‘Arts’ Archives
CHROMAKOPIA Is A Gorgeous, Wowing Album That Encapsulates the Time We Live In
This piece first appeared in November 2024 in The Southerner, a student-written and student-produced newspaper at South High School in Minneapolis. The Southerner can be found online at www.shsoutherner.net. Editor’s Note: We are extending our enjoyment of Arabella’s thoughtful review of CHROMAKOPIA by spreading it out over three issues. This month we present the first five tracks, leaving you wanting more! By ARABELLA FRACISCO Tyler, The Creator’s (also known as Tyler Gregory Okonma) newest album CHROMAKOPIA, composed of 14 tracks dropped October 28th, 2024. It was an instant hit, scoring Okonma his third No. 1 album on Billboard 200 as of November 9th. CHROMAKOPIA plays with vibrant and creative sounds creating a thought provoking, engaging listening experience, while also featuring many beloved artists such as Sexyy Red, Daniel Caesar, GloRilla, Lil Wayne, and more. Within these 14 tracks Okonma dives into themes like self discovery, identity, the fear of getting [...]
Thrones’ Eye View: The West Bench
The city has announced it is dismantling Touchstone Plaza at Peavey Park due to deterioration and safety concerns. Also known as “The Thrones,” the Phillips landmark sits at the northeast corner of the park, at the intersection of Franklin and Chicago. The sculptures were the product of a multi-year collaboration between the late artist Rafala Green, community members, and more than 80 local youth employed by the project in the 1990s. “Thrones” is a reference to a poem by Louis Alemayehu mounted on a plaque near the entrance. As a goodbye, the alley is featuring photos of each of the Plaza’s sculptural elements every month through June. The West Bench at Thrones Plaza. All Photos: Laura Hulscher
Slow-Rolling Boulder
By SAM HENDRIAN The Right cheer, the righteous jeerAt the documentation of undocumented hateYet both fail to see it’s not hate but fearThat permits prejudice to perpetrate. One person dies at the hand of a foreigner,Therefore the danger must dwell overseas;Never mind that many a coronerHas recorded their fair share of local atrocities. Our leaders operate in a post-logic landscape,A finger-pointing fairylandWhere there is no escapeFrom those who stand on anyone they don’t understand. The empathetic laugh it off,The apathetic whistle onLike a man with a cancerous coughWho insists he’ll always wake at dawn. And so we seal our country’s doomShrugged shoulder to shrugged shoulder,Forgetting that few have ever heard the boomMade by a slow-rolling boulder.
