u/Ok_Yellow1025

Straight outta S16E08 wrapping up Dennis’ mental health day, this forever enhanced my already-deep appreciation for Roxette’s ‘listen to your heart’ 😂

Of the two most recent live-action Penguin TV performances who brought the better portrayal - Robin Lord Taylor or Colin Farrell?

Voting criteria:

1. More Charisma/Screen Presence?

2. More ruthless criminal?

3. Better Lore/backstory?

Beasts of no nation(2015) in my opinion is one of the most brutally engaging depictions of war-time I have ever seen on screen. But with the protagonist being a child being groomed into becoming a ruthless killing machine to survive his surroundings. It’s one of those that leaves you not knowing what to feel by the end.

For his first acting credit, Abraham Attah truly smoked his performance as Agu the West African child soldier. Every scene brings an intense realness to it that you can’t help but feel for the lad and his circumstances. Also Idris Elba's role as the villainous Commandant is one of his best performances imo!

For better or worse this really was quite the film and I was suprised this film didn’t get more recognition when it dropped.

My pick for a relatively obscure reggae gem is ‘Silly Games’ by Janet Kay originally released in 1979.

I (30M) came across this by accident a few years ago and really love it. It’s one I keep coming back to, and one that occasionally pops up on the playlist at the some family cookouts. It’s soo good, and makes me wish I was born in time to fully appreciate its impact.

Who else remembers their first time hearing this song and what others can you suggest?

Straight outta S02E20 - I can’t get enough of how Penguin/Butch Bazooka-smoked Azrael to kingdom come! And that’s on “Night Fellas” 🤣🤣

So to clarify, not necessarily the best or most influential ever—just the four that best represent what I value in the medium.

The Boondocks — Few shows have been as fearless. Its social commentary remains remarkably relevant as time passes, but what elevates it for me is how it delivers serious cultural critique without sacrificing humor, action, or entertainment. It could make you laugh, think, and feel uncomfortable—all within the same episode.

Archer — I don't think enough people appreciate how difficult its style is to pull off. The writing is RELENTLESSLY sharp, the ensemble cast is fantastic, and its comedic pacing is damn near unmatched in adult animation. Beneath the jokes is a surprisingly rich cast of dysfunctional characters whose relationships keep the show engaging.

BoJack Horseman — This might be the strongest argument for animation as a vehicle for mature storytelling. It tackles mental health, addiction, trauma, loneliness, and personal accountability with a level of depth many live-action dramas never achieve. It never offers easy answers, which is exactly why its emotional impact continues to resonate.

Cowboy Bebop — My pick for the most timeless series on this list. The animation, atmosphere, and character writing come together to create something truly special. Beneath its stylish exterior is a deeply human story about loss, regret, identity, and the difficulty of escaping your past. And the music - those Jazzy soundtracks!

Aii that’s me, that’s my list. What’s yours?

I’d always known of Santigold since discovering ‘Disparate Youth’ on an advert years ago, yet somehow I’d never really given her a listen. So I recently decided fuck it - lemme actually check her out and I put on a ‘This is Santigold’ Spotify playlist and I just kept saving song after song but more importantly I was suprised at how many projects and credits she’s had over the years which somehow never gets mentioned in any music discourse.

Some songs worth checking out:

- Disparate Youth

- Banshee

- I don’t want

- The keepers

- After Party (with Lonely Island)

- High Priestess

- Solidarité

What are your examples?

Now that enough time’s passed, do any of the Hit-Boy albums belong among Nas’ all-time Classic albums? I know a lot of people throw that term around a lot. Just to clarify: by classic, I don’t mean personal preference, but rather an undeniable unanimously accepted classic among Nas fans alike.

For me, I think yes, and I think it’s between KD3 and Magic, but I can’t decide! Magic is more widely-praised by fans, but then KD3 was 16 tracks, no features; non-skips; no BullShit and Nas and Hit-Boy in truly rare form track-for-track. I dunno, what do y’all think?

Other Nas Classics imo:

1. Illmatic
2. IWW
3. Stillmatic
4. LIG

It was 2018, and Black thought had just dropped that epic HOT97 freestyle, so naturally I spent the better part of the year doing a Black Thought deep dive, when I came across this collab. I’d always known of Freddie Gibbs but after hearing him spar with Black Thought on Extradite, was when I first started actively checking for him and his projects.