1 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,090 S1: Hey, I'm Osman Faruqi and this is the drop a 2 00:00:11,090 --> 00:00:13,340 S1: culture show from the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, 3 00:00:13,340 --> 00:00:15,530 S1: where we dive into the latest in the world of 4 00:00:15,530 --> 00:00:19,310 S1: pop culture and entertainment. I'm here with Thomas Mitchell and 5 00:00:19,310 --> 00:00:22,610 S1: Mel Schembri. Tough week for you guys, Thomas. Your boy 6 00:00:22,610 --> 00:00:26,660 S1: Drake took a pretty big L. Mel, your girl Dua 7 00:00:26,690 --> 00:00:30,320 S1: Lipa released a deeply mid album. You guys holding up 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:31,340 S1: all right? 9 00:00:31,370 --> 00:00:34,490 S2: Yeah. Holding up okay. I mean, I think Dua's probably 10 00:00:34,490 --> 00:00:36,740 S2: come off a little better than Drake, but I'm sure 11 00:00:36,740 --> 00:00:38,600 S2: we'll get into that in a bit. 12 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,750 S3: Yeah, I've always been excited to go on the record 13 00:00:41,750 --> 00:00:45,740 S3: defending possible predators. So yeah, it's just another week in 14 00:00:45,740 --> 00:00:46,490 S3: my life. 15 00:00:47,540 --> 00:00:51,169 S1: Uh, we'll be talking a lot more, perhaps unsurprisingly, about 16 00:00:51,170 --> 00:00:54,860 S1: the feud between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, its origins, how 17 00:00:54,860 --> 00:00:57,860 S1: it's played out and what kinds of consequences it could 18 00:00:57,860 --> 00:01:00,529 S1: have for the pair, the wider rap scene and the 19 00:01:00,530 --> 00:01:03,050 S1: music industry more broadly. We're also going to be talking 20 00:01:03,050 --> 00:01:06,410 S1: about the Dua album and some other big pop releases 21 00:01:06,410 --> 00:01:09,350 S1: that we're into at the moment, and finally, we'll be 22 00:01:09,350 --> 00:01:13,640 S1: discussing The Fall Guy, the Australian shot action comedy starring 23 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,060 S1: Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. But first, this week it 24 00:01:17,060 --> 00:01:20,780 S1: was the first Tuesday in May, which means the Met 25 00:01:20,780 --> 00:01:21,620 S1: Gala was on. 26 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:25,780 S4: It's fashion's biggest night. 27 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:31,480 S5: Sydney the Met Gala is the party of the year. 28 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:35,200 S4: The Met Gala, the annual celeb studded fundraiser held to 29 00:01:35,200 --> 00:01:38,050 S4: benefit New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art. 30 00:01:38,050 --> 00:01:39,069 S6: Finally I'm here. 31 00:01:39,069 --> 00:01:41,410 S1: I was moving house on Tuesday, so I did not 32 00:01:41,410 --> 00:01:44,320 S1: pay very close attention to this one. Though I did 33 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,230 S1: get the sense from social media that it seems to 34 00:01:47,230 --> 00:01:50,110 S1: be taking up more and more attention every year. It's 35 00:01:50,110 --> 00:01:53,560 S1: kind of gone from a fashion focused fundraiser thing to 36 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,680 S1: just being like a key part of the pop cultural 37 00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,490 S1: calendar every year. Does that ring true to you guys? 38 00:02:00,490 --> 00:02:02,740 S1: What kind of stood out from this year's Met Gala? 39 00:02:03,070 --> 00:02:05,020 S2: Yeah, I reckon that's totally true. And I think it 40 00:02:05,020 --> 00:02:07,690 S2: makes sense because the Met Gala feels so right for 41 00:02:07,690 --> 00:02:11,440 S2: our online generation. It's all spectacle and no substance. It's 42 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,830 S2: all about conscious illusion and artifice. And it's also unlike 43 00:02:14,860 --> 00:02:17,950 S2: other big events, red carpet events. It's just purely based 44 00:02:17,950 --> 00:02:20,739 S2: on celebrity. You have to get the invite from Anna Wintour. 45 00:02:20,770 --> 00:02:23,230 S2: You can be anyone. You don't necessarily have to be 46 00:02:23,230 --> 00:02:25,450 S2: there because you know, you've been nominated for a film. 47 00:02:25,450 --> 00:02:28,000 S2: So you also get quite a broad and interesting sweep 48 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:30,370 S2: of people, which sets it up for real kind of 49 00:02:30,370 --> 00:02:32,860 S2: viral moments that are perfect for the internet. What stood 50 00:02:32,860 --> 00:02:34,840 S2: out from this one? I actually think maybe it was 51 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:37,630 S2: the kind of lack of those big moments, those big 52 00:02:37,630 --> 00:02:40,060 S2: talking points, like when I think back to some of 53 00:02:40,060 --> 00:02:43,389 S2: the outfits in the past, Jared Leto in that cat, 54 00:02:43,389 --> 00:02:46,120 S2: Doja Cat as a cat, Lil NAS X room when 55 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:48,790 S2: he wore that all silver outfit, Kim K had that 56 00:02:48,790 --> 00:02:51,640 S2: big stocking thing. There's been some really big moments, and 57 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:53,649 S2: I don't really think there were any huge talking points 58 00:02:53,650 --> 00:02:55,690 S2: from this Met Gala. In a way, people seem to 59 00:02:55,690 --> 00:02:57,700 S2: play it really safe. And I also think the other 60 00:02:57,700 --> 00:03:00,310 S2: thing that stood out was the theme. Clearly confused a 61 00:03:00,310 --> 00:03:02,650 S2: lot of people. There was not like a lot of 62 00:03:02,650 --> 00:03:05,200 S2: cohesion in what people were wearing. And I think Anna 63 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,140 S2: Wintour has actually apologized. She kind of potentially saw this 64 00:03:08,139 --> 00:03:10,930 S2: coming because she apologized in advance that maybe the theme 65 00:03:10,930 --> 00:03:12,970 S2: had been a bit confusing. Well, the thing was like. 66 00:03:12,970 --> 00:03:15,640 S1: Garden of something, but people just took the garden bit 67 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:16,690 S1: more literally. 68 00:03:16,690 --> 00:03:18,250 S7: Yeah, well, the theme was Sleeping. 69 00:03:18,250 --> 00:03:21,820 S2: Beauty's Reawakening fashion, but then the dress code was the 70 00:03:21,820 --> 00:03:24,310 S2: Garden of Time. Um, which are. 71 00:03:24,310 --> 00:03:25,299 S1: The Garden of Time? 72 00:03:25,419 --> 00:03:30,430 S2: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which, um, Anna Wintour obviously now realizes 73 00:03:30,430 --> 00:03:33,130 S2: was too complex for people. Um, so I think it 74 00:03:33,130 --> 00:03:35,230 S2: did come through on the carpet a lot, like it 75 00:03:35,230 --> 00:03:37,810 S2: was not really clear what people were dressing up. And 76 00:03:37,810 --> 00:03:39,610 S2: everyone had quite a different take on the theme. 77 00:03:39,610 --> 00:03:42,100 S3: Yeah, I just saw lots of photos of like, it 78 00:03:42,100 --> 00:03:44,290 S3: was like Hugh Jackman in a tux, Chris Hemsworth in 79 00:03:44,290 --> 00:03:46,990 S3: a tux. Like the Australian guys just doing what Australian 80 00:03:46,990 --> 00:03:50,260 S3: guys do and disappointing everybody. But like, I guess Zendaya 81 00:03:50,260 --> 00:03:52,240 S3: was the big one that everyone was talking about. I 82 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,360 S3: guess generally though, it felt like this was set up 83 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,480 S3: to be a big kind of flashpoint because, I mean, 84 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,360 S3: it's hard to avoid the optics of something like that, uh, 85 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,090 S3: difficult right now with everything that's going on in the world. 86 00:04:04,090 --> 00:04:06,880 S3: People love to kind of have that conversation around big 87 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:10,420 S3: celebrity events when there are these huge, you know, global 88 00:04:10,420 --> 00:04:13,090 S3: events also happening at the same time, and especially with 89 00:04:13,090 --> 00:04:14,830 S3: something like the Met Gala that isn't, you know, like 90 00:04:14,830 --> 00:04:16,929 S3: an award ceremony or at least something broader. People are 91 00:04:16,930 --> 00:04:18,490 S3: always going to be like, well, do we need to 92 00:04:18,490 --> 00:04:20,229 S3: be doing this right now while you know everything that's 93 00:04:20,230 --> 00:04:21,400 S3: going on in the Middle East? 94 00:04:21,820 --> 00:04:23,560 S1: Yeah, when we talk, we talk about the Met Gala, 95 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,290 S1: but really the way that we consume it publicly is 96 00:04:26,290 --> 00:04:30,160 S1: the celebrities outside the Met Gala being photographed as they enter. 97 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:33,010 S1: We don't really get a lot from what goes on inside. 98 00:04:33,010 --> 00:04:35,109 S1: I saw someone on social media being like, so what? 99 00:04:35,110 --> 00:04:38,680 S1: What happens in the Met Gala? And it's just what. 100 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:39,460 S3: Does happen in the it's. 101 00:04:39,460 --> 00:04:41,260 S1: Like a fundraising dinner. I think there were some speeches 102 00:04:41,260 --> 00:04:44,320 S1: and people sort of eat food and wander around. They 103 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:47,710 S1: take selfies. There's occasionally like videos that emerge of Jennifer 104 00:04:47,710 --> 00:04:50,589 S1: Lopez running into other celebrities in the bathroom. There's an 105 00:04:50,589 --> 00:04:53,500 S1: episode of Dave, the Show that you still refuse to watch, Thomas, 106 00:04:53,500 --> 00:04:55,990 S1: which is set inside the Met Gala in an episode. 107 00:04:55,990 --> 00:04:58,330 S1: That's the closest I've come to understanding what the Met 108 00:04:58,330 --> 00:04:59,890 S1: Gala is like inside. 109 00:04:59,890 --> 00:05:02,680 S2: Yeah, an ocean's. There's an ocean set in in the 110 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:05,710 S2: Met Gala as well. That's entirely what I'm basing it on. Oh, yeah, 111 00:05:05,710 --> 00:05:06,340 S2: that's right. 112 00:05:06,339 --> 00:05:09,310 S1: Oh, the Ocean's eight. Um, yeah. They're not very good. 113 00:05:09,310 --> 00:05:12,520 S1: Ocean's not because of, you know, the fact that they're 114 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,380 S1: gender flipped. It just wasn't that good. Of course not 115 00:05:14,380 --> 00:05:16,930 S1: as a movie. Yeah. To your point, Thomas, about the 116 00:05:16,930 --> 00:05:20,049 S1: incongruous nature of it this year, Marina Hyde, who I 117 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:23,020 S1: normally really enjoy reading, she's a Guardian UK columnist, had 118 00:05:23,020 --> 00:05:26,200 S1: a piece this week arguing that during times when the 119 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:28,930 S1: news is very heavy and grim, an event like the 120 00:05:28,930 --> 00:05:32,380 S1: Met Gala serves as a distraction to it. Just something 121 00:05:32,380 --> 00:05:34,690 S1: we can sort of zone out and watch these people 122 00:05:34,690 --> 00:05:37,120 S1: wear their their outfits. But I mean, I think there's 123 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:40,029 S1: an argument that in some instances, like the opposite can 124 00:05:40,029 --> 00:05:43,810 S1: also be true. It felt, particularly this year, I think, 125 00:05:43,810 --> 00:05:46,210 S1: to do with the timing of it. Just very odd 126 00:05:46,210 --> 00:05:50,140 S1: where every second post was a celebrity being photographed, and 127 00:05:50,140 --> 00:05:52,570 S1: then the posts after that were like clips or news 128 00:05:52,570 --> 00:05:56,469 S1: stories of Israel's invasion of Gaza. The Met Gala is 129 00:05:56,470 --> 00:06:00,460 S1: deeply a political and like always has been, and it's 130 00:06:00,460 --> 00:06:02,650 S1: another contrast to events like the Oscars. It's not just 131 00:06:02,650 --> 00:06:05,920 S1: about it not being an awards ceremony, but you do see, 132 00:06:05,920 --> 00:06:10,150 S1: even if most celebrities aren't embracing a political message we 133 00:06:10,150 --> 00:06:12,700 S1: have seen in this awards in the last kind of 134 00:06:12,700 --> 00:06:15,550 S1: 12 months of awards season, at least, people wearing pins 135 00:06:15,550 --> 00:06:18,520 S1: making speeches. None of that happens at the Met Gala. 136 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:22,480 S1: Anna Wintour keeps a pretty tight leash on that. There 137 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,870 S1: was this. Quote from Suzanne Collins that I saw doing 138 00:06:25,870 --> 00:06:28,330 S1: the rounds yesterday. She's the author of The Hunger Games, 139 00:06:28,330 --> 00:06:31,900 S1: and she said that she was inspired to write that 140 00:06:31,900 --> 00:06:35,530 S1: series because in the early 2000, she was watching TV 141 00:06:35,529 --> 00:06:39,219 S1: and it was reality TV being interspersed with clips of 142 00:06:39,220 --> 00:06:42,280 S1: the invasion of Iraq and sort of that, that I think, quote, 143 00:06:42,279 --> 00:06:45,070 S1: has been finding a lot of resonance this week because 144 00:06:45,070 --> 00:06:47,620 S1: people are saying, well, the Met Gala and the invasion 145 00:06:47,620 --> 00:06:49,840 S1: of Rafah happening at the exact same time. It's sort 146 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:53,560 S1: of hard to to disconnect those two things. It's a 147 00:06:53,560 --> 00:06:56,679 S1: big question, but I mean, is this is this escapism 148 00:06:56,680 --> 00:06:59,470 S1: that we all need? Is it a distraction? How do 149 00:06:59,470 --> 00:07:01,900 S1: you think people should be feeling about this? 150 00:07:01,930 --> 00:07:03,940 S3: Yeah. Like I think I can kind of see both 151 00:07:03,940 --> 00:07:06,490 S3: sides because, I mean, it's easy to say something like 152 00:07:06,490 --> 00:07:09,250 S3: the Met Gala is completely unnecessary and like in bad 153 00:07:09,279 --> 00:07:11,710 S3: taste right now. But then it becomes, for me a 154 00:07:11,710 --> 00:07:13,690 S3: question of like, well, where do you draw the line? 155 00:07:13,690 --> 00:07:16,929 S3: Like we're about to spend however long discussing Drake and 156 00:07:16,930 --> 00:07:19,840 S3: Kendrick arguing over the internet, and you could so easily 157 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:21,880 S3: make the same argument that, like, that's so ridiculous that 158 00:07:21,880 --> 00:07:23,650 S3: you would even give that air time right now with 159 00:07:23,650 --> 00:07:26,500 S3: everything that's going on. And like, I think it does 160 00:07:26,500 --> 00:07:29,260 S3: become this thing where at some point I guess you 161 00:07:29,260 --> 00:07:31,540 S3: have to decide that you can. I don't know that 162 00:07:31,540 --> 00:07:34,420 S3: these two things can coexist and and it's okay to 163 00:07:34,420 --> 00:07:36,820 S3: talk about both or have both, like it's really tricky 164 00:07:36,820 --> 00:07:39,820 S3: because you don't want to be seen to be like, oh, well, 165 00:07:39,820 --> 00:07:42,220 S3: I'm just putting that out of sight and, you know, whatever. Like, 166 00:07:42,220 --> 00:07:44,770 S3: unfortunately it's not impacting me. So I can just enjoy 167 00:07:44,770 --> 00:07:47,410 S3: the Met Gala. But I do think sometimes there is this, 168 00:07:47,410 --> 00:07:51,430 S3: like inclination to just then call everything shallow and all 169 00:07:51,430 --> 00:07:53,350 S3: we can all be talking about and focusing on 24 170 00:07:53,350 --> 00:07:55,240 S3: over seven is like, what's going on in the Middle East? 171 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,850 S3: And yeah, I think it creates this like lose lose 172 00:07:57,850 --> 00:07:59,110 S3: situation a little bit. 173 00:07:59,110 --> 00:08:01,660 S2: Yeah. I think it's funny that the, the dress code, 174 00:08:01,660 --> 00:08:03,610 S2: The Garden of Time is based on the name of 175 00:08:03,610 --> 00:08:06,670 S2: a short story by J.G. Ballard, who wrote the story 176 00:08:06,670 --> 00:08:08,980 S2: in 1962. Okay, this is a bit fun fact from 177 00:08:08,980 --> 00:08:11,650 S2: your resident reader, but it is kind of funny. The 178 00:08:11,650 --> 00:08:14,620 S2: short story is about this kind of rich couple who 179 00:08:14,620 --> 00:08:17,440 S2: live in an estate where the air is bright and 180 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:19,840 S2: the the weather is warm. They live in this beautiful 181 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:22,120 S2: kind of fantasy land. And then one day they look 182 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,670 S2: out onto the dry and barren plains and they see, 183 00:08:24,670 --> 00:08:28,540 S2: like people labored with heavy loads kind of around their neck, 184 00:08:28,540 --> 00:08:31,180 S2: and the kind of rabble sets up on the horizon, 185 00:08:31,180 --> 00:08:35,050 S2: encroaching on their fantasy land. And I mean, that's where 186 00:08:35,050 --> 00:08:38,020 S2: the rabble of the met is. The met is this 187 00:08:38,020 --> 00:08:41,439 S2: garden of illusion and artifice that can't last. But like 188 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,080 S2: this couple that have to kind of keep picking flowers, 189 00:08:44,080 --> 00:08:46,390 S2: you know, it's not going to last. And I mean, 190 00:08:46,390 --> 00:08:49,300 S2: I don't think the met is trying to be self-referential, 191 00:08:49,300 --> 00:08:51,940 S2: but that kind of is it. We're on the horizon, 192 00:08:51,940 --> 00:08:55,090 S2: kind of enjoying the beauty of this estate even as 193 00:08:55,090 --> 00:08:56,140 S2: we know it's fake. 194 00:08:56,140 --> 00:08:59,650 S1: Yeah, it's a kind of perfect accidental metaphor. Yeah. Look, 195 00:08:59,650 --> 00:09:03,370 S1: I don't expect anything dramatic or political from the Mecca. 196 00:09:03,370 --> 00:09:05,590 S1: I think it does what it does, and that's what 197 00:09:05,590 --> 00:09:07,240 S1: it's always done. And that's what it always will do. 198 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:10,719 S1: I think there's probably just certain times in which the 199 00:09:10,720 --> 00:09:14,199 S1: ability for some of the wealthiest people on the planet 200 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,860 S1: to insulate themselves and pretend nothing else is going on 201 00:09:17,860 --> 00:09:21,010 S1: can sometimes feel like a little bit too absurd. I 202 00:09:21,010 --> 00:09:23,260 S1: think it's a fair point about the rap stuff. Thomas. 203 00:09:23,260 --> 00:09:26,080 S1: I think we'll mention a bit about some of the 204 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,200 S1: criticisms of Drake and Kendrick just talking about themselves when 205 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:31,660 S1: there's a lot else going on. One of the things 206 00:09:31,660 --> 00:09:35,050 S1: that I just found bewildering, like the the appearance of 207 00:09:35,050 --> 00:09:39,099 S1: Anthony Pratt, the Australian cardboard billionaire dressed in sort of 208 00:09:39,100 --> 00:09:41,230 S1: a pink Willy Wonka suit. And I know that this 209 00:09:41,230 --> 00:09:43,090 S1: is a fundraiser, and I know that all sorts of 210 00:09:43,090 --> 00:09:45,580 S1: just like rich people go to it, but maybe it's 211 00:09:45,580 --> 00:09:48,820 S1: because he's Australian. It's like cultural cringe or something. But 212 00:09:48,820 --> 00:09:52,480 S1: I'm like, this feels like less exciting than it's felt 213 00:09:52,480 --> 00:09:54,010 S1: before seeing him there. 214 00:09:54,010 --> 00:09:56,320 S2: Yeah. And you know how like, color analysis is like 215 00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:58,660 S2: having a real moment at the moment and everyone's getting 216 00:09:58,660 --> 00:10:00,310 S2: it done and getting AI to do it. When I 217 00:10:00,309 --> 00:10:02,319 S2: saw him in that pink suit and his face just 218 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:04,479 S2: looked so pink, I was like, that is a case 219 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,569 S2: for why color analysis matters. But I also the other Aussie, 220 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:11,020 S2: you mentioned it earlier, Chris Hemsworth, very bland. Wasn't it? 221 00:10:11,020 --> 00:10:14,559 S2: Just like a classic three piece suit? Like just beige? 222 00:10:14,559 --> 00:10:16,540 S2: So yeah, I don't know if the Australians had a 223 00:10:16,540 --> 00:10:18,280 S2: great showing at the met this year. 224 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:19,510 S3: Except for Kylie. Obviously. 225 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:21,760 S1: I didn't see Kylie's outfit. She looked pretty. 226 00:10:21,760 --> 00:10:24,939 S2: Good. Troye Sivan as well. Our our pop princesses did great. 227 00:10:25,570 --> 00:10:28,630 S1: Okay, so from pop princesses to two people who had 228 00:10:28,630 --> 00:10:31,090 S1: nothing to do with the Met Gala at all, it's 229 00:10:31,090 --> 00:10:33,820 S1: time to talk about the biggest cultural moment of the week, 230 00:10:33,820 --> 00:10:38,440 S1: and arguably even the last few years. The incredibly personal, 231 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:43,209 S1: vicious and deeply fascinating feud between two of the biggest 232 00:10:43,210 --> 00:10:47,500 S1: rappers the past decade, Drake and Kendrick Lamar. I guess 233 00:10:47,500 --> 00:10:49,750 S1: the freshest development in this saga is the news that 234 00:10:49,750 --> 00:10:53,020 S1: one of Drake's security guards was shot inside his house 235 00:10:53,020 --> 00:10:57,010 S1: in Toronto on Wednesday morning. The assailant escaped. We have 236 00:10:57,010 --> 00:10:59,890 S1: no further details about the shooting or the background or 237 00:10:59,890 --> 00:11:02,380 S1: motivations of the shooter, but I mean, it is pretty 238 00:11:02,380 --> 00:11:07,690 S1: wild timing considering everything going on before that incident. It's 239 00:11:07,690 --> 00:11:10,390 S1: worth laying out, I guess. Basically where we were at 240 00:11:10,390 --> 00:11:13,960 S1: after spending a couple of weeks releasing tracks that were 241 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:18,340 S1: getting increasingly more personal, aimed at each other, allegations of 242 00:11:18,340 --> 00:11:23,470 S1: domestic abuse, sex trafficking, and underage grooming. Kendrick. Was widely 243 00:11:23,470 --> 00:11:28,720 S1: considered to have pretty thoroughly demolished Drake's reputation and outranked him. 244 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,840 S1: Kind of culminated in the most recent track that's been released, 245 00:11:31,900 --> 00:11:34,690 S1: a track from Drake five minutes long, where he basically 246 00:11:34,690 --> 00:11:38,470 S1: spent most of it denying being a pedophile. It's kind 247 00:11:38,470 --> 00:11:42,729 S1: of been interpreted as a quiet, strategic retreat from this 248 00:11:42,730 --> 00:11:48,280 S1: whole episode. This was melanomas, particularly over the weekend when 249 00:11:48,280 --> 00:11:52,510 S1: we had multiple tracks being dropped every day. I think, 250 00:11:52,510 --> 00:11:54,670 S1: safe to say, one of the biggest moments in in 251 00:11:54,670 --> 00:11:57,250 S1: pop culture in recent times, it felt like everyone had 252 00:11:57,250 --> 00:11:59,679 S1: sort of stopped to plug in and see what was 253 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:03,130 S1: going on. Sure, you were getting text messages either from 254 00:12:03,130 --> 00:12:05,230 S1: people being like, have you seen it? Or friends asking 255 00:12:05,230 --> 00:12:08,350 S1: you to explain what was going on felt particularly interesting. 256 00:12:08,350 --> 00:12:11,260 S1: In the era of media fragmentation, where we don't tend 257 00:12:11,260 --> 00:12:14,410 S1: to all like, gather on to one big thing. It 258 00:12:14,410 --> 00:12:17,229 S1: definitely felt like the biggest rap beef in years, potentially 259 00:12:17,230 --> 00:12:19,989 S1: bigger than the infamous feud between Jay-Z NAS in the 260 00:12:19,990 --> 00:12:22,780 S1: early 2000. There's going to be ramifications for both of 261 00:12:22,780 --> 00:12:25,630 S1: these guys and the direction of hip hop. There's plenty 262 00:12:25,630 --> 00:12:28,330 S1: to discuss, but maybe we'll start with with kind of 263 00:12:28,330 --> 00:12:32,170 S1: where this starts. And maybe before we do that, it 264 00:12:32,170 --> 00:12:35,050 S1: could be interesting to discuss the respective positions of each 265 00:12:35,050 --> 00:12:38,320 S1: of these rappers before they got into this feud. Thomas, 266 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:39,520 S1: I'm wondering if you can give us a kind of 267 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,370 S1: TLDR on kind of Drake as a rapper. Where does 268 00:12:42,370 --> 00:12:45,040 S1: he sit and how does that compare to to Kendrick's 269 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,500 S1: profile and position in the hip hop world? 270 00:12:47,500 --> 00:12:51,130 S3: Yeah for sure Mel. So TLDR is too long. Don't worry. 271 00:12:51,250 --> 00:12:53,350 S2: I know nothing's ever too long for me to read. 272 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:57,190 S3: Um, so basically I guess like the scene is that 273 00:12:57,190 --> 00:13:00,969 S3: you've got Drake, arguably the biggest kind of name in 274 00:13:00,970 --> 00:13:04,479 S3: rap pop. He he's a hip hop guy, but really 275 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,840 S3: he's seen as the pop star of rap. Um, obviously, 276 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:12,370 S3: you know, enormously successful. Signed a $400 million complete global 277 00:13:12,370 --> 00:13:14,380 S3: publishing deal with universal a few years ago, one of 278 00:13:14,380 --> 00:13:17,199 S3: the biggest deals of all time called the LeBron deal 279 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,920 S3: of music. Um, you know, obviously we all know Drake songs. 280 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:24,190 S3: He feels clubs, he tops the Billboard 100 all the time. 281 00:13:24,190 --> 00:13:26,860 S3: He wins lots of Grammys. He is kind of like 282 00:13:26,860 --> 00:13:30,460 S3: the palatable hip hop star, but really, he's a pop star. 283 00:13:30,460 --> 00:13:34,059 S3: Then you have Kendrick Lamar seen as many as, I guess, 284 00:13:34,059 --> 00:13:37,810 S3: like the icon of pure hip hop, he is kind 285 00:13:37,809 --> 00:13:40,719 S3: of the incumbent to Tupac Shakur. He's seen by purists 286 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:43,150 S3: as the true face of hip hop. Um, he's from 287 00:13:43,150 --> 00:13:46,360 S3: Compton in Los Angeles, often seen as the spiritual heartland 288 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,689 S3: of hip hop. And, you know, he releases albums that are, 289 00:13:49,690 --> 00:13:51,579 S3: you know, really kind of viewed in a more critical 290 00:13:51,580 --> 00:13:54,880 S3: lens than anything Drake ever does. He's won a Pulitzer Prize, Mel, 291 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:57,730 S3: which is like a really important prize, basically. And yeah, 292 00:13:57,730 --> 00:14:00,250 S3: so that kind of sets the scene in, in what 293 00:14:00,250 --> 00:14:04,059 S3: I mean, does even though the feud has gone beyond ridiculous, 294 00:14:04,059 --> 00:14:06,430 S3: it set the scene for a really perfect match up 295 00:14:06,429 --> 00:14:09,910 S3: because it was like kind of like this good versus evil. 296 00:14:09,910 --> 00:14:13,000 S3: You know, the good guy being Kendrick, who represents the 297 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,550 S3: pure art of hip hop, and then Drake being the 298 00:14:15,550 --> 00:14:18,010 S3: sellout who represents, I guess, the problems of modern hip 299 00:14:18,010 --> 00:14:19,930 S3: hop according to a lot of fans. So, yeah, that 300 00:14:19,930 --> 00:14:22,600 S3: was kind of the state of things. But yeah, very 301 00:14:22,600 --> 00:14:24,970 S3: much it was these two guys who represented two different 302 00:14:24,970 --> 00:14:27,640 S3: schools of thought of where hip hop is at right now. 303 00:14:27,640 --> 00:14:29,470 S1: And I think fair to say, Thomas, like you and 304 00:14:29,470 --> 00:14:32,140 S1: I have listened to probably every record that either Drake 305 00:14:32,140 --> 00:14:34,930 S1: or Kendrick have made and have a lot of time 306 00:14:34,930 --> 00:14:37,360 S1: and respect for what they do. 307 00:14:38,060 --> 00:14:40,430 S3: Yeah for sure. Like, I love both guys. I get 308 00:14:40,430 --> 00:14:42,560 S3: a lot of enjoyment out of both of their work, um, 309 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:44,930 S3: for different, very different reasons. And, and that's why I 310 00:14:44,930 --> 00:14:47,540 S3: think it was such a curious thing at the start 311 00:14:47,540 --> 00:14:49,910 S3: to see these two guys go at it, who, you know, 312 00:14:49,910 --> 00:14:52,730 S3: because in the early 20 tens, they were, you know, 313 00:14:52,730 --> 00:14:55,010 S3: very friendly and they appeared on each other's tracks. Um, 314 00:14:55,010 --> 00:14:57,770 S3: Poetic Justice, the Kendrick song and Kendrick also appeared on 315 00:14:57,770 --> 00:15:00,410 S3: Drake's Take Care album. They toured together, so they were 316 00:15:00,410 --> 00:15:02,720 S3: very much like friendly. But then as they both kind 317 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:04,700 S3: of went on their own trajectory and became very big 318 00:15:04,700 --> 00:15:08,600 S3: in different kind of crowds, they've drifted further apart. And 319 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,190 S3: then now here we are now. 320 00:15:10,220 --> 00:15:12,050 S1: Before we really dive into it all. I mean, where 321 00:15:12,050 --> 00:15:14,030 S1: do you sit with each of these guys? Do you 322 00:15:14,030 --> 00:15:18,530 S1: have a preference for the sounds of either Drake or Kendrick? 323 00:15:18,650 --> 00:15:20,750 S2: No, I think I've always kind of taken the El 324 00:15:20,750 --> 00:15:24,800 S2: Paso approach to it. I think both have both have 325 00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:26,810 S2: like both can exist and we can be happy with 326 00:15:26,810 --> 00:15:29,330 S2: both and grateful to have both. I've never really nailed 327 00:15:29,330 --> 00:15:32,450 S2: my colours to any of their masks, and to be honest, 328 00:15:32,450 --> 00:15:35,330 S2: I'm very glad I didn't and I haven't because I 329 00:15:35,330 --> 00:15:38,870 S2: think this whole episode has been shameful and they are 330 00:15:38,870 --> 00:15:43,729 S2: both shameful. And I mean, I am disappointed I oh, 331 00:15:43,910 --> 00:15:46,430 S2: all right, there's the first one. Yeah, that's the wisest. 332 00:15:46,430 --> 00:15:47,990 S1: Thing I've heard. Um, yeah. 333 00:15:47,990 --> 00:15:52,400 S2: I mean, I know I'm, I'm trying hard not to 334 00:15:52,400 --> 00:15:54,590 S2: think of this as a battle for relevancy. And I'm 335 00:15:54,590 --> 00:15:56,720 S2: listening to you, Oz, and I'm hearing that you're telling 336 00:15:56,720 --> 00:15:58,400 S2: me this is about the future of hip hop. But 337 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:00,290 S2: part of me is like, is this about the end 338 00:16:00,290 --> 00:16:01,190 S2: of hip hop? 339 00:16:01,190 --> 00:16:03,620 S1: Well, I mean, look, that is not a terrible question 340 00:16:03,620 --> 00:16:06,410 S1: to to raise, because certainly that is one that a 341 00:16:06,410 --> 00:16:07,940 S1: lot of critics, a lot of hip hop critics have 342 00:16:07,940 --> 00:16:10,940 S1: been discussing, like this is maybe in some ways, you know, 343 00:16:10,940 --> 00:16:13,790 S1: these two, two titans that reflect an era that doesn't 344 00:16:13,790 --> 00:16:17,570 S1: really exist anymore, having one final throwdown, and we probably 345 00:16:17,570 --> 00:16:19,820 S1: will never see anything like this again. I think I 346 00:16:19,820 --> 00:16:22,280 S1: think there's a question there that that is worth discussing, 347 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,130 S1: but let's, um, let's sort of delve into how we 348 00:16:25,130 --> 00:16:27,650 S1: got here for a minute. So as some have said, 349 00:16:27,650 --> 00:16:30,500 S1: these guys, they were friends, they collaborated a few times. 350 00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:33,710 S1: They sort of went into different lanes for the past 351 00:16:33,710 --> 00:16:37,940 S1: nearly decade now, I'd say. But in October they came 352 00:16:37,940 --> 00:16:41,840 S1: back into each other's orbits. Drake released a song called 353 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:46,220 S1: First Person Shooter, which included a verse from another big rapper, J. Cole. 354 00:16:46,370 --> 00:16:49,580 S1: Uh J Cole referred to himself, Drake and Kendrick as 355 00:16:49,580 --> 00:16:51,260 S1: the big three of rap. 356 00:16:51,980 --> 00:16:54,290 UU: Me we the big three. Like we started the league. 357 00:16:54,290 --> 00:16:56,210 UU: But right now I feel like Muhammad Ali. 358 00:16:57,380 --> 00:17:01,040 S1: Didn't kind of feel that controversial at the time. It was, 359 00:17:01,040 --> 00:17:03,830 S1: I guess, intended to be respectful and say, hey, we're 360 00:17:03,830 --> 00:17:06,080 S1: all pretty cool. I like hanging out with you guys. 361 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:08,960 S1: Hip hop is great. Look at us here at the top. Uh, 362 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,840 S1: in March though, this year things got a bit more hectic, 363 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:13,550 S1: and we discussed this briefly a few weeks ago on 364 00:17:13,550 --> 00:17:17,180 S1: the show when Atlanta rapper future dropped an album with 365 00:17:17,180 --> 00:17:20,060 S1: producer Metro Boomin. Uh, I thought that album was like, fine. 366 00:17:20,060 --> 00:17:21,050 S1: There was like a bit of a blow up at 367 00:17:21,050 --> 00:17:23,960 S1: the time, but it didn't feel as dramatic as as 368 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:25,909 S1: it has since gotten. There was a track on that 369 00:17:25,910 --> 00:17:29,959 S1: album called Like That featured Kendrick, where he took aim 370 00:17:29,960 --> 00:17:33,710 S1: at Drake and J. Cole, explicitly referencing that line about 371 00:17:33,710 --> 00:17:34,970 S1: them being the big three. 372 00:17:35,540 --> 00:17:39,380 S8: Motherfuck the big three. It's just big me, nigga. Boom. 373 00:17:40,160 --> 00:17:42,949 S1: Well, that was like definitely a dig at Drake and Cole. 374 00:17:42,950 --> 00:17:45,650 S1: It didn't feel like crazy. This is like a big 375 00:17:45,650 --> 00:17:47,689 S1: part of hip hop where people are just saying they're 376 00:17:47,690 --> 00:17:50,119 S1: better than the others. It's part of the braggadocio culture 377 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:53,840 S1: of hip hop. Didn't really expect things to take the 378 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:57,170 S1: turn that they did, but, um, yeah, we'll get there. 379 00:17:57,170 --> 00:17:58,910 S1: Probably the funniest twist, I think, in all of this 380 00:17:58,910 --> 00:18:02,750 S1: is J. Cole took that very personally and released a 381 00:18:02,750 --> 00:18:06,140 S1: seven minute long track criticizing Kendrick and then very, very 382 00:18:06,140 --> 00:18:08,300 S1: quickly deleted it and said, I'm sorry, I want nothing 383 00:18:08,300 --> 00:18:10,040 S1: to do with this. I don't know if he, like 384 00:18:10,310 --> 00:18:13,520 S1: someone from the future, went back in time and told him, dude, 385 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:14,960 S1: you're just going to want to tap out of this 386 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:17,060 S1: one and just go stay at home and have a 387 00:18:17,060 --> 00:18:19,370 S1: nice time. Watch um Shogun on Disney+. 388 00:18:19,369 --> 00:18:20,659 S3: If anything, though, that has given us one of the 389 00:18:20,660 --> 00:18:22,550 S3: best parts of this beef in that like the internet 390 00:18:22,550 --> 00:18:24,680 S3: has had a field day with like, well, things have 391 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:27,619 S3: gotten increasingly vicious between Drake and Kendrick. There's all these 392 00:18:27,619 --> 00:18:29,780 S3: memes of like, J. Cole right now, and it's someone 393 00:18:29,780 --> 00:18:31,970 S3: like walking through a field of grass, like having the 394 00:18:31,970 --> 00:18:34,190 S3: time of their lives. So yeah, I do wonder if J. 395 00:18:34,190 --> 00:18:36,649 S3: Cole is a bit like, well, I'm so glad I 396 00:18:36,650 --> 00:18:39,650 S3: tapped out and deleted my song. Or I personally, um, 397 00:18:39,650 --> 00:18:42,350 S3: kind of think it's a little bit embarrassing for him. 398 00:18:42,350 --> 00:18:43,520 S2: Oh, you think he should have stepped up? 399 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:45,950 S3: Well, I mean, like, he he he basically like he 400 00:18:45,950 --> 00:18:48,650 S3: went in, he involved himself first and then like, he 401 00:18:48,650 --> 00:18:52,040 S3: really like whatever you think of Drake, I think at 402 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:54,920 S3: least he like he committed. He committed, he committed. Whereas J. 403 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:57,350 S3: Cole like you know, sure he hasn't then had like 404 00:18:57,350 --> 00:18:59,840 S3: all this dirty laundry of his aired. But I feel 405 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:01,639 S3: like that will stick with him forever in hip hop, 406 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:04,310 S3: which is famously like a reputation game. You know, he 407 00:19:04,310 --> 00:19:05,780 S3: may have made a smart decision, but it's still a 408 00:19:05,780 --> 00:19:07,639 S3: decision that paints him as someone who was not prepared 409 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:08,180 S3: to throw it out. 410 00:19:08,180 --> 00:19:09,679 S2: It's so good. I love that he, like, lit the 411 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:12,050 S2: fire and then kind of spider monkey it out of there. 412 00:19:12,920 --> 00:19:16,160 S1: Um, so Drake, uh, Drake decided to involve himself in this. 413 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:18,800 S1: In the middle of April, he released his first diss 414 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,770 S1: track aimed at Kendrick, push ups and tailor made freestyle. 415 00:19:21,770 --> 00:19:24,229 S1: At this stage, I think, like fair to say that 416 00:19:24,230 --> 00:19:28,399 S1: the disses were relatively tame. They mainly focused on. On 417 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,670 S1: Drake criticizing Kendrick's music. Drake listed a bunch of rappers. 418 00:19:31,670 --> 00:19:35,030 S1: He thought that, uh, were better than Kendrick. He had 419 00:19:35,030 --> 00:19:39,160 S1: a go at Kendrick for collaborating with. Taylorswift and other 420 00:19:39,160 --> 00:19:41,290 S1: pop acts, which felt a bit dumb, like out of 421 00:19:41,290 --> 00:19:42,940 S1: all the people in the hip hop world who can 422 00:19:42,940 --> 00:19:47,890 S1: say you've gone too mainstream? Drake saying that to Kendrick. Uh, 423 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,649 S1: I don't think really, really stacked up, but it's what 424 00:19:50,650 --> 00:19:54,639 S1: he did. And from there, things got way more personal. 425 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:59,050 S1: Kendrick releases a track called euphoria and 616 in LA, 426 00:19:59,050 --> 00:20:04,180 S1: which accused Drake of having plastic surgery and most significantly, 427 00:20:04,180 --> 00:20:08,440 S1: at this stage, uh, Kendrick called Drake a bad father. 428 00:20:08,440 --> 00:20:10,240 S1: And we'll get back to why that's such a big deal. 429 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,780 S1: But that was probably the first real escalation in terms 430 00:20:13,780 --> 00:20:17,800 S1: of this taking a vicious personal turn. The same day, uh, 431 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:21,010 S1: Drake drops a track called Family Matters where he's like, okay, 432 00:20:21,010 --> 00:20:23,439 S1: you brought my son into this shit is going to 433 00:20:23,440 --> 00:20:26,260 S1: get real now, uh, he says that one of Kendrick's 434 00:20:26,260 --> 00:20:30,460 S1: children was actually fathered by his friend and colleague, Dave Frye, 435 00:20:30,580 --> 00:20:36,400 S1: and he accused Lamar of being physically abusive towards his wife, Whitney. 436 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,510 S1: 20 minutes after that track came out, Kendrick releases Meet 437 00:20:40,510 --> 00:20:44,200 S1: the Grimes. Probably like the darkest track in this whole beef. 438 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,750 S1: And I say that because even though it really set 439 00:20:46,750 --> 00:20:48,370 S1: things to another level, no one really wants to talk 440 00:20:48,369 --> 00:20:50,920 S1: about this one too much because of just how brutal 441 00:20:50,920 --> 00:20:55,750 S1: it got. Kendrick directly addresses Drake's son, Adonis. He accuses 442 00:20:55,750 --> 00:20:59,020 S1: Drake of hiding a second child, this time a daughter. 443 00:20:59,140 --> 00:21:03,369 S1: He suggests that Drake is attracted to underage children and 444 00:21:03,369 --> 00:21:06,909 S1: accuses him of running a sex trafficking ring out of 445 00:21:06,910 --> 00:21:10,870 S1: his Toronto mansion. Yeah, as you can tell, quite, quite 446 00:21:10,869 --> 00:21:14,140 S1: a severe escalation in all of this. Um, from where 447 00:21:14,140 --> 00:21:15,910 S1: it started, from the big three. 448 00:21:15,910 --> 00:21:18,340 S3: To very different to I'm better than you. Like it's 449 00:21:18,340 --> 00:21:20,050 S3: a big jump to then. Like, also you're running a 450 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:21,610 S3: sex trafficking ring. 451 00:21:21,820 --> 00:21:25,120 S1: The the next day, Kendrick follows up with another track, 452 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:28,090 S1: Not Like Us. And this is maybe the best song 453 00:21:28,090 --> 00:21:29,830 S1: in the whole thing in terms of Just Like as 454 00:21:29,830 --> 00:21:31,090 S1: a standalone track. 455 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:35,869 UU: Oh, I must have heard the beat. Ho de bo. 456 00:21:35,869 --> 00:21:38,450 UU: Any rap nigga. He a free throw, man. Damn. Call 457 00:21:38,450 --> 00:21:38,840 UU: the amber. 458 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:41,210 S8: Lamps. Tell em pre-pro nella nigga to the cross. He 459 00:21:41,210 --> 00:21:43,580 S8: walk around like teaser. What's up with these jabroni ass 460 00:21:43,580 --> 00:21:46,190 S8: niggas tryna see Compton. The industry can hate me. Fuck 461 00:21:46,190 --> 00:21:48,230 S8: em all they momma. How many apps you really got? 462 00:21:48,260 --> 00:21:50,570 S8: How many is too many options I'm finna pass on 463 00:21:50,570 --> 00:21:52,100 S8: this body I'm John Stockton. 464 00:21:52,340 --> 00:21:54,500 S1: There's sort of early numbers out on streaming that this 465 00:21:54,500 --> 00:21:57,230 S1: could actually replace Taylor Swift as the number one track 466 00:21:57,230 --> 00:22:00,230 S1: on Billboard this week has a really catchy beat by 467 00:22:00,230 --> 00:22:03,500 S1: DJ mustard, and on it, Kendrick doubles down on calling 468 00:22:03,500 --> 00:22:05,510 S1: Drake a pedophile who he literally this time says the 469 00:22:05,510 --> 00:22:10,430 S1: word pedophile. He parodies Drake's music style, and it's kind 470 00:22:10,430 --> 00:22:13,700 S1: of considered at this stage that this is the point 471 00:22:13,700 --> 00:22:17,659 S1: where Kendrick has successfully shredded Drake's reputation. He's kind of 472 00:22:17,660 --> 00:22:21,080 S1: releasing two tracks for every one track Drake is dropping, 473 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,650 S1: and he's also demonstrated his storytelling and his lyrical prowess, 474 00:22:24,650 --> 00:22:26,899 S1: which is the kind of level that he's on compared 475 00:22:26,900 --> 00:22:31,160 S1: to a more pop commercial pop star like Drake. The 476 00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:33,110 S1: kind of brief code and all of this is a 477 00:22:33,109 --> 00:22:35,780 S1: track called The Heart Part six, which is the final 478 00:22:35,780 --> 00:22:39,710 S1: track so far from Drake. He denies the pedophile allegations, 479 00:22:39,710 --> 00:22:43,160 S1: but doesn't really land any new blows on Kendrick. So 480 00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:44,660 S1: kind of takes us to where we are now, which 481 00:22:44,660 --> 00:22:48,740 S1: is a lot of personal, vicious rumors aimed at each other, 482 00:22:48,740 --> 00:22:51,680 S1: a lot of collateral damage for the people around them 483 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:57,230 S1: in their lives, and a feeling that Kendrick has essentially won, 484 00:22:57,230 --> 00:23:01,429 S1: quote unquote, whatever that means. This feud. There's a lot 485 00:23:01,430 --> 00:23:04,250 S1: of stuff going on, a lot of stuff to talk about. 486 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:07,070 S1: I think maybe where we can start is like, why 487 00:23:07,070 --> 00:23:10,370 S1: this drew so much attention? I think aside from how 488 00:23:10,369 --> 00:23:13,940 S1: big and successful and popular both of these guys are, 489 00:23:14,330 --> 00:23:16,730 S1: the rapid fire way these songs are being released, like 490 00:23:16,730 --> 00:23:19,040 S1: having 4 or 5 tracks released over the course of 491 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:21,470 S1: a weekend. Like Thomas, you and I were messaging at 492 00:23:21,470 --> 00:23:24,170 S1: certain points about a track and then you're like, another 493 00:23:24,170 --> 00:23:27,830 S1: track has just been released. And then also how dark 494 00:23:27,859 --> 00:23:30,650 S1: a turn these allegations took. It feels like those two 495 00:23:30,650 --> 00:23:33,169 S1: things just sort of brought so many more people in 496 00:23:33,170 --> 00:23:36,020 S1: the periphery of hip hop into this feud over the 497 00:23:36,020 --> 00:23:40,520 S1: past week. Just talk me through why this became so big. Thomas. 498 00:23:41,030 --> 00:23:43,340 S3: Well, yeah, I think it really was the frequency. You know, 499 00:23:43,340 --> 00:23:46,369 S3: like in previous hip hop feuds, you would wait, like, 500 00:23:46,369 --> 00:23:49,399 S3: you know, whether it's NAS and Jay-Z or Tupac and 501 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,050 S3: Biggie and like the 90s, you'd have to wait like 502 00:23:51,050 --> 00:23:52,940 S3: ages for them to go off and like, film a video. 503 00:23:52,940 --> 00:23:55,760 S3: And it'd be like months between, you know, like hit 504 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:58,369 S3: him up versus who shot you. Whereas this was basically 505 00:23:58,369 --> 00:24:01,160 S3: contained to like a 48 hour period across the weekend. 506 00:24:01,160 --> 00:24:03,380 S3: And so I do think for a little while, you know, 507 00:24:03,380 --> 00:24:05,719 S3: this feud was kind of existing on the fringes, like 508 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:07,909 S3: people who were really into hip hop were following it. 509 00:24:07,910 --> 00:24:10,790 S3: But when it kind of like seized the momentum across 510 00:24:10,790 --> 00:24:12,890 S3: the weekend and it was just like track after track 511 00:24:12,890 --> 00:24:15,350 S3: after track, I think it did kind of bleed into 512 00:24:15,350 --> 00:24:17,000 S3: the mainstream and suddenly people were like, well, hold on, 513 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,129 S3: why are these two guys like, what is going on here? 514 00:24:19,130 --> 00:24:21,650 S3: And then and then like that, coinciding with the fact 515 00:24:21,650 --> 00:24:25,160 S3: it became so personal and these like really intense, you know, 516 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:27,800 S3: allegations were being traded back and forth. And you know, 517 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:29,780 S3: there's been so much chat and I think this really 518 00:24:29,780 --> 00:24:32,359 S3: plays into it, you know, of all these people saying like, oh, 519 00:24:32,359 --> 00:24:34,310 S3: this is why hip hop fans finally get why the 520 00:24:34,310 --> 00:24:37,490 S3: Swifties are so excited. Because like, this Easter egg culture 521 00:24:37,490 --> 00:24:39,950 S3: that we're in now, where all of these songs featured 522 00:24:39,950 --> 00:24:42,560 S3: like allegations or kind of like winks and nods about 523 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:44,600 S3: things going on. And so you kind of like, tapped 524 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,090 S3: into people's desire to go on the internet and be like, what? 525 00:24:47,090 --> 00:24:48,680 S3: What are they talking about? What is going on here? 526 00:24:48,680 --> 00:24:51,680 S3: So suddenly you had this, like volume of content being like, 527 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:54,290 S3: flooded into the internet. At the same time, people are 528 00:24:54,290 --> 00:24:57,200 S3: like investigating to try and figure out what is going 529 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:00,199 S3: on and who's really like, you know, got the right 530 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:02,359 S3: Intel and everything. So it just kind of like this 531 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:06,020 S3: confluence of factors, I think, seize people's imagination. I don't know, 532 00:25:06,020 --> 00:25:08,359 S3: that was my experience. I don't know, Mel, as someone 533 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:11,570 S3: who may not be as typically tapped in to, you know, 534 00:25:11,570 --> 00:25:15,169 S3: this space, were you across it across the weekend? 535 00:25:15,170 --> 00:25:18,560 S2: I was across it. Um, I mean, I think people 536 00:25:18,560 --> 00:25:21,739 S2: also like a train wreck, like, I don't know, I 537 00:25:21,740 --> 00:25:24,410 S2: think what we're seeing here is just both of these 538 00:25:24,410 --> 00:25:27,169 S2: people going off the rails, particularly, as you mentioned, the 539 00:25:27,170 --> 00:25:30,680 S2: claims got more and more intense. And I don't know, 540 00:25:30,680 --> 00:25:33,260 S2: like I was interested in it. And obviously, if you 541 00:25:33,260 --> 00:25:35,630 S2: recognize all the Easter eggs, you get something different out 542 00:25:35,630 --> 00:25:38,659 S2: of this because you're understanding a lot more of the references. 543 00:25:38,660 --> 00:25:41,300 S2: But I don't know, I just think it became really gross. 544 00:25:41,300 --> 00:25:43,669 S2: And I do think, at least in some parts of 545 00:25:43,670 --> 00:25:46,070 S2: the internet, maybe among people who aren't as rusted on 546 00:25:46,070 --> 00:25:48,650 S2: hip hop fans, there's like a feeling that this is 547 00:25:48,650 --> 00:25:52,520 S2: kind of gross and disgusting to watch. Um, I don't know. 548 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:54,140 S2: Do you guys feel that at all? Like, I know 549 00:25:54,140 --> 00:25:57,440 S2: you're excited by the the songs and the music and, like, 550 00:25:57,440 --> 00:25:59,690 S2: I get the lyrics, the kind of funny and interesting 551 00:25:59,690 --> 00:26:02,090 S2: and clever at times. And the songs are legit songs 552 00:26:02,090 --> 00:26:03,980 S2: on their own. But do you think there's a level 553 00:26:03,980 --> 00:26:06,020 S2: of grossness to this? And yeah. 554 00:26:06,020 --> 00:26:07,340 S1: Look, I want to I do want to get into that. 555 00:26:07,340 --> 00:26:09,080 S1: I think if it's okay, we'll put a pin in 556 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:10,850 S1: that element of it for a second, because I do 557 00:26:10,850 --> 00:26:14,630 S1: think there's a bit around the context to this before 558 00:26:14,630 --> 00:26:17,239 S1: we sort of unpack when things may be spun out 559 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:20,060 S1: of control a little bit, I think. I think, Thomas, 560 00:26:20,060 --> 00:26:22,970 S1: your point about Taylor Swift is, is really interesting because 561 00:26:22,970 --> 00:26:25,730 S1: in some ways, this is the first feud in a 562 00:26:25,730 --> 00:26:30,200 S1: kind of post Taylor Swift social media Reddit true crime 563 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:33,859 S1: era where like, you know, rap genius now just called genius. 564 00:26:33,859 --> 00:26:35,720 S1: The website's been around for a long time where you can, like, 565 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,120 S1: look up hip hop songs and people can provide annotations 566 00:26:38,119 --> 00:26:40,639 S1: and things, but the level of analysis people were doing 567 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,790 S1: seemed out of control. Like the tracks 616 in LA, 568 00:26:43,820 --> 00:26:47,240 S1: people are like oh 616. That's a reference to Father's 569 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:49,820 S1: Day in Canada. That's a reference to the date. The 570 00:26:49,820 --> 00:26:52,760 S1: first season of euphoria, the TV show about high schoolers 571 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:55,760 S1: having sex that Drake executive produced, came out. That's also 572 00:26:55,760 --> 00:26:57,800 S1: a reference to a biblical verse. It's also a reference 573 00:26:57,800 --> 00:26:59,570 S1: to like. It could be a reference to one of 574 00:26:59,570 --> 00:27:02,000 S1: these things. It could be a reference to three of 575 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:04,129 S1: them or none of them. I think there's an element 576 00:27:04,130 --> 00:27:06,889 S1: of just people creating their own lore around this stuff 577 00:27:06,890 --> 00:27:09,830 S1: that just grows and grows and grows and snowballs, and 578 00:27:09,830 --> 00:27:12,080 S1: I think it's a really smart comparison to sort of 579 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:15,800 S1: put that in the frame. And as ludicrous as it sounds, 580 00:27:15,800 --> 00:27:18,409 S1: the way that Swift has sort of trained music fans 581 00:27:18,410 --> 00:27:21,980 S1: and others to think about music and lyrics. But one 582 00:27:21,980 --> 00:27:23,720 S1: of the things I want to ask you, Thomas, is 583 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:28,580 S1: whether you think this was ever a real or fair 584 00:27:28,580 --> 00:27:34,340 S1: rap battle feud. These are two very different kinds of rappers. 585 00:27:34,340 --> 00:27:36,260 S1: You laid it out very well at the start. Drake 586 00:27:36,260 --> 00:27:38,689 S1: is much more poppy, much more commercial. Kendrick is more 587 00:27:38,690 --> 00:27:42,530 S1: known for his incredibly complex rhymes, his storytelling. That's the 588 00:27:42,530 --> 00:27:45,650 S1: kind of thing that generally wins you a rap beef. 589 00:27:45,650 --> 00:27:47,389 S1: Do you think he was always going to come out 590 00:27:47,390 --> 00:27:49,220 S1: on top? Were there moments in which you thought Drake 591 00:27:49,220 --> 00:27:50,420 S1: had the upper hand here? 592 00:27:51,530 --> 00:27:55,700 S3: Uh, I mean, it's hard because there's so many quantifiers. 593 00:27:56,030 --> 00:28:01,399 S3: I love Drake, as you know, obviously pre potentially. Sex offender. Drake, I. 594 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,889 S2: Believe you said to me that you're the Drake of journalism. 595 00:28:03,890 --> 00:28:05,600 S3: I know you said that to about me. 596 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:08,060 S1: You were raised. You were raised in the clubs of 597 00:28:08,060 --> 00:28:11,330 S1: Sydney in the late 20 tens. It makes sense. It 598 00:28:11,330 --> 00:28:12,080 S1: makes sense. Exactly. 599 00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:13,970 S3: Take care is a special album. No. But like, I 600 00:28:13,970 --> 00:28:19,360 S3: think I did think that generally there was a. Consensus 601 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:23,020 S3: that Kendrick was winning from the start and he was 602 00:28:23,020 --> 00:28:26,109 S3: always going to win. But when Drake dropped Family Matters 603 00:28:26,109 --> 00:28:30,850 S3: on Saturday morning, I think people saw a slight momentum 604 00:28:30,850 --> 00:28:32,590 S3: shift and I say slight because it lasted all of 605 00:28:32,590 --> 00:28:35,800 S3: 20 minutes because it was it was a I think 606 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:37,270 S3: it was a pretty like hard hitting song. And he 607 00:28:37,270 --> 00:28:40,420 S3: also recorded a video with it like, you know, really impressive, 608 00:28:40,420 --> 00:28:43,420 S3: like production values. He kind of went all out, probably 609 00:28:43,420 --> 00:28:46,300 S3: not anticipating that Kendrick would like, cut his legs out 610 00:28:46,300 --> 00:28:46,810 S3: for two more. 611 00:28:46,810 --> 00:28:48,970 S1: In the chamber, ready to go straight away. 612 00:28:48,970 --> 00:28:52,000 S3: But I mean, my personal take is that obviously before 613 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,280 S3: things did get really problematic and weird and I was 614 00:28:54,280 --> 00:28:56,920 S3: kind of like enjoying the drama of this beef for 615 00:28:56,920 --> 00:29:00,250 S3: what it was like. There is this mentality in the 616 00:29:00,250 --> 00:29:03,250 S3: hip hop world that, you know, the critical bar for 617 00:29:03,250 --> 00:29:05,500 S3: someone like Drake is so much higher than what people 618 00:29:05,500 --> 00:29:08,620 S3: expect for Kendrick. Like, you know, Drake literally raps in 619 00:29:08,620 --> 00:29:11,110 S3: Family Matters. Like Kendrick just opened his mouth. Somebody hand 620 00:29:11,110 --> 00:29:13,270 S3: him a Grammy right now. And that is like, there's 621 00:29:13,270 --> 00:29:15,160 S3: a lot of truth in that joke. I think Kendrick 622 00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:18,130 S3: can kind of like, do something or say anything that 623 00:29:18,130 --> 00:29:20,440 S3: and people will just fall over themselves to say how 624 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:23,770 S3: amazing and smart he is. And so I again, before 625 00:29:23,770 --> 00:29:26,110 S3: things got really weird, I was kind of impressed that 626 00:29:26,110 --> 00:29:28,660 S3: Drake did decide to take this on, and I thought 627 00:29:28,660 --> 00:29:30,130 S3: he was doing pretty well. And I thought when Family 628 00:29:30,130 --> 00:29:32,050 S3: Matters came out, he kind of took the lead. You know, 629 00:29:32,050 --> 00:29:35,230 S3: you've got Kendrick as this really earnest rapper who is 630 00:29:35,230 --> 00:29:38,770 S3: so serious, and Drake is the absolute embodiment of internet culture. 631 00:29:38,770 --> 00:29:40,900 S3: He responded to most of the tracks with just like 632 00:29:40,900 --> 00:29:43,840 S3: funny memes on the internet that people thought were really good, 633 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:45,940 S3: and he was like, needling Kendrick. And and I said 634 00:29:45,940 --> 00:29:48,370 S3: to you over the weekend, I was like, stepping out 635 00:29:48,370 --> 00:29:50,170 S3: of this. It really is a funny thing to watch 636 00:29:50,170 --> 00:29:52,960 S3: because Drake is the perfect foil for someone like Kendrick. 637 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,650 S3: He he's mean, he's gossipy, he's funny. He's just like, 638 00:29:56,650 --> 00:29:59,560 S3: you know, snide remarks. Whereas Kendrick is like really, you know, 639 00:29:59,560 --> 00:30:02,530 S3: self-serving and really serious. And so it made for a 640 00:30:02,530 --> 00:30:05,050 S3: great feud. And I personally thought when Family Matters came out, 641 00:30:05,050 --> 00:30:06,790 S3: I was like, oh, Drake actually is holding his own 642 00:30:06,790 --> 00:30:08,680 S3: here against someone who people are going to be really 643 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,950 S3: quick to give the win anyway. Obviously. Kendrick then released 644 00:30:11,950 --> 00:30:14,290 S3: two more tracks, especially Not Like Us. I think really 645 00:30:14,290 --> 00:30:16,540 S3: like killed the feud off, and also took it into 646 00:30:16,540 --> 00:30:19,360 S3: an area where even the kind of casual observers or 647 00:30:19,360 --> 00:30:21,340 S3: the people really invested, like you and I, who were 648 00:30:21,340 --> 00:30:23,410 S3: enjoying it for what it kind of was, it started 649 00:30:23,410 --> 00:30:26,080 S3: to become harder to get hyped about it because it 650 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:26,710 S3: felt just like. 651 00:30:26,710 --> 00:30:29,140 S1: It's like The Simpsons meme like, stop, he's already dead, 652 00:30:29,140 --> 00:30:29,380 S1: you know? 653 00:30:29,380 --> 00:30:32,110 S3: Yeah, exactly. But yeah, I generally think it was an 654 00:30:32,110 --> 00:30:35,080 S3: interesting reflection for a while, at least that, you know, 655 00:30:35,170 --> 00:30:38,140 S3: Drake was up against it from the get go. He 656 00:30:38,140 --> 00:30:40,210 S3: was behind the eight ball. He is seen as this 657 00:30:40,210 --> 00:30:43,120 S3: dumb pop rapper. And I was like, ah, I think 658 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:45,340 S3: he gets points for like going into this and holding 659 00:30:45,340 --> 00:30:46,120 S3: his own. Yeah. 660 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:48,250 S1: I think that's why Mel and like, I promise you, 661 00:30:48,250 --> 00:30:49,990 S1: we will talk about when things got weird, but I 662 00:30:49,990 --> 00:30:52,720 S1: think I just wanted to set a little bit on 663 00:30:52,720 --> 00:30:54,970 S1: the bits of the feud that sort of, you know, 664 00:30:54,970 --> 00:30:57,790 S1: felt more reminiscent of, of rap feuds of old because 665 00:30:57,790 --> 00:30:59,950 S1: this has been a part of hip hop for so long, 666 00:30:59,950 --> 00:31:02,470 S1: and maybe for people really outside of the culture, watching 667 00:31:02,500 --> 00:31:06,400 S1: two men in their like, late 30s trade barbs seems weird, 668 00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:09,160 S1: but this has been in hip hop's DNA from day one, 669 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:11,470 S1: whether it is the East Coast, West Coast stuff, whether 670 00:31:11,470 --> 00:31:14,290 S1: it was the gangsta rap versus conscious rap stuff in 671 00:31:14,290 --> 00:31:17,590 S1: the 2000, the postcode wars in the drill scene in 672 00:31:17,590 --> 00:31:20,620 S1: UK and Australia, a large part of rap has been 673 00:31:20,620 --> 00:31:22,510 S1: people sort of like taking shots at one another, and 674 00:31:22,510 --> 00:31:26,440 S1: it's always strayed a bit into like weird territory. Like 675 00:31:26,440 --> 00:31:28,960 S1: in the 90s and 2000, there was a lot of homophobia, 676 00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:30,970 S1: there was a lot of accusations of people sleeping with 677 00:31:30,970 --> 00:31:34,150 S1: one another's wives. That's always been part of it. A 678 00:31:34,150 --> 00:31:35,530 S1: lot of it, you know, that I think is the 679 00:31:35,530 --> 00:31:37,930 S1: most interesting for for people like Thomas Knight probably is 680 00:31:37,930 --> 00:31:40,120 S1: when they make fun of each other or take shots 681 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:41,560 S1: at each other for the music that they make. Like 682 00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,230 S1: the other Drake line I thought was interesting was, you know, 683 00:31:44,230 --> 00:31:46,510 S1: Drake said, Kendrick's always rapping like he's about to get 684 00:31:46,510 --> 00:31:49,120 S1: the slaves freed. Kendrick hit back hard on that, but 685 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:53,200 S1: it's like, that's funny, memorable sort of lines that reflect 686 00:31:53,200 --> 00:31:54,729 S1: where each other are. And it's sort of, if you 687 00:31:54,730 --> 00:32:00,130 S1: take it in, uh, spirit of competition, it doesn't feel crazy. Like, 688 00:32:00,130 --> 00:32:03,220 S1: you know, we had Scribble Jam, like hip hop tournaments. 689 00:32:03,220 --> 00:32:06,670 S1: Rap battles were a place where rappers emerged and established 690 00:32:06,670 --> 00:32:09,580 S1: their credentials. So evaluating it on that level for a bit, 691 00:32:09,580 --> 00:32:12,310 S1: I think is is interesting. And then, yes, I think 692 00:32:12,310 --> 00:32:14,380 S1: we do need to talk about whether it went a 693 00:32:14,380 --> 00:32:19,100 S1: little bit kind of unhinged. But there's there's it feels 694 00:32:19,100 --> 00:32:21,080 S1: like Thomas says more going on here as well. Like 695 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:24,800 S1: there is this long term animosity that a lot of 696 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:28,220 S1: rappers seem to have towards Drake, and a lot of 697 00:32:28,220 --> 00:32:31,790 S1: that really came to the fore with some pretty explicit stuff, 698 00:32:31,790 --> 00:32:34,400 S1: Kendrick was saying. No need to get into like all 699 00:32:34,400 --> 00:32:36,110 S1: the details. There are some people who say that this 700 00:32:36,110 --> 00:32:39,680 S1: goes back to 2002, when a rapper called Birdman didn't 701 00:32:39,680 --> 00:32:42,470 S1: pay Pharrell for a beat. Believe it or not, there 702 00:32:42,470 --> 00:32:44,570 S1: is like a family tree that shows how you go 703 00:32:44,570 --> 00:32:48,050 S1: from Birdman on one hand to Drake and Pharrell to 704 00:32:48,050 --> 00:32:49,520 S1: push a T and all this sort of stuff. So 705 00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:53,360 S1: there's like lots of history here as well. But Drake 706 00:32:53,360 --> 00:32:56,840 S1: has been the subject of big disses from big rappers 707 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:59,660 S1: for a while, like Meek Mill. Uh, Philly rapper had 708 00:32:59,660 --> 00:33:02,180 S1: a go at him for using ghostwriters. Probably the biggest 709 00:33:02,180 --> 00:33:06,290 S1: thing that happened before this feud was Pusha T revealing 710 00:33:06,290 --> 00:33:08,510 S1: on his diss track Story of Adidon that Drake had 711 00:33:08,510 --> 00:33:11,120 S1: a kid like that is how the world found out 712 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:14,090 S1: that Drake had a secret son. And for a rapper 713 00:33:14,090 --> 00:33:18,020 S1: that really projected this sort of soft boy image, and 714 00:33:18,170 --> 00:33:20,479 S1: always at the clubs waiting for a text back that 715 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:24,830 S1: seemed to really shift the narrative around him. I think 716 00:33:24,830 --> 00:33:26,959 S1: the other part of this, and Kendrick addresses this head on, 717 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:29,300 S1: and I think probably not, none of us are the 718 00:33:29,300 --> 00:33:31,520 S1: right people to talk about this in detail, but it 719 00:33:31,520 --> 00:33:35,060 S1: is worth mentioning that Drake, unlike Kendrick, has a mixed 720 00:33:35,060 --> 00:33:39,290 S1: race background. He has faced accusations of being like a 721 00:33:39,290 --> 00:33:42,920 S1: culture vulture of leaning into blackness when it suits him 722 00:33:42,920 --> 00:33:46,850 S1: without paying proper respect. Kendrick mentions that a number of 723 00:33:46,850 --> 00:33:49,310 S1: times in these disses, he talks about the way Drake 724 00:33:49,310 --> 00:33:50,780 S1: says the N word. He doesn't like the way he 725 00:33:50,780 --> 00:33:52,610 S1: says the N word. He talks about when Drake goes 726 00:33:52,610 --> 00:33:56,930 S1: to Atlanta, kind of like a modern capital of current 727 00:33:56,930 --> 00:34:01,220 S1: southern hip hop, and goes there to get credibility and 728 00:34:01,220 --> 00:34:04,610 S1: cultural clout by working with artists like Migos. There is 729 00:34:04,610 --> 00:34:07,760 S1: a pretty intense racial dynamic to this as well. And 730 00:34:07,760 --> 00:34:10,100 S1: people point out, well, J. Cole is also mixed race, 731 00:34:10,100 --> 00:34:12,589 S1: but the response there is, well, J Cole doesn't seem 732 00:34:12,590 --> 00:34:14,540 S1: to pick and choose as much like Drake has done 733 00:34:14,540 --> 00:34:16,520 S1: this for a long time. When he went to London 734 00:34:16,520 --> 00:34:19,340 S1: and started borrowing that sort of south London sound, and 735 00:34:19,340 --> 00:34:21,470 S1: it's one of the first times someone's just laid it 736 00:34:21,469 --> 00:34:24,890 S1: out super, super explicitly. So it does feel like there's 737 00:34:24,890 --> 00:34:27,560 S1: this pent up anger from a lot of the hip 738 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:29,810 S1: hop scene to someone like Drake, who has become so 739 00:34:29,810 --> 00:34:32,930 S1: commercial by being able to pick and choose what his 740 00:34:32,930 --> 00:34:35,810 S1: kind of racial context is at different times. Is that 741 00:34:35,810 --> 00:34:36,560 S1: fair to say? 742 00:34:36,920 --> 00:34:38,780 S3: Yeah, I think so, because it's always been this thing, 743 00:34:38,780 --> 00:34:40,940 S3: especially in the last like probably 20 years of these 744 00:34:40,940 --> 00:34:43,040 S3: like fans who feel like they need to like, safeguard 745 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:45,859 S3: the true honor of hip hop and what it really 746 00:34:45,860 --> 00:34:48,230 S3: means and what it's really supposed to be. But at 747 00:34:48,230 --> 00:34:51,320 S3: the same time, that mentality has had to deal with 748 00:34:51,320 --> 00:34:53,750 S3: the fact that hip hop and I guess, like the 749 00:34:53,750 --> 00:34:56,149 S3: wider black culture, has become one of the most popular 750 00:34:56,150 --> 00:34:58,910 S3: like genres of music in the whole world. And, you know, 751 00:34:58,910 --> 00:35:01,700 S3: we've had so many conversations on this podcast about like, 752 00:35:01,700 --> 00:35:03,919 S3: for instance, the rise of country music and how you 753 00:35:03,920 --> 00:35:06,799 S3: know what, who gets to own, you know, a genre. 754 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:08,990 S3: And I think a lot of like, purist hip hop 755 00:35:08,989 --> 00:35:11,450 S3: fans have struggled with the likes of Drake, who are 756 00:35:11,450 --> 00:35:14,330 S3: kind of like bonafide pop stars, but also like rappers 757 00:35:14,330 --> 00:35:17,750 S3: and hip hop. And and there has always been this, like, simmering, 758 00:35:17,750 --> 00:35:20,330 S3: you know, tension around Drake. I feel like he spent 759 00:35:20,330 --> 00:35:22,520 S3: a really long time at the start of his career 760 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:24,950 S3: battling it, and kind of like trying to prove to 761 00:35:24,950 --> 00:35:27,020 S3: people that he wasn't just like this punchline rapper who 762 00:35:27,020 --> 00:35:29,000 S3: could be made fun of. And for a long time 763 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:31,430 S3: he was like that sensitive, soft boy. And I feel 764 00:35:31,430 --> 00:35:34,040 S3: like despite, you know, the constant accusations around that, he 765 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:36,620 S3: kind of just because of the sheer volume of his hits, 766 00:35:36,620 --> 00:35:38,779 S3: he kind of, I guess, like managed to hold on 767 00:35:38,780 --> 00:35:41,360 S3: to some kind of cred. But there was always that 768 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:43,969 S3: feeling around him that he wasn't legit. Um, you know, 769 00:35:43,969 --> 00:35:46,009 S3: in the, in the true hip hop sense. And I 770 00:35:46,010 --> 00:35:48,980 S3: still don't really know how I feel about like that 771 00:35:48,980 --> 00:35:51,469 S3: mentality for the genre. Is it a good thing that 772 00:35:51,469 --> 00:35:54,200 S3: we still, you know, in this day and age, believe 773 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:56,780 S3: that you should try and hold on to like, what 774 00:35:56,780 --> 00:35:59,330 S3: the genre used to be 20, 30 years ago. Like 775 00:35:59,330 --> 00:36:02,030 S3: things change, things develop. And, you know, we just have 776 00:36:02,030 --> 00:36:04,250 S3: to accept that. But I do think this whole thing 777 00:36:04,250 --> 00:36:06,830 S3: has been a flashpoint then for Kendrick to kind of like, 778 00:36:06,830 --> 00:36:09,080 S3: speak into the echo chamber of all these people who 779 00:36:09,080 --> 00:36:10,850 S3: already thought all this about Drake and be like, you know, 780 00:36:10,850 --> 00:36:13,460 S3: you're mixed race. You say the N word when you shouldn't. 781 00:36:13,460 --> 00:36:16,489 S3: You're basically a pop star who likes to rap occasionally, 782 00:36:16,489 --> 00:36:19,310 S3: you know? And also you take a pic. Hahaha. But 783 00:36:19,310 --> 00:36:22,070 S3: but yeah, like, it just kind of like lit a 784 00:36:22,070 --> 00:36:23,960 S3: fuse that was already waiting to blow. 785 00:36:23,960 --> 00:36:25,670 S2: I mean, I think as, as mentioned, those questions of 786 00:36:25,670 --> 00:36:28,640 S2: authenticity have always been built into hip hop, and I 787 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:31,730 S2: think those questions always come to the fore when you 788 00:36:31,730 --> 00:36:35,180 S2: see art that starts as quote unquote outsider art outside 789 00:36:35,180 --> 00:36:38,000 S2: of the mainstream become part of the mainstream. So when 790 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:41,629 S2: you have kids who grew up, you know, on the streets, 791 00:36:41,630 --> 00:36:46,190 S2: suddenly become billionaires, those questions of authenticity kind of are 792 00:36:46,190 --> 00:36:49,399 S2: inherently going to arise, because what made the art form, 793 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,560 S2: what it is, is no longer there. So I think 794 00:36:51,560 --> 00:36:55,190 S2: like the change is inevitable in many ways, but those 795 00:36:55,190 --> 00:36:58,070 S2: questions have still kind of lingered. I don't know if 796 00:36:58,070 --> 00:37:00,620 S2: there is, like you said, you don't know what you 797 00:37:00,620 --> 00:37:03,590 S2: think is right or wrong, but maybe everyone's authentic is 798 00:37:03,590 --> 00:37:05,510 S2: very different. You know what I mean? 799 00:37:05,510 --> 00:37:07,219 S1: Yeah, I feel like I feel like the issue here 800 00:37:07,219 --> 00:37:10,040 S1: is like, obviously there's space in this world for a 801 00:37:10,040 --> 00:37:12,260 S1: Drake and a Kendrick to exist. And I kind of 802 00:37:12,260 --> 00:37:14,930 S1: think Drake, I think it was a weird move for 803 00:37:14,930 --> 00:37:18,370 S1: Drake to involve himself in a rap feud, like. Because. 804 00:37:19,210 --> 00:37:22,240 S1: When you go like hip hop has evolved, it's changed. 805 00:37:22,239 --> 00:37:24,430 S1: There's all these different forms of it now as well. 806 00:37:24,430 --> 00:37:27,969 S1: But the format of a rap beef is like stripping 807 00:37:27,969 --> 00:37:29,770 S1: all of that away and you're just going toe to 808 00:37:29,770 --> 00:37:32,830 S1: toe bar for bar. Two people trying to prove how 809 00:37:32,830 --> 00:37:35,470 S1: real and authentic and brutal they can be to one another. 810 00:37:35,469 --> 00:37:37,840 S1: And in that context, a guy who grew up in 811 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:41,020 S1: the suburbs of Toronto became famous for being a child 812 00:37:41,020 --> 00:37:45,010 S1: star on Degrassi Junior High, was never going to beat 813 00:37:45,010 --> 00:37:47,950 S1: someone who grew up in Compton, who raps about seeing 814 00:37:47,950 --> 00:37:50,230 S1: his first execution on the street when he was nine 815 00:37:50,230 --> 00:37:53,260 S1: years old. Like that just there's no format of a 816 00:37:53,260 --> 00:37:55,989 S1: rap feud where Drake would have won from that, and 817 00:37:55,989 --> 00:37:58,089 S1: maybe it's like good on him for at least trying. 818 00:37:58,090 --> 00:38:01,480 S1: But it's like you're in a different world. Be happy 819 00:38:01,480 --> 00:38:04,690 S1: in that world like no one asks you to. To 820 00:38:04,690 --> 00:38:09,279 S1: respond to the pretty soft initial Drake diss saying that 821 00:38:09,280 --> 00:38:11,620 S1: he was, you know, it was big me, not big three. 822 00:38:11,620 --> 00:38:14,739 S1: I find that to be a strange decision for Drake. 823 00:38:14,739 --> 00:38:16,899 S1: Maybe he thought the payoff is I'll get a bunch 824 00:38:16,900 --> 00:38:20,320 S1: of streams, but then the risk is, well, actually, you're 825 00:38:20,320 --> 00:38:22,810 S1: in a weaker position than you were before you entered it. 826 00:38:22,810 --> 00:38:27,580 S1: Because now everyone thinks you're an alleged sex criminal. It 827 00:38:27,580 --> 00:38:28,990 S1: just doesn't seem to have worked out. 828 00:38:28,989 --> 00:38:31,630 S3: Yeah, but, like, how hard is it to, you know, 829 00:38:31,630 --> 00:38:33,100 S3: it's easy for us to sit here and say that. 830 00:38:33,100 --> 00:38:35,470 S3: But this is a guy who, you know, is like, 831 00:38:35,469 --> 00:38:37,300 S3: basically on top of the music world. As I said before, 832 00:38:37,300 --> 00:38:39,640 S3: signed the largest publishing deal in history like a few 833 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:42,640 S3: years ago with universal. Everything and everyone around him is 834 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:45,489 S3: telling him he's probably the greatest rapper to have ever lived. Like, 835 00:38:45,489 --> 00:38:48,670 S3: do you think he's got any perspective left to not 836 00:38:48,790 --> 00:38:51,100 S3: have the ego to involve himself in this? Like, of 837 00:38:51,100 --> 00:38:54,129 S3: course he doesn't like, you know, and again, I think, 838 00:38:54,130 --> 00:38:56,170 S3: you know, probably he saw this as an opportunity to 839 00:38:56,170 --> 00:38:59,049 S3: be like, wow, all the things I haven't conquered. Maybe 840 00:38:59,050 --> 00:39:02,080 S3: I could take on the one guy that people really 841 00:39:02,080 --> 00:39:04,840 S3: see as like above me right now in terms of 842 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:08,259 S3: credibility or, you know, just like bankability like Kendrick has 843 00:39:08,260 --> 00:39:10,360 S3: always had that kind of mystique. And, you know, like 844 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:13,930 S3: I said, that almost like the Tupac Shakur thing around 845 00:39:13,930 --> 00:39:16,330 S3: him where like, everyone just universally is like, well, Kendrick 846 00:39:16,330 --> 00:39:19,149 S3: is the man. And, you know, yeah, I definitely see 847 00:39:19,150 --> 00:39:22,000 S3: a reality where Drake is so high on his own 848 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:24,759 S3: success that, you know, there was never a world where 849 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:26,560 S3: he could have, like, not touched this. 850 00:39:36,630 --> 00:39:38,730 S1: Let's talk about where things got really dark. And I 851 00:39:38,730 --> 00:39:41,700 S1: think this is probably where a lot of people either 852 00:39:41,700 --> 00:39:45,480 S1: switched off or really switched in, just because of how crazy, 853 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:50,070 S1: outlandish things were getting. Lots of women as collateral damage. 854 00:39:50,070 --> 00:39:52,440 S1: Like that's that seems to be one of the clear, 855 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:55,890 S1: like big criticisms of this feud, even from hip hop 856 00:39:55,890 --> 00:40:01,920 S1: writers in the States. Drake accusing Kendrick of abusing his wife. 857 00:40:02,070 --> 00:40:05,400 S1: Kendrick saying that Drake has a daughter. Kendrick saying that 858 00:40:05,400 --> 00:40:09,660 S1: he sleeps with underage children. Bizarrely, he didn't mention anyone 859 00:40:09,660 --> 00:40:11,550 S1: by name, and then Drake went out of his way 860 00:40:11,550 --> 00:40:15,180 S1: to mention Millie Bobby Brown, who is a she's obviously 861 00:40:15,180 --> 00:40:17,040 S1: the actress from Stranger Things, and there's been all sorts 862 00:40:17,040 --> 00:40:19,680 S1: of weird rumors around that after she, I think she 863 00:40:19,680 --> 00:40:22,500 S1: was 15, said that she was texting Drake and he 864 00:40:22,500 --> 00:40:25,290 S1: was giving her advice on dating. That was all very odd. 865 00:40:25,290 --> 00:40:27,719 S1: That wasn't mentioned by name by Kendrick, but then Drake 866 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:30,210 S1: sort of brought her into it like this, did, then 867 00:40:30,210 --> 00:40:33,480 S1: bring in a lot of people who clearly weren't choosing 868 00:40:33,480 --> 00:40:36,390 S1: to be a part of it. I'll admit that, like 869 00:40:36,390 --> 00:40:38,580 S1: while it was going on, I wasn't saying this is 870 00:40:38,580 --> 00:40:40,200 S1: out of control. This is crazy. I just thought it 871 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:43,020 S1: was astonishing to see two of the biggest stars on 872 00:40:43,020 --> 00:40:46,980 S1: the planet just say stuff and be willing to say 873 00:40:46,980 --> 00:40:50,040 S1: it and double down and go after one another. And 874 00:40:50,040 --> 00:40:52,920 S1: in some ways, I thought it was if you accept 875 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:55,169 S1: that a lot of rap and a lot of rap 876 00:40:55,170 --> 00:40:57,930 S1: beefs are kind of fictionalized, they're heightened and you just 877 00:40:57,930 --> 00:41:01,020 S1: sort of say exaggerated things to get attention. Didn't think 878 00:41:01,020 --> 00:41:03,150 S1: in the moment it was that out of control. But 879 00:41:03,150 --> 00:41:04,830 S1: when you look at it in the cold light of 880 00:41:04,860 --> 00:41:06,779 S1: day and you're like, oh, the body count is piled 881 00:41:06,780 --> 00:41:09,390 S1: up here, there's a lot of innocent parties to this 882 00:41:09,390 --> 00:41:13,920 S1: who just, like, would feel really shit about being used 883 00:41:13,920 --> 00:41:18,399 S1: in this particular way. I guess that's how you feel, Mel. 884 00:41:18,430 --> 00:41:20,980 S1: Judging by what you were saying before, I really. 885 00:41:20,980 --> 00:41:23,890 S2: I was invested and enjoyed this when the attacks were 886 00:41:23,890 --> 00:41:28,000 S2: about each other's art, creativity, authenticity. But then all of 887 00:41:28,000 --> 00:41:31,000 S2: a sudden, when these kind of wild claims got brought 888 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:34,210 S2: into it, it took a very dark turn. And on 889 00:41:34,210 --> 00:41:36,969 S2: one part, on one hand, I'm like, it's good that 890 00:41:36,969 --> 00:41:40,060 S2: being a kind of beating up your wife or having 891 00:41:40,060 --> 00:41:43,420 S2: sex with underage girls is considered bad, and that they're 892 00:41:43,420 --> 00:41:45,940 S2: saying it's a diss, like that's that's good on one level. 893 00:41:45,940 --> 00:41:50,620 S2: But there is something that feels quite wrong in weaponizing these, 894 00:41:50,620 --> 00:41:55,480 S2: these very serious kind of issues in, in a battle 895 00:41:55,480 --> 00:41:58,570 S2: of this format. Like it's not really paying attention to 896 00:41:58,570 --> 00:42:01,150 S2: the victims in any way, and it's just using these 897 00:42:01,150 --> 00:42:03,130 S2: claims to kind of one up each other. I think 898 00:42:03,130 --> 00:42:06,670 S2: that's what is uncomfortable about it reducing these kind of 899 00:42:06,670 --> 00:42:09,250 S2: quite serious things to a disk, quote unquote. 900 00:42:09,250 --> 00:42:10,780 S1: And a lot of people have pointed out, you know, 901 00:42:10,780 --> 00:42:15,190 S1: for all of Drake's allegations about Kendrick being abusive, he 902 00:42:15,190 --> 00:42:18,040 S1: is a very public supporter of Tory Lanez, who was 903 00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:20,589 S1: convicted of shooting Megan Thee Stallion. Like, it's not like 904 00:42:20,590 --> 00:42:23,500 S1: Drake has moral high ground here necessarily. I wonder whether 905 00:42:23,500 --> 00:42:26,170 S1: part of it is also, you know, in an era 906 00:42:26,170 --> 00:42:28,450 S1: without the internet where people just sort of say vague 907 00:42:28,450 --> 00:42:31,360 S1: things about like, you're an abuser, you're this, you're that. 908 00:42:31,360 --> 00:42:33,550 S1: It's sort of like it floats away and you don't 909 00:42:33,550 --> 00:42:35,830 S1: really know who they're talking about. If it's a specific thing, 910 00:42:35,830 --> 00:42:38,680 S1: is it a current thing? But as Thomas was saying earlier, 911 00:42:38,680 --> 00:42:41,830 S1: now it's like this land of Easter eggs where you like, okay, 912 00:42:41,830 --> 00:42:45,130 S1: this is a reference to this particular individual. I've resurfaced 913 00:42:45,130 --> 00:42:47,170 S1: the TikTok video from 12 years ago. That's what this 914 00:42:47,170 --> 00:42:51,310 S1: is about. So you can actually name specific people who 915 00:42:51,310 --> 00:42:54,760 S1: rappers are maybe just intending to be metaphors or punchlines 916 00:42:54,760 --> 00:42:55,990 S1: for a bigger point. 917 00:42:56,730 --> 00:43:00,030 S2: Yeah. I mean I am interested to about I guess 918 00:43:00,030 --> 00:43:01,710 S2: none of them are going to to the courts to 919 00:43:01,710 --> 00:43:04,080 S2: sue for libel, but it is kind of incredible the 920 00:43:04,080 --> 00:43:06,660 S2: things you can, um, you can put inverse. 921 00:43:06,660 --> 00:43:09,089 S3: Yeah. I mean, it's it's gotten to a weird place. 922 00:43:09,090 --> 00:43:10,680 S3: And I think, you know, one of the big criticisms 923 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:13,709 S3: has been like, you know, if if Kendrick has long 924 00:43:13,710 --> 00:43:16,140 S3: suspected it or has information that Drake is running a 925 00:43:16,140 --> 00:43:18,540 S3: sex trafficking ring in his Toronto mansion, like, why hasn't 926 00:43:18,540 --> 00:43:20,460 S3: he brought this up earlier with the authorities and not 927 00:43:20,460 --> 00:43:23,040 S3: saved it for a rap beef? And like, similar with Drake, 928 00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:25,169 S3: you know, like if he has proof that Kendrick like 929 00:43:25,170 --> 00:43:27,390 S3: it's obviously these things would never happen. But it's just 930 00:43:27,390 --> 00:43:31,049 S3: like when you think about the seriousness of these allegations 931 00:43:31,050 --> 00:43:32,370 S3: and they're only ever being brought up for the. 932 00:43:32,370 --> 00:43:33,780 S2: Snitches get stitches. Tom. 933 00:43:33,780 --> 00:43:35,610 S1: Yeah, it's interesting. I mean, like I think that's part 934 00:43:35,610 --> 00:43:37,650 S1: of it. Also, it's like they wouldn't go to the police, 935 00:43:37,650 --> 00:43:39,239 S1: but they want to sort of prove that they know 936 00:43:39,239 --> 00:43:41,940 S1: these things and that they're better than the other person. 937 00:43:41,940 --> 00:43:44,190 S1: But yeah, okay. Maybe for like a sex trafficking ring, 938 00:43:44,190 --> 00:43:47,670 S1: if Kendrick really thinks there's like 114 year olds in 939 00:43:47,670 --> 00:43:52,080 S1: Drake's mansion, maybe don't sit on that until 2024. You know, until. 940 00:43:52,170 --> 00:43:53,819 S3: You happen to find yourself in a rap beef where 941 00:43:53,820 --> 00:43:55,980 S3: it would make for a really convenient punchline. So I 942 00:43:55,980 --> 00:43:58,260 S3: think that can, combined with the fact that it all 943 00:43:58,260 --> 00:44:02,700 S3: just got so dark, like, I'm not like us, you know? Yeah, 944 00:44:02,700 --> 00:44:05,160 S3: as I said, I think we've both been very, you know, 945 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:08,310 S3: keen observers and enjoying this for what it was. But 946 00:44:08,310 --> 00:44:11,010 S3: everyone I know that was really into it found themselves 947 00:44:11,010 --> 00:44:12,719 S3: increasingly like, it's like, how do you how are you 948 00:44:12,719 --> 00:44:15,149 S3: supposed to respond to this? Like, I was genuinely really 949 00:44:15,150 --> 00:44:17,819 S3: interested to hear each new track, but as they got 950 00:44:17,820 --> 00:44:19,830 S3: more and more like, you know, there was more and 951 00:44:19,830 --> 00:44:22,260 S3: more collateral damage piling up, I was like, oh, I 952 00:44:22,260 --> 00:44:24,989 S3: don't know quite how to feel. At the end of 953 00:44:24,989 --> 00:44:28,049 S3: the day, when you look at the reality of this feud, like, 954 00:44:28,050 --> 00:44:32,040 S3: as I've said earlier, Drake belongs to Universal Music, and 955 00:44:32,040 --> 00:44:35,790 S3: Kendrick in 2020 signed a publishing deal with Universal Music, 956 00:44:35,790 --> 00:44:38,160 S3: so his music is distributed by them. So at the 957 00:44:38,160 --> 00:44:40,410 S3: end of the day, both of these guys are making 958 00:44:40,410 --> 00:44:42,660 S3: money for the same company, which renders the whole thing 959 00:44:42,660 --> 00:44:45,720 S3: a little bit crazy. Like if you check the stream count, 960 00:44:45,719 --> 00:44:48,150 S3: these songs are like rocketing up. These guys are making 961 00:44:48,150 --> 00:44:50,850 S3: bank off this, even as all these people who didn't 962 00:44:50,850 --> 00:44:53,730 S3: ask to be involved are now dragged into it. But really, 963 00:44:53,730 --> 00:44:57,660 S3: it's universal music, this enormous conglomeration that's like the only 964 00:44:57,660 --> 00:44:58,620 S3: one winning well. 965 00:44:58,620 --> 00:45:00,360 S2: And both of them, and like we've talked about it 966 00:45:00,360 --> 00:45:03,060 S2: quite a bit on the pod about hip hop's kind 967 00:45:03,060 --> 00:45:05,250 S2: of how you often speak about how there's not much 968 00:45:05,250 --> 00:45:07,020 S2: going on in hip hop that you find exciting, and 969 00:45:07,020 --> 00:45:08,549 S2: all of a sudden, look at us, we're talking about 970 00:45:08,550 --> 00:45:10,410 S2: hip hop. It's exciting. So yeah, I'm sorry. 971 00:45:10,410 --> 00:45:12,060 S1: To all my country friends, I'm out. 972 00:45:12,060 --> 00:45:15,870 S3: I'm out until Morgan Wallen, like, smashes Luke Combs in 973 00:45:15,870 --> 00:45:16,739 S3: the head with a guitar. 974 00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:19,470 S1: Well, the other the other rapper that's weighed in on 975 00:45:19,469 --> 00:45:21,990 S1: this one who's also signed to universal is Vince Staples, 976 00:45:21,989 --> 00:45:24,779 S1: who is sort of like the conscience of of our 977 00:45:24,780 --> 00:45:27,390 S1: times right now. He he sort of made the point. Look, 978 00:45:27,390 --> 00:45:29,549 S1: universal is making coin of all of this. Universal has 979 00:45:29,550 --> 00:45:31,800 S1: collapsed all these labels that brought up that really cared 980 00:45:31,800 --> 00:45:35,190 S1: about black music, black communities, they don't care about that anymore. 981 00:45:35,190 --> 00:45:37,469 S1: Hip hop is struggling like this is a real thing. 982 00:45:37,469 --> 00:45:39,660 S1: I think the other part of this, I think you're right, Mel, that, 983 00:45:39,660 --> 00:45:41,940 S1: you know, hip hop is in a not very strong 984 00:45:41,940 --> 00:45:44,969 S1: position in, in the US, at least right now. And 985 00:45:44,969 --> 00:45:46,860 S1: a large part of that or a significant part of 986 00:45:46,860 --> 00:45:49,140 S1: that has to do with the way that music labels 987 00:45:49,140 --> 00:45:52,469 S1: are just not nurturing or supporting or encouraging talent in 988 00:45:52,469 --> 00:45:54,210 S1: the way that they used to, partly because there aren't 989 00:45:54,210 --> 00:45:57,690 S1: that many specific hip hop labels left. And Vince is saying, 990 00:45:57,690 --> 00:46:00,000 S1: you know, hey, Taylor Swift's got clout. You know what 991 00:46:00,000 --> 00:46:02,730 S1: she talks about? She talks about the plight of artists 992 00:46:02,730 --> 00:46:05,250 S1: and how to get more money for artists. These guys 993 00:46:05,250 --> 00:46:09,510 S1: have enormous power and money and profile, and they are 994 00:46:09,510 --> 00:46:12,180 S1: not talking about any of these issues that impact the 995 00:46:12,180 --> 00:46:14,460 S1: wider hip hop scene, which I thought was a really 996 00:46:14,460 --> 00:46:17,310 S1: interesting and really sharp observation from a guy also signed 997 00:46:17,310 --> 00:46:19,620 S1: to universal who sort of willing to call it out. 998 00:46:19,620 --> 00:46:21,870 S2: Yeah, I mean, Vince, one of me, and maybe that 999 00:46:21,870 --> 00:46:24,810 S2: will be the rapper I nail my colours to. Um, 1000 00:46:24,810 --> 00:46:27,390 S2: can I ask if you had someone from out like 1001 00:46:27,390 --> 00:46:30,150 S2: someone left field was to join this feud? It can 1002 00:46:30,150 --> 00:46:32,279 S2: be anyone. Who would you like to see kind of 1003 00:46:32,280 --> 00:46:33,509 S2: weigh in now at this stage? 1004 00:46:33,510 --> 00:46:36,000 S1: Well, one of the other funniest bits, as well as J. 1005 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:38,609 S1: Cole sort of tapping out, was like the 48 hours 1006 00:46:38,610 --> 00:46:41,640 S1: that Kanye West was involved, where he released a remix 1007 00:46:41,640 --> 00:46:43,200 S1: of Like That and it opened with like, you know, 1008 00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:45,750 S1: k-dot I Got You. And it just was terrible. And 1009 00:46:45,750 --> 00:46:47,700 S1: I think it got deleted because he didn't. It wasn't 1010 00:46:47,700 --> 00:46:50,549 S1: a proper remix and future, and everyone was like, get 1011 00:46:50,550 --> 00:46:52,770 S1: out of this, dude, we don't need you involved in 1012 00:46:52,770 --> 00:46:53,790 S1: this right now. 1013 00:46:53,820 --> 00:46:56,670 S3: I already know my answer. And he actually did involve 1014 00:46:56,670 --> 00:46:59,310 S3: himself last night. Does anyone here remember your boy bangs? 1015 00:46:59,310 --> 00:46:59,790 S1: Yeah. 1016 00:46:59,790 --> 00:47:02,640 S3: Of course. Yeah. I then take you to the movie. Yeah, yeah. 1017 00:47:02,640 --> 00:47:06,540 S3: He released a diss track to Drake last night. Uh, so, 1018 00:47:06,540 --> 00:47:09,120 S3: I mean, if you remember bangs and his very odd 1019 00:47:09,120 --> 00:47:12,180 S3: viral hit take you to the movies, Shorty, uh, then 1020 00:47:12,180 --> 00:47:14,370 S3: the the diss track to Drake is in much the 1021 00:47:14,370 --> 00:47:18,060 S3: same nature. It's, uh, very hard to read and follow, but, yeah, 1022 00:47:18,060 --> 00:47:20,700 S3: I mean, it's it's bringing in everyone from all corners 1023 00:47:20,700 --> 00:47:24,060 S3: of hip hop. But perhaps most surprisingly, this artist actually 1024 00:47:24,060 --> 00:47:26,520 S3: did involve himself. Someone I never would have thought been 1025 00:47:26,520 --> 00:47:28,500 S3: mentioned in the same breath. But Macklemore. 1026 00:47:28,500 --> 00:47:32,100 S1: Yeah, this was so interesting because Macklemore has already sort 1027 00:47:32,100 --> 00:47:34,950 S1: of been weirdly involved in Drake Kendrick's life. He won 1028 00:47:34,950 --> 00:47:37,950 S1: the Grammy like ten years ago. He beat good kid 1029 00:47:37,950 --> 00:47:40,020 S1: Mad City, he beat a Drake record as well, and 1030 00:47:40,020 --> 00:47:41,850 S1: he famously shared a screenshot of a text he sent 1031 00:47:41,850 --> 00:47:44,910 S1: to Kendrick saying, I'm sorry, you deserve to win. And 1032 00:47:44,910 --> 00:47:50,880 S1: he released this really intense song, uh, this week about the, uh, 1033 00:47:50,880 --> 00:47:54,600 S1: not just Israel's invasion of Gaza and the amount of, 1034 00:47:54,600 --> 00:47:59,319 S1: you know, death and destruction. In Gaza, but also really 1035 00:47:59,320 --> 00:48:01,540 S1: blew up at the US government, told everyone he wasn't 1036 00:48:01,540 --> 00:48:04,540 S1: going to vote for Biden, defended the student protests, discussed 1037 00:48:04,540 --> 00:48:07,509 S1: Israel being an apartheid state. He went really, really hard 1038 00:48:07,510 --> 00:48:11,380 S1: on this issue and also kind of took a pretty, 1039 00:48:11,380 --> 00:48:13,060 S1: you know, it was a quick shot, but it was 1040 00:48:13,060 --> 00:48:15,100 S1: a shot at both Drake and Kendrick, essentially. Like, you 1041 00:48:15,100 --> 00:48:19,390 S1: guys are wasting time arguing with each other over nothing real. Meanwhile, 1042 00:48:19,390 --> 00:48:23,170 S1: there's people dying and there's student protests happening in America 1043 00:48:23,170 --> 00:48:25,690 S1: right now where police are, you know, cracking down on 1044 00:48:25,690 --> 00:48:26,410 S1: freedom of speech. 1045 00:48:26,590 --> 00:48:28,990 S9: What happens to the artists, what you gotta say, if 1046 00:48:28,989 --> 00:48:31,270 S9: I was on a label, you could drop me today. 1047 00:48:31,270 --> 00:48:33,820 S9: I'd be fine with it. Cause the heart fed my page. 1048 00:48:33,820 --> 00:48:36,520 S9: I want a cease fire. A response from Drake. 1049 00:48:36,520 --> 00:48:39,670 S1: What you're willing to risk felt like a pretty hard 1050 00:48:39,670 --> 00:48:43,540 S1: pivot from Macklemore. Not necessarily what I expected, but people 1051 00:48:43,540 --> 00:48:46,090 S1: have pointed out that he's done this for a while. 1052 00:48:46,090 --> 00:48:48,910 S1: This is kind of what modern Macklemore does. He talks 1053 00:48:48,910 --> 00:48:51,460 S1: about white privilege and politics. I was sort of out 1054 00:48:51,460 --> 00:48:54,489 S1: of the loop on his pivot, but he really injected 1055 00:48:54,489 --> 00:48:55,810 S1: himself into this one. 1056 00:48:55,810 --> 00:48:57,940 S3: Yeah, I mean, the Macklemore thing was a really weird 1057 00:48:57,940 --> 00:49:00,759 S3: addition to an increasingly strange story. But yeah, I think 1058 00:49:00,760 --> 00:49:03,250 S3: what's most curious now is that basically, I guess this 1059 00:49:03,250 --> 00:49:06,580 S3: is the longest amount of breath we've had since the weekend. 1060 00:49:06,580 --> 00:49:09,250 S3: Like Drake released The Heart Part six on Monday morning, 1061 00:49:09,250 --> 00:49:11,890 S3: and I think pretty much everyone saw it as a, 1062 00:49:11,890 --> 00:49:14,470 S3: you know, quiet retreat. Um, he kind of tried to 1063 00:49:14,469 --> 00:49:16,600 S3: be like, okay, whatever, man, I'm not doing this with 1064 00:49:16,600 --> 00:49:18,819 S3: you anymore. And then since then, we haven't heard anything 1065 00:49:18,820 --> 00:49:21,850 S3: from either artist outside of, you know, this alleged shooting 1066 00:49:21,850 --> 00:49:24,400 S3: at Drake's house on Wednesday morning. So I guess most 1067 00:49:24,400 --> 00:49:27,460 S3: people are, I think, accepting and kind of secretly hoping 1068 00:49:27,460 --> 00:49:30,160 S3: that the feud is over. I don't know if it 1069 00:49:30,160 --> 00:49:32,830 S3: needs any more chapters. And I think, you know, knowing 1070 00:49:32,830 --> 00:49:35,710 S3: Kendrick as I do, that I can't imagine him needing 1071 00:49:35,710 --> 00:49:38,530 S3: to weigh back in now. Like it seems pretty obvious 1072 00:49:38,530 --> 00:49:42,940 S3: that he, you know, like, rapped and exposed Drake into submission. 1073 00:49:42,940 --> 00:49:45,430 S3: And I think it's for the best for everyone involved, 1074 00:49:45,430 --> 00:49:48,850 S3: including the audience. And everyone mentioned that this feud is 1075 00:49:48,850 --> 00:49:52,090 S3: over now. It was definitely a bizarre and interesting and 1076 00:49:52,090 --> 00:49:55,480 S3: revealing moment in hip hop history, and no doubt we'll 1077 00:49:55,480 --> 00:49:57,820 S3: continue to kind of like dissect it. But yeah, I 1078 00:49:57,820 --> 00:50:00,580 S3: personally would be so shocked if, you know, like in 1079 00:50:00,580 --> 00:50:02,200 S3: two days time you text me and you're like, oh 1080 00:50:02,200 --> 00:50:03,759 S3: my God. Kendrick just dropped again. 1081 00:50:03,760 --> 00:50:06,640 S1: I agree, and I actually think that maybe Macklemore has helped. 1082 00:50:06,640 --> 00:50:08,440 S1: Just like put the nail in the coffin on this 1083 00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:10,030 S1: one as well. I think, you know, he sort of 1084 00:50:10,030 --> 00:50:13,120 S1: just said, look, guys, this thing's going on. He's sort of, 1085 00:50:13,390 --> 00:50:16,090 S1: you know, I think mainstream commercial hip hop in America 1086 00:50:16,090 --> 00:50:19,270 S1: has been missing that political edge for a while. I mean, 1087 00:50:19,270 --> 00:50:22,900 S1: Tupac was so good at being able to throw shots 1088 00:50:22,900 --> 00:50:25,299 S1: at East Coast rappers and then also talk about what 1089 00:50:25,300 --> 00:50:27,820 S1: was going on in the world and, and American imperialism 1090 00:50:27,820 --> 00:50:31,210 S1: and whatever. And, and Macklemore of all people saying, all right, guys, 1091 00:50:31,210 --> 00:50:34,390 S1: let's talk about real shit again. Could be the coda 1092 00:50:34,390 --> 00:50:36,880 S1: on this one and kind of just usher in a 1093 00:50:36,880 --> 00:50:42,279 S1: new conversation about many different and perhaps less personal, uh, 1094 00:50:42,280 --> 00:50:45,580 S1: topics that these guys were trading shots on. It's a 1095 00:50:45,580 --> 00:50:48,550 S1: bit of a heel turn. This next topic. Not really 1096 00:50:48,550 --> 00:50:52,569 S1: an easy way to segue from Kendrick, Drake and Macklemore 1097 00:50:52,570 --> 00:50:54,819 S1: to Dua Lipa. I guess it's music related, but on 1098 00:50:54,820 --> 00:50:56,440 S1: the other end of the spectrum was one of the 1099 00:50:56,440 --> 00:51:01,660 S1: most highly anticipated releases this year. Dua Lipa's Radical Optimism, 1100 00:51:01,660 --> 00:51:04,330 S1: the follow up to her very fun and critically acclaimed 1101 00:51:04,330 --> 00:51:08,080 S1: 2020 album Future Nostalgia. The first single on Radical Optimism 1102 00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:08,920 S1: was Houdini. 1103 00:51:13,360 --> 00:51:15,820 UU: Tell me all the ways you need me. I'm not 1104 00:51:15,820 --> 00:51:19,640 UU: here for long. Catch me or I go, Whodini, I 1105 00:51:19,640 --> 00:51:22,950 UU: come and I go. Prove you've got the right to 1106 00:51:22,950 --> 00:51:27,590 UU: please me. Everybody knows. Catch me or I go Whodini 1107 00:51:27,950 --> 00:51:30,170 UU: time is passing like a solid. 1108 00:51:30,170 --> 00:51:34,370 S1: Produced by Australia's own Kevin Parker, Tame Impala. I didn't 1109 00:51:34,370 --> 00:51:37,430 S1: love this track, but then when the album came out 1110 00:51:37,430 --> 00:51:39,740 S1: last week and I listened to it a few times, 1111 00:51:39,739 --> 00:51:42,469 S1: it's maybe the best song on it, which I think 1112 00:51:42,469 --> 00:51:46,160 S1: sums up how I feel about this album. Very flat 1113 00:51:46,160 --> 00:51:48,950 S1: record to me. I think, especially following the kind of 1114 00:51:48,950 --> 00:51:52,009 S1: disco club vibes of Future Nostalgia had so many bangers 1115 00:51:52,010 --> 00:51:55,070 S1: levitating physical, I don't even know if this one like 1116 00:51:55,070 --> 00:51:58,040 S1: is a full, proper pop album. There's a couple of 1117 00:51:58,040 --> 00:52:00,920 S1: pop songs, but do you guys remember adult contemporary where 1118 00:52:00,920 --> 00:52:03,890 S1: you're just like, this is a person making noise, and 1119 00:52:03,890 --> 00:52:05,480 S1: it's sort of nice to have in the background, but 1120 00:52:05,480 --> 00:52:08,600 S1: it's not doing or saying much. Well, I know that 1121 00:52:08,600 --> 00:52:10,040 S1: you were hyped for this one, but how do you 1122 00:52:10,040 --> 00:52:10,940 S1: feel about it? 1123 00:52:10,940 --> 00:52:13,100 S2: I was so hyped for this, and there was a 1124 00:52:13,100 --> 00:52:15,440 S2: lot of kind of chat around it because from, um, 1125 00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:18,500 S2: Dance the Night Dua's song for Barbie, there was the 1126 00:52:18,500 --> 00:52:21,739 S2: very symbolic shattering of the disco ball at the end 1127 00:52:21,739 --> 00:52:24,350 S2: of that, which was meant to represent the end of 1128 00:52:24,350 --> 00:52:27,049 S2: Dua's disco era. And in the lead up to the 1129 00:52:27,050 --> 00:52:29,060 S2: release of this album, she'd kind of been making all 1130 00:52:29,060 --> 00:52:33,620 S2: these claims about what had inspired the album Primal Scream, 1131 00:52:33,620 --> 00:52:36,770 S2: Brit pop. Um, it was kind of low slung British 1132 00:52:36,770 --> 00:52:40,160 S2: source material. So it kind of she was flagging that 1133 00:52:40,160 --> 00:52:42,950 S2: this was going to be a reinvention. And then when 1134 00:52:42,950 --> 00:52:45,739 S2: I listened to to this album, I just don't think 1135 00:52:45,739 --> 00:52:47,510 S2: it's a reinvention at all. There is a lot of 1136 00:52:47,510 --> 00:52:50,239 S2: classic Dua on there, but without the kind of sparkle 1137 00:52:50,239 --> 00:52:53,870 S2: of future nostalgia. But it's not a complete pivot. I 1138 00:52:53,870 --> 00:52:55,850 S2: don't think for her and I agree with you. I 1139 00:52:55,850 --> 00:52:58,670 S2: was like, actually, really like the first three songs of 1140 00:52:58,670 --> 00:53:01,220 S2: this album, end of an era, Whodini, you mentioned, and 1141 00:53:01,219 --> 00:53:04,430 S2: Training Season, and then it kind of goes into this 1142 00:53:04,610 --> 00:53:08,299 S2: pivot to a more muffled sound, a very kind of 1143 00:53:08,300 --> 00:53:12,049 S2: Tame Impala. Kevin Parker, who produced this record, sound in 1144 00:53:12,050 --> 00:53:15,590 S2: songs like Kind of French Exit and These Walls. They're 1145 00:53:15,590 --> 00:53:17,510 S2: shades of Dua again in all of them, but they're 1146 00:53:17,510 --> 00:53:19,760 S2: a lot more kind of drawn back. And then at 1147 00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:21,440 S2: the end of this album, there are these real like 1148 00:53:21,440 --> 00:53:26,180 S2: Eurovision bangers, these like kind of really big ballady sounds, 1149 00:53:26,180 --> 00:53:28,880 S2: which some people love. But I much prefer Dua when 1150 00:53:28,880 --> 00:53:30,740 S2: she's like kind of when it's all in the vocals 1151 00:53:30,739 --> 00:53:34,129 S2: and it's all in that, that really vibrant dance beat. 1152 00:53:34,130 --> 00:53:35,720 S2: So yeah, I thought there were highs and lows on 1153 00:53:35,719 --> 00:53:37,759 S2: this album, but kind of agree with you that it 1154 00:53:37,760 --> 00:53:41,420 S2: wasn't the it wasn't the amazing sparkly record that I 1155 00:53:41,420 --> 00:53:43,100 S2: kind of thought might be coming our way. 1156 00:53:43,810 --> 00:53:46,540 S3: Yeah, I didn't really vibe at all. Um, our colleague 1157 00:53:46,540 --> 00:53:48,730 S3: Rob Moran was so excited for this one, and he 1158 00:53:48,730 --> 00:53:52,239 S3: just looked so crestfallen after having listened to it, because, 1159 00:53:52,239 --> 00:53:54,100 S3: I mean, this is this was the big year for like, 1160 00:53:54,100 --> 00:53:56,800 S3: all these, like, massive pop albums that were previewed it. 1161 00:53:56,800 --> 00:53:57,670 S1: I think at the start of the. 1162 00:53:57,670 --> 00:53:59,770 S3: Year, I know, and this just feels like such a 1163 00:53:59,770 --> 00:54:03,430 S3: limp like addition to that, you know, list. Yeah, like 1164 00:54:03,430 --> 00:54:05,080 S3: I feel like Dua Lipa has been kind of untouchable 1165 00:54:05,080 --> 00:54:07,090 S3: for a while, and then it just makes you wonder, 1166 00:54:07,090 --> 00:54:10,090 S3: like when you when you like in the studio, all 1167 00:54:10,090 --> 00:54:11,860 S3: these different people and you listen through this album, how 1168 00:54:11,860 --> 00:54:13,960 S3: is no one sitting there being like, I don't know, 1169 00:54:13,960 --> 00:54:15,700 S3: maybe they must think it's all really good, I don't know. 1170 00:54:15,820 --> 00:54:18,100 S1: Yeah, there's some chat that, like her dad who's taken 1171 00:54:18,100 --> 00:54:21,310 S1: over her management, maybe isn't sort of playing the the 1172 00:54:21,310 --> 00:54:23,770 S1: best role he should be. I agree 100% on this. 1173 00:54:23,770 --> 00:54:26,560 S1: Like there should be some label ainars in here being like, okay, 1174 00:54:26,560 --> 00:54:27,850 S1: you want to do some of this? That's cool. But like, 1175 00:54:27,850 --> 00:54:29,620 S1: where are the hits? Like the point of a pop 1176 00:54:29,620 --> 00:54:32,110 S1: record is you need some hits and this just doesn't have. 1177 00:54:32,960 --> 00:54:34,550 S3: Yeah. And that's why you need to bring in Tedros. 1178 00:54:34,580 --> 00:54:38,120 S2: Tedros and that hit factory. 1179 00:54:38,420 --> 00:54:40,580 S1: Um, talking about hits though, there is like a hit 1180 00:54:40,580 --> 00:54:43,730 S1: I'm really enjoying right now. Uh, Sabrina Carpenter, who we 1181 00:54:43,730 --> 00:54:47,359 S1: all saw when she opened for Taylor Swift, her song espresso. 1182 00:54:48,170 --> 00:54:51,980 UU: Now, here's the thing about me every night. Oh, is 1183 00:54:51,980 --> 00:54:55,220 UU: it that sweet? Like a song. So you can't sleep, 1184 00:54:55,219 --> 00:55:03,580 UU: baby I know that's that means so. Nintendo. So you 1185 00:55:03,580 --> 00:55:04,120 UU: can see. 1186 00:55:06,360 --> 00:55:09,330 S1: This feels like the song of northern Hemisphere summer. People 1187 00:55:09,330 --> 00:55:13,710 S1: are loving this song. I'm loving this song. Uh, it's 1188 00:55:13,710 --> 00:55:15,569 S1: very fun. It feels like it should be on on 1189 00:55:15,570 --> 00:55:18,569 S1: a duo record. You guys, you guys that that me 1190 00:55:18,570 --> 00:55:19,950 S1: espresso your vibe in it. 1191 00:55:19,950 --> 00:55:22,200 S2: Man, I love it. I've listened to that song though, 1192 00:55:22,200 --> 00:55:25,260 S2: so many times. And still I can only be like, no, no, no. 1193 00:55:25,260 --> 00:55:28,140 S2: Espresso like that is the only line. I can still 1194 00:55:28,380 --> 00:55:29,009 S2: switch it up like. 1195 00:55:29,010 --> 00:55:29,790 S1: Nintendo. 1196 00:55:29,940 --> 00:55:31,710 S2: You know, I mean, Nintendo Switch. 1197 00:55:31,980 --> 00:55:35,370 S1: Yeah. There's also like, I was staying out late because 1198 00:55:35,370 --> 00:55:37,740 S1: I'm a singer or something like that. It's very funny. 1199 00:55:37,739 --> 00:55:40,650 S1: It's like very self-aware, funny lyrics and very catchy at 1200 00:55:40,650 --> 00:55:41,040 S1: the same time. 1201 00:55:41,040 --> 00:55:43,560 S2: You know, like, don't give a fuck era. I really, 1202 00:55:43,560 --> 00:55:46,110 S2: I love Sabrina Carpenter. I liked nonsense too. I know 1203 00:55:46,110 --> 00:55:47,940 S2: a lot of people don't didn't really get her vibe, 1204 00:55:47,940 --> 00:55:50,760 S2: but I think she's very funny and interesting and is 1205 00:55:50,760 --> 00:55:53,070 S2: kind of more edgy and risky in her lyrics and 1206 00:55:53,070 --> 00:55:56,100 S2: her performance. Um, than probably Taylor is. 1207 00:55:56,100 --> 00:55:57,840 S1: Yeah, I think she could. She could be on the 1208 00:55:57,840 --> 00:55:59,880 S1: cusp of blowing up. She does this really fun thing 1209 00:55:59,880 --> 00:56:02,489 S1: on her tour where she sort of adds an extra 1210 00:56:02,489 --> 00:56:04,620 S1: verse at the end of her set to reference where 1211 00:56:04,620 --> 00:56:07,410 S1: she's at, and sometimes it's pretty saucy. It's cool. I 1212 00:56:07,410 --> 00:56:10,440 S1: think she's fun and interesting and the song is really catchy. 1213 00:56:10,620 --> 00:56:13,290 S1: Are you are you bumping this one time itch? 1214 00:56:13,290 --> 00:56:15,299 S3: Yeah, I really like it. I like Sabrina too. I 1215 00:56:15,300 --> 00:56:17,670 S3: feel like she's like having a bit of a moment. Um, 1216 00:56:17,670 --> 00:56:19,589 S3: so she was also at the Met Gala yesterday along 1217 00:56:19,590 --> 00:56:21,570 S3: with Barry? Um, yeah. Barry. 1218 00:56:21,930 --> 00:56:22,739 S1: Partner, if. 1219 00:56:22,739 --> 00:56:25,470 S3: People don't know. Yes. Correct. Um, yeah, I think she's 1220 00:56:25,469 --> 00:56:28,379 S3: she's good. You can just see like, the trajectory she's on. 1221 00:56:28,469 --> 00:56:31,560 S3: Obviously she toured here with Taylor Swift recently. Um, sadly, 1222 00:56:31,560 --> 00:56:33,390 S3: I did not get to see her because her set 1223 00:56:33,390 --> 00:56:34,350 S3: was rained out. 1224 00:56:34,590 --> 00:56:35,850 S1: Oh, true. 1225 00:56:35,850 --> 00:56:38,580 S3: Electrical storm. But everyone, everyone that I had spoken to, 1226 00:56:38,580 --> 00:56:40,080 S3: all the Swifties who had gone, you know, like, every 1227 00:56:40,080 --> 00:56:43,380 S3: single night were like, you know, raving about Sabrina Carpenter, um, 1228 00:56:43,380 --> 00:56:44,910 S3: as much as they were Taylor. So I feel like 1229 00:56:44,910 --> 00:56:47,280 S3: she's she's really on one. She's about to or just 1230 00:56:47,520 --> 00:56:49,350 S3: is the musical act on SNL. 1231 00:56:49,350 --> 00:56:51,510 S2: And her Coachella set went kind of off as well. 1232 00:56:51,510 --> 00:56:54,180 S2: People raved about it. Barry was there watching. Yeah, she's. 1233 00:56:54,180 --> 00:56:56,339 S3: Collecting like all the pop culture rings you need when 1234 00:56:56,340 --> 00:56:58,710 S3: you're on the way to being like, the next big thing. Um, 1235 00:56:58,710 --> 00:57:01,200 S3: and then obviously she will enter into a feud with 1236 00:57:01,200 --> 00:57:03,870 S3: Olivia Rodrigo that we will then talk about. Um, I 1237 00:57:03,870 --> 00:57:06,420 S3: think she has, hasn't she? Yeah. But like a proper 1238 00:57:06,420 --> 00:57:08,819 S3: public one where Olivia Rodrigo is like, I don't know, 1239 00:57:08,820 --> 00:57:11,160 S3: revealed to be. Oh, I see you were alien or Drake. 1240 00:57:11,160 --> 00:57:13,319 S1: Kendrick thing, and I stepped on it. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, 1241 00:57:13,560 --> 00:57:15,900 S1: but I think they sort of threw, um, barbs at 1242 00:57:15,900 --> 00:57:19,290 S1: each other over driver's license. Is that is that what happened? 1243 00:57:19,290 --> 00:57:21,360 S3: Yeah. They did. Um, because I think there was also 1244 00:57:21,360 --> 00:57:23,970 S3: an accusation of a shared boyfriend, uh, or something. 1245 00:57:23,970 --> 00:57:26,880 S1: That's pretty hectic. That is. We're talking Drake. Kendrick level. Mel, 1246 00:57:26,880 --> 00:57:28,650 S1: where were you when that was going on? Not complaining 1247 00:57:28,650 --> 00:57:29,430 S1: about collateral damage. 1248 00:57:29,550 --> 00:57:30,570 S2: Exactly. You guys. 1249 00:57:31,050 --> 00:57:33,360 S3: It really is the winter of discontent. 1250 00:57:33,360 --> 00:57:36,120 S2: Oh, nice. Thank you. I'm glad you've stooped to my request. 1251 00:57:36,750 --> 00:57:38,730 S1: All right, movie time. Guys. There's been a lot of 1252 00:57:38,730 --> 00:57:42,330 S1: discourse in entertainment news around the release of the new 1253 00:57:42,330 --> 00:57:45,420 S1: Ryan Gosling Emily Blunt action comedy, The Fall Guy, which 1254 00:57:45,420 --> 00:57:48,060 S1: was filmed in Sydney, Australia. 1255 00:57:49,650 --> 00:57:53,850 S10: That's me. Colt Seavers. And this is my hero's journey. 1256 00:57:58,690 --> 00:58:00,190 S11: Can we just start from the top? 1257 00:58:02,890 --> 00:58:04,959 S10: What do you want it? Okay. I'm not the hero 1258 00:58:04,960 --> 00:58:10,450 S10: of this story. I'm just a stunt guy trying to 1259 00:58:10,450 --> 00:58:12,700 S10: look cool in front of the director of this movie. 1260 00:58:12,970 --> 00:58:13,810 S10: That's her. 1261 00:58:13,840 --> 00:58:15,430 S1: It's been a slow start to the year in terms 1262 00:58:15,430 --> 00:58:19,000 S1: of box office numbers. And I think after the massive 1263 00:58:19,000 --> 00:58:23,080 S1: Bodenheimer induced high of 2023, studios and cinema chains are 1264 00:58:23,080 --> 00:58:26,470 S1: kind of really desperately craving some big releases to get 1265 00:58:26,470 --> 00:58:29,920 S1: people back into the movies. This was an expensive film. 1266 00:58:29,920 --> 00:58:33,430 S1: It cost 150 million USD to make. It's got big stars, 1267 00:58:33,430 --> 00:58:36,220 S1: big action set pieces in it, so there's a bit 1268 00:58:36,220 --> 00:58:39,640 S1: riding on it. We'll talk about its performance and what 1269 00:58:39,640 --> 00:58:41,560 S1: that might mean for Hollywood in a minute, but let's 1270 00:58:41,560 --> 00:58:43,420 S1: talk about the film and kind of interested to get 1271 00:58:43,420 --> 00:58:46,630 S1: your takes on it as well. It's a loose adaptation 1272 00:58:46,630 --> 00:58:49,210 S1: of the 1980s TV series of the same name starring 1273 00:58:49,210 --> 00:58:51,280 S1: Lee majors. I never watched it. I just know Lee 1274 00:58:51,280 --> 00:58:53,290 S1: majors because he was in a Simpsons episode. I think 1275 00:58:53,290 --> 00:58:55,960 S1: Marge had a big crush on him. Um, the movie's 1276 00:58:55,960 --> 00:58:59,350 S1: directed by David Leitch. He's a former stuntman himself. He 1277 00:58:59,350 --> 00:59:02,620 S1: co-directed the first John Wick film, directed Deadpool two, the 1278 00:59:02,620 --> 00:59:05,140 S1: Fast and Furious spin off Hobbs and Shaw, and most recently, 1279 00:59:05,140 --> 00:59:08,290 S1: the Brad Pitt starring Bullet Train. This film really is 1280 00:59:08,290 --> 00:59:11,590 S1: a love letter to stunt performers. It stars Ryan Gosling 1281 00:59:11,590 --> 00:59:14,650 S1: as a stuntman who, after quitting his job after getting 1282 00:59:14,650 --> 00:59:17,800 S1: into an accident on set, is convinced to get back 1283 00:59:17,800 --> 00:59:21,760 S1: in the game, working on his ex-girlfriend's directorial debut action 1284 00:59:21,760 --> 00:59:26,020 S1: film that's played by Emily Blunt. The movie's filming in Australia. 1285 00:59:26,020 --> 00:59:28,720 S1: When he gets there, he finds himself involved in a 1286 00:59:28,720 --> 00:59:34,150 S1: conspiracy surrounding the disappearance of the film's lead actor, Aaron Taylor-Johnson. 1287 00:59:34,150 --> 00:59:38,260 S1: The film also stars Hannah Waddingham from Ted Lasso, Teresa Palmer, 1288 00:59:38,260 --> 00:59:41,350 S1: Stephanie Sue and Winston Duke. The movie is basically a 1289 00:59:41,350 --> 00:59:44,170 S1: love story between Gosling and Blunt, with a lot of action, 1290 00:59:44,170 --> 00:59:46,870 S1: a lot of stunts, a lot of fun references to 1291 00:59:46,870 --> 00:59:49,330 S1: cinema and pop culture in there. I would describe it 1292 00:59:49,330 --> 00:59:53,050 S1: as like, thoroughly entertaining, pretty fun, but not like a 1293 00:59:53,050 --> 00:59:56,800 S1: transcendent movie. I thought Gosling in particular was really great, 1294 00:59:56,800 --> 00:59:59,890 S1: and Emily Blunt was good, but her character does not 1295 00:59:59,890 --> 01:00:04,090 S1: have a lot to do or much depth in this film. 1296 01:00:04,600 --> 01:00:06,190 S1: I had a good time in the cinema, but I 1297 01:00:06,190 --> 01:00:08,410 S1: don't know if I describe it as a must watch. Uh, 1298 01:00:08,410 --> 01:00:10,420 S1: what did you guys make of The Fall Guy? 1299 01:00:10,870 --> 01:00:13,180 S2: I did not have a good time in the cinema. Oh, really? 1300 01:00:13,210 --> 01:00:15,130 S2: I didn't I really wanted to like it. In fact, 1301 01:00:15,130 --> 01:00:17,440 S2: I sat down next to Thomas and I said to him, 1302 01:00:17,440 --> 01:00:19,810 S2: I'm really happy. Like I was in the right headspace 1303 01:00:19,810 --> 01:00:22,000 S2: to watch it. And I kept thinking about this. This 1304 01:00:22,000 --> 01:00:23,440 S2: one time I was going to my friend's house and 1305 01:00:23,440 --> 01:00:25,480 S2: we all had to bring a dessert, and I decided 1306 01:00:25,480 --> 01:00:28,060 S2: I would make an Eton mess, which is just like 1307 01:00:28,060 --> 01:00:30,580 S2: a strategically, it looks like a mess, but it isn't 1308 01:00:30,580 --> 01:00:32,800 S2: a mess and it tastes delicious. And when I ended 1309 01:00:32,800 --> 01:00:34,780 S2: up making it, it turned out just a mess. Like, 1310 01:00:34,780 --> 01:00:37,540 S2: look like something that someone had eaten and then regurgitated. 1311 01:00:37,540 --> 01:00:40,660 S2: And I kind of felt like watching this. I was like, 1312 01:00:40,660 --> 01:00:43,090 S2: someone thought this would be a good idea, but it 1313 01:00:43,090 --> 01:00:45,970 S2: just turned out to be a bit of a mess. I, 1314 01:00:45,970 --> 01:00:48,910 S2: I didn't enjoy it. There was too much action. Like, 1315 01:00:48,910 --> 01:00:52,060 S2: I understand it's a love letter to to to stunts, 1316 01:00:52,060 --> 01:00:56,320 S2: but there was so much spectacle and no story. Gosling's 1317 01:00:56,320 --> 01:01:00,760 S2: character was confusing and seemed undercooked. Um, to be honest, 1318 01:01:00,760 --> 01:01:03,730 S2: I was probably most alert during the credits when they 1319 01:01:03,730 --> 01:01:06,310 S2: were showing the real footage of the stunts being made, 1320 01:01:06,310 --> 01:01:08,530 S2: and I and I actually thought, wow, I think I 1321 01:01:08,530 --> 01:01:11,350 S2: would actually prefer to watch a documentary about making this 1322 01:01:11,350 --> 01:01:14,590 S2: film than this film. I just did not enjoy it. 1323 01:01:14,590 --> 01:01:17,590 S3: I kind of feel the same. I actually think, like, 1324 01:01:17,590 --> 01:01:19,750 S3: I'm really surprised you said you thought Gosling was good. 1325 01:01:19,750 --> 01:01:22,750 S3: I thought he was bad, like, I love I mean, 1326 01:01:22,750 --> 01:01:24,520 S3: we all love the Gosling, and he's kind of like 1327 01:01:24,520 --> 01:01:26,290 S3: on a bit of a heater off the back of 1328 01:01:26,290 --> 01:01:29,020 S3: Barbie and this kind of comedy era. And I just 1329 01:01:29,020 --> 01:01:31,780 S3: thought he was like the first 15 minutes especially. I 1330 01:01:31,780 --> 01:01:34,510 S3: was like, wow. He is like not making me laugh. 1331 01:01:34,510 --> 01:01:36,370 S3: And this is someone who I think normally can take 1332 01:01:36,370 --> 01:01:39,010 S3: a really poor script. And just with his like Gosling 1333 01:01:39,010 --> 01:01:41,740 S3: delivery can make it funny. And so I don't know 1334 01:01:41,740 --> 01:01:43,330 S3: if it's an indictment on the script, but I thought 1335 01:01:43,330 --> 01:01:45,640 S3: both he my biggest issue with the film was that 1336 01:01:45,640 --> 01:01:48,580 S3: the chemistry between the two leads, Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, was, like, 1337 01:01:48,580 --> 01:01:51,340 S3: near non-existent for me. I thought he was in the 1338 01:01:51,340 --> 01:01:53,890 S3: scene doing his Gosling schtick, and she was doing her 1339 01:01:53,890 --> 01:01:56,920 S3: Emily Blunt schtick of like, talking really fast and seeming distracted. 1340 01:01:56,920 --> 01:01:59,680 S3: But they weren't like, that's like two people acting in 1341 01:01:59,680 --> 01:02:02,890 S3: a scene, like of their own, not together. And I 1342 01:02:02,890 --> 01:02:05,470 S3: just thought they didn't gel. And then on top of that, 1343 01:02:05,470 --> 01:02:08,380 S3: I thought that the story was like a little bit flimsy. 1344 01:02:08,380 --> 01:02:10,660 S3: It was hard to kind of like, get involved. I 1345 01:02:10,660 --> 01:02:12,520 S3: really went into this being like, this will be a fun, 1346 01:02:12,520 --> 01:02:14,710 S3: kind of like Netflix movie, and it'll be like funny 1347 01:02:14,710 --> 01:02:17,920 S3: and a good time. And instead I just, like, found 1348 01:02:17,920 --> 01:02:20,020 S3: myself really drifting. Um, and the. 1349 01:02:20,020 --> 01:02:22,150 S2: Jokes just didn't land in our cinema. Right. Which is 1350 01:02:22,150 --> 01:02:24,340 S2: kind of like, I thought, because David Leitch did Bullet Train, 1351 01:02:24,340 --> 01:02:26,680 S2: which I thought was very funny, but the jokes in 1352 01:02:26,680 --> 01:02:29,320 S2: our cinema didn't land like it was just really quite 1353 01:02:29,320 --> 01:02:32,140 S2: awkward watching one. How busy was another? 1354 01:02:32,590 --> 01:02:34,390 S3: Not very busy. There's only a few people. 1355 01:02:34,390 --> 01:02:35,350 S2: None of us laughed. 1356 01:02:35,380 --> 01:02:37,000 S3: Yeah, I would say though, and like, you know, I 1357 01:02:37,000 --> 01:02:39,070 S3: do have to caveat all this with like a friend 1358 01:02:39,070 --> 01:02:40,450 S3: of mine is in the film and I actually thought 1359 01:02:40,450 --> 01:02:42,820 S3: he was great. Uh, his name is Adam Dunn, Australian actor, 1360 01:02:42,820 --> 01:02:45,670 S3: played Nigel, uh, who was singing, you know, Genie in 1361 01:02:45,670 --> 01:02:46,720 S3: a bottle during the karaoke. 1362 01:02:46,840 --> 01:02:48,070 S1: He's great in the movie. 1363 01:02:48,070 --> 01:02:50,500 S3: Yeah, he was really good. And, you know, like I'm 1364 01:02:50,500 --> 01:02:52,150 S3: saying all this, I know he listens to the podcast. 1365 01:02:52,150 --> 01:02:54,400 S3: We had a, you know, very honest chat on text. 1366 01:02:54,570 --> 01:02:56,280 S3: After the movie where he asked me what I thought. 1367 01:02:56,280 --> 01:02:58,110 S3: He asked me to send a thumbs up or thumbs down, 1368 01:02:58,110 --> 01:03:00,630 S3: which is a reference from the film. And I said 1369 01:03:00,630 --> 01:03:01,980 S3: all of this to him, and, you know, he had 1370 01:03:01,980 --> 01:03:04,290 S3: his own thoughts and we had a really interesting chat. 1371 01:03:04,290 --> 01:03:05,850 S3: And I said to him that I didn't believe the 1372 01:03:05,850 --> 01:03:08,370 S3: chemistry between the two leads, and he was really surprised 1373 01:03:08,370 --> 01:03:10,530 S3: by that because he saw how hard they were working 1374 01:03:10,530 --> 01:03:13,500 S3: on the film. So, you know, it's an interesting, I guess, 1375 01:03:13,500 --> 01:03:16,950 S3: perspective to have. But yeah, I went in so prepared 1376 01:03:16,950 --> 01:03:18,510 S3: to love this film because it had so many elements 1377 01:03:18,510 --> 01:03:20,910 S3: that I was excited for, including the fact it was 1378 01:03:20,910 --> 01:03:23,430 S3: shot here in beautiful Sydney. And yeah, I just for 1379 01:03:23,430 --> 01:03:26,040 S3: some reason, like it didn't work for me. Like, I 1380 01:03:26,040 --> 01:03:28,320 S3: loved The Gray Man. Like I'm so here for these 1381 01:03:28,320 --> 01:03:31,020 S3: kind of like dumb Netflix films. And this one just felt, 1382 01:03:31,020 --> 01:03:32,760 S3: aside from the fact it was 45 minutes too long, 1383 01:03:32,760 --> 01:03:35,520 S3: it just didn't seem to work. It was having discussed 1384 01:03:35,520 --> 01:03:37,620 S3: so much about the mid era, this was like mid 1385 01:03:37,620 --> 01:03:38,640 S3: to a tee for me. 1386 01:03:38,640 --> 01:03:40,410 S1: I reckon you guys are in the wrong cinema with 1387 01:03:40,410 --> 01:03:42,720 S1: the wrong people like I thought. I thought that the 1388 01:03:42,720 --> 01:03:45,090 S1: jokes were funny. I thought Ryan Gosling was funny. I 1389 01:03:45,090 --> 01:03:48,510 S1: thought the chemistry was great. I thought that when Ryan 1390 01:03:48,510 --> 01:03:51,750 S1: Gosling is crying to Taylor Swift's All Too Well, uh, 1391 01:03:51,750 --> 01:03:54,240 S1: that that was great. It was very moving. 1392 01:03:54,240 --> 01:03:56,610 S3: But even that for me felt like such a, like, 1393 01:03:56,610 --> 01:03:59,160 S3: heavy handed, like, oh, there's been so many funny, like, 1394 01:03:59,160 --> 01:04:01,440 S3: let's have a, you know, like guy listening to Taylor 1395 01:04:01,440 --> 01:04:03,600 S3: Swift and being emotional, seeing let's just like wedge it 1396 01:04:03,600 --> 01:04:05,640 S3: in there. It felt so forced to me. Yeah. 1397 01:04:05,640 --> 01:04:07,800 S2: I thought that was ironic. I thought they were making 1398 01:04:07,800 --> 01:04:09,479 S2: fun of scenes of men. 1399 01:04:09,480 --> 01:04:11,100 S7: I reckon you were in the Taylor Swift movie. 1400 01:04:11,100 --> 01:04:12,360 S1: You're in the wrong gear for this movie. 1401 01:04:12,360 --> 01:04:15,510 S7: We were in the wrong. We're gonna be. We were happy. 1402 01:04:16,470 --> 01:04:18,660 S3: No. Had a, uh, like a what did you have, like, 1403 01:04:18,660 --> 01:04:19,530 S3: some kind of rap? 1404 01:04:19,590 --> 01:04:20,520 S7: Yeah, I had. 1405 01:04:20,520 --> 01:04:22,410 S2: Like, I had food for once in the cinema, we. 1406 01:04:22,410 --> 01:04:25,290 S2: I cannot tell you how ready we were to love 1407 01:04:25,290 --> 01:04:26,070 S2: this film. 1408 01:04:26,280 --> 01:04:28,260 S1: All right, let's agree to disagree on this one. And 1409 01:04:28,260 --> 01:04:30,600 S1: maybe you have more in common with the regular folk 1410 01:04:30,600 --> 01:04:33,510 S1: who don't seem to be rushing to see this, which 1411 01:04:33,510 --> 01:04:37,260 S1: is freaking, uh, some distributors and studios and movie chains out. 1412 01:04:37,260 --> 01:04:39,720 S1: I think they were expecting this movie, which generally has 1413 01:04:39,720 --> 01:04:42,120 S1: gotten pretty good reviews, like, it's sort of like three 1414 01:04:42,120 --> 01:04:44,100 S1: and a half to four stars around the place. It's 1415 01:04:44,100 --> 01:04:46,170 S1: doing pretty well on Rotten Tomatoes. People think it's the 1416 01:04:46,170 --> 01:04:49,080 S1: kind of movie that should be bringing people to cinemas, 1417 01:04:49,080 --> 01:04:52,050 S1: and it's not. And I wonder whether that's because, like 1418 01:04:52,050 --> 01:04:53,880 S1: I said at the start, I had a fun time, 1419 01:04:53,880 --> 01:04:55,560 S1: but I'm not racing out of the cinema and saying, 1420 01:04:55,560 --> 01:04:57,360 S1: you've all got to go see the fall guy. I 1421 01:04:57,360 --> 01:05:01,680 S1: think sometimes it's the problem with Rotten Tomatoes, where it's 90% positive, 1422 01:05:01,680 --> 01:05:05,190 S1: but if every positive review is like three stars, that 1423 01:05:05,190 --> 01:05:09,150 S1: doesn't get you excited enough to actually be an enthused 1424 01:05:09,150 --> 01:05:12,840 S1: ambassador for this film. I also wonder, and Thomas, you 1425 01:05:12,840 --> 01:05:16,110 S1: mentioned the Gray Man. My friend Amy messaged me and 1426 01:05:16,110 --> 01:05:17,790 S1: was like, oh, you saw the fall guy? I didn't, 1427 01:05:17,790 --> 01:05:19,380 S1: I see that isn't that free guy? I've seen that 1428 01:05:19,380 --> 01:05:22,290 S1: one before, which is a different movie with Ryan Reynolds. 1429 01:05:22,290 --> 01:05:25,260 S1: And there's also The Nice Guys. There's a lot of 1430 01:05:25,260 --> 01:05:31,500 S1: Guy films around featuring Ryan's, and I wonder whether that 1431 01:05:31,500 --> 01:05:34,410 S1: is just confusing people. As dumb as that sounds, or 1432 01:05:34,410 --> 01:05:36,690 S1: whether people are like, cool, I'll wait for this movie 1433 01:05:36,690 --> 01:05:38,850 S1: to come out on streaming. It looks like mid tier entertainment. 1434 01:05:38,850 --> 01:05:39,990 S1: If I don't have to go out to the movies 1435 01:05:39,990 --> 01:05:42,660 S1: and pay $25 for it, I'll have a good time. 1436 01:05:42,990 --> 01:05:44,400 S3: Well, Mel, you did say to me, I wonder if 1437 01:05:44,400 --> 01:05:46,080 S3: I would have liked this film better if I watched 1438 01:05:46,080 --> 01:05:47,970 S3: it on a Saturday night when it popped up on 1439 01:05:47,970 --> 01:05:49,800 S3: Netflix and I'd had, like, a couple of glasses of 1440 01:05:49,800 --> 01:05:52,890 S3: wine and like, I just popped it on and this, like, 1441 01:05:52,890 --> 01:05:54,420 S3: it was just a Saturday night, like. 1442 01:05:54,420 --> 01:05:56,900 S2: Yeah, if I could talk all the way through it. Yeah, yeah. 1443 01:05:57,560 --> 01:05:58,700 S2: Like potentially I think. 1444 01:05:58,700 --> 01:06:00,170 S1: I think potentially, I think maybe it will have a 1445 01:06:00,170 --> 01:06:03,110 S1: big streaming run as well. But yeah, I wonder what 1446 01:06:03,110 --> 01:06:05,390 S1: it means if it doesn't make its box office money back. 1447 01:06:05,390 --> 01:06:08,420 S1: That's that's not a great result for this film or 1448 01:06:08,420 --> 01:06:10,910 S1: for Hollywood making big movies. Uh, can I ask you 1449 01:06:10,910 --> 01:06:13,970 S1: guys about, um, Sidney on film? 1450 01:06:13,970 --> 01:06:14,689 S3: Sweeney. 1451 01:06:15,950 --> 01:06:18,860 S1: Kind of. So we had anyone but you, which was 1452 01:06:18,860 --> 01:06:21,020 S1: obviously filmed and set in Sydney and a lot of 1453 01:06:21,020 --> 01:06:24,320 S1: gratuitous shots of Sydney Harbour Bridge and the opera House 1454 01:06:24,320 --> 01:06:27,050 S1: and Sydney Harbour. And then this movie was filmed basically 1455 01:06:27,050 --> 01:06:30,200 S1: the same place. Like, I was wondering if when Ryan 1456 01:06:30,470 --> 01:06:32,630 S1: Gosling is on a boat in Sydney Harbour, he was 1457 01:06:32,630 --> 01:06:34,880 S1: going to run into Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney on 1458 01:06:34,880 --> 01:06:37,520 S1: their boat. Maybe it's just because the proximity of these 1459 01:06:37,520 --> 01:06:40,190 S1: two movies are really close together and they've both, you know, 1460 01:06:40,190 --> 01:06:43,070 S1: gotten a lot of media attention. I love Sydney, I 1461 01:06:43,070 --> 01:06:46,160 S1: love seeing Sydney on film. I feel like they could 1462 01:06:46,160 --> 01:06:48,590 S1: do a bit more than just show us the opera 1463 01:06:48,590 --> 01:06:51,110 S1: House and the Harbour Bridge and 2 or 3 blocks 1464 01:06:51,110 --> 01:06:56,660 S1: in the city around Martin Place. So this is a big, beautiful, interesting, diverse, 1465 01:06:56,660 --> 01:07:00,260 S1: fun city when you're in New York, not everything needs 1466 01:07:00,260 --> 01:07:03,050 S1: to be in Manhattan. The Empire State Building can go 1467 01:07:03,050 --> 01:07:05,330 S1: to Brooklyn. Not everything in London needs to be around 1468 01:07:05,330 --> 01:07:07,610 S1: the Big Ben, you know? Like, is there a bit 1469 01:07:07,610 --> 01:07:11,300 S1: of cringe here with the way that Sydney is just 1470 01:07:11,300 --> 01:07:12,740 S1: the city and the harbour? 1471 01:07:13,100 --> 01:07:15,200 S3: Yeah, I think so. It was like, I know everyone 1472 01:07:15,200 --> 01:07:17,510 S3: was excited to see the, you know, the Harbour Bridge 1473 01:07:17,510 --> 01:07:19,250 S3: stunt with Ryan Gosling. And we'd all had a bit 1474 01:07:19,250 --> 01:07:21,470 S3: of context because like, you know, all the news cameras 1475 01:07:21,470 --> 01:07:23,840 S3: were hovering above the Harbour Bridge while he filmed it. 1476 01:07:23,840 --> 01:07:26,120 S3: And but I do find it a bit boring. And 1477 01:07:26,120 --> 01:07:28,010 S3: like Sydney, it may as well have been any other 1478 01:07:28,010 --> 01:07:30,140 S3: city aside from the set piece on the Harbour Bridge, 1479 01:07:30,140 --> 01:07:32,510 S3: and seeing the opera house like it just felt like, 1480 01:07:32,510 --> 01:07:34,970 S3: you know, it could have been Toronto or New York 1481 01:07:34,970 --> 01:07:38,630 S3: or Chicago or wherever, like, I don't know. Yeah, I agree, 1482 01:07:38,630 --> 01:07:40,910 S3: I'm like, it'd be so nice to see them like 1483 01:07:40,910 --> 01:07:43,760 S3: in like a national park or like in the western 1484 01:07:43,760 --> 01:07:47,270 S3: suburbs or somewhere that was like still Sydney and recognizable 1485 01:07:47,270 --> 01:07:49,220 S3: as Sydney, but just not, you know, the two biggest 1486 01:07:49,220 --> 01:07:50,750 S3: icons that we're known for. Like, I'm surprised they didn't 1487 01:07:50,750 --> 01:07:51,860 S3: go down to Bondi Beach. 1488 01:07:51,860 --> 01:07:53,630 S2: Yeah. I mean, I'd be yeah. I mean, that's a 1489 01:07:53,630 --> 01:07:56,070 S2: good point. I'd. Be curious to see when the New 1490 01:07:56,070 --> 01:07:58,140 S2: South Wales Government and Federal government cough up the funding 1491 01:07:58,170 --> 01:08:00,960 S2: to help bring these international films here. What the terms 1492 01:08:00,960 --> 01:08:01,440 S2: and conditions? 1493 01:08:01,500 --> 01:08:02,040 S7: I'm sure I'm. 1494 01:08:02,040 --> 01:08:04,350 S1: 100% sure that the only reason there are so many 1495 01:08:04,350 --> 01:08:06,180 S1: shots of the opera house is because the state government, 1496 01:08:06,180 --> 01:08:07,980 S1: which gives a lot of money for these movies, have 1497 01:08:07,980 --> 01:08:10,290 S1: said that's what we want. And I kind of think 1498 01:08:10,290 --> 01:08:12,180 S1: maybe it's not the director's fault as much as it's 1499 01:08:12,180 --> 01:08:14,940 S1: like the government being like, let's just turn every movie 1500 01:08:14,940 --> 01:08:19,559 S1: into an ad for Sydney. But we're so, I guess, 1501 01:08:19,560 --> 01:08:22,140 S1: scared of telling people that Sydney is more than the 1502 01:08:22,140 --> 01:08:25,229 S1: bridge or the opera House. We don't want them to 1503 01:08:25,229 --> 01:08:27,540 S1: go west or south or wherever. 1504 01:08:28,290 --> 01:08:30,930 S3: That's why, again, thanks to Taylor Swift for bringing us 1505 01:08:30,930 --> 01:08:33,960 S3: to the attention of Sydney Zoo in the western suburbs. 1506 01:08:35,340 --> 01:08:37,679 S3: I mean, Taylor, like, the more we talk about it, 1507 01:08:37,680 --> 01:08:40,050 S3: the more I'm impressed. She's a she's a trailblazer. 1508 01:08:40,439 --> 01:08:42,269 S1: Oh, they could go to that. What's that sandwich shop. 1509 01:08:42,270 --> 01:08:43,890 S1: You like Thomas in your part of town? 1510 01:08:43,920 --> 01:08:47,160 S3: Costas? Yeah. They could have gone to Costas. They not have. 1511 01:08:47,160 --> 01:08:48,389 S1: Had a sandwich at Costas. 1512 01:08:48,390 --> 01:08:51,300 S3: That's iconic. I mean, even like the like, there's, like, 1513 01:08:51,300 --> 01:08:54,299 S3: Chifley Tower was in it, but yeah, otherwise it was like, it's, 1514 01:08:54,300 --> 01:08:58,620 S3: you know, hardly even worth, like, getting excited about Sydney 1515 01:08:58,620 --> 01:09:01,350 S3: being in the film. Yeah, I don't know. Uh, I 1516 01:09:01,350 --> 01:09:03,390 S3: think there are lots of other better Sydney films, if 1517 01:09:03,390 --> 01:09:04,380 S3: that's what you're after. 1518 01:09:05,430 --> 01:09:08,220 S1: All right, let's wrap up with Impress Your Friends. When 1519 01:09:08,220 --> 01:09:10,979 S1: we share something we watched, read, listened to, or just 1520 01:09:10,979 --> 01:09:13,440 S1: enjoyed consuming in the past week, do you want to 1521 01:09:13,439 --> 01:09:14,250 S1: go first summer's. 1522 01:09:14,460 --> 01:09:16,830 S3: Uh, my one is TV series just to mix things up. Uh, 1523 01:09:16,830 --> 01:09:20,519 S3: it's out today on Netflix. Uh, it's called Bodkin. Um, 1524 01:09:20,520 --> 01:09:22,680 S3: actually a weird kind of fall guy tie in in 1525 01:09:22,710 --> 01:09:25,380 S3: that the series is produced and directed by Nash Edgerton, 1526 01:09:25,380 --> 01:09:27,930 S3: who is a stuntman, uh, as well as being Joel 1527 01:09:27,930 --> 01:09:30,990 S3: Edgerton's brother, who also makes a cameo in The Fall Guy. Uh, 1528 01:09:30,990 --> 01:09:33,330 S3: but he's also a director. He directs this series. Uh, 1529 01:09:33,330 --> 01:09:36,210 S3: it's very funny. It's a dark comedy, um, in the 1530 01:09:36,210 --> 01:09:37,950 S3: kind of that vein of Irish TV that we all 1531 01:09:37,950 --> 01:09:40,260 S3: know and love. And, uh, you guys will enjoy this. 1532 01:09:40,260 --> 01:09:41,970 S3: It's about a group of three podcasters. 1533 01:09:42,360 --> 01:09:43,260 S1: Is it really? 1534 01:09:43,260 --> 01:09:45,960 S3: It really is, uh, who come together. They work at 1535 01:09:45,960 --> 01:09:50,820 S3: the Guardian. Bu but, um, they, they come together and, uh, 1536 01:09:50,820 --> 01:09:53,370 S3: basically one of the, the, you know, lead journalists, uh, 1537 01:09:53,370 --> 01:09:55,830 S3: she's been, you know, working on a big story in 1538 01:09:55,830 --> 01:09:58,830 S3: London and she gets exiled to her hometown in Ireland, um, 1539 01:09:58,830 --> 01:10:02,700 S3: to work on this series with two other podcasters. Um, about, like, 1540 01:10:02,700 --> 01:10:04,290 S3: you know, a group of people that went missing 20 1541 01:10:04,290 --> 01:10:06,689 S3: years ago. They slowly find themselves kind of, like, wrapped 1542 01:10:06,689 --> 01:10:09,840 S3: up in, you know, the intricacies and feuds of the 1543 01:10:09,840 --> 01:10:12,570 S3: small town. So it's that type of setup, but very funny. 1544 01:10:12,570 --> 01:10:14,849 S3: And I think, you know, lots of people buy into 1545 01:10:14,850 --> 01:10:17,400 S3: the podcast culture. And this has lots of like, uh, 1546 01:10:17,400 --> 01:10:19,650 S3: moments they will enjoy about how serious, you know, true 1547 01:10:19,650 --> 01:10:21,990 S3: crime podcasters take themselves. So yeah, I thought it was 1548 01:10:21,990 --> 01:10:24,660 S3: really funny. Um, each episode is 45 minutes. It's a 1549 01:10:24,660 --> 01:10:27,090 S3: Netflix drop, so everything's there available for you to watch. 1550 01:10:27,090 --> 01:10:29,070 S3: That one's out today. And yeah, worth your time. 1551 01:10:29,070 --> 01:10:31,830 S1: The amount of movies and TV shows that are like 1552 01:10:31,830 --> 01:10:35,760 S1: featuring podcasters as characters in the new Godzilla movie. Again, 1553 01:10:35,760 --> 01:10:39,240 S1: Brian Tyree Henry is a podcaster. It's very strange. I 1554 01:10:39,240 --> 01:10:40,800 S1: really wonder why that. 1555 01:10:41,130 --> 01:10:42,960 S7: I mean, it's a sexy medium, right? Well, podcast. 1556 01:10:42,960 --> 01:10:45,840 S3: Is the new like hard nosed journalists of like 90s films. 1557 01:10:45,870 --> 01:10:48,240 S1: Agreed. Um, Mel, what have you got? 1558 01:10:48,330 --> 01:10:52,050 S2: Well, after everyone has listened to Kendrick and Drake and 1559 01:10:52,050 --> 01:10:54,599 S2: you've kind of been through their whole kind of feud, 1560 01:10:54,600 --> 01:10:57,360 S2: this is a nice one to put in your earphones. 1561 01:10:57,360 --> 01:11:00,270 S2: I've been really vibing Jessica Pratt's here in the Pitch, 1562 01:11:00,270 --> 01:11:04,320 S2: which is her new album. It's only nine songs, 27 minutes. 1563 01:11:04,320 --> 01:11:07,410 S2: There's something light and sunny to them and almost airless, 1564 01:11:07,410 --> 01:11:10,800 S2: as well as this kind of sense of sadness on them. 1565 01:11:10,800 --> 01:11:12,870 S2: I mean, it does kind of feel like maybe stepping 1566 01:11:12,870 --> 01:11:16,140 S2: into the garden, there's this kind of fantasy sound. I 1567 01:11:16,140 --> 01:11:17,490 S2: don't know, it's just one of those albums that I 1568 01:11:17,490 --> 01:11:20,490 S2: keep finding myself listening to. Some albums. I'm kind of like, 1569 01:11:20,490 --> 01:11:22,559 S2: you've got to be in the right mood, and you've 1570 01:11:22,560 --> 01:11:23,820 S2: got to kind of be in the right state of mind. 1571 01:11:23,820 --> 01:11:25,530 S2: I've found that a lot with the Beyonce album, like 1572 01:11:25,530 --> 01:11:28,650 S2: I'm not necessarily gravitating towards putting it on, but this 1573 01:11:28,650 --> 01:11:30,510 S2: one just seems to be one that I keep returning to. 1574 01:11:30,510 --> 01:11:33,450 S2: So it's, um, a really nice kind of folk, retro 1575 01:11:33,450 --> 01:11:37,559 S2: pop classic sound that I would, um, highly recommend if 1576 01:11:37,560 --> 01:11:38,940 S2: you need to come down from all the kind of 1577 01:11:38,939 --> 01:11:40,469 S2: highs of the rap battle. 1578 01:11:40,590 --> 01:11:43,050 S1: You put me onto this one. Uh, yesterday, Mel and 1579 01:11:43,050 --> 01:11:44,939 S1: I have been listening to it. I really like it. 1580 01:11:44,939 --> 01:11:47,550 S1: It's a great recommendation. Very, very good album. 1581 01:11:47,729 --> 01:11:49,950 S2: Oh, good. I can imagine you in your new home 1582 01:11:49,950 --> 01:11:50,879 S2: putting it on. 1583 01:11:51,870 --> 01:11:54,809 S1: Um, I got one that I'm surprised neither of you mentioned. 1584 01:11:54,810 --> 01:11:56,610 S1: Hack season three is back. 1585 01:11:56,820 --> 01:11:57,600 S7: Yes, Jane. 1586 01:11:57,600 --> 01:12:00,750 S1: Smart is back. It's on Stan, owned by nine. The 1587 01:12:00,750 --> 01:12:03,480 S1: people who pay us to make this podcast, the Sydney 1588 01:12:03,479 --> 01:12:05,309 S1: Morning Herald and The Age is probably more convoluted than 1589 01:12:05,310 --> 01:12:07,500 S1: it needed to be. Um. It's great. There's not much 1590 01:12:07,500 --> 01:12:08,880 S1: more I need to say about this show. I really, 1591 01:12:08,880 --> 01:12:11,340 S1: really love hacks. I've been waiting for the new season 1592 01:12:11,340 --> 01:12:13,559 S1: for a while. Go watch it. Very fun. 1593 01:12:14,450 --> 01:12:16,430 S3: It is very funny, very excited. But I did text 1594 01:12:16,430 --> 01:12:18,530 S3: you last night. That should not be a weekly drop. 1595 01:12:18,530 --> 01:12:21,019 S3: That show like the first two episodes were. They dropped 1596 01:12:21,020 --> 01:12:23,300 S3: two at the start and now it's weekly from like 1597 01:12:23,479 --> 01:12:26,180 S3: moving forward. Annoying. Doesn't need to be weekly. Drop the 1598 01:12:26,180 --> 01:12:28,790 S3: episodes like 30 minutes. It's a comedy that could be 1599 01:12:28,790 --> 01:12:30,380 S3: like bang! Just like, give us it, all of it. 1600 01:12:30,380 --> 01:12:31,730 S3: And you can watch it at your own leisure like 1601 01:12:31,729 --> 01:12:34,010 S3: no one is. Is anyone really, like, hyped on a 1602 01:12:34,010 --> 01:12:35,660 S3: Tuesday night to get the new hacks and then watch 1603 01:12:35,660 --> 01:12:37,200 S3: it for 30 minutes that you want to watch 3 1604 01:12:37,200 --> 01:12:37,640 S3: or 4? 1605 01:12:37,640 --> 01:12:40,130 S1: It does feel like the binge is reverse things that 1606 01:12:40,130 --> 01:12:42,320 S1: should not be. Binges are. And the other way around, 1607 01:12:42,320 --> 01:12:43,820 S1: someone's got to sort this out. They should put us 1608 01:12:43,820 --> 01:12:46,130 S1: in charge of just every TV show we come in 1609 01:12:46,130 --> 01:12:48,110 S1: and we're like, doesn't matter what platform it's on. We'll 1610 01:12:48,110 --> 01:12:50,030 S1: tell you the release format for this one. 1611 01:12:50,030 --> 01:12:53,240 S3: Yeah. Once we finished solving crimes in a tiny Irish town. 1612 01:12:53,810 --> 01:12:57,019 S1: Guys. Great chat. Take care. See you next week. Bye. 1613 01:12:59,670 --> 01:13:02,820 S1: This episode of The Drop was produced by Kai Wong. 1614 01:13:02,850 --> 01:13:05,130 S1: If you enjoyed listening to today's episode of The Drop, 1615 01:13:05,130 --> 01:13:07,710 S1: make sure to follow us in your favorite podcast app. 1616 01:13:07,710 --> 01:13:10,020 S1: Leave us a review or better yet, share it with 1617 01:13:10,020 --> 01:13:12,870 S1: a friend! I'm Usman Farooqi, see you next week.