Explore every episode of the podcast Reel Notes w/ CineMasai
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armand Hammer (billy woods x E L U C I D) [Take 2] | S5 Episode 40 | 05 Nov 2025 | 01:33:19 | |
If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (BUY IT THROUGH A WEB BROWSER OR THE PATREON ANDROID APP, NOT VIA THE PATREON iOS APP. YOU'LL GET CHARGED EXTRA MONEY AND IT WILL TAKE LONGER TO PROCESS.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk movie night archives, and more! My guests this week are New York-via-DC rapper billy woods and Queens rapper-producer E L U C I D, otherwise known as Armand Hammer. In their Take Two episode, we spoke about One Battle After Another, the relationship between Hollywood and the state, the Zambian dark comedy On Becoming A Guinea Fowl, the Anthony Hopkins-starring Magic, their recent LA release show, and the creative process behind their latest album Mercy. Come fuck with us. Mercy will be available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen on Friday, November 7. Pre-order the album via Bandcamp or the Backwoodz Studioz website now. Follow Armand Hammer on Instagram and Twitter: @ArmandHammerNYC. Follow E L U C I D on Instagram (@cobratoof) and Twitter (@elucidwho). Follow woods on Instagram (@backwoodzstudioz) and Twitter (@BackwoodzHipHop). Read my profile of Backwoodz, How billy woods's Backwoodz Studioz Became New York's Best Underground Rap Label, via Pitchfork. My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. | |||
| Wino Willy x FOHDH Matthew | S5 Episode 39 | 29 Oct 2025 | 02:29:12 | |
If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (BUY IT THROUGH A WEB BROWSER OR THE PATREON ANDROID APP, NOT VIA THE PATREON iOS APP. YOU'LL GET CHARGED EXTRA MONEY AND IT WILL TAKE LONGER TO PROCESS.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk movie night archives, and more! My guests this week are New Orelans-via-Philadelphia producer Wino Willy and Philadelphia rapper FOHDH Matthew. We spoke about One Battle After Another, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Power Rangers, Bad Boys, Belly, their respective paths through hip-hop and Philly, mixing the fly with the thoughtful and Black liberation theology, working with Backwoodz, and the creative process behind their collaborative album Matthew Gets Sick Of Cheap Wine and Prefers Gruaud-Larose 1945. Come fuck with us. Matthew Gets Sick Of Cheap Wine and Prefers Gruaud-Larose 1945 is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping it directly via the Grilchy Party Bandcamp. Follow Wino Willy on Instagram (@winowilly), Twitter (@winowilly_), and TikTok (@winovision). Follow Matthew on Instagram: @fohdhmatthew. My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. | |||
| GDP | S5 Episode 30 | 27 Aug 2025 | 02:25:26 | |
If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (Buy it through a web browser and not the Patreon app. You'll get charged extra if you purchase through the app.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk archives, and more! My guest this week is New Jersey-born rapper, producer, director, and humanitarian, GDP. We spoke about Clive Barker’s Nightbreed, the magic of independent movie theaters, Solaris, Highest 2 Lowest, Kids, coming up as a rapper and skater in New Jersey, navigating the blog era, looking back on his old music, reflecting on his decade-long break, co-directing a documentary about rapper Tame One, and the creative process behind he and Fatboi Sharif’s EP Endocrine, out now via Fused Arrow Records. Come fuck with us. Endocrine is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from GDP's Bandcamp. Follow GDP on Instagram and Twitter: @g6d6p6. Follow Fused Arrow Records on Instagram and Twitter: @fusedarrowrecs My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. | |||
| Walasia Shabazz | S3 Episode 31 | 13 Sep 2023 | 02:20:36 | |
My guest this week is California-based journalist, artist manager, A&R, curator, chef, and musician Walasia Shabazz. We spoke about Kelis’ Cooking with Cannabis, growing up around Hollywood royalty, her family’s roots in film and music, her love for Star Wars and Almost Famous, cheffing for your favorite rappers, her journey through the worlds of music journalism and music management, her relationship with the late MF DOOM, the art of service, and more stories and anecdotes than I can count. | |||
| Yoh | S3 Episode 30 | 06 Sep 2023 | 01:42:44 | |
My guest this week is New York rapper Yoh. We spoke about the Portugese show Sintonia, City of God, Bottoms, our mutual love for anime and Hayao Miyazaki, the pros and cons of listing your favorite music or movies, his comeup as a solo act and his role in the band Poetic Thrust, linking with producer and musician CARRTOONS, and the creative process behind his 2016 solo project Tales Over Tea and Mirrors, his 2022 collab with CARRTOONS. | |||
| SKECH185 | S3 Episode 29 | 30 Aug 2023 | 01:49:34 | |
My guest this week is Chicago rapper SKECH185. We spoke about Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Bardo, They Cloned Tyrone, his love for A League of Their Own, Juice, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, how his passion for drawing eventually mingled with his passion for rapping, a brief history of Chicago hip-hop and of the Tomorrow Kings collective, the benefits of regionalism in rap music, his history with Backwoodz Studioz, and the creative process behind his latest album He Left Nothing For The Swim Back, produced entirely by Jeff Markey. | |||
| Rhys Langston | S3 Episode 28 | 23 Aug 2023 | 01:57:21 | |
My guest this week is Los Angeles-based rapper, producer, poet, teacher, and multi-instrumentalist Rhys Langston. We spoke about kung-fu films, Warrior, Jet Li, The Matrix, Monty Python & The Holy Grail, the nature of meta-narratives, balancing entertainment with knowledge, pulling inspiration from Migos and others, and the creative process behind his latest project To Operate This System, produced by Pioneer 11. | |||
| Fatboi Sharif x Steel Tipped Dove Live from LoudMouth in Brooklyn, NY | S3 Episode 27 | 16 Aug 2023 | 01:30:04 | |
My guests for the first edition of Reel Notes Live!, recorded at Loudmouth Records in Brooklyn, NY, are New Jersey rapper Fatboi Sharif and New York producer/engineer/label head Steel Tipped Dove. We spoke about Oppenheimer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the Amazon Prime show Patriot, how film scores and directors inspired Sharif’s writing style, creating images with their words and beats, and the creative process behind their collaborative album Decay. | |||
| Reg Mason | S3 Episode 26 | 09 Aug 2023 | 01:59:46 | |
My guest this week is New Jersey rapper and multi-instrumentalist Reg Mason. We spoke about The Bear, Shameless, Oppenheimer, the 2006 comedy Accepted, the art of bootleg DVDs, how School of Rock inspired him to start making music, finding his love for hardcore punk and blog-era hip-hop, the importance of representing New Jersey in his music, keeping an open musical mind as you grow older, and the creative process behind his debut album TESTDRIVE’. | |||
| Joy Postell | S3 Episode 25 | 19 Jul 2023 | 01:22:52 | |
My guest this week is Baltimore-born singer, songwriter, and creative director Joy Postell. We spoke about Netflix’s Ginny & Georgia, The Dark Knight, Stomp The Yard, Love & Basketball, Remember The Titans, her time doing theater in school, finding herself as a solo artist in Los Angeles, how Baltimore, Los Angeles, and New York have influenced her music, the pointlessness of the modern R&B debate, and the creative process behind her 2018 breakout Diaspora and The Magician, the first in a series of EPs she plans on releasing this year. | |||
| Father | S3 Episode 24 | 12 Jul 2023 | 01:32:48 | |
My guest this week is Atlanta rapper, producer, director, and founder of Awful Records, Father. We spoke about From, Swordfish, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, Dogma, Comedy Central movies,bad dreadlock wigs, the origins of Awful Records, how he creates like a film director, using AI to augment the “Oxenfree” video, and the creative process behind his last two projects Young Hot Ebony 2 and Hu$band 2. | |||
| Radamiz | S3 Episode 23 | 05 Jul 2023 | 01:54:12 | |
My guest this week is LA-via-New York rapper Radamiz. We spoke about The Idol, Atlanta, Dave, the Dominican horror film Andrea: The Revenge of The Spirit, his journey through hip-hop, his feelings on religion, mortality, and community, and the creative process behind his latest project 2409 West Slauson. | |||
| Chester Watson | S3 Episode 22 | 28 Jun 2023 | 01:42:17 | |
My guest this week is Atlanta-via-St. Louis rapper-producer Chester Watson. We spoke about Playstation 2 emulators, Snowfall, Everything Everywhere All At Once, Beau is Afraid, The Wiz, films of the New French Extremity movement, longevity in music, being inspired by the modern underground, how his approach to writing has changed over the last decade, the art of the concept album, and the creative process behind his latest album Fish Don’t Climb Trees. | |||
| Elsie Not Elise (Elsie Ahachi) | S5 Episode 29 | 20 Aug 2025 | 01:47:04 | |
If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (Buy it through a web browser and not the Patreon app. You'll get charged extra if you purchase through the app.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk archives, and more! My guest this week is Toronto-based music journalist, critic, tastemaker, and filmmaker Elsie Ahachi. We spoke about Tyler Perry’s Straw, War of The Worlds, Weapons, Sinners, the work of Spike Lee, how she went from studying computer science to music content creation, the music journalism landscape, the difference between a journalist, influencer, and content creator, and the creative process behind her debut documentary, Toronto’s Best Kept Secret: Meet Dylan Sinclair, available to watch now on YouTube. Come fuck with us. Toronto’s Best Kept Secret: Meet Dylan Sinclair is out now on YouTube. Follow Elsie on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @elsienotelise My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. | |||
| Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon | S3 Episode 21 | 21 Jun 2023 | 01:34:00 | |
My guest this week is North Carolina rapper Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon of Melanated People. We spoke about John Wick, marathoning every movie in the Ip Man series in one sitting, a long, winding trip through the movies that defined his childhood and adolescence, how meeting Slim Thug, Paul Wall, and Mike Jones inspired him to take music seriously, finding his voice as a rapper, the benefits of one-producer collabs, the pros and cons of turning 30 in rap, and the creative process behind his latest album Highly Favored. | |||
| Kelly Moonstone (Live from Pirate Studios) | S3 Episode 20 | 14 Jun 2023 | 01:46:30 | |
My guest this week is Queens singer, rapper, and producer Kelly Moonstone. We spoke about anime like Mashle, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, and The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., the Goosebumps books, relating to Dory’s neurodivergence in Finding Dory, creating music as The Afr0dite, transitioning to Kelly Moonstone, working with Navy Blue and Jah-Monte Ogbon, and the creative process behind her latest project I Digress… | |||
| R.A.P. Ferreira | S3 Episode 19 | 07 Jun 2023 | 01:35:12 | |
My guest this week is Nashville-based rapper, producer, record store owner, and founder of Ruby Yacht…R.A.P. Ferreira. We spoke about the Netflix series From, the horror genre, getting desensitized to violence, Batman, Beetlejuice, Embrace of The Serpent, The Taste of Tea, the power of music while traveling, how an experience on shrooms changed his outlook on his own music, the difference between his milo and R.A.P. Ferreira personae, the legacy of Ruby Yacht, and the creative process behind his latest album 5 to the Eye with Stars. Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) | |||
| Cisco Swank | S3 Episode 18 | 31 May 2023 | 01:26:00 | |
My guest this week is Brooklyn rapper, producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Cisco Swank. We spoke about meeting at Pitchfork Festival, Snowfall, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Akira, The Incredibles, Inception, the magic of movie scores and soundtracks, what the piano means to him, the relationship between jazz, rap, and gospel, and the creative process behind his debut solo album More Better. | |||
| Kari Faux (Live from Pirate Studios) | S3 Episode 17 | 24 May 2023 | 01:13:19 | |
My guest this week is Arkansas rapper, singer, producer, and designer Kari Faux. We spoke about How To Blow Up A Pipeline, both film versions of The Lion King, Molly Shannon’s Superstar, Kill Bill, why she prefers watching TV shows to movies, how living in Arkansas influenced her music taste, reflecting on “No Small Talk” nearly a decade later, the value of independence, and the creative process behind her latest album Real B*tches Don’t Die. | |||
| Dart Adams | S3 Episode 16 | 17 May 2023 | 02:13:40 | |
My guest this week is Boston-based journalist, archivist, author, A&R, and lecturer Dart Adams. We spoke about the Amazon Prime series The Power, the WGA writer’s strike, Y: The Last Man, Infinity Train, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, the phenomenon of cult films, the impermanence of streaming, how the internet has reshaped ideas of nostalgia and memory, and the importance of physical archiving and being outside to experience history. | |||
| AJ Suede | S3 Episode 15 | 10 May 2023 | 02:07:58 | |
My guest this week is Seattle-via-New York rapper-producer AJ Suede. We spoke about Beef, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the Nintendo Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Spike Lee’s Bamboozled, growing up in New York, establishing himself in Seattle, his journey through independent music, linking with R.A.P. Ferrira to form the duo G’s Us, similarities between rappers and journalists, and the creative process behind Parthian Shots, his latest collab with the producer Televangel. | |||
| JELEEL! | S3 Episode 14 | 03 May 2023 | 01:11:39 | |
My guest for our 100th episode is California-via-Rhode Island rapper and singer JELEEL! We spoke about The Matrix, The Truman Show, Honey, I Shurnk The Kids, wrestling, similarities between wrestling and music, catching that can of Sprite at Rolling Loud, growing up on Rhode Island, what his own planet would look like, wanting to showcase his range as an artist, and the creative process behind his debut album REAL RAW! | |||
| Samurai Banana | S3 Episode 13 | 26 Apr 2023 | 01:59:36 | |
*TW: suicide, self-harm* | |||
| NOLAN (fka Nolan The Ninja) | S3 Episode 12 | 19 Apr 2023 | 01:40:15 | |
My guest this week is Detroit rapper, producer, photographer, and manager NOLAN (fka Nolan The Ninja). We spoke about Snowfall, Cocaine Bear, Batman & Robin, Belly, the magic of drive-in theaters, his transition from boom-bap to more vibey music, how the pandemic stalled his momentum, developing SPORTCAST by getting into photography and artist management, and the creative process behind his latest album don’t get TOO excited. | |||
| Cleo Reed | S5 Episode 28 | 13 Aug 2025 | 01:41:19 | |
If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (Buy it through a web browser and not the Patreon app. You'll get charged extra if you purchase through the app.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk archives, and more! My guest this week is New York singer, songwriter, producer, composer, rapper, and multidisciplinary artist, Cleo Reed. We spoke about local independent movie theaters, Sinners, the French-Canadian drama Incendies, the documentaries Ascension and Time, making their debut album Root Cause, evolving into a multidisciplinary artist, traditions of Black American folk, country, blues, and R&B, and the creative process behind their latest album Cuntry. Come fuck with us. Cuntry is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping directly from Cleo's Bandcamp page. Follow Cleo on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @cleoforshort Read my Vinyl Me Please Rising profile of Cleo at the link. My first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon. | |||
| Phonte | S3 Episode 11 | 12 Apr 2023 | 01:52:06 | |
My guest this week is North Carolina rapper, writer, composer, and podcast host Phonte. We spoke about Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Ted Lasso, Prince’s Purple Rain, acting as an extra in The Color Purple, A Soldier’s Story, putting on for North Carolina, his evolution from Little Brother to his solo work, making May The Lord Watch: The Little Brother Story with Rap Portraits, and how his time in music has translated to a career in voiceover, podcasting, and writing songs for movies and television. 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!
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| deem spencer | S3 Episode 10 | 05 Apr 2023 | 01:29:26 | |
My guest this week is Queens-based rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer deem spencer. We spoke about Natasha Lyonne’s Poker Face, watching movies by yourself vs. with other people, Chris Rock’s Down To Earth, Baby Boy, how Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory changed his life, his debut project sunflower, taking constructive criticism, what it means to be an album artist in 2023, trusting his circle of collaborators, and the creative process behind his latest album adult sw!m | |||
| Ché Noir | S3 Episode 9 | 22 Mar 2023 | 01:42:26 | |
My guest this week is Buffalo, NY rapper, producer, and designer Ché Noir. We spoke about the Creed series, Ozark, Imitation of Life, Carlito’s Way, binging TV shows vs. watching them weekly, why Lauryn Hill and Nas are among her favorite storytellers, coming up under Benny The Butcher and 38 Spesh, a handful of her best storytelling songs, how she almost quit rap music before she truly began, and the creative process behind her latest project Noir or Never, produced entirely by Big Ghost Ltd. | |||
| Liv.e | S3 Episode 8 | 15 Mar 2023 | 01:37:24 | |
My guest this week is Texas singer-rapper-producer Liv.e. We spoke about Reasonable Doubt, CB4, the legacy of Charlie Murphy, Team America: World Police, Eve’s Bayou, Jason’s Lyric, Toni Morrison’s Beloved, the work of Ari Aster, our favorite rap comedy skits, how she was inspired by the horror film Ganja & Hess, and the creative process behind her latest album Girl In The Half Pearl. 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!
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| Nappy Nina | S3 Episode 7 | 08 Mar 2023 | 01:10:30 | |
My guest this week is Oakland rapper and co-founder of the label Lucid Haus, Nappy Nina. We spoke about touring Australia for the first time, the perfect grilled cheese, the 2022 Oscar nominees, Flubber, Jumanji, Medicine for Melancholy, how The Fugees’ The Score changed her life, how her name translates to international audiences, how COVID impacted her creativity, and the creative process behind her latest album Mourning Due. | |||
| Lucille Ghatti | S3 Episode 6 | 01 Mar 2023 | 02:11:09 | |
My guest this week is singer, rapper, and designer Lucille Ghatti. We spoke about Run Sweetheart Run, Mo’nique, horror movies, Song of The South, Cleopatra, Elvis, singing in the choir, her musical journey from the blog era to now, the pros and cons of being ahead of the curve, her relationship to plugg&b, and the creative process behind her latest album Tears of A Clown, produced entirely by Popstar Benny. | |||
| ANKHLEJOHN/Lordy | S3 Episode 5 | 22 Feb 2023 | 02:12:54 | |
My guest this week is D.C. rapper and label head ANKHLEJOHN. We spoke about Power, 50 Cent’s legacy as a rapper and a TV producer, Lightyear, reliving his favorite movies through his son’s eyes, how go-go music inspired his rapping style, the history of his Shaap Records label, the power of being yourself on record, and the creative process behind several of his albums, including he and producer Look Damien!’s latest collab The Dead Don’t Die. | |||
| Rasheed Chappell | S3 Episode 4 | 15 Feb 2023 | 01:33:35 | |
My guest this week is New Jersey rapper Rasheed Chappell. We spoke about Everything Everywhere All At Once, It’s A Wonderful Life, seeing Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back with his late father, how movies play to both escapism and reality, New Jersey’s place in hip-hop, the relationship between New Jersey and New York, his early career, why praise from your friends hits different, and the creative process behind his latest album A Portrait Of, produced by Little Vic. | |||
| Radicule | S3 Episode 3 | 08 Feb 2023 | 01:42:05 | |
My guest this week is New York producer, rapper, and writer Radicule. We spoke about anime—specifically Chainsaw Man, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Cowboy Bebop—The Banshees of Inisherin and the work of Colin Farrell, Undercover Brother, A Goofy Movie, SMACK DVD, his producer newsletter Thoughts Beyond The DAW, similarities between music and journalism, and the creative process behind his S-Rank Slaps beat tape series. | |||
| Suzi Analogue | S3 Episode 2 | 01 Feb 2023 | 01:16:18 | |
My guest this week is producer, rapper, DJ, professor, label head, and cultural ambassador Suzi Analogue. We spoke about the adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Kindred, Spike Lee’s Malcolm X, Menace II Society, The Color Purple, Ice Spice, teaching hip-hop at a college level, finding meaning in music, and the process behind her latest album Infinite Zonez. | |||
| Dan-O & Keith Rollins of Freemusicempire & State of The Game | S5 Episode 27 | 06 Aug 2025 | 02:07:28 | |
If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (Buy it through a web browser and not the Patreon app. You'll get charged extra if you purchase through the app.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk archives, and more! My guests this week are Dan-O and Keith Rollins, the co-hosts of Freemusicempire’s State of The Game podcast. We spoke about the Billy Joel documentary, Fantastic Four: First Steps, Superman, Megalopolis, Terminator, Ikaru, how Dan-O built Freemusicempire into a blog, meeting Keith and developing State of The Game, their growth, being a part of the indie rap podcast community, their creative process, and their upcoming New York showcase, happening at Young Ethel’s in Brooklyn on Friday, August 15. Come fuck with us. Meet Freemusicempire live in New York at their debut showcase, featuring Nappy Nina, SKECH185, August Fanon, shemar, & more. Tickets are $10 and are available at the door of Young Ethel's in Brooklyn the day-of starting at 8:30PM. Listen to State of The Game wherever you get your podcasts, and join the Freemusicempire Patreon for access to exclusive articles and episodes about all things music. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with American immigrants against ICE and the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, The Zakat Foundation, 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! | |||
| MIKE (with special guest Sideshow) | S3 Episode 1 (Season 3 premiere) | 25 Jan 2023 | 01:36:40 | |
My guest for the season 3 premiere is New York-based rapper-producer MIKE. We spoke about Park Chan-wook, Skinamarink, Nigerian cinema, Paid In Full, Belly, the importance of tragedy in art, growing up in London, Philly, and New York, healing, a brief retrospective on his career, and the creative process behind his last two albums Disco! and Beware of The Monkey. 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!
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| WifiGawd | S2 Episode 46 (Season 2 finale) | 30 Dec 2022 | 01:22:10 | |
My last guest of the season is D.C.-based rapper-producer WifiGawd. We spoke about Tubi’s exhaustive selection of hood classics, the Sticky Fingaz rap opera, the impact of movies like Beat Street and Princess Mononoke had on him, the pros and cons of civil rights movies, his love for martial arts movies, his earliest concert memories, producing for himself vs. producing for others, and the creative process behind several of his best songs of the year. | |||
| Koncept Jack$on | S2 Episode 45 | 29 Dec 2022 | 01:29:06 | |
My next guest is Virginia rapper-producer Koncept Jack$on. We spoke about the Avatar movies, reality TV, Black sitcoms of the 90s, Lovecraft Country, coming up on Big L, Kool G Rap, and early 2000s freestyles, the importance of video game soundtracks, perfecting his flows, the art of stretching a rhyme scheme to its breaking point, and the creative process behind his latest project HTR Vol. 1: The Legend of Tawny Tone. | |||
| Lungs/Lonesword x Phiik | S2 Episode 44 | 28 Dec 2022 | 01:58:27 | |
My guests this week are New York rapper-producers Lungs and Phiik. We spoke about NBA Street, Ghost in the Shell, transhumanism, The Digimon Movie, growing up on Long Island, how they joined up with East Grip, their working relationship, how movies inspire Lungs’s beats as LoneSword, the creative process behind their Another Planet series, Phiik’s latest album Chainlink, and their now infamous appearance on Top Shelf Premium’s Off Top freestyle series. | |||
| Mars Kumari | S2 Episode 43 | 21 Dec 2022 | 01:56:28 | |
My guest this week is California-based producer and archivist Mars Kumari. We spoke about Squishmallows, Xavier: Renegade Angel, the timelessness of Adult Swim, the Earl Sweatshirt short film Nowhere, Nobody, piracy, how her transition influenced the way she creates music, the pros and cons of musical archiving, and the creative process behind a handful of her projects, including her upcoming album I Thought I Lost You. | |||
| Contour | S2 Episode 42 | 14 Dec 2022 | 01:42:02 | |
My guest this week is South Carolina-born producer, vocalist, and composer Contour. We took a critical look at Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and the MCU and spoke about The Brave Little Toaster, the 2001 Japanese film Pulse, the pros and cons of Letterboxd, the art of film scoring, combining sample-based beats and traditional instruments to find his sound, and the creative process behind his latest album Onwards! | |||
| Fly Anakin (Take 2) | S2 Episode 41 | 07 Dec 2022 | 02:25:13 | |
My guest this week is Atlanta-via-Richmond rapper, producer, and co-founder of Mutant Academy, Fly Anakin—our first returning guest in 80 episodes. We spoke about fashion shows, identity in hip-hop, the ending of Atlanta, being an introvert, working through anxiety, food, the creative process behind his latest album Frank and Skinemaxxx, his upcoming full-length with producer Foisey, and more stories than I can count. 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!
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| Gat$ | S2 Episode 40 | 30 Nov 2022 | 02:18:15 | |
My guest this week is Florida-based rapper and producer Gat$. We spoke about money, songs in movie trailers, a spoiler-filled breakdown of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the malleability of horror, making music videos based on his favorite movies, building his career and rebuilding it from the ground up twice, a brief tour of his discography, and the creative process behind his latest albums Robbed and 2 Much 2 Robb and his upcoming compilation album Robbers. | |||
| Psalm One | S2 Episode 39 | 23 Nov 2022 | 01:33:29 | |
My guest this week is Chicago-born rapper, author, writer, chemist, and activist Psalm One. We spoke about Abbot Elementary, The Muppets, growing up as the child of a journalist, when older favorite movies don’t age well, how chemistry applies to real life, the #BoycottRhymesayers movement, battle rap, and the creative processes behind her latest album Bigg Perrm and her memoir Her Word Is Bond: Navigating Hip-Hop and Relationships in A Culture of Misogyny. | |||
| gum.mp3 (fka Dirty Bird) | S2 Episode 38 | 16 Nov 2022 | 01:31:01 | |
My guest this week is Virginia-based producer, DJ, animator, and director Dirty Bird. We spoke about The Bear, Drive My Car, Austin Powers, the work of Maasakai Yuasa, the beauty of animation, our love for anime, how racism and orientalism can ruin your favorite movies, creating his own animation studio, how Chief Keef and Odd Future inspired him, his journey through rap and dance music, and the creative process behind his latest project Wagenmuzik. Wagenmuzik is available wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Gum Animation Studios is hard at work on their debut feature. Read more about the studio here. Follow Dirty Bird on Instagram and Twitter: @dirtybird0_o Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), and Letterboxd (@CineMasai) | |||
| Brian Kwon (Genius Loci live interview) | S5 Episode 26 | 30 Jul 2025 | 01:36:56 | |
Join me and special guest Navy Blue on Saturday, August 30 at Loudmouth in Brooklyn, for the ninth iteration of Reel Talk, a Reel Notes movie night. We'll be screening the 1999 animated sci-fi drama The Iron Giant and talking about his latest album, Memoirs in Armour. Tickets and more info here. If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (Buy it through a web browser and not the Patreon app. You'll get charged extra if you purchase through the app.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk archives, and more! This week’s episode is a bit different than usual: it’s a playback of my conversation with California visual artist Brian Kwon held during the opening week of Genius Loci, his first-ever art exhibit. We spoke about his upbringing, musical tastes, entrance to the world of indie rap, the process of drawing rap shows in real-time, and a handful of the pieces that lined the walls that night, including work featuring billy woods, ShrapKnel, Conductor Williams, and more. Brian and I will be recording a more traditional episode of Reel Notes sometime down the line, but for now, come fuck with us. Follow Brian on Instagram (@beekay.art), subscribe to his Substack, and check out his Linktree to stay tapped in with all things Brian. Reel Notes stands in solidarity with American immigrants against ICE and the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, The Zakat Foundation, 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! | |||
| Wiki | S2 Episode 37 | 09 Nov 2022 | 01:35:01 | |
My guest this week is New York rapper Wiki. We spoke about Smile, the Netflix documentary Descent, the early work of Martin Scorsese and Harvey Keitel, the musical and cultural diversity of New York, being consistent over a decade-long career, a selection of his best songs, starting out young, being ahead of your time and paying it forward for the next generation, and the creative processes behind his last two albums—the Navy Blue-produced Half God and the Subjxct 5-produced Cold Cuts. | |||
| Mavi | S2 Episode 36 | 02 Nov 2022 | 01:20:47 | |
My guest this week is North Carolina rapper and regular human Mavi. We spoke about The Woman King, Bullet Train, Nope, Paid In Full, Menace II Society, Lilo & Stitch, discovering music through video games and movies, the creative process behind his latest project Laughing so Hard, it Hurts, how producers monte booker, Wulf Morpheus, and Dylvinci helped bring the vision together, processing emotions and manhood, and why he feels his music is innocent. | |||
| Wulf Morpheus | S2 Episode 35 | 26 Oct 2022 | 01:30:30 | |
My guest this week is producer Wulf Morpheus. We spoke about all things anime—our old and new favorites, the impact of Toonami, anime’s growing presence in pop culture, and its mix with hip-hop culture—Max Keeble’s Big Move, Disney Adventure magazine,Cartoon Network, the lo-fi aesthetic, being inspired by every form of rap music, why Knxwledge is a GOAT’d producer, his placements with Chuck Strangers and Mavi, his Instagram clips, and his general creative approach to making beats. | |||