#noomi rapace girl with d

[rapochannat-blog]

Driftarens Guide Till Galaxen // Jaqe & Michel Dida // Svensk-Hiphop // 2021

Män får sällan blommor innan sin begravning. Trött sagt men inte mindre sant för det. Att hylla det vi älskar är mer värdefullt än att kritisera det vi ogillar. Därför vill jag snart tre år försent ge detta tack följt av en uppmaning till Jaqe och Dida, snälla gör en uppföljare.

Didas kollaborationsalbum med Jaqe Driftarens Guide Till Galaxen, släpptes 2021 på skivbolaget ARKETYP och genererade inte den tänkta eller förtjänta uppmärksamheten. De senaste två åren har jag haft en nära relation till albumet. Under den tiden har "Grace Kelly" varit min mest spelade låt på Spotify två år i rad och jag har lyssnat på EP:n back to back fler gånger än jag kan räkna. Dagligen har jag trakasserat vänner med citat, albumet har helt enkelt inte lämnat mig oberörd.

Albumets inledande spår, Rasmus Et Romulus, börjar med en klinkande pianomelodi, likt ljudet av en speldosa. Titeln refererar till Rasmus och Romulus från romerska mytologin och metaforen är tydlig. Jaqe och Dida liknar sig med bröderna. En rags to riches-historia där de, uppväxta av vargar, sedan själva får grunda staden dit alla vägar leder. Historien tar som alla vet en tragisk vändning när en konflikt resulterar i att Romulus dödar sin bror och blir den ensamma grundaren av Rom. Vad jag tror denna metafor kan syfta till är det faktum att efter varje kollaborativa rap-album är den första frågan alltid, “vem dödade vem?” vem vann? Vi kommer till det senare.

I Jaqes första rad tycks han fira sin självständighet efter att ha släppts från sitt skivbolag. Han firar sin “Independance day” och han förstår att förväntningarna på honom, även Dida, är sinnessjukt höga. 

“Änglar och demoner Har reflekterat som jag är månen Tro mig comebacks är inte enkelt Det är extra nollor på procenten"

Introduktionen mynnar ut i en lay-up för rapkollegan varpå Dida tar över och levererar raderna som om hans liv hängde på det. Den första minuten verkar bara ha varit ett förspel för fyrverkerierna. Redan här skymtar vi kontrasterna i texten.

"Medans Haji åkte Mecka jag pulverisera Concerta"

Dida skryter men tar även upp hjärtesorgen från vad som antagligen är Noomi Rapace. Beatet är stormigt och högljutt, signerat stockholmsproducenten DJ Hayden, precis som resten av albumet.

Denna storm mynnar ut i Melissa Horns sköra röst, som sjunger om isolation och längtan efter tröst. Visst nämnde jag kontraster? Vi är nu 150 sekunder in på albumet.

Titelspåret är mycket mer avslappnat, påminner något om Ledighetsmaskinens tidigare beats. Rökigt, avslappnat, Jaqes "vänta" adlib som alltid inget annat än toppen.

"Lamborghini rosa, käkar helt låsta Igenom dessa stråk som Mozart när det är kolsvart"

Beatförändringen halvvägs in i låten spär på atmosfären. Vi pratar sommarens solnedgång, en bil som kryper fram genom ett orange sken av ljus och dam. Flertalet shoutouts från Terrance Steven.

"And to all the pretty girls out there in Stockholm, Södermalm Wave high when you see me this summer"

Den norska rapparen Dutty Dior lägger de sista raderna och jag hoppas att om någon backpacker lyssnar på detta album genom detta förstår att auto-tune diskussionen är sedan flera år stängd, aldrig hört norska så här wavy.

"Ni**as blev rojalister, borde haft kronor på sig… Två G som i Gucci-logos."

Halvvägs igenom plattan får vi höra Grace Kelly som är ett mästerverk, jag kan prata om den i timmar. Det otroliga soul-samplet med stabsen, Didas första vers, Jaqes vers, där han påkallar en paus för applåder a lá Madvillainy. Didas andra vers, där han plockar stafettpinnen från malmörapparen och gör motsvarigheten till vad Usain Bolt gjorde i London 2012. Versen påvisar hur långt svensk hiphop kommit sedan The Latin Kings hedervärda insatser på 90-talet. Men här lär de svennar hur man ska rimma på svenska.

"Blå linje hustler, kittad Adi Dassler Strumpbyxsmasker, pannan liknar kassler Takbalk, jasper, marmor, alabaster G.H Mumm flaskor, lättar dessa laster"

Didas vers förtjänas egentligen inte att refereras till i citat, utan fullständigt. Det är bland det bästa som skrivits. Jag har hört folk slänga sig med termer som "ord-bajseri" när denna typ av rap tas upp men Dida slösar inte en enda mening, fullt fokus.

Samplet ekar och leds in i sista låten till tonerna av nu bortgångne Daddy Boastin (RIP) som Dida och Jaqe lyckades få tag på kort innan hans död. I och med det sluts cirkeln perfekt. Med en nära kollaboratör till The Latin Kings, i en låt om hur man kom från nada, hamnat någonstans men inte glömt vart man kom ifrån.

New Kids On The Block är segervarvet som avslutar showen. Dida och Jaqe insåg kanske vidden av deras prestation här, från inledningsspåret där Jaqe diskuterar svårigheten med comebacks, till fyra låtar senare när det låter det som man har Grammisen i handen och tacktalet ljuder genom högtalarna. New Kids On The Block, demostrerar sina framgångar men drar hela tiden kopplingar till hur allt började. Då kanske man ska fråga sig, vem dödade vem? Ingen. I denna metafor skapades Rom gemensamt av bröderna. Trots att turismen förstört staden ska vi vara glada att vi har den.

Men om jag verkligen måste välja, så finns det bara en svensk rappare som skulle göra ett multirim om metylendioxi-tabletter.

"Min nike-sula gav dem slajf-snuva Min babe 10:a men en size 7:a Arabanen åkte via Tjeckien Nio-rätters under tisdagsnätter Min G från Peckham kom precis från check-in Polisarrester som i Lethal Weapon Isbaguetter inne i Ica-jätten Metylendioxi-tabletter"

I den sista minuten får vi slutorden levererat i en vers från entreprenören Barakat Ghebrehawariat, som lägger fram budskapet för EP:n så elegant och tydligt att jag inte behöver förklara den för er. Läs eller, ännu bättre, lyssna.

"New kids on the block, men inget annat har förändrats."

5/5

+ “Remus et Romulus” "Driftarens Guide Till Galaxen" "Grace Kelly" "New Kids On The Block"

-  Haha, roligt skämt

[butterflies-dragons]

Switched Character Arcs?

Have you read and watched the girl with the dragon tattoo? I was recently reading it when *something* (you can call it a literally parallel) struck me regarding the ending of GOT. Spoiler warning for TGWTDT. Please don’t read any further if you don’t want to be spoiled and ignore my ask. The very prologue of TGWTDT has Henrik Vanger unwrapping the flower he receives on his birthday. The author goes into some details discussing botany and describes how the plant was native to the Australia and that it was called Desert Snow. In the movie ending, we see Mikael Blomkvist travel to London, to supposedly confront Anita Vanger, but only to find that it is Cecelia living the life of Anita, while the real Anita is dead. However, in the book ending, Mikael confronts Anita living in London (it is the real Anita), and she reveals that Cecelia is still alive and lives in Australia. To shorten screenplay time, we can see how the books and movies switched character arcs of Anita and Cecelia, resulting in a very important clue at the very beginning of the novel to just a random fact.

This is actually a common tactic used by authors, where major clues are revealed at the very beginning of the books, so that on a reread people say, they gave us the ending at the very beginning. I absolutely think GRRM is someone who would do something similar, just because of his writing style, and because of his knack of foreshadowing all plot twists that have happened so far. Never has the ASOIAF fandom said, I cannot find foreshadowing for this plot twist, or this doesn’t make any sense, up until the ending of GOT, where you cannot find foreshadowing even in hindsight. Plus, we all know that Daniel Abraham has already said a certain quote from the last scene of the last book will be important, and we still don’t know what it is.

Now regarding ASOIAF ending, most of us are of the opinion that even though the path to get to the end will be different, the ending will be the same with just minor changes. Part of me cannot help but wonder if this is a classic case of switched character arcs resulting in all foreshadowing and hints being reduced to just something random, and the butterfly effect that Martin keeps talking about has indeed led to major differences in the ending, especially with studio execs getting involved and the prequel being Fire and Blood.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  * *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  

Hello Anon,

Thanks for your submission.

I think I lost part of your question, because I remember you also sent your questions in parts (3 or 4 asks) and then you sent this submission.  I remember your question was about Sansa and another character being switched in the Show, but I don’t remember who was the other character you asked about.  It wasn’t Jeyne Poole tho, that I remember well.

Anyway, here is my answer, and please, I beg you, try to forgive me for doing this after so much time…  I’m sorry (｡•́︿•̀｡)  

Yes, I read the books, I watched the Swedish movies with Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist and I also watched the American movie with Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig.  I love Lisbeth Salander so very much, she is my one and only Dragon Queen.  My Millennium books are next to my Asoiaf books in my bookshelf (◠‿◠)          

I think you confused Cecilia Vanger, daughter of Harald Vanger and one of Henrik’s nieces, with Harriet Vanger, Henrik’s grandniece who disappeared without trace in 1966.

The detail in the Prologue with the rare Australian flower called Desert Snow is huge, and it really is a huge hint about Harriet’s location that is only revealed at the end of the Book.

I think GRRM has made something similar with the AGOT Prologue with Ser Waymar Royce.

We all read about Ser Waymar Royce the AGOT Prologue: 

“Ser Waymar Royce was the youngest son of an ancient house with too many heirs. He was a handsome youth of eighteen, grey-eyed and graceful and slender as a knife.”

And then we keep reading the AGOT chapters, getting information about Jon Snow:

Jon has more Stark-like features than any of his half-brothers. (AGOT - Catelyn II). He is graceful and quick, and has a lean build (AGOT - Bran I). Jon has the long face of the Starks (AGOT - Tyrion II), with dark (AGOT - Bran I), brown hair (AGOT - Sansa I) and grey eyes so dark they almost seem black (AGOT - Bran I). Jon resembles his father, Lord Eddard Stark (AGOT - Catelyn II & Eddard IX).

And we keep reading the following Books but we didn’t realize how similar were Waymar Royce and Jon Snow:  

Jon and Waymar have grey eyes.

Jon and Waymar have brow hair.

Jon and Waymar have solemn faces.

Jon and Waymar have slender bodies.

Jon and Waymar are described as graceful.

And we keep reading and reading but we didn’t even register the fact that Sansa’s first crush was Ser Waymar Royce and the implications of Waymar having the Stark Look and being Jon’s lookalike:

“Bronze Yohn knows me,” she reminded him. “He was a guest at Winterfell when his son rode north to take the black.” She had fallen wildly in love with Ser Waymar, she remembered dimly, but that was a lifetime ago, when she was a stupid little girl. “And that was not the only time. Lord Royce saw … he saw Sansa Stark again at King’s Landing, during the Hand’s tourney.”

—A Feast for Crows - Alayne I

More about it here.

Now, the Swedish movie ending is different from the American movie ending.  In the American film, is true that they switched/mixed Anita Vanger and Harriet Vanger.  This doesn’t happen in the Swedish film tho, where Anita and Harriet are two different characters living in London and Australia respectively.  Here is Mikael Blomkvist finding Harriet Vanger in Australia:

And you are right about this Anon:

To shorten screenplay time, we can see how the books and movies switched character arcs of Anita and Cecelia, resulting in a very important clue at the very beginning of the novel to just a random fact.

This is exactly what happened in Game of Thrones thanks to D&D…

I also agree with this:

This is actually a common tactic used by authors, where major clues are revealed at the very beginning of the books, so that on a reread people say, they gave us the ending at the very beginning. I absolutely think GRRM is someone who would do something similar, just because of his writing style, and because of his knack of foreshadowing all plot twists that have happened so far. 

Waymar Royce/Jon Snow parallels & Sansa’s crush on Waymar are the perfect examples.

And about the clues/hints of the ASOIAF ending hidden in AGOT, here is a recent post with more clues/hints from Anne Groell (GRRM’s Editor) and Daniel Abraham himself.    

Once again, I think you are right and I agree with this:

Now regarding ASOIAF ending, most of us are of the opinion that even though the path to get to the end will be different, the ending will be the same with just minor changes. Part of me cannot help but wonder if this is a classic case of switched character arcs resulting in all foreshadowing and hints being reduced to just something random, and the butterfly effect that Martin keeps talking about has indeed led to major differences in the ending, especially with studio execs getting involved and the prequel being Fire and Blood.

D&D are not good writers and they erased, changed, mixed, switched and rushed so much of the Book material that the last two seasons were plagued with nonsense…   

If you are still there, you can talk to me here on Tumblr or Twitter or Curious Cat.  Let me know, I owe you this.

Thanks again for your submission.

Good night.

[anamericanpsyco]

Quick Thoughts

I had access to Netflix while I was dogsitting for the past 24hrs, which means I got to watch some shows/movies that have come out since the last time I used a trial (it’s been like 4 months). 

First up was Bright. I have been looking forward to watching the film since I saw the trailer. This LOTR meets End of Watch with a touch of Training Day film succeeded in entertaining me. Yes, there was a lack of character motivation and a lack of character development, but aesthetically the film was on point and my expectations were on par (I didn’t expect it to be oscar worthy by any means). Bonus: Noomie Rapace (although very little screen time) was stunning as an evil elf. I thought her Lisbeth look was dope, but this was next level with the ears and the teeth and the eyes (japanese fan-girl squeal). 

Segway...I was also able to watch Jiro Dreams of Sushi. While I don’t typically find myself watching documentary/biopics, I have always had a strong affinity for learning more about Japanese culture with the goal being to travel to the country (which I’m thinking may happen next year). This film was both a pleasure to watch and listen to (the piano score really worked well). I wish I had that kind of dedication to drawing (I am certainly working on it), but bills gots to get paid. The only downside of this film was that it made me super hungry for Asian cuisine, so I pull out my phone and find that there was a Thai place less than a mile from where I was. So, I put the movie on pause to go get the food, so that I can have this 3-D movie experience, but when I go to the place they tell me it will be 1hr to make some fried rice...devastating. Needless to say, ‘ain’t nobody got time for that.’ 

Lastly: I watched the first episode of the latest season of Black Mirror (I thought it was the 1e1s, but whatever). I am not a Trek-y by any means. My only exposure outside of pop culture was the few episode of Voyager I watched with my parents, my dad liked it. But that didn’t hinder me at all. The concept was cool, a nod to Tron mashed with Star Trek. I liked the comic art they used to create the mise-en-scene. Although a bit long for my taste for an episodic medium, I would watch another episode. Do they reuse the same actors in the other episodes like AHS? I like when studios do that, kind of a nod to classic hollywood.