
Reel Notes w/ CineMasai
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_)
Latest episodes

May 29, 2024 • 1h 45min
Wavy Bagels | S4 Episode 15
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 creative process behind a handful of projects, most notably his latest album A Carfull, produced entirely by Driveby. Come fuck with us.A Carfull is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping it directly from Bagels' Bandcamp or from the Break All Records website. Follow Bagels on Instagram and Twitter: @wavy_bagels 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 starting at $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, The Zakat Foundation, 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

May 22, 2024 • 1h 54min
Jadasea | S4 Episode 14
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 up with MIKE and 10k, and the creative process behind his latest project Too Many Tears. Come fuck with us.Too Many Tears is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly off Jada's Bandcamp. Follow Jadasea on Instagram (@jadase15) and Twitter (@jadasea1). Read my review of Jadasea and New York producer Laron's The Corner: Vol. 1 on Pitchfork. 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 starting at $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, The Zakat Foundation, 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

May 15, 2024 • 1h 56min
klwn cat x Sunmundi | S4 Episode 13
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 creative process beind their debut collaborative album Lived and Born. Come fuck with us. Lived and Born is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly via klwn cat's Bandcamp. Follow klwn cat on Instagram and Twitter (@klwncat) and Sunmundi on Instagram (@sunmundimusic) and Twitter (@sunmundi)Read my review of Lived and Born on Pitchfork. 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 starting at $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, The Zakat Foundation, 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

May 8, 2024 • 1h 50min
Anysia Kym | S4 Episode 12
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 and bass, the idea of genre, working with MIKE and 10k, and the creative process behind her latest project Truest. Come fuck with us. Truest is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping via her Bandcamp. Follow Anysia on Instagram (@ok.nys) and Twitter (@ok_nys). 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 starting at $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, The Zakat Foundation, 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

May 1, 2024 • 1h 57min
Cavalier | S4 Episode 11
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 come up with Quelle Chris, and the creative process behind his latest project Different Type Time, out now via Backwoodz Studioz. Come fuck with us.Different Type Time is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping the album directly via Bandcamp. Follow Cavalier on Instagram and Twitter (@Cavwins) and consider signing up for his newsletter. 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 starting at $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, The Zakat Foundation, 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

Apr 24, 2024 • 1h 32min
MoRuf | S4 Episode 10
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 process behind his latest project Tiny Mic Raps Vol. 1. Come fuck with us.Tiny Mic Raps Vol. 1 is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow MoRuf on Instagram and Twitter (@Moruf88). 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 starting at $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, The Zakat Foundation, 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

Apr 17, 2024 • 1h 59min
NAHreally x The Expert | S4 Episode 9
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 forces creatively, and the creative process behind their debut collaborative album BLIP, out now via Rucksack Records. Come fuck with us.BLIP is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping via The Expert's Bandcamp page. Follow NAHreally on Instagram and Twitter: @_nahreally_. Follow The Expert on Instagram and Twitter (@itstheexpert) and consider subscribing to EXcavations, his Substack newsletter. 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

Apr 10, 2024 • 1h 37min
jerrard (fka Danny Watts) | S4 Episode 8
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 debut album Black Boy Meets World to adopting the name jerrard and releasing his next project here’s what i been doin. Come fuck with us.here's what i been doin is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping it directly from jerrard's Bandcamp. Follow him on Twitter (@midnamejerrard) and Instagram (@middlenamejerrard) 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!My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon here.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

Apr 3, 2024 • 2h 38min
OneShotOnce x Driveby | S4 Episode 7
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 projects, 4WD and 6WD. Come fuck with us.6WD is available now wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen via Fused Arrow Records. Consider copping the digital album from OSO's Bandcamp or physical cassettes from the Fused Arrow website. Follow OneShotOnce on Instagram and Twitter: @oneshotonce. Follow Driveby on Instagram and Twitter: @driveby_. Follow Fused Arrow on Instagram and Twitter: @fusedarrow. 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!My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon here.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

Mar 27, 2024 • 2h 8min
Eric The Young Gawd | S4 Episode 6
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 the intersection between journalism and psychology. Come fuck with us.Subscribe to Eric's YouTube channel and follow him on Instagram @youaintpackinmeatJoin 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!My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon here.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