In order to appreciate a new Jay Electronica album, one must understand the tumultuous road to get here. This is not the first time Jay Elec has dropped at the most ironic and surprising time. In 2013, JE dropped one of his best guest verses of his career. Unfortunately for him, he was completely overshadowed by his two counterparts, on Big Sean’s internet-shattering “Control” that sent Kendrick Lamar to a different stratosphere. This was the type of thing that could have potentially catapulted Jay, but it was Kendrick who rose to the top. In order to make that leap, one has to actually release music. That is something that has consistently bedeviled JE in his winding path to get to this release. Now, here we are in 2020, facing one of the craziest pandemics the world has ever seen. So of course Jay Electronica rises from his 10+ year music nap and drops an album that features rap giant and Roc Nation cohort Jay Z.

The album starts off strong. Both “Ghost of Soulja Slim” and “The Blinding” are hard hitting records that see both Jay’s trading poignant verses.

On Joe Budden’s Podcast, he made a point that I think is accurate in regards to Jay Electronica. He points out that JE has not had to go through the paces that artists typically have to show. For instance, making a hit single, singing hooks and showing consistency. Having the Jay Z co sign has afforded JE the luxury of sitting a lot of these things out. Not having the consistent repetition shows in parts on this album. At times, Jay Elec rhymes lazily (The Neverending Story, for example) and lacks that hunger that you would expect from an artist putting out his debut project. Meanwhile, Jay Z has double digit albums under his belt, and has very little to prove. Yet, it’s Jay Z who consistently sounds crisper throughout this album.

While the production is pretty solid, it is a bit disjointed and sloppy at times. I’m also not sure why Shiny Suit Theory is on here, considering it is literally 10 years old. I suppose the powers that be decided more Jay-Z is always better. For true Jay Electronia fans, they know how terrific his mixtape catalog is. Songs like Something to Hold On To, So What You Sayin’ and Better In Tune With The Infinite showed Jay Elec’s great story telling ability and elite rapping skills. For an artist looking to establish himself for essentially the first time, this offering felt a bit underwhelming.

There are some great moments on this album. That said, JE as an enigmatic artist is evident throughout. A perfect example is the soulful bop, “Fruits of the Spirit.” It has a smooth beat and a killer sample. It’s one of the best records that brings you back to what you love about Jay Electricity. Then, when you’re ready for the second verse, the song ends after just 1 minute and 34 seconds. That type of quality that leaves you wanting more is sort of the Jay Electronica story in a nutshell. A mysterious talent that delivers on some promise, but leaves a lot to be desired.

Clearly Jay Electronica is aware of the noise that surrounds his mystery. He acknowledges this for his fans pretty in depth on “Ezekiel’s Wheel” :

Some ask me “Jay, man, why come for so many years you been exempt?”

’Cause familiarity don’t breed gratitude, just contempt

And the price of sanity is too damn high, just like the rent

Mm-mm-mm, mm-mm-mm, uh, uh

Sometimes I was held down by the gravity of my pen (Pen)

Sometimes I was held down by the gravity of my sin (Sin)

Sometimes, like Santiago, at crucial points of my novel

My only logical option was to transform into the wind

The final song “A.P.I.D.T.A” finds Jay Electronica in introspective mode, talking about the death of his mother of a soulful and mellow beat. This is where Jay Elec is at his best. No braggadocious money talk, just powerful rhymes over a stripped down beat. This album proves that Jay Electronica still possess that elite ability that he has flashed in years past. Let’s hope that the outpouring of support will inspire him to get out there and drop a true classic sooner rather than later.

Last night Joaquin Phoenix delivered a passionate and heartfelt acceptance speech for his role in Joker. It was a powerful performance, one in which Phoenix constantly battles between Arthur Fleck and his character, the Joker. Let’s break down some of the key differences.

Arthur Fleck Becoming The Joker

Finding the essence of Joaquin Phoenix’s character shift, you have to start at the beginning. Arthur Fleck’s first interactions with guns is an innocent one. When co-worker Randall gifts him a gun, Fleck doesn’t think it’s a good idea and he’s clearly never held or owned one. When he accidentally shoots the gun at his mother’s apartment, he is very startled, but he absolutely realizes the power that he now possesses. It sparks his brain, which is a devastating discovery. He probably never had truly violent thoughts, but now that he owns one, Randall’s comment about protecting himself surely plays a role in then carrying it around. Had he not gotten jumped, he may not have felt he could or should fight back. But when the 3 kids jumped him again, you could essentially see a light bulb go off in his head when he was on the ground. Like “Oh yeah, I actually can defend myself”. The two single shots that killed the two guys were perfect shots, dead instantly. I don’t think those were defining Joker kills. It wasn’t until he chased the third kid at the subway station. The third guy was clearly hobbled from his leg gunshot wound. Arthur could have let him go. He was clearly suffering and in pain. But when Arthur decides to shoot and clearly kill this man, he shoots him several times. An obvious overkill move (no pun intended), this was the moment that Arthur became the Joker. The innocent and fragile boy has turned into a cold blooded killer, all while hiding behind his face paint. After he runs away, Joker reveled in it after the killing when he went inside after escaping post murder. He dances around almost to say, I have finally found myself. I have found my calling. I can be myself. Maybe this is who I really am.

Revenge vs Sparing Lives

All of the flashbacks, particularly with Murray on stage and with Zazie Beetz, were not only NOT real, but the dialogue matches things Arthur wanted to hear. Murray saying “I wish I had a son like you”, and even more subtle things like Zazie saying “you’re so funny, Arthur”. There are also actions that Arthur wishes would happen, like getting a hug from Murray, Zazie being at the comedy club/ being with him at the hospital and making out with Zazie at her front door. “Check out this joker” from Murray gave him name. Arthur always laughs off beat, a few seconds after he should. At the club, and when he’s watching his own playback in hospital. Arthur has a devastated and haunted look on his face when he’s wronged. When his boss tells him he’s fired and that Randall ratted on him for having a gun, he breaks glass with his face. When his mother says don’t get upset, he does get calm for a second but he’s super angry, and when Murray destroys Arthur’s terrible set, Arthur has a very menacing look on his face at the hospital. All of these devastated and haunted looks foreshadow the people he kills. Those that were nice to him — Zazie and the little person — were spared. I do think it’s a little unfair given that theme, that he kills his mother. While she did “wrong” him, in a sense she absolutely contributed to his confused and self hating life, and let him get beaten as a child, you could argue she is super disturbed, unwell and unfit to be a parent. So while yes she did wrong/ cause him physical and emotional harm, it was not malicious. She probably should not have even been allowed to raise him given her mental instability. Whereas Randall deliberately ratted on Arthur and Murray joked about Arthur for his own personal gain/ laughter from the audience. Arthur smiles when he sees the streets rioting. It’s a creepy smile. For the first time, Arthur feels a part of something. Arthur unintentionally becomes the face of a movement, even though no one knows it’s him. The irony makes Arthur happy. Even though he doesn’t get the credit, he started something, and for once it’s something he can be proud of. It’s an eery correlation to his quote from the shrink about his death making more sense than his life. He’s an anti hero.

Fleck has an interesting moment with the clerk. Arthur says he hurt some people and he thought he’d feel bad about it but he doesn’t, but admits he fucked up. The clerk bluntly says he’s just a clerk he should see someone. This is the type of vulnerable moment Arthur has become he rarely has normal human interactions in this movie. His mother is crazy, and apart from a few clown buddies, he doesn’t truly have normal regular conversations- outside of with his shrink. So while the clerk is gathering the paperwork, Arthur laments because he really has no one to talk to. The clerk says he should see someone to get help and Arthur mockingly says they cut funding. It’s that sort of joking tone that personifies Arthur. Even when he’s trying to be comedic, it has a dead serious type of tone. Deep down, I don’t think Arthur wants to be bad, or a bad person. But so many terrible things and wrongdoings along with obtaining power changes him to a monster. His laughter, which is so disturbing and is portrayed so menacingly, is a central theme. It’s usually framed with an extreme close up, in the dark, or pictured when Arthur is a moment of vulnerability. It usually captures his frailty and his ghost White skin. The laughter is a defense mechanism, like when he bombs on stage, is confronted by the woman on the bus, the kids he kills, and probably the most devastating- when he reads about his mother and finding out he’s adopted, followed by more info about him being beaten as his mother stood by and let it happen. One of the weirder scenes, and most inexplicable continuity wise- is when Arthur walks into Zazie’s apartment. (Why was her door unlocked? For a single mom in a dingy apartment to have her door unlocked, can you say yikes?). Anyway — this of course, is when we find out that nearly all of their interactions were not real. In my estimation they only had two interactions. In the elevator where she says the apartment is awful and they both do the finger gun to the head, and this one. She is clearly frightened and exasperated.

There are some online theories that Arthur kills her. It’s left ambiguous, and there is some dark and violent music that follows. I personally think he does not kill her because she never wronged him. She was always very polite to him in their limited interaction, and even in her frightened state, she was calm and gentle and did not demean him in any way. Sure he could have killed her, but I believe Arthur only killed those that wronged him. So I think she was spared. Before he kills his mother, she whispers “happy”, her longtime nickname for Arthur. The irony of his unhappiness is too obvious so I won’t even dive deeper into that. Arthur rehearsing what he’s about to do on Murray’s show is yet another creepy foreshadow. He even rehearses the intro and makes it seem like he’s going to kill himself on the show. That would seem to line up with his mantra of “I hope my death makes more sense than my life”. When Arthur puts his face on, he dances, and seems at peace. Again and again, he shows that he feels more comfortable being the joker than he does being Arthur fleck. Just before Arthur kills Randall, I picked up on something the second time I missed the first. Yes Randall ratted on Arthur about the gym and it did get him fired, but in the apartment, Randall makes a dig at Gary for being a little Person. That appeared to be the last straw for Arthur. Theres a weirdly comedic moment, when Randall is dead on the floor and Arthur splattered in blood, Gary stands in the corner horrified. Gary is spared but in the cruelest of ironies, he can’t reach the door to unlock it. It’s fair to wonder in the moment if this was a trap and he would be killed too. But fitting with the theme, he is spared. Gary was always nice to Arthur and never disparaged or bad mouthed him, which Arthur does say to Gary. I’ll be honest I was surprised he was let go because Arthur seemed to be in full on joker mode after brutally killing Randall. The smile he has on his face standing in a smattering or blood is truly haunting and evil.

Arthur vs. The Joker, And Finding Happiness

As the Joker, he has an undeniable confidence and swagger about him that Arthur never had. In the dressing room before he does onto Murray’s show, Arthur is brimming with child like joy to meet one of his idols. He emits genuine happiness, he smiles, and they have a nice exchange. In that moment, I believe Arthur was going to do his regular act as planned, let Murray live, and then kill himself, just as he rehearsed at home and back stage. However, seconds before he’s introduced, Dr Sally and Murray joke about Arthur and the myriad of problems he has. The camera pans to Arthur smoking his signature lung dart, and he is livid. It’s the same piercing and dead serious look he had when Murray had joked on him when Arthur was at the hospital. I believe it was this moment when Arthur decided to change course and deviate from his original plan. In these moments is when the innocent Arthur Fleck turns into the cold blooded killer that is Joker.

One of the more ironic scenes is when a truck crashes into the police car that Arthur is riding in. The same rioters who are literally protesting in the name of Arthur’s singular actions, crash into his vehicle. In that moment, the movie could easily end. With Arthur being killed by protestors who actually supported him. It once again would have fulfilled his “I hope my death makes more sense than my life” prophecy. The actual end, while it did spawn lots of “you wouldn’t get it” memes, felt a bit lazy and uninspired. Yes it does tie the beginning and end together, and he’s back in therapy, I get the full circle thing. But him just standing in a white light, while ominous, didn’t feel quite as triumphant as the riot scene.

To me, the biggest surprise was that Arthur survived the crash. That’s perhaps my only beef with the movie. Arthur could have died the anti hero that he had become, and gone out in a blaze of glory, with his clown masked rioters all around him. That said, he does get his heroic moment, and he is celebrated in an iconic fashion. He smiles, he dances, he again revels in his despicable actions. Putting on a blood filled grin sums up his sinister alias. In a way, it’s beautiful. Entrenched in a sea of chaos, surrounded by army of faithful supporters, he’s finally “happy.”

I was listening to a recent episode of Bill Simmons’ latest podcast, and he was lamenting the impending media/internet shit storm over the sudden and shocking Andrew Luck retirement. Indeed, was he right. People have come out of the wood work to either deliver painfully tone deaf comments, or praise his courage. It’s a polarizing story, but it’s also a human story. A quarterback with all of the god given gifts you could ask for, and he retires at age 29. It seemed preposterous. But then-it’s not. The myriad of injuries he has suffered is tremendous. Lacerated spleen, broken ribs, and who knows how many concussions. In watching Andrew Luck’s impromptu press conference, I found myself enchanted for the oddest reasons. It made me reflect on my own life, and our fleeting sense of happiness. One day you can be perfectly happy and content, the next you are at a crossroads in life, feeling stagnated. Andrew Luck has enough money to retire comfortably, and he should do what makes him happy. When someone says that the joy was taken away, that tells you everything you need to know.

I once left a job because I was so unhappy, that the money started to become secondary. I dreaded going to work every day. The environment was toxic, the support system was haphazard, and the group morale was very low. It was eery to me that when I started, everyone around me was quitting or had quit. It was ironically the most money I had ever made, and the most stable job/hours I had ever had. I even got a pretty nice raise that I felt was undeserved. I hadn’t yet proved myself, but here was a piece of validation that said otherwise. As the months went on, I just simply could not see a scenario where I was happy there. I had a co-worker at that job, who was incredibly bright, astute, and is the reason I landed the job. Two conversations with her stood out. She asked, “Do you really want this job?” My response was a wise ass “Well, I know that I need a job.” I had just been let go from a job that I genuinely liked and I felt I was growing with the company. Two weeks before, my boss, who had never messaged me privately before, sent me a message on AIM (Yeah, seriously) and asked if I could meet him in the conference room. He said they were moving on, but can you stay on for a few more weeks? My last day was Thanksgiving Eve. So you can imagine the awkwardness the next day when I got the proverbial “So, how’s work?” question.

The other thing she said that stood out was again gear towards trepidation involving this job. Both were warnings. I asked her a nice easy softball question “So how do you like it?” Her response was very direct, blunt and dead serious “It will ruin you.” At first I thought she meant the job, then I realized she was talking about living in New York City. 3 years later I think she meant both. Either way, she was right.

October will be 3 years since I moved to Manhattan. It had always been a life long dream. It was a place that was only an hour and change train ride, but it felt like a different world. All of my friends conquered it in their early to mid 20s. So at Age 28, I quit my job, sold my car, got rid of my apartment, and moved to New York City. I spent a few months unemployed, blew threw almost all of my savings, and grinded. I eventually did get a job working for a great company. No complaints there. It’s been a weird journey, but I am thankful for the opportunity.

The intensity of New York City is real. It’s unrelenting. It will beat you down in every way possible if you aren’t careful. It was, and still is, the place to be. However, I often wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze. Lately, I am feeling that it’s just not anymore. Sure, it is great. There’s no place like it. That being said, I have visited a few other places recently, mainly parts of California and Texas. It was there that I realized something. I was having fun. That’s what triggered something inside of me. It took being somewhere else, having childlike genuine fun, to realize I wasn’t having that same feeling in New York City. There’s no room for dreams and wishes in Manhattan. You either get it done or you’ll be crushed by someone who is more grounded in reality. I’ve kicked around the idea of moving recently, more than I have in several years. This is where I come back to Andrew Luck. You give so much to something, and you hope it gives you something back. I have sacrificed many weekends, holidays, nights outs — for work.

Andrew Luck internally realized that he was too beaten down physically and emotionally to continue on his current path. Now, I have certainly never had a 300 pound freak athlete pummel me into the grass, but I resonated with the emotional toll. Sometimes it proves to be too much, and you realize you have to move on. I love the city, but sometimes it doesn’t love you back. I’ve tried every which way to make it work, but it has lead me to a stagnated cycle of lateral moves. Perhaps a different approach or setting will alleviate some of this. Maybe it won’t. But it’s certainly paramount to take a proactive step to find out. You can’t put a price tag on peace of mind.

LeBron James presumably has one more run with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. Can he capture his fourth ring? Let’s find out.

An important question to ask: Will he stay with the team long term? I tried to concoct some realistic landing spots for LeBron. I graded these from likeliest to least probable. Obviously, there are no locks, but there are some intriguing options.

One team you will not find on this rundown: The Golden State Warriors. 0 percent. For legacy purposes, LeBron would never join an established organization that has been a direct rival to the best team in basketball. As much fun as it would be for him, he would forever be seen as a Ring Chaser. Kevin Durant has already gotten a taste of the wrath from fans — LeBron would never do it.

So let’s move on to the real contenders!

Cleveland Cavaliers: Best bet

Staying with the Cavs, and trying to make the finals 2–4 more times seems like LeBron’s best shot at a ring along with his legacy staying in tact. He cannot jump ship again for a Golden State. He has to be a little more crafty. Cavs GM Koby Altman, while he did get fleeced in the Kyrie Deal, redeemed himself with his moves at the deadline. Picking up Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr, Jordan Clarkson and George Hill was big time. All of these guys are solid NBA players that instantly made this team better, more versatile, and more importantly, more talented. Foisiting Channing Frye, Derrick Rose and Iman Shumpert was a brilliant move, especially considering who they got back: significantly better assets.

I could see LeBron, all said and done, getting one more ring, and finishing with 4. He will break Kareem’s record of all-time scoring, and probably end up as the 2nd greatest player of all time, behind Michael Jordan. I think Bron can live with that legacy.

Philadelphia 76ers: A strong maybe!

Right off the bat: LeBron has a huge man crush on Ben Simmons that he does not pretend to hide. Simmons is also represented by Klutch Sports, who make up LeBron’s childhood best friends. That is just one caveat. You add in a potential generational talent in Joel Embiid — there is a lot to like here. Granted, adding LeBron will cause some salary constraints, but it’s well worth it. A core of LeBron/Simmons/Covington/Embiid/Saric and JJ Redick is formidable. That might win a championship right now.

San Antonio Spurs: Very tempting, In the hunt

A healthy and committed Kawhi Leonard is the essential piece of this equation. Without him none of this matters. That being said, assuming The Klaw is in San Anotonio to stay, that’s a dangerous core. LeBron plus LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol and some combo of Patty Mill/Manu Ginobili/Danny Green/Tony Parker are very doable for LeBron.

The most important part, though? Is Gregg Popovich. There is no coach in the NBA today that LeBron respects more. You can find countless articles of LBJ praising Popovich to no end. LeBron has not had the greatest coaches, remember. Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan both had an elite coach in Phil Jackson. LeBron has yet to have one. Maybe that’s the key in the decision for LeBron. His last few years, does he want to be challenged? Of course. Pop could be the guy to offer that.

Los Angeles Lakers: Another Strong Maybe

Finally in LA, LeBron can finally continue his career with his central location being Hollywood. Not to mention, a decent core of Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma and Lonzo Ball .Julius Randle may be on the way out for salary purposes. LeBron cares deeply about the history of the game. He understands this is a legendary franchise that he could add greatness to. Isaiah Thomas is a maybe, but an unknown if LeBron liked playing with him after the dust settled. Kentavious Caldwell Pope is a nice piece, Brook Lopez can still score some baskets. Not the worst core for LBJ. He’s gone to the Finals with worse.

Houston Rockets: Total wildcard. Should be a final contender

This is a more fun way of joining a super team that wouldn’t get criticized as bad as if it was Golden State. He has James Harden, Clint Capela and Chris Paul. The rest can fill in. Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson can make this team super fun. Due to how pricy Harden and CP3 are, this might be tricky. That being said, this would be an excellent spot for LeBron. He could contend every year in the west. Maybe even win a title or two.

Portland Trail Blazers: Don’t get your hopes up

This is more of a hope than anything, because it would just be dynamite to see a core of Dame Lillard, CJ McCollum, LeBron and Nurkic. The rest can fill in. I kind of like what Shabazz Napier has been doing when cast into spell duty. He has gained a lot more confidence and is finishing well around the basket. It is hard to see the King settling in Portland, so treat this as more of a basketball nerd fantasy for now.

Milwaukee Bucks: Wishful thinking

This is if LeBron truly just cares about basketball and forgot it’s Milwaukee. It’s all about how much he loves Giannis Antetokounmpo. It’s an interesting bet, and the core of Giannis-LeBron- Jabari Parker- Eric Bledsoe and sometimes Malcolm Brogdon is a fun core. Again, this is more of a dream than anything.

New York Knicks: Keep dreaming

This is contingent upon Kristaps Porzingis really being back and the Knicks netted a stud draft pick. Not sure yet what to make of Frank Ntilikina, but he is active on defense and knows the game. Enes Kanter is a mainstay and that is a pleasure to watch. However, LeBron doesn’t like Kanter very much. That could spell the end of this fairy tale. That, along with the Knicks having the worst management in sports.

Los Angeles Clippers: Worth a smirk, but that’s about it

He’s in the Los Angeles market, and he has Lou Williams and DeAndre Jordan. The cupboard isn’t completely bare. Tobias Harris was a sneaky fun pickup. Avery Bradley is a nice player but might be mis-casted on this team. This scenario doesn’t feel likely. Without the provenance of “being the Lakers” the “Well… we’re still in LA!” thing doesn’t quite work.

So, when it’s all said and done, there are essentially 5 bonafide contenders in this bunch to land LeBron James. The Sixers, the Cavs, Spurs, Rockets and Lakers. Anything else just defies logic. LeBron is a basketball savant, and he cares immensely about the history of the NBA. He also cares 1000 percent about how he is perceived, particularly his legacy. That might lead to LeBron staying in Cleveland for the rest of his career. That being said, don’t be shocked if LeBron James changes his zip code next season.

It started as a typical concert or comedy show experience, as you wait in line to be patted down awkwardly, and then enter the building with the rest of the eager fans. Then came the less familiar, which was putting your cell phone in a sealed pouch for the duration of the evening.

The Social Experiment

The most fascinating thing about embarking upon this show, is the social experiment that is “locking up your phones” as Dave Chappelle would put it. This is to prevent people from taking photos or videos of the show. Now, we all do spend at least several hours a day without our phones (sleeping), but most of us are conditioned to this notion of phone attachment. It’s our source of news, our alarm clock, the weather, our ability to survey and understand social currency.

And yet here is a group of thousands, putting their precious iPhones into a small cushy case that is sealed and cannot be opened unless a representative unseals it.

This exercise, while strange at first to most, was a unique and unfamilar test. Most kids cannot bear the thought of taking their eyes away from their phones, because god forbid you have to singularly pay attention to someone and oh boy, maybe look someone in the eyes.

The results are tremendous. The crowd was completely engaged and felt like a collective group of people, that for one moment, shared something that wasn’t going to be tweeted or Intagram live’d instantly. Sure, you can go home and post selfies from outside the venue, and maybe tweet about the guests you saw, but it was a special moment to just detach. I can’t get preachy like I can ever put my phone down, but that 3 1/2 hour time capsule was about as clear headed as I’ve ever felt as an adult. I was glad that Dave Chappelle forced me and thousands of others to relinquish our phones. Because we witnessed something unforgettable.

Dave Chappelle very clearly and carefully picked every person that he wanted to step on that stage. The opener was a relatively unknown comedian, Mo Amer. He threw out quick jokes about being Palestinian, how he would survive in other countries, and awkward encounters at the airport. He was quite funny, but when he exited the stage, we were in for a surprise that we certainly did not see coming.

Hannibal Burress

Plucked from the heavens of comedy, the in house DJ announces the next guest, who was not on the bill, the hilarious Hannibal Burress. I’ve never seen Hannibal live before, but boy did he kill. He ranted about overzealous Uber drivers wanting to hand out his mixtape. He joked about not wanting to die in a “basic” way (he wanted something named after him). But the part that stole the show, was how he found out that a woman he slept with on the road had written a reddit entry about him. She posted in a “slept with someone famous” reddit thread. Instead of just recalling the post, Hannibal actually threw this post up on the big screen. She said she had a good time, but that in the morning he complained about missing the continental breakfast. Never change, Hannibal.

After a brief intermission, we were again greeted with a fascinating treat. Dave grabbed a mic, and although he was backstage, his signature voice radiated through the building. “One of the greatest voices of this generation, ladies and gentlemen, Jon Stewart.”

Seriously?

Yeah. Jon Stewart came out, and he absolutely ignited the crowd. He made self deprecating jewish jokes about not aging well. He made one of the many inevitable jokes about white nationalism and the events in Charlottesville. But his main agenda, other than being hilarious, was to bash Donald Trump, or as he’d say, Fuckface van Clownstick, and revealed a few hilarious Tweet exchanges he had with the president. Stewart does not do a lot of stand up, but his voice felt very important, and he knew it. Stewart was sharp, witty and downright hilarious.

Each act had their own personality and flare but it was clear what was the main attraction. Everyone from John Stewart to Hannibal Burress and Chance the Rapper, expressed their extreme gratitude towards Dave for letting them be a part of this night.

Oh and John Mayer did a set. He was electric. He flawlessly played a few songs on his guitar and would riff with Dave on stage. Dave would launch a story about a song he heard on the radio, and Mayer would effortlessly play that song, whether it was Footloose or literally anything Dave could think of. It was spectacular.

Chance the Rapper

Before Dave came on, Chance the Rapper came onto the stage. Personally, when this residency was announced, Chance was the main attraction that I wanted to see. And he didn’t disappoint. He had incredible energy, and perform every one of his songs off Coloring Book, and even did a few others, such as “I’m the One” and “Ultralight Beam.” The interesting thing about Chance’s set, was his clear and obvious amazement with his own involvement in the night.

Several times he stood in front of the mic, and just giggled shyly, as if to say, I can’t believe I’m opening for Dave Chappelle. It reminds you, that even a guy like Chance, who has reached superstar status, is not above being caught up in the moment. And what a moment it was. Chance even mentioned that Dave is an inspiration and paved the way for people to be independent, and choose their own path. When he wasn’t making subtle jokes, Chance had incredible energy, and brought the house down with tracks like “No Problems” and his closer “Blessings”.

Dave Chappelle

And then there was Dave Chappelle himself. After seeing Hanniball Burress, Jon Stewart and John Mayer, you honestly felt like you had gotten your moneys worth. But as only Dave can, he captured the room and made joke after joke that were all completely unique to him.

The important and indelible mark of Dave’s greatness, is his uncanny and unapologetic nature to his routines. He’s not afraid to say whatever he wants, at any time. There was no topic too touchy. He went on a few rants about gays and transgenders. He spoke about Caitlyn Jenner. He talked about racism and Donald Trump, nothing was off limits.

He shared a story about getting fan mail (He’s not Santa Claus, as he points out, and barely ever reads any of it). But he did read one piece of mail while on the road. This person must have known him intimately because it was addressed to his hilarious pseudonym that night, Charles Edward Cheese.

This letter talked about how they thoroughly enjoyed Dave and all of his work. Dave’s work had gotten this person through tough times. But then they revealed that some of Dave’s remarks had truly hurt them, as a transgender person.

Dave was quick to point out that he doesn’t like hurting people, he makes clever social commentary but does not discriminate against any person. But this was just another example of a genius letting you into his mind and his every day life. His experiences just happen to be more hilarious than ours.

If you have the ability to, please, go to one of these shows. As I write this, there are six shows left. You might just go to see Childish Gambino do “Redbone”, or show up to see Lauryn Hill, but what you end up getting is a unique human experience unlike anything else.

Mayer probably surprised the most. Not because of his talent, which was clear as day, but his comedic timing and clear bond with Dave. The two are known to be good friends. Towards the very end John Mayer grabbed the mic and gave an impassioned speech about witnessing greatness. He reminded us that while we are living in a tumultuous time, don’t forget to remember greatness while in front of you, and cherish unforgettable moments even in the face of extremely difficult times in our country.

And that’s what last night was. Dave Chappelle gathered talent of all ages, races and demographics, and brought them together to sing, dance and laugh. It was a powerful message that despite so many different backgrounds, we can all, as one, unite and have a truly memorable shared experience, even if it was just for one night.

On Saturday, August 20th around 7:30 PM, a mythical and enigmatic voice entered back into our lives after a four year hiatus. I’m referring, of course, to Frank Ocean’s follow-up studio album Blonde (Or as it’s also been called “Blond”). Earlier in that same weekend, Ocean also dropped maybe the most cryptic series of pictures, videos, and obscure live streams in recent memory, which led to the visual album, Endless.

A lot has changed since Frank released his unanimously praised 2012 debut album, Channel Orange. When this album came out, Frank had created a decent and palpable buzz with songs like “Novacane” and “Swim Good.” Ocean was not, however, considered among the biggest artists in the game. Slowly, things started to turn. Ocean appeared on Jay Z and Kanye West’s album Watch The Throne, but musically, there was a lot left to be desired.

If you have been following the incessant internet trolling during this four year period, you know that Ocean has teased albums, not delivered, sent out hints, but there was nothing concrete. There was little to give fans any belief that a record would come out. To be fair, Ocean has completely detached himself from social media, aside from a handful of tumblr posts over the years. However, during this absence, ironically Ocean is at his peak of social media supremacy. Fans cannot get enough. Memes of long tortured die hards and diatribes of anguish have been comically filling the void of music for four long years. However, it all changed this past weekend.

There is very little background or context to the “visual album” Endless. It seemed to come out of nowhere. The piece, which runs 45 minutes long, is an oddity. Frank is building stairs, walking around aimlessly in a black and white setting. The actual album, Blonde, has a few sonic differences.

Endless

Endless almost feels like it was recorded under water, meant to put you in a trance on a rainy and gloomy day. Endless is far more dreary. Songs like “Wither” and “Slide On Me” (12:56, 19:00) show pinpoint craftsmanship but show Ocean’s classic vulnerability. By making this album only available in one context, with no playlists and just a video, Ocean made an album that forced the listener to focus for it’s entirety. It is meant to be played from start to finish and not skipped around, but rather viewed as a whole. You are challenged to see the work as a collective. Granted, every artist strives to make albums that you listen to from song 1 to song 15, but most will skip around to their favorite songs and becomes more of a compilation. Aside from the bizarre final 8 minutes that sounds like a robot advertising Apple and Samsung, Ocean accomplished his mission with Endless. It is a cohesive album and has a lot of quality throughout.

Blonde

Blonde, on the other hand, feels very different. Emotion is never lost, of course, and the key difference is Blonde has not only sounds but colors and imagery. There are birds chirping, bright sunshines moving from out of the clouds, you can feel the movie-like quality that Ocean put into this record. All songs are clearly very polished and there’s no waste of space.

What makes Frank special is his ability to invoke emotion and create lasting feelings that stand the test of time. Ocean make melodies that stick in your head, and he is original to a fault, not afraid to be himself and at times seem weird. To me, that is one of his most endearing qualities as a musician. On songs like “Pink + White” there is clearly more life and bounce to the music. It’s almost like Endless was the mixtape, the warm-up for the main event in Blond. On other songs like “Solo” and “Ivy”, Frank’s undeniable talent shines through.

Going Dark, Recruiting A Legend

Despite zero social media, Ocean remains a hot topic every time something happens, leaving the Internet in a frenzy on a daily basis

Frank has done something remarkable. He has managed to be one of the most talked about artists, while ironically not being active or conforming to any social media pressures.

Another impressive accomplishment on Blond was getting Andre 3000 for the second time on an album, which is no small feat.

He also managed to get an incredibly inspired 3 Stacks for “Solo (Reprised)”, which is music to listeners ears. The last time they hooked up was a great and poignant number, “Pink Matter” but it’s saw the elusive Andre in a slower tempo. This is rapid fire, hungry Andre which hasn’t been seen since the early Outkast days. 3000 even called out artists having ghost writers, which has already fueled speculation that this was a shot at Drake.

Both have fittingly completely avoided the spotlight but the masses come to Ocean due to his impeccable talent and content. Fans were so starved for Frank’s work that they were willing to have just about anything.

In summary, while this is not Channel Orange, it is definitely a nice body of work that showcases Frank’s undeniable singer/songwriter abilities. Both releases will take many listens to digest and fully appreciate the body of work.

Regardless of the content, Ocean has become one of the most important artist of this generation and easily one of those polarizing. Hopefully, we don’t have to wait another four years for his next album.

In a world where the human attention span is so minuscule, Drake has found a way to continue to evolve. He has teased song after song, meme after meme, and has stayed as culturally relevant as just about any artist not named Beyonce.

As important as his cultural influence, of course, is the music. No rapper “35 and under”, as Drake poignantly points out on “Weston Road Flows” can touch Drizzy’s craft or penmanship or indeed his flows (shout out to the many people from the universally relatable town name of Weston, including my hometown).

When you sit and digest any body of Aubrey Graham’s work, however, you are getting much more than just Drake. Although there are the obvious collaborators on this album such as Jay-Z, Rihanna and Future, there are some under the radar appearances here that I feel are much more important to point out. Any average fan knows their impact and what they bring to an album. These three acts are game changers and may have less notoriety, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be paying attention.

Noah “40” Shebib

If there ever was a “Real MVP” for the entire Drake phenomenon, it would have to be 40. There is no one more crucial to Drake’s sound, harmonies, vision and overall musical confidence than this man.

Shebib produced or co-produced 9 of the album’s 20 songs, including (“U With Me?”) which amazingly flips the DMX classic hook on “How’s it Going Down?.”

But to just simply acknowledge 40’s work on this album would be undervaluing his importance to Drake’s entire career. Shebib’s discography is staggering. You could literally go on for days if you tried to calculate all of the hits he has racked up, but here are just a few: I’m On One, Headlines, The Motto, Miss Me, Successful, Fancy and Take Care. Those are just the Drake songs. He has also produced smashes like Fu**in’ Problems by A$AP Rocky, Un-Thinkable by Alicia Keys and Still Got it by Tyga.

The most important part of 40’s brilliance is his diversity in sound. He can produce a slow, dreary number like “I’m Single” by Lil Wayne, or a triumphant banger like “Trophies” by Drake. Above all else, his incredible loyalty has led to an unparalleled cohesion that matches that of Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs. Shebib has had countless opportunities to take other gigs, but for the most part, he has stayed with Drake and has helped craft some of the most complete albums this genre has ever seen. So yeah, he’s a pretty important piece to the puzzle.

PARTYNEXTDOOR

PARTYNEXTDOOR aka Jahron Brathwaite is a 22 year old singer from Toronto. He has been groomed by Drake’s camp for years and is now starting to get a lot of traction, thanks to some killer mixtapes and a unique sound. His two EP’s, simply titled PartyNextDoor and PartyNextDoor Two are mix between soft and traditional r&b, to songs you can bump in your car and club bangers. Party has had some small success on his own with these projects, but his three biggest successes to date were Drake assisted collaborations.

“Over Here” is an easily digestible, catchy mixtape tune from PND. It features a killer Drake verse, and it really kickstarted Party’s recognizability. There has been very little promotion, but the music has been speaking for himself.

“Wednesday Night Interlude” was a bit of a surprise. It was plopped right in the heart of Drake’s surprise and critically acclaimed mixtape “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late.” What made this track interesting was that, despite it saying “featuring” PARTYNEXTDOOR”, there is no Drake in sight. It is completely PND’s song. It is a slow ballad, but completely showcases Party’s skills. He sings and raps expertly, and certainly helped his visibility by being on such a big album.

“Recognize” was the more commercial application of Party’s style. Unlike Over Here, which had one quick Party verse and then led right to Drake, Recognize was more of a showcase of Brathwaite’s skills. He has three verse’s before you even hear a peep from Drake, plus the hook. They shot a video for this, and there is even a comical and confusing cameo appearance from Kylie Jenner. This led to all sorts of speculation about Drake’s involvement with her, and probably led to some anxious moments for the increasingly irrelevant Tyga.

DVSN

DVSN is comprised of singer Daniel Daley and producer Nineteen95 aka Paul Jeffries, both from (shocker) Toronto. On this Views album, Dvsn’s impact is felt all across the board. Jeffries produced or co-produced several songs, including the sure-to-blow up song “Hype” and “Too Good.”

Perhaps Jeffries greatest contribution so far to Drake’s career has been the last song of the album. He produced the smash hit “Hotline Bling.” The song took on a life of it’s own. It created never-ending meme’s and dances. It was so recognizable that it was being mimicked in commercials and stadiums. It only made sense for Drake to throw it on an album, just for visibility purposes.

Daley, the vocalist of DVSN, is without a doubt Drake’s new secret weapon. He is featured on “Faithful”, along with the late great Pimp C. Much like The Weeknd that came before him, DVSN has literally gotten no promotion whatsoever. You can barely find anything on Daley, except a few hilarious “who is DVSN?” videos that are peppered onto the internet. There is one picture online, zero interviews and no visual companions to go with any music. What DVSN does have is material. Their debut album “Sept. 5th” is a stunning collection of contemporary r&b. It is not a traditional pop-type album. It is filled with late night, seductive numbers that would be warned to use cautiously if you aren’t trying to get your girl pregnant.

Jeffries rich and colorful beats mesh perfectly with Daley’s silky voice, which is somewhat of a crossover between Maxwell, Frank Ocean, and a little bit of The Weeknd sprinkled in. If you need to catch up, just search their Soundcloud and look up “The Line”, you will get goosebumps. As timely as ever, DVSN recently put out a cover of Aaliyah’s brilliant “One In A Million.” The reason this is so culturally poignant is the fact that they actually sample Prince’s “Purple Rain.”

DVSN will be joining Drake on his Summer Sixteen tour with Future, which should help with their visibility. With DVSN’s incredible production and singing abilities, it is no wonder why this duo will be a weapon for Drake to use in the near future.

These collaborators may not be household names, but it would be wise to get familiar with each and every one of them, as they are helping shape the sounds of the next generation.