volume 134 - tried and true
gateopeners > gatekeepers
memes of the week 🤠
mental healthcare market has thrived since — coincidence or conspiracy?
your future is tryna take a peek-at-chu [pikachu] (sorry)
Taco Bell def averaging a triple double in the 19th century
also: i accept all cookies
what is art? is it made within rules or with no boundaries?
i was on this tip after watching the Banksy-directed documentary Exit Through the Gift Shop
the premise of the documentary is how this filmmaker, Thierry Guetta, records street artists working on their art. he gets access to a bunch of legendary artists (Banksy included)
after tagging along these artists for a long minute, he decides to get into the game himself. he commissions an artist for a design and starts putting them up around LA
he starts to scale and hires artists and designers to put his ideas to medium and eventually puts on a show with all “his” work. the show was self-funded and he jumped up several rungs on the ladder to build hype and bring legitimacy to his name
to put it bluntly, he hired artists and designers to implement his ideas. then he eventually sold that work for thousands of dollars
i definitely do not consider what he did to be art lmao. there’s idea and then there’s execution. he was just a good organizer if anything
although with this viewing i was left with a sour taste in my mouth, the storytelling is great. it’s one of those documentaries where the mood / POV shifts midway through (which i love). i get something new every time i watch it, which is nice because it stays fresh
in a parallel case, there have been these talented young producers that are able to create in a sandbox. kids nowadays can download the same drum kits Pharrell, Timbaland, and other legendary producers spent years developing and make their own beats
the learning curve is way faster! some that are active in Kenny Beats’ Discord were able to get a record deal by watching his streams:
with this accelerated foundation comes new challenges / different grinds for current and future generations. we can’t evolve if we force ourselves to face the same problems because “that’s the way it’s always been done”
is what Thierry did considered art? is what younger producers make nowadays considered original production? i still don’t know the answer. if you have any thoughts, let me know in the comments
and with that, let's get to the music for the week ❤️🔥
- claudio / claud / @offballscreen
this week’s music ⤵️
Solid Plan Feat. Action Bronson
Larry June & The Alchemist
Released: 2023
Stash spot in the trap house, I'm unpluggin' the freezer
Residue on the counter, I'm callin’ my house Keebler
Bankroll on the nightstand, I’m cleanin' my sneakers
I need that Lamborghini yacht thang for the season
the project at large and this song specifically is the best crossover episode i ever could’ve imagined. it’s validating as a fan to be fed like this. it was hard to not put the whole album as this week’s songs lmao
all three of them are thriving by being unapologetically themselves. it’s dope to see them do it within different decades (The Alchemist 2000s, Action Bronson 2010s, Larry June early 2020s) growing organically and carving out their own lane. and to have them all on one song?
Tried And True
Ween
Released: 2003
'Cause tried and true
I see the light in you
Oh, can you dig in my soul?
Could you smell my whole life?
as y’all know, i love consuming skateboarding content while having never skated myself. when the Algorithm Overlords™️ sent this my way, i decided to take a gander:
after first viewing: holy shit. this part is incredible!! first off, he’s tall. that’s a win in my book #representation
he’s able to skate street, bowls, and vert. i was definitely not expecting that because that type of versatility is hard to master. and as soon as he opened up his part with this song, i was hooked. highkey the vocals are pitched in a way that makes them sound chopped and screwed lmao
Tonight the Streets Are Ours
Richard Hawley
Released: 2007
Do you know why you've got feelings in your heart
Don't let fear of feeling fool you
What you see sets you apart
And there's nothing here to bind you
It's no way for life to start
this was the theme song for Exit Through the Gift Shop and it’ll forever remind me of the open-ended question after watching: was this real or an elaborate stunt by Banksy himself to expose people viewing street art through a capitalistic lens?
we might have our answer — Thierry told the LA Times back in 2011: "in the end, i became [Banksy's] biggest work of art."
🤔
Too Fast
Kllo
Released: 2017
Don't give up on us just yet
Full of doubt, full of regret
Love, we can do better than this
See, I hope you see
Kllo is at the perfect intersection of UK garage and R&B. i’ve featured several of their songs before because top to bottom this album is amazing. this is the perfect partner if you’re feeling broody, moody, or generally in your feels
every time i listen to this project, i think about the time Veronica, Ethan, and i watched them back in 2018. i love love love how music can be enable time travel:
there was a point in time where i was that guy recording and taking pics at shows. i wouldn’t even look at the footage, but it somehow brought me peace that i have evidence of a memory that would eventually fade away. now i just live in the moment and let the vibes flow through!