”

“I’ve already arranged it. We won’t be hosting the next one.” Wardlow took his cup of coffee (with only a splash of milk) and settled into one of the high-back chairs in front of his desk. Spears took his cup of coffee (with a single sugar lump). And Ares rested his head on his master’s knee. Still, the housekeeper lingered. “Yes, Mrs. Anne?”

She hesitated. “Do – do you really not know where they are? Or even if they are – if they are alright?” Her knuckles paled and recovered as she wrung her hands. In the other chair, Spear’s cup hovered between the saucer and his lips as he waited for the answer.

Wardlow took a careful sip of his tea. “For their safety, I don’t know any details, no. But-” he saw Mrs. Anne’s shoulders perk in hope. “Ms. Cargill is keeping tabs on them by way of Taz, since he helped get them out. The less we know, the better. It means they are doing just fine. I have also been assured, that if they ever need help, we’ll be notified.”

“Thank you, sir.” Mrs. Anne breathed a sigh of relief. “That is – that is good to hear.” With a dip of her head, she left.

But a careful nervousness still shivered in the room. Spears reached out for a biscuit off the tray. “What about what Joe said? It is Starks. Think he’ll actually stay out of the business?”

“Absolutely. He’d never willingly endanger Miss Garnier.”

Spears nibbled at the edges of his treat. “Think Joe will try to tie up loose ends?”

Another careful sip. “If Joe wants to bother Cargill for news, he’s welcome to. But I’d like to have a ringside seat when he tries. He’ll discover she’s a force to be reckoned with.” He smiled. “He was right. Starks won’t hide for long. He’ll find trouble eventually. But we also know Esther – Miss Garnier. She’ll keep him out of the worst of it.” He placed his cup and saucer down with a clatter. “Speaking of ringside seats, Taz has already reserved us some tickets for his kid’s opening match. Facing some newcomer known only as the ‘Creole Heat.’ Would you like to go? He sent two tickets.”

It took a second to register. When it did, Spears almost choked on his drink. “So – he, they – yeah. Why not? Let’s see how the professional’s fight. Maybe we’ll learn something.”

“Maybe we will.”

And maybe, Wardlow hoped, they’d see a familiar feminine face in the crowd watching a familiar fighter known as the ‘Creole Heat.’

\\\***///

Bonus info: the date of this meeting was the date for Purim (Esther’s holiday) in 1929.

Note: Thank you all for reading! This series has really been a labor of love. Now that it's all posted and shared with you, I am relieved. But you know what's funny? I wasn't even finished with the final edit for this series before my brain was coming up with scenes for a completely separate new project! I have no idea if/when that might come out, but keep an eye out.

Thank you to my beta readers for giving me insightful feedback. It made the final edition of this series the wonderful, polished version it is. I wouldn't have felt confident enough to post this without your help and loving feedback.

As always: comments, gif and emoji reactions, and reblogs are super appreciated. If you don't know what to say: let me know who you thought the Dealer was! That was the most fun with my Beta readers seeing how their guesses changed with each chapter.

***

Choices Masterlist

[deepdreamnights]

Eternal Galaxy WEE'J Package Art Painting

Thundering across the plains of Planet Feyr, WEE'J, mighty steed of Nel-Zon the Hundsman. His speed, digging power, and powerful lightning blast attack exceed that of any other blizenweenie and no crystal-badger is his equal!

A companion piece to Harr-Le, and like that one, Wee'j was a gift, in this case to my friend Cole, to commemorate his first two dogs, PJ (Weej) and Nelson, a pair of adorable but very energetic dachshunds.

Process under the fold.

Prompts are difficult to convey in this instance. I used a combination of image prompting with mockups like this:

Mixed with early text attempts and multiple prompt-shifts in mid iteration. Most of that did not work directly, and I had to accomplish the overall composition mostly with photoediting and compositing.

This would be the "primary" Wee'J generation. Background was made entirely separately from multiple gens, with color editing and graphic design elements after.

Main prompt: a wolfman warrior rides a giant blue dachshund into battle::1 weenie dog with mecha-saddle::1 breathing lightning::1 wearing mecha saddle::1 background of a castle made from giant stone lamps, mountains resembling dressers and end tables, glowing suns in the sky::1.5 battle painting, Masters of the Universe package painting, 1985, by frank frazetta, hector garrera,, joe jusko, jack kirby, pulp fantasy painting

[cozyaliensuperstar7]

Beautiful Black People 👑

essence:

He’s charming, he’s charismatic, he’s a movie star! Colman Domingo is having the best week ever! Fresh off his Oscar nomination, Colman has been tapped to take on the roles of two iconic men in American history. It’s been announced he will be playing the patriarch of the Jackson family, Joe Jackson, in the new Michael Jackson biopic. He will also star and direct a film about the original King of Crooning Nat “King” Cole. On top of that, the man is cleaner than the all-white room that no one’s allowed to go in at your grandmother's house! Suited and booted! Colman, congratulations on all your success! Swipe to see how we hope you’re walking into this winning season!📸: Getty Images/Instagram

theestallion:

❄️❄️❄️

jadecargill:

Everybody want to kick it when you ain’t a threat ♟️ these bitches don’t like me cause they know I’m ON THEY NECK 🧨

chloebailey:

whole lotta woman

blackmagcovers:

@naomi for @elleuk by @quillemons. Editor in Chief: @kenyahunt

Stylist: @georgmedley

Hair: @rio_hair

Make-Up: @paintedbyesther

#blackmagcovers #blackmagblackphotog #naomicampbell

aew:

Did @SwerveConfident continue his 2024 momentum past a determined @JeffHardyBrand?| 1/24/24 #AEWDynamite

brainbuster_:

WHO’S HOUSE??? 2023 cemented Swerve Strickland as a top level competitor in AEW. His intentions for 2024 look to be laser focused on the AEW World Championship.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Many House Republicans are furious with a band of far-right rebels who they say are holding the party hostage by repeatedly rejecting its nominee for Speaker.

But there’s one thing they’re so far unwilling to do: work with a faction of Democrats to elect a centrist Speaker to govern the narrow GOP majority and teach the rabble-rousers a lesson.

"That's really off the table," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., who has built a reputation as an institutionalist over the years. "I don't think anybody voted to do that. I don’t think that works very well in any time. I think it's particularly unsuited to these times. The polarization is too great."

Cole said that for all the House GOP divisions, "there's no question" that most members in the caucus are closer in policy and vision to the anti-McCarthy rebels than they are to centrist Democrats.

Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., who calls himself a "pragmatic conservative," also dismissed the idea as a fantasy. “Anybody who’s imagining some sort of unity or fusion approach, I think, is probably paying more attention to Aaron Sorkin movies than they are to how this place normally functions," he said.

The unwillingness of most House Republicans to cut a deal with Democrats to pick a Speaker weakens their leverage in the showdown with a group of 20 right-wing lawmakers who want to defeat Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who is backed by 90% of the GOP caucus. It also serves as a preview of how the moderates may operate in stalemates over must-pass bills over the next two years, like funding the government and averting debt default, which far-right members are already threatening unless the measures are attached to ambitious conservative priorities.

The GOP divisions have led to six failed ballots for Speaker — the first time in a century a House majority has required multiple attempts to elect a Speaker. They risk further damage to the Republican Party’s image after an underwhelming performance in the 2022 midterm elections that led to their current wafer-thin majority.

It’s a precarious situation for the moderate members, who are more likely to represent swing districts and could suffer the most from a tarnished party image. By contrast, the far-right Republicans mostly hail from safe red districts and face little threat of losing their seats to Democrats in a general election.

McCarthy and his deputies continued to negotiate with the right-wing forces Wednesday to address their demands, which include making it easier to overthrow a Speaker and promises involving votes on legislation, committee assignments and more. Much of the caucus sees the demands as unreasonable and irresponsible, and McCarthy himself has accused those lawmakers of acting selfishly and not in the best interest of the country.

The talks failed to produce a breakthrough Wednesday, and the House voted 216-214 to adjourn until noon Thursday.

Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who represents a district President Joe Biden carried in 2020, is a rare Republican who has publicly floated the idea of working with Democrats on a consensus pick, but he acknowledged there aren’t serious negotiations at this time.

"If they're not going to work with us, then we'll push this down the court more," he said of the far-right lawmakers. "There will be folks on the other side of the aisle that will make a deal with us when it comes to working on committees and things like that. But we don’t want to go down this path too far. This is about Kevin McCarthy right now, giving them every opportunity."

As Bacon and other McCarthy allies dangle the possibility of a bipartisan speaker to secure the votes to make him Speaker, the anti-McCarthy faction is calling their bluff.

Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., who has voted against McCarthy all six times, said he doesn’t believe any Republicans would go around the House Freedom Caucus and team up with Democrats to pick a Speaker. If they did, he said, they should lose their next Republican primaries.

DEMOCRATS OPEN DOOR TO CONSENSUS SPEAKER

Some Democrats say they’re open to negotiating a consensus speaker. Progressive Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and others say they want conditions, among them that a Speaker candidate vow not to allow the debt limit to be used as a weapon to force policy concessions.

Without a Speaker, the House can’t conduct any business, raising the stakes for members of both parties who want to govern or launch investigations with each day the impasse continues.

"We have big items facing the country — everything from the debt ceiling to Ukraine to — obviously, we're going to have to run the government," said Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, the Democratic co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. "Right now, it's on their plate. This is on their side to figure out their housekeeping. They have to pick a Speaker. But we all have a responsibility to run the country."

Gottheimer said the divided government presents opportunities for the parties to work together on domestic manufacturing, semiconductor production, immigration reform, mental health and support for police. "Will the House be set up to govern and run the country?" he said. "If their extremists win and are empowered, that makes governing more difficult for the country."

But Gottheimer's Republican co-chair in the Problem Solvers Caucus, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, is instead helping McCarthy negotiate with Freedom Caucus holdouts, saying the discussions have been "more productive" in small groups.

Some of McCarthy's opponents insist they won’t back down, expressing a high tolerance for chaos and willingness to keep dealing defeat after defeat to their party's leadership.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., said he’ll keep blocking McCarthy from the Speakership “until the cherry blossoms fall off the trees” — which typically occurs in April.

Frustration with Gaetz and his faction ran high Wednesday.

"This group has now managed to kind of snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. And in the victory was this Republican majority," Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., told reporters. "There is negotiation, and then there’s holding the rest of us hostage. And 20 don't get to do that to 201."

But Waltz didn’t present a solution to tame the rebels, saying, "I'm going to vote for Kevin McCarthy as long as he’s on the ballot."

[sweetsmellosuccess]

Black Panther Live: Philadelphia Orchestra

Five thoughts on a fabulous Sunday afternoon with the orchestra at the Kimmel Center in downtown Philadelphia

The Kimmel Center is a wonderful place to hear the orchestra, but needs a larger movie screen. So much was wonderful about the experience of seeing Ryan Coogler’s 2018 film, which remains one of the high-water marks of the entire MCU, accompanied by the Philadelphia Orchestra, one of the world’s finest ensembles, along with world-renowned tama “living drum” master, Massamba Diop, that the one glaring downside  —  the Kimmel’s movie screen feels more than a tad small for the space its filling  — stood out. The acoustics are grand, the seats comfortable, the space itself inviting and spectacular, so the lone weak link in the production was the screen, dwarfed, as it was, by everything else around it. It certainly wasn’t a deal-breaker by any means, but one could easily see how much more impact a larger image might have on the whole enterprise. I understand it’s not something the Kimmel does on a very regular basis, but still well worth looking into. 

The film has aged powerfully, if not steeped in the tragic. There is much to love about Coogler’s film  —  so many scenes one could look forward to with anticipatory glee  — but every scene, even the goofy camaraderie between T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and his kid sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright)  —  becomes shaded in somber tones due to Boseman’s tragic death back in 2020. It’s difficult to watch the film, even as joyful an expression of multiculturalism as it is, and not feel the weight of that loss (very much well-covered in the film’s sequel, Wakanda Forever, in which the loss of Boseman permeates every moment). All leading roles are designed to be central to a film’s focus, but Boseman’s generous warmth and decency powers the entire operation in such a way that you can’t imagine anyone else in the role (as evidenced in the sequel’s difficulty in trying to fill the Panther’s be-clawed boots). As good as Coogler’s film is  —  and, in the writing and storytelling, specifically, it’s among the very best of the MCU  —  it doesn’t work half as well without Boseman’s presence. I spent much of the film’s first act with tears welling in my eyes. He remains a tremendous loss. 

Andy Serkis’ Ulysses Klaue is a fabulous villain, but Killmonger remains king. If the MCU indeed has a #villainproblem, Panther managed to offer not one great baddie, but two, and for totally different reasons. It’s easy to hate Klaue  —  a gregarious mercenary, filled with evil bonhomie and ruthless skullduggery (helpful that Serkis himself appears to be having such a blast in the role), who makes his nefarious living stealing precious items and selling them to the highest bidder, the world be damned  —  but Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger is a whole other story. Ruthless, brutal, and terrifyingly focused, he is, as Martin Freeman’s character Agent Ross informs us, doing things exactly as he’s been trained to by the U.S. military black ops division. Killmonger’s point, that after centuries of suffering, it’s time for the racial hierarchy to be upended with black people on top, actually makes perfect sense, in any sort of just world, even if his methodology is aggressively savage. He’s such a compelling character, in fact, with pride, menace, and swag veritably dripping off of Jordan’s skin, it’s pretty clear Coogler, along with co-writer Joe Robert Cole, had to tip the morality scales a wee bit with Killmonger (having him threaten an innocent gardener, burn the sacred flowers to the ground so there can’t be any more panthers, and gut Forest Whitaker’s Zuri in cold blood, all while sneering contempt for the ancient ways of the Wakandans), in order to make the audience actually want him to lose at the end. To balance that balance, the screenwriters see fit to give him a hero’s sort of death, defiant, significant, and on his own terms. A lot of other actors would have withered against the powerhouse charisma of Jordan, but Boseman is well up to the task, which creates a spectacular dynamic between the two dedicated actors. 

Having the live orchestra, along with Massamba Diop, adds an element to the excellent soundtrack. Honestly, I’m not normally one who terribly much notices a film’s score  —  at least, at first listen  —  unless it’s dramatically amazing or frustratingly distracting, even one as solid as Ludwig Göransson’s work for Panther, but having it performed as a separate entity, in harmony with the film, but not directly of it, sets it off from the screen just enough to allow iit hit with that much more force, enhancing the entire experience. On top of that, with the master showman Diop front and center of the orchestra, set off in his own booth, facing the audience, and leaping to his feet at key orchestral moments, it sort of bridges the gap between film and theater. It’s a spectacle that crackles with energy. 

Seeing the film with a packed house of rabid devotees was a singular experience. The crowd was amped for this event, and I mean, they were loud, hype, and effusive. They cheered when the orchestra sat down, they cheered when the first violinist took the stage, they cheered when conductor Damon Gupton swung out, and they cheered wildly when Gupton introduced Diop, who came out in a shimmering orange robe/pants ensemble. They kept cheering throughout the film  —  when Okoye (Danai Gurira) answers as to whether she would cut down even her beloved (Daniel Kaluuya) in defense of her country by hissing “Without question!” the audience erupted in thunderous approval  —  and they kept a deep, respectful silence during Killmonger’s death scene. You didn’t hear any chattering. You didn’t see people checking their texts, or basketball scores. Everyone was there in respectful reverence to the film, which made for a glorious communal experience. This is why having an 85” flatscreen still can’t compare to watching a huge film in an enormous setting, amongst a throng of equally devoted true believers. There’s simply nothing else like it. 

[cyarskaren52]

https://web.archive.org/web/20200127175703/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/26/arts/music/grammy-winners.html

2020 Grammy Winners: The Complete List

https://web.archive.org/web/20200127172755im_/https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/01/26/arts/26grammys-winners-billie/merlin_167891961_805fe086-4b08-486d-9d8e-20c0069f55bf-superJumbo.jpg?quality=90&auto=webp

Compiled by Lauren Messman

Published Jan. 26, 2020Updated Jan. 27, 2020, 10:28 a.m. ET

The 62nd annual Grammy Awards were on Sunday. Here are highlights from the show:

Billie Eilish won five awards, including record, album and song of the year, capping a night that also saw multiple wins for Lizzo and Lil Nas X.

Our critics and writers weigh in on the best and worst moments.

Lizzo and host Alicia Keys kicked off the show by addressing the death of the basketball star Kobe Bryant.

The ousted Grammys chief Deborah Dugan is at war with the Recording Academy. In a speech, Keys seemed to reference the turmoil.

Check out the red carpet looks.

See the complete list of winners below:

Record of the Year

“Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish

Album of the Year

“When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” Billie Eilish

Song of the Year

“Bad Guy,” Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

Best New Artist

Billie Eilish

Best Pop Solo Performance

“Truth Hurts,” Lizzo

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance

“Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

Best Pop Vocal Album

“When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” Billie Eilish

Best Rock Performance

“This Land,” Gary Clark Jr.

Best Rock Song

“This Land,” Gary Clark Jr., songwriter (Gary Clark Jr.)

Best Rock Album

“Social Cues,” Cage the Elephant

Best Alternative Music Album

“Father of the Bride,” Vampire Weekend

Best Metal Performance

“7empest,” Tool

Best R&B Performance

“Come Home,” Anderson .Paak featuring André 3000

Best R&B Song

“Say So,” PJ Morton, songwriter (PJ Morton featuring JoJo)

Best Urban Contemporary Album

“Cuz I Love You (Deluxe),” Lizzo

Best R&B Album

“Ventura,” Anderson .Paak

Best Traditional R&B Performance

“Jerome,” Lizzo

Best Rap Performance

“Racks in the Middle,” Nipsey Hussle featuring Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy

Best Rap Song

“A Lot,” Jermaine Cole, Dacoury Natche, 21 Savage and Anthony White, songwriters (21 Savage featuring J. Cole)

Best Rap Album

“Igor,” Tyler, the Creator

Best Rap/Sung Performance

“Higher,” DJ Khaled featuring Nipsey Hussle and John Legend

Best Country Solo Performance

“Ride Me Back Home,” Willie Nelson

Best Country Album

“While I’m Livin’,” Tanya Tucker

Best Jazz Instrumental Album

“Finding Gabriel,” Brad Mehldau

Best Latin Pop Album

“#Eldisco,” Alejandro Sanz

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album

“El Mal Querer,” Rosalía

Best Americana Album

“Oklahoma,” Keb’ Mo’

Best Song Written for Visual Media

“I’ll Never Love Again (Film Version),” Natalie Hemby, Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey and Aaron Raitiere, songwriters (Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper)

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical

Finneas

Best Music Video

“Old Town Road (Official Movie),” Calmatic, video director; Candice Dragonas, Melissa Larsen and Saul Levitz, video producers (Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus)

Best Comedy Album

“Sticks & Stones,” Dave Chappelle

Best Musical Theater Album

“Hadestown,” Reeve Carney, André De Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada and Patrick Page, principal soloists; Mara Isaacs, David Lai, Anaïs Mitchell and Todd Sickafoose, producers (Anaïs Mitchell, composer and lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

Best Instrumental Composition

“Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Symphonic Suite,” John Williams, composer (John Williams)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella

“Moon River,” Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals“All Night Long,” Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier featuring Jules Buckley, Take 6 and Metropole Orkest)

A Grammys Red Carpet Fantasia

We went to the Grammys red carpet in Los Angeles.

Best Recording Package

Chris Cornell, Barry Ament, Jeff Ament and Joe Spix, art directors (Chris Cornell)

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package

“Woodstock: Back to the Garden — The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive,” Masaki Koike, art director (Various Artists)

Best Album Notes

“Stax ’68: A Memphis Story,” Steve Greenberg, album notes writer (Various Artists)

Best Historical Album

“Pete Seeger: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection,” Jeff Place and Robert Santelli, compilation producers; Pete Reiniger, mastering engineer (Pete Seeger)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical

“When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?,” Rob Kinelski and Finneas O’Connell, engineers; John Greenham, mastering engineer (Billie Eilish)

Best Remixed Recording

“I Rise (Tracy Young’s Pride Intro Radio Remix),” Tracy Young, remixer (Madonna)

Best Immersive Audio Album

“Lux,” Morten Lindberg, immersive audio engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive audio mastering engineer; Morten Lindberg, immersive audio producer (Anita Brevik, Trondheimsolistene and Nidarosdomens Jentekor)

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album

“Mettavolution,” Rodrigo y Gabriela

Best Gospel Performance/Song

“Love Theory,” Kirk Franklin, songwriter (Kirk Franklin)

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song

“God Only Knows,” Josh Kerr, Jordan Reynolds, Joel Smallbone, Luke Smallbone and Tedd Tjornhom, songwriters (For King & Country and Dolly Parton)

Best Gospel Album

“Long Live Love,” Kirk Franklin

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

“Burn the Ships,” For King & Country

Best Roots Gospel Album

“Testimony,” Gloria Gaynor

Best World Music Album

“Celia,” Angelique Kidjo

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media

“A Star Is Born,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media

“Chernobyl,” Hildur Guonadottir, composer

Best New Age Album

“Wings,” Peter Kater

Best American Roots Performance

“Saint Honesty,” Sara Bareilles

Best American Roots Song

“Call My Name,” Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins, songwriters (I’m With Her)

Best Bluegrass Album

“Tall Fiddler,” Michael Cleveland

Best Traditional Blues Album

“Tall, Dark & Handsome,” Delbert McClinton and Self-Made Men + Dana

Best Contemporary Blues Album

“This Land,” Gary Clark Jr.

Best Folk Album

“Patty Griffin,” Patty Griffin

Best Children’s Album

“Ageless Songs for the Child Archetype,” Jon Samson

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books and Storytelling)

“Becoming,” Michelle Obama

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano)

“De Ayer Para Siempre,” Mariachi Los Camperos

Best Tropical Latin Album

“Opus,” Marc Anthony

“A Journey Through Cuban Music,” Aymée Nuviola

Best Regional Roots Music Album

“Good Time,” Ranky Tanky

Best Music Film

“Homecoming,” Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Ed Burke, video directors; Steve Pamon and Erinn Williams, video producers (Beyoncé)

Best Country Duo/Group Performance

“Speechless,” Dan + Shay

Best Country Song

“Bring My Flowers Now,” Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth and Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

“Look Now,” Elvis Costello and the Imposters

Best Engineered Album, Classical

“Riley: Sun Rings,” Leslie Ann Jones, engineer; John Kilgore, Judith Sherman and David Harrington, engineers/mixers; Robert C. Ludwig, mastering engineer (Kronos Quartet)

Producer of the Year, Classical

Blanton Alspaugh

Best Orchestral Performance

“Norman: Sustain,” Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Best Opera Recording

“Picker: Fantastic Mr. Fox,” Gil Rose, conductor; John Brancy, Andrew Craig Brown, Gabriel Preisser, Krista River and Edwin Vega; Gil Rose, producer (Boston Modern Orchestra Project; Boston Children’s Chorus)

Best Choral Performance

“Duruflé: Complete Choral Works,” Robert Simpson, conductor (Ken Cowan; Houston Chamber Choir)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance

“Shaw: Orange,” Attacca Quartet

Best Classical Instrumental Solo

“Marsalis: Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite,” Nicola Benedetti; Cristian Măcelaru, conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra)

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album

“Songplay,” Joyce DiDonato; Chuck Israels, Jimmy Madison, Charlie Porter and Craig Terry, accompanists (Steve Barnett and Lautaro Greco)

Best Classical Compendium

“The Poetry of Places,” Nadia Shpachenko; Marina A. Ledin and Victor Ledin, producers

Best Contemporary Classical Composition

“Higdon: Harp Concerto,” Jennifer Higdon, composer (Yolanda Kondonassis, Ward Stare and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra)

Best Dance Recording

“Got to Keep On,” The Chemical Brothers, producers; Steve Dub Jones and Tom Rowlands, mixers (The Chemical Brothers)

Best Dance/Electronic Album

“No Geography,” The Chemical Brothers

Best Reggae Album

“Rapture,” Koffee

Best Improvised Jazz Solo

“Sozinho,” Randy Brecker, soloist

Best Jazz Vocal Album

“12 Little Spells,” Esperanza Spalding

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album

“The Omni-American Book Club,” Brian Lynch Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album

“Antidote,” Chick Corea and the Spanish Heart Band

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[leanstooneside]

Basing your entire self-image on what others think (UTT)

1. Queen Latifah's fruity neck

2. Lisa Kudrow's transparent neck

3. Renee Zellweger's spicy neck

4. Rush Limbaugh's astringent neck

5. Courteney Cox's fallen over neck

6. Cory Monteith's flat neck

7. Amber Rose's depth neck

8. Julia Roberts's herbal neck

9. Susan Boyle's fruity neck

10. Cameron Diaz's extracted neck

11. Mary-Louise Parker's extracted neck

12. Jesse Williams's creamy neck

13. The Hills's chewy neck

14. Taylor Lautner's coarse neck

15. Rooney Mara's bitter neck

16. Joe Jonas's depth neck

17. Jay Cutler's flat neck

18. Vampire Weekend's creamy neck

19. Hailee Steinfeld's green neck

20. Jamie-Lynn Sigler's hard neck

21. Tom Hanks's sweet neck

22. Scotty McCreery's closed neck

23. Bobby Brown's vinegar neck

24. Foo Fighters's food friendly neck

25. Nicolas Cage's big neck

26. Nicki Minaj's lees neck

27. Jerry Ferrara's crisp neck

28. Hillary Clinton's unoaked neck

29. Whitney Port's big neck

30. Willow Smith's tar neck

31. Jennifer Meyer's steely neck

32. Patrick Swayze's big neck

33. Gisele Bundchen's chocolaty neck

34. Ian Somerhalder's chocolaty neck

35. Stephanie Pratt's vanillin neck

36. Selena Gomez's dry neck

37. Benjamin McKenzie's complex neck

38. Lucy Hale's buttery neck

39. Kathy Ireland's lean neck

40. Ali Larter's intellectually satisfying neck

41. Rose Byrne's cigar box neck

42. Jerry O'Connell's corked neck

43. Cheryl Cole's structured neck

44. Bill Rancic's cigar box neck

45. Christine Taylor's concentrated neck

46. Snoop Dogg's refined neck

[mirandamckenni1]

Surrender - MALINDA (official music video) Listen to "Surrender" and more here: https://ift.tt/nFgATXh Trigger warning: images of post-traumatic stress SUBSCRIBE and hit that bell: https://bit.ly/2OgWtuA SUPPORT my videos on Patreon: http://bit.ly/MKRsupport MERCH: http://shopmalinda.com/ This video deals with themes of Post Traumatic Stress and mental health. If you are struggling please seek help from a professional. https://ift.tt/N7CgHLY Follow me on: Twitter @missmalindakat https://twitter.com/missmalindakat Facebook https://ift.tt/HF1pubT Instagram @missmalindakat https://ift.tt/BaKnqlR For fan mail: 3430 Connecticut Ave NW PO Box 11855 Washington DC 20008 **EQUIPMENT** (all links are affiliate links, so if you buy from here you support me too!) AUDIO For singing: http://amzn.to/2wwYXRo For vlogging: http://amzn.to/2wyQfSE A great start mic: http://amzn.to/2xhkScb Interface: http://amzn.to/2fAxFyM VIDEO Camera: http://amzn.to/2hi08JS Lens: http://amzn.to/2fABZ14 Vlog camera: http://amzn.to/2xnN4vT I use Logic and Final Cut Pro to edit audio and video respectively :) THANK YOU PATRONS!! Richard Aukema Fredrik Boström Will Cole Whitney Dodson Fr. Joe Fessenden Mariah Fyock-Williams Mimi Ginsburg Marlo Delfin Gonzales Pippa Hillebrand Jonathan Isip Rachele McKelly Allex Molloy Courtney-Ashley R.C Kelsey Sanders Ben Shaub Chewy Shaw Lyndsie Stearns Mary Hall Surface Kris Vasicek Dylan Wakser via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcpvXaD9acM

[popmusicu]

The “diss track”: A short history

Music, as a form of artistic and emotional expression, has always considered the expression of both positive and negative emotions and topics. Regarding the topics it explores, music is usually associated with the exploration of both introspective thoughts from the artist and external situations, with the use of several lyrical and instrumental resources (e.g poetic resources, narration, etc.). But as the art form it is, music doesn’t shy away from being used as a blank canva for the adressment of personal conflicts between people and collectives. This is essential for understanding the logic behind a “diss” or a “diss track” in music. A diss track is a song that is primarily intended to insult or criticize someone, typically another artist or public figure, and they were popularized by hip-hop music in the 1990’s, given the open mic and freestyle culture of the genre. The conflict between the belligerent parties itself is known as “beef” or “having beef”. The last beef that shook the music world was the beef between rappers Kendrick Lamar and Drake. In a feature on the song “Like That”, released on Future and Metro Boomin’s álbum “We Don´t Trust You” march 22nd, Kendrick Lamar openly criticized and insulted (from here and on “dissed”) fellow rappers Drake and J Cole, who had previously praised him as part of the “big 3” of the 2010’s rap scene on the song “First Person Shooter” off of Drake’s latest álbum, “For All The Dogs”. This resulted as the product of 10 years of sneak disses between Drake and Kendrick. This situation quickly escalated, causing the rappers to involve themselves in hugely public beef, with J Cole getting out just after responding to Kendrick, leaving him and Drake as the only ones involved. After this, several diss tracks from both rappers were released, severely accusing each other of things like pedophilia, grooming, child negligence, sex traffic, cultural appropiation, substance, gambling and physical abuse, among others. These attacks between both rappers summarize the essential dynamics of diss tracks, which is to destroy or damage as much as possible the opponent’s credibility, image and reputation. As a media-covered beef between two of hip-hop´s most succesful musicians, this beef represents the latest entry to a long list of beefs and disses throughout music history, dating before hip-hop made them popular.

The earliest known examples regard reggae legend Lee "Scratch" Perry. Two examples of this are the songs "Run for Cover" (1967), "People Funny Boy" (1968) and "Cow Thief Skank" (1973), respectively directed towards three producers he worked with, Coxsone Dodd, Joe Gibbs and Niney the Observer.

A few years later, following The Beatles´s harsh breakup, an interchange of disses between John Lennon and Paul McCartney took place in 1971, following the release of McCartney’s 1971 album “RAM”, that opened up with the song “Too Many People”, which he later admitted was about Lennon. Lennon responded with a more direct and and aggresive diss on his 1971 album “Imagine”, with the song “How Do You Sleep?”. For this song, he also recruited George Harrison to play slide guitar, who also had several problems with McCartney.

Other notable example a few years later regards Fleetwood Mac. Their 1977 record “Rumours” was composed in a turbulent time for the band, in which romances and affairs involving band members had started to cause tension between the band. This resulted in the composition of several songs for the album directed towards each other, like “Second Hand News”, “Go Your Own Way” and “You Make Loving Fun”. In an ironic twist, despite all of this, “Rumours” remains their most critically and commercially succesful album to date.

In the 80’s, hip-hop embraced disses and beefs as part its culture. The earliest known example of disses in hip-hop are the “Roxanne Wars”. The Roxanne Wars were a series of musical battles that took place in the mid-1980s, starting with the release of the song "Roxanne, Roxanne" by the group UTFO in 1984. The song tells the story of a girl named Roxanne who rejects the romantic advances of the group's members. The catalyst for the Roxanne Wars was the response track "Roxanne's Revenge," recorded by 14-year-old rapper Roxanne Shanté. Her track was a direct rebuttal to UTFO's song, and it quickly gained popularity. This sparked a wave of response tracks from various artists, each claiming to represent different perspectives of the fictional character Roxanne or offering their take on the situation.

By the end of the decade, one of the most culturally significant beefs for hip-hop took place after Ice Cube’s departure from NWA in 1989. The group´s 1990 EP “100 Miles and Runnin’” included a diss towards Cube for leaving the group. A year later, Cube responded with the track “No Vaseline” included in his 1991 album “Death Certificate”, where he dissed the entirety of NWA and their manager Jerry Heller, exposing the creative and monetary issues that lead to his departure. A few months after this, NWA officially disbanded. Beefs between individual group members followed, like the Dr. Dre – Eazy E beef.

In the mid 90’s, the most well known and influential beef of all time took place, involving rappers Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls). Being well known friends before the start of the dispute, the beef started when 2pac was shot in 1994 after leaving a studio in Manhattan. Although he survived, he accused Biggie and Bad Boy Records founder and producer P. Diddy because of their status as prominent figures in east coast hip-hop scene, of possibly knowing about he plans for his shooting and not telling him about it. 2pac dissed Biggie and Bad Boy Records several times, being the most notable the 1995 legendary diss track “Hit ‘Em Up”, which acquired this status thanks to the highly agressive and ruthless shots 2pac took against Biggie. Presumably fearing the start of a full blown east and west coast war and expecting of being eventually able to repair their broken friendship, Biggie never responded to 2pac directly, only sneak dissing him in a few songs, like “Long Kiss Goodnight” or “Brooklyn’s Finest”. The eventual murders of both rappers cemented this as the biggest, most famous and most important rivalry in hip-hop, and one of the biggest in music overall.

Some other notable beefs that came later are Jay-Z vs. Nas, LL Cool J vs Canibus, Eminem & 50 Cent vs. Ja Rule, 50 Cent vs Jadakiss, Pusha T vs. Drake and finally Kendrick Lamar vs. Drake.

- Ignacio Haro