Reel Notes w/ CineMasai

My guest this week is Florida-born rapper, producer, singer, songwriter, and content creator ToBy. We spoke about Netflix, anime, Cowboy Bebop, the filmography of Andy Samberg, cancel culture, the legacies of Childish Gambino and Odd Future, mainstream rap’s renewed interest in the pop-punk aesthetic, genre-blending, his varied musical background, his work for BuzzFeed, and the creative process behind his latest album L’esprit.L'esprit is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow ToBy on Instagram and Twitter: @itstobyseasonFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guest this week is Baton Rouge rapper Quadry. We spoke about PinkPanthress, You, The Sopranos, New Jersey Drive, how film has influenced his storytelling, Lil Wayne, Chief Keef, gentrification, the pros and cons of living the hood, working with the producer Tuamie, the art of the concept album, and the creative process behind his latest album They Think We Ghetto.They Think We Ghetto is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing directly from his Bandcamp page here.Follow Quadry on Instagram (@quadrygives) and Twitter (@_QUAD)Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)      Support the show

My guest this week is journalist, author, podcast host, and former teacher Shea Serrano. We spoke about Dune, Shea’s love for Jean-Claude Van Damme, the original Mortal Kombat movie, and Jason Statham, why Above The Rim is the best movie soundtrack of all time, the indescribable perfection of Warren G and Nate Dogg’s Regulate, the process behind his latest book Hip-Hop (And Other Things), and the importance of establishing your own lane as a creative early in your career. Shea's latest book Hip-Hop (And Other Things) is available now wherever books are sold. Consider copping here. Donna-Claire Chesman's The Book of Mac: Remembering Mac Miller is available now wherever books are sold.  Consider copping here.Follow Shea Serrano on Instagram and Twitter: @SheaSerranoFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)     Support the show

My guest this week is Philadelphia rapper, writer, member of the Wrecking Crew, and co-host of the Callout Culture podcast Zilla Rocca. We spoke about The Green Knight, Marvel Comics, the birth of superhero movies, the differences between seeing a movie in theaters pre-New Millenium and now, his relationship with Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The 36 Chambers, and MF DOOM x Madlib’s Madvillainy, his beginnings as a rapper, growing the Wrecking Crew brand through music and podcasting, and his latest album Vegas Vic.Vegas Vic is available everywhere music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider buying directly from Chong Wizard's Bandcamp here.Follow Zilla on Twitter and Instagram (@ZillaRocca) Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)     Support the show

My guest this week is California-via-Florida rapper and producer YUNGMORPHEUS. We spoke about the differences between Florida and California, the HBO mini-series The Night Of, James and The Giant Peach, Spawn, the magic of the drive-in theater, how the anime Samurai Champloo put him onto the work of Nujabes and Fat Jon, working with Pink Siifu on Bag Talk, the ins-and-outs of being a rapper-producer, and his growing discography, including his latest project Affable With Pointed Teeth, produced by Eyedress for Lex Records.Affable With Pointed Teeth is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing directly from Bandcamp here. Follow YUNGMORPHEUS on Instagram (@yungmorpheus) and Twitter (@yungmorpheus44)Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)    Support the show

My guest this week is rapper, producer, model, skateboarder, and graphic designer Navy Blue. We spoke about Sister Act 2, the Queen Latifah movie Beauty Shop, growing up on VHS tapes, being a goofball, Ghost of Tsushima, what makes a “conscious” rapper, how Ka, Earl Sweatshirt, and Alchemist have inspired his artistry, the difference between producing for yourself and producing for others, the creative process behind his last two albums Song of Sage: Post Panic and Navy’s Reprise, and more crazy stories and anecdotes than I can remember. Song of Sage: Post Panic and Navy's Reprise are both available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider buying Song of Sage directly from Navy's Bandcamp page and Navy's Reprise directly from his website. Follow Navy on Instagram (@sageelsesser) and Twitter (@navyduskwaygi) 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 New York rapper, singer, producer, and artist RaFia. We spoke about the legacy of Michael K. Williams, The White Lotus, our mutual love of IMAX and children’s movies, growing up with a filmmaker father, the importance of post-production sound effects, how her college career as an artist transitioned into taking music seriously, having an art piece broadcast on billboards in Times Square, and a handful of her various projects and singles.RaFia's music, including their latest single "Leave Me Alone," is available on Bandcamp. Consider listening/copping directly here.Follow RaFia on Instagram (@rafiasworld) and Twitter (@rafiaswrld)Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)   Support the show

My guest this week is New York rapper/producer/engineer YL. We spoke about Parasite, Hercules, mafia movies, Spike Lee, movie samples in rap songs, our mutual love of Bow Wow, his relationship with collaborators Roper Williams and Starker, playing shows in Japan, the ethics of rhyming over your own vocals when performing live, mixing and mastering his own songs, and the creative process behind his latest projects It Never Entered My Mind and ADAPTATION. It Never Entered My Mind is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider buying it from YL's Bandcamp page here. ADAPTATION is a Bandcamp exclusive (for now). Consider buying it direct here. Follow YL on Instagram (@youngwhy) and Twitter (@youngwhybaby)Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)  Support the show

My guest this week is Minnesota-based rapper-producer payforluv. We spoke about Final Fantasy, Persona, Suicide Squad, FernGully: The Last Rainforest, his favorite music videos growing up, growing up in Minnesota, how attending an HBCU in New Orleans inspired his music, the ethics of turning trauma into music, the importance of a good rap name, and the creative process behind his latest project if the lord wills it.Please consider supporting recovery efforts in Louisiana following the devastation of Hurricane Ida. These organizations are a good place to start: Imagine WaterWorksHouse of Tulip Aid (specifically for transgender/non-binary folks) New Orleans Mutual Aid Groupif the lord wills it is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen.  Consider buying it on payforluv's Bandcamp page hereFollow payforluv on Instagram and Twitter: @payforluvFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

My guests this week are Tanya Morgan, the duo made up of Cincinnati-born rapper-producer Donwill and Brooklyn-born rapper-producer Von Pea. We spoke about The Suicide Squad, Fast 9, the works of Quentin Tarantino and David Cronenberg, their fascination with the next generation of hip-hop, how the internet’s relationship to music has changed over the last 20 years, the legacy of their 2009 breakout album Brooklynati, their favorite Lil B stories, and the creative process behind their latest album Don andVon. Don and Von is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider buying the album directly from the group via their Bandcamp page. Follow Donwill on Instagram and Twitter: @donwillFollow Von Pea on Instagram and Twitter: @vonpeaFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)  Support the show