Reel Notes w/ CineMasai

My guest this week is Detroit rapper Bruiser Wolf. We spoke about Space Jam: A New Legacy, The Color Purple, the filmography of Adam Sandler, his short-lived career as a football player, the importance of movie soundtracks, JAY-Z’s discography, how rapper Fat Ray helped him link with Danny Brown and Bruiser Brigade, Michigan’s surging street rap scene, his writing process, and creating his breakout project Dope Game Stupid, produced by Raphy and Knxwledge. Dope Game Stupid  is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing it from the Bruiser Brigade Bandcamp here. Follow Bruiser Wolf on Instagram (@_bruiserwolf) and Twitter (@COABigwolf)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, and label head Uncommon Nasa. We spoke about Crime Scene Kitchen, Pinocchio, Basquiat, The Twilight Zone, several Stephen King film adaptations, the pros and cons of adapting books to film, his career in New York’s rap underground and within the Definitive Jux orbit, the history of his label Uncommon Records, and the process behind his latest album Only Child, produced entirely by Messiah Musik and out now via Uncommon Records.Only Child is available wherever music is bought, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing it from the Uncommon Records Bandcamp page here. Check out his personal website here. Follow Uncommon Nasa on Instagram and Twitter: @UncommonNasaFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)  Support the show

My guest this week is Nadirah Simmons, an archivist, historian, social media manager for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and founder and CEO of The Gumbo, a hip-hop publication and cultural hub dedicated to Black women. We spoke about rare vinyl, the documentary Summer of Soul, her family’s love for The Godfather series, how her work on The Late Show influences her work at The Gumbo, her love of State Property, Curren$y, and Alchemist, and the importance of documenting Black history.Check out The Gumbo's website here. Follow The Gumbo on Instagram and Twitter: @thegumboFollow Nadirah on Instagram and Twitter: @hinadirahFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)   Support the show

My guest this week is New York rapper, producer, and engineer AJRadico. We spoke about The Dark Knight trilogy, Spongebob, Kung Fu Hustle, how 2001: A Space Odyssey helped him appreciate sound editing, how sound editing influenced the way he makes beats, how Fruity Loops, Splice, and iPhone voice memos changed the production game forever, and the creative process behind his debut project Transit.Transit is available wherever music is bought, streamed, or stolen. Follow AJRadico on Instagram and Twitter: @AJRadicoFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)  Support the show

My guest this week is writer, activist, and community organizer Clarissa Brooks. We spoke about their love of Gossip Girl, third-person narration, the work of Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston, seeing Grave of The Fireflies in high school, how their work as an organizer influences their work as a writer, the legacy of Odd Future, DaBaby’s public image, and a handful of pieces they’ve written for outlets from Dead End Hip-Hop and DJBooth to Nylon and The Cut, among others. Read a handful of Clarissa's work via Contently. Read about how World War II affected the Japanese animation industry here.Follow Clarissa on Twitter (@ClarissaMBrooks) and Instagram (@chloeesuxx)Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)   Support the show

My guest this week is New York rapper and producer PremRock. We spoke about falling in love with horror movies during quarantine, writing screenplays, whether or not flashbacks in movies are tacky, his love for West Coast hip-hop, the importance of rap regionalism, his group the Wrecking Crew, his relationships with engineer Willie Green and rapper Curly Castro, and the creative process behind his latest album Load Bearing Crow’s Feet, out now via Backwoodz Studioz.Load Bearing Crow's Feet is available wherever music is bought, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing it directly from Prem and Backwoodz Studioz via BandcampFollow PremRock on Instagram (@premrock) and Twitter (@PlanetPremRock)Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)Support the show

My guest this week is rapper and semi-retired music journalist Michael Penn II, also known as CRASHprez. We spoke about the pros and cons of Twitter, how Olivia Rodrigo is like Future for white women, our favorite depressed white indie dramas, the Purge series, the Saw series, Babyface Ray, Crash’s recording process, his work with the group defprez, musical versatility, and how his work as a journalist informs his work as a rapper.Check out CRASHprez's Bandcamp page hereFollow CRASHprez on Instagram and Twitter: @CRASHprezFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)Support the show

My guest this week is Chicago rapper, writer, and teacher Defcee, one-third of the group defprez. We spoke about Batman, the value of networking, slave movies, his time as both a teacher and rapper in Chicago, the draining nature of the American public education system, his time with the Emcee Wreckshop program, mainstream rap’s renewed interest in drums and loops, and the creative process behind his latest project We Dressed the City with Our Names, produced entirely by August Fanon.Stream & purchase We Dressed the City with Our Names  hereFollow defcee on Instagram and Twitter: @defceeFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)Support the show

My guests this week are Atlanta-based journalist and author Yoh Phillips and New Orleans-based filmmaker and musician Holland Randolph Gallagher, creators of the rap documentary series Rap Portraits. We talked about Andy Warhol, how director Bong Joon-Ho is like Freddie Gibbs, album rollouts, Tyler, The Creator, the Migos, film school, learning their jobs on the fly, Holland’s web series Hype, the creative process behind Rap Portraits, and whether or not we’ve entered a new rap blog era. Subscribe to Rap Portraits hereFollow Rap Portraits on Twitter and Instagram: @RapPortraitsFollow Yoh on Twitter: @Yoh31Follow Holland on Twitter and Instagram: @vacayvacayvacayFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)Support the show

My guest this week is Brooklyn rapper, label head, and ghostwriter Skyzoo. We spoke about House Party, his fascination with John Singleton and Spike Lee, his time as a rap consultant on the 2014 film Patti Cake$, concept albums, his recent vocal chord surgery, cultural appropriation, the state of modern rap media, and the creative process behind his latest album All The Brilliant Things, out now via Mello Music Group.All The Brilliant Things is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing it directly from Skyzoo and Mello Music Group via Bandcamp.Follow Skyzoo on Instagram (@skyzoothewriter) and Twitter (@skyzoo)  Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)Support the show