The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) has had a rough time since its beginning. “Man of Steel” was an OK starting point; “Batman vs. Superman” was a bloated mess and a terrible idea; “Suicide Squad” was actively painful; “Wonder Woman” was, well, wonderful, but it raised the question of whether it was part of a larger shift in DCEU movie...
Wiz Khalifa is a hotly-debated rapper whose brand of stoner rap has cultivated a dedicated fanbase as well as a fair show of critics who cannot identify with him. He tends to avoid anything outside of his comfort zone, rarely making much of an attempt to explore new frontiers in lyrical substance beyond his lavish, unequivocally cool lifestyle. However,...
If someone were to to tell you that The Observatory — the Santa Ana-based music venue which previously hosted such events as the hip-hop focused Day N Night and emo fest When We Were Young — were to organize a music and taco festival headlined by norteno legends Los Tigres del Norte, with a roster including eclectic Londoner King...
Trippie Redd
As rap continues to dominate popular music, its stars get younger and younger. 17-year-old Lil Pump peaked at number seven on the hot 100 with “Gucci Gang,” 15-year-old Smooky MarGielaa played a major role in his features on “Cozy Tapes, Vol. 2 Too Cozy” and 12-year-old Matt Ox is already working with Lil Yachty and other stars...
In an unprecedented short amount of time, Metro Boomin has gone from unknown Morehouse College dropout to hip-hop’s most sought-after producer. This year alone, he produced one of the year’s biggest rap songs with Migos’ “Bad and Boujee,” dropped a mixtape with Gucci Mane, produced Nav’s debut project, “Perfect Timing,” produced most of 21 Savage’s “Issa Album” and launched...
Bad Bunny
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws00k_lIQ9U
To listen to Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny is to be pulled in by his deep, almost monstrous, modulation. His bars mesh with one another between autotuned melodies and spoken word in a way that is reminiscent of Future’s delivery. At first listen, it can be off-putting and awkward — like in “Soy Peor,” which cruises between spoken...
Sean Baker should be a recognizable name in the independent film circuit. His claim to fame, 2015’s “Tangerine,” is a comedy-drama shot entirely on iPhones about two trans sex workers in Los Angeles. Gimmick (if it can even be called that; it’s shot better than most films shot on professional cameras) aside, it’s a story that plunges head-first into...
Angel Olsen is human, and like any seasoned artist who’s been emotionally roughed up, she translates those experiences into verses that range from raw and languishing — like her 2016 album “My Woman’”s closer, “Pops” — to cheeky notwithstanding her heartache — as with “Hi-Five” off her 2014 album “Burn Your Fire For No Witness.” Her melancholic renown is...
The Highlander would like to thank ASPB for their free screening of “Thor: Ragnarok.”
Marvel’s Cinematic Universe continues with “Thor: Ragnarok,” which follows our favorite hammer-swinging Asgardian as he simultaneously tries to free himself from imprisonment and save the kingdom of Asgard. The 2017 film, which is directed by Taika Waititi, is highly entertaining. Boasting great acting, effective jokes and...
On Oct. 28, downtown Riverside’s Barbara and Art Culver Center hosted a public print viewing of postmortem photography from the Gluck Foundation’s “From the Vault” series. The modest collection of prints dated back to 19th century daguerreotypes to more modern 20th century colored prints, each frame a fragment of a narrative on the evolution of how we reflect on...