BIRD PROTOCOL

This week we’re talking about “the prince of the underground”, a rapper who surprises, subverts expectations, and has a lot of fun while doing it - Danny Brown. From his ability to experiment with his voice and delivery to his production choices to his thematic content, he is hard to compare and in a lane of his own. On top of all that, he’s really funny, self-aware, and comes heavy with the bars every time. No, Danny Brown hasn’t really missed. Ever. The dude is consistent. From his first studio album “The Hybrid” to his meteoric rise with “XXX” to his latest release, the collaborative album with JPEGMAFIA, “Scaring The Hoes Vol. 1”, all of them are awesome and each is unique. His collaborations and features are crazy, too. He also has one of the funniest podcasts we’ve ever listened to. It’s safe to say that we both love Danny Brown so this one was easy.

We start things out with a discussion about the recent news that Danny is heading to rehab and wishing him well on his road to recovery. Then, we look at a few of our favourite releases, reminisce on our party days and Danny Brown being a big part of them, unpack the connection between Danny Brown and drugs, explore his awesome features and collaborations, and revisit the heaps of critical praise that he seems to accumulate with every release. We both love the trilogy of “XXX” to “Old” to “Atrocity Exhibition” and think it might be one of the best three-peats of rap releases ever. We share some of our Danny Brown favourite tracks, look at his odd connection to G-Unit and explore why he never signed with them (it has to do with his pants), discuss Danny’s ability to blend genres and create art out of conflicting themes (both sonically and lyrically), Danny being cut from the original “Hella Hoes” single by the A$AP Mob, working with Q-Tip on “uknowhwatimsaying?”, understanding the brilliance of “Atrocity Exhibition”, and more. Plus, we OBVIOUSLY had to chat a bit more about “Scaring The Hoes” and how brilliant it is.

We wrap things up with some recommendations including “the record” by boygenius, Larry June and The Alchemist’s “The Great Escape”, the new “Jesus Piece” singles, and we discuss the possibility of sharing our “CERTIFIED HEATERS” playlists after listening to “Headsprung” by LL COOL J. That’s about it. Next week? It’s Otis’ birthday pick! We’re closing in on 100 episodes. Thank you all for listening and rocking with us. Go stream some Danny Brown.

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We decided to take it easy this week with a Lazy Bird episode before we start down the path to our ONE-HUNDREDTH episode. Can you believe it? One hundred episodes! We can’t either. In this episode, we chat about everything that we’re listening to, playing, watching, and thinking about lately. Tap in for a chilled-out conversation about a variety of topics, some laughs, some podcast updates, and lots of rambling.

This week’s pod includes a discussion about getting hacked, people with comically appropriate names, Ontario’s weird and wild weather, “The Last Of Us” and questions about where it will go in season 2, FX’s “The Old Man” and dogs being used as weapons, “Westworld” being canceled, producers rapping, Larry June and The Alchemist’s upcoming release, Fall Out Boy getting back to their roots, Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA’s “Scaring The Hoes” living up to its namesake, Ab-Soul’s Tiny Desk performance, T-Pain’s “On Top Of The Covers” cover album, “Crusader Kings 3”, the “Dead Space” remake, the “Counter-Strike 2” announcement, some of our favourite old video games, “Battlefield 2042” being better than it was but still kinda mid, the new “GTA 6” leaks, Cubano sandwiches, and more.

Plus, we share our plans to see “John Wick 4”, which the people seem to love, and share our admiration of the late, great Lance Reddick. May he rest in power. We’ll be back next week to talk more about a rapper who has always stayed true to himself… the talented Danny Brown.

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We’re heading to the lost city of Hamunaptra in search of adventure, romance, and an undead priest named Imhotep who just wants to bring his ride or die back from the dead and destroy the world. Thankfully, we have OSCAR WINNING (!!!!) actor Brendan Fraser as Rick O’Connell to charm his way to the salvation of the human race in a movie that is magically more than the sum of its parts… Stephen Sommer’s 1999’s action-adventure flick “The Mummy”. Look, we get it. It’s not perfect. But, with that being said, there’s something about this movie that fills us both with a warm, happy feeling. Even though it features some major flaws and weaknesses, it works. It may be because “The Mummy” is one of the last of its kind or maybe it’s the vibes it brings to the party or maybe it’s our own nostalgia… either way, we think this movie deserves another look because we love it. Starring Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Oded Fehr, and Arnold Vosloo, this movie was released to mixed reviews but was a box office monster that spawned one good sequel and then some other movies we would rather not talk about. Plus, The Rock as a half-scorpion man straight out of a PS1 game... Sick? Awful? Par for the course? We don’t know… but Otis thinks he may have market-corrected Brendan Fraser. Hmm.

In this episode, we break down the film, share our thoughts and personal history with it, revisit some of the critical responses (both good and bad), and wonder just what makes this film such a good time. Roger Ebert said, “There is hardly a thing I can say in its favor, except that I was cheered by nearly every minute of it. I cannot argue for the script, the direction, the acting, or even the mummy, but I can say that I was not bored and sometimes I was unreasonably pleased." So, we obviously look at some of the many weaknesses of the film including the awful title sequence, the dialogue, the dated stereotypes, and some of the bad CGI moments. We also look at all the good things that this film has going for it including the cast, Brendan Fraser’s charm, the action, the heart behind this film, and the excellent mummy design from ILM. Ultimately, this is a film that is greatly improved by turning your brain off and just going along for the ride. It is very much in the same lane as the big action-adventure films of the 80s like Indiana Jones. This leads to a conversation about adventure films and how much we love them.

Later in this episode, we talk about the blissfully ignorant children playing stickball after Imhotep’s plagues hit Cairo, Imhotep and Anck-su-namun’s relationship, the film’s development including casting what-ifs and all the other directors that were attached to it, some of the previous treatments of this film and their different vision, the AWFUL reboot with Tom Cruise, and PALMREADER shares his story of meeting Rachel Weisz at his old workplace. It involves Lego. It’s pretty good. Also, we had to take a few minutes to chat about the Oscars and what “Everything Everywhere All At Once” sweeping the awards this year means for Hollywood going forward. We also talk about the wins of “All Quiet On The Western Front”, “The Whale”, “Avatar”, and more good stuff.

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We need a doctor to bring us back to life… so it’s time to take it to the West Coast and tackle a TITAN of hip-hop. A producer, rapper, businessman, innovator, mentor, and so much more… It’s the Dr. Dre episode! We’re taking a different route this time around because Dr. Dre has been part of so many albums that absolutely smack and each of them is so complex that we could really do a whole episode on them individually. Not to mention his time with N.W.A. and World Class Wreckin’ Cru. This episode is mostly about his storied career after forming the label Aftermath and everything leading up to where he’s at today. Plus, we look at his legacy in the genre, his controversies, “Beats By Dre”, Apple Music, the many artists he has been involved with, and more good stuff.

There is so much to cover this week so bear with us! We start the pod by giving an overview of his career and the formation of Aftermath and from there we’re off the races. We talk about the creation of G-Funk, Dre’s production style, “The Chronic”, “2001” (which might be a perfect 10/10 album), “Compton”, Eminem, The Game, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop, and more. We also chat about “The Defiant Ones” documentary and his role in the formation of Apple Music by way of his “Beats By Dre” speaker/headphone brand. We talk about his collaborations, his fabled writing camps, the songs he has produced for other artists, his award wins and the critical response to his records, and a whole lot more. Dr. Dre has had his finger on the pulse of rap and hip hop and his legacy is cemented and certified. Join us as we explore why.

This episode is really a chance for us to talk about someone we both admire and unpack the career of someone who has shaped and influenced music over the last few decades. We ponder what’s next for Dr. Dre, discuss the mythical “Detox” album, take a closer look at his three solo releases, gush about his near-perfect engineering, revisit the negative reaction to gangster rap, marvel at his taste and Midas touch, and more. Also, is it fair to argue that the cover for “2001” easily makes the top five list of black album covers? We think so. So if you’re a fan of rap music and you aren’t up on Dre, what are you doing? Hopefully, this episode inspires you to check him out or revisit his discography. So. Many. Bangers.

Plus, Otis has a comedy show, PALMREADER has a new album on the way, and we want to spend more time on the West Coast in the near future. What do you think? We’ll be back next week!

CHECK OUT “CAVERNOUS” BY OTIS MORRIS:

https://soundcloud.com/ottermanmedia/sets/cavernous?si=e251b4e1d2c04a4ba636b214aea6c3ac&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

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WAZZUP! It's ya boiiii Otis. Here's an old school, recently uncovered gem from the vault. This was an episode of my old podcast from April 2019. It's actually the first time PALMREADER and I ever recorded a podcast together. This could possibly be the genesis of Bird Protocol. Anyway, what you're about to hear is absolutely ridiculous. It's a comedy podcast, not a podcast about movies, music, TV, video games, etc. Nothing said in this episode should be taken seriously, because if you did do that your head would probably explode like that infamous scene from Scanners.

Over the course of this podcast we talk about the Ford family, good chinese food, Jay-Z and a whole bunch of other stuff. I honestly didn't listen to the whole thing, but I hope you will. This description is once again awful because PALMREADER usually does these but he's busy working and I'm busy poppin' T3's.

That's all I got. We'll be back next week with an episode about something.

CHECK OUT “CAVERNOUS” BY OTIS MORRIS:

https://soundcloud.com/ottermanmedia/sets/cavernous?si=e251b4e1d2c04a4ba636b214aea6c3ac&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

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We’re back and going full undercover martial beatdown of the Jakarta underworld this week on BIRD PROTOCOL with Gareth Evans’ sequel to “The Raid”, “The Raid 2” (AKA “The Raid: Retaliation”). This one is bigger, badder, and more insane than the first with crazier fight choreography, more violence, wild cinematography, lots of close-range headshots, and… an actually cinematic storyline? Not to say that the first one was by any means bad but “The Raid 2” is a sprawling action flick centered around crime families, gang wars, and family drama. Heads up, though, this film is hyper-violent and we get deep into it. Including some discussion of some of the wildest and most brutal on-screen deaths that we’ve seen. There’s even point-blank patricide!

Gareth Evans reunites with Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhain along with a slew of other characters in this pedal-to-the-metal movie that starts and just doesn’t stop until everyone (except our hero Rama) has tasted defeat (or worse). It’s a much bigger film that features fights not only in hallways and rooms but also in noodle shops, nightclubs, prison yards, back streets, restaurant kitchens, and even inside moving cars. As we said in our last episode, Evans’ retrofitted a previous script to fit the story, so this film is much more plot-heavy. Does the action suffer for it? Hell no. This one is even more bonkers. It’s brutal… but there is a real skill and beauty in its brutality. This is not only an entertaining movie, it’s also really, really well-made. Some of the shots might leave you scratching your head.

In this episode, we break down the plot, some of those aforementioned insane shots, what makes this an awesome sequel, the film’s reception and legacy, and a whole lot more. It’s a crime/action/martial arts film for the ages and we’re just stoked to revisit it. We discuss what tones, visual themes, and stylistic choices were brought from the first film and built upon in this extremely well-paced sequel that doesn’t really feel like it is two and a half hours long. But it is. Once again, we praise Evans’ editing and guess which films he is paying homage to in some really awesome and intense sequences. We also talk in-depth about the prison yard fight and car chase scenes… both of which might be in the top ten of all fight scenes ever made. Anyways, this 2014 film is an absolute banger! If you haven’t seen it… go and watch it! Spoilers ahead!

CHECK OUT “CAVERNOUS” BY OTIS MORRIS:

https://soundcloud.com/ottermanmedia/sets/cavernous?si=e251b4e1d2c04a4ba636b214aea6c3ac&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

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Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

What’s good, homies?! This week we’re starting our two-part series on Indonesian beatdowns by revisiting one of the best action films of the 2010s and a sleeper classic that will have you on the edge of your seat shouting “Oh my god! Did you see that?!”. It’s time to go on a clandestine mission into an apartment full of machete-wielding psychopaths and take down an evil crime lord and his Mad Dog… It’s “The Raid”, baby! This 2011 film directed by Welsh director Gareth Evans is WILD. The film stars Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Yayan Ruhian, Donny Alamsyah, Ray Sahetapy, and more. It’s got everything you need in an action flick and kinda not-so-subtly became a major influence on everything since. White knuckle action? Yep. Crazy fight choreography? Oh yeah. Someone making an impromptu explosive device out of a fridge? You got it. Y’all wanna see someone get killed by a shattered door? Machete fights? Someone getting their head bounced approximately six times off a wall in one fell swoop? Check. Yeah, this one rules.

We start the pod off by chatting a bit about secondhand joy and our experiences with “Hogwarts Legacy” so far. Spoiler alert… It’s really good. Then we dive straight into “The Raid” to discuss why this movie rules. We cover all the good stuff - the cinematography, the pacing, the action, the choreography, the film’s legacy, and what Evans did right. We also break down the editing and cinematography, the use of handycam and unique lighting setups, and how the editing tricks you into feeling immediacy and continuity in the many brutal fight scenes. We talk about the video game-like qualities of the movie and how they just add to the experience, praise the use of and focus on the Indonesia martial art Pencak Silat while not letting the film be defined by it, and the smart choice to include various other styles of material arts. We also break down some of our favourite (and most brutal) moments of the film and talk in-depth about Mad Dog. Man… that guy is evil.

Later in the episode, we talk a bit about Gareth Evans’ career and the pre-production, release, and reception of the film. We explore how Evans came to know Iko Uwais and Yayan Ruhian, the stars of and fight choreographers for the film, and how a Welsh director came to create this franchise. We also discover why it was called “The Raid: Redemption” in North America, prepare you for the bonkers sequel that we’re going to talk about next week, and discuss the trend of remaking Asian films and why that doesn't really work anymore. Seriously, leave them alone. We also touch on the rise of Asian cinema outside of China and Japan and how it correlates to the coming of the internet and streaming services.

We’ll be back next week with “The Raid 2” which is an incredible sequel that takes everything you love about this movie and injects it with steroids.

CHECK OUT “DRIVER’S SEAT” BY ANXIETY WEEKEND:

https://soundcloud.com/cemetery_sound/anxiety-weekend-drivers-seat?si=7a2e603007eb404b8ed9a757d798cbf8&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

CHECK OUT “NEVER LOVED” BY ANXIETY WEEKEND:

https://soundcloud.com/cemetery_sound/anxiety-weekend-never-loved?si=7bac84799aaa467bbacd7bea5aa0b3f8&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

CHECK OUT “CAVERNOUS” BY OTIS MORRIS:

https://soundcloud.com/ottermanmedia/sets/cavernous?si=e251b4e1d2c04a4ba636b214aea6c3ac&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

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Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

Ayo! We decided to give ourselves a little more time to properly dive into our upcoming episodes on “The Raid” and “The Raid 2” so we’re back with our first Lazy Bird episode of 2023. Join us as we ramble on about various topics and chat about what we’ve been playing, watching, and listening to lately. We kick things off with a conversation on just how dang cold it has been here in our hometown and this leads us into a conversation about… rappers playing golf? And the sport of golf in general? Shout out to ScHoolboy Q. Anyways, Otis also shares a story about his grandfather coming over to watch golf and PALMREADER revisits a hilarious video where some guy screams “MASHED POTATOES!” at golf tournaments. Should we have a BIRD PROTOCOL tournament on Twitch? Let us know.

This leads to a chat about the incredible job they are doing with “The Last Of Us” on HBO. We both agree that it might be one of the best video game adaptations ever made. The source material lends itself to the TV format so well and having the creative team behind the game also working on the show really works. We also agree that episode three was beautiful, well-acted, and emotionally devastating. This leads to a talk about the manufactured outrage surrounding it, people being idiots, and getting tired of the reactive articles online. Shout out to Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett.

We then pivot to a talk about the upcoming “Hogwarts Legacy” game, how we are excited to play it, and some of the online discourse surrounding it. This leads us to a conversation on how to decide if you will support or boycott projects (or people) and when it makes sense to do so. We also discuss the current binary attitude in online discourse and how dangerous it can be when you hold that level of vitriol and anger in a world where hundreds and thousands of decent people work on these records, games, and movies. We need to bring back nuanced discussions and understand that these conversations are more complicated than the conversations being had on social media.

Then we talk about this year’s slate of upcoming films and games, the new Mario Kart maps, the state of the MCU and “Wakanda Forever”, The Rock decimating mercenaries on film and “Black Adam”, how to make The Rock mad, Fortnite offering a move without building and being way better for it, the “Dead Space” remake, more on “God Of War: Ragnarok”, war movies, “Avengement” and violent prison films, our Oscar predictions, and a bunch more fun stuff.

We’ll be back to talk about some of the wildest martial arts movies EVER over the next two weeks, starting with “The Raid”.

CHECK OUT “DRIVER’S SEAT” BY ANXIETY WEEKEND:

https://soundcloud.com/cemetery_sound/anxiety-weekend-drivers-seat?si=7a2e603007eb404b8ed9a757d798cbf8&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

CHECK OUT “NEVER LOVED” BY ANXIETY WEEKEND:

https://soundcloud.com/cemetery_sound/anxiety-weekend-never-loved?si=7bac84799aaa467bbacd7bea5aa0b3f8&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

CHECK OUT “CAVERNOUS” BY OTIS MORRIS:

https://soundcloud.com/ottermanmedia/sets/cavernous?si=e251b4e1d2c04a4ba636b214aea6c3ac&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

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We’re back this week with the first proper episode of 2023 and this week’s topic is an absolute HEATER of a TV series released in 2022. We’re talking about the excellent first season of the comedy/drama show “The Bear”. Created by showrunner Christopher Storer, this character-driven show set in a Chicago restaurant on the brink of collapse boasts an excellent cast including Jeremy Allen White (who won a Golden Globe for his performance), Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, Abby Elliott, Oliver Platt, our guy Matty Matheson, and more. Honestly… The first season of this show ranks up there with other five-star first seasons of television (like “True Detective” and “Westworld”). It is just so well-made and perfectly executed. The writing, the acting, the cinematography, the direction, the pacing… everything is excellent and we’re already locked in for the upcoming second season.

In this episode, we discuss what we love about this show, the excellent characters, some of our favourite episodes including the wildly entertaining and emotionally affecting final two, the acting and writing, and so much more. We discuss the realism of the show, how it approaches natural conversation, and the excellent nuances of the character arcs. They’re so well written and acted, in fact, that we reminisce on how we know real-life versions of some of the characters. We also chat about the soundtrack, the positive critical response, FX releasing a lot of really good TV, Jeremy Allen White’s AA monologue, crying at the ending, the perfect build-up of chaos that culminates in the final two episodes and how it was achieved, the emotional weight of the series, and more. It’s a breeze to watch, thoroughly enjoyable, and balances humour with drama incredibly well. Plus, every single member of the cast is firing on all cylinders the whole damn time. We cannot say enough good stuff about this show and recommend you all check it out ASAP.

To close things out, we take one last look back on the past year and share our wings, cages, and eggs for 2023. It was an exciting year of growth, both personally and creatively, but not without some struggles. We also have an honest conversation about mental health, responsibility, and working on being healthier and more positive. It’s time to put 2022 to bed and move into 2023 with a new outlook. We truly appreciate everyone who listens and thanks to everyone who has tuned in this past year.

CHECK OUT “DRIVER’S SEAT” BY ANXIETY WEEKEND:

https://soundcloud.com/cemetery_sound/anxiety-weekend-drivers-seat?si=7a2e603007eb404b8ed9a757d798cbf8&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing 

CHECK OUT “NEVER LOVED” BY ANXIETY WEEKEND:

https://soundcloud.com/cemetery_sound/anxiety-weekend-never-loved?si=7bac84799aaa467bbacd7bea5aa0b3f8&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing 

CHECK OUT “CAVERNOUS” BY OTIS MORRIS:

https://soundcloud.com/ottermanmedia/sets/cavernous?si=e251b4e1d2c04a4ba636b214aea6c3ac&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing 

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Instagram: @palmreadr @otismorrisdude

Ayo! We’re back with part two of the 2022 Bird Report! Get ready to hear us ramble on about some of our favourite music and video game releases from the past year. This was a crazy year for music and so much to talk about. Truthfully, more time is spent focused on music in this episode but we do our best to touch on what we’ve been playing, both old and new. Get your notes app ready because we cover some real bangers that you should definitely check out and/or revisit.

We kick things off by jumping into our music lists right away and covering a wide variety of genres, artists, and albums that we think are excellent. Some of them were sleepers, some were outright hits, and some have aged incredibly well. You’ll hear names like Kendrick Lamar, Soul Glo, Ab-Soul, The Callous Daoboys, Vince Staples, Kenny Beats, PUP, Freddie Gibbs, $uicideboy$, Brakence, Roc Marciano & The Alchemist, Stormzy, Smino, Drake & 21 Savage, Fred Again.., Wiki & Subjxct 5, Joyce Manor, Billy Woods, Escape From The Zoo, Benny The Butcher, and a whole lot more. Then we talk about some of the games we’ve been playing and love including “Stray”, “Dying Light 2”, “Cyberpunk 2077”, “God Of War: Ragnarok”, “Horizon: Forbidden West”, “Elden Ring”, “Project Zomboid”, “Crusader Kings 3”, “Disco Elysium”, “No Man’s Sky”, “Evil West”, and other good stuff.

We follow our lists with an interview with a friend of the pod, rapper, and all-around dope dude… Whesnday. He’s back! He joins us to chat about his new album with Flyxo called “Vices”. It is the third offering of their unofficial trilogy. During the conversation, he shares some insight about the album’s conception, the writing process, his mental health, and his relationship with Flyxo. Plus, we give them both their flowers and applaud their work ethic and tenacity. We also chat about some of his other releases since “Sky Is Blue” and he shares some of his favourites from the past year. It’s a great chat. Tap in and stream “Vices” now! Available wherever you get your music.

See ya next week!

Check out “Vices” on Spotify:

And on Apple Music:

https://music.apple.com/ca/album/vices/1656613183

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