Listen to This! – Denise Chaila – “Go Bravely”

Irish rapper Denise Chaila’s debut album “Go Bravely” is spectacular. Chaila’s rhymes are so natural and effortless it feels like rhyming is a natural state of existence for her, while the music and rhythms back her lyrics. Best of all though, Chaila put herself into the album. The personal touches and unique references throughout “Go Bravely” make each track refreshingly original and the entire album a must-listen.

Running pole position on the album is “CHAILA.” Chaila uses this track to run through various mispronunciations of her last name, spell it out and issue an irrefusable challenge to the world to get it right.

In later songs like “Rí Rá,” “Down” and “Anseo,” Chaila brings her Irish upbringing and Zambian heritage into full focus. “Rí Rá,” in particular, is a personal statement interwoven with references to various figures and traditions from Africa and Ireland.

In “Rí Rá,” Chaila raps, “I’m too Kaunda, too Mandela/Too Seán nós and too griot/Too Fionn MacCumhaill too Sidhe and/Too Fela,”

As if references to the Fianna and Nelson Mandela weren’t enough, Chaila breaks out a Comic-Con worth of pop culture references across the entirety of “Go Bravely.” A tidbit of Star Wars in “Holy Grail” provides an early hint at the library of anime, science fiction and gaming knowledge that Chaila breaks out for “Down” and “All That Feat. Outsider YP.”

First, in “All That Feat. Outsider YP,” Chaila rhymes, “I walked the green mile, crossed the grand line/Gallifreying on black people time/Dragon born, so I’m done being quiet/Cause I’ve got the thu’um and the will of fire/ Kobayashi?/Nah I’m Kirking the system.”

Later, in “Down,” Chaila declares “Character arc on Zuko/I could strike a match or light up a fuse/Jinchuriki without a seal/I am not afraid of my Biju though.”

From start to finish, “Go Bravely” is an outstanding, rewarding listen that stays fresh even after multiple times through the album. In the Halloween spirit, this album might not frighten general listeners, but any rapper who hears it better fear what it means for their career.

Watch This! – The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982)

“The Thing” is one of the greats of the horror genre. Directed by John Carpenter, founding father of the slasher film, “The Thing” is a tense masterpiece.

Trapped by a massive blizzard, the crew of a United States Antarctic research station realizes they’re being hunted by an alien that can clone itself and transform to look like members of the crew. Realizing the horrific danger the creature poses, the crew sets out to find and eliminate the alien before it can move on to civilization.

Aside from the amazing practical effects which bring the creature to life, the synth driven score composed by “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” composer Ennio Morricone sets a tense, dangerous mood that seeps through the film from start to finish.

Ultimately, “The Thing” is the perfect film to watch stuck at home this Halloween. After all, better stuck safe at home than trapped inside with a monster.

Play This! – Among Us (PC, Mobile)

Perfect for developing trust issues with friends, “Among Us” is a must play party game. Originally released in 2018, “Among Us” splits up to 10 players into teams of Crewmates and Impostors.

The Crewmates’ goal is to either complete all the maintenance tasks around the map or figure out and eliminate all of the impostors. Meanwhile, the Impostors’ goal is to kill off the Crewmates without getting caught. The catch is, there’s no talking or communicating with other players except during meetings. Meetings can be called by either hitting a big red button in the map’s cafeteria or by reporting dead bodies. During those meetings, crewmates try to identify and vote out the Impostors, while Impostors try to deceive and mislead Crewmates into voting out other Crewmates.

The inability to communicate while actually accomplishing tasks around the maps leads to tense meetings where players hurl around accusations and suspicions about other players. Sometimes those suspicions are well-founded, leading to impostors being found out and eliminated. Other times, players pile on a seemingly suspect behavior and end up voting out an innocent Crewmate.

Moreover, “Among Us” is available for free on Android and iPhone, but comes with ads. PC players and those who don’t want to deal with ads on mobile can pay a few bucks to pick up “Among Us.”