So, these are the artist that you might not have ever heard of, or you might have heard of them but never gave them a serious listen.
But I assure you they are great (take that as a guarantee lol). They are not super big like Justin Bieber or Ariana Grande, but are still talented artists whose music I really like.
The criteria to be in this list are:
I must like their music.
Consistency: I must like multiple songs (not just one lol), even whole albums from this artist.
The artist must be relatively small.
So, these are the artist who have been in my playlist since the last year or so.
BAZZI
Bazzi is an American singer/songwriter whose music I really like. He is so damn talented. I like every one of his songs (that’s rare for me), but his style is so catchy and cool. He is a true pop artist.
Songs to listen to: Beautiful ft Camila Cabello (that’s the song you have probably heard of lol), Paradise, I.F.L.Y and Why (tbh all of his songs are so good).
Albums to check out: COSMIC.
Sample song: I.F.L.Y
RUSS
Russ is easily one of my favorite rappers of all time. But he is more than just a rapper, he is a song writer, he is also a pretty good, and he produces his own songs! Talk about talent. All in all, he is an overall badass.
I first discovered him in 2018, and he hasn’t disappointed me since. His whole catalogue is full of amazing songs.
Songs to listen to: Prosper, Parkstone drive, Ride slow and Missing you crazy.
Albums: I like all of Russ’s albums so far. My favorites are ZOO and There’s really a Wolf.
Sample song: Aian’t going back.
BRYSON TILLER
So, Bryson Tiller is a RnB/hip-hop/Soul artist. But to be honest with you, he is his own genre lol. Like, his style is so unique that I can’t group it into any genre.
His songs are great, but I especially liked his debut studio album: TRAPSOUL. That was my introduction to him and he had impressed me wit his music (first impressions matter lol). But since then, his second album was a hit or miss for me.
But he his style is as unique as his debut, genre defying album’s name: TRAPSOUL (The beats from the TRAP and the emotional vibe from the SOUL).
Songs to listen to: Exchange, and Don’t (All of his songs from his 1st album are amazing).
Albums: TRAPSOUL.
Sample song: Don’t
Well, that’s it for today. I hope you found some artists that you will enjoy ; )
So, I was studying a fair bit of embryology a month back (because it’s kinda interesting and, I also need to pass exams, duh). And, as I was flipping through pages (actually it was an e-book lol) of Langman’s Medical Embryology, I came across something very interesting.
Something that I had never thought about.
The miracle of life.
The thing is, the fact that you are reading this right now means that you are a very, very lucky person.
The fact that you were born (with all of your limbs attached to your body) is nothing short of a miracle.
Yet, we all take life for granted. Since everyone around us is alive, people don’t realize how amazing is it to be born! Yes, there are 7 billion people but, each one of us is lucky.
Don’t believe me?
The simple fact that you are born, makes you a lucky, lucky motherfucker.
Let me explain why: medical-style lol.
So, the point is, a LOT of things could have gone wrong during pregnancy that could have severely reduced your chances of being born (and being born as a healthy child). And by a LOT, I really mean a lot!
So, let us run the actual numbers.
So, this picture shows that 50 percent of pregnancies result in spontaneous (automatically) abortions. Hence, there was a 50 percent chance of abortion when you were inside your mom’s tummy!
And that too, there is a 25 percent chance of embryos having a major chromosomal defect. So, first, the chances of you being born are slim in the first place (50 percent lol) and that too, there is a 25 percent chance that you would be born as an ‘abnormal’ baby! The odds were against you even before you were born lol.
Now let’s say you had an embryological defect (25 percent chances), and you still managed to be born (which is rare 2 to 3 percent chances). How would life be like?
You could have easily been one of these people. (Btw I have the utmost respect for the family of the patients who allowed the pictures of their loved ones to be used for the advancement of medical knowledge).
And a whole lot of other common disorders.
Imagine being one of these people and how difficult life is for them. Lucky you were born “normal”, heck lucky that you were born in the first place!
But wait, there is more. We haven’t even talked about infertility.
15 to 30 percent of couples have infertility issues! That’s scary as fuck dude. So, the fact that your mom got pregnant is also lucky. Your parents could have easily been one of those unfortunate couples who can’t have children despite wanting to. I personally know people who have had this problem, and trust me it’s very hard for the family.
Furthermore, even after the embryo is successfully implanted in the uterus, there are still a LOT of things that can go wrong; you will be there for 9 months after all. 15 percent of your mother’s oocytes are not even fertilized, 15 percent of them are fertilized but fail to implant, and there is only a 58 percent chance that you would survive after 2 weeks of pregnancy.
Hence, there is only about 42 percent chance of you surviving pregnancy and even if you were lucky enough to do that, there is still a high chance of abortion in subsequent months or you being born abnormal.
Think about that for a minute.
Now, isnt it a miracle that you were lucky enough to make through all those difficulties and be born as a healthy child? The chances were not that great for you lol. But still, you were born as a healthy child!
That’s crazy. That’s why you are a lucky motherfucker.
But look around us, no one thinks about life this way. We all take life for granted. We curse ourselves for being unlucky (for not being smart enough, for not being rich enough, etc) but motherfuckers are lucky the moment they were born! And yet they don’t realize that.
Life has become all too cheap these days, and it’s honestly sad.
Every day hundreds of people kill themselves. That’s crazy when you think about it from a biological perspective! Imagine everything that had to go right for these people to be born (it’s nothing short of a biological miracle) and now, these people are just throwing life away as if they got it for free? That’s rough bruh.
So, yeah.
Always remember that you were lucky from the moment you were born, and… love yourself.
The song emotionless is off Drake’s 2018 album: Scorpion. (I’m a Scorpio myself if you were curious lol).
So, if you didn’t already know, Drake is probably the biggest recording artist of our era. Seriously, very few people are as big as Drake, and he has been dominating the charts since the last decade or so.
The album Scorpio was his 8th official studio album. I believe that artists get refined over time and their art evolves. Hence, on this album, we as fans, got to hear a much more refined Drake than we had previously heard. And songs like Emotionless are a testament to his growth as an artist.
Since it’s Drake, you already know what to expect in terms of numbers lol. Scorpio was instantly successful. It was a record-breaking hit. Seriously, the album broke some record regarding the most number of copies sold in 24 hours or something.
Love him or hate him, Drake has been doing numbers since 2009.
Emotionless
So, this song is very personal from Drake. It’s also kinda philosophical.
He touches upon a multitude of topics in this song such as, his personal life and why he likes to keep it private, the impact of social media on people, and trust issues.
The lyrics, the flow, and the subject matter of the song all are on point! This is one of my favorite songs from Drake to date.
The beat is also fire. It samples vocals from Mariah Carey, which adds an old school vibe to the song.
All in all, it’s a well-produced, well written, and most importantly, well-executed song.
It’s the best from Drake, and I am very happy with it.
Lyrics Dissect.
Ah, ah, you You’ve got me feeling emotions Ay, higher, oh Ah, ah, you You’ve got me fe E, whoa, yes
Don’t link me Don’t hit me when you hear this and tell me your favorite song Don’t tell me how you knew it would be like this all along I know the truth is you won’t love me until I’m gone And even then the thing that comes after is movin’ on
Drake gets to the point relatively early in the song lol. He mentions all those people who just want to be his ‘friends’ because he is successful. He sends out a clear message that if you were not with him at the beginning of his journey as an artist (during the hard times), then you don’t deserve to be among his close ones. He says, he clearly sees the motives behind people who want to use him, and they will forget him as soon as he stops being successful.
I can’t even capture the feeling I had at first Meetin’ all my heroes like seein’ how magic works The people I look up to are goin’ from bad to worse Their actions out of character even when they rehearse Workin’ in the land of the free, the home of the brave I gotta bring my brothers or else I feel out of place Breakin’ speed records on roads that these niggas paved And they don’t like that, it’s written all on they face I don’t know how I’ma make it out of here clean Can’t even keep track of who plays for the other team Iconic duos rip and split at the seams Good-hearted people are takin’ it to extremes Leavin’ me in limbo to question what I believe Leavin’ me to ask what’s their motive in makin’ peace Leavin’ me to not trust anybody I meet Leavin’ me to ask is there anybody like me?
Here Drake mentions his disappointment in his ‘heroes’ when he became successful and saw what goes on behind the scenes. He mentions that at the beginning of his career, he was a fan, he was excited but as he has grown older and successful, he is starting to feel jaded. He saw that his favorite artists aren’t as great as he thought they were. That they don’t even write their own songs (ironic from Drake lol). And it made him feel uncomfortable in many ways, seeing your heroes doing such “un-heroic” things.
He also makes a point to help all of his ‘brothers’, all those people who came up with him because they are loyal to him. Drake has always mentioned that loyalty is very important to him, and consequently, he says that he feels incomplete if he doesn’t take care of his real friends and family. If he succeeds, they succeed too.
To which he adds that he has been involved in a lot of rap beefs (aka “fights”) over the years. And sometimes people take it to extremes, such as talking about someone’s family in a diss song or worse yet, physically harming the other person. Now, when that happens, he questions himself if he will do the same to them or become the bigger person? And he admits that at times it becomes hard not to act impulsive and do something he would later regret.
You’ve got me fe E, whoa, yes Ah, ah, you You’ve got me fe E, whoa, yes Aye
Missin’ out on my years There’s times when I wish I was where I was Back when I used to wish I was here Missin’ out on my days Scrollin’ through life and fishin’ for praise Opinions from total strangers take me out of my ways I try and see who’s there on the other end of the shade Most times it’s just somebody that’s underage That’s probably just alone and afraid And lashin’ out so that someone else can feel they pain I always hear people complain about the place that they live That all the people here are fake and they got nothin’ to give ‘Cause they been starin’ at somebody else’s version of shit That makes another city seem more excitin’ than it is I know a girl whose one goal was to visit Rome Then she finally got to Rome And all she did was post pictures for people at home ‘Cause all that mattered was impressin’ everybody she’s known I know another girl that’s cryin’ out for help But her latest caption is “Leave me alone” I know a girl happily married ’til she puts down her phone I know a girl that saves pictures from places she’s flown To post later and make it look like she still on the go Look at the way we live I wasn’t hidin’ my kid from the world I was hidin’ the world from my kid From empty souls who just wake up and look to debate Until you starin’ at your seed, you can never relate Breakin’ news in my life, I don’t run to the blogs The only ones I wanna tell are the ones I can call They always ask, “Why let the story run if it’s false? You know a wise man once said nothin’ at all I’m exhausted and drained, I can’t even pretend All these people takin’ miles when you give ’em an inch All these followers but who gon’ follow me to the end I guess I’ll make it to the end and I’ma find out then
This is the last verse of the song, and probably the most potent one. Here Drake talks about how people are affected by social media these days. People spend so much of their time and energy in trying to impress others on social media. They will do things that don’t even make them happy, just to get a few likes from people they barely even know. Drakes says it’s sad how people have become these days.
To which he adds that a lot of people feel unsatisfied with their lives. They think they are not lean enough, rich enough, popular enough, or cool enough just because they are looking at other people’s social media posts. But he mentions that what you see on social media is an illusion of reality. Social media makes things more exciting than they actually are. Hence, he implies that people would be happier with their lives only if they realized the truth behind those Instagram posts.
Then the analogy of the girl going to Roam and just taking pictures to impress people at home, instead of enjoying herself is so true. It almost felt like he was talking to me lol. It’s something we all struggle with. Also, a very clever bit of songwriting I must say.
He also addresses something very important. He addresses why he did not share the news of his child with the world and kept it a secret. He says that, instead of hiding his child from the world, he was hiding the world (which so cold and full of harsh comments from strangers) from his child. He did not want this child to be a target of all those celebrity media outlets, saying potentially hurtful things about his newborn child. To which he adds that he doesn’t expect people to understand his decisions because most of them had never had a child themselves, “Until you starin’ at your seed you can never relate”. He acted as a father, not as a celebrity. This might also be a cover-up for him having a child with a porn star but, he had suffered enough because of it, so we will not talk about that lol. I feel bad for Drake.
Then he finishes off by giving some wisdom at the end. He says that he doesn’t try to correct false stories about him on the internet, you know those celebrity magazines trying to make everything seem sensational about an artist’s life. Drake doesn’t address false stories that those magazines publish about him because, he says that if you respond to them, it makes the story even bigger. And it gives more attention to the magazines in the first place. That’s what they want in the first place.
Hence, “You know, a wise man once said notin’ at all”.
Damn those were some heavy bars!
Conclusion
I enjoyed this song a lot! This is one of the best songs from Drake for me personally, because of the subject matter and lyricism.
I recently stumbled upon this movie while I was searching through torrents (yeah, it’s illegal lol). I was bored as fuck (my default state) and I really wanted a good movie to waste my precious life on.
It was the most popular torrent on the site; hence I gave it a shot. And I must say, I wasn’t disappointed.
So, the movie is a fictional/autobiographical film about this guy:
He is Pete Davidson. He is a very successful American Comedian. All I know about him is, he has lots of tattoos, is very successful, and was Ariana Grande’s boyfriend (Don’t ask me how I know this lol).
He wrote this movie, directed it, and also played as the main character (which is based himself lol). Btw Staten Island is where he grew up, if you didn’t know already.
So, the movie is about his struggles as a young adult to grow up without a father.
Real talk, his dad was a firefighter, and he had apparently died saving people during the 9/11 attacks. This had a huge impact on Pete from a young age; he talks about his dad in his comedy as well. So, in this movie, he attempts to share some of his life experiences with the larger audience, in a funny way (tho it’s a relatively serious topic).
The movie is a comedy/story-based film. It’s supposed to be funny (and it is, you will laugh at times hopefully) and it is also emotional at the end (which is a great touch to the film I believe).
All in all, the movie feels complete. Like, if it was just funny then it would be just another ‘funny’ movie and if it was just ‘story/biographical’ it would be kinda boring. Hence, Davidson found the right balance between the two in this film. When you finish the movie, you feel complete in the sense that the movie had a beginning, the middle and it finally came to a resounding conclusion (along with few laughs in the middle). Hence, it’s a complete movie (though based on the traditional format) and I liked it.
The way he becomes vulnerable in the movie is something to applaud on its own. He shows us (the audience) his mental health issues, his suicidal tendencies, how he felt he was a loser all his life, the trouble he caused his single mother by being so difficult (even as a 25-year-old man), living in his parent’s house even as an adult, and just not living up to the standards society had set for him.
Watching the movie, it made me feel comfortable about my own thoughts of incompetence. “Hey, even Pete Davidson (who is now so successful) thought he was a sore loser, so I’m okay”. He mentions that he never went to college because he just could not focus in school, while his little sister went to college. How people compared him to his sister, and how his own relatives were a source of anxiety for him.
Yup, all relatable stuff lol.
And he also mentions how he felt when his mother started dating guys after 17 years of being single (after his father had died), and his struggles to accept this new man (his stepdad) in his life.
All in all, it’s a wholesome movie. I think it is great. Plus, it’s kinda funny too.
So, I liked this movie (it’s one of the better ones of the bunch).
Like in every biology class in high-school I used question the role of my teacher. In exams, all the questions came from “the book”. Hence, I was always like, “why the fuck should I listen to you, if you are are simply following the book (which I can read myself anyway lol)”.
Plus, one of my biology teachers sucked so bad, I still wonder how on earth anyone thought she was even qualified enough to teach us (I hope for the best for her, she is a nice person tho).
It felt dumb to listen to someone explain stuff which you can understand by yourself.
Hence, I did not listen to my teachers (most of the time). And I relied heavily on the books for all my biological knowledge.
And it worked out fine for me.
I got pretty good scores in exams.
Hence, since then, I had lost my respect for teachers. I felt teacher were “unnecessary”, that they were useless, that they were there only to take our fees and nothing else, and I could find no reason to justify their existence.
But then came medical school.
Medical school.
I went into the medical school with the same attitude towards teacher that I had developed during high school. I though all teachers were dumb and useless (repeating the same stuff from the books).
And oh boy it was the wrong fucking move lol.
I did not pay any attention to the teachers in lectures. Instead, I stayed at the back of the hall reading those huge medical books (which I thought had all knowledge I needed, just like in high school) while the lecturer was mumbling about what causes heart attacks or something. I felt I was pretty smart; it felt like I was learning more than what these other dumb kids were learning lol.
Little did I know that I was actually being what people call, “over-smart” aka “dumb”.
So, one day I looked at one of my friends notes, just curious about what exactly these teachers were teaching (and looking for a reason to justify my lack of attention in lectures). I was expecting the usual, that the teacher had taught the same stuff that’s already in the book.
But alas! It wasn’t so.
These mfs had notes about stuff that was not even remotely mentioned in my book. They had so much more detail than what was mentioned in my book. And very little details about the topics that were actually in my book.
In other words, what they were teaching and what I was learning were two different things!
And guess what? In exams, they ask question based on what they taught you, NOT what you read lol.
I was fucked.
I did not know that medical school was different from high school.
The difference.
So, in high school/ A levels, every thing that you need to know is already in the books, believe it or not. That’s why there are designated course books (marked as “approved by Cambridge for A levels”). The whole course is very structured.
There is one book to follow, and it covers your whole syllabus (especially in biology).
In other words, the whole course is relatively easy.
But in medical school, there is no fucking course book! There is no single book that will cover everything that you need to know. The subject of medicine is so vast (especially physiology and biochemistry), and so differently taught across countries that, no writer can successfully write a “course book” for medicine, that is acceptable for all levels and all systems of education.
Hence, instead we have a list of reference books (there are like 12 for each subject lol) which we are ‘recommended to study’. Now, you cannot possibly expect a student to study all 12 or more of these giant books for each subject. There is simply not enough time, plus a lot of these books are meant to be read by real doctors (not some clumsy first year students lol), which are super complicated. And the ones that are small and easy to understand, usually do not contain all the required details.
Hence, there is no course book! Books are basically supplement materials in medicine (unless you are some genius who has the audacity to read multiple books at once lol). You read books for further details and clearing your concepts, not as a primary learning material like in high school biology.
So, the primary mode of learning (specially to get grades in exams) in medical school is: lectures.
See, in lectures, the teacher (who has possibly read many books) has complied the necessary details (from all those enormous books) specific to the level of students attending the class, and he/she shares that information with the students.
If you were to do that by yourself, it would take so much effort and time!
Hence, the teacher is actually important in the sense that he/she makes it a whole lot easier for students to learn what’s important. This is especially relevant in absence of a designated medical ‘course book’.
So, I was making a huge mistake all along. I was reading just one of those giant reference books thinking it had all that’s required to pass the exams. I treated it like a ‘course book’ when in reality, there was no course book! So, I was learning only a fraction of what I was expected to learn by my teachers.
So, with this eye-opening experience, I (recently) developed a newfound respect for teachers all around the world.
Of course, some lectureres suck, but what they teach is important none the less.
So,
Respect your teachers and pay attention to them! (and don’t be like me lol).
So, Kevin’s Heart is a song off the critically acclaimed album: KOD (Kids On Drugs).
The album KOD has no featuring artists on it. It has 12 songs on it, and all of it is J Cole. What’s more? KOD went platinum (that probably means it sold a certain number of copies), and it did it so with no features. It’s an achievement that only a few artists can even dream of, especially when most artists these days depend on famous features just to stay relevant. This album is a testament of his artistic abilities and it cemented his place as one of the finest rappers of our time.
“How come you won’t get a few features? I think you should? How ’bout I don’t? How ’bout you just get the fuck off my dick?” – J Cole on the song KOD.
A statement to the record labels who care more about money then the artist’s art itself.
Kevin’s Heart
The song Kevin’s Heart is about cheating on your significant other. It depicts all the emotions that a man goes through as he is cheating on his wife.
This song also follows the theme of album: addiction. Here, Cole is referring to the addiction of cheating on your spouse (the temptation of extra marital affairs).
Why do you think the song is called “Kevin’s Heart”?
The music video is an important part of this song. The video stars the famous comedian/actor, Kevin Hart. Kevin Hart had publicly admitted to cheating on this wife after the birth of his son, back in 2017. His wife had found out about his extra marital affairs and the whole thing had been very public. It had a bad look on his career and he almost lost his marriage because of it.
Since then, Hart had apologized publicly and accepted that he had made a big mistake.
Hence, on this song, Cole puts himself in his friend’s (Kevin and Cole are friends) shoes and depicts the guilt, shame and the pain that Hart was feeling as he was being unfaithful to his loving wife.
Kudos to Kevin Hart for being a part of the music video. It takes courage to accept your mistakes.
It’s more like a poem than a song itself.
Lyrics Dissect:
She my number one, I don’t need nothing on the side Said that I was done for good and don’t want no more lies But my phone be blowing up, temptations on my line I stare at the screen a while before I press decline But she plants a seed and it still lingers in my mind Told myself I’m strong enough to shake it and I’m trying But I’m only human, I know loving you’s a crime If I take this cookie now one day I’ll do the time
Here Cole depicts the struggles of a man to remain faithful in a loving marriage. He mentions that the man in fact, does not want to cheat on his wife. He doesn’t want to risk his marriage for some woman. But in this world full of temptations (to be with another woman), he finds it especially hard to keep his composure. And he acknowledges that if he does sleep with this woman (who is not his wife) then one day, he will be caught and he will have to face the consequences, “If I take this cookie now, one day I’ll do the time.” But he just can’t help it.
Slip me a xanny at once (somebody) I got the earth in a blunt (smoke) I get the skirt when I want (skrrt!) I get the skirt when I want (skrrt!) Due to the money aroma (somebody) My girl she got a diploma (smoke) She got wife written all over She got wife written all over
Cole is referencing the man’s hedonistic lifestyle full of drugs (“xanny” is a term for drug Xanax, blunt is weed), women and money. ‘I get the skirt when I want’ means that he gets sex whenever he likes, as in he has multiple sexual partners in his life (presumably because he has so much money). And while he does all this, when he comes home and looks at his wife, he is filled with guilt (she reminds him of his wrong deeds), “She got wife written all over”.
All a nigga know is how to fuck a good thing up Run from the pain, sip lean, smoke tree up When I’m in your town press pound hit me up When I’m in your town press pound hit me up Only if you down and you slurp good D up If the work good I’ll be back for the re-up Hate when I creep and the phone wake me up Fake like I’m sleep knowing damn well I be up Monkey on my back and I walk a hundred miles Guilt make a nigga feel fake when he smile Love get confused in the mind of a child ‘Cause love wouldn’t lie like I lie and it’s wild Wanna have my cake and another cake too Even if the baker don’t bake like you Even when the flavor don’t taste like you So I’m back mobbing with the late night crew
All in your mind with fears that would come true The back of my mind, the back of my mind was you Wishing that I could blind myself from view And only have eyes, and only have eyes for you
Here he dives deeper into what a man actually feels like, what are his thought when he is cheating. ‘All a nigga know is how to fuck a good thing up’. He says that, a man does not know how to become a good spouse (presumably because he is black) because it was common for black men to get arrested or leave their family to chase other women in the past, leaving a generation of black men to be raised by single mothers. Hence, the children who grew up without a father figure in life, do not know how to act like a man. Hence, they are prone to follow their absence father’s footsteps and mess up their family life too by cheating (they don’t know any better). And most black men, find refuge from their traumatizing life experiences and their messed-up relationships in drugs (sip lean and smoke ‘trees’ aka weed) and alcohol (which further degrades the problem).
Furthermore, he adds all the confusion and pain because of his unfaithfulness. ‘Love gets confused in the mind of the child”. He says that the man gets confused, because he loves his wife, but he is also lying to her about all of his unfaithful actions. And If he were to explain his behavior to an innocent child (who isn’t yet corrupt by the world), he would fail, because love doesn’t lie. Hence, he is torn apart within by his actions; he loves his wife, but he is doing the very things that would hurt her. He acknowledges that there is no one who can replace his wife (she is the one) but he still wanders around with other women (even if they are not as good as his own wife), ‘Even when the flavor don’t taste like you’. Just because he can’t help it.
(Repeat)
Slip me a xanny at once (somebody) I got the earth in a blunt (smoke) I get the skirt when I want (skrrt!) I get the skirt when I want (skrrt!) Due to the money aroma (somebody) My girl she got a diploma (smoke) She got wife written all over She got wife written all over
I’m a fake nigga and it’s never been clearer Can’t see myself when I look in the mirror Can’t see myself when I look in the mirror Can’t see myself when I look in the mirror I’m a fake nigga and it’s never been clearer Can’t see myself when I look in the mirror Can’t see myself when I look in the mirror Can’t see myself when I look in the mirror
Here again, the man is having issues with is self-respect. He is experiencing guilt. He feels fake to himself (because of all of his lies) and he can’t look at himself in the mirror because he is ashamed of himself.
(Repeat)
She my number one I don’t need nothing on the side Said that I was done for good and don’t want no more lies But my phone be blowing up, temptations on my line I stare at the screen a while before I press decline But she plants a seed and it still lingers in my mind Told myself I’m strong enough to shake it and I’m trying But I’m only human, I know loving you’s a crime If I take this cookie now one day I’ll do the time
I love her, I don’t want to lose her I’m selfish, I know that I use her My ego get stroked and I bruise her My ego get stroked and I bruise her My actions I know they confusin’ At home I look happy as usual On the road I’m a mack, I’m a chooser I’m a addict, I’m maskin’ that Kevin’s Heart
Here too, he reminds us that he is torn apart by his unfaithful actions. He knows that he loves his wife, but he is too selfish to be faithful to her. And in the last few lines of the verse, he draws the parallel between his cheating habit and addiction. Just as a drug addict at home would hide his addiction from his family, he too is hiding his affairs from his wife. And he feels sick about it,
They tell me “What’s done in the dark Will find a way to shine” I done did so much that when you see you might go blind What’s done in the dark will always find a way to shine I done did so much that when you see you might go blind
For me these are the best/most poetic lines of the song. They are so well written! Cole says, the man is ashamed of his actions and he most definitely regrets them, but what he fears the most is the pain that his wife would feel when she finds out what he had done. “I done did so much that when you see you might go blind”.
His biggest regret is the pain that he would cause to his loving wife.
It’s so sad and true, that you feel actually bad for the guy. J Cole can really make you feel bad for someone who lied and cheated on their significant other lol, talk about artistic ability!
This is one of the most honest and well written songs I have ever heard. Kudos to Cole and Hart for being brave enough to bring such subject to light. It takes courage to be so vulnerable in front of everyone.
So, the song 1985 is the last song off the critically acclaimed album: KOD (Kids On Drugs). The theme of the album revolves around drug addiction, Cole’s childhood experiences, and more. This was a much-anticipated album, and when it finally dropped in 2017; it enjoyed much success (rightfully deserved).
1985
In this song (which is my favorite from the album along with Kevin’s heart) was kind of a response to the so called “new generation” rappers (the Gucci Gang people lol) who time and again call out Cole for being “too old” for rap.
So, the premise of the song is that, the music that some of these new and upcoming artists (many of whom are still teenagers lol) make revolves around promoting drug abuse, gun violence and other dangerous behaviors. And these new rappers often clown, the well-established figures in hip-hop like J Cole as being irrelevant and “not cool enough”, while the so called “old /conscious rappers” condemn the new generation of rappers for promoting toxic behaviors and going “against what hip-hop stands for”.
J Cole was being clowned by these new rappers (people like Lil Pump, Smokepurp and others) at the time of making this song. Hence, in this song, he “schools” them about the realities of the rap game and gives them “advice”, all the while telling them how stupid they are lol.
It’s his reply to the all those new rappers.
I don’t care about either sides of the arguement, but hey, the song is fire ; )
This song is an example of pure artistic talent.
Lyrics Dissect
1985, I arrived 33 years, damn, I’m grateful I survived We wasn’t s’posed to get past 25 Jokes on you motherfucker, we alive
Here, Cole might be telling two things at once. One literally and the other in the metaphoric sense. He is saying that he (as a black man) was not expected to live to be 33 years old because of all the gun violence and harsh circumstances he grew up in. On a metaphorical note, he might also be referencing to his rap career, as to how he is still relevant after all these years (still surviving).
All these niggas popping now is young Everybody say the music that they make is dumb I remember I was 18 Money, pussy, parties, I was on the same thing You gotta give a boy a chance to grow some Everybody talkin’ like they know somethin’ these days Niggas actin’ woke, but they broke, umm I respect the struggle but you all frontin’ these days Man, they barely old enough to drive To tell them what they should do, who the fuck am I? I heard one of em’ diss me, I’m suprised I ain’t trippin’, listen good to my reply
So, here Cole is saying that he understands why the young rappers do what they do; he used to do the same when he was young. That he is not trying to demonize them, instead he wants to have an actual conversation with them. To which he adds that everyone these days is trying to preach; they all give their opinions on the internet but their own life sucks (“Niggas actin’ woke, but they broke umm”). That they are not actually doing anything in real life; just talking. And he actually respects that young rappers are successful these days (at least they are making something). But still he points that there is something very wrong with how they make music.
Now comes the advice part, it awesome lol.
Come here lil’ man, let me talk with ya’ See if I can paint for you the larger picture Congrats ’cause you made it out your mama’s house I hope you make enough to buy your mom a house I see your watch icy and your whip foreign I got some good advice, never quit tourin’ ‘Cause that’s the way we eat here in this rap game I’m fuckin’ with your funky lil’ rap name
Here he reminds young rappers what’s actually important in life. It’s not the fancy cars (“whip foreign”) they buy or jewelry (“Ice”), but more tangible things, like buying your mother a house. He makes them question themselves about their financial decisions, especially cause they are rich, young and stupid lol.
I hear your music and I know that rap’s changed A bunch of folks would say that that’s a bad thing ‘Cause everything’s commercial and it’s pop now Trap drums is the shit that’s hot now See, I’ve been on a quest for the next wave But never mind, that was just a segue I must say, by your songs I’m unimpressed, hey But I love to see a Black man get paid And plus, you havin’ fun and I respect that But have you ever thought about your impact? These white kids love that you don’t give a fuck ‘Cause that’s exactly what’s expected when your skin black They wanna see you dab, they wanna see you pop a pill They wanna see you tatted from your face to your heels And somewhere deep down, fuck it, I gotta keep it real They wanna be black and think your song is how it feels
Here Cole focuses on today’s musical scene. He says that, being an established rapper himself, he accepts that it’s time for the new generation to replace the old (that’s how everything works), “Been on a quest for the next wave”. But he mentions that he is disappointed by the quality of music the new generation is putting out.
“These white Kids love that you don’t a fuck”, that young rappers are leaning into, and promoting the harmful stereotypes about Black People in America. Promoting violence, robbery, gang culture and drugs. And white people actually do make up a huge demographic of hip-hop consumer base (most the crowd in a black artist’s concerts is white, simply because the ticket prices are so expensive for black people in the community). He is referencing that, by being such an artist, his is harming his own (black) people and “working for the white man”.
So when you turn up, you see them turnin’ up too You hit the next city, collect your money when it’s due You gettin’ that paper, swimmin’ in bitches, I don’t blame you You ain’t thinkin’ ’bout the people that’s lookin’ like me and you True, you got better shit to do
Again, he is referencing that they (young rappers) are not thinking about the impact of their music on their communities (young kids doing drugs, going to jail). Instead they only chase money, which is, according to him, not the right way.
You coulda bought a crib with all that bread that you done blew I know you think this type of revenue is never endin’ But I wanna take a minute just to tell you that ain’t true One day, them kids that’s listening gon’ grow up And get too old for that shit that made you blow up Now your show’s lookin’ light cause they don’t show up Which unfortunately means the money slow up Now you scramblin’ and hopin’ to get hot again But you forgot you only popped ’cause you was ridin’ trends Now you old news and you goin’ through regrets ‘Cause you never bought that house, but you got a Benz And a bunch of jewels and a bunch of shoes And a bunch of fake friends, I ain’t judgin’ you I’m just tellin’ you what’s probably gon’ happen when you rappin’ ‘Bout the type of shit you rappin’ ’bout It’s a faster route to the bottom I wish you good luck I’m hoping for your sake that you ain’t dumb as you look But if it’s really true what people sayin’ And you call yourself playin’ with my name Then I really know you fucked, trust
Here too, he reminds young rappers about how dumb they are with their life decisions. That they could do a lot of things with they money that like buying an actual house (“crib”) or investing in long term assets like land, but instead they blow all their money on stupid things like cars (“Benz”), sneakers, trying to impress fake friends and all. To which he adds, their rap careers won’t last long because they are only popular because they are “riding trends”; that they make music about things that are relevant at the moment but have no artistic thought of their own. Hence, he is sincerely advising them to focus on changing their ways and actually working on their music instead calling people out and creating drama just to get famous.
I’ll be around forever ’cause my skills is tip-top To any amateur niggas that wanna get rocked Just remember what I told you when your shit flop In five years you gon’ be on Love & Hip-Hop, nigga
And he finishes off with why is he different than them and that they should not mess with his name. He is an actual artist who has a long running careers instead of an amateur rapper who got famous off a single hit. Hence, he reminds them (all those young rappers who diss him) that him and them, are not in the same league ; )
Conclusion:
This is one of the chilliest, most badass song I’ve ever heard. This is quality hip-hop!
Nineteen Eighty-Four, 1984 is a dystopian fiction form probably one of my favorite writers, Gorge Orwell. The story behind the book is of particular interest to me. As you can see, the book was originally written in 1949, Orwell tried to foresee the future, how would the world be like in 1984? In his “foreseen future”, he had imagined a dystopian version of the world. A world where personal freedom and individual thought are sabotaged by authority. A world where sanity is statistical, (Google search this phrase ;)).
Now, for the most part, the world didn’t really turn out as bad as he had imagined, but all the while I was reading this book, I had moments where I could relate to the things that were depicted in the story. Many of the things he predicted in 1949 about the world are relatable today. This is absolutely fascinating to me. I sincerely believe that Orwell was ahead of his time, his predictions may not have come true in 1984, but traces of his predictions feel true today. This is scary as well as fascinating. The world he imagined is not a pretty one!
Now, I must inform you that this book is pretty mind-boggling. There are two full-length crash course videos trying to explain the meaning of ideas in this book. I am by no means smart enough to fully understand the depth of issues the author depicts within the flow of the story. And no, this is not some book that just goes on talking about boring philosophical ideas. The genius of Orwell, I think, is how he tells such an interesting story that captivates the reader all the while quietly inserting pieces of really profound ideas into one’s head. When you read this book, you kind of feel there is something deeper going on but you do not quite understand what it is, all the while enjoying such an amazing story. It makes you feel a peculiar way which I cannot describe; you need to read it to feel it!
With that being said (and not giving the story away!), here are some excerpts from the book that I found particularly interesting.
Was he then, ALONE in the possession of a memory?
Why should one feel it to be intolerable unless one had some kind of ancestral memory that things once looked different?
He might be alone in holding that belief and if alone, then a lunatic.
They were like ants which can see small objects but not the large ones.
It struck him that in moments of crisis one is never fighting against an external enemy but always against one’s own body.
At the sight of I love you the desire to stay alive had welled up in him, the taking of minor risks suddenly seemed stupid.
Listen, the more men you have had, the more I love you. Do you understand that? Yes perfectly. I hate purity, I hate goodness! I don’t want any virtue to exist anywhere. I wa t everyone to be corrupt to the bones.
That was above all what he wanted to hear. Not merely the love of one person but the animal instinct, simple undifferentiated desire; that was the force that would tear the party to pieces.
In the old days, he thought, a man looked at a girl’s body and saw that it was desirable and that was the end of the story. But you could not have pure love or pure lust these days. No emotion was pure, because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred. Their embrace has been a battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck to against the party. It was a political act.
The theory was that men, whose sex instincts were less controllable than those of women, were in great danger if being corrupted by the filth they Handled.
With Julia he had no difficulty in talking about such things; Cathrene, in any case had long ceased to be a painful memory and became merely a distasteful one.
It was merely that sex instinct created a world of its own which was outside party’s control and therefore destroyed if possible. What was more important was that sexual privation induced hysteria, which was desirable because it could be transformed j to was fever and leader worship.
He wondered vaguely whether in the abolished past it had been a normal experience to lie in a bed like this, in cool of a summer evening, a man and a women with no clothes on, making love when they chose, talking of what they chose, not feeling any compulsion to get up, simply lying there and listening to peaceful sounds outside.
For the first time in his life he did not despise paroles or think of them merely as an inert force which would one day spring to life and regenerate the world.
The paroles had stayed human, they had held on to the primitive emotions which he had to re-learn by conscious effort.
But the inner heart whose workings were mysterious even to yourself remained impregnable.
The object of waging a war is always to be in a better position in which to wage another war.
For if leisure and security were enjoyed by all alike, the great mass of human beings who are normally stupefied by poverty would become literate and would learn to think for themselves and when once they had done this, they would sooner or later realize that the privileged minority had no function and they would sweep it away.
The sealed world in which he lives would be broken and the fear, hatred and self-righteousness on which his morale depends might evaporate.
It was the product of a mind similar to his own but, enormously more powerful, more systematic, less fear-ridden.
The best books, he perceived are those that tell you waht you already know.
There then rose schools of thinkers who interpreted history as a cyclical process and claimed to show that inequality was unalterable law of human life.
The new middle groups in effect proclaimed their tyranny beforehand. Socialism.
Inequality was the price of civilization.
But no advance in wealth, no softening of manner, no reform or revolution has ever brought human equality a millimeter nearer.
Indeed, so long as they are not permitted to have standards of comparison, they never even become aware that they are oppressed.
Hereditary aristocracies have always been short-lived, whereas adoptive organizations such as the catholic church have sometimes lasted for hundreds or thousands of years.
The discontent produced by his bare, unsatisfying life is deliberately turned outwards by such devices as the two-minute Hate.
In our society, those who have the best knowledge of what is happening are also those who are furthest from seeing the world as it is.
If human equality is to be for ever averted – if the high, as we have called them, are to keep their places permanently – then the prevailing mental condition should be controlled insanity.
Bring in minority, even a minority of one, did not make you mad. There was truth and there was untruth, and as long as you clung to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad.
Sanity is not statistical.
Where there is equality there is sanity.
It felt natural to exist moment to moment, accepting another ten minutes life even with the certainty that there was torture at the end of it.
Of pain, you could wish only one thing: that It should stop. Nothing in the world was so bad as physical pain. In the face of pain there are no heroes, no heroes.
You would not make the act of submission which is the price of sanity.
Reality is not external. It exists in human mind and nowhere else. YOU ASSUME EVERYONE ELSE SEEMS THE SAME THING AS YOU.
That the choice for mankind lay between freedom and happiness, and that for the great bulk of mankind happiness was better.
But it was Alright, everything was all right. The struggle was finished. He had won victory over himself. He loved big brother. The end.
The book is really good, well written and really makes the reader think about things in a different way. However, the only downside of this book is that is simply too complicated at times for the reader to understand. A better way to put it would be, the profoundness of the book is at times simply too large for the reader to be able to actually enjoy the story. The author at times spends too much time in describing the mental nuances of the characters, which may make the reader the loose track of where the story is heading.
All in all, with everything considered, this is an amazing book. Anyone who has enough patience, to take the time to try and understand the things the author wants to tell the reader through the story would absolutely love this. However, this book might not be the best choice for someone who is looking for a causal novel to enjoy. You need to give much time and thought to enjoy this book to the fullest.
Indiana Jones, I bet you have heard this name before. He is none other than the famous fictional archeologist who goes around the world uncovering the most mysterious of treasures.
He is one of the most recognizable characters in Hollywood. The movie franchise “Indiana Jones” was so successful that, it made the character an inseparable part of popular culture. Even after 30 years of the original movie franchise, people still talk about Dr Jones and his adventures. It’s honestly crazy how influential it has been!
He was and still is, people’s childhood hero.
The Temple of Doom.
“Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”, is the second installment in the Indiana Jones franchise. It was released in the year 1984, after the massive success of the first movie, “Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark”. And to no surprise, this movie was also an instant blockbuster. No wonder they made two more of these lol.
This movie, in particular, is my personal favorite, for reasons that will become apparent later ; )
The plot.
So, like every Indiana Jones movie; this one also follows the crazy adventures of Dr Jones.
Indiana Jones is an archeologist (people that are into digging up hidden artifacts) who teaches archeology at some prestigious college in America. But, unlike your typical professor, he is handsome… and he likes to travel to some of the most ‘exotic’ places on the planet for his archeological pursuits.
And in his travels, he experiences some of the craziest adventures man has ever experienced!
In the Temple of Doom, Dr Jones finds himself stranded in the mysterious land of India. Yup India! And along with him are his Chinese sidekick, “Short Round” (who is 11 years old mind you), and an American night club singer based in Shanghai, “Willie Scott” (who is absolutely gorgeous).
Now, the reason they ended up in India, out of all the places in the world, is that their plane crashed somewhere in the Himalayas (maybe near Nepal, who knows lol) as they were running away from the Chinese boss “Lao Chi”. And as they drifted along the rivers, they reach the mysterious Indian village of “Mayapur” (damn they are good with names lol).
And it is in Mayapur, that they discover something so terrifying that even Dr Jones could not explain. The poor villagers were being troubled by the “evil cult of KALI” (yup, you heard it right lol: Kali; the Hindu goddess), and their children were mysteriously disappearing in the night.
Now Indiana Jones finds himself up for an adventure; he is to go to the “Temple of Doom” to save the children and defeat the evil cult, hopefully bringing peace to the troubled villagers. In a strange country that he has never been to, can Dr Jones succeed? Or perhaps, is this an adventure that he was not ready for?
Find out more by watching the damn film lol.
The thing I found amusing.
I found this movie absolutely fucking amusing! For a couple of reasons.
First, the way that they portrayed India in the film so comical that I literally died laughing. The movie shows such a stereotypical image of India: full of poor people, elephants, Rajas and Maharajas, Hindu cults, and more! that I wonder if my own image of India is “exaggerated enough” lol? This movie does not shy away from depicting its over-the-top image of India. In fact, it’s quite accurate in the sense that, this is what a “white man” would imagine when he hears the word “India”. And I love the fact that the movie is so honest with its stereotype, it’s extreme but that’s what people expect from Indiana Jones! It has to be exciting, and it definitely delivers on that part (at least for American audience I guess).
But, being an Indian myself (Oh come on! We all fucking look the same lol), um… someone of Indian origin, it seems absolutely hilarious how they portray my people in the film. I know the experience of living in the Indian sub-continent, and to see my culture through the eyes of a “white man” was such so fucking hilarious, I can’t even explain!
What’s more?
This guy is the villain of the movie! I bet you know him lol. He is Amrish Puri. “Mogambo” from mister India lol!
The second thing that’s most fascinating for me is, the way that the movie depicts the “typical” male and female characters. Indiana Jones is what Hollywood imagines a man to be; Tall, handsome, smart, who knows what to do in all situations, confident, a family man, and just simply amazing. He is a college professor for god’s sake, but he is so handsome and adventurous that his female students fall head over heels for him. He knows how to use a gun, fly a plane, ride a camel, win a fight, along with a thousand other things. And don’t even talk about his sexual conquests; he has tasted flavors form all over the world, if you know what I mean ; ) He is the definition of masculinity. (And by his standards, I’m just a potato lol).
And talking about the female characters in the movie, they are well… the typical women in cinema; beautiful, sexually objectified in certain ways, weak and dependent on the male character. And this movie expresses this in the clearest way possible. The night club singer in the movie, “Willie Scott” is just another beautiful blonde who is terrified of bugs (just like any other white woman lol) and depends on Dr Jones to save her from the evil followers of Kali.
Hence, the movie is based on the age-old formula for cinematic success: put a sexy woman in the arms of a strong white man. Only that, it is far more exaggerated in this movie because it is Indiana Jones lol. And honestly, I enjoy this a lot. Considering it was made in 1984; it is an accurate portrayal of society and I don’t find it offensive (in contrast to many people these days lol). I actually admire the stereotypical depiction of a “man” in the movie; though it is exaggerated, it is true to a certain extent. Men are expected to be the breadwinner in the family whether you like it or not, and women still sexualize themselves on social media these days. Hence, gender roles still exist in society, and the movie a rather romantic representation of that.
Harrison ford and Gorge Lucas.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – MAY 07: (L-R) Harrison Ford and George Lucas attend the 56th San Francisco Film Festival honoring Harrison Ford with the Peter J. Owens Award at Bimbo’s 365 Club on May 7, 2013 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steve Jennings/WireImage)
These motherfuckers are absolute legends! Harrison Ford (on the left) has played some of the most iconic characters in movie history and Gorge Lucas (on the right) has written and directed them.
Harrison Ford is, “Indiana Jones”, “Han Solo: from Star Wars”, and “Rick Deckard: from The Blade Runner” and more! This guy has been the ‘hero’ for millions of people all over the world. It’s hard to imagine one man can accomplish so much in one life!
And Gorge Lucas is the mastermind behind Indiana Jones and the whole of Star Wars franchise. He is perhaps one of the most influential names in cinema, period.
These days, both of them are old as fuck, but they are legends nonetheless. I respect their work.
Conclusion.
So, if you are looking for a classic Hollywood movie from the 80s, that brings all the excitement, romance and adventure one can possibly ask for, then this is just the movie for you. No movie can beat Indiana Jones on that!
He is one of the most interesting human beings in the world. Seriously go search him, you will understand ; )
This is his song: HELP
I really like this song.
Whenever I feel bad about myself, I listen to this song; it makes me feel okay.
It’s ironic but this song is like an anti-depressent. It makes you feel that it’s okay to feel shitty in life.
This is the most relatable song on the internet; an honest song.
Here are the lyrics:
I wake up in the mornings Sinking halfway to the bottom There’s a loud distorted screaming in my soul Everything is dark and empty And I don’t know how to fix it So I curl up in a ball And cry in the comfort of my home
I don’t know why I feel like shit I say I’m fine but I’m not fine
I’m dying inside And all I see are demons I try to hide All my deepest feelings I’m dying inside And all I see are demons I try to hide all my deepest feelings
I think there’s something wrong with me ‘Cause all I see is death Everytime I go outside I look like I’ve been doing meth And I sleep for nineteen hours on a Thursday afternoon And every now and then I cough up blood And I don’t know what to do
I don’t know why I feel like shit I will not see a therapist
Ladies and gentlemen, if you wanna fucking kill yourself put your fucking hands up (yeah!), razor blades in the air everybody (yeah!) Ay, oh, ay, oh, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, help, help, help, help, help, help, HELP!
I’m dying inside And all I see are demons I try to hide all my deepest feelings I’m dying inside And all I see are demons I try to hide all my deepest feelings
Thank you pink guy. You are a genius.
Pink Guy no longer exists; he died and reincarnated as joji.
Honestblogs 