Reel Notes is a space for conversations about the relationship between rap and film with rappers, producers, journalists, directors, and more. Intro track via JWords (follow her @_jwords on Instagram & Twitter) Art direction via Big Flowers (Instagram: @watermichaelguy, Twitter: @michaelfornow_)
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New York producer, engineer, and one-ninth of Mutant Academy, ewonee. We spoke about The Wayans Bros, King of The Hill, Ray, The Pianist, our respective G-Unit and Dipset phases, having hip-hop parents, the creative process behind beat tapes like his Aux Tapes series and ‘73, and some words about the upcoming Mutant Academy al…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Alaska x steel tipped dove | S4 Episode 28
1:39:09
1:39:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:39:09
My guests this week are rapper Alaska and producer-engineer steel tipped dove. We spoke about Longlegs, Kinds of Kindness, Halloween, several of our favorite horror movies, growing up as music encyclopedias, how he and dove met and gel’d as a duo, growing old in hip-hop, and the creative process behind their two projects—2023’s The Structural Dynam…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Illinois-born singer, rapper, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Phoelix. We spoke about Supacell, Deadpool & Wolverine, the pros and cons of 4DX, Blazing Saddles, singing and playing instruments in church, how working on Noname’s “Shadow Man” boosted his self-confidence, working with partner Kari Faux, music as a tool for ce…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
MAVI on ‘Candyman’ and ‘shadowbox’ | Reel Talk #4 preview
35:13
35:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
35:13
My guest this time is North Carolina MAVI. We spoke about the themes, pros, and cons of the 1992 horror classic Candyman, the importance of love, the creative process behind his great new album shadowbox, and a few tour stories from special guest Ovrkast. Come fuck with us. shadowbox is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow …
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Rhode Island producer, composer, and MPC expert, araabMUZIK. We spoke about the scores for Jaws, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, and Scarface, pioneering finger-drumming on the MPC, transitioning from producing for rap icons like Cam’ron, Styles P, and Jay Electronica to embracing trance and dance music, the pros and cons of scor…
…
continue reading
If you're in the Brooklyn area, I'll be hosting the fourth Reel Talk movie night at LoudmouthBK tomorrow, Thursday, August 8 (sorry for the short notice). Our guest this time is North Carolina rapper MAVI, and we'll be watching the 1992 horror classic Candyman, followed by a short interview and Q&A. Doors at 6, film starts at 7:15-ish. Advance tick…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New Orleans rapper Countess. We spoke about House of The Dragon, Downton Abbey, the Lupin The 3rd series, Beasts of The Southern Wild, combining her love of pop culture with her love of music, the art of archiving and discovery, playing different characters in her music, and the creative processes behind her latest EP Con Art.…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Aishamanne of Hoodwear Diaries | S4 Episode 23
1:30:13
1:30:13
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:30:13
My guest this week is New York journalist, filmmaker, and creator of Hoodwear Diaries, Aishamanne. We spoke about season 3 of FX’s The Bear, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Kinds of Kindness, the allure of horror movies, being inspired to direct by Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight and Childish Gambino’s Awaken, My Love, the intersection of film, hip-hop, and fashion, …
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Chicago rapper, producer, label head, and MIT professor, Lupe Fiasco. We spoke about True Detective, being inspired by his father’s record and film collections, practicing martial arts and African drumming, references and concepts in his music, creating across eras, the art and pros and cons of criticism, his bond with produce…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Michigan rapper and co-host of The SwordCast, Noveliss. We spoke about Aliens, The Power Rangers Movie, Zatoichi and his other favorite samurai films, X-Men 97, the future of the MCU, how both rap and martial arts helped him appreciate discipline, coaching his son’s UAA team, how producer Hir-O convinced him to not quit rappin…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
AyooLii x FearDorian x Polo Perks (Live from Pirate Studios) | S4 Episode 20
2:06:27
2:06:27
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:06:27
If you wanna hear me in the studio with artists more often, book yourself a podcast, DJ, or studio session at Pirate using my code DYLAN534686, and you and I will both receive a free $25 credit to our accounts. Try it out today! My guests this week are Connecticut-via-New York rapper-producer Polo Perks, Atlanta producer-rapper FearDorian, and Milw…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New York rapper-producer S!lence. We spoke about Scavengers Reign, Wild Wild West, Silence of The Lambs, the filmography of Kevin Smith, the musicality of Biggie’s Ready II Die, how his friends and his photography inspire his music, being a member of Tase Grip, and the creative process behind several of his projects, including…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Nia Coats of Lucky Seven Magazine | S4 Episode 18
1:51:58
1:51:58
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:51:58
My guest this week is California journalist and founder of Lucky Seven Magazine, Nia Coats. We spoke about The Iron Claw, I Saw The TV Glow, the Friday series, The Princess Diaries, being from the east coast and watching west coast movies, moving from starting her own blog to starting Lucky Seven magazine, the stories behind her favorite articles a…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is rapper and one-fifth of the collective No Label, Yo OG. We spoke about Buddhism and spirituality, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, Belly, Dope, the ritual of going to the movies, juggling different projects, coming up listening to And1 mixtapes and Joey Bada$$, how he came to make music and help form No Label, and the creative process…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Maryland-based rapper Foggieraw. We spoke about the Planet of the Apes movies, Michael Jackson music videos, Kill Bill and the films of Quentin Tarantino, the music of DMX, Andre 3000, and Lupe Fiasco, figuring out his sound in college and turning rap into a career, and the creative process behind his music videos, his breakou…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Queens rapper-producer-engineer Wavy Bagels. We spoke about Monkey Man, The Creator, Sister Act 2: Back In The Habit, Snow Day, Power Rangers, how his work as a behind-the-scenes sound man for movies informs his work as a rapper, producer, and engineer, how he moved from just producing and engineering to rapping, and the creat…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Peckham, London-based rapper-producer Jadasea. We spoke about the importance of categorizing projects, his love for sci-fi and anime, hooligan films, American Gangster, Interstellar, The Matrix and Animatrix, starting his career with King Krule, balancing being prolific with taking his time, approaching 30 as a rapper, joining…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
klwn cat x Sunmundi | S4 Episode 13
1:55:35
1:55:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:55:35
My guests this week are California producer klwn cat and New York rapper Sunmundi. We spoke about Poor Things, Oppenheimer, Ponyo and the greater Studio Ghibli filmography, Max Keeble’s Big Move, the influence of Earl Sweatshirt, Navy Blue, Dilla, and Ka, finding their creative voices, coming together, bending to suit each other’s styles, and the c…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New York producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Anysia Kym. We spoke about Poor Things, bonding with her brother over the Barbie movie, the hype of Timothee Chalamet, Child’s Play, local movie theaters, growing up on the music of Raven-Symone and Ty Dolla $ign, transitioning from playing the drums to producing drum an…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New Orleans-via-Brooklyn rapper Cavalier. We spoke about the French film Baise-moi, Monkey Man, The Last Dragon, DVD collections, the filmography of Spike Lee, Fresh, 90s urban dramas, growing up as a first-generation Caribbean-American, moving from New York to New Orleans, the art of crafting albums, the value of music, his c…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New Jersey rapper, poet, producer, and singer MoRuf. We spoke about Top Boy, I May Destroy You, Higher Learning, the filmography of Spike Lee, going from battle rapping and poetry to pursuing music full-time, why he waited a decade to fully commit to making music his career, the power of community building, and the creative pr…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
NAHreally x The Expert | S4 Episode 9
1:59:23
1:59:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:59:23
My guests this week are New Jersey-via-Massachusetts rapper-producer NAHreally and Dublin producer-engineer The Expert. We spoke about Netflix reality shows, Severance, Tropic Thunder, Silo, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, He Got Game, Above The Rim, the legacy of Stones Throw and Madvillainy, their respective journeys through rap, joining for…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
jerrard (fka Danny Watts) | S4 Episode 8
1:37:17
1:37:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:37:17
My guest this week is Houston rapper jerrard, fka Danny Watts. We spoke about Dune Part 2, finding beats on YouTube and Twitch streams, the Look Who’s Talking series, Baby’s Day Out, Powder, downloading music on Limewire, coming up on east coast hip-hop, quitting his job to work with California rapper-producer Jonwayne, and the journey from his deb…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
OneShotOnce x Driveby | S4 Episode 7
2:38:25
2:38:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
2:38:25
My guests this week are New Jersey rapper OneShotOnce and producer Driveby. We spoke about Quiet On Set, Loudermilk, Dune 2, Mystic River, Love Lies Bleeding, Bound, their respective come-ups in Jersey, what they have to offer to the Jersey scene and rap at large, the beginning of their creative partnership, and the process behind their two project…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Florida-based vlogger, critic, and interviewer, Eric The Young Gawd. We spoke about May December, Joker, Drumline, AirPod conspiracy theories, his interview style, Snow on tha Bluff, our respective relationships with Boosie Badazz, Florida and New Orleans rap, some of Eric’s best and funniest interviews, and his interest in th…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Montreal rapper Chung. We spoke about Killers of The Flower Moon, Titanic, Netflix’s Griselda, our respective favorite R&B and hip-hop albums growing up, the pros and cons of coming up in the Montreal hip-hop scene, working with producers Nicholas Craven and Cotola, and the creative process behind her three latest projects—202…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New York rapper-producer shemar. We spoke about Mo’ Better Blue and the films of Spike Lee, Shark Boy & Lavagirl, Spy Kids, and the films of Robert Rodriguez, listening to Kendrick, Tyler, The Creator, and Earl Sweatshirt growing up, transitioning from poetry and beatmaking to rapping, labels and boxes within underground hip-h…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New York rapper-producer LIFEOFTHOM. We spoke about Poor Things, WALL-E, Inception, his love for anime, particularly the show Bakuman, environmental conservation, the versatility of his discography, and the concept and creative process behind his projects Floor 11 and Room 44. Come fuck with us. Floor 11 and Room 44 are availa…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is California rapper-producer BbyAfricka. We spoke about Saltburn, Joker, A Clockwork Orange, how she transitioned from producing to rapping, the difference between being funny and being real, how her battle with Stevens-Johnson syndrome changed the way she makes music, and the creative process behind her last two albums—2022’s T…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ms. Boogie (Live from BRIC House in Brooklyn, NY) | S4 Episode 1
1:48:15
1:48:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:48:15
My guest for the season four premiere is Brooklyn rapper and model Ms. Boogie. We spoke about Prison Song, City of God, voyeurism and representation in media, finding herself in the music of Missy Elliott, Lil Kim, and Sisqo, coming out as a woman in Paper Magazine and transitioning in 2018, the importance of being queer, particularly trans, in rap…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Domo Genesis (season 3 finale) | S3 Episode 46
1:28:37
1:28:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:28:37
My guest for the season 3 finale is Los Angeles rapper Domo Genesis. We spoke about Leave The World Behind, our mutual love of horror movies, The Lion King, John Q, his start as a founding member of Odd Future, how his Alchemist tape No Idols was ahead of its time, maintaining consistency in his music over a decade, becoming a big brother to the Mu…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New York rapper Lord Sko. We spoke about Violent Night, The Big Lebowski, King of New York, New York pizza, food in LA, bridging age and subgenre gaps in rap music, taking his first two projects off the internet, his general creative process, and the making of his breakout projects—2022’s Museum and this year’s United Palace. …
…
continue reading
My guest this week is North Carolina-based rapper, producer, and head of the I’ll Never Die collective, JUNE! We spoke about Loki season 2, the highs and lows of the MCU, Friday, Hitch, Soul Food, Lucy, M. Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable, Split, and Glass, Andre 3000’s ambient album, the impact of Earl Sweatshirt’s Some Rap Songs, the history of I N …
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New Jersey rapper, producer, and photographer Da$h. We spoke about being a father, working with ANKHLEJOHN and Mac Miller, Beau Is Afraid, Killers of The Flower Moon, risk-averse Hollywood studios, tour stories, dealing with addiction, why he’s particularly inspired by the late actor Phillip Seymour Hoffman, embracing photogra…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New York rapper-producer and instrumentalist Gabe ‘Nandez. We spoke about Pusher, his relationship with the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, the pros and cons of modern-day cinema, the art and value of music videos, how being multi-lingual influences his writing style, making his 2019 album Diplomacy during one of the toughest moments…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Maxo (Live from Abrons Arts Center in Manhattan) | S3 Episode 41
59:30
59:30
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
59:30
My guest this week is California rapper and producer Maxo, live from the Abrons Arts Center in Manhattan. We spoke about Being John Malkovitch, 3 Ninjas, Steel, white guilt movies, why Tubi is the best streaming service, the process behind a handful of his music videos, whether he experiences fear while making music, and the creative process behind…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Ohio-based rapper and producer Kipp Stone. We spoke about Where The Wild Things Are, the Transformers franchise, Soul, Little Bear, being inspired by his surroundings, how long it took him to find his musical style, joining up with, leaving, and re-joining Closed Sessions, the art of saying more with less words, and the creati…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces | S3 Episode 39
1:34:38
1:34:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:34:38
My guest this week is Ishmael Butler, one-third of Digable Planets and the center of Shabazz Palaces. We spoke about the Amazon Prime original series Them, Afrosurrealism, Superfly, the role blaxploitation soundtracks played in the early days of sampling, his love for horror movies, transitioning from Digable Planets and Cherrywine to Shabazz Palac…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Massachusetts-based rapper, producer, streamer, and toymaker Pink Navel. We spoke about our favorite reality TV, the pros and cons of internet culture, their relationship to the Star Wars movies and the filmography of Kevin Smith, forging their own path as Pink Navel, connecting with R.A.P. Ferreira and Ruby Yacht, the creativ…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Roper (of the production duo Roper Williams) | S3 Episode 37
1:43:34
1:43:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:43:34
My guest this week is Roper, one-half of the New Jersey-based production duo Roper Williams. We spoke about the Western film Bone Tomahawk, the times we’ve walked out of movies, cult horror films like Await Further Instructions, Chopping Mall, and Skinamarink, the jazz anime Blue Giant, how he and his partner Sanz first met, came up with their name…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is California rapper, producer, DJ, and one-half of the group KWAMZAY, ZAYALLCAPS. We spoke about size 8 and up fitted hats, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Space Jam, romantic comedies, Like Mike, Curb Your Enthusiasm, the legacy of Friday, how rap cured his loneliness, going from producing to embracing rapping, Soundcloud remix and mash-up …
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New Jersey-based singer, songwriter, and producer Fielded. We spoke about No One Will Save You, Silence of The Lambs, The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, the work of Ari Aster and Todd Solondz, why we’re attracted to dark and disturbing movies, their journey from a musical family to creating the Fielded project, linking with Backwoo…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Boston rapper, producer, and saxophonist DiZ. We spoke about The Other Black Woman, Natural Born Killers, Balto, Carmen: A Hip-Hopera, his early beginnings as a musician, figuring out his sound, linking with Ovrkast, juggling a burgeoning music career while studying at Berklee, constantly navigating the line between honesty an…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New York-via-Maine photographer, director, and designer Alexander Richter. We spoke about Top Boy, the James Bond series, how both his parents inspired his early love for film and photography, his career as a music photographer, including stories shooting Sean Price’s Jesus Price album cover and a 50 Cent cover story, his exte…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New York rapper, poet, performance artist, and member of the band Poetic Thrust, Nakama. We spoke about They Cloned Tyrone, our favorite recent anime, The Matrix, Pan’s Labyrinth, our feelings on the series finale of Atlanta, his rap origin story, forming Poetic Thrust, his work on the multimedia piece Places, and the creative…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is California-based journalist, artist manager, A&R, curator, chef, and musician Walasia Shabazz. We spoke about Kelis’ Cooking with Cannabis, growing up around Hollywood royalty, her family’s roots in film and music, her love for Star Wars and Almost Famous, cheffing for your favorite rappers, her journey through the worlds of m…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is New York rapper Yoh. We spoke about the Portugese show Sintonia, City of God, Bottoms, our mutual love for anime and Hayao Miyazaki, the pros and cons of listing your favorite music or movies, his comeup as a solo act and his role in the band Poetic Thrust, linking with producer and musician CARRTOONS, and the creative process…
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Chicago rapper SKECH185. We spoke about Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Bardo, They Cloned Tyrone, his love for A League of Their Own, Juice, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, how his passion for drawing eventually mingled with his passion for rapping, a brief history of Chicago hip-hop and of the Tomorrow Kings collective, …
…
continue reading
My guest this week is Los Angeles-based rapper, producer, poet, teacher, and multi-instrumentalist Rhys Langston. We spoke about kung-fu films, Warrior, Jet Li, The Matrix, Monty Python & The Holy Grail, the nature of meta-narratives, balancing entertainment with knowledge, pulling inspiration from Migos and others, and the creative process behind …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Fatboi Sharif x Steel Tipped Dove Live from LoudMouth in Brooklyn, NY | S3 Episode 27
1:30:04
1:30:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:30:04
My guests for the first edition of Reel Notes Live!, recorded at Loudmouth Records in Brooklyn, NY, are New Jersey rapper Fatboi Sharif and New York producer/engineer/label head Steel Tipped Dove. We spoke about Oppenheimer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the Amazon Prime show Patriot, how film scores and directors inspired Sharif’s w…
…
continue reading