volume 127 - who am i?

how do other people see me?

memes of the week 🤠

Nigel @NigelGrinstead

Love soup. You're telling me you hid a little food in a bunch of water? I'll find it.

the hero’s journey

one of ur hoes @miliondollameat

i cannot fuck it we ball for much longer

this is when we start to move towards the “fuck it we fall” stage

taylorlorenz3.0

A post shared by Taylor Lorenz (@taylorlorenz3.0)

we are going to start a dialogue

The Notorious J.O.V. @whotfisjovana

i could’ve been binging Gilmore Girls season 4 but i’m stuck on this escalator 😔

---

been thinking a lot about identity lately. a couple questions come to mind:

who am i? how do other people see me?

drastic changes and traumatic events can force us into introspection. case in point, the second half of last year was rough for me. i was hospitalized, went through major depression, lost my job, and relationships changed

who am i? how do other people see me?

it was a good reality check to see what’s really important to me. i’m turning 31 this year and we all know there’s no guarantee to live into old age. what am i doing with my time?

it’s funny how life will give us a sign when we didn’t know we needed it most. i was talking with my mom about these thoughts and she said something so wise that spoke to me in the moment: “we should always be open to the question even though we may not find the answer”

who am i? how do other people see me?

i was like damn, can you say that again?? i needed it to sink in. i was thinking about my purpose, my mortality, and what to do next. light stuff i know lmao

i wish i could share that there’s a happy ending but the truth is that this is an ongoing journey. some days are easier than others

who am i? how do other people see me?

i don’t need to figure out who i am for the rest of my life today. nor live up to expectations of existent and non-existent people. and that’s why i love writing Run It Back so much: it’s an outlet to be free and let me be me!

i define who i am

just gotta take things one day at a time. little by little. poco a poco

and with that, let's get to the music for the week ❤️‍🔥

- claudio / claud / @offballscreen

i swear this starting 5 is winning at least *4* games in pickup

this week’s music ⤵️

1. Norf Norf

   Vince Staples
   Released: 2015

I ain't never ran from nothing but the police
I ain't never ran from nothing but the police
I ain't never ran from nothing but the police
From the city where the skinny carry strong heat
Norfside, Long Beach (Norfside, Long Beach)

i just finished binging season 2 of Last Chance U and damn, it’s got me hype. if you’re not familiar with the show, they essentially follow junior college student-athletes from different backgrounds as they work towards their goals (e.g. transferring to a D1 school and eventually playing professionally)

Netflix’s production is immaculate. they really capture the grit and grind of being a junior college athlete and how these kids are working their way from the bottom of the pyramid

what also helps is that they seemingly have the perfect soundtrack for each season. they played “Norf Norf” and i was immediately reminded of how good this project is. his debut studio album at that! paired with the hoop highlights, it made me wish i was playing organized basketball 😪

fun fact: the “where the skinny carry strong heat” line in the hook is a reference to this track from Pharrell’s prequel mixtape to his debut album (0:24+)

2. Witchoo
   Durand Jones & The Indications
   Released: 2021

We’ll ball out like we livin’ the life
Headed uptown drippin’, lookin’ extra fly
And if the drinks keep flowin’, I can go all night
Witchoo
Baby, witchoo

this song just makes me so fucking happy! this is the type of funk that’s perfect for pregaming, dancing your demons away, or getting a second wind

i love how them and artists like Thee Sacred Souls are bringing soul back with an added twist for a newer generation

3. What a Fool Believes
   The Doobie Brothers
   Released: 1978

He came from somewhere back in her long ago
The sentimental fool don't see
Tryin' hard to recreate
What had yet to be created once in her life

if you do nothing else today, watch this clip:

Doc @docadam

Seeing Quik & Suga Free singing What A Fool Believes will likely end up being the highpoint of my 2023.

4. FUBT
   HAIM
   Released: 2021

It's fucked up, but it's true
That I love you like I do
I'm just gon' keep on lovin' you
It's tough to get through
Either way, I'm gonna lose
So I'm just gon' keep on lovin' you

HAIM’s Women in Music Pt. III is the gift that keeps on giving. with every listen, i find different sections of the album that i gravitate towards depending on what i’m going through

if you listen closely, this song is about being in a toxic relationship and feeling stuck. the highs are high and the lows are low. but i view this as one piece to the story

life can feel really shitty at times and it may seem like nothing we’re doing is working. i know i’ve felt that recently but the second part to the story is determination. there is belief in the long-term vision to consistently bounce back and not beat myself up. (and to that point, i’ve had so many “day 1s” at the gym i’ve lost count lmao)

onwards and upwards as we move from the “fresh start” stage of the year to the “ok what’s sustainable long-term” part of what we want to achieve. keep pushing, y’all 🙏