MANNYO #2 | MAY 2015
bbymutha Rap’s mom talks life, her beginnings, and female rappers.
PLUS:
Brooklyn White SOFTXSHUG Prince Airick APOCALYPTIC HOROSCOPES! CURSED TREE QUIZ What spirit exists in your soul?
MANNYO MANNYO (pronounced “Mon-Yo”) is the bi-annual publication curated, edited, and produced by digital label, Mannyo USA. We strive to find the intersection between audio and visuals to create collaborations with artists we love. Editor-in-Chief Chris Barnes www.mannyo.us admin@mannyo.us Co-Editor Sarah Gehle Mysterious transfer student who lives in space with her cowardly dog. Cute and sleepy. Sagittarius. Blood type O-. Likes dessert and hates having to wake up early Copy Editor Linda Tran Linda, 24, is bi-coastal living from the golden to the empire state. Virgo. Currently working on mastering teleportation to be able to live in New York City while still growing her poinsettias in California. Contributing Writer Michelle Ofiwe Michelle is a 21 year old warrior princess lounging in the belly of Houston, Texas. Fights for Liberté, Egalité and Beyoncé, and will work a pair of gladiator sandals. Cover Art KinokoNiji http://sakurabuckshot.tumblr.com/
Contributing Artists
bbymutha https://soundcloud.com/bbymutha https://twitter.com/bbymutha Brooklyn White https://soundcloud.com/brooklynwhiteayyy https://twitter.com/brooklynrwhite Satsuki Shibuya http://satsukishibuya.com/ SOFTXSHUG https://soundcloud.com/softestxshug https://twitter.com/softxshug Prince Airick https://soundcloud.com/princeairick https://twitter.com/princeairick Models Desirée Richardson All rights reserved. No part of MANNYO may be reproduced in any form by any means without written prior consent from Mannyo USA. For all advertising, contribution, and other inqueries contact admin@mannyo.us www.mannyo.us www.soundcloud.com/Mannyo-USA www.MannyoUSA.tumblr.com Twitter: @MannyoUSA Facebook: MannyoUSA
6 FAVORITES
Five things we want you to get into across various channels of entertainment.
14 #LOOKS
We talk aesthetics and personal style with royalty itself, DMV rapper and visionary Prince Airick, in anticipation for his debut EP.
16 MANNYO’S MAGICAL GIRL
Fuck life, but look cute anyway with magical girl shirts (available online)!
22 BBY. FUCKING. MUTHA.
From standout features on tracks from LSDXOXO and Joey LaBeija to her debut performance in NYC, bbymutha has proved through every setback that she’s here to stay.
30 MANNYO ARTIST - SOFTXSHUG Get prepared for a vocal onslaught in our interview with self-described “Bad Little Suburban Bitch” and rising Memphis rapper, SOFTXSHUG.
34 CURSED TREES IN MY BODY?
Well, here you are. You’re still alive. But what about that cursed tree spirit inside of you? Oh, you didn’t know? Maybe you should check this out...
36 MAY HOROSCOPES
What does your fate hold in the apocalypse? Luckily these horoscopes cover just that. Now, what’s your sign? MANNYO #2 | 5
O R I & T H E BLIND FOREST Inspired by animation giant Studio Ghibli, and iconic videogames like Super Metroid and Zelda: A Link to the Past, Ori and the Blind Forest is a coming-ofage journey that tells the story of a small forest spirit and his path to figuring out the role he plays in the world. With a huge focus on
Courtsey of Frederator
BEE & PUPPYCAT Bee and Puppycat feels like what would happen if Rumiko Takahashi and Hayao Miyazaki decided to drop acid and create an anime together. Bee, a shiftless 20-something magical girl, meets PuppyCat, a dog/cat/ mysterious bishi space outlaw, after losing her job. They take on weird, intergalactic temp work to pay for tasty snacks and leather jackets. It was scored by Baths and created by Adventure Time’s Natasha Allegri, and you should watch it right the heck now. Find it on Cartoon Hangover’s YouTube channel.
creating breathless animation and reinventing the magic of platformer videogames, Ori and the Blind Forest and its developer, Moon Studios, have set lofty goals for themselves, but ones that we think they can achieve. Ori and the Blind Forest is currently available on Xbox One and PC with a TBA date for Xbox 360.
GO GO LECHE - PAYDAY ARTIST: GO GO LECHE VIDEO: PAYDAY FEAT. PRINCE AIRICK FROM: BLU IVY VOL. 1
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BROOKLYN We’ve been listening to rapper, producer, and Louisiana native Brooklyn White for years now, but with recent collaborations with artists like bbymutha and an upcoming album we’re getting ready for her to blow up. Check out our mini Q&A with her below: Mannyo: In 2014 you said you were rapping about men and women, hedonism, and outcasts. What are you rapping about in 2015? Brooklyn: I was clowning sooo hard last year. This year, I’ll be talking about more personal and social issues. People kinda have a warped idea of who I am as a person and sometimes my lyrics can be unintentionally detached. I’m still only ankle deep in my career and life, so I have time to mold who I am, as well as how I’m viewed. As far as social topics go, I feel like it’s a part of my job description to speak on current events and stand up for what’s right. Some musicians willfully have on blinders and refuse to talk about things that are greatly affecting their fans and the world.
M: You moved from Shreveport, LA to NYC. What do you miss most? B: I’m actually taking a break from New York to be around my family (in Texas/Louisiana). But while I was in NY, I missed being able to trust people. I’m not gonna say that no one was trying to harm me in La., but godaaaamn. I truly couldn’t trust a fuckin’ soul off top in NY. In my hometown, there was definitely a warmth that radiated. A genuine kindness that only exists in small increments in New York. It’s just a fake-ass place that’s glamorized in the media. It’s definitely added an edge to my personality. M: And on the other side, what do you love most about moving to NYC? B: On the other side of the coin though, I liked New York because of all of the opportu-
WHITE nities. Doing big shows, randomly meeting an idol, and diving headfirst into the art scene are just mini examples of things that I got to do in NY and that’s really nothing. Certain freedoms and chances come with living in the Big Apple. It’s lit. M: Who are your biggest inspirations for day-to-day life? B: My biggest inspiration right now is Karate Sowers. Karate (her real name is Morgan) is my ride AND die that I met through music/internet finesse. She has my back when the world is eating me alive. We were roommates for a few months in 2014. Living with a friend usually screws up the relationship but it made our bond stronger. Karate is not only one of the realest women I know, but
she’s also an accomplished musician. Her music pushed me to experiment with producers, recording software, and concepts that I never would have touched otherwise. She inspires me to zone in on my craft and make sure that it’s on point before I try to do a bunch of extra shit. I love her more than I love myself and I would do anything for her. I dedicated my song “Bitty” to her. M: What can we look forward to from you in 2015? B: The major thing that I’m working on this year is my LP, Voodoo, that’s coming out this summer. It’s being released through the label Memory No. 36 Recordings. There will be a couple of videos and I’m doing some promotional shows for it. It will be on CD, iTunes, and Spotify, among other things. MANNYO #2 | 7
S AT SUKI SHIB U YA
The watercolor works of Japanese-American painter Satsuki Shibuya are deceptively airy and light. Her use of white space, minimalist color palettes, and windswept brush strokes creates images that are both peaceful and deeply emotional. That unique combination is exactly what drew us to them in the first place. Satsuki’s ability to visually express the intangible realities of daily life results in pieces that feel almost philosophical in nature. Her subject matter lends itself to deeper exploration of simple, shared experiences, things we all tend to take for granted and rarely discuss. From the visualization of a flower’s scent to the inner workings of our own minds, Satsuki’s paintings reveal the heart of the abstract and unspoken. Currently based in Los Angeles, Satsuki Shibuya has also worked as a graphic designer, singer-songwriter, and self-proclaimed curious explorer. You can view more of her work at satsukishibuya.com MANNYO #2 | 9
Onigiri by Satsuki Shibuya via SatsukiShibuya.com
Awareness by Satsuki Shibuya via SatsukiShibuya.com
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Method x Design Milk by Satsuki Shibuya via SatsukiShibuya.com
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#LOOKS WITH PRINCE AIRICK
Rapper Prince Airick hails from the DMV (that’s DC, Maryland, and Virginia for the uninitiated) and drips with royal excellence, boasting lyrics that demonstrate an impressive awareness of his place in the world. Here’s what he had to tell #LOOKS about his debut EP, how he met Go Go Leche, and the role aesthetics play in shaping an artist’s career.
Mannyo: Thanks
for talking to us for our #LOOKS section! From working with you on your debut EP, 1st Diplomatic Duty, I can tell that aesthetics mean a lot to you. Why are they so important, and how would you describe your approach to them?
Prince Airick:
Aesthetics in my opinion represent brand ability and marketability. Aesthetically the only thing I seek is cohesion. I love when you can look at an artist’s career from beginning to end and see a bunch of different phases tied together by a common thread. I wanted to make sure I knew the idea I wanted to represent before embarking on this journey.
M: A lot of people love the effort that artists put into creating a phase or “era,” like Rihanna or Lana Del Rey. What idea are you trying to represent?
P: I teeter on the line
between what it means to be gay and what it means to be a rapper, with the aspect of being a prince as my common thread. I’m an anomaly, and would like to represent success, ambition, and the age-old idea that you are the window through which you see the world. Everyone’s perspective is vital.
M: So you definitely do
a lot of observing and paying attention to what others are looking at. What kind of styles and
looks do you see people paying attention to right now?
P: I’ve noticed everyone
getting into the more subtle tailored look lately. I really appreciate it. We’ve begun to appreciate fit and value over quantity.
M: Last year you featured
on fellow DMV band Go Go Leche’s EP, Blu Ivy Vol. 1. How did you end up meeting and working with them?
P: Ahhh Go Go Leche! I
love them! The wonderful photographer who’ll be shooting the cover of my EP got an early listen to the project. Kevin, half of Go Go Leche, was his roommate at the time and happened to be there to hear it as well. He loved it and invited me down to perform at a local club. We tore the house down, recorded “Payday” the next day, and the rest is history.
M: For those who don’t
know, your own EP has been close to two years in the making. What was the most challenging part of working on one project for so long?
P: It was definitely
frustrating. The project has been done for a little while now. The stall was me wanting to add to it. I feel that although it took a while to release so few songs, the material is classic, and I’m just looking to build upon that. MANNYO #2 | 15
M A G I C G I R L X M A N N YO EXCLUSIVE MANNYO MAGICAL GIRL SHIRTS AVAILABLE NOW VIA MANNYO.US
MANNYO x Magical Girl Shirt Available: mannyo.us or to.be/mannyo
MANNYO #2 | 19
MANNYO x Magical Girl Shirt Available mannyo.us or to.be/mannyo
MANNYO #2 | 21
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MORGAN ZAKARIN
BBY. FUCKING. MUTHA. IT’S HARD TO MISPLACE A BBYMUTHA FEATURE THESE DAYS – YOU KNOW HER WHEN YOU HEAR HER. WELL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF HER FIRST MIXTAPE RELEASE AND A BREAKOUT COLLABORATION, THE FEMCEE CONTINUES TO MAKE WAVES IN THE STICKY GENRE KNOWN AS “INTERNET RAP,” WHERE NOTORIETY IS ONLY A GIMMICK AWAY. BY MICHELLE OFIWE
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HILE SOME PEERS RUSH to find their “quirk,” bbymutha – known to her closest as Brittnee Moore – gladly lives a life full of them as a rapper, mother, and entrepreneur. Much of her life is woven into her point-blank lyricism, combining tales of hood life and her family with rolling fantasies of luxury and cocky club bangers. Her work is distinct with her history of being on “the outside,” as someone who has never bothered with the rules or expectations of society. Laughingly describing herself as “a flamingo in a world full of pigeons,” Moore revels at the idea of anyone taking offense to her colorful style. “I’ve always been like ‘fuck it, I’ma do whatever I want,’” she relates to me during our phone call. “I just feel like I’m not gonna be uncomfortable for other people. Nobody else is gonna make me feel uncomfortable because of the way I [am].” We discuss her outsider status on a leisurely Sunday afternoon as Moore relaxes on her front porch. Moore is a natural conversationalist, often punctuating her answers with bubbly laughter. Intermittently, she stops to instruct one of her children requesting her attention, or to greet friends as they pass her. As we continue to speak, I realize that balancing such responsibility isn’t out of the ordinary for her. Navigating her childhood in Chattanooga, Tennessee as an expressive child, Moore experimented with her appearance at a young age, often taking inspiration from bright colors and patterns in her style. “I remember being in the 9th grade and wearing mismatched Chuck Taylors. My dad would buy me all these different colored Chuck Taylors and I would wear a pink one and a green one and people would be like “Why this bitch got on mismatched shoes?” she says. “I wasn’t thinking about what other people were going to think about it, I was just like ‘Well, this is what I want to do, this is what looks cool to me.’” With her parents separated, she would trade quiet nights with her “very holy” mother every other weekend to ride around with her father. “My dad is this big jazz freak, so we’d always be in his gold BMW, listening to the Mo’ Betta Blues soundtrack. He would always listen to that [or] A Tribe Called Quest. Basically I grew up on that – and a lot of Lil’ Kim!” Moore later turned to writing as an avenue of expression after a trip to her principal’s office. A schoolyard bully had been bothering her, so Moore jotted down a self-described “fucked-up poem” and
slid it into the girl’s locker. “That kind of kicked off my writing. I used to write mean-ass poems about people, and I went from that to actually writing plays,” she recalls. “I would write plays and would pass the plays around school so people could read it, and they would actually like it.” During her junior year of high school, she began to formulate raps – first as a joke with her cousin, then as a serious pursuit. “I never took it seriously back then because nobody took female rappers seriously. When I was 18 or 19, I really started thinking that I could do something with my music.” Her friend Marlon encouraged her to lay something down in his studio, and Moore took to the idea right away. It only took her five minutes to write her verse to her chosen beat, Jay Z’s 1996 hit “Feeling It.” Simply titled “Slut,” the verse articulated Moore’s longstanding frustrations with sexual double standards and cemented her ability to create entertaining, thoughtful verses. To this day, Moore calls it her favorite verse: “People take the word ‘slut’ in the wrong way. I find ‘slut’ to be a compliment, because it’s basically a woman who is comfortable enough with her sexuality to do what she wants to do and do it with whoever she wants to do it with. If I don’t care about you, I do what I gotta do with you and go about my business. Men will do it to us so I don’t understand why women can’t feel the same way!” Moore began to release music under the name Cherry Cokecane, but later adopted the name Cindy Vortex as a fan of the Nickelodeon cartoon series Jimmy Neutron. She opted for the name Vanity Gold, but soon wasn’t satisfied with its representation and dropped that too. There was a need for something that fit her experiences, as she’d recently given birth with an ex-boyfriend. Another ex’s new girlfriend wasn’t too fond of her, and the two took to Twitter the night he was sent to jail. “We got into this big heated-ass Twitter argument and she [said] ‘You’re nothing more than a baby mother, and that’s all you’ll ever be.’” Moore remembers. “It kind of stuck with me. I ended up getting pregnant again by my little twins’ father, and when I got pregnant we broke up shortly after. I was like, ‘maybe I am just a baby mother.’” MOORE IS WELL AWARE OF THE CARICATURE of the “baby mother:” the churlish, nagging ex who conspires for child support payments to misappropriate. The stereotype has a tender history with media, effectively trivializing the wants and needs of many mothers balancing work, family, and respon-
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sibility. When we discuss the term, Moore shrugs the negative connotation off: “There’s nothing wrong with being a baby mama. If you’re handling your business and doing what you’re supposed to do for those children, I feel like its power in just being just a baby mother,” she explains. “You can’t say I don’t do anything for my children, you can’t say I’m broke, you can’t say I don’t keep their appearance up, [and] you can’t say I don’t keep my appearance up. For just a baby momma, I’m doing hella good!” Such attitudes directly influence Moore’s writing where other experiences can’t. Creating a sound that she describes as “hoochie couture” can often mean tuning out other trends that seem to move the rap game by the hour. “I get influence from other stuff that’s not music. My kids influence me a lot, my everyday life influences me a lot,” she says, adding: “I get inspired by colors – people underestimate the power of colors. I can wear my green afros one day and I’ll be feeling very green and that’s what will inspire my music that day. I don’t necessarily have musical experiences.” Color itself lends charm to both Moore’s music and style – so much so that she’s dubbed herself the “Lisa Frank of the Rap Game.” The moniker implies a flamboyancy that Moore herself has embraced, even if it still rattles onlookers around her. With her bright blue afros, neon braids and bright red bobs, a simple trip to the store can mean irritating hypervisibility. “Anything out of the ordinary is ridiculous to everyone else. It’s so weird how people will look at me with my hair and be like ‘Ugh,’ but if it’s a blue quick weave, everybody’s like ‘Girl, that’s phat!’” she laughs. “But because I got a blue afro, it’s like ‘Ew, what are you doing?’” “But I like it! I was at the dollar store [earlier today] and people were staring. And I’m like, ‘Yes, bitch look at my hair!’” Moore operates from the same standpoint when surveying the industry around her, bluntly dismissing those who take up rapping just to stunt. Mediocrity and dwindling individuality are her sore spots, especially when it comes to female rappers: “No one is original in anything that they do any more. Nobody even takes the time to write. Everything is ‘Oh, I’m flashy.’ I’m not saying I don’t make songs like that, because I do,” she acknowledges. “I know that everyone is not a lyrical rapper, but I feel like nobody tries anymore. Half of the girls that rap now, I don’t take them seriously. Everybody wants to be famous now. Everyone wants to take from everybody else’s plate.” When I prompt her about unity amongst fe-
male rappers, Moore is even more direct: “I’m all for girl power, but it’s never authentic. I love women, but the unity of women is never real. There are so many female rappers in my city that I think are
“YOU CAN’T SAY I DON’T DO ANYTHING FOR MY CHILDREN, YOU CAN’T SAY I’M BROKE, YOU CAN’T SAY I DON’T KEEP THEIR APPEARANCE UP, [AND] YOU CAN’T SAY I DON’T KEEP MY APPEARANCE UP. FOR JUST A BABY MOMMA, I’M DOING HELLA GOOD!” weak, but I would still work with them if they wanted to work with me. But they don’t, because they’d rather throw shade. “THERE IS NO UNITY BECAUSE EVERYONE’S trying to outdo each other. Everyone’s trying to outdo the next bitch. It’s all ‘I go harder than this bitch, I spent more money on my video than this bitch, I do this and this and this.’ Who cares? I’ve tried to reach out to many female rappers, and they’ve all kind of been like ‘Whatever, blah blah blah.’ And I just don’t understand, because I know I’m cold! If you don’t want to work with me, that’s your loss.” She’s quick to note her earlier collaboration with Louisianan, rapper, and producer Brooklyn White as the silver lining to her experiences so far. The two linked up last year after a fan’s suggestion on Twitter, and the result was “Get Mad,” a braggadocio’s anthem fit for two accomplished artists. “I liked [her work] because she has such a distinctive voice – just very soulful, and she has a lisp, which makes it cool. It’s different to me. I was
Moore performing for her debut show in NYC. Shot by Morgan Zakarin.
like, ‘I fucks with her, I like this,’” Moore remembers. “I really love her. She’s not on the Internet trying to be somebody and act like she’s got this and that. She’s really a genuine person.” She adds, “[Females] act as if there’s not enough room for more than one female rapper. And there is, there’s plenty of room! I feel like if we actually got our shit together and linked up and did some dope shit together as female rappers period, we could make some noise!” With bbymutha, Moore keeps her end of the bargain by creating original, honest work. September 2014 saw the release of her second mixtape, Weave, in which Moore aimed to channel “that feeling [when] you just got a fresh weave in.” Songs like “Bitches Be Like,” “I’m Da Shit,” and “Indian
Hair” drum up the vibe of putting on your face before heading out to the club, or tearing the whole joint down when you actually get there. Matching “Mean Girls” sound bites with explosive, rolling beats, Moore relates thoughts on pop culture, ain’t-shit exes, the hood, relationships, love and the music industry. Despite the mixtape’s lighthearted nature, its history is marred with several professional and personal setbacks. Motherhood often meant being creative when it came to recording and mixing tracks, and Moore learned quickly that a professional studio was simply out of the works. “That was the hardest mixtape for me. It was the hardMANNYO #2 | 27
est to release, because I feel like everybody left me hanging on that one,” she remembers. “The girl who had the studio that I was going to kind of took my money and ran. I paid for a studio session and I never saw her again. I recorded a lot on my cell phone and sent it to my friend [to mix]. I spent a lot of time waiting, trying to get the babies to sleep. And sometimes they wouldn’t sleep until one in the morning, so I’d be up to four in the morning on my cell phone in my closet. And then I’d have to turn around at six in the morning and wake my kids up and get them ready for school. It was a very hard mixtape. But I enjoyed the outcome of it because at the end of the day I made a cool-ass tape that I’m proud of.” It didn’t take much for others to notice her hard work. At the time of our phone call, Moore was less than one week away from performing live for the first time as the featured artist for New York DJ and cultural icon Joey LaBeija’s monthly residency, Legendary. It’s undoubtedly a huge step in what is already shaping up to be a bright trajectory for the year. Moore herself has no problem looking ahead when it comes to what she aims to do with bbymutha musically and professionally. We speak briefly about possible future collaborations (“I would do a song with Father, he should holla at me!”), but the topic barely covers the arenas she hopes to accomplish. “I’d love to learn how to make beats, but that’s only because I hate hassling niggas for beats. That would be the only thing. [And] even though I kinda don’t respect those who are ghostwriters, I wouldn’t mind somebody paying me to write for them,” she laughs. “I want to go to school for fashion design [too]. That’s my first love, something in fashion. I have a CNA license, I have this cosmetology license, I have a business license, and I just signed up for school again to get my actual business degree, so I actually want to have a real business. That’s what I wanna do.” Whatever transpires for her this year will no doubt come with her steadfast philosophy attached. Being herself has gotten Moore this far, and she has yet to entertain another way to be. “My biggest advice is always to just be yourself, because people will try to change you or tell you that shit that you’re doing is not good enough. As long as you’re satisfied with your product, it’s gonna be good enough.”
O U T N O W !
THE DEBUT SELF-TITLED EP FROM AMPRSAND Featuring “Do Your Best” and an exclusive remix from Phonome! • w w w . m a n n y o . u s • • w w w . m a n n y o . b a n d c a m p . c o m • •www.soundcloud.com/mannyo-usa• Photo Attribution: © Nevit Dilmen
Rising rapper and self-proclaimed bourgeois of the Memphis suburbs, SOFTXSHUG has been working at a feverish pace for the past few months. Between attending school, releasing two albums in two months, creating almost an entire catalogue in features, and building even bigger plans for the future, SOFTXSHUG - real name Matt - is now releasing his upcoming single, “Mermaid Style,” through Mannyo. Somewhere between all of the recording and verbal onslaughts we talked to him to give you a better idea of what he’s about.
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ANNYO: As someone who seems to create new music almost weekly (you just self-released an album, IMMACULATE, four months ago and have been putting out new music since), are there any themes or topics you find yourself focusing on throughout each song? SOFTXSHUG: Anyone who listens to my music will notice the obvious themes of sex, violence, and my bourgeois status, but if my lyrics are further analyzed you can notice bigger themes like self-empowerment, dedication, and gay culture. M: You’re also creating and putting music out at a pretty young age as a teenager. When did you get interested in rapping? Do you think your age ever plays a role in your creative process or how others react to your music? SXS: I got interested in rapping when I heard the Nicki Minaj mixtape in my sister’s car when she was picking me up from school one day. I think I was like 9 years old. I’m not sure exactly how old I was. I was definitely in middle school though. I don’t think my age ever plays a role in my creative process because I have ZERO boundaries. I think it would be pretty corny and would probably hold me back a bit if I tried to “stay in a child’s place.” I’m pretty discreet about my age because I feel like if my more mature listeners knew how old I was it would distract them from my content. I actually feel that there is a bias and discrimination when it comes to younger artists. I work very hard and dedicate a lot of time to what I do and I don’t want someone to find out how old I am and overlook that I’m a great fucking MC because they don’t think what I say is appropriate for someone my age. M: You’ve racked up a lot of features and collaborations with artists like DANDY and most recently Amorphous, the winner of Azealia Banks’ “Chasing Time” remix contest. What
attracts you to working with some- I look up to DANDY kind of. DANDY and SXYLK are like my big sisters. one? DANDY is actually the only gay artSXS: I watch all of the artists and proist I listen to other than myself and ducers that are coming up in our catI always sort of challenge myself to egory, and the ones that I’m interestget on his level. DANDY is definitely ed in collaborating with always have one of the best in my opinion and I’m a star quality about them. Rarely do I honored to be his friend. He has such reject a request to feature on somea good spirit. That kid is definitely goone else’s song, but when I reach out ing places. #LOLITOGANG #TWINKto another artist, they have a genuMOB ine love and passion for the craft. M: Speaking of lyrics, you don’t seem to hold back on anything and like you mentioned earlier, a lot of your more noticeable lyrics (like my favorite at the end of “Pass That Dutch,” “...you can see me when I’m bending over fucking your pops”) focus on sex, violence, etc. Do any of your songs showcase a softer side of Shug? If not, can you ever see yourself in the future doing a project that focuses more on emotions like love or heartbreak?
“...I don’t want someone to find out how old I am and overlook that I’m a great fucking MC”
M: One of the things that first attracted me to you was how hard, fast, and determined your vocals come out over songs. Who inspires you musically and lyrically? SXS: Right now my main inspirations lyrically are Azealia, Kim, and DANDY. I admire Azealia’s rhyme schemes and just her overall lyrical style. I love Kim’s aggressive presence and assertiveness in her tone. Lately I’ve been playing with my tone in verses and I enjoy the deeper Lil’ Kim sound I can do. I am a gay boy trying to be taken seriously in the game and that tone beats the stereotype that gays are prissy, pussy, and feminine in everything that we do. That tone shows that I can hang with these big dogs and that I should be taken seriously. It shows that my dick can hang just as low as these straight rappers out here.
SXS: There are definitely some songs that focus on the softer SOFTXSHUG. I try to have at least one song where I get a bit “Drake-ish” on every project I let out. For IN THE CLOSET it was this song called “BABE” that my fans HATED. Seeing me vulnerable was rare for them and some didn’t take it well. On IMMACULATE I had this indie song called “VANILLA WHITE” that I’ve had since 2013. I cannot sing worth a damn and I kept trying and trying but I was never satisfied with the way my voice came out on the demos of the song, so I gave it to this great singer I know named Tama Gucci and he did something great with it. When IMMACULATE was 99% finished I wanted a 13th song and wanted to give “VANILLA WHITE” one more try. I found a Mac DeMarco instrumental and sang “VANILLA WHITE” over it and it came out great and I was finally satisfied with it. I’m kind of rambling, but yes both of these songs focus on relationships and things of that nature. FOR MORE SHUG: TWITTER: @SOFTXSHUG INSTAGRAM: @SOFTXSHUG SOUNDCLOUD: @SOFTESTXSHUG
INTERVIEW BY MANNYO
Want Some More?
Head to our Soundcloud to hear an exclusive mix of SOFTXSHUG’s best songs handpicked by the artist himself. Perfect for a hot summer night or as an introduction to all things Shug — soundcloud.com/mannyo-usa MANNYO #2 | 33
B i r t h . D e a t h.. R e i n c a r n a t i o n .
You have been many things. So many things. So many… trees. In fact, there is a cursed tree living inside of you right now. Its roots have wrapped your lungs in their cold, lifeless embrace. It is the source of all your problems. I mean, probably. I don’t know. Do I look like an arcane arborist to you? No. No, I do not. Just take the quiz. Or don’t. I don’t care. Whatever. I’m leaving. B. Club, shots, molly, shots, celeb 1. Happy Saturday! What’s the 3. What’s for lunch? A. It’s Saturday, silly! You’re going for sighting, shots, black out. first thing that you do when you C. You probably go to something brunch. wake up? boring, like a poetry slam, but really insist
2. How do you spend your morning?
B. Anything greasy. Everything greasy. Maybe a mimosa. C. A homemade bento! The container is supercute, and probably meant for children. D. Whatever’s left in your fridge, which probably isn’t much. You aren’t home a lot. E. Fast food. Perfect opportunity to hit on strangers from the comfort of your friend’s sweet ride.
4. Any dinner plans?
A. You artfully craft a salad from local, organic ingredients and spend an hour trying to instagram it. By the time you eat it, it’s soggy. B. You’re happy to go wherever your friends want to eat, as long as they have a full bar. C. You host a themed dinner party for your friends! It’s the perfect opportunity to showcase your collection of tiny crocheted forest creatures. D. Whatever bae’s buying. ;) E. You meet the boys for burgers and brews. At least two of you own KCCO t-shirts. All of you own jerseys.
A. Same as always: You go for a run, post a workout selfie, tweet your Fitbit stats, take a shower, make a smoothie, post another selfie, and update your lifestyle blog. B. It’s Saturday. You slept through it. C. It depends on the Saturday. You really can’t generalize because you’re, like, so impulsive, but it was probably charming and deeply important. D. Tweeting about all the dick you got 5. What do you do after dinner? last night. Hope bae doesn’t see it! A. Spend at least three hours getting E. Insulting that dumb bitch for not responding to your unsolicited nudes. ready, pre-gaming, and posting selfies with your bitches. You probably light up and check reddit.
that you love it whenever it comes up in conversation. D. Back to bae’s for sex, but she doesn’t want to go out, so you hang for an hour swiping through Tinder before you go out on your own. E. You meet your dealer, smoke, then head out to verbally bludgeon strangers with inept pick-up lines.
6. How does your evening end?
A. With you in tears. You’re getting the freeze from last night’s date and had one drink too many. This isn’t the first time this has happened. B. You wake up in a strange apartment. You grab your things and take the best unattended bottle of alcohol with you on your way out. C. Replying to sexts with indecipherable strings of emojis. This has never really worked out for you, but you love and accept yourself for who you are. D. You met someone you really feel, and it’s not like you and bae are exclusive, soooo... E. Texting unsolicited nudes to every eligible soul in your contacts. Success is a numbers game.
Mostly As - BASIC EVERGREEN: You’re more beige than normcore, but at least you’re always genuine. You’ll probably outlast us all. To break the curse, craft a small bier out of elderwood, place your favorite Uggs atop the bier, and set the whole thing on fire.
A. Sneak out of bed, primp, and sneak back into bed before last night’s date wakes up. You really think he’s the one! B. Hair of the dog. Leftover pizza. Puke. Repeat. C. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! You just love to sing! Your life is exactly like that quirky, obscure musical that you love so much! D. Sneak out before awkward questions about breakfast. You skip the shower; it’s way too risky. E. Check your phone to see if that tail from the club last night responded to your unsolicited 3am nudes. (He didn’t.)
Mostly Bs - WOMPIN’ WILLOW: You have like one drink and you’re just wompin’ everywhere. It’s weak to end every night on the floor. To break the curse, gather all the liquor in your house into a dark room, draw a pentagram around it with sea salt, and then never drink it.
Mostly Cs - SPECIAL SNOWFLAKE SAKURA: You like to think that you’re a rare, unique spirit, and you like for everyone else to know it. To break the curse, swap a pair of your shoes for a pair of your friend’s shoes in the dead of night. This will allow you to live as your friend instead.
Mostly Ds - THOT-ASS CALLERY PEAR: You think you’re sly, but you make the whole street smell like last night’s bed sheets. To break the curse, wait until the next full moon, open Tinder, and smash your phone with a geode containing your birthstone.
Mostly Es - SCRUB SHRUB: You aren’t even a tree. If you want people to stop singing TLC at you on public transportation, you really need to up your general game as a human person. This curse is beyond me. You are probably a straight white boy. There is no hope. Godspeed.
MANNYO
MAY ASTROLOGICAL FORECAST Brought to you straight from the stars themselves by the space witch @lionbar!
Each month we’ll be sharing horoscopes written by our very own herald of the apocalypse! Check out how you’ll meet your fate below and follow us on tumblr for future horoscopes → mannyousa.tumblr.com
Aquarius
Leo
Pisces
Virgo
A songbird drops some seeds in your ear while you sleep. By morning, a sprout springs from your left nostril. By evening, your skull becomes a beautiful garden. You buy a vintage pressed flower necklace from a shop you’ve never seen before. As you weaken, the flower grows ever more vibrant. One morning, the flower wakes up instead of you.
A large, talking daffodil wearing armor made from dry leaves challenges you to a duel. When you scoffingly agree, she deftly impales you on a grass blade of surprising sharpness. You attempt to survive this month’s violent flower uprising by disguising yourself as an aster. Unfortunately, you are stung to death by a number of bees.
Aries
Libra
Taurus
Scorpio
Gemini
Sagittarius
A giant rose sprouts in your backyard. You use its torso-sized thorns to climb as high as you can. The thinning atmosphere causes your hands to grow cold and clumsy, and you plummet. Your car smells amazing. You don’t remember buying an air freshener. You drive. A blinding stream of flower petals pours from the air vents. The crash is fatal. A mysterious stranger leaves a bouquet on your doorstep. It is such a lovely bouquet. You place the flowers in a vase on your nightstand. They constrict you as you sleep - slowly, strongly.
Cancer
You have a fatal allergic reaction to a bunch of daisies.
This month, dear Libra, you get the tattoo that you have always wanted. It is a succulent! Surprise! Are you surprised? I hope so. It will slowly drain your body of all water, killing you. I’m so excited for you! This month’s sudden proliferation of flowers makes your commute a total pain. It also makes breathing a total pain. You inhale too much pollen, and the cough proves deadly. You successfully negotiate a truce between humankind and the sentient flower rebellion - that is, until you offer the flowers a selection from your extensive herbal tea collection.
Capricorn
When a roaming gang of carnivorous carnations sets your friends in their sights, you bravely sacrifice yourself to buy them time to escape. They last ten minutes.
NEW & UPCOMING FROM MANNYO 4-21-15
Amprsand EP Amprsand
5-25-15
MERMAID STYLE SOFTXSHUG
SUMMER2K15 1st Diplomatic Duty Prince Airick
SUMMER2K15
DILFGOALS Feat. SOFTXSHUG & Chae Buttuh
AVAILABLE ON:
SCAN HERE!
ALSO OUT ON MANNYO.US VARIOUS ARTISTS MANNYOZine #1
DANDY EI8HT
DANDY LUXE (GRRL Remix)