Reel Notes w/ CineMasai

My guest this week is New York producer, rapper, and writer Radicule. We spoke about anime—specifically Chainsaw Man, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Cowboy Bebop—The Banshees of Inisherin and the work of Colin Farrell, Undercover Brother, A Goofy Movie, SMACK DVD, his producer newsletter Thoughts Beyond The DAW, similarities between music and journalism, and the creative process behind his S-Rank Slaps beat tape series. S-Rank Slaps is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping the second volume direct from Bandcamp here. Check out the Thoughts Beyond The DAW Substack archive here. Follow Radicule on Instagram (@radicule) and Twitter (@radiculebeats) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is producer, rapper, DJ, professor, label head, and cultural ambassador Suzi Analogue. We spoke about the adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Kindred, Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, Menace II Society, The Color Purple, Ice Spice, teaching hip-hop at a college level, finding meaning in music, and the process behind her latest album Infinite Zonez. Infinite Zonez is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Suzi Analogue on Instagram and Twitter: @suziAnalog Check out the website for label Never Normal Records here. Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest for the season 3 premiere is New York-based rapper-producer MIKE. We spoke about Park Chan-wook, Skinamarink, Nigerian cinema, Paid In Full, Belly, the importance of tragedy in art, growing up in London, Philly, and New York, healing, a brief retrospective on his career, and the creative process behind his last two albums Disco! and Beware of The Monkey. Beware of The Monkey is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from MIKE's Bandcamp page here. Follow MIKE on Instagram (@mikelikesrap) and Twitter (@t6mikee). Read my Pitchfork review of MIKE's Disco! here. My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. Join the Reel Notes Patreon today for as little as $5/month to get early access to episodes, our Discord server, exclusive bonus interviews and reviews, and more! Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday! Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My last guest of the season is D.C.-based rapper-producer WifiGawd. We spoke about Tubi’s exhaustive selection of hood classics, the Sticky Fingaz rap opera, the impact of movies like Beat Street and Princess Mononoke had on him, the pros and cons of civil rights movies, his love for martial arts movies, his earliest concert memories, producing for himself vs. producing for others, and the creative process behind several of his best songs of the year. WifiGawd released six projects this year. Five of them are available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. His latest, Secret EP Vol. 3, is available exclusively via Instagram DM. Follow WifiGawd on Instagram (@wifigawd) and Twitter (@7WIFIGAWD7) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My next guest is Virginia rapper-producer Koncept Jack$on. We spoke about the Avatar movies, reality TV, Black sitcoms of the 90s, Lovecraft Country, coming up on Big L, Kool G Rap, and early 2000s freestyles, the importance of video game soundtracks, perfecting his flows, the art of stretching a rhyme scheme to its breaking point, and the creative process behind his latest project HTR Vol. 1: The Legend of Tawny Tone. HTR Vol. 1: The Legend of Tawny Tone is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping from his Bandcamp page here. Follow Koncept on Instagram (@konceptxjackson) and Twitter (@konceptjackson_) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guests this week are New York rapper-producers Lungs and Phiik. We spoke about NBA Street, Ghost in the Shell, transhumanism, The Digimon Movie, growing up on Long Island, how they joined up with East Grip, their working relationship, how movies inspire Lungs’s beats as LoneSword, the creative process behind their Another Planet series, Phiik’s latest album Chainlink, and their now infamous appearance on Top Shelf Premium’s Off Top freestyle series. Phiik and producer Duro's Chainlink is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping from his Bandcamp. The second and third volumes of the Another Planet series are on vinyl for the first time. Consider grabbing a copy here. Follow Phiik on Instagram and Twitter: @phiik_ Follow Lungs/Lonesword on Instagram and Twitter: @big_dead_lung Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is California-based producer and archivist Mars Kumari. We spoke about Squishmallows, Xavier: Renegade Angel, the timelessness of Adult Swim, the Earl Sweatshirt short film Nowhere, Nobody, piracy, how her transition influenced the way she creates music, the pros and cons of musical archiving, and the creative process behind a handful of her projects, including her upcoming album I Thought I Lost You. Her latest album I Thought I Lost You is coming soon. Read my interview with Nowhere, Nobody co-director Naima Ramos-Chapman here. Follow Mars on Instagram (@mars.kumari) and Twitter (@marskumari) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is South Carolina-born producer, vocalist, and composer Contour. We took a critical look at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the MCU and spoke about The Brave Little Toaster, the 2001 Japanese film Pulse, the pros and cons of Letterboxd, the art of film scoring, combining sample-based beats and traditional instruments to find his sound, and the creative process behind his latest album Onwards! Onwards! is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from his Bandcamp page here. The three films Contour has scored--Half Day, directed by Morgan Matthews, One Magenta Afternoon, directed by Vernon Jordan III, and Deprivation, directed by Katie Arthur--will be available in various forms at some point in the future. Follow Contour on Instagram (@ccontourr) and Twitter (@khariayo_) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Atlanta-via-Richmond rapper, producer, and co-founder of Mutant Academy, Fly Anakin—our first returning guest in 80 episodes. We spoke about fashion shows, identity in hip-hop, the ending of Atlanta, being an introvert, working through anxiety, food, the creative process behind his latest album Frank and Skinemaxxx, his upcoming full-length with producer Foisey, and more stories than I can count. Frank and Skinemaxxx are both available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from his Bandcamp page or via Lex Records. Follow Fly Anakin on Instagram and Twitter: @flyanakin My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. Join the Reel Notes Patreon today for as little as $5/month to get early access to episodes, our Discord server, exclusive bonus interviews and reviews, and more! Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday! Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Florida-based rapper and producer Gat$. We spoke about money, songs in movie trailers, a spoiler-filled breakdown of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the malleability of horror, making music videos based on his favorite movies, building his career and rebuilding it from the ground up twice, a brief tour of his discography, and the creative process behind his latest albums Robbed and 2 Much 2 Robb and his upcoming compilation album Robbers. 2 Much 2 Robb is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Gat$ on Instagram and Twitter: @gats813 Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Chicago-born rapper, author, writer, chemist, and activist Psalm One. We spoke about Abbot Elementary, The Muppets, growing up as the child of a journalist, when older favorite movies don’t age well, how chemistry applies to real life, the #BoycottRhymesayers movement, battle rap, and the creative processes behind her latest album Bigg Perrm and her memoir Her Word Is Bond: Navigating Hip-Hop and Relationships in A Culture of Misogyny. Bigg Perrm is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider buying from her Bandcamp here. Her Word Is Bond: Navigating Hip-Hop and Relationships in A Culture of Misogyny is available wherever books are sold. Consider grabbing a copy here. Watch Defunctland's mini-series on Jim Henson here. Read Psalm One's review of Smino's latest album Luv 4 Rent in the Chicago Reader here. Follow Psalm One on Instagram and Twitter: @psalmone Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Virginia-based producer, DJ, animator, and director Dirty Bird. We spoke about The Bear, Drive My Car, Austin Powers, the work of Maasakai Yuasa, the beauty of animation, our love for anime, how racism and orientalism can ruin your favorite movies, creating his own animation studio, how Chief Keef and Odd Future inspired him, his journey through rap and dance music, and the creative process behind his latest project Wagenmuzik. Wagenmuzik is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Gum Animation Studios is hard at work on their debut feature. Read more about the studio here. Follow Dirty Bird on Instagram and Twitter: @dirtybird0_o Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is New York rapper Wiki. We spoke about Smile, the Netflix documentary Descent, the early work of Martin Scorsese and Harvey Keitel, the musical and cultural diversity of New York, being consistent over a decade-long career, a selection of his best songs, starting out young, being ahead of your time and paying it forward for the next generation, and the creative processes behind his last two albums—the Navy Blue-produced Half God and the Subjxct 5-produced Cold Cuts. Cold Cuts is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from Wiki's Bandcamp page here. Follow Wiki on Instagram and Twitter: @wikset Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is North Carolina rapper and regular human Mavi. We spoke about The Woman King, Bullet Train, Nope, Paid In Full, Menace II Society, Lilo & Stitch, discovering music through video games and movies, the creative process behind his latest project Laughing so Hard, it Hurts, how producers monte booker, Wulf Morpheus, and Dylvinci helped bring the vision together, processing emotions and manhood, and why he feels his music is innocent. Mavi's sophomore album Laughing so Hard, it Hurts is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Mavi on Instagram and Twitter: @mavi4mayor Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is producer Wulf Morpheus. We spoke about all things anime—our old and new favorites, the impact of Toonami, anime’s growing presence in pop culture, and its mix with hip-hop culture—Max Keeble’s Big Move, Disney Adventure magazine,Cartoon Network, the lo-fi aesthetic, being inspired by every form of rap music, why Knxwledge is a GOAT’d producer, his placements with Chuck Strangers and Mavi, his Instagram clips, and his general creative approach to making beats. Wulf's latest album, Feelings and Crazy sensations, is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Wulf on Instagram and Twitter: @WulfMorpheus Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is artist manager, independent label head, streaming account manager, and former DJ Soko. We spoke about Atlanta, Ghostbusters, Batman, the art of collecting, growing up in Michigan, the greater Detroit rap scene, his work with Journalist 103 and Apollo Brown as The Left for their 2010 debut album Gas Mask, the life, death, and rebirth of his indie label Left Of Center, and how the many different jobs he’s had within hip-hop led him to where he is today. Follow Soko on Twitter (@DJSoko) and Instagram (@djsoko85) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Baltimore rapper Brian Ennals. We spoke about the MCU, Doctor Strange, why Robocop is a perfect movie, House Party, being influenced by Stevie Wonder and Pusha-T, his early rap career, valuing the art of writing over the art of technical rapping, connecting with producer and multiinstrumentalist Infinity Knives, and the creative process behind their latest album King Cobra. King Cobra is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Brian Ennals on Instagram and Twitter: @brianennals Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is New Jersey rapper Papo2oo4. We spoke about Titanic, Good Will Hunting, white classics, hood classics, Get Rich Or Die Trying, the lack of imagination in Hollywood, why he prefers realism over fantasy, listening to the youth, inspiration vs. biting, rap regionalism, hot takes about the 90s, and his creative process. Follow Papo2oo4 on Twitter (@paposwish) and Instagram (@papo2oo4) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Baltimore-via-Tanzania producer and musician Infinity Knives. We spoke about Ancestry.com, whether hip-hop is political, Severance, Pan’s Labyrinth, our favorite anime, fantasy novels, video games, and comic books, growing up between Tanzania and Madagascar, merging classical music with hip-hop, trusting the process, and the creative process behind he and Brian Ennals’s latest album King Cobra. King Cobra is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from their Bandcamp page here. Follow Infinity Knives on Twitter (@infinitykniives) and Instagram (@InfinityKnives) Follow Brian Ennals on Twitter and Instagram: @BrianEnnals Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Brooklyn-born rapper and one-third of the Flatbush Zombies Meechy Darko. We spoke about Idiocracy, Asian horror films, our favorite bad movies, District 9 and the movies of Neil Blomkamp, how Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) changed his perspective on film and music, the origins and legacy of the Flatbush Zombies, finding new ways to show off his trademark raspy voice, and the creative process behind his solo debut Gothic Luxury. Gothic Luxury is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Read my 2018 interview with the Flatbush Zombies for DJBooth here. Follow Meech on Instagram and Twitter: @MeechIsDead Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is New York rapper, producer, streamer, and video editor and director Duncecap. We spoke about Bodies Bodies Bodies, his changing relationship with horror movies, The Cabin In The Woods, opinions on a few retroactively problematic movies, the history of defunct New York rap collective the Karma Kids, the importance of humor in his music, finding his voice as a rapper, producer, director, and editor, and the creative process behind his latest album Go Climb A Tree, produced entirely by Hajino. Go Climb A Tree is available wherever music is sold, steamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from Bandcamp here. Follow Duncecap on Instagram and Twitter: @duncecap_ Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is North Carolina rapper Messiah!. We spoke about Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist, Catfish, reality TV, King Richard, The Rugrats Movie, The Truman Show, the influence of Chief Keef, how ScHoolboy Q’s Oxymoron changed his perspective on music, forming Killswitch with Mavi, ScoSzn, and Ahmir, crafting his style, a melancholic look back on his older music, and the creative process behind his latest project Perfect 7 Perfect 7 is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Messiah! on Instagram and Twitter (@1of1messiah) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Detroit producer Apollo Brown. We spoke about Euphoria, Atlanta, Mr. In-Between, Flatliners, The Land Before Time, Steven Spielberg’s debut movie Duel, his personal top 5 movies, discovering hip-hop through DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Main Source, and The D.O.C., his production aesthetic, the importance of consistency in hip-hop, a handful of his projects, and the creative process behind his latest album This Must Be The Place. This Must Be The Place is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from Apollo's Bandcamp page here. Read my review of Apollo and Stalley's collab album Blacklight at Pitchfork here. Follow Apollo on Instagram and Twitter: @ApolloBrown Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Florida-bred rapper, producer, and label head Anonymuz. We spoke about the magic of A24 movies, Spider-Man, superhero fatigue, Willem Dafoe, Silence, the work of Martin Scorsese, One Piece, Hunter x Hunter, the value of art, putting himself in his music, his path to becoming a rapper-producer, the significance of the Radicxl movement, striving to be regular, and the creative process behind his latest project ANAGO. ANAGO is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Check out my review of its lead single "MORPHEUS" for Pitchfork here. Follow Anonymuz on Instagram and Twitter: @Anonymuzkilla Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is rapper, producer, Pro Era member, and label head Chuck Strangers. We spoke about Harold’s fried chicken, The Wire, Breaking Bad, White People Can’t Jump, Toy Story, the Friday series, the art of bootleg CDs, how JAY-Z’s “Hard Knock Life” changed his perspective on music, his work with Pro Era, the 10th anniversary of Joey Bada$$’ 1999, and his current position within the rap underground. Chuck's latest solo project Too Afraid To Dance is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Chuck's production can also be heard on "Brand New 911" and "Wanna Be Loved" from Joey Bada$$' comeback record 2000, which is also available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Check out my review on Pitchfork here. Follow Chuck Strangers on Instagram (@chuckstrangers) and Twitter (@Chuck_Strangers). Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest for the mid-season finale is Atlanta rapper Tony Shhnow. We spoke about The Boys, superhero sex, Barry, Soul Plane, Donald Glover’s Atlanta, Futurama, how Wiz Khalifa’s Burn After Rolling changed his life, his prolific release schedule, proving himself as a lyricist, his relationship with his plug, and the creative process behind his latest project Reflexions. Reflexions is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Tony Shhnow on Instagram and Twitter: @tonyshhnow Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is rapper Tyrxne. We gave our hot takes on The Batman, spoke about his love for The Fifth Element and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Secret of The Ooze, the art of sneaking into movie theaters, the pros and cons of AMC Stubs A-List, listening to Daft Punk and Cassidy, the origins of his original rap name Breeze Embalm, embracing TikTok and rapping in Spanish, and the creative process behind his first Spanish-language album El Peligro. Tyrxne's latest project Firestarter is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Tyrxne on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @tyrxneny Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Boston rapper, producer, actor, and standup comedian Michael Christmas. We spoke about Father’s Day, Peaky Blinders, Top Boy, Uncut Gems, Ja Rule, horror, Black comedy, Spike Lee, the art of references in rap, respecting The Culture, Van Buren, the Massachusetts rap scene, a handful of his music videos, and the creative process behind he and producer Ricky Felix’s collab project Christmas In 6. Christmas In 6 is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Michael Christmas on Instagram (@michaelchristmas) and Twitter (@MickeyChristmas) Follow Ricky Felix on Instagram and Twitter: @rickyfelixx Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is rapper, producer, and graphic designer THERAVADA. We spoke about Bob’s Burgers, The Sopranos, Life Is Beautiful, AMC Stubs A-List, influencer culture, how And1 Basketball helped him appreciate the synergy of rap and film, streetball’s effect on pop culture, video game soundtracks, the importance of archiving, and the creative process behind his latest project My Own 2 Hands. My Own 2 Hands is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from his Bandcamp page here. Follow THERAVADA on Instagram (@THRVD) and Twitter (@THERAVADA) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is writer, rapper, producer, and sound designer Pat Junior. We spoke about Logic, Top Boy, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Doctor Strange, the Rush Hour movies, The Fifth Element, Gladiator, our favorite film scores and composers, his relationship to hip-hop and classical music, how he approaches music as a sound designer, the pros and cons of overthinking while writing, and the creative process behind his latest album Gold Fangs On Sunday. Both I Thought I Knew and Gold Fangs On Sunday are available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Pat Junior on Instagram and Twitter: @iampatjunior Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is producer, rapper, DJ, founder of the blog/label PTP, teacher, and archivist GENG PTP. We spoke about ethics in journalism, The Bob’s Burgers Movie, Ozark, the pros and cons of binging television, the history of Kim’s Video and Music, our relationship with music videos, the skateboarding documentary All The Streets Are Silent, the current underground renaissance, and more anecdotes and detours about music and movie history than I can count. Watch All The Streets Are Silent on Hulu and Tony Hawk: Until The Wheels Fall Off on HBO Max. Follow GENG on Instagram (@genggrizzly) and Twitter (@PURPICIDE) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is DJ, producer, and co-host of the Yo! MTV Raps revival, Diamond Kuts. We spoke about horror movies, the Child’s Play series, how Disney’s reboot of Maleficent helped her appreciate the relationship between sound and image, her relationship with Nicki Minaj, memories of Nicki’s early career, putting on for female rappers, navigating the world of DJing as a Black woman, being a DJ in the age of streaming and algorithms, her relationship with Yo! MTV Raps, and how she and fellow co-host Conceited are reimagining the show for a new generation. New episodes of Yo! MTV Raps are released weekly on Paramount+. Watch the first episode featuring Freddie Gibbs now. Keep up with everything Diamond Kuts, from interviews to playlists to DJ sets on Power 99 FM in Philly, here. Follow Diamond Kuts on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @djdiamondkuts Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is New Jersey rapper, producer, composer, and deadverse label head Will Brooks, lead MC of the group dälek. We spoke about the work of John Singleton and Christopher Nolan, how we unknowingly attended the same screening of The Dark Knight Rises, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, longevity as an independent musician, what it means to be hip-hop, scoring the documentary Betrayal at Attica, dälek’s 25-year career, and the creative process behind their latest album Precipice. Precipice is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from the group's Bandcamp page here. Follow Will and dälek on Instagram and Twitter: @daleknwk Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Bronx rapper and songwriter Kemba. We spoke about the NBA Street and Def Jam video game franchises, Top Boy, Mr. Robot, rappers-turned-actors, Adam Sandler, Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind, spoiler culture, Eminem, legacy artists, if honesty is a guarantee to making good music, a handful of videos, his upcoming album and screenplay, and his general creative process. Kemba's last album, 2018's Gilda, is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. His next album, tentatively titled I Blame Myself, is coming soon. In the meantime, stream his latest single "Legal Sins" featuring Kota The Friend. Follow Kemba on Instagram and Twitter: @Kembaland Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai) , and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Seattle rapper Sadistik. We spoke about Everything Everywhere All At Once, The Batman, the films of Gaspar Noe and Lars von Trier, how The Blob and Quentin Tarantino kickstarted his fascination with film, Stephen King adaptations, the benefits of pushing the boundaries of art, his love for New York and Southern rap, the pros and cons of being honest in your music, his creative process, and working with rapper-producer Kno on their latest collab Bring Me Back When The World Is Cured. Bring Me Back When The World Is Cured is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from Bandcamp. Follow Sadistik on Instagram (@sadistik) and Twitter (@TheRealSadistik) My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. Join the Reel Notes Patreon today for as little as $5/month to get early access to episodes, our Discord server, exclusive bonus interviews and reviews, and more! Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday! Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Tennessee musician, producer, singer, writer, and author V.C.R. aka V The Martian. We spoke about the films of Yorgos Lanthimos, Raised By Wolves, Adult Swim, Smiling Friends, the magic of the Willy Wonka soundtrack, science fiction, Tennessee hip-hop, Lord of The Rings, the importance of the hero’s journey, and the creative process behind her debut album The Chronicles of a Caterpillar: The Egg. The Chronicles of a Caterpillar: The Egg is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider buying it directly from V's Bandcamp page here. Follow V on Instagram and Twitter: @vthemartian Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is New York rapper Marcel Allen. We spoke about Shutter Island, Halloween Kills, Scary Movie, his love of horror movies, watching the movie Cornbread, Earl and Me for the first time, our favorite hood movies of all time, his appreciation for every subgenre of rap, getting Havoc and Boldy James on his debut album, his relationship with producers Thelonious Martin and Jacob Rochester, and the creative process behind his debut album Ebony Goddess. Ebony Goddess is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping it directly from Marcel's Bandcamp page. Follow Marcel Allen on Instagram and Twitter: @marcelallennotg Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Chicago rapper Vic Spencer. We spoke about Power, The Waterboy, his love for standup comedy, the power of world-building in music and movies, making music during his time in a group home, the legacy of his breakthrough project The Cost of Victory, the idea behind he and rapper-producer Sonnyjim’s Spencer For Higher series, the artist-to-fan relationship, and the creative process behind he and Doc Da Mindbenda’s collab album Still Here. Still Here is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Vic Spencer on Instagram and Twitter: @VicSpencer Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Baton Rouge-based rapper Wakai. We spoke about Snowfall, Atlanta, The Wire, Menace II Society, the beauty of local businesses, why binging TV is a privilege, how the video for Kanye West’s “All Falls Down” changed his life, his journey through the hip-hop rabbit hole, how his experience as a film editor has informed his experience as a musician, how COVID affected his approach to putting out music, and the creative processes behind his debut solo album To A Dark Boy. To A Dark Boy is available everywhere music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Wakai on Instagram and Twitter: @wakai007 Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Georgia-born singer, artist, and label head BOSCO. We spoke about Snowfall, Insecure, having her songs featured on Insecure, what sync licensing means, Love & Basketball, Forrest Gump, Raven-Symone, Lauryn Hill, our respective relationships with music and movies as children, founding the creative community Slug, and how it’s influenced her creative process. BOSCO's latest project Some Day This Will All Make Sense is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. You can also hear BOSCO's music on the Insecure soundtrack and official playlists. Follow BOSCO on Instagram and Twitter: @hellobosco Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Buffalo rapper/singer/producer Chango4. We spoke about the documentary You Can’t Kill Meme, the prevalence of meme culture on and offline, The Ring, Being John Malkovitch, Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Holy Mountain and Santa Sangre, her fascination with carpentry, the Buffalo music scene, genre-blending, her relationship with rapper-producer way2wavybaby, and her general creative process. Check out Chango's solo Bandcamp page here and her work with way2wavybaby here. Follow Chango4 on Instagram (@changofour) and Twitter (@4chango) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Brooklyn rapper Chelsea Reject. We spoke about the Hulu original movie Fresh, Black Mirror, veganism, the Final Destination series, Dragonball Z, growing up in the church, watching non-secular media in secret, realizing that we both attended New York college SUNY Purchase at the same time, New York hip-hop during the rise of Pro Era, the pros and cons of recording music in 2022, and the creative processes behind all of her projects, including her latest album This Is Not My Final Form. Both This Is Not My Final Form and Chelsea's latest single "Woe" are available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Watch the music video for "Woe" here. Follow Chelsea Reject on Instagram and Twitter (@ChelseaReject) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is North Carolina-based rapper, producer, and label head Cheeno Ghee. We spoke about Kanye West, jeen-yus, the power of a good music documentary, true crime, Belly, the legacy of Hype Williams, growing up between Atlanta, Brooklyn, and North Carolina, what it means to freestyle in 2022, the art of battle rap, founding GCE Tha Label, and the creative process behind her projects Child and To Whomever It Concerns. Child and To Whomever It Concerns are available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Check out Cheeno Ghee's appearance on Bars on I-95 here. Follow Cheeno on Instagram and Twitter: @cheenoghee Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is rapper, businesswoman, boxer, and healthcare worker Chanelle Kazadi. We spoke about Love Is Blind, Baking Impossible, horror movies, the nuance behind villains, Jeen-Yus: A Kanye Trilogy, being a first-generation immigrant, falling in love with the music of Mos Def and Common, starting her Harvest Hooligang clothing company, the trials of being an independent artist in 2022, and the creative process behind her latest project Make It Work. Make It Work is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider checking out the Harvest Hooligang website and copping some merch here. Follow Chanelle on Instagram and Twitter: @chanellekazadi Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Kansas-born rapper and podcast host Stik Figa. We spoke about Ozark, Euphoria, the Super Bowl Halftime Show, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, American Beauty, the art of appreciating art, how Kansas became a mixtape hub for several different kinds of rap, whether Kendrick Lamar is an all-time great, and the creative process behind several of his projects, including the August Fanon-produced Heresy. Heresy drops March 4 on Bandcamp. Consider pre-ordering it here. The City Under The City and Central Standard Time are available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from Stik's Mello Music Group Bandcamp page. Follow Stik Figa on Instagram and Twitter: @Stik_Figa Read my 2017 DJBooth piece "Holding Back Tears: Rap's Role In Redefining Black Masculinity," which features a short interview with Stik, here. Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is New Jersey rapper, producer, and DJ Brainorchestra. We spoke about Batman, growing up playing real-time strategy and role-playing games, The Black Cauldron, myths about life in New Jersey, our mutual love for survival movies, how playing instruments influenced his beatmaking, turning his love of rap into a business, and the creative process behind a handful of his projects, including his latest album Big Brain. Big Brain is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from his Bandcamp page here. Follow Brainorchestra on Instagram (@brainorchestra_) and Twitter (@_brainorchestra) Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Florida-born rapper-producer Liiight. We spoke about Don’t Look Up, Bee Movie, Cowboy Bebop, dubstep, brief histories of Yung Lean and the Sad Boys, Lucki, and Childish Gambino, how Lupe Fiasco’s “Kick Push” changed their life, giving your all while recording, and the creative process behind their latest projects Dwunk and Blacklight. Dwunk and Blacklight are available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping these and other great projects directly from Liiight's Bandcamp page here. Follow Liiight on Instagram and Twitter: @liiightone Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Chicago-based rapper, producer, and poet Semiratruth. We spoke about astrology, Dexter, Euphoria, South Side, Spike Lee, growing up listening to MF DOOM, mortality, her time in the YouMedia program, developing her craft, the pros and cons of oversharing, the influence of Sun-Ra, and the creative process behind her latest album I Got Bandz For The Moonlandin’ I Got Bandz For The Moonlandin’ is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from her Bandcamp here. Follow Semiratruth on Instagram and Twitter: @semiratruth Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Phoenix duo By Storm—formerly known as the trio Injury Reserve—consisting of rapper/producer RiTchie and producer Parker Corey. We spoke about Tiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang, Pig, Nicholas Cage, Danny Trejo, Point Break, their chemistry as a group, the creative process behind a handful of their videos, the response to their latest album By the Time I Get to Phoenix, and, of course, countless stories about the late great Stepa J. Groggs. By the Time I Get to Phoenix is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing directly from the group's Bandcamp page here. Follow Injury Reserve on Instagram and Twitter: @InjuryReserve. Follow RiTchie on Instagram and Twitter: @ritchiewitha. Follow Parker on Instagram (@wparkercorey) and Twitter (@ParkerCorey) My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. Join the Reel Notes Patreon today for as little as $5/month to get early access to episodes, our Discord server, exclusive bonus interviews and reviews, and more! Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday! Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest for the Reel Notes season finale is Pitchfork staff writer and music journalist and critic Alphonse Pierre. We spoke about the show Harlem, Miami Vice, Black sitcoms, growing up in the age of Dipset, our favorite rap movies of all time, embracing his love of film in high school, his writing career, navigating the always crowded world of rap music, and journalism’s place in the music landscape in the 2020s. Check out Alphonse's work over at Pitchfork here. Follow Alphonse on Instagram (@alphonseeee) and Twitter (@Al_Peeair) Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show