Reel Notes w/ CineMasai

Episode 36: Dana J.

My guest this week is Florida-via-New Jersey producer, DJ, and teacher Dana J. We spoke about Squid Game, Disney movies, chiptune music, growing up in northern New Jersey, how scoring a documentary changed his perspective on music, how being a DJ has informed his work as a producer, the art and skill of creating a compilation album, and the process and concept behind his latest project Commercials.Commercials is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen.  Consider copping from his Bandcamp page here.Follow Dana J on Instagram and Twitter (@danajdaily)Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)  Support the show

Episode 35: Sovren

My guest this week is St.Louis-based producer Sovren. We spoke about BMF and the 50 Cent Cinematic Universe, Dexter, Weeds, M. Night Shyamalan’s Devil, moving from playing the violin to beat-making, her history with Limewire, being inspired by the worldbuilding on Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), her production process, her growing discography, and linking with Westside Gunn and Griselda to create the sleeper hit song “Hell On Earth pt. 2.”"Hell On Earth pt. 2" from Westside Gunn's Hitler Wears Hermes 8: Side B is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Listen to/purchase beats from Sovren's Traktrain page here.  Check out Sovren's Bandcamp page here.Follow Sovren on Instagram (@theonlysovren) annd Twitter (@sovren_) Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)  Support the show

Episode 34: Jeff Weiss

My guest this week is journalist, author, record label head, and founder of blog Passion of The Weiss Jeff Weiss. We spoke about a lot, including Succession, The Sopranos, the lack of comedies in Hollywood, why Field of Dreams makes him cry, his extensive history as a music journalist, and the value of using POW, his print publication theLAnd, and his record label POW Recordings to put on for the best of hip-hop and journalism’s rising talent. Visit Passion of The Weiss here and check out the latest issue of theLAnd here.Follow Jeff on Instagram and Twitter: @passionweissFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)  Support the show

Episode 33: ToBy

My guest this week is Florida-born rapper, producer, singer, songwriter, and content creator ToBy. We spoke about Netflix, anime, Cowboy Bebop, the filmography of Andy Samberg, cancel culture, the legacies of Childish Gambino and Odd Future, mainstream rap’s renewed interest in the pop-punk aesthetic, genre-blending, his varied musical background, his work for BuzzFeed, and the creative process behind his latest album L’esprit.L'esprit is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Follow ToBy on Instagram and Twitter: @itstobyseasonFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) Support the show

Episode 32: Quadry

My guest this week is Baton Rouge rapper Quadry. We spoke about PinkPanthress, You, The Sopranos, New Jersey Drive, how film has influenced his storytelling, Lil Wayne, Chief Keef, gentrification, the pros and cons of living the hood, working with the producer Tuamie, the art of the concept album, and the creative process behind his latest album They Think We Ghetto.They Think We Ghetto is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing directly from his Bandcamp page here.Follow Quadry on Instagram (@quadrygives) and Twitter (@_QUAD)Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)      Support the show

Episode 31: Shea Serrano

My guest this week is journalist, author, podcast host, and former teacher Shea Serrano. We spoke about Dune, Shea’s love for Jean-Claude Van Damme, the original Mortal Kombat movie, and Jason Statham, why Above The Rim is the best movie soundtrack of all time, the indescribable perfection of Warren G and Nate Dogg’s Regulate, the process behind his latest book Hip-Hop (And Other Things), and the importance of establishing your own lane as a creative early in your career. Shea's latest book Hip-Hop (And Other Things) is available now wherever books are sold. Consider copping here. Donna-Claire Chesman's The Book of Mac: Remembering Mac Miller is available now wherever books are sold.  Consider copping here.Follow Shea Serrano on Instagram and Twitter: @SheaSerranoFollow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)     Support the show

Episode 30: Zilla Rocca

My guest this week is Philadelphia rapper, writer, member of the Wrecking Crew, and co-host of the Callout Culture podcast Zilla Rocca. We spoke about The Green Knight, Marvel Comics, the birth of superhero movies, the differences between seeing a movie in theaters pre-New Millenium and now, his relationship with Dr. Dre’s The Chronic, Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The 36 Chambers, and MF DOOM x Madlib’s Madvillainy, his beginnings as a rapper, growing the Wrecking Crew brand through music and podcasting, and his latest album Vegas Vic.Vegas Vic is available everywhere music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider buying directly from Chong Wizard's Bandcamp here.Follow Zilla on Twitter and Instagram (@ZillaRocca) Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)     Support the show

Episode 29: YUNGMORPHEUS

My guest this week is California-via-Florida rapper and producer YUNGMORPHEUS. We spoke about the differences between Florida and California, the HBO mini-series The Night Of, James and The Giant Peach, Spawn, the magic of the drive-in theater, how the anime Samurai Champloo put him onto the work of Nujabes and Fat Jon, working with Pink Siifu on Bag Talk, the ins-and-outs of being a rapper-producer, and his growing discography, including his latest project Affable With Pointed Teeth, produced by Eyedress for Lex Records.Affable With Pointed Teeth is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider purchasing directly from Bandcamp here. Follow YUNGMORPHEUS on Instagram (@yungmorpheus) and Twitter (@yungmorpheus44)Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)    Support the show

Episode 28: Navy Blue

My guest this week is rapper, producer, model, skateboarder, and graphic designer Navy Blue. We spoke about Sister Act 2, the Queen Latifah movie Beauty Shop, growing up on VHS tapes, being a goofball, Ghost of Tsushima, what makes a “conscious” rapper, how Ka, Earl Sweatshirt, and Alchemist have inspired his artistry, the difference between producing for yourself and producing for others, the creative process behind his last two albums Song of Sage: Post Panic and Navy’s Reprise, and more crazy stories and anecdotes than I can remember. Song of Sage: Post Panic and Navy's Reprise are both available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider buying Song of Sage directly from Navy's Bandcamp page and Navy's Reprise directly from his website. Follow Navy on Instagram (@sageelsesser) and Twitter (@navyduskwaygi) My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon.Join the Reel Notes Patreon today for as little as $5/month to get early access to episodes, our Discord server, exclusive bonus interviews and reviews, and more!Reel Notes stands in solidarity with the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund,  The Palestinian Youth Movement, Medical Aid for Palestinians, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti.  For information about contacting your representatives to demand a ceasefire, finding protests, and other tools, check out CeasefireToday!Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)Support the show

Episode 27: RaFia

My guest this week is New York rapper, singer, producer, and artist RaFia. We spoke about the legacy of Michael K. Williams, The White Lotus, our mutual love of IMAX and children’s movies, growing up with a filmmaker father, the importance of post-production sound effects, how her college career as an artist transitioned into taking music seriously, having an art piece broadcast on billboards in Times Square, and a handful of her various projects and singles.RaFia's music, including their latest single "Leave Me Alone," is available on Bandcamp. Consider listening/copping directly here.Follow RaFia on Instagram (@rafiasworld) and Twitter (@rafiaswrld)Follow Dylan "CineMasai" Green on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai)   Support the show