Named after the first recorded speculative bubble, [Dutch Tulip Financial](https://dtf.nyc/) is a NYC-based streetwear brand that's been on my mind heavy since I got hip a little while back through the Antithesis store in Manhattan. Unlike most fashion which is about advancing the status quo and joining a herd, DTF requires your brain to work for the brand to click, and is about criticizing "the way things are." 

Founder/designer Moonwhan Park's graphics generally reference exploitation by dominant culture, governments, unduly powerful conglomerates and oligarchies. The results are funny and trenchant, playing into consumer culture in a way that is also about calling out and laughing at the absurdity of living in a rich man's world. Streetwear as artistic commentary. 

To dig into DTF further I hopped on Zoom for a cool hour and 15 minutes with Mr. Park, the one-man show behind the whole shebang (design, photography, sales, everything). We talked about Korean politics, his famous antiestablishment poet grandpa, the best place to eat intestines in NYC, and Oldboy, among other topics.   

*All images by Moonwhan Park*  

![DTFdelvey.jpg](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/DT_Fdelvey_e0ae40a90f.jpg)

**You just dropped your Anna Delvey capsule. What do you like about her?**

She’s a scammer, so I don’t want to put her on a pedestal necessarily. But what she represents and exploited very well was the worshipping of wealth. Not just what she did with her fake heiress background, but wherever you go, people worship wealth and we give wealthy people power. And why? Why is Elon Musk so powerful, just because he’s rich? It’s the same in Korea. Korea has jaebol (a handful of companies that run the country like an oligarchy), and there’s some sort of irrational reverence for them. “There he goes, he’s jaebol, he’s Lee family, Chung family…” But I always had this doubt. 

When I grew up in Korea, I went to this elementary school that was private and had a lot of kids from those jaebol families, or extended jaebol families. And since we were young, nobody had self-awareness or an identity of “I’m rich, fuck you.” We just mingled normally. But as I grew up I saw how my other friends revered those kids, and acted differently when I was with them compared to by myself. I thought it was so weird cuz I knew those guys when we were eight years old. Nowadays, I only keep up with a few of those rich-rich guys, but seeing the weird class structure, how they carried themselves as they got older, how people treated them, I thought it was weird. In my mind they’re not better or worse than us. But they have an aura of coming from an important family. Anna Delvey created that same kind of persona by faking that she was from a European aristocratic family. So I thought it was funny, and I thought it was a reflection of modern society that she was able to succeed as much as she did. 

**DTF graphics reference economics, social control, exploitation –– what draws you to these themes? You talked about growing up in the shadow of jaebol but what else got you interested in these topics?**

Two things. One of the friends I’m still friends with, and is a great guy, and of course is in private equity now — he used to live here and still comes to New York frequently on business trips. In 2018/2019 he came here and hit me up, and brought me to some random Upper East Side intersection. And he was pretty stoked about what he just experienced. He was telling me about this social club, and how he was either the first or second Korean guy to get into it. Five interviews, 12 reference letters. Just to be in this exclusive thing. Super secretive. I don’t even know if it had a name. It was for, I guess, white guys. Mainly. He was telling me that the guys in it were hedge fund billionaires, and when he got in there, he saw those guys wearing robes and playing tennis and chilling, and making behind the scenes deals. I thought that was movie stuff. But when I learned that was real, that was a direct inspiration for DTF. 

I was like, OK, let me make a conceptual construct where I can inject different storylines into it. I do t-shirts because I didn’t have any money. And it also came out of my desire to differentiate what I do from streetwear as a whole. It was when Virgil Abloh was like “Streetwear is an art,” 2017/2018, and I was like, I can’t just slap my logo on a shirt and not add to the conversation. So I was trying to find my lane. And the stories I heard from my private equity friends and business school friends who worked at investment banks were inspirations for me. There are a lot of brands who do social commentary, but they don’t use finance or capitalism to tell stories. So I thought that could be my lane, with the help of the stories I hear from the guys who are in that industry. 

The second big inspiration was my grandfather, a really well respected poet in Korea who passed away in the ‘90s. If you grow up in Korea you know his name: Tu-Jin Park. He has a memorial museum, he’s a big figure in the Korean art world in the 20th century. I lived with him, and he had this aura around him. Even when I was little, I was like, I should not bother him — he’s doing something great. He was the type to wake up at 5 am, meditate for an hour, do calligraphy, have a real small meal, pray for an hour, write for seven hours straight, eat another small meal, meditate, do yoga, and go to sleep. Korea now, we’re doing OK, but in the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s that wasn’t the case. We were under a harsh political regime. And when he was young, we were under Japanese colonization. His whole thing was rebellious, socially. And he paid for his views. He got shot at by police, and tortured by the Korean version of the CIA. He got shot at during 4/19, a big democratic event in Korea in the early 1960s. The regime was headed by Sing-Man Lee, who was doing what Putin is doing, illegally extending his term three or four times. But my grandfather was a professor and his students went to the streets to protest, and police opened fire. And my grandfather ran out. He was pretty well known even then, and dared them to shoot him. And they still shot at him. He had the acclaim, the respect, but the life…my dad and grandmother lived in poverty. It was hardship all the time. I always knew I wouldn’t be as good as him, whatever I did. I saw him as an archetype, solitary genius figure. He didn’t get swayed by any temptations, money or anything. He was like a monk. In the ‘70s there was another military regime headed by Chung-Hee Park. And to sway my grandfather, the first lady wanted him to be her private literature tutor. And obviously my grandfather said, Fuck off. Park’s term went on for 19 years, it was like the dark ages. 

So I felt like, I’ll never be able to do that. I’m going to lead a normal life, study business, and be normal — go to a respectable school, wear a suit. I tried. I tried to be a normal Korean. That was me working at Samsung, which is where I met my wife, who was Korean-American, which is how I got to New York, when I was 30. But actually I did have another small business thing at the time. I was doing it with a friend, when I came to New York. And my friend ran off with the money! 

DTF came about because I literally hit rock bottom. I was broke in New York, stabbed in the back by my friend. It was a soul-searching moment, 2017/2018. I only had money for screen printing a small run. And I knew I wanted to be adjacent to art, if not be an artist myself. I always viewed myself as someone that’s not worthy of being an artist, because of my grandfather. But when I hit rock bottom, I was like eff it, I’m going to treat this as an art project. In this day and age, some people might see it as art adjacent. 

So that’s a long story, but my friends and somewhat of a corporate background gave me the inspiration for DTF, and as far as my approach to things, it’s super shaped by my grandfather. 

![DTFdebtjam.jpg](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/DT_Fdebtjam_0fc86039dc.jpg)

**That’s fascinating. What’s your favorite poem of your grandfather’s?**

It’s called “The Sun.” It’s really hard to translate. One thing that separates him from other poets who wrote about the sun, is the tone is very authoritative towards the sun. He’s ordering the sun to rise up. Like hey, sun, get the fuck out and rise up. I’m butchering it. But I heard from literature critics you don’t typically see that approach. It’s more poets singing about the beauty of the sun, in a romantic way. But at the time Korea was between the Korean War and the Japanese colonization, dark times, and metaphorically he wanted the sun to rise up and break through for the situation in Korea. Urgently. His poems really reflect his personality, very masculine, strong words, very convincing. He wasn’t like a “My life sucks guy,” it was no melancholy, just (punches his hand three times). 

**I’m interested in Korean history. The ‘70s in particular was such a crazy time -– the Chung-Hee Park years. Really terrible for human rights, people going to jail for having long hair, and for countercultural figures like your grandfather it was very dangerous. But it was also when Korea rebuilt itself from a colonized and war-torn country that was previously agricultural, to something resembling today where they are a modern global superpower or close to that. And there’s this rationalization that I really hate, which is that you have to break eggs to make an omelet. That you don’t get that development and advancement without treating people like garbage. You have to be bad to people to succeed in the grand scheme. **

It gets short term results. (Heavy sigh) I identify as Korean. I don’t have plans to get American citizenship. And it hurts me, because for me, the two steps that epitomize the current status of Korea as far as how people feel, the the pressure they’re under, is we have the highest rate of suicide, and the lowest birth rate. That means people don’t want to live. That shows you how much stress and pressure there is. 

**Do you think that’s a byproduct of the 1970s culture?**

Has to be. Not a direct byproduct of it, maybe, but yeah. It’s also such a compressed country, so dense, and homogenous, monoculture…so the frame of reference is too close. Everybody grows up the same, looks the same, put under a pretty limited set of predetermined life paths. You have to be this or that, or you’re done. I felt, being there, that I was always being compared to someone. New York is pretty crazy, but because we’re all so different – Asian, Black, Latinos, white people – I personally don’t have the same criteria of judging myself based on other people. Everyone is doing their own thing. The sheer diversity helps me instinctively not compare myself. But in Korea, the degrees of separation are like two or three. Everybody knows each other. And it’s not taboo to comment on people’s situations. “Hey you look like you gained weight.” Or “Hey I heard you lost your job.” All those things compounded. Just my theory. There’s a village-like culture, maybe stemming from the agricultural aspect, where everybody was in poverty, and everyone had to share meals. We’re all in this together, no boundaries type situation. 

**On a hopeful note, what inspires you about today’s youth?** 

I love Greta Thunberg and Generation Z. Millennials –– technically I’m a millennial –– we were kind of a go with the flow generation. I want Generation Z to give us shit. We deserve it. We should do better. And they know that, and I like that about Gen Z. As far as fashion, if they’re doing more Depop, more trading instead of buying, that’s good. I don’t sell that many t-shirts so I don’t have that big of a guilt [environmentally], but it’s still a guilt. I looked at recycled cotton blanks and tried it, but when I make them, to make my money back I have to charge more, and people don’t buy it. So those recycled cotton ideas are only for the companies that already have a lot of money. Gildan and Hanes –– I want those guys to make more accessible recycled cotton options. I think we’ll get there, because Gen Z wants more eco-friendly options, and that’s who will be buying things going forward. As far as big changes and shift, I don’t know, I feel almost powerless but the least I could do is listen and not try to silence when Gen Z are speaking out. They’re the ones who have to deal with all our bullshit, so they have the right to give us shit. As far as making things better, I have to do my part, I’m a dad, I’m always thinking about my son.

![DTFmofear.jpg](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/DT_Fmofear_fcdf168314.jpg)

**OK lightning round, eight questions real quick. Favorite Korean food in NYC?**

There’s this place called [Gopchang BBQ](https://www.gopchangbbq.com/) I think there’s one in Manhattan Koreatown and one in Flushing. It’s intestines. LIke Korean BBQ, but with only intestines instead. They clean it out of course. It’s not anything glamorous at all, but because of the cleaning process, in Korea it’s not cheap. But because nobody outside of Koreans care for those parts of the animal in the US, it’s cheaper here. You eat it as lettuce wraps with white rice. 

**Favorite brand?**

To be honest I don’t have one. I respect a lot of brands, Cav Empt. I don’t own any Off-White or LV because it’s too expensive, but I really respected Virgil Abloh. The totality of what he did. Me not having any favorite brands is more to do with being a dad now. I don’t care anymore. Technically I’m in fashion, but I look at kid’s shoes more. As opposed to “There’s this new drop.” I don’t care about any of that. My son needs shoes. That’s where I’m at. 

**Favorite movie?**

Oldboy. 

**I always think about the wallpaper in that movie, the honeycomb pattern that’s supposed to drive you insane.** 

Yeah yeah. 

**Favorite musician?**

Tupac. I’m still that generation. 

**Favorite album?**

Makaveli.

**Favorite shoe?**

Air Jordan 8, black OG. With the straps, and some crazy graphic pattern at the heel. It was the first Air Jordan that I had.

**Favorite t-shirt that you own?**

One that I customized at an event with my son’s name on it, B-E-N-N-Y. 

**Last one: favorite politician?**

Probably Chun-Ha Chang. He was before my time, but he was the anti-military regime democratic fighter. He was the leader of the opposition to President Park. Of course he died due to “mysterious causes.” One of my father’s best friends is the son of that guy. His friend had to suffer, after his dad’s death. He couldn’t get regular jobs. He was this super smart guy but nobody was hiring him. He did odd jobs his whole life. And they joke about it now, because my dad’s friend is a jack of all trades because of bouncing from this job to that job. He’s like the ultimate handyman now. He accepted it as his fate, and likes it, in a way. By all accounts though his dad was a very respectable guy. If he didn’t get assassinated, maybe Koreans’ recent history could have gone a different direction. A huge what-if situation. 


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DTFdelvey1.jpg

The Dutch Tulip Financial Interview

![muchmerch.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/muchmerch_394b46cedf.png)

Been awhile since I did one of these.

![kennyg.jpg](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/kennyg_75c466d93a.jpg)

Absolute heat, this Kenny G pin. Buy it at the [Frye Art Museum gift shop](https://store.fryemuseum.org/products/kenny-g-pin) and learn more about the artist Naomi Parker [here](https://naomiparker.net/). Also go stream "G Force." 

![theesatisfaction.jpg](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/theesatisfaction_9c79f32170.jpg)

[$10 for the THEESatisfaction shirt](https://megamart.subpop.com/collections/theesatisfaction/products/theesatisfaction_theesatisfaction-purple) with Stas THEE Boss' silhouette on it. That's a deal. Buy it and go around telling everyone that the 10th anniversary of awE naturalE should be huge news, and you'll look good AND be right. Look out for Stas' writing/interviewing in Finals Issue #2 dropping any minute now. 

![naomipunk.jpg](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/naomipunk_cf20cf962e.jpg)

Paul McCartney death conspiracy shirt by one of the best PNW rock groups EVER. [Buy buy buy](https://naomipunkmusic.bigcartel.com/product/paul-death-conspiracy-shirt). 

![sellasouls.jpg](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/sellasouls_71648c0682.jpg)

Freak out your friends and relatives with [this Sellasouls shirt](https://dismiss.store/collections/sellasouls/products/kuchisake-onna-t-shirt). Calmly explain to them what sigilkore is and why they should care, and watch their eyes glaze over like you just cast a spell.  

![rouri.PNG](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/rouri_df1b1c6601.PNG)

Skulls on a tee will never look wack. Wear [ROURI404's version](https://darkmedicine.com/collections/rouri404/products/rouri404-skull-t-shirt) if you're feeling their take on SoundCloud Rock, which I am and you should. 

Merch Roundup: Kenny G, THEESatisfaction, Naomi Punk, Sellasouls, ROURI404

![BESTOF2021.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/BESTOF_2021_e92944490e.png)

After a baker's dozen music year-end lists, we have just one more list to go and it's courtesy our resident film critic DLo. Check out his picks below for stuff you should watch. Thanks DLo!

-Andrew 

-- 

![DLO.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/DLO_ae1a64ed35.png)

Hey everyone! It’s DLo, I hope your holidays have been blessed and loving. I’m here to give y’all my end of the year watch list for 2021. I wrote about films and series that really stuck with me during this troubling year and I hope I can push you to go check ‘em out soon!

-DLo


###### Films:

**A Quiet Place II:** John Krasinski does it again with the sequel to his blockbuster hit, A Quiet Place. It’s fascinating how this cast uses the least amount of dialogue to invoke an absurd amount of emotion, using only their eyes and facial expressions. The most terrifying scene occurs when the monsters first attack. It’s captured from the perspective of the deaf daughter, Regan, played by Millicent Simmonds. You could hear a pin drop in the theater; the chaos that ensued left everyone extremely tense. Emily Blunt and the supporting cast kills it! Though I hope this is the end of the line, because there’s not much more story left to tell. Especially when the basis is alien monsters who can kill anything they hear at the blink of an eye. Unless they introduce a new family into the story, in a totally different location, it’ll be redundant. Just the same story we’ve already received the most out of.

**Last Night in Soho:** Edgar Wright’s psychedelic trip into 1960’s Soho captured the time period very well. From the soundtrack and set design, to color and composition, it really feels like you’re in London for most of the movie. Something I didn’t mind being lost in! The story revolves around Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie), a girl who occasionally sees her deceased mother in the mirror (pretty much a medium when you really think about it). Ellie, lover of fashion and the oldies, gets accepted into the London College of Fashion. From here, everything seems to finally start taking off for her. London has always seemed to be one of those cruel, shadowy places that people romanticize. We get to see that unravel as Ellie tries to get comfortable during her first couple days there. Snobby roommates cause her to leave the dorms searching for her own place; which comes at a price due to her higher sense of spirit. She starts having dreams but realizes she’s not herself in them. Instead she’s this girl from 1960’s London named Sandy (Anya Taylor Joy) who in some ways seems just like Ellie, trying to fly too close to the sun. Her dreams become violent after a man named Jack (Matt Smith) begins making appearances, taking advantage of Sandy in the worst ways possible. Ellie ends up going insane from the dreams with shadow figures constantly harassing her. She tries to contacts a man she thinks is Jack and accidentally kills him. Soon after it all clicks; She figures out the woman who let her move into her apartment is actually Sandy and the men she keeps seeing are actually Sandy’s murdered victims. Sandy attempts to kill Ellie, but eventually faces her sins; allowing herself to burn to death inside the bedroom. Edgar Wright really seems like a good guy to say the least man. 

**Spider-man No Way Home:** I feel like i’ve heard the word multiverse so much in the last year that i’m starting to mumble it in my sleep. This movie is a homage to the Raimi universe and Andrew Garfield’s Spiderman iteration, and it doesn’t disappoint at all. Peter (Tom Holland) is facing the repercussions of Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhal) outing his secret identity to the world. We finally get to see Peter hate being Spiderman for once (something the past iterations have dabbled in as well). Peter looks to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help with a situation too big for him alone to handle. Peter asks strange if he can make everyone forget he’s Spiderman which he accepts even thought Wong tells strange not to lift a finger (as always). But then spell gets botched due to Peter not knowing how to shut his mouth which is something we all shouldn’t expect at this point if you follow the character closely. This ends up bringing some of my favorite comic book villains back into the fold for one more shot at redemption! We see Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Electro (Jamie Foxx), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Lizard (Rhys Ifans). The multiverse is officially cracked wide open but instead of Peter sending all of the villains back like Strange wants, he ends up trying to “fix” them to avoid any further conflict. Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) suggests holding everyone at an apartment that Happy (Jon Favreau) owns and it leads to a pretty good scene showcasing Peter’s spidey sense when he’s surrounded by all the villains at once. Goblin flips to his more sinister self and fights Peter inside of the small apartment. Witnessing them suplex each other through the floors reminded me of watching WWE as a kid. Goblin ends up killing Aunt May when it’s all said and done which leads Peter to believe he needs some help from some familiar faces. The crowd reaction when Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield walk through their portals had the same impact as Captain America wielding mjolnir in Endgame. We get to see the science side of each Peter while working together to figure out the best way to bring everyone back home and keeping their hands as clean as possible while doing so. The final fight on the statue of liberty was one for the ages. Seeing 3 different generations of spiderman fight their villain counterparts all in the name of doing the right thing felt reassuring to say the least. The redemption that was given to Andrew’ spiderman stole the show along with his individual performance as well which he absolutely deserved. I’m sure with his recent newfound popularity it’s not gong to be the last time we see him in the MCU and I look forward to it. 

**Lamb:** Definitely one of the most peculiar films of the year from A24. Director Valdimar Johansson gives us a Swedish tale about a half-sheep, half-human hybrid, raised by a couple on a farm in Iceland. Beautiful cinematography all around! Each scene’s colors pop out and are consistently memorable. This story kicks off when a herd of horses are spooked by an unknown entity in a barn. Later, the two main characters, Maria (Noomi Kapace) & her husband Ingvar (Halmir Guðnason), realize one of their sheep has given birth to one of the most bizarre creatures I’ve seen on the silver screen. Things get even more uncomfortable as they give the child a name (Ada). Igvar struggles to warm up to Ada amid the tension building between him and Maria. The other sheep begin to act out, due to them feeling threatened by Maria’s actions to keep the child as her own. This provides for some pretty cool imagery, such as a dream sequence where the sheep all have glowing golden eyes. The ending makes perfect sense though I wasn’t too fond of it. It would’ve been more satisfying to see Maria die at the hands of the demon hybrid rather than Ingvar. All in all, this movie is definitely something I plan to revisit with an eighth of shrooms!

**(Honorable Mention) Ghost in the Shell 1995 in IMAX:** When I seen an ad on Instagram saying Ghost in the Shell would be in IMAX for a couple days, I bought a ticket immediately. Words cannot give any justice to the chills I had once the theme music blasted from the surround sound at my local AMC. There were probably a good fifteen people inside, including myself (which kind of annoyed me but made the experience a lot more captivating). I’ve only known about this movie for about six or seven years, due to one of my homies putting me on, but I fell in love immediately! I’m sure that feeling will never leave. 


###### Series:

**Midnight Mass:** Mike Flanagan redeems himself after his confusing effort with The Haunting of Bly Manor. This series follows a small community of die hard Christians on a isolated island. The lead is Riley Flynn who is tormented by a woman he killed driving drunk in the first episode. He ends up going to prison for a few years but when he comes back home the embrace of the community feels cold, especially from his father. The cast does a great job of giving the viewer this unsettled feeling, not to bring you to the edge of your seat but to make you ask questions to see what lies beneath the surface. Things pick up great steam once Father Paul comes onto the island saying the previous Father fell sick and had to be replaced. Paul has a very eerie vibe about him that doesn’t get explained until midway thru the season. I don’t want to spoil much but this show is a great ride for a limited series from a director who constantly proves himself to have a vision that keeps us involved. 

**Succession:** One of the best, if not the absolute best tv series to drop this year. The Roy family made it clear why Logan (Brian Cox) is the only deserving top dog. Don’t get me wrong though, there was a great amount of character development with each family member sharing the spotlight as much as they should. My favorite was Kendall (Jeremy Strong) simply because of us all knowing how it would potentially end for him. The slow burn you feel seduced by regarding his plan makes you want to root for him til the world blows but his continued poor decision making and scatter brained behavior doesn’t let it stick too long. Roman (Kieran Culkin) even gets a better grip on his place in the corporate world even though all he really cares about is making his pops proud of him. We finally get to see Shiv (Sarah Snook) for the person she truly is … a Roy. A dinner between Kendall and Logan became my favorite scene of the whole season. The acting was phenomenal and the writing just hit you right in the fucking jaw. None of the kids actually succeed in attempting to show how much they aren’t like their dad (Logan) and the finale put a dagger in each of their hearts with a twist im side nine of them saw coming. Season 3 was flawless and I can guarantee the last season or maybe last 2 seasons will surely keep living up to the hype. 

**Loki:** Marvel actually trying to give their characters solid character development for once is a trend I hope they keep getting better at. Loki starts off right where God of mischief (Tom Hiddleston) was left in Endgame, stealing the Tesseract and fleeing that dramatic battle in NY. The TVA (Time Variance Authority) captures him pretty quick due to him breaking the sacred timeline during his escape. It’s all downhill from there for Loki as we dive into a hint of how much the multiverse will impact the MCU going forward. Mobius (Owen Wilson) even makes a strong appearance alongside Loki and eventually starts to feel sorry for him after showing him how much his selfish actions mean nothing. Mobius ends up asking Loki to help him find Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) who is another version of the original MCU Loki from another universe(i know this is getting confusing but stay with me). She’s attempting to take down the TVA for good reasons and the romance between her and Loki end up being a strong point within the show due to them being the exact same person with slightly different intentions. We get some amazing comic book easter eggs once Loki gets pruned to an alternate universe. From Kid Loki & Lizard Loki to President Loki & the old Loki with his original comic accurate costume. Some episodes drag a tiny bit due to the paving being a little off but things end up paying off during the last 2 episodes. Sylvie and Loki figure out the TVA are a corrupt and fake organization who lied about the Beyonders. But when He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) is finally introduced shit gets real. He who remains is just an actually decent variant of Kang The Conqueror who is the soon to be new Big Bad in the MCU. He’s 10x worse than Thanos and we’ll end up hating Sylvie for killing him later on down the line. 

**Invincible:** One of the most meme’d series in recent years and based off a comic book series of the same name. Invincible follows a teenage boy named Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) who is the son of the most powerful superhero on earth, Nolan Grayson/Omni-Man (JK Simmons). The action picks up immediately and never really takes its foot off the gas at all. If you add in the ridiculous amount of gore then you’ll be saying “WTF” just as much as anybody else who’s seen the show. Mark struggles with balancing his regular life and being a part time hero just like every other superhero and he gets his ass kicked more than enough times to count. His dad being Omni-Man doesn’t help much at all since he’s the figure Mark is constantly trying to live up to and make proud in the same breath. The voice acting cast is magnificent and completely star studded; ranging from Mark Hamill & Zazie Beetz to Seth Rogan & Sandra Oh. They all play their part with keeping the story engaging and forever moving forward. One of the most talked about moments within the show if during the final episodes where we see Omni-Man finally admit to killing a group of superheroes known as the Guardians of the Globe. Multiple characters had a feeling he committed this senseless act but him finally explaining his motive were some of the best high points of the show. Omni-Man is actually an alien from a far away planet called Viltrum where his species the Viltrumites were born. This turning point in the story is a huge pill for Mark to swallow. How do you forgive a man who committed a heinous act such as that especially if that man is your father and one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Mark confronts Nolan and obviously gets his ass handed to him but his strong will and spirit is admirable and the voice acting from JK Simmons and Steven Yeun really drives it all home. “Think Mark!!” is still one of the biggest sound bites of the year and will continue to be a staple until the next season premieres. I just hope Mark can learn to put himself and his friends in better positions up until that point. (Also hope the animation style improves a bit too)

DLo's Year-End Favs: Films and Series

![BESTOF2021.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/BESTOF_2021_e92944490e.png)

Writer Atoosa Moinzadeh leveled up this year, taking on an editor role at [BRICK Mag](https://usa.brickthemag.com/) and doing the 10th issue Durk cover story –– BRICK being the best print rap publication in existence, which I also write for on occasion. We texted song links back and forth all year, and because of her I got into a bunch of rappers I wouldn't have otherwise probably, Zelooperz and Highway especially, both of whom pop up on her list. Her list violates not one but TWO rules, as a top 10 that clocks in at 13 songs and which also features music from 2020. But as I've said, these are not really about rules but rather getting into the headspace of our curators. And Atoosa's taste –– for rap that's grungy, tough, smooth, and rowdy –– makes for a fluid listen and a fitting finale for our mad year-end spree. 

Get lost in Atoosa's world below, and run back all our 2021 lists whenever you're feeling like you want to pass someone else the aux. Blog posts are here on the blog (go find them) and all the lists are here on [my Spotify profile](https://open.spotify.com/user/andrewmatson?si=dc428433d4844c48). Thanks Atoosa, Sango, Stas THEE Boss, Lei Takanashi, Nabil Ayers, Hua Hsu, Julia Shapiro, Kieran Press-Reynolds, DJ Houseplants, Stephanie Clary, Aramis Johnson, Vivian Medithi, and fish narc! I know it's an overwhelming amount but the idea is that you'll return to these throughout the whole next year. That's what I do anyway, and I pick selectors that I actually want to spend time with in that way. Hopefully you'll fuck with my taste, highlighting their taste. 

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Atoosa Moinzadeh's Top 10 Songs of 2021

Leila

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this, as a fellow gringo baile head from the U.K. cheers mate 

suspence

MINTTT

BRASIL SIL SIL FAZENDO FAMA NA GRINGA MUITO BOM 

WHAT IN THE HONEST FUNK? My Eye-Opening Experience with Baile Funk in 2021

![BESTOF2021.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/BESTOF_2021_e92944490e.png)

If you know heavyweight producer [Sángo](https://soundcloud.com/SANGOBEATS), you know he has two homebases: Washington and Michigan. So it was only right that he came through with not one but two Finals top 10 lists, one for each hometown. There are a few songs here that came out in 2020 but we are gonna let that rock; they came out Q4 so that's fine by me. Sángo is most known for his Brazilian style beats but that's not all he's about, and this is a good chance to see how big his ears really are. Dig around and figure out which jams he produced (he laced tracks on each list) and definitely spend time with both. The DET/MI list has some of the greatest quotables of the year and the SEA/TAC list shines a light on the Pacific Northwest rap scene which is ALWAYS underrated. This list makes a case that Seattle and Tacoma are actually in renaissance moments. Thank you Sángo!

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DLo's Year-End Favs: Films and Series

Atoosa Moinzadeh's Top 10 Songs of 2021

WHAT IN THE HONEST FUNK? My Eye-Opening Experience with Baile Funk in 2021

Sángo's Top 10 Songs of 2021 (Two Lists!)