review – Artistic Apathy

A Commentary On Menace II Society (1993)

Warning: *spoilers ahead*

The film Menace II Society takes place in the city of Watts during the 1990s. The riots are over, drugs have made their way into neighborhoods and now gangs and violence wreak havoc in the streets. It’s the perfect portrayal of the American nightmare. A haunting tale about the cycles of poverty and violence that grip neighborhoods all across America. This movie is still relevant today, covering major issues in the urban black community which are explored throughout.

The opening scene gets right to the nitty gritty when O-Dog and Caine walk into a store hoping to buy beer and end up involved in a crime scene.

Such seems to be the life of poor Caine who from a young age saw death and corruption around him. His father was a drug dealer and his mother was a drug addict. Needless to say they didn’t play a very active role in his life. He’s sent to live with his religious grandparents, who just can’t seem to get through to him. His grandfather even asking him if he cares whether he lives or dies. Caine is deep in the streets. Has been ever since he came out on that stoop when he was young and got initiated by Pernell.

Pernell brought him up on the G code but was absent in his life when he got sent to prison.

Caine manages to graduate high school. An extraordinary feat for someone like him. Everything seems rosy for a while but as others would be knee deep in books, Caine is getting knee deep in the streets. He gets involved in a cycle of hatred and violence so hopeless and never ending. Violence being a common theme in the movie portrayed in a gruesome, raw, and unfiltered way. Caine and his comrades are desensitized to violence. As a result they have no problem taking a life or parading around a stolen tape of a murder they were involved in.

I just knew I could kill somebody. If I had to I could do it again. – Caine

This is the environment that Caine is growing up in. After going to a house party, him and his cousin have an altercation that lands him in the hospital and his cousin dead. Caine is lucky to be alive. This isn’t the first time he ends up in the hospital either. The difference this time is that he came close to dying. You would think Caine would turn over a new leaf after coming so close to death. Still, he can be seen watching old gangster movies in the hospital room. One of many foreshadowings in the film.

Another one being when later in the movie, the son of Caine’s love interest, Anthony, asks if Caine is going to die.

Caine even ends up in jail albeit for a short period of time. This still isn’t enough to set him on the straight and narrow. They bring him in for questioning. In the interrogation room we can see two types of light coming through the windows. On one side there’s red. Which could easily signify peril, doom, fatality and on the other, a brighter more lighter shade. Caine is at a crossroads for most of his life.

There are many voices of reason throughout the movie. Sharif, one of his closest buddies is a converted muslim and very pro-black. He doesn’t want Caine to go down the wrong path. And although he’s different from Caine and the rest of them, he’s kept throughout the movie. Caine even narrates as someone who sounds like they are reflecting on their choices. There are subliminal messages throughout the movie as well.

Another voice of reason is Ronnie or Pernell’s girlfriend. Ronnie sobered up after having Anthony. The connection between Caine and Ronnie is more than Pernell however. There’s love interest brewing here too. Caine gets even more-so attached via her son Anthony who is exactly like him when he was younger. Anthony is meant to symbolize Caine in a lot of ways. We even see things come full circle when Anthony comes out on the porch to hang with the grown folks much like Caine when he was younger.

No father, growing up in the hood without a role model. In the movie Caine is being asked to step up and be a man, if not for Anthony then for himself.

This movie’s core theme seems to be cycles in the urban communities. Caine is just being the way he was brought up to be and Anthony is mirroring what’s in the environment around him. There’s a certain street code you follow and that often leads to more violence. Caine is provided with an out on various occasions. Eventually he accepts to go away with Ronnie to Atlanta although reluctantly only to end up another victim. In a tragic irony, he does leave the life but not in the way we had hoped. Sharif is shot dead as well as Caine. Leaving O-Dog to grapple with the reality and possibly continue the cycle of violence.

The theme comes full circle with this quote as Caine narrates:

I guess in the end it catches up to you. My grandfather asked me one time if I care whether I live or die. Yeah I do and now it’s too late.

The final words at the end convict the viewer and cause them to reflect on all the past events that led to this young man’s fatal demise. It seemed like he was doomed to repeat his mistakes or suffer the consequences for his actions from the very beginning.

Whiplash (2014) Film Review

Warning: spoilers ahead

I’ve heard this movie receive a lot of noteworthy praise and buzz about as long as it’s been released to the public. Unfortunately it wasn’t until recently that I saw this film for myself. If I could sum it up in one word, I guess it would be “wow.”

I find this movie to have a lot of depth and the characters to have, well, character.

Let’s start with Andrew Neiman. A freshman at Shaffer Music Conservatory, “the best music school in the world.” Andrew is struggling to make his mark at school. He is a freshman first year. The movie spans over one semester of his freshman year in college. His talents are later discovered by Terrence Fletcher, a teacher who rules with an iron fist who leads a band full of the most talented and brightest.

Andrew is so determined to make his mark and impress his teacher that he sacrifices everything. Literally everything. His relationship with a girl he liked, his relationship with his family, his sanity and his health. Many times he is brought to the breaking point, if not by Fletcher then by his own pursuit and his unrelenting ambition.

Putting literal blood, sweat and tears into his craft we later see the fallout that happens between him and his teacher after a failed performance. This results in Andrew leaving Shaffer and Fletcher getting fired.

Andrew is utterly broken. He’s lost everything, the girl, his shot, and the school of his dreams. In one scene we can see him watching a video of him playing drums as a boy as he weeps tears while smiling. To me this means that he is looking back on when music was about having fun. To him now it was all a competition to be the very best at the risk of everything.

They later reconvene at a low-key jazz nightclub and Andrew agrees to do one last performance. Fletcher purposely deceives Andrew the moment he steps on stage. They play an entirely different number then the ones Fletcher said they would play. Now Andrew is looking like a fool, this was Fletcher’s way of saying “fuck you.”

Utterly embarrassed and without much he can do about it, Andrew storms off stage only to come back moments later. He completely takes the reigns of the band and leads them in song. This is Andrew’s “fuck you,” but to me more than anything it shows how much power Fletcher still had over him. Fletcher is not amused, until Neiman breaks out into a solo that lasts several minutes. Then the movie cuts at the end and we don’t get to see what happens next between them.

To me this was a perfect way to end it because it leaves you to come up with your own ending. How do you think things ended for Andrew? Hopefully well.

If anything this movie speaks volumes to anyone who specializes in any sort of craft, particularly an artistic one. What is more important? The soul of your work or trying to be so perfect so that you will gain respect and be admired as a result?

We can see a lot of Andrew’s ambition in the way he talks. He breaks things off with a girl because she will get in his way. He wants to be remembered. He will not settle for mediocrity or even good enough. Maybe that is why Fletcher took him on as a student. Searching desperately for his Charlie Parker. Maybe Fletcher wants to realize his own dreams through a student and is willing to do anything to get it.

I think this film is very good and musicians should see it. Not only musicians but anyone who has a creative craft that they may be struggling with or don’t know where they stand on it.

My rating is 4.5/5

Upcoming Artist Shares Emotional Experience With Fans

Deko is an artist out of the new wave that is seeing a meteoric rise thanks in part to his really successful song Phantasy Star Online. While Deko has been grinding for a minute, (working as a producer with credits to his name) his hit has put him on a lot of people’s radars including my own.

What caught my attention about this guy is his use of aesthetic appeal while still churning out infectious danceable beats and catchy melodies and bars. No wonder as Deko is a big fan of the very popular sub-genre of music: Nightcore (amongst other genres of dance music.)

His music videos are colorful, and filled with references to geek culture including many references to anime and Japanese culture.

It’s safe to say that he is at the forefront of a new sound that’s emerging in the underground. One filled with danceable beats, melodic flows, and many references to popular nerd culture.

That’s why last night was especially memorable. Deko was streaming on Twitch to about 100 viewers at the time. The stream felt especially intimate. The vibes were chill and everyone was having a good time. Deko took us through some of the projects he’s been working on. Which I won’t go into detail about to protect his privacy. He previewed one song in particular that absolutely stunned me.

Deko samples popular Japanese pop group Perfume for a banger that’s sure to be a hit.

Perfume (pictured above)
A-chan (far left), Kashiyuka (center), Nocchi (far right)

This blend of genres is something new and unfamiliar and somehow Deko manages to make it all work.

He later took us through some of his favorite music, featuring acts such as Perfume, Mondo Grosso, Porter Robinson, and an artist I’ve never heard before: VIRTUAL SELF. Fans in the stream got particularly emotional when Deko played some of the more sentimental songs amongst his favorites. Many fans recognized the music because they had already heard it and for those who hadn’t, they felt like they had stumbled onto something new.

Truly it was a magical moment for many, leading to many inspiring talks and rants. That is why Deko gets my seal of approval. The artist that knows how to genuinely connect with their fans can’t ever lose. This is the essence of a die hard fan base.

I for one can’t wait to see what’s next for him.

Artistic Apathy ©

The Deal With Posthumous Releases

In a day and age where late rappers are becoming a norm, we are seeing more and more of the release of posthumous work (i.e. work released after death.) A few prolific rappers stand out in this conversation, including Lil Peep, XXXTENTACION and Mac Miller.

All at the height of their success when they passed. It’s truly unfortunate we couldn’t see the further development of these artists especially when they were so ambiguous in their work and so promising.

Often when these artists die there is still a plethora of music left behind, yet to be released. In the case of Lil Peep, the rising emo rap star, there was an immense amount of work unreleased. The label partnered with frequent collaborators of Lil Peep to bring about projects that the fans could accept. Following the release of the polished Come Over When You’re Sober collection, label heads, with input from Peep’s mom decided to release the more raw and authentic Everybody’s Everything. Which doubled as a soundtrack to the documentary on his life.

A lot of controversy was stirred when the label continued to release music under Peep’s name but rest assured his mother Liza was behind it every step of the way. Saying:

“What do you do when a young artist dies long before his time, leaving behind a legacy of finished and unfinished work, and a legion of heartbroken fans?”
– Liza Womack

It seems like the honorable thing to do to honor the late artist and put out a body of work that most closely emulates what the artist in mention would have wanted.

Like stated before, this isn’t without its controversy as the bodies that distribute this late work are often met with backlash. Like when the BMW that XXXTENTACION died in was on display at an album event.

This begs the question of if an artists’ legacy is best left alone. Of course the family and friends of the artist have an idea of what the artists would have wanted in a project, single releases, etc. but the artist isn’t there to provide input.

Prior to his death, Mac Miller was busy at work on a follow up to his album Swimming. The album featured production from one producer named Jon Briar who later went on to finish the album keeping in mind the vision Miller had for it.

Again, it is nice to still get new material from an artist after their death but it often spurs a slew of questions about how exactly these releases are being handled. It seems that the ones in charge of these releases put immense thought into the given project before releasing but without the touch of the artists in question something is somewhat lacking.

That being said, you can’t please everyone. Especially on the internet. Someone will always have an opinion. Admittedly it is nice to see songs that didn’t have a proper release get one finally and for unfinished projects to see the light of day but the motives of the people at hand are often in question.

Sorry to say, these artists are gone and all we have left of them is the music. If we can continue their legacy going even for a short time, then maybe the details don’t matter so much.

Why Gaming Culture is so Important

Nowadays, young people suffer more than ever. Especially during that transition period from young adulthood to full on adulthood. It seems like just yesterday we were playing on the playground and now we have bills to pay.

Life can be tough but that’s why I’m thankful for video games.

Video games allow you to explore places you’ve never been before, meet mysterious people, join in on the action, realize a legend and more.

When I was younger, I got made fun of a lot for the games I liked to play. At some point I just wouldn’t tell anyone what my interests were. Then years later, things like comic books, video games and anime were brought into the mainstream and suddenly it was the cool thing.

Also with help from content creators like RDCWorld1 and Cilvanis (just to name a few) things that were once seen as nerdy are culturally relevant.

Gaming culture has become so much apart of our culture that now big companies are advertising at gamers.

Music artists are partnering with franchises for promotions.

Safe to say, gaming culture isn’t going anywhere. People who were old enough to remember when gaming first made its way to homes are now old enough to have families. These people are still playing games and even with their children now. So we will still see this going on for generations.

This is so important for us all today. Gaming provides an escape. You can forget about all your worries and get involved in a complete storyline or a whole new world. It allows us all to tap into that inner child. I believe there is a game for each person out there. Perfectly tailored to your tastes. In this day and age, now more than ever we need ways to go back to those days on the playground and feel like kids again. If even for a moment.