#never seen or played dmc but this art is hot

[zamgoods]

Polar Express Punch Ticket= Jab Card Ticket to Ride

Wednesday January 5th 1.5 5.1 2022 5th day of the year; 360 days to go. Circle day. New Moon Waxing Crescent Illumination: 10%

The Polar Express is a holiday favorite since its release on 11.10.2004. A rocketing rollercoaster of a ride to the ARC-TIC Circle at 66 degrees 33 min.

The Conductor, played by good ole boy, Tom Hanks, sure punches the kid's tickets real hard, so much that a boy complained. He gets all KAREN about it when boy tried to give his to the girl. He lashed out "they are not transferrable." Can't share them with others. He made the girl walk on top of the car in blistering cold because she lost her ticket. He threatened to throw her off the caboose but later left her with the creepy drivers. So having a ticket is prime importance.

A hole punch can also be called a jab. Imagine Muhammad Ali as the Conductor on the Polar Express 👊punching and jabbi🥊ng the tickets🎟 to ride train🎢 rather the rollercoaster ride to hell.

This "ticket" you get when jabbed can be seen as the Vaccine Passport. The ticket lets you ride like everyone else round trip to the NOrth Pole to see the King, Mr. C and hear the bells. The Rockin on top of the world, or Run DMC version, Rock the Bells.

One person got away with not getting the jabbed ticket, Billy the Lonely boy. He Quarantined himself and was anti-social in the caboose, last car of the express train. President Roosevelt was known to make speeches final car on a train English-speaking countries the term "brake car" or "guard's van" was more common. He also didn't get knocked out by the Piping hot Chocolate.

Quarantined Alone Solo Billy the Loner lives on the other side of the tracks, in an alienated isolated home. He chose to be anti-social and ride entire train car by himself. He didn't have nice pajamas or slippers, he wore hand me down rubber boots. But he was in a fancy and cozy VIP first class car. He also never got his ticket punched until after he saw Santa Claus, got his gift, and became more social. Then he got like 3 or 4 jabs on his ticket to ride the train back home to 11344 Edbrooke Avenue, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

He says Christmas just doesn't work out for him and he sings a song wishing on a star

"A jab is a type of punch used in the martial arts. Several variations of the jab exist, but every jab shares these characteristics: while in a fighting stance, the lead fist is thrown straight ahead and the arm is fully extended from the side of the torso. This process also involves a quick turn of the torso. It is an overhand punch; at the moment of impact, the pronated fist is generally held in a horizontal orientation with the palm facing the ground."

The tickets are punched based on the lessons learned by each main character. Believe, Rely On, Depend On, Lead, Learn. They only got half of their message and was jabbed with only 2 letters at the beginning. LE, or BE. And once they saw Santa Claus, the got the full Immunity. The letters were flipped and turned. So it's a clue to read them in all sorts of ways. Just like the little black girl (kamala Harris) thought her message was Lead like the 82nd element, metal Pb Lead is Plumbus in Latin, Plumbing derived from

Plummet, fall, points down

Pull of gravity

Shields from

Lead in bullets- arms

Lead shields X-rays, toxic radiation

Saturn/Chronos Time

Eats his own Children.

Dense metal points to

Earth's Core Center

[i-write-fanfics-to-procrastinate]

DMC Oneshot: Prove It

Dante makes fun of Vergil, but when Lady dares him to try... can he really best Vergil at something like this?

This was a collab I worked on with @kusodart ( @vergil-is-so-hot  ). I wrote the fic and she made the lovely art to go with it. Thanks Koko for the beautiful, beautiful art you made to go with this fun fic. It makes my heart so happy. ❤️❤️❤️

Prove It:

Dante was already a few drinks in when he brought up something Vergil knew was about to lead his younger brother into teasing him endlessly.

“Did you know,” he drawled, leaning over his glass of whiskey, looking straight into the eyes of Lady—who was sitting across from him nursing her first glass. “When we were kids, Vergil took… ballet.” He could hardly contain himself. Here we go. Vergil frowned, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. Dante was wheezing, trying to play it cool to gauge Lady’s reaction by taking a sip of his whiskey, but he only ended up spluttering on the fiery drink, trying to contain his laughter. “Ballet!” He said again.

Vergil glanced over at where Lady sat, her hand on her glass, her eyes following Dante’s movements, and then turning to meet Vergil’s gaze. She smiled softly, taking a sip of her drink. “Hmm. I think it suits you, Vergil,” she said, “Ballet is a difficult dance.”

“It’s…. ballet,” Dante emphasized the word once more, “Don’t you think that’s hilarious?”

“I think you couldn’t even come close to being able to do it,” Lady huffed, “I took one month of ballet when I was very little, and it was very complex even for that age group. I think you tease Vergil because you know you could never beat him at something like this.”

“Please,” Dante snorted, downing his drink. “I can dance.”

“I didn’t say dance,” Lady said, crossing her arms. “I said ballet.”

There was a moment of quiet. Vergil felt warmth in his heart at Lady’s words. He had fully expected that she would have laughed, and then brushed the topic aside. But… was she defending him? What a strange thing… after everything that he’d done to them, after all the hurt he’d caused her…. She was defending him.

Dante scoffed, pouring himself another glass of whiskey, “Puh-lease,” he said, “I don’t need to prove myself.”

“Are you worried your skillset isn’t compatible with ballet, Dante?” Vergil asked.

“Is that a challenge, Vergil? You know I’m a quick learner. You know if I really wanted to I could do ballet, easy peasy.”

“Prove it,” Lady said, taking the last sip of her drink.

“Wha—”

“I said,” she glanced over the rim of her glass, eyes glinting like steel, “Prove it.” She set the glass down hard at her words, and Dante hesitated, blue eyes flicking between his brother and their friend.

He let out a low laugh, and then shrugged his shoulders, “Why not? After all, if Vergil can do it…”

Vergil felt a twinge of delight at the prospect that his brother was about to try something impossible, and he would get to witness him fail miserably.

⁂

“Are you serious? I have to wear this?” Dante groaned from the bathroom. Vergil tried to hide his smile, but Lady met his eyes and she saw it, he could tell by the way her lips turned up in a soft smile of her own.

“If you don’t wear the proper attire you fail,” Vergil said, crossing his arms and leaning back against the sofa.

“Come on, Dante,” Lady purred, crossing one leg over her knee. “Don’t keep us waiting. Or is it too hard for you?”

“Do you admit defeat, Dante?”

There was a moment of quiet before the bathroom door slammed open, and Dante stood in full ballet attire: white leotard under pale tights, and of course Vergil’s ballet slippers.

“I hope you’re satisfied,” he said, narrowing his eyes and crossing his arms. Lady put a hand over her mouth, trying hard not to laugh.

“No, I’m not,” Vergil said, “You haven’t danced yet.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m getting to that.” Dante waved his hand, “Putting on the … dance belt… thing… was the worst part. And why does it have to be a thong anyways? Whose idea was that?”

“Are you going to dance or not, Dante?” Lady snickered, taking another sip of whiskey.

“FiNE.” The younger of the two brothers took a breath and then raised his hands. He had seen Vergil dance ballet enough times that he was pretty sure he could replicate the dance well enough. This was called a pirouette right? He spun, leg outstretched. It was sloppy. His balance was off. Maybe it was the multiple shots of whiskey.

“Hmm…” Lady mused, finishing off her drink and standing. “Something’s missing.”

Before Dante knew what was happening, his record player was blasting Christmas music—was that The Nutcracker?—and he was stumbling through dance moves that he thought were maybe… close enough to be ballet…

Lady couldn’t hide her laughter, clutching her stomach, tears at the corners of her eyes. Vergil was smirking, arms crossed. He felt a laugh tickling at the edge of his throat. Perfect. Dante looked as ridiculous as he thought he might under the circumstances. The younger of the twins attempted to do a pirouette once more, but tripped on his own ballet slippers, stumbling, trying to catch himself on his desk but he ended up falling hard to the floor.

Lady wiped her eyes, still trying to quell her laughter. Dante groaned. “I’m done…” he mumbled, closing his eyes, not moving from where he had fallen onto the floor. Vergil smirked, straightening his coat as he stood, crossing the room to stand over Dante. He put his hands on his knees as he leaned over close.

“I’ve bested you, Dante,” he smirked, “Say it.”

Dante groaned again, “Can’t a man in ballet shoes rest in peace, Verge?”

“Say it.” Vergil insisted.

“Fine, only if you let me sleep. You’ve bested me at ballet. Fine thing to be bested at.” He shook his head, and then lay still. Vergil stood up straight. Victory at last.

Lady wiped more tears from her eyes, “Let him sleep it off,” she said, standing and turning off the blaring ballet music. She turned and met Vergil’s eyes across the room, in a moment of quiet.  

“I didn’t know you danced,” she whispered, studying him with a small smile. “Do you know anything else besides ballet?”

Vergil glanced back down at his younger brother, who was now clearly passed out, sleeping off the alcohol. And then he glanced back up at Lady. “I would offer you a demonstration, but I’d need a partner.”

Lady held out her hand, “I could fill that position for you…”

Vergil’s lips twitched, turning up into a small, warm smile. He crossed the room to her, but instead of taking her hand he carefully selected a record and set it to play. A soft, slow song spilled from the speakers, and Vergil held out his hand.

Lady’s heart skipped a beat. She took in a breath and set her hand in his. His palm was warm, rough with callouses from holding tight to the Yamato. He raised her hand to his lips, brushing a kiss over her knuckles—something she wasn’t expecting at all—before he gently pulled her close, resting his free hand on her hip.

Vergil, Dante’s brother… she had admired him since she had seen through his emotionless exterior, to the slowly kindling heart within. That flame was so small back then, hardly a spark. She had wanted to press her hands on either side, to block the winds… to help it grow. Now, he smiled at her, as he pulled her into the gentle sway of a slow dance. And the smile made her melt. Was she the only one who ever saw it? How soft Vergil could be… did he only ever show her?

She felt drawn to him, leaning closer, soaking in his warmth, feeling the gentle beat of his heart as she rested her hand on his chest. She closed her eyes, succumbing to the magnetism between them, touching her forehead against his, their noses brushing. They danced in silence for only a moment more, before she whispered, “So you can do more than just ballet.”

He smiled again—and her knees felt weak. “Not many people get to see these skills put to use.”  

“Ah, I see,” Lady teased, “So, I’m special,” But Vergil’s expression was serious and he paused in their dance. The music played on, but they stood still, in each other’s arms, eyes locked. He gently nosed her cheek, tilting his head.

“Yes,” he murmured, perfectly serious, “You are paramount… to me.”

Lady felt warm all over, letting out a soft breath, lips turning up in a smirk. She felt like she was melting under his warm gaze, but she couldn’t resist the opportunity, leaning closer their lips practically brushing. “Paramount? Me?” she smiled. “Prove it.”

Vergil didn’t seem surprised at all, and he hardly hesitated before he closed the very short distance between them to kiss her. Their lips met and she took in a breath through her nose, eyes fluttering closed, and hand reaching up to cup his cheek. She pulled away only to kiss him once more, tugging him closer by his coat. The taste of whiskey on her lips and now his tongue. Hips taught against hips as his hand rested against the small of her back. He kissed her again, and then once more, each deeper than the last. The moment ended all too soon. Vergil pulled away, thumb brushing softly against her cheek.

Quiet, all but her racing heart. There was a light in his eyes that hadn’t been there before, as if he had always wanted to do that.

“You can dance with me anytime you’d like,” Lady finally whispered, her cheeks hot, her heart racing.

Vergil smiled, resting his forehead against hers once more. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

[lovemesomesurveys]

5,000 questions survey series–part forty-two

These surveys always take me so long to get through, hence why I took such a long break from them. The questions are just too much at times and some are just plain annoying. But, I’ll try and finish it eventually. A couple of you have been taking it lately, so I figured I’d start up again.

4001. How would you rate your sex drive? It’s been non-existent the past few years, honestly.  4002. You are sitting alone with a stack of videos and a vcr. Of the following which are you most likely to puut on (1 is most, 10 is least) I’m just gonna bold which one I’d likely watch out of all of ‘em...

The good the bad and the ugly, dracula, slc punk, twin peaks fire walk with me, jerry springer too hot for tv, singing in the rain, flash gordon, the matrix, blade runner, the muppet movie 4003. Are you more likley to get or send random instant messages? I receive nice messages more often than I receive random ones. I got a rude one recently; however, about how I’m still a 31 year old virgin. Does it affect their life? No. So, don’t worry about it. *eye roll* I do get a lot of random comments on my surveys from su*ar da**ies, though... super annoying. 4004. If you were writing an ad telling people to come to your town what would you say about it? I wouldn’t write such an ad. My town sucks. 4005. What part of your body can you not stand to get an itch on? One that’s hard to reach.

4006. How many people do you suppose have stolen that System of a Down album called 'steal this album'? I haven’t heard anything about that, I’m not even familiar with that album of theirs. I’m there were people who tried/did.  4007. Name a band you like: Linkin Park. What are/were this band's roots and influences? Zeppelin, Run DMC, Public Enemy, Rage Against the Machine, Depeche Mode. 4008. would you rather have a poster of john lennon or a cute fuzzy black cat? Cute fuzzy black cat. 4009. make a public service announcement: Wear a mask! 4010. What makes you feel the need to escape? Just the need for a change of scenery and to help take my mind off things a bit for a little while. I’m sad I couldn’t go to the beach at all this summer because that’s my one place where I’m able to relax at all and just zone out. 4011. You and your signifigant other, crush, interest etc...who is the ernie and who is the bert? I don’t have any of those. 4012. When was the last time you did something and later asked yourself 'did I do the right thing?'? I hate when I forget if I took my medicine or not. I end up taking it, questioning and hoping that I didn’t already take it. I feel so robotic at times and like I’m just living life on autopilot, so things like that tend to happen. 4013. What do you find it hard to say goodbye to? I have a hard time getting rid of things because of my emotional attachment to them. 4014. What is your fantasy valentine's day like? I’ll admit it, it would be nice to experience a Valentine’s Day with someone and actually do something. It’s always been just another day for me. 4015. If you had to have a color for a name, what color would it be? Jade. 4016. Should preference be given to minority students during the college admission process? I think everyone should have the same opportunity.  4017. Sweet wine, fresh crisp appples, bagles with creme cheese and lox...what is the most incredibly luxurious food? I don’t know about those options, but if I were to think of luxurious foods I’d think of like expensive wine, cheeses, fresh fruits, and seafood like caviar and lobster and whatnot. I’m picky so I personally don’t care for fancy foods. 4018. Is there really anything to fear in communism? I don’t know enough about communism and socialism and all that to speak on it. 4019. Best sesame street character: Uhh, Big Bird. most annoying sesame street character: Elmo can be a little annoying sometimes. 4020. feast or famine? I don’t need to overindulge and have excess, I just would like to be able to have food.  4021. Write a poem right here in five minutes or less: Nah. 4022. Do you stay and help clean up after a party? I usually was one to leave early. 4023. Why was the teddy bear named after teddy roosevelt? His name was Theodore, Teddy for short, and apparently while out on a hunting trip he refused to kill a bear and someone dedicated a bear stuffed animal to him and called it Teddy’s Bear. Then it was just called a teddy bear and the rest was history. 4024. What are you the prince or princess of? Uhhh. 4025. Some people think that Christmas should be taken off of public school calanders because it is politically incorrect. What aould you say to this? I say no. It can still be winter break for those who don’t celebrate. 4026. Would you rather go to an excorcism or a step aerobics class? Uh, I think an aerobics class sounds a lot better than an exorcism. I wouldn’t be able to participate in a step aerobics class, though. I’d have to do something else. 4027. Do you believe in spells and curses? No. 4028. What tv show does your family watch together? There isn’t really one all 4 of us watch, but there’s several that 2 or 3 of us watch together. I guess Family Guy or American Dad could be one all 4 of us could watch, although I don’t really care for either one much. 4029. What's on your calander this year? Nothing. 4030. Is anything ruining your life? It has felt that way with my health issues. 4031. How was life meant to be lived? “We were meant to live for so much moreeee.” 🎶

4032. What is your usual breakfast? I rarely have breakfast, but I like breakfast foods like eggs and hash browns. And country gravy, yum. 4033. If you had kids, would you worry about what they did online? Of course.  4034. Will you be maxin and relaxin this weekend? Sure. If not, what are your weekened plans? 4035. Who has the most interesting story to tell: someone who used to fly to asia as a drug trader the ceo of Nike a nyc homeless person a preacher's wife

^^^They all would. 4036. What do you have a bad feeling about? The future regarding this virus. 4037. Do you have a lot to say? No. 4038. If a smallpox vaccine was offered to you, would you take it? Wasn’t that one of the ones given as a baby or child? I should mention I live in the US. 4039. Would you ever work at a kissing booth? No. how about a dunking booth? No. 4040. There is a woman who paints by stripping naked, rolling around in paint and then pressing her body against the canvas. What do you think of her art? I’ve never seen it, but hey do your thing. 4041. Have you ever bought something you saw on tv? Yeah, I mean that’s what commercials are intended to do. However, I’ve never called the number for a product advertisement to order something that way. Like those as seen on TV products. There have been some of those products sold in actual stores, though, that I’ve got like the Snuggie and that Finishing Touch Flawless Razor. 4042. Name a relative:  that relative dies unexpectedly. On the same day 9/11 happens. You can either bring back your relative or bring back 1/2 the people who dies on 9/11. What do you do? I don’t like these type of questions. 4043. Have you gone mental? I’ve definitely felt like that. 4044. What do you think of jews for jesus? You word this like it’s the name of a group or something. Okay, so I Googled it and see that it’s an organization.  4045. Has anyone ever tried to 'save' you? Yes. 4046. Quick! picture santa clause in your head... ...Okay. Was he black or white when you pictured him? White. That’s just how I’ve often seen him portrayed. 4047. Would you ever buy a black santa clause? Sure. Santa isn’t real, you can make him look any way you want. 4048. or take your kids to vist a black santa clause? Yeah? why or why not? Santa is Santa.  4049. What do you smell like? I just smell my clothes laundry detergent scent. 4050. What kind of soup do you eat? I’m a ramen girl all the way. 4051. What have you heard about the next Harry Potter book? Will you pre-order it? I know this is old, but I haven’t read any of the Harry Potter books. 4052. Would you rather go out or stay in? I’m a hermit crab.  4053. What's your favorite song to hear on halloween? I like the classics like Monster Mash. Oh, and the Halloween movie theme music for spooky vibes. 4054. What song makes you feel all tingly like you want to laugh and scream and cry? Uhh I don’t feel that way about any song. 4055. If you were starting a website that was not about you, what Would it be about? Nah. 4056. Do you ever take the long way just for fun? I don’t drive. 4057. '..and god said let there be ____and there I was.' Fill in the blank, as if if you were talking about yourself. ‘...and God said let there be Stephanie and there I was.’ 4058. What do you think of when you hear the word 'mill'? A million.  4059. What do you think of when you hear the name: weird al? Parodies. bob dylan? Music. michael jackson? Moon dance. henry rollins? billy idol? White wedding. gary numan? will smith? Fresh Prince of Bel Air. paul mcartney? Black Bird. alice cooper? Rock and roll. J Lo? Jenny from the Block. 4060. What is one social disater you have had? It was really embarrassing getting sick in front of everyone at my party 7 years ago aka the last time I drank alcohol. I just threw up on myself in front of everyone and sat there and my friend had to help clean me up. What really messes me up is that I don’t remember drinking that much, so I don’t know how I got so drunk. 4061. Can you moonwalk? No. 4062. If a presidential candidate went on late night tv, picked up a guitar and rocked out on it and could really play, would that influence you to like/respect them more? I’d probably be like wow that’s cool, but no I wouldn’t let that influence my vote. Them being able to play an instrument doesn’t say shit about their policies or whether they’d make a good fit for the job. 4064. If it was possible for people to instantly change from one sex to another, would everyone be straight in the end? Uhh just cause they could switch their gender it doesn’t change their brain/sexual preference.  Would you change your sex? No. 4065. Finish the sentance: nobody broke your heart, if you're alone... I don’t know. 4066. Would you rather have a best friend OR a boyfriend/girlfriend on a Friday night? I’d rather stay at home and do my own thing, ha. 4067. Would a woman rather be complimented about her intelligence OR her looks? Depends on the individual.  4068. Do you tend to think of the right thing to say after the moment is gone? Always. Super annoying. 4069. Would you rather a potential mate have nice hair OR nice legs? Nice hair out of the two. 4070. Okay,…. nice hair OR a nice rack/bulge? I don’t look for a “nice bulge” when I look at guys. 4071. What is one thing you thought you would enjoy, but actually didn’t? Hmm. I’m blanking at the moment. 4072. Be in the spotlight OR in the shadows? In the shadows. 4073. What is your favorite part of the newspaper? I haven’t read a newspaper in several years. When I was a kid I loved the comics, though. 4074. What in your life has been an “acquired taste” for you? Alcohol. I never really cared for it, honestly. I drank because my friends were and felt like that’s what people in their early 20s liked to do. And because it was fun sometimes, though I more often just felt like crap. It’s been 7 years since I last drank and I truly haven’t missed it. 4075. Do you find sunlight makes you happier? No. 4076. If you could conquer one fear, it would be...? I’d take care of some health related things. 4077. What's the dumbest thing you've ever seen someone do or heard anyone has done? There’s been a lot of things. 4078. How do you feel about the fact that J-Lo earns 37 million dollars a year? Is that actually true? This survey is also like a decade or so old. Do you buy anything that contributes to her salary? I haven’t bought any JLO related in several years. Is J Lo the ultimate ideal of what a woman should be? To some people. 4079. What is unforgettable beauty? I don’t know. 4080. Worst fashion mistake EVER: I don’t know or care. 4081. What is your advice to someone on their first date? Ha, I’m definitely not one to ask for dating advice. 4082. Is there a musical performer more ridiculous than Avril Lavigne (I don't think there is)? I didn’t think she was ridiculous.  4083. What is the best: daytime talk show? Dr. Phil. late night talk show? I don’t watch any anymore. 4084. Are you afraid of total freedom? What would that mean? 4085. Do you live in an invisible prison? I feel that way with my mind and health. 4086. Who do you feel distant from, that you used to be close to? I’m not close to anyone anymore outside of my immediate family.  4087. Rate the following song lyrics (1 = you like it the most, 9 = you like it the least). Nah, I really hate the rating questions. Maybe you shouldn't care/throw away those dreams/& dare Eden lets me in/I find the seeds of love/And climb upon the highwire/I kiss and tell all my fears I know the pressure is on/In a race for the life of endless love/If it seems to much/Remember/All these things are endless I see the wind, oh I see the trees/Everything is clear in my heart/I see the clouds, oh I see the sky/Everything is clear in our world Inflatable doll/Lover ungrateful/I blew up your body/But you blew my mind Well I jumped into the river/too many times to make it home/I'm out here on my own/drifting all alone/and if it doesn't show/ give it time/to read between the lines The very thought of you makes/My heart sing/Like an April breeze/On the wings of spring/And you appear in all your splendor/My one and only love now I've had lots of girls/most of them from other worlds/but lookin through the galaxey/the valley girls are the ones for me I'm the dandy highwayman so sick of easy fashion/the clumsy boots, peek-a-boo roots that people think so dashing/so what's the point of robbery when nothing is worth taking?/it's kind of tough to tell a scruff the big mistake he's making 4088. Can you name any of the nine bands/songs above? I didn’t even read any of the lyrics. 4089. What would your reaction be if a total stranger called to say s/he loved you and told you that you were to pass the message on to others in a telephone call you make yourself? Uh, I wouldn’t answer a call from a total stranger first of all and even if I actually did, I would be like wtf and hang up.  4090. Would you like to take a journey to jupiter? No. I have no desire to take any trip to outer space. 4091. Can you crack nuts in your bare hands? I’ve never tried, but I’m going to assume that I couldn’t.  4092. Do you take walks at night? No. Or ever. 4093. Beavis and Butthead or daria? Neither. 4094. Cow or chicken? Chicken. 4095. Do you think you will visit China in this life? I don’t see that happening, but who knows.  4096. Are you having a happy day? No. 4097. When was or will be your 'golden birthday' (when your age is the same as your birthdate, like turning 17 on the 17th)? My golden birthday was 3 years ago. 4098. Enlighten everyone with something profound: Nah. 4099. When has the third time been the charm for you? Hmm. 4100. What is kinda sick, but fun? Uhhh.

[popliar]

K-Con Australia, 20170922-23

The first Australian K-Con was held over the last two nights in Sydney, and @proteinscollide​ and I were there. I'm very behind on everything else as a result! I need to watch Knowing Bros! ANYWAY, short version: IT WAS SUPER FUN. Lots of rambling under the cut as usual.

22 September: SF9, Pentagon, Victon, Girl's Day, Exo

23 September: SF9 (again!), Up10tion, Cosmic Girls/WJSN, Wanna One, Monsta X

Overall this was an extremely well produced show and a really fun show - I had such a good time! Okay, the "convention" part not so much (I'll talk about this a bit at the end of the post) but at both evening shows, the concert ran like a slick machine, stage following stage with no pause, good sound and no technical hitches. Visually the show looked great, with massive screens giving good views of every performer as well as fantastically atmospheric backdrops.

It didn't sell out on either night, and again I'll talk about possible reasons for that more later, but as a vehicle for hallyu and for promoting Korean culture this is potentially such a powerful instrument. One of the most striking K-Con images for me is the footage of K-Con Paris from 2016 - the pan from the section of the crowd for the French dignitaries and delegates, all politely seated and clapping, to the massive auditorium of French youth going absolutely wild for these pop groups from the other side of the world. This show didn't have that element of official endorsement, it was much more a straight-up pop show, but hey you never know, that might come…

Soft power has its limits, for sure, but within those boundaries Korea is working so very hard at being the very best it can be. I admire the gumption, and more importantly to Korea I am happily consuming the product! Give me more product! I'm here for this!

As far as line-up goes, this K-Con wasn't the best. Exo are absolute stars of course and there were other notable groups like Monsta X and Girl's Day; on balance however this was a really rookie-heavy sausage-fest. The prevalence of rookies is probably partly bad timing - the show coincided with the DMC Music Festival (which was eventually cancelled anyway due to labour disputes, argh, we could've had it all!).

But the boy-heavy line-up? Frustrating. Apparently WJSN and Girl's Day are the first girl groups to perform here since 4 Minute some three-four years ago. WHY? Perhaps there's a perception that since Western fans are mostly girls then they'll only turn out for boybands - I know in Korea the audience for girlgroups is skewed towards boys. However, here in the West, pop as a whole is coded so heavily female that I'm sure wouldn't be a problem. I've been to many Western female pop star concerts and trust me, the girls SHOWED UP. Hell, at this very same arena, Little Mix are performing later this year. Besides, this argument falls flat if you look at other K-Con line-ups which, although boy-heavy, still manage more than a measly 2 girl groups. Gosh I'd have been so happy with the addition of any ONE of Red Velvet, Mamamoo, Blackpink, Pristin, Gfriend, Twice, etc…

...that was a long intro. Let's talk the show.

Chanyeol (EXO)

Night 1

The first night of K-Con began with a pre-show of kpop dance cover groups (they were all good but some were REALLY GOOD) and Kevin from U-KISS as MC (did u know he looks like Lee Pace around the eyes?), doing his cheesy best to hype up the crowd and also promote the con's primary sponsor.

Then the show got started with a VCR, featuring Monsta X's Minhyuk in a sort of spaceship-themed narrative? I don't know what I saw but apparently K-Con's first Oceanic showing needed heroes or defenders or something, i.e. kpop groups? Whatever cool. I do know it involved Minhyuk looking at a picture of a kangaroo so we're all good.

Also apparently Sydney is the city of "arts and culture" and also "romance"? I'm flattered on behalf of my home, and I can assure you we have plenty of all three, but really?? Those are not, like, the first words I associate with Sydney. But ok, you do you K-Con!

Exo's Suho and Sehun then came on as the night's special MCs to deliver a brief introduction and be cute together and make the crowd scream. Naturally, there were Exo jerseys and banners and lightsticks all over the place; earlier in the day I got handed a cute banner to celebrate Chen's birthday, which I then promptly used to test proteinscollide's knowledge of Exo band names. (She improved greatly through the evening!)

First group up were rookie boyband SF9 - I've enjoyed their songs and MVs without knowing much about them. This rapidfire 3 song performance made me more of a fan! They just hit all their beats really well, both in terms of performance and in their brief introduction ment, advantaged by one member who was a fluent English speaker. Their line distribution is kind of weird - there's maybe three members who dominate the vocals and the dancing, especially Taeyang who I kept thinking of as "that one guy who looks like Shinee's Jonghyun" - but not enough to detract overall. I have no favourite but maybe my favourite is the rapper with currently red hair who reminds me of SVT Jeonghan and Pentagon's E'Dawn.

Something like K-Con is the perfect platform for a rookie group to get this kind of exposure. My own first exposure to kpop (aka the reason for my eternal downfall) was winning free tickets to a Boyfriend & JJCC show - I knew nothing about them, knew next to nothing about kpop, and JJCC were a hot mess sorry - but seeing the groups in person and live was enough to make me want to know so much more. I feel like this SF9 set functioned in much the same way. It was SO much more impactful than just an MV or a youtube clip or a gifset. This is how fans are made! (That said… I'll get to it, but SF9 got two bites at the cherry. Why?)

Next up were Pentagon and their brief set was great. Their songs are such bangers - I SAID BANGERS, DON'T AT ME - and they were really polished and powerful. Kino's opening dance solo was super charismatic, and E'Dawn (aka the only one I can consistently recognise) was working that jawline of his so well, lol. He does the bad boy thing very well! I admire it! For their ment, they played the "Pinata" game as seen at other K-Cons this year, i.e. a random game was selected. (Would the game be 'Propose'? It was not propose, but one member did get down on one knee to E'Dawn anyway, good job good fanservice.) In this case it was a random dance play, and it was very amusing and silly.

Probably my favourite thing about Pengaton is how far and fast proteinscollide has fallen for them. Can you believe at this time last year she didn't even know all the MX member names? Now the student has exceeded the master! Post your Pentagon post bro!

Sehun and Suho came back to introduce a special stage: Exo's Chanyeol in duet with WJSN's Seola, for his OST track Stay with Me. This was a nice, pretty interlude and a bit of a breather after the fast pacing of the first two sets.

Seola (WJSN)

Third rookie group Victon bopped cutely to a very Australian-themed video backdrop and they were very entertaining, without necessarily making me want to seek them out further. I think that's more to do with their concept being more cute than Pentagon and SF9's, so less appealing to me on those grounds. But they have their charms and most importantly one had a mullet! I'm HERE for the mullets, don't even think I'm joking.

Next up were Girl's Day. They're down to 4 members now but their experience and their casual confidence made them so enjoyable to watch. They played their hits including Something, Expectation and Ring My Bell with such a sense of fun and sexiness, dominating the stage and playing to the crowd with the relaxed ease of vets who have nothing to prove. There was a hunger to the rookies that gave them more edge but sometimes you just wanna watch really talented ppl relaxedly doing their very talented thing.

With everyone acutely aware there was only one act left to take the stage, a couple of SF9s came out to MC a special stage. They did the usual "how are you guys enjoying the show" and "we love Australia" and all that jazz, and then made the fatal mistake of asking an open-ended question:

SF9 MCs: so who is Australia's favourite boy group? Crowd: BTS!!! MCs: Yes, Exo!!! #awkward

I lol'd! I am sorry! Bless you Exo but c'mon!

This was followed by a brief VCR of Australian fans naming their favourite boybands, and then a really fun special stage of boyband covers:  Pentagon covered GOT7's Hard Carry;  SF9 covered Exo's Monster; and Victon did BTS's Fire.

At last it was time for EXO - MUCH CHEERING FROM CROWD!  Exo-Ls were out in force. There were also tons of lightsticks in the crowd and everyone was hyyyyped.

Now some context for my reaction: I can name all the Exo's and I like some of their songs, but I don't quite click with their aesthetic/dynamic in the way that I do with BTS, etc. They were also at something of a disadvantage, with D.O absent from the line-up (I had to count them twice to make sure sob) and Lay MIA from this entire comeback (though I guess that's no longer surprising).

So let that be the background for me saying that I was totally entertained and impressed by their set. Starting with Power and ending with Ko Ko Bop, they came out and gave a great show. They are after all professionally charming and who was I to resist?

For me again it's that idea of a live show being so much more powerful than a video, even for something as preplanned and artificially constructed as pop. A concert is such a powerful reminder that it's more than the performer, and it's more than the audience too - it's about the relationship between the two, that alchemy of atmosphere and act that you only get in that specific environment.

Yes, Kai was deadly with his fucking winks and seductive looks (how dare you sir), but the way the audience reacted to his performance is what made the show go off. Xiumin aka Cat Pirate was also a scene stealer for me, and it was very darling when Chanyeol threw confetti at his head at the end awwww.

(I just wish, like, SM were less SM-y. I got a message from proteinscollide after the show - "Girl walking thru car park: shout out to SM who never give reasons for why members aren't there and if they're ok". Um, yep. I had to check on twitter to find out that D.O was off filming a movie.)

Ending stage was as usual with everyone coming out as tons of confetti rained down. I think a SF9 hugged a Victon? AWWW FRIENDS. A good night.

Night 2

We started again with dance cover groups - colour me EXTREMELY impressed by IME Dance Studio - and Kevin from U-KISS giving away a prize to whoever in the crowd did their best impression of their favourite thing to do in a hotel room. This led to a really hilarious scenario as the cameras zoomed in on 2 girls "dancing" together. "Yes, they're dancing!" Kevin said, "of course they're dancing!" Everyone just cracked the fuck up, Kevin included. They got the prize, bless them, which was - ofc - a free hotel stay!

The show started with the same VCR as the day before and then I was EMOTIONALLY DESTROYED by Monsta X's Jooheon and Shownu taking the stage together to drop an absolutely fire performance. Jooheon's duality is amazing - cuddly scaredy-cat off stage, fucking monster on stage - he was SO GOOD. Shownu's dance break was great as expected and I cried tears in my heart bc I love them.

SF9 returned for the second evening - again, they were slick and impressive, and they namedropped kangaroos and meat pies in their intro ment, good work on ticking off those keywords lol. But I really don't know why they got sets on both days? Did FNC decide they really wanted to build that fanbase and made the necessary commercial arrangement with the promotors? Like I said, stages like this can be real turning points in making a fan. So that's fascinating. If anyone knows, lemme know?

Daehwi (Wanna One)

Three Wanna Ones then took the stage to briefly MC. It was definitely Kang Daniel and uh, two other Wanna Ones! *hastily googles* It was Daehwi, who was the most fluent in English and was super cute & cheesy, and Minhyun, who was also cute but I don't remember much? Sorry team. The only Broduce bro I can 100% identify is Daniel, and sometimes Jaewhan. But! I think I'll remember Daehwi from now on - he was pretty memorable and did the most heavy lifting in the ments. Anyway they delivered some potted intros and then on to the next one.

WJSN then performed a special stage, covering two Kylie Minogue songs as two subunits - Locomotion (which I note came out in 1988, older than every single K-Con performer except for Sojin of Girl's Day) and I Can't Get You Out Of My Head (2001 - there are rookies debuting born in 2001! And younger! God i'm so old). Firstly much love for preparing a special stage with local appeal that didn't feel pandering and really spoke to the long history of amazing women in pop, and secondly THEY WERE SO GOOD. Fun, bright, poppy - I love them.

They were followed by Up10tion who did a high energy set and I remember why I liked them! They're good! I don't quite click with all their songs, especially their more recent ones which I feel are a bit hit and miss, but just like every other group in this K-Con they delivered their set with professionalism and skill and charm.

There was then a brief interlude with MX's Kihyun and I.M, MY TWO LOVES, MCing an audience dance game. We got to see Kihyun doing the Twice TT dance and my world was made. Gosh I love them.

WJSN

WJSN then came back for their set and I just really like them so much. They have that sleekness that I've come to associate with Starship because of them and MX, with both groups always having good choreo and catchy hooks. I like their concept a lot too - they're cute sassy cheerleaders, yes, but I also feel like there's this very cool edge to them, they could easily cut you! I love that! As they acknowledged in their ment, 2 members couldn't make it due to filming schedules (I think it was Cheng Xiao, the dancey/gymnastic one? And Mei Qi, possibly? I'm sorry, I don't remember) but they were still very good and I enjoyed their set a lot. And their main rapper - god, I'm sorry, I don't know if it was Bona or another member - she was SO GOOD? She had so much stage presence. Gosh. I need to find out her name.

Next up were Wanna One. Now, ofc, Produce 101 never officially aired in Australia. We had to watch it on the internet like a bunch of animals. And yet out of all the groups on both days, their fans were definitely the most intense and the most scream-y - yes, more intense than the Exo-Ls and the Monbebes!

I only ever saw snippets of P101 and as I said I can only ID Daniel with certainty, but I was, hmm, not surprised I guess that they turned out to be endearing? CAN U IMAGINE, a group of young men voted for according to their charms turns out to be extremely charming?! The shock!  (From a purely commercial standpoint, what a brilliant exercise this has turned out to be. I think the limited timeframe for Wanna One to make bank lends an edge of urgency to their fandom and means their machine is also geared to maximum efficiency. Make! Bank! Now!) And because they're young and new, there was a certain edge of rawness and spontaneity to them which is naturally part of their appeal too. I still don't quite know what I feel about Kang Daniel - like I know he's very fond of cats and therefore a good person, and he has this easy, cocky stage charisma which makes his appeal seem very straightforward. But I think I found him most endearing when he missed a step at the end of his dance solo and there was just the cutest expression on his face, like "my bad."

For their Pinata game, they did photo time with hyung line posing "cutely" and maknae line posing "sexily" followed by some kind of free for all - A HOT MESS, lol.

Daehwi also went off script - or at least, he said he went off script, but can you ever really know? We need to go deeper! - and wished happy birthday to Kuanlin, getting the whole audience to sing along too, awww. As I said: what a group of charming young men; the self-awareness that they were constructed to charm ultimately means nothing.

FINALLY MONSTA X. They're, like, my second favourite group after BTS so I think I would've been just fine if they'd shown up and waved at us and sang like a song or two. But they didn't! They were really, really good. As headliners they had a signficant chunk of time and I think I was smiling from start to end, non stop.

They've turned into such good performers - with something similar to that same easy confidence that Girl's Day and Exo had - and I felt like they really did the most, on the second night, with connecting to the audience. Their performances were all on point, and everyone of them looked and sounded great but Jooheon especially killed me with swag and Wonho's collar & cleavage can fuck right off, ISTG. It just made me so happy to see them doing these songs and choreo I love so much - Shine Forever and Beautiful and Fighter - and they ended with Hero, my very first MX song, which was amazing. (I am a little sad they skipped All In but ok I can live with it.)

For their ment, they played the proposal game, with three members doing their very best fanservice lol. A very happy woman in the standing area got to be audience surrogate as I.M laid on cheesy lines (something about angels and heaven, IDK, why is he like this and why do I love him so much), Kihyun sang a ballad to her (next to me proteinscollide died a death), and Wonho came down to the barrier to to give her a heart, selfie & cheek kiss. It was so! Cheesy! And Wonderful! #the selfawareness does nothing

Everyone then came out for the goodbye, though MX were the only ones who felt relaxed enough it seems to actually get silly with the confetti and do some more spontaneous bows & waves to the crowd. By comparison to every other group on the 2nd night, they must be the old hands at K-Con by now - they've done SO many. Gosh I hope they come back to Australia for a full show. I love them so much.

Fuck, I'm now at 3300 words so let's wrap this up quick:

Unlike other K-Cons which seem to have a proper programming and convention stream, the "convention" part of this was really a disappointment. Minimal programming, minimal stalls (less than 10 vendors), all in one room. It was free entry which is fine I guess except that people were queuing up forever to get inside due to the limited capacity and it was H O T (over 30 C each day) out there. In the end I queued for an hour, and spent about 15 minutes inside. It was really not worth it. Luckily proteinscollide & I had options and just went away for a few hours to pass the time before the show, but I imagine there were a lot of kids left hanging around Olympic Park all day with nothing to do.

The shows didn't sell out. What does this mean? Possible thoughts:

-It was really expensive and the audience skews young. Like, the premium tickets were REALLY REALLY expensive and good tix were expensive. I could afford decent tix, but if I were in my teens? No way. I'd have had to ask my parents for it.

-Sydney has had a run of shows including an Australian-exclusive BTS show. If you're interstate and you already spent $$$ going to BTS, or for that matter $$$ to go G-Dragon in your own state, how much money do you have left over for concerts in this year? There is a limited capacity for this audience to keep spending. Promoters should be careful not to spread us too thin. Put more shows on in Melbourne! (Though I don't know - are there more Koreans and east Asians in Sydney? I suspect there are. The audience, again, skews heavily to those of us who are Asian-Australian.)

-Exo, MX, and Wanna One are very popular but don't have the same mainstream reach in Australia as BTS. BTS also had the advantage again of being earlier in the year, only the 2nd major kpop tour in the year I believe. Since then there's been other kpop and khip-hop shows for people to spend their money on. I really thought Exo would give BTS a run tho, given how well their latest album performed on Australian iTunes charts.

...that was not a quick wrap-up.

TO CONCLUDE: I HAD A GOOD TIME, THANK U FOR READING.

[magneticmaguk]

Funkmaster Flex Vs. DJ Clue is the DJ Battle the Culture Needs

Hot 97 or Power 105.1? Which seminal hip-hop/R&B New York radio station you pledge allegiance to is bound to provoke heated debates.

DJ Funkmaster Flex and DJ Clue—the de-facto voices of Hot 97 and Power 105.1 FM respectively—have recently turned up the heat on their long-standing feud over who is the number one DJ in New York, period. But this time, the fight is not just for radio supremacy. On March 8th, Bronx-bred super-producer Swizz Beatz stoked the flames for a DJ battle between Flex and Clue to settle their longstanding rivalry for once and for all.

Funkmaster Flex and DJ Clue have been rivals on the radio, on the mixtape circuit, and in nightclubs. They both are icons for DJ culture, which is why Hot 97 and Power 105.1 have elevated them as their primetime DJ talent. Their rivalry has escalated over the years, and the battle proposed by Swizz could finally be their tipping point. Whether or not Flex and Clue actually decide to go into combat, it is no doubt as important as previous face-offs between Nas vs. Jay Z, Kanye West vs. 50 Cent, or Kendrick vs. Drake. Flex and Clue have their own strengths and weaknesses as hip-hop DJs, and since there aren't any set terms for this type of DJ battle—opponents are judged on everything from their technical skills to their showmanship appeal—it's impossible to predict who would win. Still, it's a given that DJs are competitive, and a battle could raise the bar for the art of DJing.

On that night in March, while at a private dinner inside of what looks like a fancy car dealership, Swizz put Clue on the spot in an Instagram video, pressuring him to battle Flex and "earn that crown back." Also present were rapper Fabolous, A&R/photographer Lenny Santiago, and singer/producer Ryan Leslie, who stirred the pot by laughing at Swizz's comments. "Flex is gonna try to finish you," said Swizz. Cue Flex writing in the comments section: "He don't want none of me on that Fucking set BRUH!" Warning shots fired?

DJ Clue and Funkmaster Flex hosting the 2014 McDonald's Flavor Battle (Photo by Patrick Neree)

Since then, Flex and Swizz have repeatedly tried to bait Clue, both posting Instagram clips of Flex scratching the "earn that crown back" taunt over the instrumental to Biggie's "Who Shot Ya?", as if to suggest that he's scared. Yet Clue, the self-proclaimed "Michael Jordan of Mixtapes," maintained a zen master's poise; he assured fans on Instagram last month that he has exclusives that can outshine Flex's turntable skills. (Flex, Swizz, and Clue did not return THUMP's multiple requests for comment.)

A week before Swizz put Clue on the spot, Swizzy had engaged in a high-profile beat battle against Just Blaze at an undisclosed location in NYC, and arguably won by playing an unreleased Jay Z, Jadakiss, Nas, DMX collaboration in a "drop the mic" moment. Meanwhile, apparently Pharrell and Timbaland are talking about going at it in their own beat battle.

For his match with Clue, Flex has suggested playing exclusive for exclusive, DJ skills for DJ skills. Both artists have an impressive discography of songs, mixtapes, and studio albums spanning generations of hip-hop and R&B. Clue has a nice rep merging gritty rappers with beloved pop stars; he produced Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" (Remix) featuring Jadakiss and Styles P. Flex has a slight edge with reggae and dancehall collaborations, so the idea of Flex playing dub plates roasting Clue are probable.

According to a recent post on a fan's Instagram, Clue has denounced back-spinning songs as irrelevant to this brewing battle. Yet, there is no denying that two turntables and a mixer are the tools of the trade, and rewinding a record manually or scratching samples lies at the core of hip-hop. Taking two songs and looping the instrumental break to hype up the party is the great invention by hip-hop's founding fathers Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa, who built the foundation for club DJs.

When radio DJs go at it, they are empowered by the almighty microphone to strike down with furious anger from the mountaintops.

Finalists in the Disco Mix Club (DMC) World Championship are given six minutes to showcase their talent, no sound effects. Clue and Flex both use a bomb—a seven-second explosion sample that sounds like the ground is erupting from under you—as their signature drop. Flex introduced the atomic bomb first, and in the beginning, reserved as a signpost that he was going to break a major rap record live on Hot 97—Nas "Hate Me Now" or Fat Joe "My Lifestyle" for example. The impact of the bomb is now oversaturated from Flex using it as a point of emphasis during his on-air rants, and Clue co-opting it. Clue's current arsenal of drops ranges from a sample of his signature laugh to his catchphrase "Do Remember." When he shouts his alias "ClueManatti," it rings through like a rapid fire of syllables, long before "G-G-G-Unit" was on the tip of the rap world's tongue.

Then there is the question of showmanship—the scratching, beat-juggling technical DJ skills that defines the DJ's pedigree. When Flex scratches, his style is recognizable—he masterfully rubs the records, yet he doesn't lean heavily on the crossfader to cut smaller pieces of the song. He hits with power instead of precision. On the other hand, Clue's scratching and mixing are questionable, and he rarely does it.

Clue is from Queens, Flex is from The Bronx; their battle is like the DJ version of Coke vs. Pepsi, Mets vs. Yankees, or MC Shan vs. KRS-One. But Clue and Flex's feud actually most vividly recalls the one between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, and the gloves have been off long before Swizz became the quasi-Don King. Ali and Frazier were friends before they became bitter rivals, just like how the DJs were on somewhat respectful terms in the 90s, when Clue hosted his own weekly show, "The Monday Night Mixtape" on Hot 97, where both he and Flex worked at the time. Clue even shouted out Flex, plus a handful of Hot 97 staff, on his "Winter War Mixtape" in '95. (Clue left Hot 97 in 2006.)

Five years ago, Funkmaster Flex aired out Clue, sending shots at the Power 105.1 DJ over who rules the NYC airwaves after Flex scooped him on the Nicki Minaj, Cam'Ron & 2 Chainz collab, "Beez In the Trap." "I see this guy talking tough last night… by the way, the Mets they win sometimes too; two weeks out of 52," said Flex live on the radio. He never calls out Clue by name, but it's obvious who he is referring to. A few days later, Clue tweeted and responded with a few scathing insults for Flex on air, calling him a hoe and a clown, and a "number 2 … worrying about what I'm doing." He also claimed Flex plays parties for free—a knock on a DJ who is synonymous with the dynasty of hip-hop nightlife in the 90s.

Besides Clue and Flex going at it, there is no lack of shots at Flex thrown from Charlamange Tha God, or Peter Rosenberg at The Breakfast Club—no one is safe, anybody gets it. But when radio DJs go at it, they are empowered by the almighty microphone to strike down with great vengeance and furious anger from the mountaintops.

A rivalry of a similar scale happened in the early 80s when the late-great Frankie Crocker, program director for WBLS—the first Black-owned New York radio station—was up against Barry Mayo, the general manager for WRKS 98.7 KISS FM. Crocker introduced hip-hop music onto the airwaves on a station known for black adult contemporary R&B music, and hired the late DJ Mr. Magic from WHBI to play on BLS. Not to be outdone, Mayo, hired DJ Red Alert and Chuck Chillout to challenge KISS FM. (Fun fact: Flex used to carry Chuck's records back in the day.)

So, can anyone be friends? Former Hot 97 host-turned-Power 105.1 host DJ Envy told Vlad TV in 2012 about the beef between the stations: "There is no talking to your enemy, no shaking hands with your enemy, or DJing a party with your enemy." Despite the entrenched animosity between Flex and Clue, it is competition at the end of the day, akin to a reality TV drama on your car stereo.

But after all the talk, where is the action? It's been over one month since Clue was called out by Swizz on Instagram, but a date still hasn't been set for this brewing showdown—or any of the other dream battles by Swizz. The main display of DJ talent we've seen Flex associated with is Turntable Tuesday—a weekly showcase on Hot 97 in which Flex invites guest DJs like Rob Swift, Scram Jones, and most recently, Just Blaze, to get busy on the 1s and 2s. During the show, Flex stands by on camera, smiling at the artful display of turntablism (real DJing).

As great as all the guests are, they are the undercard. Flex vs. Clue is the main event we're waiting for. A bridge between the two DJs could help end the rift between them, despite what DJ Envy said about how there is no crossing of lines between the station's personalities. But just like an actual bridge, it is a massive undertaking, and like most construction in New York, you can't hold your breath on a quick completion.

Correction: a previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Power 105.1 and Hot 97 are owned by the same parent company, Emmis Communications. Only Hot 97 is owned by Emmis Communications.

[caveartfair]

This Hip-Hop Producer’s Basquiat Could Be a Hit at Phillips in May

Jean Michel-Basquiat, Self Portrait, 1983. Courtesy of Phillips.

In his 1988 Vanity Fair story about Jean-Michel Basquiat’s death, the writer Anthony Haden-Guest recounted an encounter with a harrowing work that, after the fact, seemed to be a harbinger of the artist’s untimely demise at 27. It was a 1983 self-portrait with a skeletal figure whose teeth were missing, its right leg represented by a licked-clean bone, the left leg simply a red line. In late June or early July of 1988, the frail, drink- and drug-ravaged artist saw it at the Los Angeles home of its owner, his friend Matt Dike, and made a chilling comment.

“He looked at the bones,” Dike recalled. “He said, ‘I hope that doesn’t come true, too.’”

Two months later, Jean-Michel Basquiat was dead.

Dike—a hugely influential L.A. hip-hop producer who made hits for Tone Loc and Young MC as well as the masterful Beastie Boys album Paul’s Boutique (1989)—kept it in his Echo Park house until he died in March 2018. Now, the large diptych painted on a pair of doors, Self Portrait (1983), and five other smaller Basquiat works from his collection, will be sold at Phillips in May. The self-portrait is estimated to sell for between $9 million and $12 million.

The provenance could not be more appealing, as Dike knew Basquiat for a decade, through the entirety of his unfathomably short career. The producer first met Basquiat when he was still tagging “SAMO” on Downtown Manhattan streets, at the first party Dike ever DJed, in the notorious New York University dorm Weinstein Hall. A teenage Basquiat kept demanding Dike play Joe Jackson’s “Got the Time” over and over again.

They reconnected a few years later in Los Angeles, where Dike was working as a gallery assistant at Gagosian during the day and DJing at clubs at night. In 1982, Larry Gagosian brought Basquiat to town for his first-ever L.A. show, and Dike was so involved in helping stretch paintings and install work for the exhibition that he became Basquiat’s de facto assistant. When the show opened in April, Gagosian pulled out all the stops, even flying Basquiat and his entourage out from New York, first class.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Figure with Blue Head), 1982–1983. Courtesy of Phillips.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Red/black Figure), 1982. Courtesy of Phillips.

“I’ve never seen anything like it on a plane,” Gagosian told the writer Phoebe Hoban, for her book Basquiat: A Quick Killing in Art (1998). “It was like these four kind of rough-looking black kids hunched over a big pile of coke, and then they just switched over to these huge joints, and sat up there and smoked them. It was wild. They had their big, hooded ski-glasses on, and big overcoats. The stewardess freaked. I was terrified. I thought, ‘Oh God, we’re going to jail.’”

According to Gagosian, when the flight attendant asked the artist and his friends to stop doing drugs in the open on a commercial flight, Basquiat replied: “I thought this was first class.”

At the end of 1982, Basquiat returned to L.A. for a six-month stint to make work for his next show, and moved into Gagosian’s modernist home in Venice Beach, steps from the boardwalk. (He was joined often by his girlfriend at the time, an aspiring singer who went by Madonna.) But it was astonishing he got any work done at all given the intensity of his antics.

“Jean made a total mess of Larry’s place, just destroyed it,” Dike told Hoban. “He was the biggest slob I’ve ever seen. The first day, he flooded the place. He was like a three-year-old kid, but huge. It was nuts trying to deal with him. Larry had him in the house so he could keep tabs on him, and I was supposed to keep my eye on him, because Jean would do things like disappear.”

There was also the issue of his budding substance abuse problem.

“Getting drugs was no problem,” Dike said. “I mean you could buy massive amounts of drugs: coke, heroin, pot, quaaludes, everything.”

Gagosian acknowledged that “Matt used to run these kamikaze raids for Basquiat,” but claimed to have refrained from indulging in the parties that were happening at his house. “I was already too old,” he told Hoban.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Insect Order), 1982–1983. Courtesy of Phillips.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Piss Piss Piss Piss), 1982–1983. Courtesy of Phillips.

And yet Basquiat was extremely productive, and in 1983, he had a breakthrough. He realized he could rid himself of the tyranny of the canvas and paint on other surfaces, thus leading to his groundbreaking use of wooden slats, starting with some fences that Dike found out back behind Gagosian’s house.

“Jean-Michel was feeling sort of uninspired,” Dike told Hoban. “He was really bummed out by the generic canvases they were rushing him to paint, so I started dragging in all these wooden fences and saying, ‘Dude, paint on these. These look really cool.’”

From that breakthrough emerged Self-Portrait, painted on two reclaimed doors. On one is an uncanny likeness of Basquiat, which is surprising since many of his self-portraits are distorted and don’t actually resemble him—as a Phillips press release notes, “Self-Portrait firmly takes a prime position in the pantheon of self-portraits in Basquiat’s oeuvre, one that perhaps like none other is filled with self-reflection.” On the other door, which includes an additional wood panel, is a series of images and forms along with a phrase he would come back to often: “To Repel Ghosts.”

Basquiat’s next solo show opened at Gagosian’s West Hollywood space in March 1983, and was an immediate success. Works were bought on the spot by collectors such as Eli Broad, who purchased the wood-support-mounted Horn Players (1983) as well as Eyes and Eggs (1983), a haunting work Dike had watched Basquiat make.

Basquiat was quickly becoming one of the most famous young artists in the world, and in February 1985, he appeared on the cover of the New York Times Magazine. But his fall from grace was just as swift, and by 1988 he was in the throes of full-on heroin addiction, trying to quit but never succeeding.

“One day he would tell me he was giving it up,” Vincent Gallo, the filmmaker who was in a punk band called Gray with Basquiat, told Haden-Guest. “The next he’d be boasting he was doing a hundred bags a day—more than Keith Richards.”

Dike saw him one last time, when Basquiat stopped in Los Angeles on the way back from Hawaii, where he had gone to kick heroin but had been drinking heavily.

“He was drinking any kind of hard booze,” Dike said in the Vanity Fair story. “He could drink a quart of tequila. It was to kill the cold turkey, I guess.”

Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Standing Male Figure), 1982. Courtesy of Phillips.

During that trip, Basquiat saw his self-portrait for the last time, and saw in it his own demise. And just as the artist’s drug abuse was coming back with devastating and ultimately deadly force, Dike saw his own career beginning to take off.

For years, Dike had been a DJ in the L.A. club scene that helped launch bands at the intersection of the rock and hip-hop scenes, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction. In 1987, he founded the independent hip-hop record label Delicious Vinyl with Mike Ross, and in January 1989, they produced their first hit, Tone Loc’s “Wild Thing,” which was one of the first major hits to take the rap-rock template pioneered by Run-DMC and their producer, Rick Rubin, and incorporate sampling—the beat takes a chopped-up guitar snarl pinched from Van Halen’s “Jamie’s Cryin’” and nestles a funky drum loop in it, while a heavy breathing sample floats above it all. Tone Loc’s follow-up single, “Funky Cold Medina,” was built on samples of Kiss and Foreigner—and it was also a hit.

Around that time, Dike started working with the Beastie Boys, who wanted to break away from the big-riff frat rap they had perfected on their first album, Licensed to Ill (1986). Beastie Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz recalled being at a party and hearing what sounded like “four breakbeat records playing at the same time.”

“I was talking to this guy I just met that was friends of friends of mine, Matt Dike,” he recalled in the liner notes for Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science (1999). “I asked him what the music was, and he said that he had made it. Him and these two other guys, the Dust Brothers had been making these hip-hop tracks with all these ill loops.”

They set up shop in Dike’s home studio and started making what would become Paul’s Boutique, a mind-bending record built on hundreds of disparate samples, the psychedelic blending of one song fragment into another masterminded by Dike and the production team known as the Dust Brothers. On top of that complex tapestry, the Beasties spit quick rhymes incorporating a constellation of references including Dr. Seuss, Japanese slugger Sadaharu Oh, Isaac Newton, “Dragnet,” former New York Knick Harthorne Wingo, the Ramones, and more. While the album flopped when it was released, it has since been reclaimed as a classic, an early example of postmodern, hyper-referential sampling.

Paul’s Boutique would be Dike’s last production credit on a major release. He sold his part of Delicious to his partner in 1992. By all accounts, he spent the last of his years as a recluse, holed up in an Echo Park home once owned by the silent film star Fatty Arbuckle. And all that time, the Basquiat self-portrait stayed on his wall. As Phillips notes in its consignment announcement, he never loaned it for exhibition and never considered selling it.

from Artsy News