With the Shifts, Kajillionaire, and Black Movie
Featuring a podcast with rapper YOUNGMORPHEUS.
Welcome to the thirty-third installation of The Q : your one-stop weekly newsletter of culture recommendations.
BEFORE YOU CONTINUE….As The Q expands, we are looking for more people to join our wonderful team! If you are interested, please check out the slide deck below detailing the various roles and experiences open for applications.
Album
With the Shifts by maassai
maassai’s newest project, With the Shifts, is a beautiful and soulful masterpiece that pushes beyond her typical style into something more complex. While maassai has always been an incredible lyricist, in the past her projects have been looser and more free-flowing. With her newest project, maassai crafts a tighter narrative which adds a cohesiveness that elevates every song on the project.
Film
Kajillionaire directed by Miranda July
Whether it’s the strange, bubbly pink soap that occasionally leaks out of their living space, or the dream-like, sun-lit dance that Old Dolio does in one of the last scenes of the film, Kajillionaire feels like one of those cinematic installations at art museums you enter a dark room to view. These visual anecdotes are only enhanced by the film’s entrancing soundtrack, composed by Emile Mosseri, who also scored The Last Black Man in San Francisco and Minari.
Book
Black Movie by Danez Smith
A finalist and recipient of numerous literary awards, Smith is a modern prodigy that our generation is fortunate enough to witness. Their work, Black Movie, digs deep into the core of Black misrepresentation in the media. They discuss police brutality and the visual exploitation of Black people in its many forms. However, Smith also rewrites the script because this movie is not what it should be.
Playlist
Claire’s “apali spring 2021” features Rina Sawayama, pH-1, and Miso
Claire’s favorite track: “EXCUSES” by Ande Estrella
Description: “APALI is a program through Penn's Pan-Asian American Community House (commonly known as PAACH) that brings together Asian or Pacific Islander identifying students across campus. A way we've tried to build community through the program virtually is to share music with each other, and it just happens to be that our classes have had banger music taste. Our cohort is a big fan of Rina Sawayama, so check out her entire discography on the playlist.”
Podcast
Episode #33: Dr. Pepper and an Interview with YUNGMORPHEUS
On this week's episode, Sam and Teresa interview rapper YUNGMORPHEUS over a glass of Dr. Pepper. Colby Campbell, otherwise known as YUNGMORPHEUS, is an LA-based rapper who continuously pushes the boundaries of originality and lyricism. States of Precarity, released on January 8, 2021, is YUNGMORPHEUS' newest album. YUNGMORPHEUS talks to Teresa and Sam about his college experiences, working solo on projects, and the importance of family.
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