1. Old - Danny Brown
Danny Brown's most recent album details his struggles with drugs, decisions and the music industry. On Old he raps about how people want to hear the "old" D Brown but he says enough of that and the "old" Brown is no longer around. He raps more about how the music industry is trying to change him and how his fans only want to hear music that is fueled by the drugs he is so hooked on. The album is pretty ironic however because Brown still raps about snorting lines and puking in hotels after shows illustrating how he really can't escape his "old" habits no matter how hard he tries to sober up. The album is a "sobered" up version of Brown's usual raps with a more detailed look at what drives his rhymes.
2. The Stand - Stephen King
The Stand is probably my all-time favorite book I have ever read. I think I enjoyed it so much because it was the most genuine post-apocalyptic story I have read but at the same time also the most ridiculous plot ever. I read the unabridged version so I spent a good deal of time with the book one summer and I fell in love with it just a bit. I re-read lots of chapters just because some of the ideas were so radical. Still to this day I will remember some crazy things from The Stand and not even recognize that they were part of the plot. This book works great for my canon because I am a bit of an odd kid with a love for ridiculous fiction books. The Stand outshined any apocalyptic story I have ever read and the underlying themes in the book still stand out to me today. Obvious themes of good vs evil and simple vs intricate life still show up other media I encounter today. What really surprised me was the theme of biological warfare and how humankind is determined to destroy itself by developing increasingly more harmful weapons. Some themes from the book appear in contemporary media today like the democracy vs dictatorship theme as well as the simple vs intricate lifestyles. Overall, this book is an incredibly fun and long read with some amazing themes that can really influence thinking about the future and possible apocalypse.
3. The Union
A documentary on "the business behind getting high". This documentary explores how the marijuana market in British Columbia is thriving despite marijuana still being illegal in Canada. The film interviews many people from various walk of life but always has that pro medical marijuana vibe to it. Definitely an interesting film on marijuana, one that really opens up the industry and how lucrative it can be, financially and medically. The Union changed my social and political views radically. I never really had an opinion on marijuana but I think I made an accurate and well informed decision about marijuana usage after viewing this film. The film does have a bias to it but it is easily overlooked and can be used as a great film to present some facts about the battle of marijuana.
4. Meet France's Toughest Rappers - VICE Documentary
This documentary from VICE goes into what is essentially the French ghetto and discovers many interesting things about the rap culture in France. VICE depicts many famous rappers who share stories similar to those American rappers that came up from drug dealing and rose to a position of musical power. Definitely interesting as it details how the French rap culture is similar to American rap culture and American rap culture is very influential to French rap. The film also shows how the "Banlieue" is a place that not many people know about and gets little attention from the government. Essentially ghettos, the banlieues are not visited by tourists nor are they publicized as being parts of French culture.
5. Ready to Die - Notorious B.I.G.
6. 1999 - Joey Bada$$
"I'm out for presidents to represent me" - The usual line sampled throughout many includes the word 'dead' in front of presidents to imply that the rapper wants money to be his image and persona. Here Joey just spins a classic line into something more edgy and much louder. This line from Hardknock is just a small look into Joey's lyricism and incredible flow. The whole album 1999 is covered with mellow non contemporary beats that many rappers nowadays would shy away from. Joey raps to beats from the era he was born 90s. He is able to spit his knowledge and wisdom about how he grew up on the streets but was more enlightened than his peers and he was able to escape. This album is a great insight into the life of a young kid from the streets of New York that made his way out of a rough life into a life enveloped in the music industry. it always gives insight into how and why Joey was able to get himself up and out of the hustling life, bypass all the music industry bullshit and sit and create music with his label while dealing with minimal haters.
7. Doris - Earl Sweatshirt
8. The Lords of Dogtown
The Lords of Dogtown is an incredible movie about the skateboarding movement. The gang of kids that started skating were big surf bums in California and were fantastic surfers. They developed the sport of skateboarding with the introduction of new wheels that allowed a skateboard to carve just like a surf board. The reason this film is on my canon is because it got me into skating and longboarding. I was very interested after watching this film because there were certain things that came with the skateboarding image that I wanted at a young age. I can’t say many of the things that I wanted were good for me but this movie really changed who I interacted with and what I did with my free time. I began to become more of an individual rather than a follower. Stopped playing team sports and focused on skating and hanging with friends my mom probably didn’t approve of at the time. This movie just opened up my perception to other past times and hobbies.
9. Dogtown and Z-Boys
I first saw Dogtown and the Z-Boys in a film analysis class in high school. I remembered the story of Dogtown so well that I did not take notes on the documentary because I really enjoyed the film. This movie is on my canon because of how it clarified what was actually in The Lords of Dogtown. I really enjoyed getting the straight facts and comparing them to the fictional movie. The two films complement each other very well with the factual movie giving more depth to the fictional one and the fictional film adding more color to a possibly dry documentary. Dogtown and the Z-Boys was the first documentary I ever enjoyed and I think it was the first film I actually did research on post-viewing. I got really interested in the culture that surrounded Dogtown and the Santa Monica area around the 70s. Dogtown and the Z-Boys showed me how a sport that was generally looked down upon by my immediate family members was much more than a sport, it was almost a way of life.
10. Lorenzo's Oil
This movie is a really difficult movie to watch about a boy who develops ALD. But the movie is also very uplifting about how perseverance can produce some results. Lorenzo’s parents keep pushing for a cure to ALD and eventually they find a scientist who is willing to give their son a chance. I put this film in my canon because I think it is a very interesting perspective on the medical industry and how drug development comes about. A lot of times sceptics are very hesitant to try things but there is always someone somewhere willing to give it a try. Lorenzo’s Oil is a great movie with a combination of just the right amount of tear jerking and scientific experimentation to really make a memorable movie about the struggles of medicinal development.
11. Philadelphia
A great film about the AIDS epidemic and homophobia/ignorance towards sexual transmitted diseases. Most likely considered a classic by many film reviewers Philadelphia presents a very compelling story about how a man gets wrongly fired from his company just because his homophobic colleagues suspect he has AIDS. This film is rich with themes and lessons to learn from how Tom Hanks is treated in the film. I put this movie in my canon because this was the first piece of art that taught me to walk in someone else’s shoes and really consider someone else’s point of view before making judgments or accusations about them. I think everyone can benefit from watching this film because they will learn invaluable lessons of tolerance and respect especially when dealing with something as sensitive as STDs or AIDS or sexuality.
12. The Landfillharmonic
13. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
14. The Field - WorldStar Documentary on Chicago Gangs
The Field is an incredibly enlightening documentary on Chicago gang warfare. It really dives deep into the horrors of “Chiraq” and the gang violence in the streets of Chicago. This is a great film to get perspective on how ruthless and dangerous life is on the streets. The film goes further than just opening a window to the rough life in Chiraq but it also interviews some up and coming hip hop artists about what they do to get away from the violence. It goes in depth into Rhymefest’s plan to help kids get off the street with a songwriting and hip hop focused class.
Danny Brown's most recent album details his struggles with drugs, decisions and the music industry. On Old he raps about how people want to hear the "old" D Brown but he says enough of that and the "old" Brown is no longer around. He raps more about how the music industry is trying to change him and how his fans only want to hear music that is fueled by the drugs he is so hooked on. The album is pretty ironic however because Brown still raps about snorting lines and puking in hotels after shows illustrating how he really can't escape his "old" habits no matter how hard he tries to sober up. The album is a "sobered" up version of Brown's usual raps with a more detailed look at what drives his rhymes.
2. The Stand - Stephen King
The Stand is probably my all-time favorite book I have ever read. I think I enjoyed it so much because it was the most genuine post-apocalyptic story I have read but at the same time also the most ridiculous plot ever. I read the unabridged version so I spent a good deal of time with the book one summer and I fell in love with it just a bit. I re-read lots of chapters just because some of the ideas were so radical. Still to this day I will remember some crazy things from The Stand and not even recognize that they were part of the plot. This book works great for my canon because I am a bit of an odd kid with a love for ridiculous fiction books. The Stand outshined any apocalyptic story I have ever read and the underlying themes in the book still stand out to me today. Obvious themes of good vs evil and simple vs intricate life still show up other media I encounter today. What really surprised me was the theme of biological warfare and how humankind is determined to destroy itself by developing increasingly more harmful weapons. Some themes from the book appear in contemporary media today like the democracy vs dictatorship theme as well as the simple vs intricate lifestyles. Overall, this book is an incredibly fun and long read with some amazing themes that can really influence thinking about the future and possible apocalypse.
3. The Union
A documentary on "the business behind getting high". This documentary explores how the marijuana market in British Columbia is thriving despite marijuana still being illegal in Canada. The film interviews many people from various walk of life but always has that pro medical marijuana vibe to it. Definitely an interesting film on marijuana, one that really opens up the industry and how lucrative it can be, financially and medically. The Union changed my social and political views radically. I never really had an opinion on marijuana but I think I made an accurate and well informed decision about marijuana usage after viewing this film. The film does have a bias to it but it is easily overlooked and can be used as a great film to present some facts about the battle of marijuana.
4. Meet France's Toughest Rappers - VICE Documentary
This documentary from VICE goes into what is essentially the French ghetto and discovers many interesting things about the rap culture in France. VICE depicts many famous rappers who share stories similar to those American rappers that came up from drug dealing and rose to a position of musical power. Definitely interesting as it details how the French rap culture is similar to American rap culture and American rap culture is very influential to French rap. The film also shows how the "Banlieue" is a place that not many people know about and gets little attention from the government. Essentially ghettos, the banlieues are not visited by tourists nor are they publicized as being parts of French culture.
5. Ready to Die - Notorious B.I.G.
6. 1999 - Joey Bada$$
"I'm out for presidents to represent me" - The usual line sampled throughout many includes the word 'dead' in front of presidents to imply that the rapper wants money to be his image and persona. Here Joey just spins a classic line into something more edgy and much louder. This line from Hardknock is just a small look into Joey's lyricism and incredible flow. The whole album 1999 is covered with mellow non contemporary beats that many rappers nowadays would shy away from. Joey raps to beats from the era he was born 90s. He is able to spit his knowledge and wisdom about how he grew up on the streets but was more enlightened than his peers and he was able to escape. This album is a great insight into the life of a young kid from the streets of New York that made his way out of a rough life into a life enveloped in the music industry. it always gives insight into how and why Joey was able to get himself up and out of the hustling life, bypass all the music industry bullshit and sit and create music with his label while dealing with minimal haters.
7. Doris - Earl Sweatshirt
8. The Lords of Dogtown
The Lords of Dogtown is an incredible movie about the skateboarding movement. The gang of kids that started skating were big surf bums in California and were fantastic surfers. They developed the sport of skateboarding with the introduction of new wheels that allowed a skateboard to carve just like a surf board. The reason this film is on my canon is because it got me into skating and longboarding. I was very interested after watching this film because there were certain things that came with the skateboarding image that I wanted at a young age. I can’t say many of the things that I wanted were good for me but this movie really changed who I interacted with and what I did with my free time. I began to become more of an individual rather than a follower. Stopped playing team sports and focused on skating and hanging with friends my mom probably didn’t approve of at the time. This movie just opened up my perception to other past times and hobbies.
9. Dogtown and Z-Boys
I first saw Dogtown and the Z-Boys in a film analysis class in high school. I remembered the story of Dogtown so well that I did not take notes on the documentary because I really enjoyed the film. This movie is on my canon because of how it clarified what was actually in The Lords of Dogtown. I really enjoyed getting the straight facts and comparing them to the fictional movie. The two films complement each other very well with the factual movie giving more depth to the fictional one and the fictional film adding more color to a possibly dry documentary. Dogtown and the Z-Boys was the first documentary I ever enjoyed and I think it was the first film I actually did research on post-viewing. I got really interested in the culture that surrounded Dogtown and the Santa Monica area around the 70s. Dogtown and the Z-Boys showed me how a sport that was generally looked down upon by my immediate family members was much more than a sport, it was almost a way of life.
10. Lorenzo's Oil
This movie is a really difficult movie to watch about a boy who develops ALD. But the movie is also very uplifting about how perseverance can produce some results. Lorenzo’s parents keep pushing for a cure to ALD and eventually they find a scientist who is willing to give their son a chance. I put this film in my canon because I think it is a very interesting perspective on the medical industry and how drug development comes about. A lot of times sceptics are very hesitant to try things but there is always someone somewhere willing to give it a try. Lorenzo’s Oil is a great movie with a combination of just the right amount of tear jerking and scientific experimentation to really make a memorable movie about the struggles of medicinal development.
11. Philadelphia
A great film about the AIDS epidemic and homophobia/ignorance towards sexual transmitted diseases. Most likely considered a classic by many film reviewers Philadelphia presents a very compelling story about how a man gets wrongly fired from his company just because his homophobic colleagues suspect he has AIDS. This film is rich with themes and lessons to learn from how Tom Hanks is treated in the film. I put this movie in my canon because this was the first piece of art that taught me to walk in someone else’s shoes and really consider someone else’s point of view before making judgments or accusations about them. I think everyone can benefit from watching this film because they will learn invaluable lessons of tolerance and respect especially when dealing with something as sensitive as STDs or AIDS or sexuality.
12. The Landfillharmonic
13. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime
14. The Field - WorldStar Documentary on Chicago Gangs
The Field is an incredibly enlightening documentary on Chicago gang warfare. It really dives deep into the horrors of “Chiraq” and the gang violence in the streets of Chicago. This is a great film to get perspective on how ruthless and dangerous life is on the streets. The film goes further than just opening a window to the rough life in Chiraq but it also interviews some up and coming hip hop artists about what they do to get away from the violence. It goes in depth into Rhymefest’s plan to help kids get off the street with a songwriting and hip hop focused class.