Presumably this is what JK's face would look like if she read My Immortal. Photo / Getty Images
Presumably this is what JK's face would look like if she read My Immortal. Photo / Getty Images
READ (AND WEEP)
I've just discovered My Immortal (10 years late, I know). For the blissfully unaware, it's a Harry Potter fan fiction, which is widely regarded around the web as the worst fan-fic ever written, and if you know fan-fic, you know that's saying something. It is awfully writtenin every sense; the characters are ridiculous and the plot even more so. It features vampire wizards who love My Chemical Romance, a nonsensical love triangle, a lot of swearing and enough poor spelling and grammar to make you want to quit the internet. But it's also hilarious. If you need a pick-me-up, this is it - just Google it and thank me later.
Richard Russell, the head of XL Recordings who's produced for Gil Scott-Heron, Bobby Womack, Damon Albarn and Ibeyi has a new project: Everything Is Recorded. It popped on to my radar in a big way when a colleague sent me Russell's latest track, Mountains of Gold, which features Sampha, Ibeyi, Wiki and Kamasi Washington (yes, all on one track - crazy, right?) and it's mind-blowingly great. He also released an EP earlier this year, which, while short, is crammed full of impressiveness - and collaborations. With more releases set to drop later this year, I'm excited to see where this goes.
Insecure is not for everyone. The show, which airs on SoHo, is created by its star Issa Rae, who has said before that Insecure is "not for dudes" and "not for white people", it's for her family and friends. It's about a 20-something-year-old woman navigating life, work, relationships and an amateur rap hobby through the lens of being a black woman. It's not afraid of race, sexuality or in-jokes and, in that, it's refreshingly honest and blunt and the definition of "woke". I like to describe it as being like Girls but with a way cooler soundtrack and without super self-absorbed characters swimming in rich, white privilege.
Warning: Clip contains explicit language
LAUGH
2 Dope Queens is my new favourite podcast. Similar to Insecure, it's not made for everyone - it's hosted by comedian pals Jessica Williams and Phoebe Robinson, as they discuss everything from racism and sexism, to sex and love, to celebrities and music, once again through the lens of their experiences as black women in America. They also invite comedians on to each episode, who are almost always people of colour, women and/or queer, to perform. It's hilarious and it will introduce you to a host of cool new names. Highly recommended.
