A&E

5 Seconds of Summer returns to Philadelphia to Mixed Reviews

May 1, 2018 by Avi Cantor Leave a Comment

Lauren Nicolella

Staff Writer

After being on a break for two years to work on their third studio album, 5 Seconds of Summer finally came back with new music, quickly announced a small promotional tour as well. The Australian pop-punk band has been able to boost their career and fan-base by being on tour with other bands such as Hot Chelle Rae (2012) and One Direction (2013-2014).

Their third studio album, Youngblood, was announced to be released on June 22nd.

On Monday, April 9th, 5 Seconds of Summer had a show at Theatre of the Living Arts located on South Street. The venue was general admission, so my friend Sadie Squillaciotti and I intended on getting there earlier than when the doors opened so we could try to get close to the stage. When we arrived, I immediately started to regret buying a ticket.

I had seen 5 Seconds of Summer in 2016, at the BB&T Pavilion in Camden which holds around 25,000 people. Performing at the TLA was a huge change, mainly because the capacity was around a thousand people and fans were very eager to purchase a ticket for the intimate show. Being able to get so close was a huge change compared to the arranged seating at the previous venue.

A score of girls stood in the streets, not being considerate of the moving traffic at all, while concert security kept telling everyone to move on the opposite side of the street. The doors opened at 7, but not everyone was able to line up until 5 since they did not want anyone to get hurt in the process.

When I thought that was the peak of what could go wrong, the band came on a lot later than I expected, but this was likely because they didn’t have an opening act.

My friend and I were able to get a pretty good spot in the crowd. I started out on the middle left side and had a nice view of the band. However, our plan to find a good spot to experience the concert backfired as the show started. I’ve been to plenty of general admission shows before, but this was by far the worst. Every person kept pushing us for no reason at random times during the show. The music went up a bit louder, they pushed. When 5 Seconds of Summer came on, I was worried I was going to fall over.

The band performed 13 songs, with some of their hits and older songs. A main point of the intimate tour was to perform new tracks from their upcoming album, and I was surprised that fans were able to sing along to every word of a new song, and there had only been a few shows beforehand.

At one point I became very overwhelmed during one of the slow hits, Amnesia, as I had been backed into a corner while the temperature of the room suddenly seemed to rise. It was awful, but once everyone calmed down a bit, I moved up against the bar so I could at least steady myself for the rest of the set.

Although a ticket to see 5 Seconds of Summer was only around $40, I can’t help but think I could have missed out on this concert. It was great to experience and hear some new songs for the first time, but the fans ruined the experience for myself and my friends

Movie Review: A Quiet Place

April 24, 2018 by Mekhi Granby Leave a Comment

Eric Valenti

Staff Writer

A Quiet Place has received spectacular reviews after its release on April 6, 2018/ Despite ridiculously high hopes for the groundbreaking silent film, Director and starring actor John Krasinski managed to knock his third movie in the director’s chair out of the park..

I thought it was so cool that someone could make a silent horror movie. The silent aspect of this movie is part of why I think this movie has gotten such great reviews.

The movie follows a small family in 2020. Most of the Earth has been wiped out within three months by blind alien creatures with hypersensitive hearing. The creatures are fast, armored and huge. When they hear even the smallest noise they use this trait to locate their prey and attack. The Abbott family has created an assortment of tactics to avoid making noises, such as laying sand in trails to different stores and parts of their home and have set up different colored lights for different situations. The Abbott’s got extremely careful after the loss of their youngest son. The basic premise of the movie focuses on how this family tries to survive by making no noise at all. The biggest thing the family has to keep quiet is when the mother goes into labor, and what they do is pretty creative.

Plotwise, the movie is relatively simple However, the thing that got the movie such a high rating is the aspect of making everything silent. Every noise you heard made you jump in your seat. You don’t hear anyone speak until 45 minutes into the movie. When you hear the first person speak, in you head your saying: “Oh thank god, I thought I was losing my mind.” But I think that’s what the director wanted to feel. He made you feel like you went deaf.

The acting in the film is great, the characters are super unique and relatable. The setting is eerie, it’s a farmhouse in the middle of a forest. The movie is a 10/10 plot and character wise.

If you’re looking for a film with an intricate plot, look somewhere else. But if your looking for a film that makes you scared to breath, A Quiet Place is perfect for you.

2018 XXL Freshman Cover Predictions

April 10, 2018 by Avi Cantor Leave a Comment

Avi Cantor

Staff Writer

Since 2007, XXL Magazine makes one issue each year highlighting the year’s most prominent emerging artists in Rap and Hip Hop. This edition helps young artists expose and provide their art to a larger audience using the cover as a milestone to prove that their accomplishments exceed those of their peers. “The Freshman Cover” has been widely regarded as a platform that artists can aspire to be a part of, and has launched the careers of Meek Mill, J Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott and Lil Uzi Vert, among many others.

So who will end up on the cover this year? I have some predictions — and readers should know that this list has less to do with my opinion, and more to do with numbers.

As I did last year, the article is divided into two sections. The first section reveals my picks for the ten freshman spots, including three artists who will have an asterisk next to their name. The asterisk signifies an artist who I think has the potential for greater longevity in the industry than their peers.

In the second section, I have included a list of people I think barely didn’t make the cut for the cover, but could make the cover in years to come.

6ix9ine (pronounced SIHX-NIYN)

Notable Collaborators: Young Thug, Tory Lanez, Fetty Wap, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and more.

Noteworthy Accomplishments:

Record “GUMMO” has over 167 million views on Youtube, was certified RIAA platinum and peaked at No. 56 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (as of 4/3)
Record “Kooda” has over 110 million views on Youtube and was certified RIAA platinum
Records “KEKE” and “BILLY” have a combined for more than 120 million views on Youtube, and “BILLY” peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (as of 4/3)

Bhad Bhabie (pronounced BAHD BAY-BEE)

Notable Collaborators: RONNY J (Producer), Lil Yachty, Rich the Kid, MadeinTYO, and more.

Noteworthy Accomplishments:

Record “Hi Bich/Whatchu Know” has 86 million views on Youtube and “Hi Bich” peaked at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Record “These Heaux” has 63 million views on Youtube and peaked at No. 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Records “I Got It” and “Mama Don’t Worry (I’m Still Dirty)” both have over 20 million views on Youtube

Lil Skies

Notable Collaborators: Cole Bennett (owner of Lyrical Lemonade), Cufboys (Youtuber), Rich the Kid, and more.

Noteworthy Accomplishments:

Record “Nowadays” has 71 million views on Youtube and peaked at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Record “Red Roses” has 61 million views on Youtube and peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Has connections to rap moguls such as No Jumper, Lyrical Lemonade, Elevator and more

Lil Baby*

Notable Collaborators: Migos, Lil Yachty, Young Thug, Gucci Mane, Kodak Black and more.

Noteworthy Accomplishments:

Mixtape “Harder Than Hard” peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard 200 chart
Record “My Dawg” has 31 million views on Youtube and peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Record “Freestyle” has over 52 million views on Youtube

*Atlanta native Lil Baby may sport a name that would imply that he is soft, but his music paints a completely different picture. Baby’s music depicts drug dealing and violence with a smooth auto-tuned lased flow that gives his gritty past a melodic format to thrive. Since starting his career just over a year ago, Baby has shot up from the Atlanta underground scene into the mainstream stratosphere. He is signed to arguably the most prominent independent label, Quality Control Music, and has used this partnership to his advantage.

Rich Brian

Notable Collaborators: RONNY J (producer), Offset, XXXTentacion, Young Thug, Diplo, Justin Bieber and more.

Noteworthy Accomplishments:

Record “Dat $tick” has over 90 million views on Youtube and 20 million plays on SoundCloud
Record “Glow Like Dat” has over 50 million views on Youtube and over nine million plays on SoundCloud
Signed to 88Rising and Empire Distribution

Ski Mask The Slump God

Notable Collaborations: Cole Bennett (owner of Lyrical Lemonade), RONNY J, A$AP Ferg, Offset, XXXTentacion and more.

Noteworthy Accomplishments:

Record “BabyWipe” has over 41 million views on Youtube and over 25 million plays on SoundCloud
Record “Catch Me Outside” has over 35 million views on Youtube and over 46 million plays on SoundCloud
Mixtape “You Will Regret” peaked at No. 195 on the Billboard 200

Tee Grizzley

Notable Collaborations: Meek Mill, Lil Yachty, Takeoff, Mike Epps (actor), A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie and more.

Noteworthy Accomplishments:

Record “First Day Out” has over 60 million views on Youtube and peaked at No. 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart
Records “From the D to the A” and “No Effort” combine for over 83 million views on Youtube
Appeared on season 10 of Nick Cannon’s “Wild ‘N Out” TV show

Trippie Redd

Notable Collaborations: Swae Lee, Alison Wonderland (Producer), Travis Scott, Lil Yachty, Diplo (Producer/ DJ), XXXTentacion, and more.

Noteworthy Accomplishments:

Record “Love Scars” has nearly 40 million views on Youtube and was certified RIAA gold
Record “POLES 1369” has nearly 80 million views on Youtube, was certified RIAA gold, and peaked at No. 44 on the Billboard US Hip/Hop and R&B charts
Record “Dark Knight Dummo” has nearly 25 million views on Youtube and peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard US Hip/Hop and R&B chart

YBN Nahmir*

Notable Collaborations: SOB x RBE, Cole Bennett, Rich the Kid, Izak (producer), No Jumper and more.

Noteworthy Accomplishments:

Record “Rubbin off the Paint” has nearly 110 million views on Youtube and peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Rap chart
Record “Bounce Out With That” has more than 65 million views on Youtube and peaked at No. 47 on the Billboard US Hip/Hop and R&B chart
Has appeared on several credible rap segments including Genius’ “Verified” series, Nardwuar’s “vs.” series, No Jumper’s “EXPOSED” series, and on Hot 97 with On-Air Personality, Hip Hop Mike.

*Birmingham, Alabama native YBN Nahmir is an 18-year-old rapper that has taken over teens across the country with his rapid-fire flow, charisma, and energy. His content is surprisingly mature despite his age and the very violent and sometimes misogynistic lyrics that find their way into his songs. He doesn’t enjoy flaunting sexual conquest or saying that he’s the “best rapper alive” as opposed to many rappers. However, the most integral aspect of his success is his the moniker that constitutes his first name. YBN, his group, has cultivated the talents of video producer Water Whippin Evan, YBN Almighty Jay–who is in consideration as well for the XXL Freshman cover–, YBN Cordae and YBN Walker.

YoungBoy Never Broke Again*

Notable Collaborations: Future, Lil Yachty, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Plies, Yo Gotti, PnB Rock, and more.

Noteworthy Accomplishments:

Record “Untouchable” has nearly 115 views on Youtube and peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard US R&B chart
YoungBoy Never Broke Again has five songs that have between 45 and 95 million views on Youtube and have three Billboard chart appearances and one RIAA Gold certification between them
The artist also has seven songs that have over 20 million views on Youtube and several more with over ten million views on Youtube and climbing

*Despite more than his fair share of run-ins with the law, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, formerly known as NBA Youngboy, has been an undeniable hitmaker for the past two years. The Baton Rouge native has been churning out both underground and mainstream hits with an uncanny ease that isn’t seen often in Hip/Hop. Armed with street cred, a plethora of deliveries so that none of his songs sound the same, and scores of connections laid out for him to collaborate with, the teenage rapper has quite the career ahead of him.

Might Make the Cut:

Famous Dex: Chicago native Famous Dex was a no-brainer for the XXL cover due to his strong fan base and his chart-topping hit “Pick It Up” that featured A$AP Rocky. However, Dex has two huge roadblocks that won’t allow him to be on this list. First, Dex was snubbed from the XXL cover last year due to a video being released of the rapper assaulting his girlfriend. Then, after the news broke that Dex wouldn’t be on the cover and why he wasn’t on the cover, the Rich Forever signee went ballistic and savagely attacked Editor in Chief of XXL, Vanessa Satten.

Time estimated for cover appearance: Unclear

Smokepurpp: Florida native Smokepurpp has garnered an underground cult following with the help of close friend and collaborator, Lil Pump. The rapper has had a ton of success lately with several records including “Fingers Blue” that featured Travis Scott, who would go on to sign him to his Cactus Jack label.

Time estimated for cover appearance: This year is a possibility, but if he doesn’t make it this year, then 2019 is a given if he mimics the success he had this year.

BlocBoy JB: Memphis native BlocBoy JB’s track “Look Alive” featuring Drake has blown up recently and thrown his name into the conversation for one of the biggest rappers of 2018. However, Drake’s verse on this song overshadowed JB’s verse by a longshot and the song didn’t really showcase anything special about the up and coming artist.

Time estimated for cover appearance: 1-2 years

Lil Xan: California native Lil Xan blew up on Youtube with his song “Betrayed”. The song would go on to chart high on Billboard and get remixed by Yo Gotti and Rich the Kid. However, other than this song, his catalog is very sparse, he has also made some questionable comments about Tupac Shakur, and his high profile collaborations are limited as well. Lil Xan’s buzz seems to be dying down a bit and I’m not sure how he’s going to revive the positive hype around his name.

Time estimated for cover appearance: Unclear, I don’t think he’ll be able to one-up the success of “Betrayed”.

Yung Bans: Atlanta native Yung Bans isn’t as successful as some of the other members of this list, but as a huge Yung Bans fan, and a firm believer that he can do great things, I think that he has the potential to make his mark on Rap in the next couple years. The 18-year-old has connections to Lyrical Lemonade, No Jumper, Pigeons and Planes, Elevator, XXL and more. His hit song “Lonely” has nearly 10 million views on Youtube and several other songs have racked up millions of plays, views, and streams on several other platforms.

Time estimated for cover appearance: 1-2 years.

Warped Tour Lineup

March 28, 2018 by Lydia Anderson Leave a Comment

Taylor Green

Staff Writer

courtesy of www.warpedtour.com

The official lineup for the final run of Vans Warped Tour was announced March 1st, and it has caused quite a stir on social media.

I couldn’t wait for the lineup to be released. Days leading up to the announcement I had checked almost everywhere for leaks like I had been able to do in previous years. But to no avail. The lineup was kept under wraps this year.

When I got home at 6 o’clock on March 1st, a tweet notification from the official Vans Warped Tour account appeared on my phone. I’ve never clicked a button so fast in my life.

I searched the numerous names for bands that were familiar. Those bands were Bowling for Soup, Sum 41, All Time Low, The Maine, Black Veil Brides, and my all time favorite Falling in Reverse.

At this point, I think that it was safe to say that I was stoked for this lineup. Seeing the tour bringing back so many big names was nostalgic for me. The angsty pre-teen inside of me was so excited.

Although some of my favorites were going, I was disappointed to see that other bands like Alkaline Trio, Greenday, Sleeping with Sirens and My Chemical Romance wouldn’t be coming. I thought that maybe for the last Warped Tour some of these artists would come to at least one show for a final time.

Nevertheless, I didn’t let that discourage me. I decided to branch out and expand my music tastes.

There are over fifty bands that perform at Warped Tour, so of course, I didn’t know all of them. I chose a few groups that I had heard about either online or from friends and give them a listen.

The first band that I listened to was Waterparks, a pop-rock band from Houston, Texas. They opened up for All Time Low while they were on their Young Renegades Tour and I had heard good reviews.

I tried listening to Waterparks’ album Double Dare, but I couldn’t get through it. All of the songs sounded like the same jumbled mess. Their music had the same stereotypical “boy meets girl and falls in love” sound to it. I decided that I wouldn’t waste my time trying to see them live.

Another band that I decided to check out was Don Broco. They’re a rock band that formed in England in 2008. Their single “T-Shirt Song” was the first song that I listened to, and I instantly fell in love.

“T-Shirt Song” is a perfect representation of what can happen at concerts with its adrenaline pumping lyrics “They’re saying there’s one song left/No time for no regrets/I take my T-shirt off/Swing it around my head”. From live videos that I saw, they’re very energetic live performers and they sound even better than in the studio.

I also started listening to the post-hardcore band Movements. I recommend their entire debut album Feel Something. All of the songs are melodic and soothing, yet they provide a more emotional side by using spoken word in their songs “Vacant Home” and “Submerge”.

I suggest that if you want to do something memorable over the Summer, you should definitely go to Warped Tour and check out some new up and coming artists or just go for the ones who are staples to the alternative community.

Overall, I have a feeling that this final Warped Tour is going to be good. With different bands varying from eras and genre, there’s something for everyone to enjoy and to remember the tour by on a high note.

Movie Review: Black Panther

March 28, 2018 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Sanaa Scott-Wheeler

Staff Writer

What does Black Panther mean to a Black high school student?

I thought this movie was a groundbreaking breath of fresh air. Personally, I have not seen a predominantly black film where the characters are not slaves, criminals or stereotyped, or typecast. No one in this movie was weak at any point.

T’challa better known as Black Panther, has protected Wakanda for generations. At the start of the movie, T’challa had taken the throne and his father T’Chaka’s place as the Black Panther after he was killed in the Marvel movie Civil War. The movie features his homecoming and his adjustments to everything that comes with the death of his father.

One unique element to the movie is how it explores the relationship between Africans and African Americans in modern day society. Erik Killmonger (Michael B Jordan) who grew up poor in Los Angeles, California, was violent and revengeful, he counted the kills in his lifetime on his body. While the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) never killed anyone and tried to bring peace and protection, to any problems that arise.

The movie was filled with many strong Black actors and actresses. Angela Bassett from Waiting to Exhale, Meet the Browns and What’s Love Got to do with it. Lupita Nyong’o from Queen of Katwe and 12 Years a Slave. Danai Gurira from All Eyes On Me, The Visitor and Mother of George. Chadwick Boseman from 42, Marshall and Get on up. Michael B Jordan from Creed and Fruitvale Station, Forest Whitaker from The Butler, Daniel Kaluuya from Get Out, Letitia Wright from Urban Hymn, The Commuter and Episode 6 of series 4 of Black Mirror.

The women were strong, there were a handful of fight scenes and some war scenes that the women took part in. There was a small love story between some characters but it is not amplified too much, to take away from the plot. Lupita Nyong’o’s character and Chadwick Boseman’s characters then between Daniel Kaluuya and Danai Gurira’s characters.

Especially inspiring to me was the character of Shuri, who As a 16 year old, and little sister of a king, the expectation is that you are seen and not heard. This is not the case for Shuri, she is never humble about of her accomplishments. She has no reason to hide what she has done, in a way she was a symbol for how not only girls but black girls should acknowledge how far they have come. Her black girl magic was inspirational.

The film tried to show African women in their best light, as powerful, independent and smart. Shuri (played by Letitia Wright) was an engineer who invented multiple contraptions seen in the movie, such as Black Panther’s kinetic energy suit, and the car black panther uses in one of the stunt scenes. Okoye (who is played by Danai Gurira) was the head of security and in charge of protecting the king, she did not let her feelings get in the way of her job, at any point in the movie.

In the film, the natural chemistry and connection among the actors was evident, for example TÇhalla and Shuri who play siblings, had a heartwarming bond. Many times during the film I forgot the actors were playing parts. They weren’t just brother and sister, they were a team, professional when necessary but teasing each other in their free time. The audience could relate to if they had siblings.

The Black Student Union at SLA went to see the movie on the opening day, and afterwards multiple SLA students went to see the movie again, to soak in all the black excellence and catch details they might have missed. Fans are waiting for the next big marvel movie, Infinity War, and the recently announced sequel of Black Panther to see more.