Azaria Brown
Bio
25. I'm a writer and illustrator. I like films, television, books, music, politics and being black.
Stories (51/0)
'Mr. Happy' Film Analysis
Trigger Warning: Attempted suicide, murder. On March 20, 2015, VICE uploaded Mr. Happy to their YouTube channel (which makes this analysis over four years late). The film stars Chance the Rapper, who plays Victor Bennett, a man that wants to kill himself, but can’t seem to do it. Ironically, in order to cure his unhappiness, Victor contacts Mr. Happy, a service that offers an easy way for one to arrange their murder. In fact, the film is absolutely full of ironies.
By Azaria Brown5 years ago in Geeks
Shortie: "Tints" Analysis
At first glance, "Tints" is a song about keeping a low profile while getting some head from a girl in the driver’s seat. But when you take a look at the video, and listen a bit more to the lyrics, it’s about much more than that. Rather, it's about all of the things people hide.
By Azaria Brown5 years ago in Beat
Analyzing Jordan Peele's Tweets
I have been a fan of Jordan Peele since he and Keegan Michael Key were on MAD TV. I’m not saying this to prove myself as a dedicated fan, I’m saying this because I never would have guessed that he would come out with a masterpiece like Get Out. Yet, we were given the Oscar-winning film in 2017 and we haven’t been able to stop talking about it. Now he has graced us with a new film, Us, which some people expected to have a similar political tone. This is for a number of reasons: The pre-screenings exclusive to black media influencers called “Us First,” the presence of Winston Duke and Lupita N’yongo (fresh out of Wakanda), and the simple fact that Us is coming out right into the shadow that Get Out left behind.
By Azaria Brown5 years ago in Horror
'Hip-Hop Evolution': "Ladies First"
I have wanted do a Hip-Hop Evolution deep dive for so long. I think the documentary was absolutely stellar and I’ve watched it several times now. I thought it was only right to start with Queen Latifah and Monie Love’s “Ladies First.”
By Azaria Brown5 years ago in Beat
Joey Bada$$ and the Amerikkkan Dream
Joey Bada$$ has always been an artist content with breaking forms and shattering expectations. His first official release, 1999, "resurrected boom bap" and utilized traditional hip-hop beats. His second release and first studio album, B4.Da.$$, was more modern and featured several tracks where the traditional song forms were broken—not to mention the interesting features and beats that were on the album.
By Azaria Brown5 years ago in Beat
I Can't Afford Therapy
There are a few pretty widespread affordable therapy options out there: Talk Space, Open Path, Better Help, etc. But, if your pockets look anything like mine, you still can’t afford them. While paying $30 to $70 a week is an enormous decrease in price, it can still cost up to $300 a month, which is just an extra bill that many can’t afford. In some cases, healthcare will cover therapy and mental health services, but I know that I can’t afford healthcare and I’m sure many others can’t either. So, what do you do when you can’t afford therapy, but you don’t want your mental health to climb aboard a sinking ship?
By Azaria Brown5 years ago in Psyche
Ibeyi: A Musical Representation of Pan-Africanism
Black people have been pioneers, movers, and shakers in the music and entertainment world for decades. From the creation of the Blues and R&B, to the origin and development of hip-hop and rap music, which continues to break the mold and inspire intense musical discussion. It often acts as a way for musical figures to talk about their own political opinions, family history, and to otherwise voice their opinions and concerns. Fast forward to 2014, when Ibeyi entered with the release of their first single, "River."
By Azaria Brown5 years ago in Beat
Who Is "The Boy?"
On March 12, 2014, Complex posted Childish Gambino’s Chicken and Futility, a short film that seems to create an existential discussion about futility, and how it presents itself in different aspects of our lives. Gambino himself plays The Boy, while Swank and Stephen Glover, simply play themselves. The film begins with the Boy reading an E. E. Cummings poem in preparation to write a essay, and then teaching himself to roll a paper. The three characters then talk about the social scrutiny that Chick-fil-A was facing at the time, in addition to the real reason that moths fly toward light.
By Azaria Brown5 years ago in Geeks
Protest Music: Traditional and Contemporary
Race issues in the United States are coming to a breaking point. The number of minorities being killed and intimidated by the hands of police and other political authority figures is growing, and though this killing and intimidation is being caught on camera, there are few prosecutions.
By Azaria Brown5 years ago in Beat
A Gushing Review of Anderson .Paak's 'Oxnard'
Anderson .Paak is the rebirth of Death Row era g-funk on his newest album Oxnard. And it isn’t the pre-packaged, edited for commercial pop standards funk that we’ve gotten in recent years from other artists. Rather it is a soul-infused modern fusion of R&B, funk, and rap. The album acts as a tribute to Oxnard, California and, seemingly, California in general and acts as the third installation in .Paak’s set of albums that are dedicated to iconic cities. Though Oxnard is not necessarily an iconic city for most of the world, it is obviously one that played a large part in .Paak’s life.
By Azaria Brown5 years ago in Beat