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hinataoc · 9 months

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KHOC Week Day 4 - AUs

Another day, another @khoc-week post!

I was debating on doing this prompt, but then remembered my old Shadow of the Colossus AU, Seeking Salvation.

I might have shared it before, but this one is close to my heart. Every time I replay Shadow of the Colossus (amazing game btw) I can’t help but fall back in love with the environment, the lonely beauty in the world. No other game has ever captured it quite the same way since.

ANYWAY,

This is a commission I got of Hinata (by the incredible MeiYu) from my Seeking Salvation AU.

Set years after KH3, Riku and Hinata are given a mission to travel to the far reaches of the galaxy to discover and explore new worlds. They’ve gone further than ever before and happen upon a lone planet orbiting a faint star.

Both of them feel something strange about the world, even from orbit safe in their ship. So they decide to land and find the small town of Toska. Elders in wooden masks watch over the townsfolk, who all refuse to give direct eye contact to either Riku and Hinata. The unsettling feeling about the town only intensifies the more they see.

They stay a while, trying to figure out what is going on. Something is off and they intend to find out. Shortly after arriving, Hinata discovers a black horse abandoned in a graveyard. It remains by the tombstone of what she assumes was its former master. She gathers food for the horse and discovers that a few of the town children also like to visit the horse and braid its mane.

Through this, those children take a liking to Riku and Hinata and tell them that the town is preparing for the ritual—though the children don’t really know what that means. Just that every year one of them goes missing in the middle of the night and their family is really sad in the morning. But no one will talk about it. It’s just for grown ups, the kids say. They’ll get to find out when they have their rite of passage into adulthood.

Riku and Hinata don’t need the rite of passage to understand what the ritual actually is and they know they need to stop it from happening again. They sneak into the town’s church in the middle of the night, where they’d seen the elders gather at sunrise and sunset. There they find a collection of books and scrolls that explain the ritual sacrifice to maintain the seal of the Dormin, creatures of with unfathomable power and abilities. The Dormin are sealed in a far away land that is forbidden for the people to set foot in.

Seeing enough, Hinata gets up and decides they need to find the Dormin themselves and see what the people are truly up against. If it really requires sacrifice or if they can find another way. Riku reminds her they have to be careful about interfering, but says he agrees with her plan regardless.

Though they aren’t able to make it there as they plan. A strange chant begins to fill the room, starting soft, then growing in volume. Both Hinata and Riku become unsteady and collapse to the ground, everything going black.

Waking up, Hinata finds herself tied up with lit torches all around her. There’s drums, chanting, and crying, but she still can’t see well. Everything’s blurry and she feels as if she’s dreaming. Then everything hushes to silence and Hinata hears a blade pierce a body. A sigh of relief washes over the crowd and Hinata smells the unmistakable scent of blood.

She’s untied and falls to her knees, blinking rapidly and trying frantically to regain her vision. An elder speaks lowly at the front of a crowd. Hinata makes out his shape against the flickering firelight. He speaks of peace and Toska being cleansed by the sacrifice. Hinata looks behind him, making out a blade protruding from...Riku’s body.

Everything after became a blur. Hinata remembers screaming, people running, elders chanting...none of it changed anything. Without fully regaining her strength, she gathered Riku’s body in a thick quilt and secured him to the horse she discovered in the graveyard. From there, she went for the Forbidden Lands. She would find the Dormin, and she would make them bring Riku back.

For those of you that have played Shadow of the Colossus, yes, Hinata has taken the place of Wander.

It’s a haunting story, but one that I grow obsessed with over and over again.

This is a really old one shot, but I wrote the final Colossus battle Hinata does before Riku is resurrected.

------------------------------------

Was it worth it?

All the scars, the sacrifice, the terror of each new encounter and mission given by the shadows… in the end of it all, was it worth it?

Hinata leaned her head back against the cliffside, the warmth from the thin rays of sunlight peeking through the leafy overbrush warmed her paled face. The color in her cheeks had long left. Her fingertips were grayed, her golden eyes dulled. Thin tattoos were etched into her skin, creating intricate patterns that she hadn’t remembered putting there. Each time she saw her reflection in the water, she noticed a new one. She hadn’t said it aloud, but she suspected they were the markings of the Colossi… the ones she killed.

Her fingers traced the indentations, her mind replaying the final moments of battle when she would thrust her blade through their skulls. Their cries of agony as the life left their eyes, it kept her up at night and plagued her thoughts throughout the day. Fifteen kills... Fifteen screams that would forever haunt her dreams.

Only one remained… The final Colossus.

After this, her journey would finally be over. Riku would be given new life, Sam and Velcia would be able to leave in peace, and Hinata would be left behind, paying the price for completing the unthinkable.

She swallowed thickly, closing her eyes and taking in a long, deep breath.

This was it.

There was no turning back.

Her eyes opened, her hands clenching at her sides against the rocky ground. She had to keep moving. With a pained moan, she pushed herself to her feet, stumbling forward when her legs refused to cooperate. She caught herself against the trunk of a tree, taking in a few deep breaths to regain her strength. There wasn’t much left to her, and she knew as much. Each kill made her weaker, in both mind and body.

“You can do this,” she whispered, looking towards the crumbled bridge that would have taken her life if it hadn’t been for Nia. “If not for yourself--” she stood back up straight, swaying side to side as she rebalanced. “Then for the others.”

Blowing out a breath, she looked up the cliffside that led up to her final battle. Her dagger appeared in her hand in a wisp of shimmering, blue mist, ready to be thrown. She focused on a pillar that leaned over the top of the cliff and stepped back as she readjusted the blade in her grasp. Sucking in a sharp breath, she ran forward and threw her dagger with practiced ease. It embedded itself into the pillar, cracking the stone. Hinata disappeared in a blue mist reappearing at the dagger’s hilt, where she pulled it out from the pillar as it crumbled away. She scrambled back to be on top of the cliff, slipping and nearly falling with the rocks before she gripped the edge of the cliffside. Her heart pounded in her chest, her breaths labored and short as she watched the pillar smash against the rocks below.

She pulled herself back up to safety, struggling to make a maneuver that normally would have been done with ease. Rumbling thunder greeted her as she got back to her feet. Her jaw dropped at the swirling storm ahead of her. Thick, dark clouds surrounded a monstrous tower that went higher than anything Hinata had seen in the forbidden lands. Her eyes followed the building, causing her knees to falter when she saw the familiar golden eyes of a Colossus at the very top. It wasn’t a building, or a tower... It was her final foe.

Its fiery eyes stared straight through her as it awaited her challenge. Lightning circled its wrists as it reached out towards her with long, straggly arms that sent chills through Hinata’s spine. Blinding light surged from its fingertips, coming straight towards her and forcing her out of the impending panic. She pushed herself to her feet, running to cover behind a tall pillar that stood amongst an old decrepit courtyard Hinata found herself in. The beams of electricity struck the pillar, shaking the ground around her and causing cracks to form in the stone.

Hinata struggled to stay upright, crying out in fright as everything crumbled around her. She peeked around the pillar, gasping and turning away when the Colossus immediately fired another shot, disintegrating a chunk of the rock and forcing Hinata to lower to her knees to avoid being seen.

She summoned her dagger into her grasp, taking in a breath before she threw it further into the courtyard and warped to it. The blue mist was still dissipating away from her warp when she threw her dagger again, and then again, each warp bringing her closer to the Colossus and missing its earth shattering shots of electricity.

The closer she got, the windier it became. As she neared its legs, pelting rain poured around her, making it difficult to see. She was close enough that it could no longer take shots at her, but it instead attempted to smash her with its feet. Her chest heaved as she ran forward, stumbling from the force of its foot slamming against the ground behind her. There had to be a way to climb onto its body, there always was for the others.

She circled around it, her lungs burning and legs threatening to crumble. Despite it, her body never did fully give out during a battle. It was as if she was given strength for the fight itself as the markings on her body glowed and pulsed adrenaline inside of her, pushing her forward.

Running between its legs, she found what she was looking for. There was a platform near the ground, one with jagged stone and moss that gave her the perfect grappling point. She climbed on, gripping the moss as the Colossus growled and shook its body in an attempt to throw her off completely. Harsh winds blew past her, nearly blowing her away completely as the Colossus writhed beneath her. Regardless, she continued upwards, allowing the glow from her tattooed markings to illuminate her way. The light from them melded with the mossy stone that made up the Colossus and it created a thin pathway that led where she needed to go. She followed without hesitation, one step after the next, narrowly avoiding the creature's hands blindly reaching for her behind its back. Rain clouded her vision, but as long as she could see the thin blue trail of light she knew where she had to go.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been climbing when she reached its waist. There was a thick platform that surrounded it, the last portion of rock before all that remained of its body was fur and blackened skin. Hinata fell to her knees, struggling to remain conscious as her tattoos faded and the adrenaline inside of her reduced to nothing. The corners of her vision went black, blurring even further than the rain was already doing. She couldn’t feel her hands even though they caught her when she fell forward, but she could see the blotches of black blood between her fingers.

Was that her blood?

Whispers overtook her fading thoughts, filling her entire being as the Dormin shadows spoke to her, “The vitals are in a place thou cannot reach from there…”

Hinata’s hands clenched beneath her as she forced herself to look up. She was in the creature’s blindspot behind its back. The platform was thick enough that it couldn’t feel her presence, but it was still searching for her as it swayed side to side and randomly shot beams of its electricity into the courtyard.

“Climb higher from that place…” the whispers urged her forward, taking no account of her current state.

Her tattoos pulsated with light, enticing her with a trickle of adrenaline. She whimpered, attempting to stand. Her arms trembled and gave way beneath her, and she fell back to the platform completely.

“I can’t,” she cried softly, her voice completely lost in the storm around her. “I-I’m sorry, I can’t…”

The warmth of light caused her to wince before she opened her eyes. The storm parted, the clouds thinning and allowing rays of sunlight to pour in. Hinata blinked, fighting the urge to reel back from the light and instead gazed directly inside, allowing it to completely envelope her. Time seemed to stand still as she looked out over the forbidden lands. Bright blue beams of light pierced through the sky, each one residing where she defeated a Colossus. In the center of it all was the temple. Its immense and once intimidating size seemed small in comparison to Hinata’s perch.

That was where everything began…

Riku laid there, lifeless, patiently awaiting Hinata to finish her quest to set things right. Sam and Velcia watched over him, no doubt agonizing where Hinata disappeared to when they had woken up that morning. She left them at dawn, leaving without a word. This wasn’t their fight. They helped her along the way, but in the end, it wasn’t their burden to bear.

Hinata pushed herself to stand, her legs quaking and threatening to give under her weight, but they remained strong as she gripped the hilt to the Dormin Blade. It glowed from the sunlight as she unsheathed it and held it high. A thin beam of yellow light penetrated the storm, shining out over the forbidden lands towards the temple.

She had to give them a sign.

A sparkle of light greeted her in response from the temple’s entrance. It rose as a pearl of light, spiraling upwards before bursting into a shimmering firework. Hinata breathlessly laughed, her arm losing its strength and falling limp to her side with the Dormin blade loosely in her grasp.

They saw her.

The clouds swirled back together, blocking out the sunlight and once again leaving Hinata alone with her quest. Exhaustion coursed through her, melding with throbbing pain from the perseverance she forced herself into over the past month. All of it, every moment led to this and she had to finish what she started.

No matter the cost.

“Climb higher from that place…” the whispers prompted her again.

Hinata nodded, blowing out a breath as she closed her eyes and muttered, “Give me your strength to finish this.”

She staggered back, gritting her teeth at the sudden rush of energy and adrenaline pumping through her in response. It wasn’t natural and even as the pain in her joints vanished, she knew deep down that it was still there and was only going to be worse when the effects wore off.

Opening her eyes, she narrowed her gaze towards the arm of the Colossus. She sheathed the Dormin blade and summoned her dagger. Taking in a deep breath, she shook out her arms and switched between the balls of her feet, before sprinting forward. With a final push at the edge of the platform she vaulted off, throwing her dagger in succession and piercing it into the Colossus’ bicep.

It yowled and grabbed for the dagger, missing Hinata as she landed on its forearm and hung from its blackened and matted fur. She resummoned her dagger, slicing into its arm before it even noticed her there. Its roar was deafening, shaking everything around it and rattling the rocks that made up its body. Hinata swung herself up onto its straightened out arm so it could find her.

She ran forward, ducking and sliding when its giant hand came reaching for her. She narrowly missed it and reached its shoulder. The fur along its back kept her hidden from sight while it searched for her. Its hands swept blindly, becoming more frantic by the moment as it realized she was nearing its head.

Her hands clung to the fur, pulling her further up towards its neck and the glowing markings on the top of its head that pulsed brighter the closer she got. Her own tattoos shined brilliantly, illuminating her path as they did on her way up. The rain pelted her back, the roars and screams from the creature realizing its impending doom resonated around her. All she focused on was closing the distance as she unsheathed the Dormin blade. Its glow matched the markings on the Colossus, begging to be plunged into the center and finish the ritual.

The whispers in her mind grew in volume, telling her to take the chance, to not hesitate—even though she always did.

It never got easier to take a life.

With both hands readied on the hilt, she lifted the blade up and sucked in a breath before striking it down, piercing the softened skin. A scream filled the air. The Colossus reared back its entire body. Hinata grabbed onto a rock protruding from the creature’s head, keeping herself steady as the Colossus thrashed. Blackened blood spewed from the wound, seeping into its fur. Hinata looked away, desperately trying to hang on before a rocky hand wound around her waist.

She cried out from the tightened grip that only grew firmer as the Colossus realized it had her. It brought her in front of its face, its eyes burning and fingers tightening to cut off her air completely. Hinata stared back into its gaze, the glow of her tattoos fading as the Dormin recognized her fate. She gasped for air, feeling her bones cracking and giving way under the pressure.

Holding out her hand, she summoned her dagger and hurled it towards its head. It clinked off a rock protruding from its skull, but Hinata warped to it regardless, catching herself on the soaked fur as her dagger fell to the world below. She forced herself to her knees, grabbing the hilt of the blade that was still stabbed inside of the Colossus’ head. One more strike, that’s all it would take.

“DORMIN!” she cried out, watching her tattoos fill with light as she pulled out the blade and thrusted it back in.

She got to her feet, putting all of her weight onto the blade until only the hilt remained above. The curdling scream in response caused tears to fill her eyes. Every kill was the same, each one left her empty as darkness covered the Colossus’ lifeless skin. The colossal body went limp, its head falling forward and rather than brace herself, Hinata allowed herself to fall.

The rain ceased, the clouds parting to reveal the sun as the fire in the Colossus’ eyes went out. Wind whistled past Hinata’s ears as she fell, watching the creature crumble and the dark shadows claim their prize. Her eyes lifted to the sky before closing entirely. Riku’s face appeared in her mind, their last moments together. His smile, the way he always knew what to say when she needed it most… He would have those moments again. Life would breathe back into him… finally.

If this was to be the end, at least it happened with the knowledge that she finished what she set out to do.

“It is done…” The whispers filled her being.

Hinata’s eyes fluttered open, seeing her blackened tears rising in droplets above her as she fell.

She had done it.

Black, shadowy tendrils shot out from the Colossus’ remains. Hinata swallowed hard, refusing to watch as they made their way towards her, as they always did. Before she could hit the ground, the shadows pierced her body, momentarily stopping her heart. Her lips parted and black mist poured from her mouth.

Then everything went black.

#khocweek2023 #kingdom hearts

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cyarskaren52 · 3 months

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https://web.archive.org/web/20210128141211/https://www.spin.com/featured/jack-harlow-january-2021-cover-story/

Jack Harlow Knew This Was Coming

Well, sort of. But now he’s got a smash hit, a new album featuring Adam Levine, and he may have accidentally altered the course of NBA history

January 27 2021, 10:00 AM ET

DJ Drama was in no rush to return from his lunch break.

Sandwiched between the outskirts of Atlanta’s Bankhead neighborhood and the sprawling campus of Georgia Tech University is Means Street Studios. This hub of hip hop recording has played host to a litany of stars since its 2013 inception. Playboi Carti, Gucci Mane, Lil Uzi Vert and the late Nipsey Hussle are just some of the artists who’ve graced its halls.

Machine Gun Kelly X SPIN Cover Story - Promo 2

However, on this day in November 2017, the Means Street corridors were not especially glamorous. Atlantic Records had selected the studio complex to host its quarterly A&R conference in which DJ Drama, legendary mixtape arbiter and co-founder of Atlantic’s Generation Now imprint (Lil Uzi Vert, Killuminati), played a significant role.

Overnight success stories often begin at conferences like this one, long before viral TikTok challenges and feature placements on streaming services come into play. It can sometimes take years for an artist to build enough trust with a label to earn a star-turning album or single rollout. Drama knows a thing or two about this waiting game. It was his seminal free mixtape series, Gangsta Grillz, that helped rappers circumvent this indefinite layover and maintain relevance during the 2000s.

“I was just kind of, you know, taking my time to get back,” he admits over a Zoom call, reminiscing. He was, after all, DJ Drama. He was far past the stage where he needed to outhustle fellow A&Rs and executives. New music needed to hustle its way to him.

Still, as 2014 signee Lil Uzi Vert inched closer to international superstardom, Generation Now was in the market for a second star. When Drama finally returned from his break, something extraordinary happened.

“Right as I walked in just a little bit late, ‘Dark Knight’ was on. They were playing ‘Dark Knight’ in the meeting.”

A few months prior to Atlantic’s A&R summit descending upon Means Street, during the waning days of summer 2017, DJ Drama sat in a room at the studios beside his fellow Generation Now execs: Don Cannon, a similarly legendary mixtape DJ, and their partner Leighton “Lake” Morrison. Meeting with them were KY, a renowned engineer from Louisville, and a lanky, curly-haired white boy, also from Louisville, whose brand of brash-yet-self-conscious raps had built a fanbase whose support had him teetering on the brink of vested major label interest. This was Jack Harlow, Drama was told.

He knew who the 19-year-old rapper was. Drama’s friend and colleague Randy had hipped him to Jack’s Instagram page several months prior. Intrigued, Drama followed it and listened to a handful of the young rapper’s songs. The night before the formal introduction at Means Street, Jack had been thrust into a studio session by this same friend, Randy, to record with Generation Now’s inaugural signee, veteran rapper Skeme.

https://web.archive.org/web/20210128141211im_/https://static.spin.com/files/2021/01/SPIN_Cover_Story-Jack_Harlow-Hero_Image-6-1611691015-1280x1920.jpg

Harlow has endeared himself to a wide array of musicians in a short time CREDIT: Noah Schutz

“The way Randy talked about it,” Drama recalls, “He was like, ‘I just wanted to see if [Harlow] had his chops. ‘Cause, you know. Skeme ain’t no hoe.’”

However, despite Harlow’s passing grades at his session with Skeme, Drama and company weren’t ready to set anything in stone. “It wasn’t final,” he says as he remembers how the meeting with KY and Jack concluded. “I don’t know, it was like everybody wasn’t sold.”

In the aftermath of the inconclusive meeting, Harlow, sensing Generation Now’s hesitation, returned to Louisville and got right back to work. He would be releasing Gazebo, his fourth and breakout self-released project, the third week of November 2017, and he needed to fire a warning shot. One that both his fanbase and GN would heed. That materialized as “Dark Knight,” a bruising ramble introducing listeners to a reenergized Harlow, who did not appear to be reeling from the effects of leaving Atlanta without a deal.

“Know this shit boom when we came down south and I had to bring my own lil’ Metro,” Harlow rapped, likening a member of his crew to Metro Boomin, the multi-platinum Atlanta-based producer. The song ends on an even more confident note. “Funny how it all works out / Right before this I was feeling burnt out / Now the whole city ‘bout to get burned down.”

Harlow wasn’t quite peeved, but there was a specific edge to his delivery. The chip on his shoulder was just big enough. “Dark Knight” made exactly as much noise as Harlow hoped it would. Because of it, he quickly outgrew DJ Drama’s circle. Label offers were imminent, regardless of whether Generation Now was interested. Harlow knew this. So did Drama.

Thus, when the DJ returned from his lunch break that day at Means Street to hear “Dark Knight” blaring from studio speakers, he knew immediately he had a decision to make. On his own accord, Harlow had quickly gotten better, sharper and grown more polished. So much so that Atlantic would surely be preparing to take its own chance on him by meeting’s end, leaving Generation Now out of the picture.

“Oh! That’s just Jack,” he hastily announced to the room. “I’m already on that. We got that, you can tuck that,” he remembers saying. The room quickly moved to the next order of business. If DJ Drama was on that, the conversation was over.

Truthfully, neither Drama nor his partners were actually on that. But that would soon change. “I went to text Cannon to tell him they played ‘Dark Knight’ in the meeting,” Drama says, as he cracks a wistful smile.

“It forced our hand in a way, thankfully.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20210128141211im_/https://static.spin.com/files/2021/01/SPIN_Cover_Story-Jack_Harlow-Hero_Image-2-1611690609-1280x853.jpg

Jack Harlow photographed in Los Angeles, January 2021 CREDIT: Noah Schutz

It’s a Friday night in January 2021, and Jack Harlow is seated in complete darkness. The COVID-19 pandemic will soon be a year old, so instead of doing something like eating tacos and playing H-O-R-S-E—which, I’ve decided, would have been my suggested activity for this interview in a safer world—I’m staring at a Zoom screen as Harlow, whose camera is switched off, describes his current setting. I’m not allowed to see it. “I’m sitting in the dark right now, you don’t want to see me in this mood right now,” he warns. For a moment, it sounds like a very vulnerable-rapper way of saying I was in the zone right before this. My next question is, “What are you doing, writing?” His deadpan reply: “No, I’m doing an interview.”

It is exactly this type of shrewd and subtle wit that allowed Jack Harlow to become Jack Harlow.

Born in March 1998 to the proprietors of a family-run sign business in Louisville, Kentucky, Harlow’s narrative isn’t the most compelling. Unlike many of his peers, he didn’t have to escape extreme poverty or take penitentiary chances in order to provide. He’s not from a city that regularly produces rap stars, and despite his obvious skill level, it would be fair to mistake him for a math tutor. His free time would often consist of riding around with friends in search of adventure, hoping to catch a cute girl’s attention along the way. As exhausted of a character trope as this is, young Jack Harlow was very much just a regular kid. His writing ability is what made him irregular. It also gives him a puncher’s chance at becoming the preeminent star of his generation.

In the 2020s, as microwave TikTok fame continues to prove reliable as a launching pad to Billboard success, emphasis on range and craft in the mainstream will continue to dwindle across the board. In hip hop specifically, descendants of 808’s & Heartbreak-era Kanye West have spent much of the last 15 years redefining how much traditional rapping is necessary to be successful in the genre. These dynamics don’t interest Harlow as much as they could. His duty is to his wordplay, and the techniques he employs to keep listeners on their toes. Sometimes it’s a stretch of alliteration that he’s able to effortlessly maintain. Other times, he’ll thumb his nose so nonchalantly you’ll forget that it’s slick talk. “The ones that hate me the most look just like me. You tell me what that means,” he raps on the 2020 single, “Tyler Herro.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20210128141211im_/https://static.spin.com/files/2021/01/SPIN_Cover_Story-Jack_Harlow-Hero_Image-13-1611690856-1280x1920.jpg

Jack Harlow is ready to roll CREDIT: Noah Schutz

In present-day hip hop, recognition is less contingent on lyrical ability than it ever has been. Despite scattered worlds that continue to place the technical art of rapping on a pedestal—the J. Cole-led Dreamville imprint and Westside Gunn’s Griselda immediately come to mind—being a Good Rapper has long taken a backseat to marketability. This transition has created somewhat of a perfect storm for an artist like Harlow, who isn’t going to blow you away with metaphors or dizzying flow switches. But his unassuming charisma, coupled with a sturdy pen and the attention to detail to execute a line like, “Been tryna pop, now I’m on like Shumpert,” provides for a lane that he can dominate.

“You know, for some odd reason, it’s been what I’ve wanted to do for so long that I can’t even pinpoint what it felt like to not want to do this,” Harlow says. “Like, sometimes I wonder, ‘What was it like to be a purposeless child that was simply enjoying life?” His mother, a hip-hop fan, would soundtrack the household with Jay-Z, OutKast and Black Eyed Peas. Perhaps unbeknownst to mom, her young son was taking meticulous notes. He wasn’t just enthralled, he was inspired. “What’s Poppin’” was an eventual outcome, but an inevitable one.

Harlow’s biggest hit song to date (and of 2020), “What’s Poppin’” materialized in the way that an innumerable amount of hit songs have come together. Hotshot producer slides into hotshot rapper’s DMs with hopes that they can form a mutually beneficial partnership. This particular exchange made perfect sense. JetsonMade, the Roc Nation-managed producer behind DaBaby’s breakout hit, “Suge,” was looking to diversify his portfolio. And Harlow was in album mode.

“I heard those piano keys, and I was just taken,” Harlow recalls. After a weeks-long back-and-forth with Jetson while touring in 2019, Jack had finally carved out time to get into the studio with the in-demand producer. On day two, Harlow heard the sound that changed his career. “I think I probably reacted how a lot of people reacted when they heard that beat. It’s fucking hard.”

Incidentally, it wasn’t even the featured beat of the night. In a recent interview with Genius, Jetson and Pooh Beatz, a producer Jet often partners with (“Told Pooh he a fool with this shit”), recall the night they flipped through instrumentals, looking for something for Harlow to “pop his shit” over. “You’ve got to give the artist room to be creative as well,” Pooh said. “So I’m always listening for that simplest piece.”

That beat, accentuated with that bouncing, accelerated piano loop, gave Harlow more than enough room to be selective with his approach. “I said to myself, ‘Jack, don’t think too hard. Don’t bear down on this beat and smother it. You know, don’t try to go crazy on it. Just have fun with it.’ So that’s what I did. I said the first thing that came to mind.”

What’s poppin? Brand new whip, just hopped in I got options, I could pass that bitch like Stockton

Then,

Just joshing, I’ma spend this holiday locked in

Seriously? “Just joshing?” I had to ask.

“That was a line I’d always planned on replacing,” Harlow admits as he chuckles. Given the opportunity to address the subtle audacity of this cheesy-but-effective line, he perks up. “I was always going to get rid of it. It was a placeholder. It was literally just something that rhymes with the other shit.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20210128141211im_/https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17243/snapshot/708561.png

Jack Harlow X SPIN Cover Talk

By the time he’d completed the song, it was far too late for replacements. For just over two minutes, on “What’s Poppin,” Harlow’s subdued-but-sharp flow darts in and out of the accelerated piano loop, buoying the dancing bassline Jetson and Pooh concocted. The beat doesn’t rush Harlow, and in turn, he doesn’t stifle it. After wrapping his sessions with Jetson, he played the song for confidantes on his team and friends back home in Louisville. Their response was the confirmation Jack needed. “What’s Poppin’” was the one. “I really treasure that moment because I use it as a lesson now when I’m trying to write,” he says. “I’m just like ‘go, go, go’ because look at the success that song is giving me when I just let go. It’s a lesson, you know, you just gotta let go and…” Harlow trails off briefly, perhaps rummaging through his brain for the word that will summarize this lesson. Seconds later, he finds it.

“Be instinctual.”

Shortly after its January 2020 release, “What’s Poppin’” was added to Spotify’s Rap Caviar playlist, the leading gatekeeper in the hip hop playlisting world. Securing a placement on a playlist like Rap Caviar in the streaming era is akin to being named a member of XXLmagazine’s “Freshman Class” during the early 2010s blog era. It won’t guarantee a successful career, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more effective springboard into the national conscience. Once “What’s Poppin’” hit Rap Caviar, it never looked back.

The song and its remix, which features DaBaby, Lil Wayne and Tory Lanez, have now been streamed over 700 million times on Spotify. Consequently, Harlow is a millionaire and Grammy nominee at 22. In case that was unclear, he announces it just 10 seconds into his debut studio album, That’s What They All Say, released in December, on the album’s intro, “Rendezvous.” The album, which features Maroon 5’s Adam Levine, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, and an appearance from the late R&B legend Static Major, is his biggest flex yet. The world had just learned his name, and already he was getting A-list stars out of bed for a set of tracks so versatile, comparisons to Drake are unavoidable.

“You know, it’s funny because, I remember my dad said to me he was proud of me because, you know, his dad was broke on a farm and grew up incredibly impoverished. Then my dad grew up a little better than him. And now, I’m a millionaire,” Harlow says, unable to disguise his pensive tone. “And he just wanted to point that out to me. It’s a huge step. I mean, I know that seems obvious for me, but it’s a huge step for him. I never met his dad—rest in peace—but if he could see the success, shit would be a whole ‘nother world to him. So it’s just nice to put it in perspective. You know, that’s the one thing I’ve been really careful about doing.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20210128141211im_/https://static.spin.com/files/2021/01/SPIN_Cover_Story-Jack_Harlow-Hero_Image-9-1611690722.jpg

Jack Harlow's trajectory continues to trend upCREDIT: Noah Schutz

The way Harlow ended his thought, it felt like a cautionary tale was coming. My hunch was pure. “Sometimes I think all these millionaires and artists get so wrapped up in entering the world and becoming friends with all the other millionaires when they get to L.A.,” he starts, “They get wrapped up in the world and it does become normalized. And they think to themselves, ‘Well, then, I have room to be depressed. Everyone around me is a millionaire and I’ll find something to be unhappy about.’”

Don’t let the depths of Harlow’s self-awareness disarm you; he knows he’s the guy right now. He always has. His account of the events surrounding his initial meeting with Generation Now at Means Street mirrors DJ Drama’s. Jack just sprinkles a little ego in, like parsley. “Drama was fucking with me, but he took a second. The label took a second. And I remember I ended up having to drop “Dark Knight.” I said, ‘I’ma just drop it.’ And that really got the buzz going. Labels started, people were interested. And I was like ‘O-K, yeah, yeah, no, I got it.’”

“So you sort of had to trigger your own bidding war,” I ask. He agrees. “Yeah, exactly. And they were on it quick.”

https://web.archive.org/web/20210128141211im_/https://static.spin.com/files/2021/01/SPIN_Cover_Story-Jack_Harlow-Hero_Image-1-1611694121-1280x1920.jpg

He's laid back and ready for a big 2021 CREDIT:Noah Schutz

This Cinderella ascent has not come without setbacks, however. With fame comes heightened visibility, which can trip up even the most vigilant of stars. The NBA’s announcement that it would resume play following its March COVID-19 stoppage came with a strict set of safety guidelines. Players were prohibited from leaving the Disneyland campus that hosted the remainder of the season, fondly known as “The Bubble,” unless they had explicit permission from league authorities. Even so, they were still encouraged to stay clear of high-risk areas, like densely populated public venues.

Strip clubs—I’m guessing—would probably qualify as high-risk during a pandemic. That’s where Harlow was when he snapped a selfie with Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams less than a week after the league had resumed play. They each wore masks, but Williams had been granted permission to leave The Bubble so he could attend a relative’s funeral, not pop up on a rapper’s Instagram Story while at the strip club. Lou Will maintains that he was simply picking up chicken wings when Harlow snapped the selfie, and not ripping wrappers off packs of singles. The NBA, however, would hear none of it and forced Williams into a 10-day quarantine. He missed the first two games of his teams’ restart, the Clippers never redeveloped their chemistry, and they were eliminated from the playoffs so quickly, their season became fodder for a Freddie Gibbs chorus several weeks later. “Hoes get fucked and sent home early, just like the Clippers.”

Naturally, no one blames Harlow for this. Not even Lou Will. “[Lou] called me like, ‘Don’t even fucking trip. I’m Lou. I don’t get in trouble.’ I was like well shit, you just gave me the pass to relax,” Harlow reveals as he fights back laughter. Still, one can’t help but wonder how things might have turned out if the restart to the Clippers’ season was less turbulent. After they were eliminated, the team fired its coach, retooled most of its roster, and saw its star player, Paul George, spend the entire summer soul searching. What a sequence of events.

There is also the matter of the aforementioned remix to “What’s Poppin,” one of the most successful remixes in recent hip hop memory. Just a few weeks after the song was released, Lanez was accused of shooting Houston hip hop star Megan Thee Stallion in her feet following a party in Los Angeles. With increased social attention to misogynoir and violence against women as the wind in their sails, scores of Twitter users “canceled” Lanez and began lobbying for industry figures to blacklist him and his music. Harlow, stunned at the news, didn’t know how to react. The very mention of it makes him uncomfortable. I asked him what his initial reaction was.

“It’s crazy,” he says. “The news broke right after we dropped the video. I was like, ‘I wonder how this is going to go.’ I was curious, I was shocked, I was just like, damn.” He would comment no further.

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Don't mess with Jack Harlow CREDIT: Noah Schutz

Eventually, Harlow’s whiteness had to be addressed. He knew it, and I knew it. In listening to his music over the years, I’d observed how many of my Black friends and colleagues were accepting of him in a way that they weren’t accepting of other white rappers. It’s comforting to have a white rapper just be a white rapper, and not cosplay their Black peers with guerilla music videos and disingenuous displays of gunplay and drug use. Maybe too comforting. Last year, Harlow trended on Twitter because the platform had somehow just discovered his race. He poked fun at the confusion on Instagram, posting a screenshot of his discography, which features his very white face on every cover art. “I did everything I could do to show y’all I am white,” he wrote.

Harlow expresses an understanding of what it means to be a privileged outsider. When Breonna Taylor was unjustly murdered at the hands of Louisville police last March, Harlow hit the streets as marches and protests swept the nation. “People have asked me, as if there was a strategy involved, ‘What made you do it?’ I grew up with Black people, and the empathy I have for them is ingrained in me. It’s not something that arrived this past summer, but I was charged up by the movement. It happened where I’m from and there’s a responsibility that comes with that.”

One of the earliest memories critics will have of Harlow is his visit to Sway Calloway’s Sway In The Morning show on SiriusXM. In the footage, Harlow, wearing a brown Ecko Unlimited long-sleeve T-shirt, is even more baby-faced than he is now. Sitting next to the much stockier DJ Drama, it almost looks as if Drama is the talent and Harlow is the management. He’s quiet and fidgety, slightly deer-in-headlights, and doesn’t look much like the guy who “forced” the hand of a legend.

I remind Harlow of this moment and ask him to consider everything that’s happened since. What will his legacy be?

“I want to be someone that’s true to myself, and someone that’s wholly original to the game.” He says that he’s been that person in spurts and that his goal is to intentionally chase that for the rest of time. “The beauty of making art and music is, ideally that’s what should live forever. That’s what gives me purpose. I think that’s what we’re all looking for. Mortality is in the back of all of our heads, and I found the thing that makes it bearable.”

I ask him, “Does that scare you? The thought of dying before you reach your full potential?”

“Oh yes. So much so, I don’t even want to talk about it.”

Jack Harlow is styled by Metta Conchetta.

Sent from my iPhone

#Instagram #jack harlow #jackman thomas harlow #jackman harlow #💚💚💚#Jack Harlow #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow x black reader #jack harlow x you #jack harlow concepts #jack harlow fluff #jack harlow imagine #jack harlow fanfic

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whydoyouwantmyname · 2 years

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Imagine your brother’s reaction when he finally meets your boyfriend

“Can you please just promise to be on your best behavior?” You pleaded as you slowly pulled dinner out of the oven, and placed it onto the stove top, your brother sitting at your kitchen island as he stared at you.

“Yes, because I am not allowed to be emotional at the fact that my sister just told me she has secretly been dating someone behind my back for the past 6 months.” Dustin exhaled, “We tell each other everything, like Everything! And now that mom is out of town with her friends, you are inviting a complete stranger over to dinner, one who has stuck his tongue down my sister’s throat.”

“Well seeing how you reacted when I told you Harrington kissed me on a dare that one time… you can see why I didn’t tell you until I was sure he was important enough to introduce.”

“Because Steve is a friend, and basically the Party’s second mom, and it is a violation for the second mom to kiss the first mom.”

“But it is fine that Lucas and Mike are dating party members?” You asked as Dustin huffed, “I just don’t understand why you kept this from me? Is it because mom is crazy?”

“Dustin…” you started, however you heard the sound of a familiar vehicle, and smiled as Dustin turned in confusion and raced to the door.

Pulling it open he saw his fearless Dungeon Master exiting as he called, “Eddie? What are you doing here? Are you here to discuss Hellfire?”

“No, as much as I love to discuss the game that fuels my passion, I am here to see the person who ignites my soul on a daily basis.” Eddie smiled as Dustin replied, “Awww I ignite your soul… that’s not weird at all to say to a 14 year old at all.”

“No ya doofus, I mean your sister.” Eddie sighed as Dustin’s face dropped, not a sound uttered as he slammed the door in Eddie’s face, his sigh slowly exiting his mouth as he whispered, “Well that could have went better.”

“Dustin, I know you did not just…”

“Eddie, you are dating EDDIE!” Dustin screamed, your eyebrow lifting as you tilted your head, and looked at him, “Yesssss.”

“I lied, This is worse then mom 2 kissing mom 1, this is like finding out your sister is dating your hero. Omg if you two break up, everything will be ruined, I will need new friends, I will need to look up to Harrington again, I will have to move states, change my name, change my identity.” He panicked as you watched in silence, “How will I explain it to Mother, to Lucas, And Mike, And Will…. How will I explain my identity change to Susie!”

“Are you done being dramatic?” You asked, as Dustin paced, before throwing his hands up, “NO!”

“Alright, so I am going to let you process this, and go make sure you didn’t break the door.” You sighed walking past him as he hollered, “I can never look at him the same now! He violated you!”

“It’s not like I didn’t ask for it.” You replied as you opened the door, to reveal Eddie sitting in his van again, as Dustin screamed, “Not Helping!”

You made your way out to the van, and opened the passenger side door, Eddie’s normally smiling face staring back at you replaced with his mane of loose waves, as you closed the door you whispered, “Sorry about him, I didn’t really tell him before you arrived, and he is kind of dramatically processing this.”

Silence

“Hey, Eddie.” You whispered, gently touching his shoulder, as you felt the shake of his frame, “Baby…..”

Silence

“Baby, look at me.” You whispered, already knowing why he wasn’t looking at you, “Look at me, or I will march my ass to the trailer and I will vandalize baby.”

“You won’t dare.” He turned to you, with red rimmed eyes as you put a hand on his check, “I won’t, but I needed to see your beautiful eyes.”

Silence

“Eddie, my love, my knight, my darling sweet Angel, why are you crying alone in your van?” You whispered, as another tear rolled down.

“He hates this.” He whispered, “And now I am losing a member of Hellfire, and friend, and my queen all in one night.”

You chuckled, as he looked at you, “You aren’t losing Dustin, trust me.”

“He slammed the door in my face Henderson.”

“And my little brother is a dramatic little shit, who will…”

“If your brother hates me, you won’t stay with me.” He whispered as you sighed, “Baby.”

Silence

“Baby, trust me, I love you.” You said those three words for the first time, his eyes meeting yours as you continued, “And I will not leave you just because Dustin is being overly dramatic and trying to grasp the fact that his worlds are colliding for the best, because you Eddie Munson, bring out the best of me, and the idea of no longer having you terrifies me.” You whispered

“Me too.” He replied, as you rubbed your thumb over his check, and whispered, “Besides Dustin adores you, you are like his hero. I doubt he is going to stop looking up to you just because we are dating. I mean Steve and I totally kissed, told him, and he still values Steve.”

“You kissed Harrington?” Eddie asked as you smiled and dodged the question, “Now, do you want to come inside, and eat something.”

“And what about Dustin?”

“He can go be dramatic somewhere else.” You smiled, as you leaned forward and kissed him slowly

“Did you kiss Harrington like that too?” He joked as you pulled back, “I mean, even if I did, you are a far better kisser.”

When you both went inside Dustin was sitting on the couch, his elbows on his knees as he held his head in his hands, his eyes wide as he tried to process the news.

“I told you he would be fine.” You whispered as Eddie looked to him concerned, before whispering, “He is just calculating the ways to murder me.”

“No, this is normally what he looks like when he is reaching the acceptance stage of his dramatic outbursts, totally normal. So do you want 2 or 3 slices of pizza?”

“You ordered pizza?“ Eddie asked, knowing you normally were not one to order out

“No, it’s homemade, if you want more after, I can show you how to make it, I already made the dough, but now that Dustin is adjusting to the news, you can come over next pizza night and I can teach you how to make the dough.” You smiled as you pulled out the pizza cutter, Eddie’s arms slowly looping around your waist as he rested his head on your shoulder, “I can come to the next one?”

“Yeah, my mom goes out a lot now that Dustin and I are older, so we normally just make pizza and watch fantasy movies, you are more then welcome to join. However I get to pick the next dinner we have, so I am probably going to make Chicken tenders and fries, if you want to help me.”

“I would like that.” Eddie whispered, as he inhaled slowly, that was honestly what he loved about you. You always tried to make him feel included, and gave him the sense of home. You were truly everything to him, and the thought of Dustin disapproving broke his heart.

“Eddie.” Dustin’s voice caused both of you to jump before Eddie turned to meet his glare, Eddie’s voice shaking as he addressed his friend, “Dustin.”

“House rules, 1) Hurt my sister, and I will burn your club to the ground. 2) If you reproduce with my sister, I will not only attempt to beat you up, and by me I mean Steve, but I will also be Uncle Dustin, not Uncle Dusty, no Dust Dust, or anything corny, just Uncle Dustin. 3) Limit the PDA, this is a respectable home, and you are my fearless leader, I would hate for you to appear weak in case the enemy is watching, 4) Hands were I can see them, at all times, Both of you. 5) please don’t make out with her in front of me, that’s just gross, and 6) She is not allowed to come to Hellfire, she is only allowed to pick me up, drop me off, and bring snacks. Do you understand?”

Eddie looked to you as you smiled, and shrugged, “Seems reasonable, you got a deal Dustin.”

“Eddie?”

“I swear to you upon my spruce lute that I will not only follow the house rules, but I will protect your maiden sister with all that I have, and if any harm befalls her, I shall cast myself into the Hill of Lost Souls, and wander the realm of purgatory alone for a century.” Eddie dramatically stated as Dustin rebuttaled, “Make it 2 centuries and you have a deal.”

“Done.” Eddie replied as Dustin wandered over and grabbed a plate, as you leaned over and whispered, “See, he still loves you.”

“And I love you.” He whispered back before adding, “And we are definitely going to need more pizza.”

#eddie munson imagines #eddie munson imagine #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction #eddie munson oneshot #eddie munson one shot #eddie munson one shots #eddie munson oneshots #stranger things oneshots #stranger things one shots #stranger things oneshot #stranger things one shot #stranger things imagines #stranger things imagine #stranger things fanfiction

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ravenouscultleader780 · 8 months

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COTL AU(A Tale of Two Lambs/MLP Base Edit)

Hello Cultists! Here's a Small but Pretty Big Reveal Post i made just now to continue my Cult of The Lamb AU(as MLPBaseEdits) with This one being a pretty important fanart/story piece with Two Characters/Lamb OCs i made next to Lamberina & my Narilamb children whom are Lambert & Lamberina's Parents..

So To finally show on this blog for the 2nd time round(first time being my old FT of The Narilamb Family Tree) btw.

Anyways here is the finished fanart below with a whole storyline bio below it to explain how they met, got married and had their 2 baby calfs and sadly both died(being assinated by the bishops genocide of the lambs kind) and with Lambert & his Big Sis Lamberina(new name being Angelique Woolsteed legally changed in the Cult of Misfits(Angel's own cult with her BF being one of the Ex Witnesses of Anura being Zepar)

Here it is in all of it's MS Paint Glory! and yes i did the Background of The Forest of Old Faith myself on Paint(Feel free to like on how i did, feel i did a good job as a bg maker which i'm not used to but am getting the hang of it and liking it better) Anyways here is the full story bio below for Joseph(The Purple Male Lamb) and MaryAnn(The Grey Female Lamb whom has Freckles like Lambert & Dirty Blond Hair which Lamberina/Angelique currently has as her Dyed Mane)

"Once upon a Time in lands of the old faith there lived two lamb lovers named Joesph & MaryAnn Steelwool whom were already happily married as a young couple with them being possibly the last lambs alive during the lamb genocide ordered by the bishops.

Joseph and Mary both were horrified at the sight of their home of DarkWood(Originally Lambert's Birthplace) being destroyed in ruins with many huts burned by torches to the many families of lambs being killed and massacred in horrendous & tragic ways with Joseph and his wife escaping tremendously until.. the most hated bishop being Shamura asking his minions to kill the two lambs with mary leaving their twin babies Lambert & Angelique as orphans left on Ratau's doorstep as their new guardian with their parents being killed and taken into silk cradle by shamura & his sibs to be kept as prizes to their completed massacre.

so now 1000 yrs later in present day Lambert & his Older Sister both have thrived in their own cults with Lambert still missing their deceased parents and honoring them in memory with Angelique doing the same.

and that's the whole story of their Parents and their tragic deaths.. and i bet your noticing a pattern with Shamura here and his "Wrath Tendencies of Killing Species with Both Lambert's own Kind and his Currently Beloved Wife Samantha Bloodsucker's own kind being extinct aswell. so the next chapter for them both Avenging their Species by Reproducing New Life for them both with Samantha agreeing to help her Husband's sadness and grief while Lady D's Species of Axolotls and M3gan's Species of Nightwolves are still existing(but their own Biological Families have been deceased for years)

and that's all i'll post for now with Lambert's Parents which this Fanart is the Last Time i'll draw them and will continue to draw the Backstories of The 6 Spouses(Sammi, Lady D, M3gan, Lucos, Ruri, Toots & Giselle) aka The Spouse Squad very soon with Samantha's being a Whole Webcomic for her and her rival Shamura(being a Betrayed Father Figure type storyline) to the rest being different genres with different topics on how and why they ended up despising the 4 bishops in order : for Sammi (it's a Cozy but Dark Domestic Abuse Storyline) for Lady Dimmi(it's a Noir but Mysterious Love Story) for M3gan(it's a Thriller/Horror Sstoryline) for Lucos(It's a Humorous but Unlikeable Storyline) for Ruri(It's a Fantasy Storyline) for Toots(it's a Musical Storyline) and finally for Giselle(It's a Fairytale Self Discovery Storyline) so as you see all 6 spouses related to marrying Lambert(minus Narinder, The Bishops since it's explainable already in-game aka Our Choices) will include their own Genre like a Movie, Book, Series or even Video Game as their Backstory(ies)

Just wanted to update my blog since on DA i'm taking a break for now until maybe Nov-Dec since i won't be so busy during the holiday seasons or maybe i will who knows.. also about The Spouse Squad Webcomics and when they'll be coming well it'll be pretty soon since Samantha's is First!(hence her being the oldest spouse in game for me!) and since i found a bunch of nice bases to use which the very first part will be released on Oct 4th to be exact!

Hope you all liked this post, have a good weekend bye!

#cotl au #cult of the lamb #mlp base edit

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theredbackpack · 11 months

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I saw Tisakorean live last week. I did not pay attention to the openers until right before the show started, but was blown away at the lineup: Texas Boyz, Yung Nation, and Trill Sammy with Dice Soho were the big names. Across these acts, you can draw a line from them to Tisakorean's new music. It was an incredible blend of circa-2011 blog-rap nostalgia that called to mind in the best way my nights at small sweaty clubs seeing eight rappers in a row over the course of four hours.

I don't know if you've seen the videos of Soulja Boy snapping, but I clocked it as a reaction to what Tisakorean is doing. It speaks to a trend/zeitgeist: concurrent to this is the embarrassing efforts to make "indie sleaze" a thing, which confusingly throws all manner of sounds and aesthetics anywhere from about 2004 to 2010 into a blender. The Dare kinda sound like LCD Soundsystem but they also remind me of mid-'00s detritus like The Bravery. I sense the same era rap music creeping on the margins: Homer Radio featured a slew of snap/dance music in a recent episode (#23, from April); indie sleaze nostalgia combined with "blog rap" podcasts point toward an endpoint destined to go just a few eras backward in time; the fact that 2003 was twenty years ago; this Druski skit that dropped the day I drafted this; and yes, Tisakorean's masterful album, Let Me Update My Status.

When Tisa appeared on the national stage in 2018, I thought he was riding the wave of a trend: regional dance rap that consisted of artists like Splurge and 10kcaash, alongside future footnotes like Lil Tecca. His 2019 debut, A Guide to Being a Partying Freshman, was met with a mixture of shrugs to light praise. A fun collaboration with Chance the Rapper seemed to seal his fate as a guy who would burn bright and hot but not for long.

The first time I thought "he has something" was 2020's "Bate Onna Bo" which weaved through so many movements in the span of four minutes it had to be the work of a musician with a real vision. By 2021 we got "Old School Cash" and "Silly Dude" and it was clear he was following his instincts and making the exact kind of music he wanted to make. This came to a head in 2022 with his EP 1st Round Pick and "Backseat," which was my favorite song of the year. Sometimes that's as far as an artist can go. But he pressed on: Let Me Update My Status underlines my thought that Tisakorean is an era-defining rapper in a time when artists make interminably long albums to game the streaming algorithm then disappear off the planet.

It may seem premature to call Tisakorean era-defining but that's where I landed. I don't mean he's sold the most albums or had the most hits, but in this age where you can have a few songs and leave no impact, that he's had an audience since 2018 is huge: that he's produced great music since at least 2020 is even more impressive. (While I never disliked his earliest music, it hits a lot better now in the context of his career arc.) A lot of people who liked "The Mop" may not be following him now, but artists who shed casual fans are probably doing something noteworthy. No one is good for three years, let alone five. I like Travis Porter more than your average person, but I'd argue at best they had a three year imperial phase. Now anyone starting a twitter reply with "buddy" doesn't know they exist.

The Atlanta snap/swag sound and movement from 2006 through about 2009 was a singular moment that came just as regional music was cresting (Houston famously in 2005, Three 6 Mafia won the Oscar in 2006), before blogs, before Drake. Early Gucci Mane was popping off and OJ da Juiceman became a household name within this precarious window. But as soon as all cool regional stuff became fodder for rappers on major labels and young hypebeasts like ASAP Rocky to absorb, it was over, which is why it's due for a renaissance.

It's getting harder to imagine life before smartphones, before omnipresent internet and connectivity, before literally every aspect of our lives was managed by at most three or four corporations. Kevin Durant's iconic BlackPlanet page might as well be the Dead Sea Scrolls as a relic of his personality expressed through that era of the internet. But any means of original expression becomes unlikelier as we get funneled into pre-ordained ways of being our ourselves, of consuming art and media and sports, to the fabric of our thoughts.

A few years ago Matty Healy described his life pre-internet the best I've heard it. It's not about the changes it brought, but that he cannot remember what it was like to live without it. He cannot remember what it felt like to feel things before the internet, and what it felt like to not have to think about the internet as he felt things, and that his life and experiences still had meaning. And this inability to remember will render us more vulnerable to exploitation, and feeling like we are not connected to our true selves.

It used to feel different to feel alone, to feel sad, happy, etc, without thinking about how to broadcast it. Even if you don't put yourself online like that, there's an inkling to want to. I took a ton of pictures and videos at the Tisa show and I put some in my stories, but I found I didn't want to share them permanently. They are for me.

Let Me Update My Status is a masterpiece in perfecting sounds from snap to crunk to mid-aughts Neptunes. It's a callback to a simpler time, which is nearly impossible to do without some subconscious argument we also need to return to simpler, regressive politics. What makes the album so invigorating is how thoroughly it plumbs the era as an aesthetic and sound, not just as an excuse to make goofy videos. Its accomplishment is how it demonstrates snap music as an organic form that was never a response to anything: it was not conservative in its values, instead it was a truly original and innovative Black American artform that took time to receive the respect it deserved. (Quick aside: yes there were people who always loved it and it was popular for a reason, but it was not considered a given until years later.)

In Kelefa Sanneh's Major Labels he says in spite of the liberal ideology at the heart of punk music, it was a conservative movement because art that aspires to either simplicity in its content (songs as political statements) or as a "return to form" (three chords and 4/4 time) is reactionary. The real-world impact of punk as ostensibly progressive expression was what came after it; it's Minor Threat and Green Day but also skinhead music. When mid-'10s revisionism took hold and people rightfully concluded "D4L were important" it took forgettable Big Sean and Kid Ink albums to get there; it took the critical adulation upon the arrival of artists as disparate as Kendrick Lamar, Future, and Waka Flocka Flame to get there; it took time to get there, to see what had shaped everything that preceded the moment as vital to the culture.

Tisakorean’s delirious ode to snap music locates within a specific timeframe from the past an emotional center and palette, finding new entry points into the sound, blending homemade beats with experimental forms as well as hyperpop to fashion an immersive triumph. There’s nothing one-dimensional about Let Me Update My Status and it also doesn’t conjure any Bush-era feelings of excess or doom, which it might do if it used nostalgia as a gimmick. I love Let Me Update My Status because it sounds exactly like how 2007 felt, and for me 2007 was a good year to be alive, using the internet not because I had to but because I wanted to.

///

Finally, Found Me Volume Two, released with my creative brother Fat Tony, released in February. Buy one here. It continues to be my favorite thing I do. I wrote about Lil Yachty for NPR. Read that here. I started a Linktree and will add to it when necessary; bookmark/follow me here.

#tisakorean

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metaldragoon · 1 year

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✨💚🌙 SEND THIS TO TEN OTHER BLOGGERS YOU THINK ARE WONDERFUL. KEEP THE GAME GOING ✨💚🌙

Thanks, mane. We don't talk too much but I do deeply appreciate the amount of attention you've given my blog just by liking and reblogging old GIFs that never got the love they deserve! There's always the temptation to self-reblog and while I don't not do it I've always looked down upon it. The new age of social media is all about promoting the popular and so everything else just floats down to the bottom of the ocean floor never to be gazed upon again. It's truly tragic! Getting a flurry of likes and reblogs on old stuff isn't too uncommon simply from the nature of being a GIF blog but it never hits the same as when lordsky4ever is liking a Gatchaman Crowds post from 7 years ago.

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thefalse9 · 2 years

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World Cup 2022: Group A Preview

Group A Dates, Times and Locations

Monday, November 21st

13:00 Senegal v Netherlands - Al Thumama Stadium

Monday, November 21st

19:00 Qatar v Ecuador - Al Bayt Stadium

Friday, November 25th

16:00 Qatar v Senegal - Al Thumama Stadium

Friday, November 25th

19:00 Netherlands v Ecuador - Khalifa International Stadium

Tuesday, November 29th

18:00 Qatar v Netherlands - Al Bayt Stadium

Tuesday, November 29th

18:00 Ecuador v Senegal - Khalifa International Stadium

Qatar:

For the host nation, the task is clear, and manager Felix Sanchez is a 46-year-old who knows the country - and its football teams well. The Spaniard first came to Qatar in 2006, joining Aspire Academy. Over the years, he's held positions with the Under 19's and Under 23's before taking over the national team in 2017. Since then, he's led the team to the Asian Cup in 2019 and third place in the Arab Cup in December 2021. He has worked with the squad in a variety of age groups, and he has a lasting relationship with many of them. That said? The task is impossible and getting out of the group stage is a bridge too far.

On the pitch, results count, but off it, the World Cup represents a chance for the nation of Qatar to showcase the country to the world. Nassar Al-Khater is the Chief Executive Officer of the FIFA World Cup and feels that visitors will not only be amazed by the quality of football and the stadiums that are being built. What he is choosing to ignore is the fact that they had to move the World Cup to December to deal with the oppressive heat, and the fact that hundreds of migrant workers have died building those same stadiums Qatar is putting forth as their "showcase to the world". You know, little things. Nothing major.

Netherlands:

Oh, the Dutch. Will the three-time finalists finally get their hands on the elusive trophy? The smart money would say no, but expect Holland to make it past the group stage and play some technical and appealing football on their way there. Talent like Depay, De Ligt, Van Djik, Malen, Danjuma and De Jong give this team match-winning ability throughout the pitch while newcomers Tyrell Malachia, Cody Gakpo and Noa Lang offer speed and the brilliance of unbridled youth and enthusiasm to a match side that could provide a surprise or two.

The issue is that Netherlands are perennial underachieves and with the recent cancer diagnosis of their manager, Louis Van Gaal, one has to ask how truly prepared is this squad? A soft group in qualifying did not provide the tests or the answers to the questions facing this squad, but lucky for them, those same questions won't need to be answered in the first three games. Once it becomes knockout time, however? Expect a quick dismissal for the Clockwork Oranje.

Senegal:

In World Football, there are always teams who are often overlooked solely due to their location or the exposure that their particular brand of football represents. To say that African teams get the short end of the stick both economically and from an exposure standpoint is old news by this point, but Senegal, this year's AFCON winners after a dramatic penalty shootout with Egypt? They're loaded and could make the furthest journey in a World Cup that we've seen from an African team in quite some time. Most would say that Senegal's fortunes rely on the exploits of Sadio Mane. A recent transfer to Bayern Munich after a sterling career at Liverpool, the gifted playmaker and goalscorer is the fulcrum of all things in the Senegal attack. Elusive, gifted at finding space and blindingly fast on a counter-attack, Mane has caused fits for EPL defenses for years and months after taking his craft to the Bundesliga, he'll be taking his talents to Qatar flanked by a sneaky good cast of supporting actors.

Eduard Mendy is as good a goalkeeper as there is in World Football today. At the back Koulibaly, and Diallo provide security in their respective positions, while Kouyate and Gueye secure the middle of the pitch and link play with the aforementioned Mane and his partner on the opposite flank, Ismalia Sarr; a man who seems like he was born with a rocket attached to his ass when you think about the speed he has. Senegal is good, perhaps sneaky good, but they won't be a surprise for long.

Ecuador:

Before the 2000s, Ecuador hadn't reached a single World Cup in their entire history. Entering Qatar, this will be their 4th consecutive World Cup and expectations are high for Ecuador to finally deliver an elusive round of 16 appearance, their last coming when they were eliminated in 2006 by a brilliant David Beckham free-kick vs England. Perhaps then, this is Ecuador's time.

Victories over Chile & Uruguay in the first round of World Cup qualifying and subsequent draws with Brazil & Argentina prove that Ecuador is better than people give them credit for, but more importantly, their talent gives them a legitimate shot to make it to the group stage out of Group A. Pablo Hincapie and Pervis Estupinan both ply their trade in Europe with Leverkeusen and Villareal respectively and provide solid coverage at the back. Gonzalo Plata, Moises Caicedo, Angel Mena, and youngster Alan Franco, who is carving up the Liga Professional de Argentina with Talleres provide options and a midfielder core than compete with anyone in Group A.

Their strength, however, would be their forward line. Michael Estrada and Leonardo Campana are developing tremendously as goalscoring threats at DC United and Inter Miami respectively, and reliable talisman Enner Valencia is still banging in the goals at Fenerbache even at the "advanced" age of 32. This is a quality team that looks worse than it is due to the glut of talent and quality at the top of half of CONMEBOL, but make no mistake, they can compete and win against any team in Group A.

Group Prediction:

Senegal

Ecuador

Holland

Qatar

#world cup 2022 #Qatar #Netherlands #Senegal #Ecuador #ecuadorian national team #fifa #netherlands national team

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2022animalfarmg2 · 2 years

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Union Is Strength… But the Strength is Individual

Synopsis:

The future is unfeasible, what happens is constantly changing. Everything was going well, a totalitarian government above everything and everyone but death. Yes, this whole government goes away, but what happens next? No answers, no planning, questions and uncertainties. Until then all animals fighting for the same cause, a union against war… but what if this union becomes inverted? A war against any alliance or empathy between animals! Who would rule? Would It be a decision for a just democracy? No, a wild game in which the most capable and evolved as possible will have victory in its paws. Who do you think would be the new Napoleon, the winner of an entire great empire and companion in a fight for new revolutions?

Fan Fiction

Animal Farm. The members of this community lived in constant change, conforming to the transformations of their government, that is, the footsteps of which leader they would follow. The only exclusivity that always remained the same,or at least, until that time, was the strength, union and empathy of the participants among themselves. They used to see themselves as the perfect combination, the contribution of each one to make the group complete, everyone was essential and fought for the conquests of others. They lived by the “Union is strength”.

-We are the force. Together we are bigger.

For years they followed Napoleon's footsteps, hanging on his mane, to walk with their ideals, achieve the goals proposed by him while he was the absolute power of the nation. His supremacy had many flaws, like everything in life, nothing is perfect, everyone in their confidence and comfort zones. Besides, they had no other option.

One sunny Sunday, on the day of rest, they went to the stable to gather. What improvements would be made in the community? What would be their future?

All anxious, renewing the feelings of this golden day… but Napoleon, leader of everything, never arrived. Did the man fall asleep or go for a walk? Everyone was so worried, the dictator was very responsible, he didn't waste time. A movement began restlessly, the energy vibrated chaos, screams, cries.

-What will we do? He was the reason for everything. He was our nation! Who is going to rule us?"

Everyone let go of Napoleon's mane, let him go. They cried over their leader and made continual prayers out of fear.

-Go with Old Major, our comrade. Rest and command us in peace, you will forever be our captain.

Weeks of grief and pure denial had passed since the death of this figure who marked the history of Animal Farm. The future of the animals was a real question mark. Various theories were courted by the green grasses of the countryside. Until Squealer's expected instruction of what they would become.

“Until today, you were a group united for a cause. But this cause was crushed for an end, Napoleon became a star, and now what unites you? It is not known! In fact, nothing, we have no more plans to unite. Let go, show your powers, fight to see who will be left with the paws in government. Now the game has begun, the hunger and death games among our community members. Whoever wins is pure luck. Rules, there are no rules!”

And so began a revolution in search of power, completely mad. Day after day there were surprises.

They began by destroying the stable, stealing food, cutting each other's fur and claws. In a large proportion, everything got worse, losing the limit. Democracy was fantasized, speech was commanded by aggressive and violent oppression.

In the first week there was already a death portrayed of one of the animals. Benjamin was down, without breathing or a heartbeat, he missed the opportunity of life. As proof of this horrendous attack on a total innocent, there was a signature written in brownish blood on its hind legs. Who was to blame? There was no individual, without exceptions, who were not psychologically affected. How did they get to this point? They cried without even knowing why they were experiencing the maximum radicalism, a game based on dead and survivors, or else the rest that managed to overcome this inhuman animal war.

So it went on, the farm turned into individualism and enmities. Before the moon had even completed one orbit, once again they had been cruelly impacted, Clover was also gone. The same symbol of strength, in rounded cursive letters, was drawn on her muzzle . The limit of these conflicts was unreachable, or else, it had already been faced so much that it became invisible. As invisible as the prospect of the end of all this.

They were such friends, was it possible for them to become so insensitive to each other from one hour to the next? It seemed so, appearances are always deceiving. The game continued, almost all the members who had previously made a perplexed union, were already watching all this in a third perspective from heaven, or else, in the sugar mountains that Moses portrayed paradise. Deaths and deaths. Muriel, Minimus, Jessie and Bluebell… for each it was a different pain, but the despair and curiosity were even more intense. They were in constant danger and trust no longer existed, everyone was an enemy there.

The government was in the hands of the last two remaining in the game, the game of life, Boxer and Squealer lived hiding from each other, whichever had the sharpest claws would be the winner. Poor Boxer, he was so kind, it was almost impossible to imagine him killing all this society, he was faithful. Squealer didn't have the guts to do it, at least we didn't think he could, he had always been an extra among the supremacy of his kind.

After three days, the end of this fierced war was made official, when in the silent dawn of a farm with only the life of the flora, without a single resident, or in fact, only one, the king of all that,it all came true. In what was left of the stable, there was a mountain of hay, among the depths were found two animal bodies, a strong and brutish horse and, a fat and plump pig.

The wind was noisy, all the trees were watching the closing of this piece. Yes, the farm no longer had the slightest trace of animals, other than the soul of the final “winners” saying goodbye. With big, thick letters, next to the old Boxer and Squealer, it had the famous red and freshly dried signature, complemented with a last note.

“The end of the animal species at Manor Farm was like this, fair and remarkable, as well as their endless attempts to have my strength and power. You animals are just a less developed generation trying everything to be like us, the superior humans. Until next time, if there is one! Gareth Jones”.

Carolina Passaro and Maria Fernanda Malzoni

#animal farm #napoleon #hunger games #revange #mistery #surprise

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cateracombs · 2 years

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This time was successful! Phi Suea talks to the Swan and agrees to grab Mane on the wing

Sky Sport Danbier reports that Bayern Munich are now in talks with Liverpool and are set to sign Sadio Mane.

The Senegal international has just one year left on his Liverpool contract and he is keen to leave Anfield for a new challenge.

Bayern have always been บาคาร่าใกล้ฉัน interested in Mane but their first bid, totaling £25m, was rejected.

They went ahead with renegotiations and made a second offer totaling £30 million, but it was also rejected. Still, talks continued until this week and talks were held in Britain.

Recently, it has been reported that "Reds" and "Southern Tigers" have reached an agreement. The Brazilian newspaper said the fee, including bonuses, is unlikely to be 40 million euros (34.2 million pounds). However BBC

The figures vary, after Mane's total cost of €41 million (£35.1 million), with an initial cost of €32 million and €6 million depending on the game, with another €3 million. Euros will come from the success of the team and the players.

Fabricio Romano reported in the same direction, adding that Liverpool had decided to accept Bayern's final offer, with Mane respecting a move away from the club.

The 30-year-old has signed a three-year contract with Bayern, and a medical is due next week in Germany.

Mane is set to leave Anfield after helping them win the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup.

Liverpool have already bolstered their attacking line by signing Benfica striker Darwin Nunez for a reported £85 million.

#football #sportfootball #บาคาร่าใกล้ฉัน

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ugdigital · 2 years

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Billboard Chart-topping Singer-Songwriter J. BROWN Releases New Single, "MY QUEEN" In Anticipation of His Debut Album Release, "CHAPTER & VERSE"…

Billboard chart-topping Singer and Songwriter J. Brown is all set to go with his long-awaited debut album, aptly titled “Chapter & Verse”.

in anticipation of the upcoming May 20 release, Brown has released the single “My Queen”. "My Queen", is the latest song to be released from the, "Chapter & Verse".. The album will be globally released via the Mocha Music/SRG-ILS Group label imprint. "Chapter & Verse" is available for pre-orders now, here.

“My Queen, is about celebrating the woman in a man’s life and reminding her that she is his everything to him. She holds him down through the good and bad and he wants her to know. Behind every great man, there is a great queen that makes that man feel special and we wanted to capture on this song,” mentions J. Brown. "My Queen" was written by Carvin Haggins, Thomas "TC" Clay, Johnnie (Smurf) Smith, Darrell Robinson, Rayfield Holloman, Aaron Draper and Dewayne Moore and produced by Carvin Haggins and Johnnie (Smurf) Smith.

Another banger from J. Brown’s forthcoming album is the Billboard Magazine chart-topping single, "Don’t Rush" by J. Brown featuring Tank as its the #20 R&B Song in the country this week, according to Billboard.com. This marks J. Brown’s 5th Top 20 Billboard R&B song in the last 3 years. "Don’t Rush", was written by Tank and Travis Bruce and produced by Brian Vincent Bates. "When Tank called me and said he had a record that would be perfect for us to do, there was no doubt in my mind that I had to do it. This was the chance I had been waiting for to work with my idol," he shares. "Tank is my absolute favorite artist and this was a dream come true to be in the studio with him again. Don't Rush spoke to both of us as its a sexy sensual song that we thought women around the world would love to hear from us,"

Back in April, J. Brown teased music lovers with the release of the visuals for "Simpin'" to rave reviews. "Simpin’'" was written by written and produced by Jake Krumm and Jared Krumm. "I fell in love with this track the moment I heard it," mentions J. Brown. "The thought of telling your lady or man that you miss them in a somewhat slang kind of word, would make them chuckle and make them miss you too and it reminds you that missing someone is the same in any language," he adds. The music video was directed by Haitianev.

Below, you’ll find an audio link for J. Brown’s single, “My Queen”…

Be sure to visit Www.jbrownmusiconly.com for more music, news, and updates on J. Brown!

ABOUT J. BROWN Detroit native, J. Brown, has cultivated a unique sound that continues to shock the world! Brown began his musical career at the age of eight years old with the help of his mother. She encouraged him to join the church choir and after years of singing, Brown’s passion grew. His outstanding vocal talents stood out from the rest to where he was offered to regularly perform at the Pistons and Lions games in his home city. Brown's voice opened doors that he could never have fathomed. When he graduated from high school he was granted a full academic scholarship to Grambling State University. This is where his passion for music became his profession!

Brown was exposed to a variation of music such as Bell Biv Devoe, Jon. B, Mint Condition, Brian McKnight, Usher, Jay-Z, Jimi Hendrix, Nas and Sting which helped him during his creative process. After college, Brown signed with Universal Republic Records, and released ‘Imma Love You Right’ and ‘Sex On My Money ft. Gucci Mane. This led to Brown creating his own top ten UAC Billboard hits “Give It 2 U”, “Sunrise Sunset”, “Moon” and “Vibe”. The evolution of J. Brown continues.

As of January 2022, J. Brown joined the Sono Recording Group (SRG/ILS) (UMG). This year, Brown is bringing a new sound to SRG/ILS and is not holding back. “I want to bring back music that will ultimately make people fall back in love. I want to take fans to a musical realm where love is light and fun. I want people to say, ‘This guy has music that is not only good, but timeless!” - J. Brown

Brown's upcoming single “Simpin’” embodies that timeless essence. “Everyone has been there… “Simpin’” for someone. This song is colorless, ageless and most importantly relatable!” Brown's debut album, “Chapter & Verse” is to be released on May 20h, 2022. Brown’s feel good music will take the world by storm. “Let’s get back to the real love and the music that really matters and means something.”- J.Brown

#j brown #j. brown #music #dont rush #simpin #chaoter & verse #single #new music #my queen

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cyarskaren52 · 3 months

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CREDIT:Noah Schutz

Jack Harlow Knew This Was Coming

Well, sort of. But now he’s got a smash hit, a new album featuring Adam Levine, and he may have accidentally altered the course of NBA history

Written By Khari NixonJanuary 27 2021, 10:00 AM ET

DJ Drama was in no rush to return from his lunch break.

Run The Jewels X SPIN Cover Story - Promo 1

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“Right as I walked in just a little bit late, ‘Dark Knight’ was on. They were playing ‘Dark Knight’ in the meeting.”

Harlow has endeared himself to a wide array of musicians in a short timeCREDIT: Noah Schutz

“The way Randy talked about it,” Drama recalls, “He was like, ‘I just wanted to see if [Harlow] had his chops. ‘Cause, you know. Skeme ain’t no hoe.’”

“It forced our hand in a way, thankfully.”

Jack Harlow photographed in Los Angeles, January 2021CREDIT: Noah Schutz

It is exactly this type of shrewd and subtle wit that allowed Jack Harlow to become Jack Harlow.

Jack Harlow is ready to rollCREDIT: Noah Schutz

What’s poppin? Brand new whip, just hopped in I got options, I could pass that bitch like Stockton

Then,

Just joshing, I’ma spend this holiday locked in

Seriously? “Just joshing?” I had to ask.

Jack Harlow X SPIN Cover Talk

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“Be instinctual.”

Shortly after its January 2020 release, “What’s Poppin’” was added to Spotify’s Rap Caviar playlist, the leading gatekeeper in the hip hop playlisting world. Securing a placement on a playlist like Rap Caviar in the streaming era is akin to being named a member of XXL magazine’s “Freshman Class” during the early 2010s blog era. It won’t guarantee a successful career, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more effective springboard into the national conscience. Once “What’s Poppin’” hit Rap Caviar, it never looked back.

Jack Harlow's trajectory continues to trend upCREDIT: Noah Schutz

“So you sort of had to trigger your own bidding war,” I ask. He agrees. “Yeah, exactly. And they were on it quick.”

He's laid back and ready for a big 2021CREDIT: Noah Schutz

Don't mess with Jack HarlowCREDIT: Noah Schutz

I remind Harlow of this moment and ask him to consider everything that’s happened since. What will his legacy be?

I ask him, “Does that scare you? The thought of dying before you reach your full potential?”

“Oh yes. So much so, I don’t even want to talk about it.”

Jack Harlow is styled by Metta Conchetta.

Khari Nixon

TAGS:Jack Harlow

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