Reel Notes w/ CineMasai

My guest this week is Brooklyn-based rapper AKAI SOLO. We talked about childhood trips to Barnes & Noble that turned into trips to the theater, our mutual appreciation for the movie Drive, how a soundtrack can change your opinion of a movie, rappers who rap really well about one subject, the similarities between Black Dynamite and Deadpool, and the creative process behind his latest album True Sky, produced entirely by Navy Blue. True Sky is available everywhere music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider buying directly from AKAI via Bandcamp Follow AKAI SOLO on Instagram and Twitter: @shinlonered Follow Navy Blue on Instagram (@SageElsesser) and Twitter (@navyduskwaygi) Follow CineMasai on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guests this week are North Carolina producer L’Orange and Nashville rapper/producer/musician Namir Blade. We talked about our favorite helper ghost movies, our least favorite aspects of Quentin Tarantino’s movies, the paradox of retiring rappers, Black representation in the world of sci-fi concept albums, the similarities between David Lynch and Jim Jones, and the creative process behind their new album Imaginary Everything, out now via Mello Music Group. Imaginary Everything is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider buying the album directly from L'Orange, Namir, and Mello Music Group via Bandcamp Follow L'Orange on Instagram & Twitter: @LOrangeMusic Follow Namir Blade on Instagram & Twitter: @NamirBlade Follow CineMasai on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

*SPOILER WARNING FOR YASUKE* My guest this week is producer, rapper, musician, writer, director, and Brainfeeder label head Flying Lotus. We talked about the importance of Jurassic Park and Fist of The North Star, working with Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo creator Shinichiro Watanabe, the creative process behind the Netflix anime series Yasuke, the joys of creating an anime theme song with Thundercat, his friendship with Denzel Curry, and his dream of creating an anime with Tierra Whack. Yasuke: The Album is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Yasuke the series is available to stream on Netflix Follow Flying Lotus on Instagram and Twitter: @flyinglotus Follow CineMasai on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is New Jersey rapper/producer/vocalist/director Topaz Jones, a fellow native of Montclair, NJ. We talked about being from the 973, what movies he’s been watching during quarantine, being inspired by Kanye West’s ‘Runaway’ movie, finding the courage to be vulnerable on record, how sampling music has inspired his approach to filmmaking, and the creative process behind his latest album Don’t Go Tellin Your Momma and its accompanying Sundance Award-winning short film of the same name. Don’t Go Tellin Your Momma is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow Topaz on Instagram and Twitter: @TopazJones Follow CineMasai on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Big Flowers, a rapper/producer/graphic designer and video director from Buffalo, NY. We talked about how The Fox & The Hound and The Prince of Egypt shaped his mind as a child, the value in making friends over the internet, our mutual appreciation of The Midnight Gospel, his sandwich deconstruction theory, his approach to collaborating with other artists, and the process behind his latest self-released album Big Smile. Consider purchasing Big Smile directly from Big Flowers via Bandcamp Follow Flowers on Instagram (@bigflowers.wrld) and Twitter (@bigflowersworld) Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

On the fifth episode, welcomes rapper Fatboi Sharif and producer Roper Williams, two of New Jersey’s finest. We spoke about memories of DMX, how horror movies inform Sharif’s writing style, Roper’s observations on the similarities between sequencing for albums and films, art reflecting the chaotic nature of 2020, our favorite movie plot twists of all time, and the creative process behind their debut collaborative album Gandhi Loves Children. Gandhi Loves Children is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing directly from Sharif, Roper, and POW Recordings via Bandcamp Follow Fatboi Sharif on Twitter (@fatboyprospect) and Instagram (@fatboi_sharif) Follow Roper Williams on Twitter and Instagram: @Roper_Williams Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guests this week are Birmingham, AL-born rapper/producer Pink Siifu and Richmond, Virginia-born rapper/producer Fly Anakin. We talk about overrated Disney movies, Fly Anakin attending the How High premiere as a kid, the films of Larry Clark and Harmony Korine, the joys of discovering new movies at your cousins' house , and the creative process behind their collaborative album FlySiifu's and its deluxe expansion $mokebreak, both out now via Lex Records. FlySiifu's is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing directly from FlySiifu's and Lex Records via Bandcamp. Follow Pink Siifu on Instagram and Twitter: @PinkSiifu. 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

For our third episode, Reel Notes welcomes rappers billy woods and Elucid, also known as the duo Armand Hammer. We talk about woods’s childhood memories of watching American cinema while living in Zimbabwe; Elucid’s affinity for short stories; some pretty damn hot takes on the work of the late John Singleton; the abstract magic of Ghostface Killah; and the creative process behind their latest album HARAM, produced entirely by The Alchemist. HARAM is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing directly from Backwoodz Studioz via Bandcamp. Follow Backwoodz Studioz on Twitter (@BackwoodzHipHop) & Instagram (@backwoodzstudioz). Follow Elucid on Twitter (@elucidwho) and Instagram (@cobratoof). Follow Alchemist on Twitter (@Alchemist) and Instagram (@alanthechemist) 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

For episode two of Reel Notes, I sat down with New York rapper Maassai and New Jersey producer JWords, who record solo and as the duo H31r. We spoke about ratchet movie theaters, growing up watching Spike Lee and Harry Potter movies, whether King Kong or Godzilla would win in a fight, the benefits of taking a year off from performing due to COVID, and how movies inspired the process behind Maassai’s recent solo project With The Shifts, JWords’ latest project Sonic Liberation, and their group debut project velocity. Consider purchasing ve.lo.ci.ty directly from JWords and maassai via Bandcamp Follow JWords on Instagram and Twitter: @_jwords Follow Maassai on Instagram and Twitter: @maassai_ Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

For the inaugural episode of Reel Notes, I sat down with producer and multi-instrumentalist The Lasso. We spoke about being inspired by John Williams scores as a kid, how crafting an album is like building a spaceship, the creative process behind all of his collaborative albums, and the sci-fi inspirations of his latest project 2121, out now via Mello Music Group. We also spoke about the upcoming Justice League: Snyder Cut and ranked our favorite movie Batmen. 2121 is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing directly from Lasso and Mello Music Group via Bandcamp Follow The Lasso on Twitter and Instagram: @The_Lasso_ Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show