Rapper Reminisce Mackie, also known as Remy Ma, set the rap industry on fire last week when she released her seven-minute diss track “ShETHER.” The song is a detailed dissection of pop culture and rap icon Nicki Minaj, and has left many fans on both sides of the debate wondering if Nicki can recover. The song plays of Nas’ infamous 2001 diss track “Ether,” which was aimed at Jay-Z, using the same beat, hook, and intro. The opening of the song features a recording of Nicki Minaj telling the world to “free Remy,” who only recently was released from prison after six years.
Amherst’s second Annual LitFest Poetry Slam took place last Thursday at the Powerhouse. Fresh off of last year’s event, in which Latrell Broughton ’19 took home the top prize, Amherst students hit the ground running this year with personal and provocative poems.
On Tuesday, February 21st, WAMH and the Hip Hop Club co-hosted a concert in the Marsh Arts House featuring sophomore Isaiah Lewis, Mal the Oddity (Amal Buford ’19), ELUCID and Milo. The low turnout for a Tuesday night concert offered an initially awkward yet surprisingly effective cozy vibe for what has been vaguely characterized as experimental rap. It feels weird to attempt to categorize the performer’s ranging styles.
Sometimes a bad tattoo is harder to forget than a beautiful tattoo is to remember. Tattoos are risky, not necessarily because of the intense physical pain they can produce, but because of their permanence. We are constantly bombarded with examples of horrendously butchered tattoos, both in person and online. Since neither our minds nor the internet will allow us to forget the mistakes that have been left on people’s skin, we often forget that a tattooist is a genuine artist.
I’m not usually one to voice controversial ideas. I find that when I suggest things that force people to consider their own fundamental beliefs and perhaps, even for a moment, call them into question, guilt creeps like fear into distant territories of my mind. I sometimes feel like I am responsible for maintaining the happiness of others and, because of that, pacify others and modify the outward manifestations of my internal notions. However, after operating in this way for some time now, I have begun to feel trapped.
The 89th Academy Awards will go down in history for one very obvious reason, the massive blunder that was the final and most important award announcement of the night. For those that live under a rock, here’s a quick recap: While announcing the “Best Picture” winner, Warren Beatty took a pause when reading the card. However, his hesitance seemed like a cheesy effort to build suspense, causing his “Bonnie and Clyde” co-star, Faye Dunaway, to take the card and name “La La Land” as the winner.
“Arrival,” based on the short story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang, is an anomaly in today’s entertainment scene. It’s an alien “invasion” movie completely devoid of action; instead it opts for consistent tension and drama. Even more notable is that “Arrival” is undoubtedly a true science fiction movie, one that tackles its heavy subject matter in clever and entertaining ways. Thankfully, grounded performances from a cast led by Amy Adams keep the movie focused on the human element of the story.
