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We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Midnight Movie

by Shunaji

/
1.
Welcome 04:44
If I was your girl I’d stitch you up like none before, Drain the devil from your pores then relieve you from the curse. I could give your 20 dollars, 40 karat gold, Then the things I say you say you already know. I left my house in the hills for this urban jungle, The city is mellow the sun never glows, But the raving is heavy, see the drink as it flows, Pretty boys, pretty girls, pretty blood, cokey noses. I couldn’t trust you the first time that I anticipated The things I thought if I had known my heart had been sedated, The foggy feeling that you feel let me elucidate it. I’ll be your patron any second, you can be my pagan. My lyrics are flagrant, I made them, I sometimes write for people that do not appreciate them, I cast away the hatred, my cocoa butter fragrance Is heaven and you know the way and you are always welcome.   You are always welcome, You are always welcome (if I want you to be) You are always welcome, You are always welcome (when I want you to be) You are always welcome, You are always welcome (you will always be) You are always welcome, You are always welcome (if I want you, you will) My memories break noses, they sting like stolen roses, When you melt I part the holy-water-parting Moses. Don’t cry for him, he knows his fate, he made his fate He chose it, he calls it like a hotline bling, And hears too many voices, say I’d catch you there if only you closer To me, my clothes torn, the shoe holes And from my nose I’m fuming. Another day, another dose, Another phase, another pose My parachute don’t even open! I hit reality hit me I’m frozen, Or if it is and may it be and this is my atonement? You always noticed, you always noticed, You always knew that it’s me who wrote it So now its hard to write my flex now that I’m living sober. One hot one cold being a reincarnation of October Won’t you come over, won’t you come over? Sit on the bench, open my chest and I’m an open folder, Open the door but did you know? I open the door just so you know that You are always welcome, You are always welcome (if I want you to be) You are always welcome, You are always welcome (when I want you to be) You are always welcome, You are always welcome (you will always be) You are always welcome, You are always welcome (if I want you, you will)   Yo again, it's me, the whisper in your dreams The apple of your eye and yet the cameo in your scenes, The finish of a seam but then I'm closer than it seems to me, Now I can see my memories have been depleted. Revisionism it stands for history deleted, I could concede it Having freedom of another Mista E, Ulysses comin home except that you're the Odyssey, Release me from the jinx so I could fuck him on the kitchen sink. I need another fix I think, I'd fix you in a blink, I'd fit you in, My passion fruit my baby peach The poison lip the fear of speed It is whatever's gonna be, if you can't hide me  Remind yourself that yesterday ain't binding, Hang a light, the strangest thing and find me  Kiss my belly, kiss my feet There's a picture on the wall, guess it's why I'm picturing The many ways it couldn't be Cause I see, nowI see , when I see you do you, I do… You are always welcome, You are always welcome (if I want you to be) You are always welcome, You are always welcome (when I want you to be) You are always welcome, You are always welcome (you will always be) You are always welcome, You are always welcome (if I want you, you will)
2.
Girls 04:08
Was I born in the wrong time? Never mind. Can a system redefine me? I close my eyes. I see people around me, open their eyes And pick the apple from the tree, logically I’m the devil in disguise. Marquees, people living wealthy, Paradise and the ice is never melting, And the glass is never empty Meanwhile, on the other side Black boys profiled, police gone wild, Racially hostile is the world, Never chill no chill for a girl. I suppose all my sisters already know, I suppose all my sisters already know, I already know, you already know, we... We came into this world With a curse inside our purse, Wade in the water, girls... Wade in the water, girls... We came into this world With a curse inside our purse, Wade in the water, girls... Wade in the water, girls... I'm a feminine miracle, deal with it, No, I'm not cynical I live with spiritual senses transmitted through space, Embracing my fate, I don't wanna escape, I'm not done with them yet. But it's late now, yes it's late for another debate, I'm the candidate candid with grace, I'm a graduate orbiting space, As I master my craft keeping up with the pace. And the labels, the names, the reviews are so lame, While my memory traces that second base shit, On the basis that nothing turns out as it seems, And I speak with my tongue 'cause these lips I can't trust. You got cigarette breath but the perfume is musk And I'm a literate poet. We came into this world With a curse inside our purse, Wade in the water, girls... Wade in the water, girls... We came into this world With a curse inside our purse, Wade in the water, girls... Wade in the water, girls... Illustrate your arguments with grace Enemies can’t keep the pace, irate They raid us, all my girls are intricate Ghana braids and the cocoa butter fragrance Two shades afraid cause they made us, But one day I will be the great, Never need to complain, keep my head in the game, I'll be winning again, and again, and again, and again... We came into this world With a curse inside our purse, Wade in the water, girls... Wade in the water, girls... We came into this world With a curse inside our purse, Wade in the water, girls... Wade in the water, girls...
3.
I count the blessings I rest in, With my too many pieces I've left behind, Got a troubled mind, but she’s feeling fine they say Rhymes don’t ride when they’re too contrived. Hold my breath like I'm buried alive With my 9 to 9 that got me food deprived, I disguise every new goodbye Like "I’ll see you", but when? And I’m lying again. Paper my friend, an exam couldn’t test me, Diaphragm coarse, my brain is empty Can’t decide a side, I pick a medley, Terrified in the middle - Wednesday. Strangest thing strangers acting friendly, Wave my way acting like they’ve met me, Twice a face and it’s twice offensive Twice a face and they always say... I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you, I was hiding but you, I was hiding but you, I was hiding but you... Three hundred sixty five candles, detangle my Nappy hair something handle, come find me its I am Shunaji, the handle, A living Inception, I've got different angles I’ll be: Solo by day, then I'm Lando Calrissian My haters I diss them, watch me as I glisten I get demons listening, With crystals received at my christening. Commuting like journeys I've got my own wisdom, A, B, CEO 'cause I manage my business I mind my own business, My enemies rinse out like dishes - FM. I switch it and bend all the patterns, then do it again, Too jealous is greener than hemp, My cocoa is butter my honey is red. I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you, I was hiding but you, I was hiding but you, I was hiding but you... Like Fellini, easy going surrounded by women, Fellini, champagne in my blood spaghetti my spirit, I’m like Fellini, watch how everybody wanna be me, Check how everybody wanna see me, Cause when I’m stuntin, I do like Fellini, I move Fellini, a lifestyle... Machiavelli on a BMX, wild, Walter White with all that selfish pride, Haven’t seen him in a while, I don’t dial it, I’m the Princess Solo with style, Textiles from a hundred planets, Poetic justice, graduate Janet, I do Italian English Spanish Translations, you was at my graduation (sayin') I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you saw right through me, I was hiding but you, I was hiding but you, I was hiding but you, I was hiding but you...
4.
I’m harsh but gentle, Most days I’ve been sentimental Those lyrics in Welcome I meant them, I pray like amen don’t fuck with your men, And I’ve done things I won’t be doing again, Instead I scribble in pen Rap is my only friend and testimony. While eating lobster with Tony, he adore me, a fan of, We never speak unless we speak Italiano, the mulianos Se rappo non vado piano, Volo, un aeroplano - different language. An alien, alienated, come from another planet I am isolated, Princess Solo stay on my own island Other rappers wouldn’t manage, I found a way through the ice age And I survived it, I’m the animal adaptable to different climates. I got your tune on iTunes under Various Artists, Don’t mind me, that other cypher was manic, Shit you couldn’t imagine, I grabbed the mic And they panicked, jaws droppin' like acid They tripped on these adlibs, I made a beat and I wrapped it, And I will be your favourite wrapper. Oh, the rhytm's on my mind, If only I could be defined... With all this time you're wasting here, I'm living life spontaneously. I’ve been reinventing my dreams Cause demons come in my sleep, There’s things you wouldn’t believe And you can’t see them either. I come in tune through speakers, With keys like aphrodisiacs, Don’t give a fuck about Stevia I need my coffee sweeter. I call them how I see them Now my thoughts are buried deep and, I keep losing my breath... Vocabularies carry words that go unsaid, I’m blessed but don’t forget it I forged my future so I’ll never regret it, Living spontaneously, I’ve been the little black sheep So rich with individuality, divided yet united I am the particles of an atom, Can’t copy this because it’s been copyrighted hand me your writing, sitting frantically typing Speaking frankly I’m tired, but being tired’s inspiring I’m in the hands of the choir - I sing: If you don’t dig you a liar, I set the bar always higher I’ll put these bars up for hire a poltergeist kinda of writer. Oh, the rhythm's on my mind, If only I could be defined... With all this time you're wasting here, I'm living life spontaneously. Too many words could twist my tongue like high schoolers I’m undercover like Mulan, the elephant in the room and A Moulin Rouge kind of foolish, I’m twice as Roman as ruins, you knew it. These words flow easy I’m fluid Call me Cupid I could shoot you with arrows, I am the psychic that’s been reading your tarots What do I see? Your mentality’s narrow, narrowed down kinda shallow I work on cinco de mayo, I’m out here fighting El Paso It’s casual, and if I go some flowers on my altar. My alter ego is un’altra, They worship me like La Blanca To be alone is my mantra, Not at the mall with a tantrum Runnin' and pantin' I run from humanity like the phantom I am Sick Ranchez, I'm the rando with hype, And a lay low kinda type, just work the day then the night And if I may be then I might Provide delight with these rhymes, I flow like way maritime, Sellin' the riddles like dimes, I drop the mic...cordially. Oh, the rhythm's on my mind, If only I could be defined... With all this time you're wasting here, I'm living life spontaneously. Oh, the rhythm's on my mind, If only I could be defined... With all this time you're wasting here, I'm living life spontaneously.

about

Midnight Movie is Shunaji's debut EP. As a film aficionada, cinema was one of Shunaji's main inspirations in the making. "The term 'midnight movie' originated in smaller U.S. TV stations during the 1950s. They would air low-budget genre films during late night programming. 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' is a great example of how (former) midnight movies have influenced popular culture". Recently, midnight movies have been generally associated with productions which were not as critically acclaimed at the time of release as they are today - like 'Donnie Darko', for example. Midnight Movie represents the potential for marginalised voices to become part of, if not representatives for, the mainstream.

The sounds in Midnight Movie aspire to evoke a cinematic dimension, bringing listeners on a journey alongside Shunaji's lyrics. 'Fellini' - as a prime example - is an ode to the late Italian film director Federico Fellini and his take on life, film and the relationship between the two. "The idea was for the EP to be a mini-soundtrack, with 'Welcome' being a bittersweet intro to the film and 'Red Honey' being both its climax and closing".

In Midnight Movie, Shunaji uses some of her aliases to deliver different messages. Sick Ranchez is particularly present as a voice in 'Red Honey', while Princess Solo manifests itself in 'Welcome'. The sampling techniques adopted throughout the EP vary between conventional and disruptive, making up the backbone of each track together with hip-hop inspired grooves.

Produced by Shunaji
Mixed by Jack Lewin
Mastered by Andrew Baldwin at Metropolis Studios
Artwork by Baby Besso (@babybesso)

Supported by LeFtO (Worldwide FM), Carista Eendragt (Red Light Radio / NTS Radio), Alyssa Macgregor Hastie (Red Light Radio / BEESWAX), Mr. Redley (Reprezent Radio), Thad Wenatchee (Hollow Earth Radio), Brownswood Recordings and family.

credits

released May 4, 2018

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Shunaji London, UK

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