The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Tuesday, March 12, 2019 — 5

MUSIC REVIEW

DEF JAM

I remember watching an
MTV special on 2 Chainz around
2012, where I was surprised to
learn the dope-slinging trap
rapper graduated high school
as the salutatorian and landed
a scholarship to play basketball.
And yet, in the end he chose hip
hop, recording hits like “I’m
Different” and “Birthday Song”
and becoming one of the most
desired features in the industry
($100K for a verse). All those
past collaborations would come
back around for this album
with a superstar list of guests:
Marsha
Ambrosius,
Young
Thug,
Travis
Scott,
Kendrick
Lamar,
Ariana
Grande, Ty Dolla
$ign, Lil Wayne,
E-40,
Chance
the Rapper and
Kodak Black.
The title Rap or
Go to the League
is both a nod to
2 Chainz’s own
past choice and
a reference to the widely-held
belief of young people trapped
in the hood — the only way out
is to rap or go to “the league.”
Right from the beginning,
2 Chainz makes it clear that
this is not a trap album. On the
soulful “Forgiven,” he laments
the dangerous decisions he
made as a kid and mourns the
loss of his friends’ children
who died too young. However,
the introspective tone of the
album is quick to fall apart. By
the time “Whip” starts playing,
the
personal,
from-the-soul
theme is out the window, both
sonically and lyrically.

2 Chainz attempts to occupy
just about every lane of hip
hop at once on this record: a
west-coast style DJ Mustard
track
(“2
Dollar
Bill”),
a
modern Southern sound on
his collaborations with Young
Thug and Travis Scott (“High
Top Versace” and “Whip”),
and even a borderline pop-rap
record with Ariana Grande
(“Rule
the
World”).
Quite
frankly, this album is all over
the place.
That’s not to say 2 Chainz
has never dabbled in most of
these subgenres before, but one
sound that was completely new
was the MF Doom-esque song
“Threat 2 Society.” Packed with
complex rhymes over a soul

sample-based beat, 2 Chainz
proves he can go toe-to-toe
with
lyrically-gifted
artists
like Earl Sweatshirt. Based on
this song, a Madlib-produced
2 Chainz album (in the vein
of Freddie Gibbs and Madlib’s
Piñata) might be a match made
in heaven. Despite all the big-
name features on this album,
“Threat 2 Society,” a solo track,
might be one of the best songs.
Don’t get it twisted — just
about all the collaborators came
through on this album despite
its weak points. “2 Dollar Bill”
has an annoying hook, but Lil
Wayne and E-40 bring so much

heat that it almost saves the
song. Chance the Rapper’s gives
a mellow-cool verse on “I’m
Not Crazy, Life Is” that almost
offsets the disappointing Kodak
Black verse on the same track.
But no artist came through
harder than Kendrick Lamar
did on “Momma I Hit a Lick,” a
unique and ominous Pharrell-
produced track. A collaboration
in the truest sense of the word,
2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar
seamlessly share the hook and
bleed into each other’s verses.
For each high point, however,
there is a low. The only time
2 Chainz tries to address the
idea that there are more paths
out of the hood than rap and
basketball is on the outro to
“NCAA”
—
otherwise,
nothing
ties
this
record
together
outside
the
first few songs.
“High
Top
Versace”
and
“Whip”
are
decent,
but
sound
like
Young
Thug
and
Travis
Scott
b-sides.
The last track, “Sam,” could
have been cut and the album
would’ve been better off for it.
Rap or Go to the League is
paradoxical, an unremarkable
album filled with super high
peaks. 2 Chainz flexes a near
unmatchable level of versatility,
but lacks any consistency in
sound or message. The record
itself may not be worth listening
to again in a few months
time, but tracks like “Threat
2 Society” or “Momma I Hit
a Lick” will make permanent
homes in Spotify listeners’
playlists.

2 Chainz is versatile and
scattered on new album

DYLAN YONO
Daily Arts Writer

Stephen
Sondheim’s
most
underrated musical “Merrily
We Roll Along” took the stage
of
the
Lydia
Mendelssohn
Theatre the weekend before
Spring
Break.
Ann
Arbor’s
newest professional theatrical
company,
Runyonland
Productions (founded by School
of Music, Theatre and Dance
senior Thomas Laub), headed
this ambitious project.
“Merrily We Roll Along,” a
musical with a book by George
Furth and lyrics and music by
Stephen Sondheim, is based
on a play of the same name by
George S. Kaufman and Moss
Hart. The musical follows the
journey of Franklin Shepard
(SMTD senior Liam Allen),
a world renowned Broadway
composer who abandoned his
friends and collaborators for
the commercialized lifestyle of
Hollywood. The musical starts
at the height of his Hollywood
career
and
works
its
way
backwards in time, showing
snapshots of Shepard’s most
important relationships — with

his then wife Beth (SMTD
senior Emilie Kouatchou), his
major
collaborators
lyricist
Charley (SMTD junior Wilson
Plonk) and writer Mary (SMTD
sophomore Erica Ito).
In past experiences with
this show, I have left feeling
rather saddened by the life of
Franklin Shepard. However,
under the direction of SMTD
senior Megumi Nakamura, I
left Runyonland Production’s
version of “Merrily” feeling
rather, well, merry. Nakamura’s
message in her director’s note
at the beginning of the program
that “the idea that no matter
where we are in our lives and
no matter the mistakes we
have made, it is never too late
to take responsibility for your
choices
and
move
forward
with positivity, love, and hope”
shines through tremendously in
her take on this musical.
The actors’ portrayal of these
classically
tragic
characters
helped a great deal in bringing
Nakamura’s
optimistic
perspective on “Merrily” to life.
In particular, Ito’s portrayal of
Mary had a glimmer of hope
that I have yet to see brought
to life in many actresses take

on this famous role. Ito brought
a sense of spunk and ambition
to the character, giving Mary,
a character that can easily be
portrayed one dimensionally, a
sense of emotional resonance
and depth. In addition to being
a captivating actor, Ito’s musical
talents also shined through
during
her
performance,
particularly in her song closing
Act One, “Now You Know.”

This was perhaps my favorite
number of the evening. Ito’s
combined acting chops and
musical talents allowed her
performance to be among the

most exciting on the stage.
The night I went to see
“Merrily,”
Wilson
Plonk
(Charley)
was
unable
to
perform vocally due to illness.
While Plonk physically took
to the stage, the vocals behind
Charley’s
lines
and
songs
were
delivered
backstage
by
Runyonland
producer
Thomas Laub. Due to Plonk’s
commitment
and
Laub’s

impeccable
timing,
I
often
forgot the character of Charley
was being dubbed over at all.
This is a true testament to the
amount
of
professionalism

behind each of these actors,
as
well
as
Runyonland
Productions
as
a
whole.
Another vocal talent worthy of
mention was Kouatchou. All of
Kouatchou’s vocals were spot
on — she was perfectly cast for
her role.
The musical talents of the
entire cast and orchestra were
one of the driving forces of
this production. At times when
the blocking got a bit muddy
and the dialogue was not well
supported, the story was always
clearly delivered through the
music. The orchestra and the
ensemble complimented one
another well, remaining in
harmonious balance through
the
production.
Musically,
there was not a weak member
of the entire orchestra and cast.
However, while everything
was technically there, there
were times when the emotion
behind the songs was lacking.
While the technicalities of the
music are difficult to get right
in Sondheim, the tragically
beautiful stories behind the
songs in “Merrily” are even
harder to relay to an audience.
This production of Merrily had
emotional resonance for most

of the songs, but some of them
were lacking in depth.
Yet
the
moments
shared
between
Allen,
Plonk
and
Ito seemed to make up for it.
The chemistry between the
three actors clearly showed
each time Allen, Plonk and
Ito were on stage with one
another. The relationships of
these characters are tragically
flawed and intensely intricate.
The actors’ portrayal of these
relationships allowed it to be
easy for the audience to root
for a seemingly hard-to-root-
for friendship. This caused the
last scene of the show, in which
the three are together for the
first time, to be particularly
heartwarming.
When going to the theatre,
I can always tell that I’ve seen
a worthwhile production if
I’ve left the experience feeling
changed for the better. I left
“Merrily We Roll Along” with a
tune in my head and hope in my
heart, which is something not
everyone finds on their average
Friday evening. I look forward
to
Runyonland
Productions’
future shows, especially if they
are anything like “Merrily We
Roll Along.”

“Climax,”
Gasper
Noé’s
latest film venture, is designed
to push its audience over the
edge.
Everything
about
it,
from the plot to the music to
the cinematography, is beyond
disturbing. And I absolutely
loved it.
The film tells the supposedly
true story of a group of dancers
in ’90s France that
undergoes
a
night
of sex, violence and
chaos as a result of
drinking
LSD-laced
sangria.
Because
the
perpetrator
of
this
drugging
isn’t
revealed
until
the
final shot of the film,
the audience is just
as lost and confused
as the dancers are.
While
the
premise
of
“Climax”
alone
has the potential to
be presented in an
absurdist
or
even
comedic light, Noé
takes
the
exact
opposite route. He makes it
dark, repulsive and deeply
depressing.
“Climax” is one of the most
immersive movie experiences
I’ve ever had, mainly due to
Noé’s
masterful
command
of the technical aspects of
filmmaking.
As
the
night
progresses and the drugs begin
to take effect, the camerawork

faces a gradual decline in
clarity and precision. As the
dancers
become
sloppy
in
their judgement and cognition,
the camera becomes sloppy
as well, shaking and going in
and out of focus at random
moments. While we as an
audience are never able to fully
grasp what the dancers are
experiencing, the movements
of the camera do an excellent
job of mimicking it. The sounds
in the movie also function

to immerse viewers in the
world of “Climax.” At certain
points in the film, the bass of
the music was so loud that I
could feel my heart adjusting
to pump along with it. Just
as the dancers lost control of
their bodies, I felt I was losing
control over mine, albeit in an
admittedly much less severe
manner.

The film continues to disturb
its viewers through its plot on
a deep, psychological level.
“Climax” purposely seeks to
confront and exploit our most
innately human repulsions and
fears. The film tackles topics
like incest and self-harm, and
even threatens the lives of a
child and a pregnant woman.
“Climax” clearly understands
the things that scare us not
only in general, but on an
evolutionary, primal level, and
it takes no issue in
exploiting them to the
absolute extreme.
I’m not sure if I’ll
ever
see
“Climax”
again. I’m not sure if I
even want to. But I’m
certainly glad I saw
it, if only for the fact
that I’ve never seen
anything like it, and
probably never will
again. Many will say
that “Climax” goes too
far in all respects, and
I wouldn’t disagree
with them. But there’s
something to be said
about a movie that
can conjure up such
extreme reactions from its
audience, even if said reactions
arise out of shock and disgust.
“Climax” is a prime example
of what film as a medium is
capable of: Harnessing the
power of sight and sound to
make us feel something, no
matter
how
unpleasant
it
may be. And that, I think, is
something to be celebrated.

‘Climax’ exploits sound
and sight with panache

ELISE GODFRYD
Daily Arts Writer

Rap or Go to the League

2 Chainz

Def Jam Recordings

FILM REVIEW

A24

Climax

State Theatre

A24

Runyonland’s ‘Merrily We Roll Along’ astounds

ALIX CURNOW
Daily Arts Writer

COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW

The actors’ portrayal of these classically
tragic characters helped a great deal
in bringing Nakamura’s optimistic
perspective on ‘‘Merrily” to life.