The Press Box - Ep. 246: Micah Peters and Rembert Browne Talk Migos and the Current State of Music

Episode Date: January 28, 2017

The Ringer’s Micah Peters is joined by New York magazine’s Rembert Browne to discuss the improbable Migos run (1:00) and the big projects they’re excited about in 2017, including albums by Gorillaz (15:45), Lorde (19:40), and Thundercat (22:25). They also cover some of their favorite new artists on the rise and the importance of seeing live music (26:10). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's going down? This is Michael Peters. I'm a staff writer at The Ringer, and today we are going to be discussing Migos primarily, but also just where the state of music is in the first quarter of 2017. And we need something fun to discuss,

being that everything is mostly terrible right now. And here with me, I have former Grant Landstaffer, Rimbab Brown. He used to trap out a subway. going on, man. I used to trap out of Quiznos. Actually. I should also mention that you are a writer at large for New York Magazine. That's true. That's just fact. That is what I do for a living. Hello, Micah. How are you? I'm doing okay. You know? Well, I mean, like, okay is actually kind of underselling and I'm phenomenal. I'm on top of the world because I spent all last night

listening to culture. Amigos album Yes Rain Drop Drop Drop Smoking on cooking a hot box It is out

It is I just heard You were just asked About two minutes ago How many good songs Are on the new album And you just said 13

There are 13 songs on the album Which is Micah's album Of culture It's good Listen to it That's my review So I guess before we just like start completely fanning out, like for the for the 2% of you that might not understand anything we're talking about right now, like why, how do we get to this Migos point? Basically, you have these three cousins from Gwinnett County north of FIglena.

No, sir. There is Cuevo. Yes. who is the oldest of the trio at 25, and he is Takeoff's uncle. Takeoff is 23, I believe. And then there's Offset, who is both of their first cousin. So, like, they're the, basically the synergy that you hear

where they, like, kind of finish each other's sentences and just kind of tack on to each other's melodies is because they grew up together and spent all their time together and started making music in the seventh grade. It's like what happens when each person's related to the other two four different ways. It's like you just finish these other sentences. It's like, I'm your cousin and your uncle. You know, I'm just like, we have kind of all the same DNA.

And you win at crazy AIDS all the time because you can read each other's minds. It's like it's, you know, it's perfect. The interesting thing with how we got to this point is that they've kind of survived three waves of industry setting trends. You know, like they were. in the Brick Squad factory with Gucci Main and Waka Flaqa and everybody else. And then they were on quality control and they saw

Travis Porter come and go. They saw... I mean, like, it's basically the point that they've gotten to now is more or less like the run that future had last year, I think. Yeah, I mean, Miko's was not... It was supposed to be gone by now.

Like, like, that... They were supposed to be, like, one of the blips on the radar when you tell the Atlanta oral history of hip hop like they'd get like a paragraph like three years ago

and now it's like there's still here and not here like even just getting to like Versace like that clearly like and then when Drake hopped on the on Versace Versace like clearly seemed like that was going to be

the high point of their career and after that it would just start to be like, you remember Migos, you were Migos flow, Migos flow, Migos flow, and then... But they're still here. Yeah, I mean, like, it was, it really is the comparison between future, well, the similarity between Future's arc and Vigo's Ark is, like, striking, just because they had seven full, full-length projects out before this, like, before Bad and Bougy, and, like, leading up

to March Madness, Future had, like, something like 10 projects. Oh yeah. It's... Future has like 200 songs that are no albums. Like there are songs that like Migos has has like a full album's worth of singles

of like singles that are very good that were just from from tapes that will never be on an album. Like I'm glad this didn't become like a repurpose because sometimes people do that whereas like they put out a couple mixtapes and then when it's time to put out the actual it's like a compilation.

It's a compilation. It's a compilation. of the last four years of songs. It's nice that you put this all in one place, but I already have a Spotify playlist with all this anyway, so I don't need... Cough Fettywop. But I gotta tell you,

like I gotta change this with you because I went to the culture album listening. And it was... Please tell me about this. It was the... One of the stranger things I've never been to an album listening like that before. First of all, it was more like a party

where the album just happened to be playing than it was like an album listening full stop. Which are the best, like those are, that's kind of how it should be like getting everyone awkwardly in one room where you feel that pressure to nod your head if the artist is not in their head. It's like, I guess we're all just gonna act like we're into this.

Like that shit is like very awkward. Just having a party, like that is so much better. But the setup is, was like, there was, you walk into, like it was at the ski lodge. walk into the radio station building and then it leads out into this courtyard and in the courtyard there is a chicken and waffle food truck chicken there are there's two lambos like Lamborghini of ventadores parked caddy cornered with the velvet rope around then one is highlighter orange and the other one is lime green this is incredible and then on the opposite side of the courtyard

there was like this other truck that was more or less the bar oh Okay. Okay. But I just need to set the seat of like how they pulled up because they pull up in a bright yellow Bentley truck. Okay. Cuevo's Bentley truck. Shout out to two chains, popularizing Bentley trucks in America. This is, you play where you win a Bentley truck.

Okay, so anyway, Cuevo walks in first, then offset. And then Kylie Jenner. Yes. Tiger. Boom. Jerica, young thugs, fiance. Oh, I love Jerica. I love you, Jericho.

Shout out, Ms. Thugger. Then takeoff, followed in the procession by one Johnny Manzo. Bha-Fer-Ber-Buh, football. It was honestly exactly what you think, what you think the culture of album listening would look like. That's the culture. It is the culture. Jerica take off and John, and John. County Football back at one, two, three.

Okay, but we need to talk about the other albums that we're excited about that are coming out this year. Can I say one thing? Yeah, go ahead, please. And I do think that I'm completely fine with, there's just so many Migos thoughts and they're just going to pop up over and over again. But I do need to give them credit for like the strides they have made. they're all better rappers than they were like two or three years ago like Cuevo is like

in my mind is incredible but they've all gotten really good and I one thing I do like about them that most groups have not incorporated is that they seem to take turns getting like the big verse this song

and there was a moment where Cuevo was beginning to adopt this almost like from the public side like almost like a Beyonce type thing where people are like, yo, when's Quoibor just gonna go solo and leave these other two behind type thing because all his verses were just like

he had the best verse every single time like boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom and he was beginning to do features for other people like his verse on champions Versal champions, the verse on pick up the phone his votes in Minnesota like I mean they're all they're all just

I love my Motorola I love my Motorola I love my Motorola It's cold but I got my shirt His verses are crazy. Like he, he often drops references to Tom Joyner, which I always appreciate. But, like, on bad and bougie,

like, he does not have the main bridge. Seeds controlled offset. Yeah. You know, on, and he doesn't do the hooks every time. Like, like, on call casting. Then on T-shirt, like. T-shirt, he splits the hook with. takeoff and gives him gives takeoff the biggest first I think I think part of their success

is that like they're they're almost incorporating a very democratic boy band mentality where it's like yeah like sometimes Nick Carter gets that hot first but sometimes it's Brian and sometimes it's Kevin it's like Cuevo's not Timberlake so I think that does have something to do with their success and then also like their video that are just getting incredible. Better and better, better. It's like the fact that the t-shirt video with all the furs and them in the fur trap

and everybody's carrying a spear is one of the most giffable videos. It's incredible. Just the fact that like you got takeoff in a full bear pelt. It's just like stomping around Tahoe or wherever they are. Stomping around talking about the pocket rocket. Like Cuevo.

Shooting a bow and arrow. Yeah, shooting the bone air. It's so good. It is, please. watch it, I've watched it hundreds, if not on the side of like a thousand times by now. You know that those times where you see like a YouTube video, you see the views, and then you begin to think about like what fraction of those are just yours alone? I feel like whatever, wherever t-shirt is, probably in the tens of millions, like we're at at least one percent just to a bus of all the, because there was one point before it was on Spotify where I just had it in a very small. screen in the corner of my work laptop,

show I New Year magazine, my employers. And I was just, I made a YouTube playlist of it just like 600 times and just let it loop. Just put it on YouTube for Peter. And it just was, because it wasn't on Spotify yet. So I just like had it, I had it looping for like three or four days. I'm out here trying to help Migo's career.

As well you should have. I mean, like, everybody should do their part. Shout out to them. Shout out to them. Shout to North Island. As a South Side, as a South Side, I respect, I respect everything about me, guys. And I'm proud of them. And I think they should replace Gaga for the Super Bowl.

Let's not talk about football. I'm sorry. Yeah, let's not do that. I don't want to fight you right now. As everybody should know that I'm a huge Saints fan and he's a Falcons fan. and he's a Falcons fan and, you know, like, we are diametrically opposed to each other in that respect. Oh, yeah.

We're keeping a nice gentlemanly rapport. We're going to talk about the things we like. Yeah, like what else, what other albums are you excited about that are coming out this year? Okay, so I'm glad that we're doing this because I wanted to take a little break from, I'm in a very big, like, rap mindset right now. I think in large part to just looping megos all the time. But I was thinking about just looking at things that, you know, it's January.

So there are still, like, half the projects that could be coming out in 2017 might not actually happen. Like, this is the time where like every year, like even if they put out a project last year, it'll be like, new Drake project TBA, new Kanye TBA. It's like, you can just say that. There's no, there's no, there's no repercussion of just being like, yo, like new Drake project, like whatever. But a project that I've heard might be happening that I would love to happen this summer, been scanning the festival lineups to see if they're popping up, are another trio, another, another related trio. Basically, basically white, white girl megos, my girl's hym.

I'm putting pause on the white, you know what I'm saying? The white, the white meegos. White girl migos. No, now I'm not going to say it. You have to say it. I'm going to keep saying it. I love Heim. I miss them.

I love that year that they had where they had, it was, I don't quote me on this, but I feel like the album was nine or ten tracks. Like probably clocked in about 40 minutes. Because every song felt like three minutes and 15 seconds. And it was like a perfect album to just put on. And then like a subway ride later, it'd be over. And it was great. You know, good for, you know, clean your room or driving on PCH. Absolutely.

Just like, there's so many. It's like, oh, I got to. That was probably the most basic sentence I've ever said. Yeah. That was some of my Californians, S&L shit. I'm so sorry. I sold out. But, you know, I just went from Migos to Hymes.

So, like, you know, this is no sellout zone. But no, I genuinely would, I respect the take three years off move. I'm not saying that they have, like, Adele classics in them. But they do have my song five that had an ASEP Furr remix that I still bang a lot. Absolutely. Yeah, also, like, I feel like they were in that, there was a moment where, they were like the girls that were popping up

like hanging out were rappers for a while yeah I mean like they seemed like people I mean like and they had they were in the World Cup 2010 promo where Nike was just like we're gonna put a bunch of cool people in our soccer jerseys to make you know everybody want to buy one yeah like they were just everywhere

yeah so I'm ready for them to come back and I hope I feel like that album was a good summertime I still listen to it. I often listen to that. And my other most guilty pleasure album,

that Slaybill's album, Treats. Those are like two albums I can just like bang out, like boom, boom. So I would appreciate if they're listening to this, which I know they are. I would appreciate them to drop that fire this summer. That would make me really happy. So that's one of mine. What about you?

I am supremely interested in whatever the new guerrillas project is going to be. They dropped a new song on the eve of the inauguration featuring Benjamin Clementine. Uh-huh. And if you've never like, like, Benjamin Clementine is super, like, has this, like, very over-the-top art school vibe. And the video itself was just him standing in the lobby of the Trump Tower while basically all of these cartoons and this dystopian stuff was like happening in the background. Like picture the another brick in the wall video by Pink Floyd. And that's basically what Hallelujah Louie Money is. It's not like it doesn't have like I wouldn't say that it's enjoyable to listen to.

Okay. I'm fine. I'm fine with that. But it is like extremely interesting. And I think that Damon Albaran is just very good at capturing a moment in history. Like he did a really good job of that with Blur, which is why they had that crazy three run. Yeah, that was three album run. And then also just like the Gorillaz album when they arrived on the scene in 2001 with the self-title project.

Like Clint Eastwood, you remember that song? Yeah. Like, it's, all of it is an, it just occupies this really weird space in history just because it was just like this virtual come cartoon band that you, that was only as good as, like, you had to judge it on a sliding scale of how seriously you took them. Yeah, you were like, you didn't know what, like, if this was a schick, like, you, like, you, like, you didn't know if this was supposed to be, like, you were supposed to think about it critically.

Like, you just didn't know what you were being offered because you hadn't really experienced anything like that before? You should absolutely, if all of you reading this, Christina Reese wrote a really good piece about Gorillas called Monkey Wrench on the Village Voice. In 2001 when the album, you know, like, was coming out, which, I mean, like, you should reread, as well as, like, the New York Times profile on them,

which painted a very vivid picture of the studio where it says dark as good over, like, the... Over the soundboard, but one of the O's is crossed out, so it says dark as God. It's completely out there. And considering that, you know, like the world is kind of crumbling down around us, it's going to be something else. Yo, just a word to the wise. Just like, just go read. Reading is still, like, I don't, like, I know this podcast, but, like, you know, like, just go read sometimes, you know.

Yeah. Maybe, like, go read the ringer. or New York Magazine. You know, just escape into some stuff. Yeah, just like lose yourself in words every now. I'm just saying, I'm just saying. Reading is fun educational. Also, sorry, another side of.

Cuevo, speaking of education and just being a genius, he also invented the greatest word of all time. Discriminize. You knew how I was going to say that. Discriminize. Yeah, I'm loving all raises. Hell no, I don't discriminateize. That's one of the great moments in English.

It's like Mark Twain and Cuavo. Okay, I have one more album. And I'm just going to keep down this road that I built for myself. Lord. I'm in this. I took a year off. festivals last year and I feel like I'm back in my just like trying to see

some people that I saw had a lot of festivals in 2013 2014 again which is maybe why I'm in this Hymn Lord headspace right now but I'm ready I'm ready I'm ready for Lord to drop another classic and then Ross to hop on the remix again I want that was such a strange time do you remember that I just remember that there were so many think pieces is about the fact that Royals was just kind of like Nate was nose gazing at

like hip hop culture. Yes. And then the Rick Ross remix was the only reason it made it on the urban radio. And then all of a sudden we had to be like, whoa, is this crack now? I just remember the first time I heard Royals on Hot 97. I was like, this is happening.

I mean, like that was... And somewhere Ed Sheeran was like, yes. It was a super frustrating time because like it was, I love this. I don't care. I loved it. No, it was Royals in what?

Thrift Shop? Like, on urban radio at the same time? That was frustrating. Yeah. That, yeah. Yeah, there were no black people on urban radio. Yeah. Because we're post-urban.

Post-urban, anti-everything. Urban is a, it means white now. But yeah, I know nothing about the project. Who knows if it's even going to happen. But this is just a matter. These are my fantasy albums. My money is on her pulling like a Frank Ocean at Coachella and being like, I'm going to put out a new album before and then, you know, like skipping it because I got to finish it. I feel like something like that is going to happen.

Or she's just like, yeah, she's like on the stage at some festival. She's like, yo, everyone check your phones. And it's like the YouTube album where it just automatically is on everyone's album music. Oh, man. I'm here for it. I don't know why I'm in this high and lord headspace, but right now on. in this moment. That's what I want.

I want to drive down my own PCH. You're just never going to let me forget that. I want to take the FDR, Westside Highway, up to the Bronx, up to La Marina, and listening to Haem and Lord. That's what I want. That's what I want. Don't take that away from me.

So, yeah, that's my second one. I also have one more Thundercat The bassist on Flying Lois is Brain Feater He has done Oh my goodness The first single

Guys, y'all Listen, shut up, shut up I have to tell them this, all right? The first single is called Show You the Way And it features Michael McDonald And Kenny Loggins And I just

And I just like, I remember like I was listening to it and I hearted back to every time my dad used to pick me up from school, 90.3, which is like the Baton Rouge High School like access, public access radio station would be playing smooth jazz like some Michael McDonald or Tina Maurice whatever. Yes. And I hated it. And now like I love that type of music. Yeah. Which I think is like how I'm going to mark, you know. like my maturity or my progression. Yeah. I think that, you know, you acquire an understanding of tax exemptions and easy listening jazz,

and I think that's when you grow up. Yeah, welcome. Let me tell you, I discovered a couple days ago that my go-to karaoke song is taking it to the streets by Michael McDonald's slash Doobie Brothers. Wow.

And because, like, many of our great singers, my range is about six notes. But that Michael McDonald falls, like, I have that, like, a shanty, Carrie Hilsen range. It's, like, not even a full octave. But within this really small range, you do work. I just mess up karaoke in, like, the best way. And, like, Michael McDonald is.

I think the better you are at karaoke, the sadder it is. Yes, yes. Like, yes, that's the, that's the fire's take. It's kind of like the same thing as like dancing, but not really with dancing because like nobody's trying to see you do like aggressive movement where you're like hinking offbeat and whatnot. By the way, my go-to karaoke song is money on my mom by little way and when it's on the jukebox or whatever. Okay. Because I'm a caricature of myself. What's your, so doing rap at karaoke.

It's a very, it's a very hit or miss than most things. Because if someone does rap bad at karaoke, there's nothing worse. Like the person I wants to do forgot about Dre. Exactly. At karaoke. It's like you're holding people hostage for four minutes because you don't really know. Yeah. Especially if you're in a room of people doing like Alanis and like Eve 6.

And then someone's like, I want to do guilty conscience by Eminem and Dr. Dre with my girl. But the difference between that and me is that in my head, after I pick up the microphone, I'm standing. in front of a Bentley with my shirt off. Pure Turk. Oh, yeah, exactly. You know, like, it's, it works, you know? Okay, I'm, I'm, I'm here for it. I'm here for it.

Okay, so. We also just, to take a step back. But does that album have a release date? The Thundercat album? The Thundercat album? Actually. Because both of my albums are fictional, but that album might, that album might actually have a date on it.

Um, the release date for the Thundercat album, I'm not entirely sure. I can't say, I don't want to say one thing and then be a liar. But. No that fake news, man. No fake news. No, no, no, no, alternative. February 24th. Oh.

February 24th is when that album comes out. Um, but another fictional album. Let's just take a step back and look at music from the top down. Okay. Because last year, Kanye released an album, Kendrick released an album, Drake released an album, like basically music's elite. Like, they all release projects. Cole. Cole.

Don't forget about my guy Jermaine. Keep going. That was, you know, heavy burdens. Anyway, Drake has the Moralife, quote-unquote playlist project coming out. I think he's going to go back to acting. Maybe. Is there an Anchorman 3 coming out where he can be in, you can have a cameo in it? I don't know.

Maybe him and that fictional character, Roy Woods. I don't know. Maybe they'll do a buddy cop movie. I don't know. Basically, it just seems that there's room for new artists to emerge, I guess. This is going to be a space where there are going to be people that you previously haven't heard of that are going to have fire ass albums. And I think that this is like a year

that there's going to be a lot of room for that, considering everybody's kind of in that lull after releasing. Yeah, it's like when like someone like a star gets injured, it's like, oh, it's like a lot of people have space to come off the bench and get some screen time. And I think this like this crop of like a lot of people that were were truly bubbling in 2016. It's like with singles or like mixtapes.

Like this would, 2017 could be the year that's like some actual standout albums. Come out from like a lot of these young, younger rappers that could actually, you know, give them kind of like what we were saying about Miko. It's like that second life, that third life. That wasn't just like, yo, like, you remember that thing that happened in 2016

where they were like a double XL freshman and they did that. other thing that was dope and had that one video and then that was it which like just does happen to a lot of rappers because there are so many rappers too many rappers not enough emcee i'm sorry that was that was bad yeah can we can we edit that in can we make sure that that stays in great can we can we please cut that out um also just as an as an aside uh ninth wonder picked a bunch of albums to be cataloged in the Harvard Library, and Kendrick Lamar's to Pimp a Butterfly was among them, you know, shout out to K. Known. Shout out to Kendrick. Shout out to Ivy League rap.

Shout out to Ivy League rap. Oh, man, no. This is not the time, but that's for that. Okay. Are you going to talk about your rap career? No, we're not talking about my rap career. That, you know, I basically gave up when I realized that I could only be like a kind of decent version of gutta-a-gutta. You know what I'm saying? Ooh. No, Steve-B-Wanda. The great gutta, the great only gutta-a-gutta-a-lata. But speaking of new artists, are there any new artists that you're excited about?

Because I have a few. Okay. Yes. So, I do, I make no, I have my own, my very strong biases about Atlanta, but I also have like a tiered system of who I think is like very hot and who I think like actually like might not be as cool. But might have some like, might have like a second layer to them. and I think there were so many people. I am, I don't know if it's his,

his, like, his persona or just, I think he's, like, a little wise, but, like, I actually think that, like, Yadi has, like, the ability to put out, like, an actual, like, full-length, interesting project that, that I, like, I'm interested, like, I'm, like, I love 21.

I love 21 Savage. He makes me feel, like, 16 and insane again. He makes me like want to go be a goon. Yeah. It's a part of my personnel that I try to repress. And sometimes I don't do a good job at it. But I can't visualize what like his next...

I got to pause you right there because I just want to let everyone know that life becomes immeasurally better for you after you just embraced your ancientness. I know. And I have. I'm just like... But... I'm a podcast. But I...

I like the rappers that even at, like, a super young age, are, like, there's something about Yadi that reminds me of, like, a Tyler, who, like, clearly thinks about rap, like, visually and thinks about, like, it's interested in, like, clothes and interested in videos, making these weird-ass videos and interested in, like, having, like, a very unique crew. and it's still, like, music might be, like, the third or fourth thing he's best at. Yeah, I mean, like, the Minnesota remix video was fire. It's incredible.

But, like, so I don't think he is necessarily the rapper, like, the best rapper of this, like, kind of young crop of rappers. But I do think he has the ability and has, like, a very good rapport with lots of. of other rappers. Like, you know, has done stuff like he was on chance, you know, with Dram. Like, he's done stuff with other rappers where I feel like he could put together a project that could be a lot more interesting than a lot of other young rappers. Just basically, like, between the company that he keeps and the fact that I think he's just like a gigantic weirdo.

Yeah. Just as an aside, remember, it is wearing a Nautica half-zip right now. I completely forgot that. which, Lobote, you know, is, you know, Yadi is the,

what is he, the creative director of Notica now or whatever? So just, as an aside, that phrase does not mean anything. I learned that

when I heard that Alicia Keys was creative director of Blackberry. That's when I learned that the phrase creative director officially doesn't really mean anything.

It doesn't really mean anything. We just want to put your face on this, right? Yeah, it's just like, we want you to tweet out things about our brand. I think that's what

creative director means in 2017. You know, get in where you fit in. Yeah, I'm not mad. It sounds like I'm hating. I'm just jealous. Also, the flip side of that coin, you talked about this a little bit earlier, 21 Savage. I'm very interested to hear the new stuff that he has coming out with young Thug.

Oh, that's the thing. Okay. I think Thug could bring like some really cool stuff out of 21. Yeah, I mean, like, well, he has, yeah. I mean, like they have the, just there's on their high horse tour, they were at all. always be young there would be videos on instagram of young thug like walking back to his private jet with a double cup in his hand and like 21 savage is playing but it's a song that hasn't come out yet and it sounds fantastic incredible but i mean like i i i want to hear that project that came

out of the recording sessions that happened on the high horse store um i do love 21 i i'm a huge fan it's honestly like the antithesis of, I mean, like he said it himself when him and Yadhi were doing their double XL freshman interviews and the question was just kind of like, you know, what kind of music do you make? And Yadhi was just like, you know, I just make fun, happy music or whatever. And then like 21 Savage is sitting like two chairs over and goes, I make murder music. And it is the realest thing. It's like, it's the juxtaposition in its, I mean, like in its peers form, I mean, like, it's fantastic. But what I love about also that, like, the, in that, in that, that collection of double Excel freshman videos, there's like they're, you know, I use, like, use the term freestyle now, like, very loosely.

There's, like, the cipher, and it's, and it's 21 and Yadi and Uzi and Kodak and Denzel Curry. and watching that was like the moment that I was just like a thousand percent on team 21 Savage because it was clear that all those other dudes think 21 is like the coolest dude on earth yeah like the way like they were all doing like they were all just doing ad libs for 21 while he was doing his like yaddi's just in the back like 21 21 like i that was the moment I was like okay he definitely has like outside of rapping he has he has an about himself that a lot of the other rappers also like it's very cool to see that it's clear they all they're all so different but they all it's not like they

exist like in these silos where like they don't fuck with each other it's like clear that they all kind of kind of rock with each other yeah but watching out was like oh 21's like definitely the coolest so cool that he can get away with a lot like VVS is only bling butta boom bina bing 21 Fun fact, it doesn't matter what you say if you just end it by saying, it's fine. It's cash. I mean, my dude's out here rocking Pax Sun.

That's how cool he is, you know? 21. In addition, there is the Cid album. Which comes out on February 3rd, I believe. Sid is so cool. She is the coolest. Like. Okay.

So for those of you that don't know, lead singer of the Internet who had, who put out ego death in 2015? I think it was 2015. Was it 2015 or was 2016? I think it might have been the top of 20s. It was, it was, it was 2015. It was, it was the summer of 2015. June 26, I remember, because I had played it pretty much every day since. But America's greatest black band.

The Internet's greatest black band. But they're all putting out solo stuff, like the. bassist Steve Lacey has his own project coming out and I'm telling you sure when

Matt Martians who does keys has drumcore theory coming out That dude is so cool That dude is so cool He's the coolest And now we have Sid who has fun

coming out in the beginning of February and put out two singles There's all about me Which is literally the trappiest thing I think I've ever heard Steve

Blasey put together. That's awesome. I need to listen to us. It's almost like a, like it's, I don't want to say it sounds like a Drake record because that, you know, like people cling, cling to the Drake comparison, like, driftwood, you know? Wagwan Sid. But, I mean, like, there's also body, which, for whatever reason, like, when I heard the song, like, there's only, like, a lyric, there's the audio, the official audio is on YouTube.

But listening to it made me hark back to, like, the, the boat music video like the album is gonna be a problem I'll just I'll just put it that way are you saying fah like f like the soup like no I mean like as an F I in like the French meaning for ending I thought you're talking about like F H or P H oh I'm super bougie because I mean like I learned French and it's the useless skill that I it's the most useless skill that I possess yeah I'm down I've seen the internet like live like four times and so I'm on New Year's So good.

2016? This New Year's? No, last New Year's. Yeah, I went to the Observatory with her girlfriend. And it was the, it was an out-of-body experience. That's dope. But we should talk about the... Wait, wait, watch this segue.

Speaking of concerts. That was... Did you hear that? That was me banging my forehead on the death. actually. Yeah. I just think seeing music live in public spaces is super cool. I mean, like, it is because, like, you, it is, if you go to a concert and it's just like,

and it's an outdoor festival and you're going, you're making a point to go see this artist that you love. Everybody near the front is as in love with this artist as you are. You are seeing the most, like, the, like, the, the, nakedest version of that person that is standing right next to you. It's like, oh, yeah, okay, I'm so glad you went there. Just off the top of your head, what are like two of like the most like vulnerable moments you've ever had like a concert experience where you just like, you were just like completely

lost yourself in whatever festival or whatever set you were watching that you were just like, I didn't even know I could get this deep into a set. I mean, like, that's, wow. Okay. If I'm going to pull from recent experiences, then I have to say, at Drake versus little Wayne at the Hollywood Bowl, Wayne was just like,

how many y'all know about that carter two? And I was just like, holy shit. Is this happening? And then he starts, like, I hear the, from money on my mind and I'm like and I've like I've started rapping like the first verse like no no I was like the second

like the second verse came on because like anytime then he plays records from like the Carter 2 he cuts it off after the first verse but he started doing it the second verse and he's just like and I moved like the coop through traffic rush hour GT bit roof is absent and I was just like I started tearing up Is that how it shoot if it's plastic? Yeah.

She keep asking, how it shoot if it's plastic? One of the great questions. And then there was also DeAngelo and the Vanguard at FYF. And they played... I'm really jealous, you saw that. They played, like, he played Spanish joint from voodoo. And I was like, I mean, it was, like, I was there in a group of people that I had never met before. I lost all of my friends

and we were all just singing along to this song to the extent that you can because the lyrics are pretty tough to pick out. And then like after the show was over, it's just kind of like you look at the person you know what their name is

and it's just like, can I get like a hug from you or something? I feel like we've been through something together. What about you? I was just thinking, I remember seeing, I saw Jay bring out Mary and they did

They did song cry and I can't knock the hustle. Which is like, Wow. Which is like an eight minute segment of fade to black that I've always been like, God, like, if I was there, I would just be like weeping. And then he actually brought her out to do it. I think it was either at one of the Terminal 5 shows or something like that a couple years ago. And I was just like,

it's those moments where it's like you forget that there's anyone else in the room. And I was just like a mess. what else it's also that type of thing where it's the like when someone plays those like the B-sides from albums that you love

songs that you've like not only have you like never really heard them like that loud in a public space but you've definitely never heard that artist perform them like after seeing them in concert over and over and over again that's how I felt when

when Alcast came back and did, like they were just like they were just doing like random songs from from Southern Playlists against stanchonia like like hearing Alcats do like humble mumble I was like I'm dead

I'm dead What? And then justice I saw justice at Coachella and I died I cried I just straight up cried Aside from Coachella What festival are you most looking forward to attending this summer?

Okay, so... Which one are you most excited about, I think? So every year I go through my, like, cynical, like I'm done with festivals thing. Right, everyone does. I'm like, uh-uh, never again, never again. But then there's that lineup where you're like, oh, well, I mean... I got to.

Well, they're going to do that. So there's this festival called Rolling Loud. What up? There's this festival called Rolling Loud. It's in Miami. And the lineup came out last week. And it's literally like the best of last year. Like all the young.

I'm just going to read you. Please. I'm just going to read you the top 15, like, for posterity. Yeah. Kendrick. Future Hendricks. Lowell, A. Sab Rocky, Travis Scott, Thugger, MacMiller.

Tyler La Uzi Migos Migos who are on the fifth line The fifth line of the This flyer was made

in November Because there's no way Honestly Like Listen If you can go If you can go Listen

If you can go To Rolling Loud I mean You know what If you can't go to Rolling Loud Change your schedule up Yeah

But also like Rolling Loud Like It might be worth it To just like put out an updated flyer just like moving Migos up to third line. Like Migos...

The fifth line. The disrespect. Like Migos needs to like Migos needs to be around the young thug. Area. Area right now. Oh, but there's more. After Migos, there's 21. There's Yaddy. There's Yaddy.

There's Bronson. And there's Flatbush. Flatbush zombies. Like I would like these are all people who I have like, or most of these people who I have like hate to see before, like by themselves, like all, like, like, those are all acts that are not skippable to me. Yeah.

I mean, and all people that, like, a lot of these people would be hopping on other people's records. Like, like, festival sets. They have songs. It's just going to be one huge party. It doesn't feel like there's going to, it's going to be like serialized where main stage at 415, uh,

fader for it, what you're gonna call. Yeah, it's like, we got to make decisions. Exactly. It's like, no, this is like, this is a warp tour 2017. Yeah. So, yeah, that's mine.

That made me very, I'm no longer cynical about festivals. I was like, well, I'm just not missing that. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, like the ones that I guess are less recognized or, you know, that aren't institutions, as it were, are seen to be the most interesting, the festivals with the most pull, like the ones that are most attractive. Like, for instance, because you already took Rolling Loud and I wanted to talk about that too. Broccoli City, which is a smaller one in D.C. That's a great one.

Yeah. I mean, like, it's small. Like, there aren't many acts, but, like, they're all, there's none that I don't like. Like, there's Solange, Ray Shrummer, 21 Savage, Aluna George, Kevin Abstract, Smino, and Chas French. That's a good festival. Yeah. It's like, it's, I mean, oh. The festival season is upon us, and I'm very excited about it.

Although, like, I did previously say, like, like, yourself, like, there's no way I can go back without, you know, having, like, an artist band or something. It's too late, you know? Like, I've been exposed. I've been the other side. It's hard to get on festival bushy. I camped at Coachella. I didn't even know people had parties outside of Coachella that first year. I was like, yeah, everyone that comes here camps and then goes.

in and has nowhere to charge your phone and it's hungry and then gets a heat stroke and dies. Which is like a part of like the experience or whatever, but at the same time it's just like once you've seen that you don't have to do it that way, it's tough to go back. That's that second year when I told people what I did the first year at Coachella, everyone just laughed at me. They're like, what are you talking about? They're like, there's a campground. I'm like, yeah, it's a campground.

What do you, so yeah. But yeah, wait, there's another one. You said you were going, wasn't there another first thing? Sasquatch. But that was mainly just because like the top billing is just. Chance the rapper in Frank Ocean, and I need to see, like, imagine being, like, standing at the main stage at sunset and hearing future free, like, from blonde. Yeah. Like, I think that.

Thug tears. I think my soul would just ascend to heaven, I think. The tears would be flowing up. Like, off my forehead. I think a spire of light would just shoot down from the clouds and then just carry me upwards, I think. Oh, but there's also Louisiana. Oh yeah, Louisiana Fest. I need to go to Little Louisiana Fest this year because I missed it two years ago, which was the Hot Boys reunion.

I've been kicking myself ever since. Last year, there was like two chains made an appearance. They performed a lot of the Collie Grove album. That was probably life-changing. I missed that too. This year, I cannot miss it. That is if it is indeed happening, I don't know, a little way that's kind of out there right now. No, Collie Grove is what brings us together.

It really is. It's Holly Grove in College Park. Little Wayne and Two-Janes want us to get over our sporting differences and be friends. And I think I

you know, in a couple weeks after a Super Bowl I will consider being your friend. I will also consider I will consider. I will consider looking you directly in the eye. Before we get out of here, I got to ask so far because I know that you like me stayed up, you know, overturning your furniture to the culture album. What is your favorite song so far?

So if you can choose one, I know that's difficult. So something that I do, like oftentimes the first time I listen to a new album is like I just let it run. And like when I talk about the next day, it's like, oh yeah like track nine was dope you know I was also listening to listening to the culture album while watching while staying up watching Raphael Nadal play tennis which is let me tell you if you haven't watched tennis on mute to the new megos album let me suggest it it's a very good way um I think I mean I don't I do not there is a song on this this is so not helpful but Um, what I will say about the album is I did have some, I did have some worry.

After call casting, I actually didn't have much worry because that, that third single was so different. Yeah. If it would, if it was just bad and bougian t-shirt, I was going to kind of be like, you know, that might be like the two hits from like a, like a decent album. The whole album's really good. Yeah. The whole album's really good.

The only one that like I, like, I can like vividly. call back to being like, this is crack, is like the slippery record with Gucci Mae? Yeah, that man, I mean, like, that's standing on couches and splashing liquor on people music. Gucci's last six months are just like

they are the thing of magic. Like, I'm just a healthy Gucci. It does my heart good to see Gucci healthy, happy, and winning. NPR Gucci, Zatowice, Zaytovin Gucci Like, like Number one single

Gucci Already putting out a new album Drop Top Whizop New Teeth Gucci proposing to his girlfriend Without Kizkam Without kneeling Because he's wearing

White pants Like I get it all And it's all It's all so beautiful So remember Before you get out of here Where can we find Your stuff?

I write Quite often At New York Magazine Writer That's where you can find all of my words ranging from music to occasional sports to often politics in Trump slash Chappelle musings. So yeah, New York Magazine. There you go. Go read that.

Go read that. Yo, read. Read. Read. This has been fun. This been great. Thank you for, you know, traversing the music landscape with me. I think we did it.

I think we did it. Shout out to Hymn. Shout out Himes. Shout out Migos. Cultural album out now. Go listen to that. Mama, mama.