11 years late to this conversation, but I just watched The Bling Ring and it's been a long time since I''ve seen a movie that misses the mark for me by such a wide margin.
The direction and cinematography is exceptionally and aggressively bland, right down to the selection of opening credit font. The acting is atrociously stilted, and the narrative structure bizarre and off-putting, with non-sequitors devoid of character development.
I respect and mostly enjoy Sofia Coppola's vision in her other films, and know what she's capable of, so I'm giving the movie the benefit of the doubt that all of this is purposeful...but I'm just not getting it. And this is even acknowledging that the characters are intended to be oblivious airhead. But this is the insipid filmmaking supposed to be juxtaposed to the soulessness of privileged adolescence? It's as if Coppola set out to make an anti-movie for purposes that is beyond my comprehension, and maybe she just took it too far.
Or am I giving this too much credit and it's just not a very good movie?

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Last Edited 04/29/24
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Hai! I see a lot of posts on here saying they can't afford scene clothes, their parents won't let them dress scene, etc. so I have compiled some helpful tips as a bit of a penny-pincher myself :3
You can wear *any* t-shirt with a cute cartoon on it. Cute cartoons are a staple of scene culture, but your shirt doesn't have to be Domo, Gir, Sanrio, or band-related. I have this adorable AJJ shirt with a kitten on it, by no means are AJJ a scene band but since it's still a cute cartoon (and it fits me tightly too!) so I wear it with more traditionally scene outfits. You can go to Walmart right now, spend some time in the kids section, (girls OR boys) and get a kid's xl (which will roughly correlate with a women's xs or small) to wear with some black jeans. In the boys section, you might find dinos (very scene ^w^,) stripes, pokemon, angry birds or Nickelodeon/cartoon network characters (which DOES include invader zim, btw), and other colorful graphics. In the girls section, you'll find generic unicorns, a slightly overpriced Justice section, stars and hearts, silly halloween clothes (during septembeoctober), peace signs, flowers, and Sanrio if you're lucky. The walmart girls section is also a great place for hairclips.
You can wear anything as long as it's colorful and at least vaguely fits the "scene silhouette." There's this unrealistic expectation on TikTok (and it still existed during the Myspace days LOL) that your outfit will look like this every single day. That's not plausible, especially if your school has a dress code. To make anything a scene outfit, you can just put on a fluffly skirt or tight jeans, and a form-fitting t-shirt or tank-top, and a few necklaces and bracelets. You can even layer cute tank tops and bras! Back in the Myspace era, most people make did with had they had since there were no "scene stores," so it'd just be a mix of emo clothes and normal old navy kids clothes. Here's an example of someone who is recognizably scene, but doesn't have an over-the-top outfit.
You can have any hair style or texture as long as it also fits the "scene silhouette." Straightening your hair every single day if you have curly, wavy, or coily hair will undoubtably damage it. Yes, the pin-straight look is one of the most undeniably scene things you can do, but if you don't have access to a hair iron or don't want your hair to fall off, there's still plenty of hope for you!!! And you don't need your hair professionally done for 500 dollars, either, you can buy serviceable hair dye for under 20 dollars at basically any chain retailer. Hell, even guys can get away with fauxhawks! I would say the only three requirements for hair to be recognized as scene is that they're layered, asymmetrical, and colorful!! For example, if you have locs, you can accessorize them colorfully and part them to one side. If you have curly/wavy hair, you can wear racoontail extensions or colorful curly extentions and still give yourself scene bangs. If you have coily hair, you can dye one section one color and then dye a smaller section another color. (It sounds ugly, but trust me, it's cute.) And of course, no matter your hair color or texture, you can just shave it off and wear a wig. I promise you that most of the "scene queens" on TikTok are wearing wigs. You can buy a 20 dollar blonde or neon wig from party city and use dry shampoo to remove the plasticky shine. Then, straighten it on low heat, tease and cut layered fringe into it (there are scene/emo hair tutorials on YouTube, the older the better), then make stripes and colored portions with Sharpie marker. Spray it with hairspray if needed and voila, you have somewhat realistic scene hair without having to do ANYTHING to your real hair. (There's also been some discourse when it comes to oversized bows, I've heard. I wouldn't personally wear them, but I don't think they automatically make you a huge poser or anything LMAO)
SUNGLASSES are one of the most overlooked aspects of the scene look. There are only two guidelines when it comes to scene glasses and it is that they're BIG and/or THICK. You can have square "stunner" shades, oversized/colorful aviator glasses, thick "nerd" buddy holly frames, even Sanrio glasses frames can come relatively cheap. Even those shiny neon wraparound glasses can be macgyvered into something scene. You can even use them to help you hold portions of your scene hair in place, along with hairclips!
DO NOT spend all your money bank on HT/alternative stores, Etsy, Depop, or even Amazon before checking off-price or secondhand stores. "My local thrift store/charity shop has nothing good!" You may say. Chances are that your local thrift stores may really be that barren, but I encourage you to look again after reviewing all the other tips in my guide. Even though certain scene items are trending, (Sanrio, pyramid studs, Invader Zim, stripe stockings) I can't imagine I <3 Boobies bracelets, costume jewelry, outdated Impact Font text shirts, or Angry Bird flat-billed hats are particularly popular right now, so feel free to cop them if you see them. I promise you'll find at least ONE \*vaguely\* scene item at a thrift or charity shop. This is the first place I'd check. But if there's nothing there, you will \*definitely\* find scene things at discount shops like Gabe's or Ross. The money you could spend on one belt at HT is money you could use on 5 belts at the thrift shop. Even Party City bling necklaces (>5$) are cheaper than a 30$ custom Etsy bedazzled grenade necklace, even though it's a good thing to support local businesses. Besides, getting *all* of your clothes from HT is really *not* the scene look. In general, scene individuals may have emo influence, but they're not emo. The ratio, in my opinion, of "preppy" to "emo/alternative" clothes/accessories should be 2:1 or more, but that's just my personal preference. Nicer thrift stores or discount shops may have some Aeropostale, Banana Republic, Hollister, or even some old Delia's. It's completely okay to have "normie" or "preppy" clothes in the scene subculture, because scene takes influence from everything and is a little like drag because it takes a "normal" appearance and dials it up to 100, in my opinion. But scene encompasses many different interpretations so don't be afraid to add your own spin. ///^w^///
Learn to DIY. There are some very easy diys you can do at home right now for not that expensive. Get a big ass tub of beads/embellishments from the store for a few dollars and some hot glue. Get some puffy paint for your shirts, belts, or shoes, or cut the fingers off of gloves. IMO repping your favorite music and your silly sense of humor is an ESSENTIAL part of scene, so get some 3$ t-shirts from the thrift and paint or sharpie your favorite bands or slogans onto t shirts. You can stretch your own ears with an 8% kit from the internet. (BE VERY CAREFUL THOUGH!!!!) Scene is a lifestyle along with a fashion style, so take old CDs or DVDs and burn your favorite scene songs or videos on them to watch with your friends. You could even put on a scene show at your school! (But I'm sure some songs are too vulgar to played in front of people's parents, unfortunately!) Starting a scene band is cheap and easy these days with programs like Garageband or Bandlab, and you don't even need to be particularly talented. And it costs zero dollars to go on Spotify to discover old scene/metalcore/crunk/electronicore bands and make nightcores/lyric videos for underrated songs on an old phone. You don't even have to listen to exclusively scene music, espicially since the lines can easily be blurred, and you could argue what genres are and aren't scene. Just look around at old playlists and Myspace archives and find what you like!
Stop taking trouble from anyone!!! I'm being very serious here, there's a lot of scene gatekeepers (some of which are WAY too young and inexperienced to be gatekeeping), but there's also a lot of people who don't like our scene in general. That's ok. Getting other people's approval is not the goal. Scene kids are DGAF, sure, but being rude or catty is NOT a part of the subculture IMO, so if other scene kids are rude, don't listen. Constructive criticism as opposed to just being rude helps our community stay tight knit! Scene kids are social, silly and lives of the party, so you should definitely look around at your school and take stock of other scene kids, if any go. There might even be secret scene kids who listen to the music, go to shows, and live the life but don't even look that way at school! I would hunt around and socialize so you can make new friends you can go to shows with. Learn some cool emoticons or kaomoji to use with your scene friends. Here's a full list!
Drugstore/kid's makeup is not just good, but preferable! I would NEVER, EVER recommend high end makeup to scene kids. Boy or girl, neon colors and jet black smudged eyeliner are important parts of a scene makeup look, which is not what you'll find at high-end makeup stores. Money you spend on skincare or expensive makeup is money you AREN'T spending on shows or band merch, which IMO is #1 priority. Just ditch the concealer (all that hair means nobody will notice your acne anyway, and concealer is really not good for your skin.) If you really want beautiful skin, wear sunscreen instead of foundation! It's cheaper and prevents redness. Plus, high-end eyeshadow comes in "delicate" colors instead of bold scene colors. You can go to Target or Walmart and get a cheap mascara, neon eyeshadow palate, and an eyeliner stick, and that is *all* the base essentials for a scene look. You don't even need to wear mascara! I would recommend ELF makeup because it's cruelty free but also very affordable (we luv those little aminals.) ELF makes great liquid eyeliner sticks, but they have to be replaced often. Good thing they're usually under 10 dollars!
Decorating your room: they sell posters at Walmart, but they tend to be expensive :c you can use old music or skater magazines and just hang up the pages. You can color cartoon coloring books (they tend to be very cheap.) and hang up the pages. They make printable coloring pages online, too. Or, you can take a big sheet of bristol and trace album logos on them with markers to make really adorable posters that look good, but not cheap. If you've gotten to the point where you're getting a new bedspread but don't have a lot of money, they sell very cheap animal print and Sanrio blankets and pillowcases at walmart. Just get two or three throw blankets and it's just as warm and cozy as an expensive bedspread, while being way cheaper >:3. I'd recomend going on Pinterest for bedroom ideas that fit your style.
I might make a part two if i HAVE too, but I think I've covered just about everything =D
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Hello CFB! Welcome to the 2023 Big XII Uniform Season Review! In this historical/bittersweet year, we saw some impressive ball, added four teams, 2 are gearing up to leave, while another 4 are on the way. It’s been wild. We’re all proud of our Big XII teams, let’s check it out.
In this edition of the tracker, we’ll review each team’s different suits, my favorite and least favorite looks (helpfully labeled by Helmet/Jersey/Pants color), and a brief summary of my thoughts moving forward, uniforms and otherwise. And remember, “worst” is not an indicator of being a “bad combo” unless I explicitly say so, and apart from one or two, I’m sure they'll be alright. After that, I’ll give out my favorite content of the season in THE Big 12 2023 Uniform Awards, which will be a hoot. Later on, I’ll rank each team’s uniforms (that sweet offseason content) but for now we’ll get into it.
I’m u/matte_purple, and let's 3,2,1 go!
#3 University of Texas Longhorns(12-2)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/Adp4Tky
Number of Combos: 2 Best: White/Orange/White Worst: White/White/White
The last time UT Football produced a 12-win season and a Big 12 Title was 2009 with QB Colt McCoy. The program is - say it with me everyone! - BACK. From a Big 12 fan perspective, it's a bittersweet. You have a nationally recognized program with wide appeal that had several exciting games, tons of success, a tough but fair path to the Big 12 Championship, and a playoff appearance to show for it. But, they're also leaving for the SEC. It stings. I, for one, am a little sad about them leaving. They have a great roster, Quinn Ewers returning for another round, and a top 10 class on the way. Short of a Natty appearance, this was about everything a UT fan could have wanted. Your only losses being OU and the eventual CFB runner-up? That's a sweet deal. Here’s to your time in the SEC.
Obviously, UT doesn’t switch it up very often (in fact, it's been the same overall template since the 50s). There were a few changes introduced in 2022, notably removing the Longhorn on the collar, as well as the TV numbers on the top of the shoulders. Both design features appeared in 2013, when Texas upgraded to Nike’s Pro Combat Hypercool template. By virtue of my own template, I have to pick my least favorite of the two combos, so I’ll pick the away. The power and recognizability of the burnt orange jersey really does it for me. But of course, both looks are very nice (obviously, otherwise they wouldn't have stayed the same for nearly 75 years). The bold “Texas” on the front, which was first added in 1959, and reappearing in 1983-present, takes the cake. That's it for the Longhorns. What a season, now go kick some SEC butt!
#16 Oklahoma State Cowboys(10-4)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/zBT21Da
Number of Combos: 13 Best: Black/Black/Orange Worst: Orange/White/Black
Roller coaster. Struggles at the start of 2023, including a rotating QB carousel, and hard losses to South Alabama and ISU, put a severe damper on the mood in Stilly. Then followed a domination of some Big 12 heavy hitters - including an excellent Bedlam win - before dropping an inexplicable 45-3 loss to a battered UCF. How do you have so many highs, lows, and nail-biters in a season? Ultimately, HC Mike Gundy, QB Alan Bowman (who will come back for his 7th season!), and game-breaking RB Ollie Gordon II led the Cowboys to a nice season, culminating in a pretty great bowl game, a tough Big 12 champ game, and a build-up to what should be a wild 2024 season. Don’t count out the Pokes, because they’ll still find a way.
The Cowboys did something I did not expect. They refreshed their already incredible uniforms this summer into ones that may not be beat. Oklahoma State always manages to get the balancing act of honoring brand and tradition while also fostering an exciting variety right. My favorite is the Black/Black Orange from Bedlam. It has all of the benefits of a blackout while keeping the sweet splash of orange. It’s mean as hell, gets the color ratio right, and exemplifies the new update really spectacularly. Last on my list was their combo worn against UCF. Not only was it the same combo worn in KSU’s blowout last year, but it was also featured in the disastrous 2023 UCF game. It feels unbalanced for a tricolor, the black weighs it down. It’s a shame that the orange shell helmet has to be put this low, as it’s my favorite Cursive shell. Some of my other favorites from the Cowboys include their all-blacks worn vs UT and KSU, their W/W/O option in Week 2, and their orange suits versus KU. Give them a look!
#15 University of Oklahoma Sooners(10-3)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/Vnt1z8I
Number of Combos: 3 Best: Red/White/White Worst: Gray/Gray/Gray
The other half of the SEC bound duo didn’t fare quite as well as UT, but they still did alright! Obviously, the season was a step up from 2022’s 6-7. HC Venables schemed his way to 80th nationally in total defense and 49th in scoring defense and his youthful team showed great execution in most of their games. QB Gabriel even had a game against WVU where he threw for 5 TDs and ran for 3. That's the real deal. They only lost to OSU, KU, and AZ, which were all great teams this season. They are in a great position heading into the SEC, and are slated to play some very tough teams next year. I’m going to miss OU, just like Texas. I have enjoyed KSU and OU’s recent history, but seriously, good luck in the SEC, Sooners.
Uniform-wise, this year was actually rather similar to last year for the sooners. The last time OU updated their suits - even in a minor fashion - was 2018 in their move to the Jordan brand. They also filled out the OU logo on top and changed the font on the “Sooners” up front. The anthracite uniform was released last year and was the only alternate worn this year, so overall it was a fairly pedestrian season for uniforms. My favorite of the three was the away look, simply for the fact that the home uniform has many similar looks across the nation. The white has a little bit more originality, it’s got a nice bit of color, and really pops against the home team. Since I have to pick a “least favorite,” I went with the “Unity” uniforms. I actually like it a lot. I think the color is great, and the story is even better. They honor OU alum Prentice Gautt, the first Black scholarship player for the Sooners, starring as a RB from 1957 to '59. And he played in the NFL! The anthracite uniforms sport the word "unity" on the nameplate, with "together" sewn on the collar. Also featured is the OK state outline on the pauldrons. I especially love that. But the stripe down the helmet doesn’t match the other stripes on the shoulders/pants, and it looks like there were a few helmets that were painted matte, not glossy, so it finds itself in my least favorite OU uniform of the year. Maybe we’ll see more alternates in the SEC? I’m just glad we didn’t get the “Lay Down the Wood” alternates this season.
#18 Kansas State University Wildcats (9-4)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/FlLUvZm
Number of Combos: 2 Best: SilveWhite/Silver Worst: SilvePurple/White
Should this season feel like a disappointment for Wildcat fans? It’s hard to say. They had some VERY good games that went close. The Missouri game was lost thanks to a SEC record-breaking 61-yd FG, OSU was a weird case of black magic in Stilly, and their UT game was lost thanks to some odd OT play-calling and crucial special teams errors. Change around some possessions and you would have had a hell of a season. Sprinkle in some magic from true-freshman QB Avery Johnson (5 rushing TDs against TTU - the first to do it in the Big XII since Collin Klein in 2012 - and an efficient Pop-Tart MVP Bowl showing), and QB Will Howard, who led K-State to a wild 246-72 against losing opponents at home and broke KSU’s passing TD record. The lone loss at home was to ISU in a snowy version of Farmageddon. Some staff turnover, QB Will Howard leaving for Ohio State, and some tough NFL Draft and transfer exits will make things hard, but remember, they still have a great RB in Giddens, good WR transfers, proven QB Avery Johnson, and former TTU coach Matt Wells to work as OC. Weird, but still good, season for the ‘Cats.
Well, it’s another average year for the ‘Cats. K-State wore 3 combos last year and cut out their one alt this year. Just like UT, KSU has a style, and they stick to it. Bill Snyder introduced this look in ‘89, his first season at KSU. He threw in a helmet for military appreciation three times, but that’s it. HC Chris Klieman and his EQ team have maintained much of the same idea, only releasing alternates 2 times in his 5 years (changing silver to white twice doesn't really count in my book). That could change with a renewed Nike contract though. He’s been quoted as saying they can “start exploring those options” earlier this year. Just like last year, I chose the away look as my favorite because it looks so good against most every home uniform out there. I mean, take a look at that OSU vs K-State look? Or vs KU’s black alt? That silver shines nice above the white. The home is definitely good as well, just not quite as dashing. From here on out, we get lots more variety in our teams!
West Virginia University Mountaineers (9-4)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/h4SHYPS
Number of Combos: 11 Best: Blue/Yellow/Blue Worst: Yellow/Yellow/Yellow
One of the most surprising Big 12 teams in 2023. Just months after Neal Brown rumors swirled, QB JT Daniels transferred, and hope seemed lost, they rose up and made a pretty great run. WVU was slotted at the bottom of the preseason poll, and they took that personally. QB Garret Greene was promoted to starter, the defense survived some tough injuries, and RB Jahiem White emerged, who will no doubt become a big part of the offense moving on. WVU closed out the season winning ⅘ games, losing to OK-State, OU, Penn, and a miraculous Hail Mary from Houston. Closing out the season with Neal Brown covered in Mayo with 9 wins is a lot better than what many Big 12 fans expected. They are riding high into the offseason!
WVU really knocked it out of the park. They only had a few looks that I thought were okay. For the most part, every look they wore had a lot of style. My least favorite were the “Gold-Rush” uniforms, simply because it’s so yellow. I think they tend to be most fans' least favorite. My favorite was the new version of the “Country Roads” suit introduced vs Pitt last year. While that version was primarily white, this year’s was a beautiful home variety that was perfect for the Backyard Brawl. It was also worn against UNC to great effect. The sublimated road map, the state outline logo with the Flying WV on the inside, the consistent striping on the helmet and pants, all topped off by the “Mountaineers” on the chest. This isn’t as retro as, say, the new OK-State suits or Texas Tech throwbacks, but they aren’t meant to be. It’s modern without looking corporate, and feels genuine. It's a sleek way to end their uniform year. Other stars include their standard home outfit of B/B/Y and my favorite away look, their W/W/B with the state-outlined flying WV on the helm from Week 5.
#23 University of Kansas Jayhawks(9-4)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/JamagD0
Number of Combos: 12 Best: Blue/Blue/Red Worst: Blue/Red/Blue
The last two seasons of KU football have been the best since 2007. HC Lance Liepold inherited a demoralized program after Les Miles was removed, but he’s turned it into something promising. They finished the season ranked for the first time in 16 years, and finished with a winning record and bowl victory for the first time in 15. KU opened the season with four wins, upset #6 OU in an instant classic, and won a bowl game against UNLV. Aside from a weird loss to TTU, a heartbreaker against KSU, and “normal” losses to UT and OK-State, KU continues to be a rising star. With new uniforms and alts, competitive Ws and Ls, a new stadium coming soon, and some star talent, this team is a phoenix. I’m excited to see what happens next year! This is about as nice as I can be to KU, so moving on!
The Jayhawks were one of three Big 12 schools that updated their uniforms over the summer. And to wide acclaim, I might add. It’s clean and cohesive, and the “Kansas” wordmark projects a confidence that was severely lacking with the old look. The “KU” letter logo is thankfully going away. It was only worn once last year and zero times this year. The shoulder stripes outlined in red is another great touch. Speaking of Trajan font, it’s the main reason I picked the Blue/Red/Blue as my least favorite combo. First, why would you continue to use an “outdated” jersey when you have a revamped blue jersey? It just reminds fans of the old KU. Second, why did they decide to wear primarily red against TTU? The whole combo reminded me of 3D glasses, and just felt disjointed. The B/B/R combo vs UCF was actually my favorite. It got the ratio of blue-red right, with the facemask tying the pants and the shoulder stripes together. No stripes on the helmet helps, too. My 2nd favorite was the all-white worn against Nevada in Week 3. It’s beautiful (and the winning combo I chose last year). The stripes on the helmet not matching the rest of the design puts it down one peg. Their blackout suits will definitely make an appearance in the Uniform Awards, so stay tuned.
Iowa State University Cyclones (7-6)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/OUycgfa
Number of Combos: 8 Best: White/White/Red Worst: Red/Red/Red
With six winning seasons in seven years, ISU under Campbell is having its best years since the 1910s. They bounced back from some gambling scandal news, ended with high performing and record setting play by QB Rocco Becht, four-straight road W’s - a school record - and 21 underclassmen and six true freshmen making big plays this season. Aside from some head-scratching losses to Ohio, Memphis, and Iowa, the others were competitive and fun (especially that Farmageddon game, right Cyclones?) I look forward to seeing their path in the new Big 12!
This was ISU’s most ambitious uniform year since their 2018 refresh. Apart from “blackout madness” that was the year 2020 for the ‘Clones, we saw lots of new ideas here, including two alt helmets. Their new black and cardinal helmet was worn twice in 2018 and once in 2019 before returning in Week 12 of 2023. I personally like it way more than the black/white Block I helmets (my main gripe with the blackouts is the lack of cardinal accents). But the next suit was BEAUTIFUL. The Jack Trice throwback featuring the chevrons that Trice and his team wore in 1923 was executed well, and brought us the best helmet they’ve worn since 1994 and 2007. The Ames helmet is simple and a beauty. Sure, this suit isn’t the sleekest alternate uniform out there. But the legacy, and history more than make up for the slightly odd tan pants look. My subjective best look is certainly that White/White/Red look worn against BU in Week 9. If ISU is going to continue to use the Block I logo, they may as well put it on a helmet that pops, and the cardinal accents paired with the bold pants looks smooth. Their worst - IMO - was the all-red suit worn in the bowl. It’s just so much red. Hot colors all in one big block looks clunky without suitable accents, and a primarily red logo doesn't stand out. Perfect time to add a vintage more yellow logo to the helm, perhaps? Overall felt like a sweet spot season with good throwbacks, fun spins on the regulars, and a perfect use of the black uniforms.
Texas Tech University Red Raiders (7-6)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/kRrjnXk
Number of Combos: 10 Best: Black/Black/Black Worst: Red/White/Red
The much hyped Red Raiders had a tough year. 2016 with Mahomes was the last time a TTU QB has started every season game. 2023 QB Tyler Shough suffered a broken leg in the season’s first Big 12 game. The injuries were tough for TTU through 2023, but to have to play three different QBs for several consecutive years is the equivalent of a dead man’s hand in modern CFB. Apart from the QB heartbreak, I think Tech finished strong in Nov. for Joey McGuire’s 2nd year. We saw some needed maturation from both QB Behren Morton and OC Zack Kittley. We saw some promising snaps from young guys, which will be important with some big seniority turnover on the sideline. Add on a top 25 recruiting class for 2024, and there is still plenty of reason to be optimistic for 2024. Hopefully the witch doctor in charge of the QBs can stop messing around. A disappointing season for TTU, but it may set up the pieces for something great.
I found myself looking ahead to the 2024 Adidas refresh during many weekends of the tracker. Not to say that TTU’s current closet is bad, it’s just lacking. We’ve seen what a great update can do for KU and OK-State, and Texas Tech deserves it. They struck gold in 2022 with their throwbacks (including this year’s 1978 throwback in Week 3), but we really need a clean slate. Luckily, the Adidas x Mahomes deal can swoop in and save TTU from the odd dual-tone stripes on the pants, chevron shoulder stripe, and small font on the chest. My standouts on the season were the Black/Red/Black combos worn 3 times this season, the 1978 look, and my top choice, the blackout worn against KSU in Week 7. All-black looks great when it’s actually a school color, and the red and white feels punchy on a black canvas. I’m excited to see it redone next season! My least favorite was the Red/White/Red worn against WVU’s all-yellow. The yellow did it no favors, but the Double T logo is literally 99% red. Putting it on a red helmet just isn’t right. It was the only time red helmets were worn this season. Keep your chin up, Tech fans. We’ll get through it!
University of Central Florida Knights (6-7)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/gYErwiN
Number of Combos: 11 Best: White/Blue/Blue Worst: Gold/White/Black
By far the most successful of the new four, they had a rocky season as well. After a steady non-con, they suffered loss after loss until the UC game, and then a magical blowout upset at home against Bedlam-winning OSU. They then suffered two more losses, including a one against GT in their bowl. Not a horrible start to their Big 12 career, but there’s lots to improve. Helping in the offseason are returning stars RJ Harvey, one of the better RBs in the Big 12, and WR Javon Baker, both important cogs in the UCF siege engine. They'll have a busy off-season in Orlando, but in Gus we Trust!
One thing that always rubs me the wrong way in most teams are “tri-color” or “mismatched” looks.Teams usually look best with some symmetry or majority color to them. The one exception to the rule is UCF. When your colors are all “intermediate” like white, gold, or black, as opposed to teams with bolder colors, you can squeak over the line. UCF wore a tri-color three times and looked decent in all of them. The mismatched lightmode suit versus Cincy in Week 10 was the only one I didn’t care for, due to the odd font style. The lightmode concept worked okay when paired with all white and similar accents, but it just looks cobbled together when pieced with other templates. Their best combo is, of course, the Space U game combo. The specialty suit has a unique shock of canaveral blue, a fantastic new helmet, and tons of Easter eggs and fun design choices make this one a treat. I’ll talk about it more in both the uniform awards and the UCF uniform ranker that will come later in the offseason, but just know I absolutely adore it. My favorite non-alternates are the White/Black/White combo worn in Week 9 against WVU and the all-black stunner with the alternate knight logo worn vs Houston.
Texas Christian University Horned Frogs (5-7)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/1WgQy8H
Number of Combos: 12 Best: White/White/White Worst: White/White/Black
What a fall from grace for the Horned Frogs. After being America’s darling in the last months of the 2022 season, they won only 3 Big 12 games. Their DC was let go, OC Briles felt inconsistent, and a few hopeful NFL departing draftees makes for an interesting off-season. The team failed to qualify for a bowl game, marking the first time since 2010 that a team who reached the CFP Title game failed to earn bowl eligibility the following season. On the bright side, redshirt Freshman QB Josh Hoover has some promise. The youth of the team as a whole has promise. Once he gets more experience and competition with Morris coming back in the spring and can get better at ball protection, I think there’s some opportunity for a higher ranking. Plus, TCU has a record of 53-11 following a losing season, so history is on their side!
TCU carried over 4 combos from the 2022 season, including the all-white combo that is definitely my favorite uniform of their season. But for the most part, aside from the bright spots of the new “frog-only” logo helmets and some novel new combos (like the all-purple, White/Black/Black, and Purple/Black/Purple), the season felt like a tad downgrade over last year’s uniforms. I can’t put a pin on it. But in my opinion, TCU looks great in black with purple accents. The inverse just feels off. The exceptions are the all-white and the White/Purple/White worn vs CU. My least favorite combo (W/W/B at K-State) really felt bland. The plain black pants make me sad when added to the white canvas. They throw off the rest of the suit balance wise, especially considering the only other black on the suit are like 3 of the collar’s diamonds. This suit could have really raised some eyebrows with a black helmet, or another all-white rendition. Slightly worse than last year, but I still really enjoy the variety from the ‘Frogs.
Brigham Young University Cougars (5-7)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/Vl4CqIL
Number of Combos: 11 Best: White/Royal/White Worst: Black/Black/Black
There was a lot of hype for BYU’s inaugural Big 12 season. The Cougars waited 12 years for an invite since going Independent from the Mountain West. Behind transfer QB Kedon Slovis, the Cougars were able to go undefeated in their non-conference play, highlighted by an exciting road win over Arkansas. And then reality struck. They won against Cincinnati in their conference home opener, and Texas Tech in a home night game, but lost every game afterwards. They had very real chances to knock off Oklahoma and Oklahoma State (in 2OT) at the end of the season, but couldn’t finish. A tough time full of questions for BYU, but I think the most glaring issue is a lack of experience in this conference. With some playing time, both coaches and players alike WILL be better next year.
BYU does the whole tradition thing very similar to K-State, Texas, and OU, with the only variety being the colors. All of these looks - except for the black uniforms they introduced this year - feel very traditional and classic. In fact, I’d bet you could show any one of the royal or navy combos to a non-football fan and convince them they were the preeminent BYU look. But one of them takes the cake: The White/Royal/White combo dates back to 1969, was worn by BYU in their 1984 national title season, and were brought back to wide acclaim in 2009. They have been worn frequently ever since. And boy, is there a reason for it. The beautiful color, the symmetry, the consistent striping, the iconic logo, this is the one. I love variety in uniforms, but this one should be celebrated. I also really enjoyed their Navy/White/Navy and even their all-navy look. Their worst look, as mentioned before, is the all-black. Why? Simple: Black is not a BYU color. I know the age of “Black for Black’s Sake” uniforms never really went away, as shown by Houston, KU, and a few other alternates in CFB, but it feels especially egregious here. BYU has an absolutely gorgeous color palette, and instead of leading with royal, they made it a secondary color. Plus, why on earth wasn’t the Stretch Y logo royal? The uniform itself is fine, but it just isn’t “BYU.”
University of Houston Cougars (4-8)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/N2AevXy
Number of Combos: 9 Best: White/Blue/White - Oilers Worst: Red/Red/Red
There were glimmers of hope for this Houston team throughout the season, winning games vs UTSA and Sam Houston, grabbing a surprise win against WVU, and winning in OT vs Baylor. Other than those scant few victories, it was a rough one for the Coogs (luckily, basketball is soothing some of those burns).Dana Holgerson continues to be a tough case. We’ll see how they recover next season.
Houston has always struck me as a team that didn’t really mind what they wore from game to game. Most of their combos feel standard, a little plain. They don’t have that much of a logo history to fall on, their color scheme is pretty regular, and usually, their alternate attempts are different varieties of black. That changed this season with the introduction of their Oilers-inspired suits. It’s historical. It looks incredible. The striping and coloration is PERFECT. Their look is a tribute to the rich history of a football-mad city, not a reminder of a franchise leaving a fan base behind. It's a shame the No Fun League issued a cease and desist to Houston for the color scheme (even though Rice also has an Oilers “throwback” that didn’t get in trouble). I really hope these come back. My least favorite look, much like Iowa State, is that all red look. It’s so bold and there’s no break in color. It’s compounded by the monogram logo and odd leg stripes. These uniforms feel like the other side of the BYU combo coin in a lot of ways, with one major color, all very “Houston” like, but without the history or magic of the royal blue. Maybe we’ll see another surprise like the Oilers look next year.
Baylor University Bears (3-9)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/b1ZMIR4
Number of Combos: 9 Best: Yellow/Yellow/Green Worst: Yellow/White/Yellow
The skid continues for Baylor. Two years removed from the Big 12 championship, Baylor does not look good. HC Dave Aranda is 23-25 in his fourth year in Waco, with a wide margin between his best and worst moments. The Bears had wins against Long Island University, Cincinnati and a miraculous comeback versus UCF, which is pretty slim pickings. Coupled with some heartbreaking losses, it wasn't the year to be in the Baylor line. At least the only way forward for the Bears is up. The Bears have a surprising 2024 class but still feel enigmatic.
Last year, Baylor fans consistently echoed a need for variety in their uniforms. The only time an article of yellow clothing was worn in the 2022 season was the all-yellow suits, which is a WILD fact. The whole premise of the 2019 update was interchangeability, and it was finally utilized here. This year was a breath of fresh air. They introduced three new combos, one of which was my favorite for the season. The Yellow/Yellow/Green combo was worn in Week 1 and Week 13 (A perfect beginning and end to the season - uniform wise, that is). They totally flipped the script on combos and made me a very happy uniform tracker. These have the perfect ratio of green to yellow while maintaining a nice simplicity. These are wonderful! My least favorite was also a brand-new combo: The Yellow/White/Yellow. It starred in what looked like a football acid trip on the TV vs TCU’s “Blood Red” threads, and I just don’t really like these. The green collar especially bugs me. I know these uniforms were much anticipated by the fanbase, and I wanted to see them, too, but the timing and the way the format just doesn't match up with this particular combo irks me. Almost every other combo is a win for me. Next year, more variety and logos would be a very welcome addition. After all, there’s 27 possible combos with their current wardrobe, and more when you add alternate helmets and such. This is probably one of the most improved teams uniform-wise in the Big 12.
University of Cincinnati Bearcats(3-9)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/gKXdRQW
Number of Combos: 11 Best: Black/Black/Red Worst: Red/White/White
A rough entry for the Bearcats, in large part due to mediocre QB play from Emory Jones and a rocky first season for HC Scott Satterfield. In the end, it was just poor timing for both realignment and signing a new coach. Facing brand new teams is a tough pill by itself. The Bearcats won their first two non-con games against EKU and Pitt before promptly dropping 7 games in a row. Their sole Big 12 win came against Houston. And hey, just like BU, there’s no other way but up for Cincy.
The Bearcats were the last Big 12 squad to get new uniforms this summer. And yeah, they look pretty plain, but it works for them! It allows for a sleek, versatile look where each piece can be subbed out for another with little fuss. The only problem with that is this: Cincinnati definitely has a signature look. The all-black or black with red accents is the primo Bearcats style. This means that red jerseys and helmets kind of feel odd. Case in point, the worst look. The Red/White/White uniform has such promise. The helmet has some sort of unique paint on it that makes it seem almost velvety. But something about this look just feels wrong to me. I can’t pinpoint it. Anyway, my favorite look from them is the Black/Black/Red from Week 4 vs OU. Man, I guess red is a good pants color. It provides the right punch of color to a uniform without offsetting the balance of it and works great as a secondary color. Both these and KU, same story. Both of them went through the same simplification process this summer. Also, the C-Paw logo being scattered abundantly really helps out, as it’s the most recognizable symbol UC has. It's a good, clean look with the right pop of color. What else can I say? A good job uniform wise for Cincy. Maybe not award-winning, but stylish - if conventional.
Now, let's check out our Four Corners friends, joining in this summer!
University of Arizona Wildcats (10-3)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/m6CGYB5
Number of Combos: 8 Best: White/Blue/White Worst: White/Red/Red
What a surprising year for the Wildcats! After finishing 1-11 just two years ago, the Wildcats ended their season with a victory in their first bowl appearance since 2017 before heading to the Big 12. Their record included some very impressive wins against ranked teams like Washington State, Oregon State, UCLA and Utah. If one possession would have changed, they could have grabbed ranked wins against USC and Washington as well. Arizona was a giant slayer this year. I’m a little scared to see them in the Big 12. Fifita the breakout QB star and a large upperclassmen squad is back for 2023, and I think new hire Brennan can bridge the gap by riding momentum, while adding in some hires like former UNM/ASU (he he) coach Danny Gonzales for support. Bear down!
Arizona’s uniforms are a brilliant revitalization of the uniforms worn in the Dick Tomey era of football. In 1987, Tomey became head coach at Arizona, earning Pac-10 "Coach of the Year" honors in 1992. He coached five future NFL first-round draft picks, 20 All-Americans, and 43 Pac-10 first team players. His teams were highlighted by a tenacious "Desert Swarm" defense, where the uniform name comes from. His 95 school wins is the most in Arizona school history. These particular suits were introduced as alternates in 2019 after the Wildcats experimented from 2012 on with gradients. They were updated full time in 2021 to great applause. It’s timeless! And that goes for each variation of them. For the most part they remain consistent with the mismatched stripes, white “A” helmet, and sleek template. Aside from the stripes on the white uniform not being “mismatched” like the White/Blue/White uniform (my favorite, by the way), I feel great about each uniform worn, except for one. Much like other teams with a red secondary color, the red uniforms are a lot. It’s manageable with just one piece of red, but it feels like a lot even with the striping. Beautiful work still, and unique!
University of Utah Utes (8-5)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/ZEWfa7f
Number of Combos: 10 Best: White/White/White Worst: Black/White/Black
Utah had a bad case of the injury blues. TE Brant Kuithe and tailback Micah Bernard were both tough losses. QB Cam Rising was banged up bad during the 2022 Rose Bowl. The sixth-year senior hoped to return at some point in 2023 but was unable to do so. With a medical redshirt in hand, he has an opportunity to carry Utah to great things. Hopefully the transfer and recruiting trail can help the Utes, though: 4 sophomores and one freshman started on the offensive line in the bowl game. Jackson, the team's leading rusher with 797 yds, entered the transfer portal, as did backup QBs Barnes and Johnson. Three starters will have to be replaced in the secondary. The Utes have talked up some serious game, but they can certainly rise to the challenge. After all, Kyle Whittingham and his entire Utah program boast an 8-5 record in a “down” year. Also, I am VERY excited to see a Big 12 rendition of the Holy War.
I hadn’t done much research on the Ute’s uniforms before this season, and I was very pleasantly surprised. Utah has some of the nicer Under Armour templates I’ve ever seen. Updated in 2017, they go toe-to-toe with many other “updates” from the time period. Mainly, this is due to the no-nonsense and unique striping on the shoulders, the pleasing and easy to work with color scheme, and the easy font. The chest plate gets a little busy with the captain's patch, bowl patch, “UTAH” wordmark, and UA logo, but that's the only real issue I have. My favorite look by far is their all-white throwbacks worn in Week 8 and 11. They draw from various designs, including 1970s-1990s shoulder stripes, the interlocking UU logo from the 1960s, and - my favorite touch - the unique font from the 1970s. These are incredibly sexy. Other standouts are the home throwbacks worn in Week 4, the Ute Proud suits from Week 7, and their all blacks worn against ASU. But their home suits are excellent as well! I would put their Red/White/Red standard right at 4th on the season. The Black/White/Black suit just didn’t tickle my fancy. I think the gray stands out in it, which feels a little disjointed. But it’s still a pretty great suit. Damn good work from Utah. Keep an eye out for them in the Uniform Awards.
University of Colorado Buffaloes (4-8)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/7SCSU5A
Number of Combos: 12 Best: White/White/White Worst: Black/White/Gold
Coach Prime dragged his team to the finish line, ending with a final record of 4-8. The Buffaloes went 1-8 in Pac-12 play and ended the season with six consecutive losses. While it was a tough way to end Colorado's Pac-12 time, the finale at least provided some positives. Two-way star Travis Hunter has solidified himself as a great talent, the Sanders brothers will go back in action next year (assuming there aren’t too many fashion shows during the football season), and RB Dylan Edwards had a few grand slam runs that could lead to even more growth. They have a season under their belt and undeniable hype building for their Big 12 return. I’m excited to have K-State play against them this year!
Similar to TTU, I found myself anxious for the next rendition of CU’s uniforms that Deion said would come in 2024. They still wore some heaters, especially the Gold/Black/Gold (TBT the 1990 Colorado squad) and my favorite look, the all-white smoke show from Week 1. What is there to say? This is the perfect mix of gold leaf and black. The all-white field against TCU’s purple is gorgeous. I think this combo has the best flow in the line-up. My issue with CU’s uniforms this season stems from a lack of standardization. It felt like there were lots of uniforms from various years being thrown around. We know Coach Prime wants to add bling with the gold leaf/chrome, but it felt jarring throwing in a new helmet to a clearly older design sometimes. Look through the album to see what I’m talking about. My least favorite is the Black/White/Gold worn in Week 13. Tri-colors don’t do it for me. The different shades of gold make this feel way too jumbled. Which is your favorite?
Arizona State University Sun Devils (3-9)
Season Gallery Link: https://imgur.com/a/eXCLv20
Number of Combos: 12 Best: Yellow/Maroon/Yellow - Sparky Worst: Maroon/Black/Black
ASU had one non-con win and 2 PAC-12 wins. But they were still an enjoyable team to watch! There were 3 incredibly close losses where Arizona State looked like a team that could blow things up! I’m excited to see where first year HC Kenny Dillingham takes the program, and they have some very fun games versus Texas State and Wyoming in 2024’s non-con, and - selfishly - I am very excited to see them against the Wildcats. Lots to do in the offseason and a tough schedule ahead make for a busy Sun Devil crew. Watch out for sunburn, Big 12 bros!
What a stylish season for ASU. For the first time in 5 years, ASU had a white helmet option to go along with the gold and maroon. My least favorite suit was a product of the ASU’s earlier uniform refresh worn in Week 2 against Oklahoma State. It’s an older suit, has that knit sweater look (which some people love, but I don’t). The color scheme would have looked great using the new suits. I do like the Arizona Flag design on the chest though, it’s one of the things I missed about the new template. Speaking of the new template, it’s a sleeker design. They removed the large subliminal flag on the chest, most of the striping, and much of the other chest clutter. They added a large pitchfork on the leg (a move I go back and forth on), but the whole refresh seemed to have “simplify” in mind. Which works great! ASU is known best for its color scheme. That’s why my favorite suit works so well. Yellow/Maroon/Yellow, sparky on the lid. A great color combo that really just feels like the Sun Devils. The simplified uniform really does great. My second pick has to be the White/White/White, utilizing the sweet new white shell, and my third pick is probably between the White/White/Maroon suit worn in Week 5 and their “Ghost Story” uniform from Week 9. The black/yellow and white all combine for a fantastic alternative. Not very valuable as an every-day wear, but a nice suit for special occasions. The black pitchfork looks exemplary, and you can really see the Arizona flag on the side of these.
Well, everyone! That’s it! I can’t believe the 2023 season is over. 18 damn teams’ seasons and uniforms reviewed. I hope you had as much fun as I did! I want to thank u/CockADoodleBOOM and u/holytrolly_ for providing me inspiration. I appreciate the opportunity to continue the tracker, and I'm excited to again next year! Over the offseason, I’ll post a team specific uniform ranking, as well my “2023 Uniform Awards” sometime soon. If you have any questions about the tracker or a team, feel free to PM or comment, and leave an upvote! I appreciate every single one of you, from the constant commenters to the casual lurkers. Until next season, in America’s most exciting football conference!

Today it's an open secret that virality has risen to be a key factor of success. Artists like Drake, Central Cee, and Lil Nas X are only the tip of the iceberg in fact, as they demonstrate the power of mastering virality to boost one's career.
In this article I'll share with you real examples from global artists and then you'll get a blueprint how you can apply this methods into your own business.
I have tried to make them as concise as possible without leaving out any important details.
Let's start with the huge one.

The Viral Trendsetter (Drake)

Drake's approach to achieving and maintaining a dominant presence in the music industry through virality is unique. He intuitively understands audience trends and knows how to make his work go viral. That's why people always talk about him.
Here's his strategy:

1. Keep It Simple With his album "If You're Reading This It's Too Late," Drake showed that simplicity in marketing can be powerful. The unique font on the cover art sparked a meme frenzy, leading to viral success and record-breaking streams on Spotify.
2. Embrace the Corny Drake's "Hotline Bling" broke the mold with its pop sound and unforgettable dance moves. This approach proved that being relatable, even a bit corny, can resonate with a wide audience, making the song one of his biggest hits.
3. Create Meme's For "Certified Lover Boy," Drake utilized meme-able cover art and unique billboards, capturing fan attention. Even his heart-shaped haircut became a promotional tool, with fans imitating the style.
4. Controversial yet Creative Tactics The rollout of "Her Loss," a collaboration with 21 Savage, included fake promotional stunts like a spoof Vogue cover and a mock NPR Tiny Desk performance. These controversial yet creative tactics kept people talking and increased the project's visibility.
5. Smart Advertising I've decided to make it a separate item on this list. Drake's famous "Drake's Curse" is one of the most ingenious things he's ever done to get people talking about him. I wouldn't be surprised if it was all planned. Just think about it, he bet $500,000 dollars and the whole world is already talking about him. That amount of money isn't that much for him, but when you consider how many people will be talking about him, it's a really good PR tool.

So as you can see, Drake is very good at being viral. And the mix of his talent and his marketing abilities that what makes him so populat and unique.

Crafting Viral Sounds and Visuals (Central Cee)

Central Cee's rise in the UK rap scene demonstrates the power of standing out and using visual storytelling. His viral strategy includes:

1. Changing Genres for Uniqueness Central Cee started with typical rap and auto-tune but quickly realized the need to stand out. He switched to a different style, adopting a unique drill sound that set his music apart. His first viral hit, "Day in the Life," showcased this new direction.
2. Quotable Lyrics for Social Media He crafted lyrics that were not only deep but also catchy and easy to remember, perfect for sharing on platforms like TikTok. This strategy helped him gain significant traction on social media.
3. Investing in Quality Visuals Early on, his music videos were pretty standard. But he upped his game with "Day in the Life," creating more engaging and high-quality videos. This shift proved that great visuals could significantly enhance a song's appeal. As wee see, it pays out very well right now.
4. Clever Marketing Tactics He's a strategic marketer. For "Doja," he used multiple angles – from referencing a popular artist (Doja Cat) to sampling a well-known early 2000s hit. He even dropped a controversial radio edit, sparking more online buzz.

Central Cee's approach demonstrates the power of thinking outside the box in marketing. These small adjustments are what make him stand out.

From Tweets to Triumph (Lil Nas X)

This one is one my favourite.
Lil Nas X's transition from a Twitter personality to a global music star highlights the importance of strategic social media use and understanding viral trends:

1. Building a Following on Twitter Instead of making lots of music, Lil Nas X focused on growing his Twitter audience with memes. He quickly gained 30,000 followers, setting the stage for his music promotion.
2. A Creative Approach to Music Promotion Realizing that direct music promotion wasn't working, he wrote a song that could be promoted through memes. "Old Town Road" was born - short, catchy, and funny.
3. Viral Success with "Old Town Road" Pairing the song with a video of a dancing cowboy, he hit viral gold. The strategy? Short videos with "Old Town Road" playing, leading viewers to the full song.
4. Conquering Charts with Strategy Lil Nas X cleverly listed "Old Town Road" as a country song on Billboard, knowing the charts were less competitive. The song's removal from the charts only fueled its popularity, eventually hitting No. 1.
5. Remixes for Record-Breaking Success He didn't stop there. Remixes with big stars kept the song climbing, thanks to Billboard's policy of counting remix plays towards the original song's chart position.

As a result, in just five months, Lil Nas X went from a negative bank balance to breaking Mariah Carey’s record for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1. Isn't it beautiful?

How we can use it

My takeaway from it is about how to make your marketing campaign go viral:

1. Memorable In order to go viral, people have to be able to remember your marketing campaign. So make it as simple as possible, but without leaving out any important details. The mechanism of the marketing campaign itself may be complex, but what people see should be as simplistic and memorable as possible. For examples, you can use a simple slogan that rhymes.
2. Uniqueness There are a lot of competitors, no matter if you are a musician or a startup. The only thing that can make people notice you among others is to be unique. But be careful, too much uniqueness scares people away. I usually think of it as Paretto's law - 80% should be known to the audience, and 20% should be something that helps you stand out.
3. Win-win A good strategy for winning is to help your competitors win. By competitors, I mean those who have the same audience you are targeting. Look at what Central Cee did by referencing Doja Cat. It helped him attract a new audience, but at the same time he did free advertising for Doja Cat. So, first, think about who is your ideal audience, second, who has that audience, and then what can I do to achieve mutually beneficial results.
4. Think out of box Remember that if you do what everyone else is doing, you will become just like everyone else. If you want to stand out, do things that stand out. I'm not saying you should put $500,000 dollars on a fighter. But try to see new opportunities. First look for what's new in your product, then look for what's new in your niche, then look for what's new in the market as a whole, and so on.

The experience of Drake, Central Cee and Lil Nas X shows that virality in the music industry is no accident. And it's one of the best tools for any marketing campaign to achieve rapid growth like Lil Nas X did.
P.S. Thanks for reading. I didn't write a lengthy longread, I tried to shorten it so that it retained all the useful information. Let me know if it'd be better to make longer articles
P.P.S. In fact, I have 100+ of these marketing articles that I wrote for my newsletter for a Russian audience. So if there are enough upvotes here, I will share these articles every day.
P.P.P.S. BTW, how to add images here on this Reddit? I'm a newbie here haha

En 2003 j'avais lu ce texte sur un forum. Je n'ai pas pu retrouver l'original mais j'en avais heureusement conservé une copie que je viens de retrouver. Si l'auteur se reconnait, merci à toi.
[Edit] Comme ça n'est apparemment pas suffisamment clair, ce texte n'est pas de moi et il a plus de 20 ans. Je préfère le partager dans son intégralité par honnêteté même si je n'apprécie pas forcément le ton de l'intro. C'est grace à lui que j'ai à l'époque découvert MF Doom, La Rumeur, Antipop Consortium, Root Manuva, Lewis Parker, Anticon et bien d'autres.
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Voilà quelques temps, je voyais pour la première fois à la télé la publicité pour la compilation "Hip-Hop Masters" sur M6, et je me vomissais littéralement dessus. Il y a des choses qui aujourd'hui ne sont plus acceptables.
Que 90% des jeunes prennent le rap pour une mode sans histoire et un complément branché au neo-metal, passe encore. Que Skyrock en France décrédibilise une culture qui a vingt-cinq ans d'âge en la diluant dans du R'n'B de trous du cul et en en faisant une musique d'analphabètes, passe encore. Qu'aux USA le monopole MTVisé soit aux pires ratés de la création, simples fac-similés de Britney Spears en baggy et tous coupables de dix meurtres chacun, passe encore. Que le grand-public se partage entre suceurs endoctrinés de rap variétoche en provenance directe de Pinder et arriérés convaincus de la bestialité et du caractère anti-artistique du rap, passe encore. Que le rap soit constamment associé à cette infection généralisée qu'est le R'n'B, oublions. Que le rap soit constamment prostitué par des rappeurs rebelles et PDG qui se turlutent mutuellement avec Pascal Nègre, qu'il en soit ainsi. Que le rap passe pour un mouvement récent aussi authentique que la dance du fait de la manipulation médiatique internationale et de la collaboration honteuse de pas mal de ses acteurs, ça va. Que le rap soit continuellement identifié aux abrutis défilant dans les rues avec des t-shirts 2Pac et répétant en choeur "C'est trop de la balle !", faisons-en abstraction. Que la plupart de ceux qui disent "Trop kiffer le rap qui déchire trop sa mère !" ne kiffent en fait qu'une pop aseptisée soutenue par les majors et en totale contradiction avec le hip-hop, soit.
Mais avec "Hip-Hop Masters", un nouveau pas dans le mensonge et le détournement commercial de l'Histoire vient d'être franchi.
La compilation, bien évidemment balancée à la Fnac par des requins et le service marketing de Skyrock ose s'auto-intituler anthologie complète de l'histoire du hip-hop alors qu'elle ne propose que des titres récents et à la mode de faux-cul tels que Snoop Doggy Dog ou Notorious BIG. En plus de l'énième insulte à cette culture issue d'un contexte socio-politique bien particulier, la lutte afro-américaine, que constitue ce torchon de cd à la solde des majors, cette abomination qui sera best-seller va une nouvelle fois servir de grand socle de désinformation et convaincre toute une jeunesse ignare que le rap est né en 1997 et qu'il se limite à Eminem et MTV. Ce que 85% de ceux qui se disent fans de rap croient déjà en France.
Alors je dis stop. Le hip-hop a vingt-cinq ans, et en une durée de vie à peine égale à la moitié de celle du rock, il a fait paraître autant de sous-courants et a sorti trois fois plus de disques jusqu'à devenir aujourd'hui le genre le plus prolifique de la musique avec la techno, grâce à des modes de production simplifiés et plus démocratiques. Le rap est un mouvement extrêmement sérieux, qui a des raisons d'existence politiques et culturelles remontant au blues des années 20. C'est d'ailleurs l'une des rares musiques que l'on trouve aux USA comme en Afrique Centrale, en Italie comme au Japon, en France comme au Tibêt. Alors plein le cul des "Hip-Hop Masters" de mes deux, il fallait réagir un tant soit peu pour amener un peu de connaissance sur les forums généralistes.
J'ai passé une semaine à concentrer quelques-uns de mes modestes savoirs en matière de hip-hop pour finalement aboutir à une liste de 108 classiques du genre : 70 disques anglophones majoritairement américains, 35 disques francophones majoritairement français et 3 disques japonais. Je ne connais pas suffisamment le rap européen en détail pour oser en dresser une liste de classiques.
Ces classiques rangés dans un ordre complètement aléatoire sont un mélange de mes favoris et des disques admis par l'Histoire comme incontournables, mais le tout me semble très objectif et peu réfutable.
Pour chaque classique, j'ai fait une petite présentation succinte du groupe et de ses éventuels apports. Evidemment, il manque plein de groupes intéressants mais je commençais à fatiguer et n'avait pas envie de finir à un top 200. Autre contrainte, ne prendre qu'un seul classique par groupe ou artiste. Toutes les tendances sont représentées : East-Coast, conscious rap, gangsta rap, abstract hip-hop, hip-hop expérimental, djing, rap dancefloor ou G-Fonk. Enfin, dernier détail d'importance, qui dit disque essentiel ne dit pas forcément bon disque : effectivement, plusieurs albums mentionnés s'avèrent être des classiques pour des raisons strictement commerciales ou négatives. Ce qui veut dire en gros que je n'apprécie pas forcément tous les artistes que je commente, ou que leur importance est autre qu'artistique.
Alors voici un petit condensé, en l'occurrence de 1971 à 2003, de ce qu'est le hip-hop et non pas la chiasse des "Hip-Hop Masters".
Si vous lisez tout, et j'espère que ce sera le cas parce que je me suis pété le cul, vous pourrez vous estimer ensuite plus initiés que 85% des français qui se disent pourtant au courant de ce qu'il se passe.
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70 DISQUES ESSENTIELS DU HIP-HOP ANGLOPHONE
Wu-Tang Clan
Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Une présentation express s’impose. Le Wu-Tang Clan est un collectif géant originaire de New-York et composé au départ de neufs membres principaux : RZA, Method Man, GZA, Ol’Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Masta Killah et U-God. « Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) » est le premier album du crew, paru en 1994 et considéré à l’unanimité comme un classique essentiel du hip-hop. Le succès de cet album, qui doit beaucoup au génie musical de la tête pensante RZA, est tel qu’il a refocalisé l’attention sur la East-Coast quand la mode était au gangsta rap de la Côte Ouest. S’ensuivra une longue série de carrières solos, de compilations, de bootlegs et de nouvelles recrues, inégales mais toutes couronnées de succès. L’Empire Shaolin du Wu-Tang Clan grandira encore en 1997 avec le très bon second album « Wu-Tang Forever » avant une période de stagnation dûe à la qualité très peu soutenue des deux derniers opus, selon toutes vraisemblances bâclés. Pour certains fans, le Wu-Tang Clan n’est ni plus ni moins que le plus grand groupe de rap de tous les temps.
EPMD
Business As Usual
Choisir un classique parmi la discographie d’un groupe comme EPMD n’est pas chose aisée puisque Erick Sermon aka E Double E et Parish Smith aka PMD collectionnent les classiques depuis 1988. Les cinq premiers albums du duo de Long Island sont en effet des incontournables, avec une légère préférence des spécialistes pour « Business As Usual », premier ouvrage à sortir sur le label Def Jam. Sur ce disque tout aussi fonky mais davantage street que les deux précédents, EPMD révèle également aux USA un futur leader hip-hop en la personne de Redman. Le mythe EPMD, marqué par des tubes intemporels, s’arrêtera en 1999 lorsqu’affaibli par leurs escapades en solitaire les deux amis livreront un album décevant au titre évocateur, « Out Of Business ». Difficile de croire à un redressement possible.
Black Moon
Enta Da Stage
Trois membres pour un groupe qui laissera sa marque longtemps sur les mentalités d’Outre-Atlantique. Originaires de Brooklyn, les Black Moon font du hip-hop authentique un principe, avec derrière les platines une sommité de l’underground, Dj Evil Dee. Les mc’s 5 Excellerator et Buckshot sont très loin de l’esprit paillettes et grosse bagnoles, leur style reste 100% ghetto. « Enta Da Stage » en 1993 marquera l’arrivée du crew de Black Moon sur le marché, le Boot Camp Click. Et les producteurs réunis sur ce premier long format sont en fait les futurs grands artisans réunis sous le nom de Beatminerz. La suite de la discographie Black Moon ne sera pas à la hauteur des espérances, mais reste qu’aujourd’hui encore des dizaines de rappeurs pompent allègrement les idées mises à jour dans ce premier essai.
Public Enemy
Fear Of A Black Planet
Certains me dépeceront quant au choix de cet album et non pas du précédent. Public Enemy est plus qu’un simple groupe de rap. Il s’agit du groupe de rap, le plus grand. Celui dont François Miterrand voulut interdire le concert au Zénith en 1991. Celui pour lequel chaque Etat américain prévoit une armée de policiers lors de ses tournées. Celui qui prône la prise de pouvoir des Noirs sur la Terre entière et dont chaque morceau est un nouveau pamphlet dirigé contre la Maison Blanche, contre les médias, contre l’ordre capitaliste mondial. Celui qui grâce à un esprit résolument rock où basses et guitares tiennent un rôle central, ont su conquérir un public diversifié, du noir des bas-fonds au blanc des quartiers chics. Celui dont le leader Chuck D s’adresse depuis 1987 et le premier album « Yo Bum Rush The Show » à la population noire du Bronx : arrêtez de vous entretuer, arrêtez l’héroïne, concentrez vos forces contre le Pouvoir ! Le titre Fight The Power est suffisamment explicite pour provoquer la censure des grands médias, mais Chuck D sait comment leur répondre, comment les dénoncer. Un grand nombre de morceaux seront consacrés à la manipulation télévisuelle, le rappeur instruit et instructeur décrivant leur méthode de propagation du conservatisme. Lors du passage à tabac de Rodney King par des policiers, Public Enemy est aux premières loges des manifestations. Lorsqu’il s’agit d’alerter l’opinion sur la situation des prisonniers politiques américains, de dénoncer la politique guerrière du Président Bush ou de vilipender Israël et ses colonies palestiniennes, Public Enemy est là. Chuck D et son acolyte Flavor Flav, soutenus par le génie sonore du Bomb Squad sont pris pour des prophètes dans les ghettos, tandis que le public blanc augmente en flèche grâce aux duos entre Public Enemy et des groupes de metal tels que Anthrax ou les gothiques de Sisters Of Mercy. En 1989 paraît « Fear Of A Black Planet », troisième album, le plus engagé du groupe et le plus abouti. La légère baisse de qualité suivant cet opus n’empêchera pas le groupe de poursuivre sa quête du Black Power durant six albums supplémentaires et un certain nombre de side-projects de qualité soutenue. Les sombres affaires de drogue et les accusations d’antisémitisme gravitant autour du groupe n’auront pas eu raison des Prophètes de la Rage.
Dilated Peoples
The Platform
Un premier album avorté pour causes de magouilles de la major Epic a conduit les futurs Dilated Peoples à ne se révéler que tardivement au public, c’est-à-dire en 1998 lors de ce glorieux « The Platform ». Dilated Peoples, groupe pluri-ethnique réunissant un blanc, un noir et un asiatique prouve alors à un pays incrédule que le hip-hop de la Côte Ouest ne se limite plus au gangsta rap de Death Row. Evidence, Iriscience et Dj Babu, proches du son Rawkus, constituent donc actuellement le groupe le plus new-yorkais de Los Angeles. Oui c’est con mais c’est comme ça, et en plus leur second album fut aussi à la hauteur de toutes les attentes. So now work the angles.
MF Doom
Operation Doomsday
« Operation Doomsday » est à peu près trouvable grâce à sa réédition que l’on doit au flair de Bigg Jus. MF Doom, pour Metal Finger et pour Doom le héros de comics, y livre un indispensable de 1999, gorgé de vieux samples soul et d’atmosphéres improbables. Cet album, premier essai solo d’un MF Doom lié entre autres aux Cenobites ou aux Arsonists, n’est qu’un exemple de choix parmi une discographie de bon goût. Rien de très étonnant à ce qu’un tel rappeur et producteur se fasse remarquer sur tous les projets les plus alternatifs, de Prefuse 73 en passant par The Herbaliser. Reste qu’il devient difficile de comprendre l’intégralité de la carrière labyrinthique de ce mc aux multiples alias : MF Doom, The Supervilain, King Geedorah ou Victor Vaughn, tant de noms différents pour un seul être de grand talent.
Quannum
Spectrum
En provenance directe de la Bay Area de Los Angeles, le crew Quannum regroupe divers groupes tels que Latyrx ou Blackalicious, en bref le dynamique renouveau de la Côte Ouest polluée par un trop plein de banditisme mythomane. Anciennement nommée Solesides, la bande formée vers 1992 fut aussi la première formation hip-hop à intégrer le label Mo’Wax. « Spectrum » en 1999 fut la compilation de présentation officielle de Quannum. Parcouru de tout le génie de Dj Shadow et enrichie de la participation de gens comme Divine Styler ou Jurassic Five, le disque est au top. Les anciens travaux de Solesides ont eux été édités chez Ninja Tune.
Nas
Illmatic
Grand admirateur de Michael Jackson dès son adolescence, Nas rêve lui aussi de devenir une idole populaire et comprend vite que c’est par le rap qu’il pourra y arriver. Déboulant de nulle part en 1994, il largue un premier album extrêmement abouti, un « Illmatic » mémorable grâce auquel il se fera immédiatement un nom chez les puristes. Ce disque qui réunit ni plus ni moins que Dj Premier et Pete Rock à la production restera dès lors comme l’unique réussite d’un Nas empêtré dans ses propres contradictions. Lorgnant dès son second opus « It Was Written » vers un style de plus en plus mythomane et gangsteriste, l’homme voit tous les connaisseurs se détourner de son travail pour laisser place à un engouement mainstream baveux. Mais loin d’en être mécontent, Nas continuera avec plaisir de sortir de la daube en série, jusqu’à un « God’s Son » en 2003 qui peine à se hisser jusqu’au correct.
Beastie Boys
Ill Communication
Les Beastie Boys sont le premier groupe de rap blanc de l’histoire de cette musique. Après des débuts strictly punk, c’est en 1983 que les quatre potes dont le leader Mike D s’essaient au hip-hop et y trouvent leur compte. Trois ans plus tard ils sont signés sur Def Jam et sortent « Licensed To Ill », un premier album dévastateur : le premier disque de rap à atteindre la première place au billboard américain, plus de quatre millions d’exemplaires vendus ! Le succès commercial des Beastie Boys subira des haut et des bas, mais globalement la recette fonctionne. Le public blanc raffole des textes sexistes, débiles et surréalistes du groupe, ainsi que de son mélange rap et rock, sampler et instruments live. En 1994 l’exceptionnel « Ill Communication » réitère le succès du premier album, alors que les sorties s’accumulent sur le label Grand Royal qu’ont fondé les quatre lascars. Peu après, Mike D et ses collègues créent l’organisation Milarepa destinée à récolter des fonds pour aider la résistance à l’occupation du Tibêt. « Hello Nasty », paru en 1998, semble être la fin de l’aventure pour ces joyeux fouteurs de merde.
Gangstarr
Step In The Arena
Le plus célèbre duo de l’histoire du hip-hop. D’un côté Guru, rappeur posé et charismatique ayant plus d’un lyrics egotrip dans son sac, de l’autre Dj Premier, producteur de génie qui n’est plus à présenter et dont l’œuvre entière a marqué les annales du hip-hop international. Gangstarr entre en scène en 1989 mais leur premier album ne convainc pas les foules. En revanche deux ans après, « Step In The Arena » fait l’effet d’une bombe et renouvelle un hip-hop qui tourne en rond grâce à un savant mélange rap et jazz inédit pour l’époque. Le buzz s’accentue autour du groupe alors qu’il devient ami de Spike Lee et qu’il lance la Gangstarr Foundation pour promouvoir de nouveaux artistes. Guru en solo se lance dans des compilations de hip-hop jazzy telles que les « Jazzmatazz », et Dj Premier œuvre pour de nombreux autres groupes, devenant très vite une légende de la production rap. « The Ownerz », sixième album très attendu du groupe est paru en 2003 et s’avère juste convenable.
Eric B. & Rakim
Paid In Full
« Paid In Full » sort en 1987, à une période où les classiques s’accumulent chez les disquaires. Roi incontesté de l’egotrip à l’époque, Eric B y décrit des conditions de vie lamentable dans le ghetto tout en mettant au défi tous les autres mc’s de venir se confronter à lui. Un certain grain, une certaine street attitude propre à la East-Coast voit le jour. Rakim quant à lui, nettement plus spirituel et converti à la cause d’Allah, n’a de cesse de prouver qu’il est l’un des meilleurs rappeurs de tous les temps. Il mènera une discrète carrière solo par la suite, ne sortant que très rarement de son terrier secret. Mais le mythique duo Eric B & Rakim, responsable de trois albums, martèle encore pas mal de souvenirs au sein de la communauté afro-américaine.
The Roots
Things Fall Apart
Black Thought, Malik B et Questlove forment l’ossature principale du groupe The Roots de Philadelphie. Ces passionnés de jazz et de rap vont proposer la fusion la plus aboutie du genre, en étant le premier groupe hip-hop à instruments strictement live. Avec leur premier album « Organix » en 1993, qui passe totalement inaperçu au sein du milieu rap mais séduit les amateurs de musique alternative, ils imposent un style différent où les revendications se font sur un ton plus métaphorique et moins pompeux. Leur marque de fabrique devient donc très vite le boycott du sample, et même du djing. En 1999, ils sortent leur quatrième et meilleur album. « Things Fall Apart » est comme d’accoutumée inondé de jazz et de soul, mais plus varié et moins fermé au rap puriste, puisque quelques scratches y apparaissent enfin. Ce très bon disque marqué de l’esprit de Martin Luther King cartonnera dans le monde entier et fera connaître The Roots au public rap. L’album suivant, plus rock et plus agité, n’est pas inintéressant non plus. Les membres de The Roots sont évidemment impliqués dans des sorties solo dont celles de Black Thought, strictly rap, sont les plus notables.
A Tribe Called Quest
Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest, dit ATCQ, fut un des ciments de la régénérescence new-yorkaise orchestrée par les Native Tongues. Q-Tip, Phife Dawg et Ali Shaheed ont débarrassé le rap de ses stéréotypes sexistes, racistes et de ses manières de gangsters. Le deuxième essai, le jazzy « Low End Theory », est généralement admis comme le meilleur album du groupe, et je rejoins cet avis éclairé. A Tribe Called Quest conclue son aventure sur un bon album épitaphe intitulé « The Love Movement » et sorti en 1999. Un départ en beauté pour ce groupe qui a samplé des gens aussi divers que Ron Carter et Lou Reed. Les carrières solos initiées après la fin du groupe seront en revanche assez insignifiantes.
Roots Manuva
Brand New Second Hand
Roots Manuva est issu de l’immigration noire la plus présente dans l’Angleterre du bas, à savoir la population jamaïcaine. Ce qui explique en partie son timbre de voix grave, proche des reggaemen, et sa scansion bien particulière, qui plaît à certains et déplaît à d’autres. Leader du très sélectif label Big Dada pour lequel il est un best-seller, Roots Manuva a à son palmarès l’un des tout meilleurs albums de hip-hop britannique jamais paru à ce jour. « Brand New Second Hand » a enfin tourné les regards vers le rap européen en l’année 1999. Le second essai de Roots Manuva en 2001 « Run Come Save Me » ne déclenchera pas les mêmes critiques dithyrambiques.
Mos Def
Black On The Both Side
Mos Def fait partie de la trop rare scène du rap intelligent. Dès 1994 et son premier essai « My Kung Fu », le rappeur de Brooklyn distille tous les messages positifs autour de lui. Inspiré par la soul et le jazz, ses métissages incluent son rap dans l’éventail des grandes musiques noires. Sa critique sociale non-violente apparaît plutôt comme humaniste. En 1998 il livre sur Rawkus un album en duo avec Talib Kweli, et l’année suivante un solo de toute beauté, « Black On The Both Side ». Personnage très ouvert et fan de musique électronique, il se dit admirateur de Massive Attack avec lesquels il a d’ailleurs collaboré sur un excellent titre.
De La Soul
3 Feet High And Rising
Membres des Native Tongues avec d’autres piliers du rap ludique et réfléchi comme A Tribe Called Quest ou les Jungle Brothers, mentors du conscious rap actuel et mythe vénéré autant par la old school que par la nouvelle génération du hip-hop, autant de qualificatifs pour décrire De La Soul. Toujours fidèles au label pionnier du rap et de la techno Tommy Boy depuis la fin des années 80, et malgré le départ du producteur Prince Paul, le trio tient encore la route, leur sac toujours rempli de tubes en fournées. Sorti en 1989, « 3 Feet High And Rising » reste leur indépassable chef-d’œuvre. Pour l’anecdote, c’est aussi le premier disque de rap condamné en justice pour sample non-déclaré, en l’occurrence le groupe folk-rock The Turtles ayant remporté le procès. De La Soul fut aussi l’instigateur du Daisy Age, notion fictive vantant les louanges d’un rap dansant et décomplexé.
Dr. Dre
The Chronic
Le milieu des années 90 a vu la suprématie du G-Fonk, le son affilié à la Côte Ouest, dominer le rap américain de toute son ampleur gangsteriste et sexiste. Malheureusement, le G-Fonk devient vite la nouvelle soupe à la mode et se nourrit du cliché des bitches, des bling-bling et des grosses bagnoles fluos. Alors on en revient forcément aux rares disques de ce courant qui soient bons. Alors on en revient forcément à « The Chronic » de Dr. Dre, détonateur du G-Fonk en 1992. Une perle, par un producteur branleur et suffisant, par un pauvre raté qui prend aujourd’hui ses bains dans du champagne. Du rap commercial, mais du commercial qui s’assume, qui n’en a rien à foutre de la crédibilité. Du rap de bandits avides de cul et de fric en somme. Fidèle à sa source, la suite du parcours de Dr. Dre sera essentiellement faite de collaborations avec les rappeurs les plus MTVesques de la décennie, et le « Chronic 2001 » ne dérogera pas à la règle. Yo motherfucker.
Antipop Consortium
Tragic Epilogue
Le nom du groupe Antipop Consortium est limpide : pas de place pour le rap variétoche ici. En 2000, « Tragic Epilogue » est le premier et meilleur album du crew révolutionnaire fondé par High Priest, Sayyid et Beans. Les synthétiseurs et la techno tiennent une place prépondérante au sein d’Antipop Consortium, propagateur d’un rap futuriste et ouvert au monde de l’electro. Difficile et expérimental, le son du groupe tient parfaitement la route mais le flow bancal ne suit pas toujours. Quoiqu’il en soit, on a ici à faire à un groupe culte du renouveau hip-hop, auteur de deux autres albums réussis dont un « Arrythmia » sorti sur Warp. En revanche, la carrière solo des trois rappeurs suite à la dissolution du combo laissera totalement sceptique.
New Flesh For Old
Equilibrium
Signés sur Big Dada, les deux rappeurs anglais de New Flesh For Old ont pondu un album très remarqué en 1999, le lanceur en fait du gros buzz autour de leur label. New Flesh For Old, futurs New Flesh, est composé du producteur Part 2, fan d’Aphex Twin, et des rappeurs presque ragga Toastie Taylor et Juice Aleem. Si ce dernier récolte tous les suffrages, force est de constater que « Equilibrium », avec ses touches industrielles voire même gothiques, préfigurera toute une mode. Résultat ? New Flesh For Old faisait du Antipop Consortium avant l’heure. Mais la suite de leur discographie, plutôt tournée dancehall, peine toujours à convaincre qui que ce soit.
Ultramagnetic Mc’s
Critical Beatdown
Urgent, frais, funky et typiquement old school, voilà comment l’on pourrait décrire le « Critical Beatdown » de 1987. Ultramagnetic Mc’s, qui fournira par la suite un second disque tout aussi appréciable, n’est pas un groupe classique seulement du fait qu’il représente le premier projet discographique de Kool Keith, mais également car il avait déjà une bonne longueur d’avance au niveau des productions de Ced Gee. L’album sonne effectivement nettement plus moderne que la concurrence et marque l’installation définitive de la suprêmatie du sample dans la musique rap, pour un total de quinze titres parfaits au bpm inhabituel. Watch me now !
Pete Rock & CL Smooth
The Main Ingredient
Si Pete Rock est considéré à l’heure actuelle comme l’un des meilleurs producteurs des USA, collaborant avec les plus grands, ça n’est pas un pur hasard de circonstances. Par exemple l’adulation dont bénéficient Puff Daddy ou Dr. Dre a largement été conditionnée par une campagne marketing, chose dont Pete Rock lui n’a jamais eu besoin. C’est en 1994 sur « The Main Ingredient », après quelques timides ébauches, qu’il dévoile enfin sa science du sampler sur un album maîtrisé de bout en bout. Cerise sur le gâteau, il s’y associe au rappeur CL Smooth, un mc depuis trop longtemps sous-estimé.
Kurtis Blow
The Breaks
Kurtis Blow a commencé à faire du hip-hop à Harlem en 1977 et n’a donc de leçons à recevoir de personne. En 1979 il se fait remarquer par Mercury et devient donc le premier rappeur signé sur major. Il sort son premier album « Christmas Rappin’ » en 1980 qui obtient un bon accueil. En 1982, il sort son disque majeur, « The Breaks », dont le titre éponyme fera le tour de toutes les radios de New-York. Old school au vrai sens du terme, Kurtis Blow est à la croisée du rap et du funk. Le sampler ne s’est pas encore complètement démocratisé et tout est donc réellement joué façon Funkadelic. Kurtis Blow a maintenant huit albums au compteur mais la plupart sont sans intérêt. Il continue de produire des compilations rétrospectives afin de faire connaître au plus grand nombre les âges préhistoriques de la musique rap.
The Jungle Brothers
Straight Out The Jungle
The Jungle Brothers, groupe de Long Island composé des rappeurs Mike G et Afrika ainsi que de Dj Sammy B sortent leur « Straight Out The Jungle » en 1988, classique du genre inventé par les Native Tongues. Les albums qui suivirent ne furent malheureusement pas du même accabit, le groupe s’étant attaché à la house et à la musique dance : il tenta logiquement une hybridation peu mémorable entre le rap et ces courants. Néanmoins, fonky et ouverts à toutes les expériences, The Jungle Brothers séduisent les personnalités de la musique électroniques et se font remixer par des pointures comme Wiseguys, Terranova ou Stereo Mc’s. Il faudra attendre 1999 pour que The Jungle Brothers ponde un second bon album, un « VIP » très influencé par la jungle, leur nouvel focus musical.
Snoop Doggy Dog
Doggystyle
Tout le monde connaît Snoop Doggy Dog, et c’est bien dommage serait-on tenté de dire. Et si aujourd’hui le chien au flow nonchalant pollue les ondes d’une marmelade indigeste, et vend à des millions d’exemplaires ses défécations à un public d’adolescentes rebelles et de futurs braqueurs de taxi, il serait pourtant hypocrite d’ignorer son « Doggystyle » de 1993, le plus célèbre disque du label West-Coast Death Row. Historiquement voilà le premier album de rap à s’être classé premier dans les charts dès sa sortie : il faut dire que les accusations de meurtre tournant autour de son auteur ont facilité la publicité gratuite. Macho et gangster comme le réclame n’importe quel classique du G-Fonk, Snoop Doggy Dog, rappeur médiocre, ne devra le succès de cet opus et sa pérennité dans les mémoires qu’à la production impeccable d’un Dr. Dre en forme. Un succès largement provoqué par le single Gin And Juice au propos bien lourdaud comme l’impose le genre. A noter aussi que cet angélique rappeur produit des films pornos en série et que ces derniers lui mettent du caviar dans l’assiette.
Divine Styler
Directrix
Divine Styler est un peu comme une légende vivante, c’est un incompréhensible mystère. Ex-membre du Rhyme Syndicate de Ice-Cube, ce rappeur est à mille lieux de tous les autres, à mille lieux des clichés inhérents au hip-hop. Fort d’un premier album solo paru en 1989 et avec dix ans d’avance sur son temps au niveau du traitement des samples, le mc a continué sur la voie de l’expérimentation : son second album ressemble à du free jazz industriel et destabilise tout ceux qui s’attendaient à du rap West-Coast. Divine Styler devient un temps malfrat et deale de la drogue en bas de chez lui, ce qui lui vaudra quatre ans de placard. C’est en prison qu’il se convertit à l’Islam et devient un androïde métaphysique. En l’an 2000 il sort sur Mo’Wax son troisième opus « Directrix », sorte de jeu vidéo infernal où critique politique côtoie ésotérisme pur, un chef-d’œuvre total et avant-gardiste qui malheureusement passa tout à fait inaperçu. Physical primitive !

How did you all feel about holiday packaging this year and candle labels and colors?
First- Winter is in my top 5 scents. This year, I hated the bright blue candle and didn’t like the labels at all. I love when Winter candles and packaging are white with snowflakes or some bling with silver sparkles and snowflakes.. anything would be better than this years version. Same with many other holiday scents. And a lot of the fonts were blah.
We had several customers who actually said they didn’t want their fav soaps because the bottles were ugly! I agree.
What are your thoughts?

Hi everyone, I have an idea for a website that I think would be fun and entertaining for meme lovers and creators alike. The website would let you create and share custom memes using a variety of templates, images, fonts, stickers, filters, and effects. For example, you could make or use memes like:
The classic “One does not simply” meme with Boromir from Lord of the RingsThe popular “Distracted boyfriend” meme with a guy looking at another girlThe hilarious “Drake hotline bling” meme with Drake making different gesturesThe viral “Woman yelling at a cat” meme with a woman and a cat at a tableThe relatable “This is fine” meme with a dog in a burning room
The website would also allow you to upload your own images, edit them, and add captions and emojis to make your own original memes. You could also browse, rate, and comment on the memes created by other users, as well as see the trending, hot, and new memes. You could also share your memes on social media platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
I think this website would be a great way to express yourself, make people laugh, and have fun with memes. What do you think? Would you use it? Do you have any suggestions or feedback? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading! 😊

Hello CFB! Welcome to the 2023 Big XII Uniform Tracker in Week 6! Welcome to prime-time, kids! We are just in time for the scariest month of the year, but our teams took some time to celebrate the days of yore. In case you are unfamiliar with how my tracker works, I catalog every Big 12 team’s uniform combination week-to-week, and also look at the opposition’s threads. I also compile our future institutions in Arizona, Colorado, Arizona State, and Utah. I provide a few of my thoughts on the game, the uniforms, and a brief history of the game and/or fun facts.
I’m u/matte_purple and let’s 3, 2, 1, go!
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Oklahoma State University Cowboys vs Kansas State Wildcats (OSU Wins, 29-21)
OK-State: Black/Black/Black (Link: https://imgur.com/a/JzxMpVy )
K-State: SilveWhite/Silver ( Link: https://imgur.com/a/7BcxSgt )
Friday night lights! Stillwater has always been a house of horrors for the Wildcats. In fact, their last win there was 2017, and the one before that was in 1999. Needless to say, Boone Pickens Stadium has some black magic. And that was certainly evident in this game. While neither team played their best game - with OK-State having to settle for field goals on 5 occasions and giving K-State numerous chances to catch up - the Wildcats clearly did not click all night. QB Will Howard had the worst game of his career, throwing 3 INTs (one becoming a pick-six at the end of the first half, and the other stalling a drive that could tie the game). Howard was also the rushing leader for K-State, with 104 yards. That’s about 40 yds more than first string RB DJ Giddens, who just notched close to 300 total against UCF. Expectations may need to be reset for both of these teams. OK-State deserved the win, and probably should have beat the Wildcats by a far wider margin!
Enough about the loss, K-State has had a weird run playing against “blackout” opponents. ISU scheduled a blackout last year against the Wildcats, as did TCU AND Baylor (although Baylor’s players didn’t wear black). The trend is clearly continuing, as this game and the next against Texas Tech is blacked-out. While I can at least take solace in the fact that K-State is a big deal opponent (something to placate my fan angst), it’s also a great way to show off those excellent silver and white uniforms. They shine so well against the stadium lights. If you want more history on this look, check out the Week 4 tracker. Not much else to say except for these contrasted VERY well against OSU’s all black, as they have with the rest of the all-black looks from the last two seasons.
Speaking of Oklahoma State, HOT DAMN! This was very easily the best uniform matchup of the week, and it's almost all because of this look. I mean come on! A perfect blend of retro and modern, retro thanks to the striping and old school font, modern thanks to that absolutely gorgeous Cursive Cowboys logo and lack of striping on the pants. I know cursive logos have become a little overplayed lately, but OSU seemed to be early adopters. The orange and white varieties were introduced in 2020 and quickly became favorites. When the black shell variety was released in 2021, the equipment team knew they had a hit. Each rendition has been worn at least once a season since. My personal favorite shell for this logo is orange, but black is a very close second. And now that the team has settled into the new uniforms, you can really tell they look and feel better. Another great detail: no logo on the collar, making for a very streamlined, yet unique look.. This uniform may end up being one of the Cowboy’s best.
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University of Texas Longhorns vs University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU Wins, 34-30)
OU: Red/White/White (Link: https://imgur.com/a/pOIdGbV )
UT: White/Orange/White (Link: https://imgur.com/a/f3rEqn8 )
Like any other Big 12 fan, I wanted this game to be a slug fest. But hey, the Big 12 can never be straight forward! The Red River Rivalry turned out to be a fantastic game. After Oklahoma was dominated 49-0 last year, the worst conference shutout in 2022, the Sooners had revenge planned. In this instant classic, QB Dillon Gabriel threw for 285 yds, ran for 113 and looked like Micheal Myers on the Texas defense. But the chaos wasn’t over. Longhorn QB Quinn Ewers threw picks on two of his first six passes, then completed 19 straight to keep UT competetive. Oklahoma's special teams unraveled early, with a blocked punt returned for 6 by UT and another punt that totalled 26 yds. There were seven lead changes and three ties, goal-line stands, and a last minute OU TD with 15 seconds left to put them up before triple zero. This game was damn fun. I can’t even be mad. This was the best of football. Both teams have an off-week to rest up. I think we all need a week to recover from that one.
There honestly isn’t a ton to say about this game uniform wise. I looked back at my comments from the game last year, and the sentiment was very much the same. If ever there is a time to look classic, this is the game. Both teams rocked a traditional look that both teams have worn essentially my entire life. Simple, easy, crisp, and most importantly, iconic. Another contender for matchup of the week simply based on history, pageantry, and tradition.
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University of Central Florida Knights at University of Kansas Jayhawks (KU Wins, 55-21)
KU: Blue/Blue/Red (Link: https://imgur.com/a/ByFuGNC )
UCF: White/White/White (Link: https://imgur.com/a/eoCMtFc )
UCF must be cursed, huh? After dominating the first half at K-State, they fell to a loss at the hands of one player. Then an impressive lead against Baylor was snuffed at home. Finally, KU struck hard and fast, racing to a 31-0 start before the Knights finally scored in the 3rd quarter. While the Knights did respond with a swift 75 yd, four-play TD series and a wild blocked XP attempt to notch 8 points, KU continued to run like the wind. The Jayhawks totalled 399 rushing yds on 51 carries, nearly doubling UCF’s rushing yards. The gang from Lawrence has steadily been getting better, and didn’t let a loss to Texas define the game. Let’s see how KU does against the newly-inspired Cowboys in Stillwater next week.
UCF is normally top-of-the-line when it comes to uniforms. Which makes this suit a little confusing. I like how it looks in pictures, sure, but the uniforms were unbearable on TV. The sun struck the gold lettering hard, and a lack of hard lines was tough for the overall distinction of the combo. This look has a ton of merit, with this all-white rendition being an all new design and the white facemask being the first ever worn by UCF. All this look needed was a black outline on the gold uniforms OR a night game. The Knights are 7-2 all time in whiteout uniforms.
The Jayhawks wore a look that was a favorite of mine last year, but the updated suits kicked the combo into overdrive. The reason these stand out to me is the sparing yet powerful amount of red. Not too strong, but still add a bit of grandeur to the suit, especially that red facemask. Paired with the crisp white lettering and accessories, this uniform has a perfect amount of every KU color. That went for the suits last year in Week 10 against OSU, but replacing the numbers on the shoulders with retro striping takes the cake. While there’s still a lot of season to be played, these are scary good.
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Baylor University Bears vs Texas Tech University Red Raiders (TTU Wins, 39-14)
BU: Yellow/Yellow/Yellow (Link: https://imgur.com/a/sveXJQO )
TTU: Black/White/Red (Link: https://imgur.com/a/ncvHwDZ )
It's the BUTT Bowl everyone! Keeping with the overall theme of a throwback, let’s talk about this matchup a bit.The rivalry between Baylor and Texas Tech is an underrated one. These two schools have played 81 times since their first meeting back in 1929 and have played every year since 1956. The game brewed more bad blood after Texas Tech joined the preeminent Southwest Conference in 1958, and while both the Bears and Red Raiders have bigger, badder rivals, this series is the oldest continuous for TTU (and I doubt Baylor fans will say they like Tech all that much). The current gap in the series was shortened to 41-40 this weekend after Joey McGuire’s squad manhandled the Bears, putting the Lubbock gang one victory away from a tied series. Baylor went for it on fourth down six times and only converted once. This included a 4th-and-6 from the Tech 15 when it was still a 17-3 game. It seems like the situation is going awry in Waco. Maybe a bye week will help the Bears get right after a tough start.
Baylor has already worn far more yellow than they did last year, so I’m happy about that. And a successful “gold-out” at McLane Stadium is something to cheer about. But wearing more gold/yellow through the year means that these gold outs are less special. Don’t get me wrong, I am so glad Baylor is wearing more combos. But all yellow, just like with WVU’s “gold-out” is a gutsy call that I can’t figure out. Do I hate it or not? Ugh.
Baylor’s uniforms were not helped by a busy Texas Tech uniform. This is the most color an opponent has worn against an all-gold Bears team since at least 2019. And the color (I mean any color) was just too much with the massive amounts of yellow on the Brazos. The combo itself was a little “meh” as well. I haven’t had to cover many tri-color combos this year, and they continue to grate on me. Just pick one color, go for the symmetry or an anchoaccent color. You can’t have it all. Black pants would have contrasted far better with the yellow, which is doable because black is a Tech color! It’s not a cop out! Anyways, Texas Tech may not have worn a great uniform, but their game looked pretty immaculate in this lopsided win.
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Texas Christian University Horned Frogs at Iowa State University Cyclones (ISU Wins, 27-14)
TCU: Black/White/Purple (Link: https://imgur.com/a/YzZhqbH )
ISU: White/Red/Tan (Link: https://imgur.com/a/SL0ZVmf )
Iowa State dominated all three phases of the football game in a very special game at Jack Trice Stadium. Horned Frogs QB Chandler Morris threw interceptions on each of TCU’s first two possessions, with a total of 4 INTs being thrown by TCU. The Cyclones also blocked a punt, achieved over 6 yds per carry and rushed for 215 yards before taking a knee to end the game, wearing down a battered TCU in the second half. Morris left the field with just under 11 minutes remaining in the third quarter with an apparent leg injury to cap off a rough night for the ‘Frogs.
Another tri-color game (I guess the cool kids call them “mismatched uniforms” now) for both teams, but one had a far more meaningful look than the other. This game was, like I said above, very special for the Cyclones. The week leading up to the game, the university and athletics department honored the 100 year anniversary of Jack Trice’s game against Minnesota, in which he sustained fatal injuries on the field. The grandson of slaves, Trice had already completed a year of college and was first Black player to take the football field for Iowa State. He had played only one other varsity game. On the night before the game, Trice wrote a moving letter:
“My thoughts just before the first real college game of my life. The honor of my race, family, and self are at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will! My whole body and soul are to be thrown recklessly about on the field tomorrow. Every time the ball is snapped I will be trying to do more than my part.”
This letter, his subsequent death, and the later rallying around his story should be considered and celebrated by all college football fans. ISU President Wintersteen said this of Jack Trice: “Those may be his final words, but they are certainly not the end of [his] story. One-hundred years later, Jack’s legacy is more powerful than ever.” Outside of the stadium, university officials gave Jack Trice a posthumous degree in animal husbandry during a ceremony which also included an unveiling of another sculpture in his honor, adding to his name on the stadium, a foundation awarding scholarships in his honor, and other statues on campus. The football team honored Jack by wearing throwback uniforms featuring the five chevron bars that Trice and his teammates wore in 1923. They even repainted the field. The uniforms and helmets also featured “I will” in Trice’s handwriting from the letter he wrote the night before his last game. And sure, these may not be the sleekest or iciest alternate uniform out there. But the story, legacy, and history more than make up for a perceived lack of style. After all, this throwback to the burgeoning days of college football looks pretty good in all honesty. Plus, I’m sure the helmet will make an appearance again, as it’s the best helmet they’ve worn since 1994 and 2007.
I won’t be as long winded as I was with Iowa State (sorry in advance). TCU wore a tri-color, which I automatically don’t like.These ranked pretty meek 10 of 11 combos last year in my personal rankings. I love the helmet, which was first announced in Week 5 of last year and the same one worn in the last game, but I just don’t think it matches up with the rest of the uniform. More about the helmet, they released a helmet identical to this (except for a purple horned frog instead of silver) in 2016 that was worn as recently as Game 11 of 2021. I just need more symmetry in these uniforms, and nearly all mismatch uniforms. Also, what is this weird disdain TCU fans have for the helmet? It looks great, and it isn’t cursed because there have been several big wins while wearing them.
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BONUS UNIFORMS! Let’s see what the future Big 12 schools from the Four Corners did this week!
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University of Colorado Buffaloes vs Arizona State Sun Devils (Colorado Wins, 27-24)
CU: Black/White/Black (Link: https://imgur.com/a/hPbxSUD )
ASU: Yellow/Maroon/Yellow (Link: https://imgur.com/a/PsbZsL5 )
The Sun Devils sacked CU QB Shedeur Sanders 5 times and gave him little time to find receivers downfield. Sanders, the nation’s second-leading passer at 356 yds per game, was held to 239 on 26-42 passing attempts. Both Colorado and Arizona State struggled offensively much of the game, but ASU was without three starting offensive linemen and two key backups due to injuries. The severely handicapped Sun Devils still hung on and stayed competitive, with CU needing a last minute field goal to seal a win. While I personally wouldn’t have shown off a shiny watch to the ASU fans after I was sacked 5 times in a game and narrowly escaped a loss, they do things differently in Colorado. Oh well. CU will host Stanford on Friday, while ASU takes a much needed bye week.
Arizona State wore their most Sun Devil looking uniform, the same one worn in Week 1. These are just classics! If you want a more in depth breakdown of my thoughts and gripes, check out the Week 1 2023 tracker. But besides a few odd choices, these new uniforms look sleek while also seeming bolder than they really are due to the colors. The maroon backing the yellow really is beautiful. The pitchfork is a fun and unique logo. While I like full-body Sparky, the pitchfork does a good job.
CU wore an excellent Oreo look, with a gorgeous gold facemask accompanying a black helmet with gold logos. This is exactly what I wanted from the Buffs. They seemed to prioritize gold in the past, and I was worried it would fade with Deion at the helm. But I should have known that the Prime squad loved their bling. This might have been the best looking PAC-12 matchup I’ve seen to date. My only pause is the “flycatcher” collar worn by the CU players. It’s much more evident when the lines are black, but it still looks odd in gold. Damn was this a nice look.
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University of Arizona Wildcats vs Southern California Trojan (USC Wins, 43-41 3OT)
Arizona: White/White/White (Link: https://imgur.com/a/ceyuz0E )
USC: Red/Red/Yellow (Link: https://imgur.com/a/qQaBGM2 )
Damn did Arizona play their heart out or what? This was a fun game to watch, and well worth the 1:35 AM bedtime I ended up having. Wildcat QB Noah Fifita passed for 303 yards and threw 2 out of his 5 total TD passes to WR Jacob Cowing in overtime , but Arizona had some other problems, despite what was a career day for much of the team. The Wildcats lost a 17 point lead at the beginning of the game, committing 99 yards in penalties, and missed a kick that could have drastically changed the game. Despite some of these problems, Arizona seemed like the toughest team that USC played. I have no doubt that the Wildcats will step up again. They play at Washington State this weekend.
USC wore the home version of their suits. Honestly, I’ve covered the Trojan’s suits too much these past three weeks. I have the same thoughts about them as I do the away look: Classy and elegant, yet simple. They have a “Blue-Blood” uniform consistency that we see in Texas, Bama, Ohio State, etc. The shoulder accents (I call them “points”) look a little odd, but don’t hurt the uniform, and they add a little bit of that retro flair that brings back fond memories. Good look for the Trojans.
The Wildcats wore all-white for the first time this year. Man do they look good. They look so good, in fact, that I only have one gripe: The shoulder stripes are not two-tone like the rest of the suit. Granted, the same goes for their red and blue Desert Swarm suits, but it is much more evident here, as the striping is the most amount of color on the uniforms. The pants and helmet stripe looks unique and cool; I wish the shoulders were the same. Oh well! They looked very nice!
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There you have it! Week 6 is finished! How do you feel about your team’s performance? What do you think your squad will wear next week? Any thoughts about the tracker? Please leave a comment, upvote, or DM with any questions! I love reading comments and digging up old uniforms from the archives. I hope you enjoyed the Big 12’s Week 6 edition of the Unitracker! Have an excellent week! Stay classy, Big XII!

Today, it was reported that Fortnite is getting Jack Skellington, with his sleigh as a glider and Zero as back bling. Also, Jack as Santa is being added as an alternate costume.
Meanwhile, this game has the most mid cosmetics I've ever seen in any Disney game. At the very least, why are Toy Story characters driving realistic looking karts when they're toys? I understand designing a special kart for every character is tough, and not worth it for a free-to-play game, but the default kart designs for each franchise don't even feel like they match the spirit of the franchises they're for. Sure, Hercules' kart has some Greek motifs and the lightning bolt logo, but nothing about the kart screams Hercules!
Meanwhile, the most creative cosmetics are wheels and tails, but when you're driving, you can hardly see either. Hell, you can't see your wheels at all, so why would those cosmetics even matter?
Avatars and mottos are just plain dumb. Mottos moreso than avatars, because I never visit anyone else's profile. At least avatars are shown when you race in multiplayer, but even those are extremely basic and, dare I say, ugly.
Finally, you have license plates, which look like an intern slapped a Disney reference with a basic font, gave it a stroke and some silly colors, and called it a day, and victory animations, which... I don't quite understand. Why would I pay for my character to lift their arms a different way?
I don't understand why this game has such terrible cosmetics. IF they were good, I would love to support the future of the game by buying them!
EDIT: I forgot to mention Kart Liveries. I mean, they're just basic color designs. Even the best livery, the Pizza Planet one, is very "first year of graphic design."