Finals’ first video premiere (double hammer emoji)! From the legendary PTP camp (relevant Finals interview [here](https://finals.blog/posts/The-GENG-PTP-Interview)) comes the the FLY visuals to King Vision Ultra’s “[Fangs](https://algierstheband.bandcamp.com/track/fangs-with-desde),” which was embedded in this blog post at the same time as it was taken off “unlisted” status on YouTube.

Shot in the industrial basement of the LES’ Abrons Arts Center, this utterly NYC affair was directed by Shenaia Ramsey and features rapper Desde. I like how Desde raps flanked by pipes, concrete, and PTP crew, with Ramsey’s location and lenswork vaguely recalling the urban claustrophobic experience of Method Man’s “Bring the Pain,” and the scene literally representing the underground. And shoutout flex dancer Ski, whose moves are perfect for an especially serpentine song from KING VISION ULTRA’s 2023 (re)mixtape/album [*SHOOK WORLD*](https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/algiers-king-vision-ultra-shook-shook-world-interview). 

Watch the video, and check out what KVU (aka GENG PTP), Ramsey, and Desde had to say about it, the music, and what’s next for PTP. And def check for all of their work going forward. I'll add that I saw Desde perform a bunch of KVU-produced tracks recently and it was crazy! Beats tectonic, raps all-darts. That’s all I’ll say on that. 

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**Desde**

**Whats your favorite bar on "Fangs"? Why?**

“*Airheads seek asylum in the sky / so why should I fight my gravitational pull, if pigs could fly too?*” 

That’s my favorite bar because it’s loaded lol! But very simple still. At the root of it I’m asking: why would I pull away from my grounding to join you being distant and running away from the grounding essentially, when the impossible can be possible? 

If “pigs can fly,” I imagine anything can come true. I don’t want to be in the air and unfocused and gazing into space when the reality is right in front of me.
 
If anything can come true I want parts! I want my wildest dreams to be possible and I want to make it happen. 

**How is your album with GENG coming and are there any themes developing on it so far?**

It’s coming! Slow and steady. We’re making it gem by gem. 

Honestly I suck at writing about my own themes lol! Everything is thematic by nature but it’s always hard for me to pinpoint it with words. I’d ask others who listen what do they hear the themes being? What stands out to them, what ties do they make listening to the music?

I think it’s because all the themes I’m writing about are currently being lived through. I’m tryna understand them myself. 

--

**KING VISION ULTRA (GENG PTP)**

**Where did the sounds come from on this music? Idk if that’s guitar, idk if that’s tambourine…the beat sounds like a rattlesnake.** 

hahaha i'm def not about to whosample myself to death but the shit is crazy flipped and i think it all comes from only 2 sources. the main chunk of it I chopped in like 2017/2018, originally with some totally different drums, from one of my favorite albums of all time. for the version Desde got, I had removed the drums and layered those sounds with something that i literally sampled and then broke down into stems - so it's not even a standard "drum break." i wanted to expand on the effect of that tambourine... it def sounds like a rattlesnake which is why i suggested "Fangs" as the title in response to hearing what Desde wrote to it ... specifically after "your teeth don't hang low..." like, "bet... that connected the dots."

**What’s next for PTP as far as spring/summer shows and releases?**

at this moment, the label release schedule is set for a new album every month til November... a lot of surprises and [*RESIST...*](https://purpletapepedigree.bandcamp.com/album/resist-colonial-power-by-any-means-necessary) comp alumni haha. Plus a book or two.  Show-wise, in June, I'll be in Philly and Atlanta with Dreamcrusher as Centenny Gzzz...plus DJ'ing one night in NYC which is something I rarely do. Amani doing a ton of work with STILL/MOVING. H31R just came back from UK/EU. Dis Fig is touring with The Body. YATTA is back in NYC.  There's a lot of us and a lot happening. I'm personally organizing less in terms of shows and more focused on screenings and space activations with the PTP Archival Coalition. More community markets too. Stay tapped in, you heard.

--

**Shenaia Ramsey**

**What did you want to accomplish with this video?**

Overall, I really wanted to bring the raw, and gritty feel to life that the song “Fangs” provides. Also, to collaborate with GENG, Desde, and PTP as a whole to make sure their ideas were included too, and I think we did that very well. I plugged the homie Ski in because he's just a crazy dancer all around which also really matched with the rawness of the song-- I really wanted some crazy movements in it to create an airy, spooky feel to compliment Desde’s rhymes.

In the beginning, when I initially was proposed with the idea to do the music video, off rip I was thinking flickering strobe lights, a dark space, dark figures/shadows, and the inclusion of the train because you can hear a scene of the train passing in the song, on top of Desde mentioning it in one of their lyrics. All in all, I am very happy with the outcome of the video, I believe I accomplished everything I wanted to, and I'm so very thankful for everyone involved.

**What was it like shooting in the Abrons Arts Center’s basement?**

Mannnnn, shooting in the Abrons Arts Center in the basement was like the perfect spot perfect location! Shoutout to maassai for the tour of Abrons first and foremost. Desde, GENG, and I linked up there to do a quick location scout tour back at the beginning of January 2024, a couple of days before the set day and it was fun we were looking at a few different hallway options and stairwells but the basement’s hallway was the one that we knew for sure we wanted to use. The day of the shoot was legendary in my opinion, we had a couple of homies in PTP pull up to be extras in the scene, they bodied and it was very smooth for me, not too much to handle as far as giving directions. Then of course I have experience with shooting with Desde already because we shot “[Ock Deli](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcVlufcVCBE)” but I could tell that this shoot would be different because of the different directions and just having to do different takes and different types of shots compared to the one-straight natural shot. So that was fun directing them and reassuring them that she was doing a good job! Everyone on set was just so supportive and uplifting, it was high vibrational the whole set. 

GENG, man he’s funny yo, I got to see more of his personality and how youthful he is. It made the set very comfortable to be able to just be myself while staying focused because it was just a safe space. I think my favorite moment during it was doing the one one-on-one shot with Ski dancing. It was very intimate and I don't know I just felt how connected he was to the song through his choreography. Overall, shooting in Abrons Arts Center’s basement was exactly what we envisioned.

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Video w/ Commentary: "Fangs" by KING VISION ULTRA ft. Desde

“It’s honoring yourself in any way you can.” So good & such a beautiful reminder. Can’t wait to hear what’s next for Amal Zenab, seething at the thought of it! Amazing interview! 

![Screen Shot 2024-04-10 at 6.34.37 AM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2024_04_10_at_6_34_37_AM_424540317d.png)

Before the homie Hattie Lindert takes it away here: I got into [Amal Zenab](https://amalzenab.xyz/) last year, and found her because I listen to everything the producer/guitarist/photographer [Nathan Bajar](https://www.nathanbajar.com/) does. Their 2023 EP called *Safe 'n Sound* pairs Bajar's beats and guitar with Zenab's layered, honeyed voice and comes up with something perfect. It's the kind of producer/artist combo that's so good, I wanted them to become a permanent thing like Ice Spice and Riot. As soon as I heard "Ride" I was like, this is rare chemistry. 

But talking to Zenab (it's her middle name), it turns out she has great taste in producers and wants to explore. Yesterday she shared me an unreleased track produced by [10.4Rog](https://daily.bandcamp.com/lists/10-4-rog-discography-list), who is a friend of mine and a certifiable genius, and she struck synergistic gold again. As she explains in the interview, she works deeply with producers who she appreciates not just as musicians but as people, making real relationships that give the music a richer essence. 

This season she's moving from her home of Queens, NYC, to L.A., to work more with Rog and to tap in with her community she's been building there over the past year as a bicoastal person. Don't worry though, she'll continue to work with Bajar, as well. She told me Bajar and Rog are "my bruddas frfr." It's just, she's expanding her world. 

Her move will be a loss for the New York scene, a gain for L.A., and the music she makes out there will be a blessing to us all. Here is Amal Zenab in conversation with Hattie Lindert, lightly edited for clarity.   

<iframe style="border: 0; width: 350px; height: 588px;" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=1251345386/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/transparent=true/" seamless><a href="https://amalzenab.bandcamp.com/album/safe-n-sound-2">Safe &#39;n Sound by Amal Zenab</a></iframe>

**HL: Safe 'n Sound is gorgeous and I’m curious about your chemistry with Nathan Bajar, how you connected, what you liked about his approach to music, the way you guys worked together…**

AZ: I met Nate at a jam session somewhere in Bushwick, summer of 2022. I pulled up to the jam alone, our mutual friend Evan who goes by 13th Law invited me, and so it was summer of exploration, my summer of being out and about and knowing what it is to immerse myself into uncomfortable experiences. I walked into the session and sang for 20-30 minutes when it started, and then other artists did poetry, singing, rapping, etc. Toward the end of that, I was like OK let me go up again before I head out and meet up with friends. So I went up again, and it was all off the top freestyling. And then I was done, and as I was walking out, Nate stopped me and he was like, “Yo, did you come up with that yourself, off the top?” I was like “Yeah,” and he was like, “That’s crazy, would you want to link up sometime?” And I was like, “Yeah for sure.” I’d heard of him through another friend of ours, and heard his music before, but the thoughts didn’t connect until after the fact. From then, we had our first session on August 10th, and that day I pulled up on him after meeting with someone I was talking to at the time, and was overwhelmed with emotion for them and didn’t really know how to process everything. We didn’t live in the same city and I didn’t know when I would see them again. So I was going into this new experience with Nate full of grief and emotion and just falling for someone and feeling super lovesick. That was the perfect combination to start the journey. Our first session, he also invited our friend Maiya Blainey who pulled up that day. Amazing artist. And you know, I kind of was like, I know you guys don’t know me like that, but I’ve had a day. I just need to get into the booth. And hopefully we can make some beautiful stuff out of it. And that’s how I made “August 10th,” during that first session.

**Sometimes, I guess that’s what it takes, the right people on a crap day.**

The right people who have the skill and ability to channel what you’re feeling. You know, it does take a village to do anything. I’m grateful that by happenstance we were all in the same place at the same time.

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**Was that your introduction to Maiya Blainey too?**

Yeah that was my first time, and she’s so sweet. Very quirky, and eclectic, and vibey. And you know we were all just gauging each other, and we realized we were all fall babies. I believe she’s September, I’m October, and Nate’s November. So the autumn council.

**Is there anything that stood out to you aside from being able to create this great song, about your chemistry together? Or between Maiya and Nate? Or you and Maiya? Or all three of you?**

With Nate, he felt like my music, I don’t know if I would say soulmate, but my musical telepathy twin. With him it was very easy, no expectation, very comfortable. He set the tone with having a safe, open space with me, compared to my past experiences with producers who were very predatory or didn’t have good intentions, especially as a femme artist I was very grateful for that. The more my comfortability grew, the more seamless the process was. We spent August 2022 through February/March 2023 just putting all these finishing touches on this project. And so you know, I’ve never experienced that before. I never wrote songs that fast. And truly having fun, and both of us losing our shit when we hear the demo that we made, being excited about it. Through that new experience we cultivated a beautiful friendship. He’s like a brother to me.

**That’s amazing. You speak about these predatory experiences, and then the surprise about how great it was to work with Nate, is there an ideal environment for you to really make your art flow?**

My non-negotiable is establishing some form of friendship or relationship with the person before diving into working with them. Sometimes artists go into sessions with new producers, and there’s no sense of community building, or actually getting to know each other properly, and dive into it without that interpersonal connection. But I make the best work with people I’m close with. It’s very important for me to be comfortable. In an environment that’s not open, or not judgment free, or accepting of flaws, you’re mentally on edge and it shows in how you process the art. You hold back, in discomfort.

![Screen Shot 2024-04-10 at 6.34.08 AM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2024_04_10_at_6_34_08_AM_af5eda20b4.png)

**That philosophy, did that come to you when you were young? What was your upbringing with music like?**

Growing up, my parents would play a very diverse selection of music from all over. I was always singing, always in musicals, and choir, and I was in church choir…

**…in Queens?**

Yeah, born and raised. I’m used to being in community with other creatives. As I was growing as a person in my youth, I was enveloped in so many beautiful, interesting lessons through music. I also had the opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall in like junior year of high school, we sang Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music, and that was a canon event for me. I think people know that music is spiritual, but it’s another thing to truly feel it. That showed me that music was my passion, and that I wanted to do it for the rest of my life. I was studying international affairs, and was on track to be a diplomat, but honestly art is a calling. Just in paying attention to how I feel, in settings where music is around me, if I’m learning music, or freestyling, or anything, it’s just really important for me to feel safe and be surrounded by brilliant minds that you can have energy exchange with. How else can you grow, learn, expand?

**Is there anyone that you’d love to collaborate with that you haven’t gotten the chance to yet? Or an artist you love that you sense you’d have a connection with?**

I would love to work with Mndsgn, Liv.e, Kelela, Solange, Nick Hakim, a lot of alternative R&B or indie artists that I’ve listened to for a long time. I feel like there’s fragments of all of them in what I do, as well.

**Those are incredible artists and I think they definitely come through in your work. What are some of the concepts or ideas that you’re working through in your music right now?**

So I’m working through a lot. I honestly am definitely being intentional with how I write, how it makes me feel, and how it translates to other people. I’m trying to release a song hopefully in another month or so, and I wrote about what’s happening in the world right now. I’m pro freedom, pro Palestine, and as an artist I think we are obligated to talk about injustice. So I wrote a song about that with my friend Moki, he goes by Lion Milk, and I’m excited to bring that into the world. It’s gonna do something, I pray. I hope that in a small way, I can be impactful and get people to think more beyond the superficial. I feel like we’re becoming desensitized, so the song called “Save Us” because I think we need to be saved. From atrocities, and internal atrocities and turmoil. I’m working through life. My inner and outer chaos. And making it tangible because I know other people can relate.

**In a moment like this that feels so bleak, and overwhelming for an individual up against systems causing atrocities, do you have strategies about how to keep making art in the face of these hardships that are going on everyday?**

People underestimate their art, just being in comparison mode, or their perception of what the standard is. I believe that art is anything from a journal entry to releasing your emotions and crying, or just any form of output is art to me. I think that it’s all about being imperfectly consistent. It doesn’t have to look like a full-fledged studio session every day, but I’m neurodivergent also so routine gets mundane, and with that you have to acknowledge that whatever tiny amount you do, it’s art. I journal every day, document every day, through voice memos, or practice my bass…it’s honoring yourself in any way you can. Once you do the release, and contribute that small little thing, you’re freeing up your mind space to when you are ready to create something more tangible it’s easier to enter that flow state. For people that struggle with that, acknowledge that what you think is a standard, does not exist. A tiny little bit of something, a scribble on paper, you honored yourself by doing what you wanted in the moment and that should be enough.

![Screen Shot 2024-04-10 at 6.34.19 AM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2024_04_10_at_6_34_19_AM_3634039ec5.png)

**That is really good advice. You’re born and raised in Queens, how does the area influence you creatively?**

I’m blessed to be from Queens. A lot of legends are from Queens. There’s a historic neighborhood of Addisleigh Park, and a lot of jazz musician like Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, and even Muhammad Ali, and Jackie Robinson, Black legends lived in really nice homes in this area. Growing up I listened to A Tribe Called Quest, and Nas, and Nicki Minaj, and all of these Queens icons, on top of pop music, Whitney, Mariah, Michael, Luther, and gospel music. And so I just think that I have a beautiful blend of culture within me. And Queens is the most diverse borough. It’s the largest borough. All the friends I have, I feel like friends are like puzzle pieces to who we are, and with growing up in such a beautiful, diverse place, I have accumulated an encyclopedia of knowledge and tidbits, down to food, and communication, and shared experiences. Being from here, I’im very proud of it. Being a New Yorker you have to grow up fast, and navigate a crazy city at a young age. Tying that into my artistry, and who I am, it’s a big part of me. I also feel like with my roots, you can almost see the theme of Afrocentric-ism, and even Africanism, because that’s my big umbrella. I’m all for the advancement, and the abstract, the ethereal, and growing up spiritually as well, I try to tie that into my work even down to how harmonies feel, or how airy and spacious a song is. As much of a tangent as what I said just was, my whole life I think is puzzle pieces, and the songs are fragments of that. That sounded mad artsy. 

**No, I connected with the puzzle pieces.** 

People from Queens, we have heart. And me as an artist, you’ll see it, you’ll feel it. People who talk to me, feel better after talking to me. I’m aware of my energy. And it can be impactful in a good way. My inner world, and who I am, it shows and reflects in how it makes people feel. I don’t know if that makes sense. Cuz it’s hard, but it’s really important. If we don’t take care of ourself, it’s a downward crumble. But remembering you’re not alone, I struggle a lot. My brain is running a million miles a minute. And remembering that I’m not alone, and so many people that have shared experiences with me that I can learn from, that’s what sustains me and keeps me going. 

**Community is so huge. I don’t know where I am without community. So you’re going to LA tomorrow…**

Yeah I’m working on a song for another release this year. And I’m also moving there this spring. It’s been calling to me. I was bicoastal all last year. So I’m looking forward to not buying a flight back and forth. It will be my Big Girl move. 

**What are you most excited about for this year?**

I’m excited to experience more people, and be in rooms with different energies out there. I really feel like this is the beginning of the uphill climb, and I’m excited to be around my community out there. And grow as an artist, and a person. I’m in my late 20s, so I’m doing the work, and excited to build a beautiful world, someway, somehow, in my artistic expression and I think a change of scenery will do me well. I’m excited for all the beautiful people I’ll cross paths with. This summer’s gonna be lit. 

The Amal Zenab Interview

Mano

The GENG PTP Interview

![New Project (66).png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/New_Project_66_fc807da8d6.png)

Shout out Hattie Lindert, whom you may know from her Finals blogging or from her work at Pitchfork, for coming through with a buzzer-beater EOY list. Personally I'll say her list gives me something I've been missing in my life: the feeling of being out in NY, experiencing music. Thank you Hattie for bringing me into these moments!

--

It’s a Finals Blog world and if your ears perked up at a [RiotUSA](https://finals.blog/posts/RIOTUSA-on-Ice-Spice-Clearing-Samples-and-Influencing-NY-Drill) or [Cash Cobain](https://brickthemag.com/blogs/archive/cash-cobain-got-where-he-is-by-not-copying-you) beat this year, you’re already living in it! Thanks for including me here and lets talk about some live music. 

I saw a lot of shows this year, and I saw a lot of them in New York. Some of them were awesome, some of them were mid, and some of them I had to bring my laptop to (my apologies to Matt Ox). Here are my favorites: not necessarily the best, but the ones that will stand out the most for whatever reason when I’m old and gray and still debating Drake eras. Let me prostheletize for a moment and say that this is more interesting! 

**Drake and 21 Savage @ Barclays Center** 

Anyone who has spent some time with me eventually finds out that I love Drake, and so Finals Blog readers must know it too! I *love* Drake, [dog mask](https://people.com/drake-wears-dog-mask-ahead-for-all-dogs-album-release-7564446), [questionable airplane conduct](https://twitter.com/broderick/status/578496578614390784), and all. The freedom of getting my license at 16 and a novice obsession with beats are inextricable for me from listening to *If You’re Reading This Its Too Late*, so it was odd taking the subway to see Drake for the first time at Barclays this summer. But now I was 24, living in New York, and approaching Cancer season with all the stoic moodiness of the *Scorpion* cover: I had to hit this show! To a wildly green arena show attendee, It’s All A Blur Tour had everything: a random teen girl wondering if I knew where the link was after, a nine-year old from Sweden sitting next to me whose parents excitedly chirped it was his first concert ever (he knocked out before 21 even took the stage), crying adult men, AI Aubrey. It might’ve been a master class in a career-spanning set list if he managed to make it more than halfway through any of his songs. But a minute of “Marvin’s Room” did the trick, and when a giant illuminated sperm floated around the audience it almost felt like a weird dream conjured in the blossoming brain of the European child fast asleep by my side with a soda on his lap. What a setting to feel utterly at home in: turns out I’m as linked to Peter Pan as Drake. 

**Babyxsosa @ Babys All Right** 

A Babyxsosa performance in the flesh is a rare occasion, and despite mixed feelings on this venue I popped out and wasn’t disappointed. Veering away from the spare, spiraling demos on her self-titled EP, Sosa sourced audience requests and kept the stream of bangers steady from her favored perch, hunched over a laptop at the back of the stage. Wearing a handmade halter mini strung from holiday baubles, a regular Miami Martha May Whoovier, she rustled when she moved, sometimes even when she laughed. She threw in some Nettspend, which was glorious; at one point, she played a SoundCloud ad. My highlight that night was the squadron of radiant women who hung back with Sosa in their own silent play, kekeing and perfecting little dance moves to spread through the audience. When Sosa opened up their scene to the whole crowd—“I want my fucking girls up here!”— the stage became a whirlwind of pretty, leather on skin, loose waves and tight braids, glinting lip-gloss and piercings and tooth gems and grins and gracefully unbothered hot girl shit that simmered in me, making every errant boyfriend look prime for [shipping off](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=MQNCReUT1t0&ab_channel=DeadAlready). 

**Mannequin Pussy @ Saint Vitus** 

I ended the year on a big MP kick, and it turned out to be perfect timing for an end of year show that still eked its way onto the list.  This venue smelled terrible, “[Drunk II](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ0Xjl5KusI&ab_channel=EpitaphRecords)” was better live than I ever could’ve hoped, we all screamed in unison at one point, I was kind of overdressed and not a soul cared. Watching lead singer Missy, I remarked to a coworker that it’s moments like these I realize I’m not built to perform off the page: what happens when you’re tired, or annoyed, or feeling a movie instead, or the song really hurts that day? What if your voice breaks, and you don’t want to go on stage? What if you don’t *wanna* be strong? I’m not very good at mitigating that stuff—I like to power through or wallow, usually alone— and I think that’s why I love the audience of a show like this in the first place: the beer is cheap and the controlled catharsis, ephemeral and flailing, is priceless. Nobody wants to wake up every day and do every single thing that they have to, and that’s why it’s so dope to scream as crowd surfers rise and fall out of view. Given the atrocities that have been carried out under the guise of religious freedom this winter, it also felt pretty satisfying to holler in unison: “What if Jesus himself ate my fucking snatch?” 

**[Swami Sound](https://finals.blog/posts/An-Interview-with-Swami-Sound)/Dazegxd/Gum.mp3 @ Elsewhere Rooftop**

Elsewhere’s rooftop is a great place to spend too much money on a really good frozen drink in a sheer top, and an even better one to get your best girls from college down with Swami. The 2023 Eldia Summit was the perfect convergence of daytime bored energy, late afternoon sun, and sliced-up garage and two-step mixes untamed enough to evoke the sensation of being showered with ocean spray (turns out the music is just as effective when you’re bathed in sunbeams in the open air as it is when you’re choking on fog as the train rattles past at Market Hotel). Waving cartoonish weapons to punctuate splices of exhiliratingly recognizable Crazy Frog and Sigur Ros, the Eldia trio delivered on an ideal late-spring afternoon, in part because they were having just as much giddy fun as we were. 

**Chappell Roan @ Brooklyn Steel**

Can a twenty-four year old girl in this day still be an active awaiter of Carti leaks (by some accounts, lowkey over) and also know Chappell Roans “[Hot to Go](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaPNR-_Cfn0&ab_channel=ChappellRoanVEVO)” dance (by other accounts, even more over)? Yes! Like Bob Dylan, I contain multitudes of “over” qualities, and Chappell’s chameleonic alto—not to mention her championship of  all things gauche, garish, and glittery—led me to her Brooklyn Steel show dressed for a slumber party, the last strains of the redacted Glee Cast song I had pregamed to ringing in my ears. At each tour stop Chappell recruited local drag queens as openers, and watching them swivel through splits to the tune of an especially horny Kim Petras song in front of a crowd dressed for a sleepover. The confetti may have exploded over the crowd during closing hit “Pink Pony Club” but it really belonged at the end of her rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance,” a home run from a true [paws-up](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPC7v245TLg) disciple. 

**Grateful Dead @ Citi Field**

Bucket lister of epic proportions for a second-generation Deadhead with a kink for above-ground trains: first Citi Field show, first Dead & Co., and on the last day of my first full-time journalism job. Kismet! Slightly shrooms-addled and completely uninitiated on Drums in Space, I walked into Shakedown Street with one favorite Dead song and left certain I had no idea what a Grateful Dead “song” even was. So my mom (as she reminded me) used to see the Dead with Jerry regularly for free at small outdoor venues. So what! I saw them in a giant concrete baseball stadium that smelled like hot dogs and patchouli and I’ll remember it—especially Bob Weir’s quavery aging vocal on “All Along the Watchtower” and a victory lap “Eyes of the World" — as starry-eyed as she does. Maybe that’s the one blessing of being too young and online to have actually twirled barefoot through those halcyon days: the lemonade out of lemons ended up tasting pretty sweet even *when* there’s a Gen Xer in your ear telling you it’s piss, comparatively speaking. 

**PC Music Boat Yeah @ Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises** 

Esteemed Finals Blog contributor Kieran Press-Reynolds joined me for this one: shoutout [KPRblog](https://www.kprblog.fyi/) which you should definitely read. Anyway, it’s not everyday you see Arca, potato salad, and the Statue of Liberty all in one space. But the day came, and both the weather and soundtrack from A.G. Cook (as DJ Warlord), Doss, Umru, and crew were appropriately volatile and chopped. Waterlogged with rain and still a little bit confused about what [sigilkore](https://nobells.blog/the-life-and-death-of-sigilkore/) was even after a thorough rundown, I felt really old and twelve all at the same time, yearning for the respective heydays of hearing “[Hey QT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MQUleX1PeA&ab_channel=DrinkQTVEVO)” in high school and being dry and warm a few hours ago. I should’ve been doing scene journalism, but the black water and sharp, wet air made wandering around our strange little hyperpop boat like the ghosts of a shipwreck feel much more appropriate. The dystopian cruiseship/walled city on water that lumbered past us—the waterslide could have been a rollercoaster—just put a bow on things. The perfect sendoff to the strange chaos that was the collective: I’m sure they’ll all reconnect at Charli XCX’s wedding. 

**Tim Bernardes @ Le Poisson Rouge** 

Tim Bernardes was one of my favorite discoveries this year, in large part because I walked into his packed Le Poisson Rouge show not knowing a single song, or even what his voice sounded like. Turns out it's like silt, weighty and soft, enveloping you in a cloud without drowning out the multi-instrumentalists lilting compositions. My date and I sat at a candlelit table next to two other pairs, and if the environment hadn’t felt so peacefully still, I might’ve recalled a [scene from Goodfellas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrkKL45qB0Q&ab_channel=Godardfan). Things amped up a little bit once Bernardes shyly smiled through the announcement that he’d have to finish up soon, and mesmerized fans realized they only had so many moments left to hear their favorite. Having entered without one, I left taken with the 2022 cut “[A Balada de Tim Bernardes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DxuOigChbk&ab_channel=TimBernardes),” a ballad of time passing that grows into a definitive ode to singing: in the shower, on the subway, for plenty of lovers and presumably some lonely hearts on Bleecker Street. Although Bernardes says he have to leave, he’d fit right in with the rest of us. When he slides up to a higher register in the chorus, you can almost see him swinging on a streetlight like Gene Kelly.

**Veeze @ Gramercy Theater** 

This was the sold-out opener of Veeze’s first national tour off a debut that had been bubbling for years, and you couldn’t dampen the buzzing vibe if you tried. Veeze is Michigan to the core but this show still took on qualities of a big homecoming in a small town, bustling but locked in; the raised auditorium seating even looked a bit like bleachers. But this wasn’t some high school D-III game, this was the real thing, and from the line around the block to the perfect lyric recitations from the crowd, having a good time didn’t mean not taking the moment serious. Hearing “[Safe 2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iy_dGPAna4&ab_channel=VEEZEWEAKASS7),” one of my [favorite rap songs of the year](https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/best-rap-songs-2023/), live in stereo surrounded by a healthy mix of critics and fans– and for one of the first times, feeling somewhere in between the two–felt like my own milestone, one I was more than happy to celebrate with an artist whose 2023 was laden with them. 

Best of 2023: Hattie Lindert's Fav NY Shows

![New Project (65).png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/New_Project_65_84a9da5e04.png)

The strong homie Lei has been published in NY Mag, been a guest on SHOWStudio, and for his day job writes his ass off for Complex (any time you see a banging style article there it was either Aria Hughes or Mike Destefano or Lei who did it). When I told him Finals was doing NY-focused year-end lists, he came through with his year in gear. Thanks Lei, you went crazy!

--

*Peace Andrew, Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to all the beautiful people that follow Finals! You asked me to make a little “Best of NY” list and I’m not going to lie, it was kind of hard figuring out what to do. I decided that I was going to lean into my fashion bullshit for this one. So let’s see what happens!* 

*However, you might have encouraged me to do a nice little round-up of my favorite graffiti flicks of the year, follow my [substack](https://crooknyc.substack.com/) for more ;)* 

![Screen Shot 2023-12-24 at 9.15.12 AM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2023_12_24_at_9_15_12_AM_1efa3a5931.png)

**The Best Piece I Copped From A NYC Brand**
As one can imagine, I cop a lot of gear throughout the year. Personally, the best drop I picked up this year were some raw denim Born X Raised Levi’s 501s– [Rest in Peace, Spanto](https://twitter.com/Lei_Takanashi/status/1702057441406451891). But I wanted to take this opportunity with Finals to reflect on the many local NYC brands I love.

Yes, there are a lot of New York City brands out. To be honest, many of them are hella corny—like what the fuck is a Bushwick Yacht Club? And with all due respect, I’ll stick to Polo before you catch me lining up for you know what. I’m not going to waste any words on any of the NY labels we all know about already. I’ll say that Awake is my favorite mainstream one at the moment though—who else got a JA throw inside their store? 

![Screen Shot 2023-12-24 at 8.44.23 AM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2023_12_24_at_8_44_23_AM_81be4cd799.png)

So let me run through my many local cops this year. When it comes to home goods, I own a decent amount of stuff from [Blue Bodega](https://www.bluebodeganyc.com/) at the moment. It’s a label that creates art editions informed by New York culture but particularly speaks towards graffiti—which is a common thread when it comes to the brands I love. A lot of Blue Bodega’s products give me a [Subware](https://www.complex.com/style/a/lei-takanashi/subware-stash-nyc-streetwear-supreme-collaboration-interview) vibe. It also reminds me of a time when art-toys used to be [closely intertwined with graffiti](https://www.kidrobot.com/blogs/news/graffiti-toy-trucks-by-tyo-toys). This water-barrier piece they made with the Uptown killa [SKAM](https://www.instagram.com/undetected.ny/) is just genius and I got to give them props for creating my favorite home decor pick-up this year. 

![Screen Shot 2023-12-24 at 8.45.34 AM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2023_12_24_at_8_45_34_AM_b2b975f6e4.png)

Another local I gotta show some love for is [SHA](https://www.instagram.com/333.333.333zzz/). He stays posted up at [All City Legends](https://allcitylegends.com/), wielding that airbrush like a magic wand, conjuring up tees that would make Phade’s head spin.

![Screen Shot 2023-12-24 at 8.46.58 AM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2023_12_24_at_8_46_58_AM_e6e6dc9d76.png)

Also shouts out to the [Chadie](https://www.instagram.com/chadieonline/) boys in Queens, for this screen printed beauty blessed by the hands of CNONE.

![Screen Shot 2023-12-24 at 8.48.18 AM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2023_12_24_at_8_48_18_AM_7143d8b419.png)

But really, if I’m going to wax poetic about any pick ups from a NYC-based label. I'm giving a well-deserved shoutout to this hoodie I copped from [Brigade](https://www.instagram.com/brigadeusa/?hl=en). I remember I first saw this joint on Papo 2oo4 when he [opened](https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=hhkwnZQpoSOV3m5y&v=5cm5t36CUMo&feature=youtu.be) for this YL x Starker show in Brooklyn. 

*Swish!* Any Polo head knows how fly the OG K-Swiss hoodie is—peep [*Wreckin Shop*](https://youtu.be/zUAuCQN-AJI?si=daJvWNXKnMKtjy3U&t=542) if you don’t know what I’m talking about. But respectfully, Brigade made the new school version of that shit and this hoodie is not just quality. It’s **cozy**! I’m not gassing it at all. Let’s break down the science by what I mean by “quality” and “cozy”. 

A Supreme hoodie is **quality**. You put that shit on and you already know that cotton spun differently because it feels like a weighted blanket. The only qualms I have about Preme’s shit is that it’s OD stiff. I think they intentionally do that so it literally feels like a statement. Like “I’m wearing a Supreme hoodie, the fuck you talking about?!” 

 But really, most of us prefer sitting on the other end of the hoodie spectrum, which is “**cozy**.” You know, hoodies that are actually just soft and comfortable to wear for serious lounging. So when it comes to cozy, my vintage Polo Bear hoodies feel like the creme de la creme. But with all due respect, they don’t feel like “quality” simply because of its age—the [Dick Tahsin graphics](https://www.grailed.com/drycleanonly/polo-bear-designer-dick-tahsin) are minty though and that’s what counts. This Brigade hoodie is the perfect marriage between the quality of a new Supreme hoodie and the coziness of a vintage Polo hoodie. I was flabbergasted when I first put it on and it has been my go-to since. Good shit [Aaron](https://www.instagram.com/enduringthewaves/?hl=en), you did that. 

**The Best Merch I Copped** 
One, I don’t ever really go see live music anymore unless I’m really feeling it. Two, I don’t ever cop merch unless it hits crazy. I was fortunate enough to find both at the only two live music experiences I went to this year.

After many long years of being a fan of YL and Starker, I finally committed to seeing them at Elsewhere this year. Naturally, I had to come correct for this show because anyone who collects Polo in NYC knows that [Starker is the real deal](http://highsnobiety.com/p/polo-ralph-lauren-new-york-collector/). So I backed out a red wool RL2000 ski bear knit and a little Cross Flags duffle bag I ain’t seen anyone else wear. Just to clear the air, I’m not trying to flex like I’m some Polo god or anything of the sort. I just got a real appreciation for true Lo hitters. The rest of the fit was pretty mid to keep it 100—just a regular red 2017 Nuptse jacket and some brick red Denim Tears Asics that I’m beating into the ground.

There’s a good reason why YL and Starker are muses for brands like Aime Leon Dore at this current moment. Their music and personas represent a sense of New York style that can’t be bought at Rogue Garments or any of those sad Dimes Square vintage clothing boutiques trying to move bummy CdG Homme sweaters for bread. Put it like this. When I listen to RRR, I feel like I’m wearing something like an OG Front Page shirt by [Julie Castillo](https://www.instagram.com/p/Crgho9ttXtO/?img_index=6). Their music has an air of authenticity that simply can’t be replicated, even though many respectfully try. 

You knew this was a YL and Starker function based on how many flavorful North Faces filled the room. Big shout out to my guy [Brarnold](https://www.instagram.com/brarnoldsvintage/), another true Lo collector based in Philly. Bro pulled up all the way from steaktown in a ‘92 America’s Cup jacket—he also [shot one of my favorite Starker videos to date](https://youtu.be/dgH9ndhQ1rM?si=mADRySUQiBbFgBpd). At the end of the show, I perused the merch and this Starker long sleeve naturally caught my eye. He later hit me in my DMs and put me on to the reference, [a mom and pop sneaker store chain](https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1445770659/SPORTSLANE_NEW_tw_400x400.JPG) in Brooklyn. While I can show a flick of this long sleeve, I’d rather show this Starker spread put together by the good people at [*Living Proof New York*](https://livingproofnewyork.com/)—the greatest graffiti magazine/podcast out right now–that showcases Starker’s untouchable flyness.  

![Screen Shot 2023-12-24 at 8.56.02 AM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2023_12_24_at_8_56_02_AM_8a31d09310.png)

While this was the hardest piece of merch I copped, I must say that a worthy contender is this T-shirt designed by Ain’t Wet for MIKE’s Young World 3. 

![youngworld3.jpeg](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/youngworld3_fd93f5b6ac.jpeg)

I love how I can pick up one of hundreds of graphic tees I own and just remember everything about the moment I picked it up. I ain’t going to delve too deep into how ill Young World 3 was  since anyone who follows music in New York City already knows what’s good with that. I will say though, it was a trip going from 454, to MIKE, to 2017 Jay Critch, and then closing out with a NoName show without spending a dime—I still gotta upload videos to my YouTube but some footage is [there](https://www.youtube.com/@CROOKNYC/videos). But word to [Ain’t Wet](https://www.instagram.com/aintwet/?hl=en), they snapped on the event poster and T-shirt, as they always do. I’m going to likely need that GTA-inspired [*Burning Desire*](https://store.10k.global/release/429846-mike-burning-desire-gta-t-shirt) tee before the year closes out. 

**The Best NYC Pop-up I Went To** 
New York Fashion Week is always stacked with activations, shows, and so many other events that it sometimes feels like a competition of what brand has the biggest marketing budget to spend. I’m not knocking fashion shows. What I’m saying is that so much goes on during NYFW that a lot of it truly feels soulless, bearing little to no connection to actual New Yorkers. Aside from Abrons Arts Center's excellent [‘Objects of Permanence’ exhibition](https://www.vogue.com/article/objects-of-permanence-abrons-art-center) by Mellany Sanchez, the one event that really stuck with me from NYFW this September was Primer Rebelde De America’s pop-up at Graceland New York.

![Screen Shot 2023-12-24 at 8.59.31 AM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2023_12_24_at_8_59_31_AM_132e62d9f4.png)

I’ve been closely following Victor Vegas’ label all-year and have resonated with the fact that his clothes are saying something real. Each T-shirt, hoodie, and crewneck he’s dropped is telling a story about Indigenous people in the Americas. I love it when I could research a T-shirt graphic and actually learn something from it—like how this [tee](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cr08OPzOToL/?img_index=1) put me on to César Chávez and Dolores Huerta’s United Farm Workers of America. After the pop-up, [he shared at length](https://www.instagram.com/p/CxJOCbrukie/?hl=en&img_index=1) why he wanted to do it in his hometown of Ridgewood, Queens and I admire any designer who stands on their brand’s ethos like that. I ended up picking up this [“Broken Arrow”](https://www.learnanddestroy.com/product/broken-arrow) T-shirt he made in collaboration with Learn & Destroy—another dope NYC label by Ray Morales that’s also making some [tough AF clothing](https://www.instagram.com/learnanddestroy/?hl=en) locally. 

![figuresofspeech.jpeg](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/figuresofspeech_866de51130.jpeg)

**The Craziest Street Rack Find** 
Man, I think I went to the ‘Figures of Speech’ exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum like five times. It kinda gave me the same therapeutic experience of walking through a good brick and mortar store—much love to 867 Madison Avenue.  While I certainly do wish that it was laid out in multiple sections of the museum like the original one at the MCA in Chicago, Antwuan Sargent’s rotunda of Abloh’s greatest works just hit like a perfect loop. Of course, like everyone else, I took a L on the Brooklyn AF1s. While I was walking by [Village Works](https://www.villageworksnyc.com/) on St. Marks this summer, I stopped by a random street rack and found this sitting there for just $50. It was an instant purchase and I couldn’t believe the vendor just found it at a thrift in Brooklyn.  

![Screen Shot 2023-12-24 at 9.04.13 AM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2023_12_24_at_9_04_13_AM_f286b10a99.png)
*I ain't tryna flex my entire receipt*

**The Market Market Sale**  
I feel like most sample sales aren’t even worth talking about or going to in New York City. They always look hella mid on Tik-Tok and really are you saving THAT much money? I don’t know, I’m not a sample sale fiend by any means. But I would say from what I’ve seen on social media, it’s a lot of line waiting for deals on weak designer clothing that’s still breaking your wallet. 

But then, there’s Dover Street Market’s Market Market sale. This is really one of those things where if you weren't there, you smoked a crazy fat L. Chris Chance really documented how nuts this shit was for [MadeintheURL](https://madeintheurl.com/The-Great-Comme-Stimulus-Inside-the-sale-of-a-lifetime). Put it like this, if you went early, you could have been like one of my Grailed peeps and copped every embossed ERL puffer ever co-signed by a famous rapper. I won’t lie, it was hella weird shopping during one of the worst days of that Canadian wild fire smog, because you really feel dumb af for risking your health for some garments. 

But as someone who collects [graffiti artist collabs](https://www.instagram.com/p/B8aKfP_pXMa/), the sale blessed me like crazy. I came out of Market Market with a Futura x CDG Shirt zip-up, and legit, every colorway of a CDG Shirt x Supreme  top that was graced with [Earsnot](https://www.complex.com/style/a/lei-takanashi/irak-earsnot-kunle-f-martins-interview)’s handstyle. 

![dsny.jpeg](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/dsny_21194eb767.jpeg)

**The Hardest NYC Merch**

These days, between vintage clothing trends and Only NY having every New York City agency in a chokehold, super distinct merchandise from various NYC organizations feels tougher to find these days. For the record, I love Only NY’s collaborations in this realm and happily own that [trash can pen holder](https://onlyny.com/products/trash-can-pen-holder). But when Grailed sellers like 4GSeller are trying to sell a Bronx Science hoodie—that was released when I was there during the 2010s—[for $890](https://www.grailed.com/listings/51499603-vintage-vintage-bronx-science-nyc-bx-hoodie?g_aidx=Listing_production&g_aqid=a9ff81bb56b012270faa40ee1e2f4b6c), you know this market is getting nutty. While I have been trying to chill out on saved eBay searches this year, I’m always on the lookout for this type of gear. This piece by [Sebastien Meijias](https://www.instagram.com/minivanboy666/), a photographer and artist who actually works for the DSNY, just goes dumb. I personally feel like [vintage DSNY merch](https://www.instagram.com/p/B5k0cNtJAKv/?img_index=1) always hits. 

Lastly, here’s a playlist of music that made me feel as fly as Max B spitting bars out the whip in a B.B. belt. 

<iframe allow="autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write" frameborder="0" height="450" style="width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" src="https://embed.music.apple.com/us/playlist/lei-takanashi-finals-2023-best-of-nyc/pl.u-KVXBY7VTZozoK8"></iframe>

Best of 2023: Lei Takanashi’s NYC Buyer’s Guide

![New Project (64).png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/New_Project_64_3076e549e9.png)

If you're just joining us now for Finals EOY szn, which is entirely NY focused, be sure to peep contributions from [kimdollars1](https://finals.blog/posts/Best-of-2023:-kimdollars1-Mix-and-Essay), [Kieran Press-Reynolds and Ali Rosa-Salas](https://finals.blog/posts/Best-of-2023:-Finals-Kieran-Press-Reynolds-Ali-Rosa-Salas), and [Dylan Green](https://finals.blog/posts/Best-of-2023:-Dylan-Green's-NY-Moments). 

Now please join us in welcoming Alphonse Pierre, arguably the greatest rap writer in America, who has elected to write a top 10 list about chicken. Thanks Al, you da best!

![Screen Shot 2023-12-18 at 7.00.28 PM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2023_12_18_at_7_00_28_PM_cc2bfa1d27.png)

A few weeks ago, TikTok food critic and influencer Keith Lee had the New York streets screaming at him in their [Sweepers ENT.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNF-RTZF6bc&ab_channel=SdotGo) voice when he touched down on the five boroughs. The problem was that the locals—(likely) 12 year olds in the comment section and the most annoying wannabe walking billboards on the platform—felt that his first stops in Queens, to get a mysterious salmon chopped cheese, and Lower Manhattan, to hit up a few of the big name pizzerias, didn’t properly capture the essence of New York. I understand their complaints, if it was up to me I wouldn’t have sent him to Joe’s pizza either. (I need my slices made in an outer borough by a dude with questionable politics, like you know damn well Sal and his sons in *Do the Right Thing* were throwing down behind the pizza counter.) But Keith Lee trying to get a glimpse of New York in a few days was always going to be a failure. I’ve lived here all my life and I’m still far from wrapping my head around all the cultures and dishes that make New York completely singular. 

In my mind, the New York dish that gets at the heart of the city the most isn’t a slice of pizza or a sandwich from the corner store, but the half chicken meal. Is that controversial? I know that it’s generally viewed as a boring dish for the picky eaters and non adventurous, but as I’ve gotten older and explored new neighborhoods, I’ve learned that nearly every culture has their own version of it with subtle differences. 

Maybe at the Peruvian spot in Jackson Heights they serve it with green sauce and fries. Maybe at the Mexican joint in Sunset Park it comes with a side of tortillas. Maybe in Chinatown they serve it over a bed of rice. Maybe it’s fried or grilled or baked or roasted in the rotisserie. Maybe it’s slathered in jerk sauce or atop a pita. Maybe it’s got a peppery kick or hint of sweetness. Maybe it’s for fine dining or served like fast food straight from the takeout counter. You can essentially go on a cultural tour in the city through the half chicken meal. 

To the skeptics, I know where you’re coming from. I was also once a kid who dreaded the days when their overworked mom revealed that dinner for the night was flavorless grocery store rotisserie chicken. That shit was dry as fuck. (Quick tangent: Typing the last sentence ’caused me to pause for a moment and fire up one of my favorite New York raps of the year.) I know that most people go out to eat food that they would rather not cook at home, and the simplicity of the dish isn’t seen as worth it. I know that it’s not exactly photogenic or TikTokable. But put some respect on the simplicity and no frills art of a perfectly cooked chicken that isn’t juiceless or under seasoned or doesn’t feel like one of those unappetizing rewards on an episode of Survivor. And also be honest: You’re probably not nice like that in the kitchen anyway. 

Below is a list I compiled throughout the year of my favorite 1/2 chicken meals. I only hit four of the five boroughs, so sorry to the BX (Forgive me, I love Juan Soto and Kenzo B). 

**10) Inca Chicken - Bushwick** 

Peruvians run the rotisserie chicken game. Inca Chicken is a super simple and affordable spot that I sometimes slip into after hooping in the area. Their bird has flavor and isn’t usually tough, and you can get some steamed vegetables on the side if you’re tryna’ be fake healthy. 

**9) Chicken Feastin - Bedstuy** 

A fast-casual takeout joint that’s like an elevated version of the hood chicken shop. They say their chicken is “charcoal broiled” and I don’t really know what that means but it manages to have a dark, crispy skin while not being so dry that it makes my voice sound like post-Polo Sporting Goods Retch (Sidenote: Getting older is realizing that Finesse the World is actually pretty decent). They’re kind of like Greek or some shit, which seems like a reasonable guess considering they have a “greek specialties” section on their menu. But then again, you can also get yuca fries and yellow rice and beans. Well, whatever it is, I fuck with it. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vzY8Udv7rJE?si=LQ78XfuuPLmdoAmb" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

**8) Lebanese Eatery - Port Richmond** 

I was put onto Lebanese food back in the day when my friend Hassan would pick up lamb shawarma from Karam in Bay Ridge, a couple blocks from where his dad has a car repair shop, for our friend group before a night of sitting around the hookah like it was a campfire. I would go back there myself and found that I liked the way they roasted their chicken, mostly because it came with a fire ass garlic sauce and pita. This year, though, my go to spot for this style was Lebanese Eatery in Staten Island, where the chicken was good but the rice was even better. I’m a rice man and this shit is kind of oily but not overly so and tastes so good when you mix it with the chicken, garlic sauce, and salad (that makes me think of that one [*Family Guy* cutaway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgJUbmGDc6k)) all in one spoon. The only problem is that the pita is buns, go down the street to Zara Forest Grill for a fresh one. 

**7) Andreas Chicken - Williamsburg** 

I might be overrating this, because given all the bullshit food they upsell you in Williamsburg when I stumble into something solid, I’m shocked. Andreas is overpriced Peruvian but I’m willing to pony up the bills because I can devour their green sauce like Denise Richards could mayo in Undercover Brother. 

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H_pmwvIvi9Q?si=Um5Z5UvqPNg4K5Cm" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

**6) Chick’n Rotonda - Middle Village** 

I didn’t hit Queens-based half chicken institutions this year like Caravan in Astoria and Peking BBQ in Woodside, but I did stumble into Chick’n Rotonda while bored in Middle Village one day. It’s a Filipino spot and unlike most half chicken dishes I’ve had, it’s kind of sweet because it’s coated in a lemongrass spice rub. That’s not usually my thing but they do it well and the sides go crazy. That adobo fried rice is serious. 

![Screen Shot 2023-12-18 at 7.03.27 PM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2023_12_18_at_7_03_27_PM_048beba009.png)

**5) Pio Pio 8 - Midtown**

I understand all of the Pio Pio hate, they’ve expanded too much and that rips the beating heart out of a restaurant (not to mention higher prices and smaller portions). But it’s still good, even if maybe undeserving of its rep as a New York institution for chicken. I hit the Midtown West location earlier this year while taking a lunch break from my job, and inside a ton of other people had the same idea. It’s straightforward: Chicken, rice and beans, maybe some tostones if it’s payday. Yeah, it’s hard to beat a quick meal that leaves you full and gives you a slight air of superiority over your co-workers because you know you probably had a better lunch than them. 

![Screen Shot 2023-12-18 at 7.05.32 PM.png](https://finals.blog/api/uploads/Screen_Shot_2023_12_18_at_7_05_32_PM_d4ff13d6f5.png)

**4) Casa Adela - Lower East Side**

I had stopped going to Casa Adela because that used to be one of the spots I used to frequent with my ex. You can’t let a breakup ruin your relationship with some good chicken, though. When they have it it’s fire—sometimes they’ll hit you with the bad news that the chicken won’t be ready for another hour. Wait if you can, there’s usually some good people watching to be done in the area anyway. 

**3) Exquisite Supreme - Flatbush**

I’m cheating here. Because technically a half chicken order should include a breast, thigh, drumstick, and wing. At Jamaican restaurant Exquisite Supreme when I order a 1/2 chicken worth of their baked chicken they’re really just giving me all leg quarters. It’s fine because it’s so consistent and tender and it’s honestly more flavorful than a lot of orders of jerk at other places. Get it with rice and beans or pasta and tell them to throw you some green beans as well. An added bonus: Their hot sauce is actually hot. 

**2) The Fly - Bedstuy**

It pains me to put a transplant hotbed owned by “the team behind critical darlings Hart’s and Cervo’s” so high on this list, but they really go the fuck in. Their bird is so soft it could melt in your mouth and I could practically drink the juice that the chicken soaks in. And I’ve yet to have green beans in the city I like more. I have no idea what they’re covered in but whatever it is got me poppin’ them like I pulled them out of [Carti’s snack drawer](https://www.reddit.com/r/playboicarti/comments/kpcudf/cartis_legendary_snack_draw/). 

**Ayat - Bay Ridge**

Ayat’s ½ BBQ chicken with rice, hummus, baba ghanoush, salad, AND the fresh bread might be one of the best meals you can get for under 15 dollars in the city. I’ve only eaten at the Bay Ridge location so I can’t speak for the others (but I trust Abe Beame’s temperature check at the East Village [spot](https://hellgatenyc.com/ayat-nyc-palestinian)) but despite rapid expansion the food is still great. The chicken literally falls off the bone without being undercooked (and you can still cut into it despite them usually handing you plastic utensils) and the flavor is so distinctly loud especially when mixed with all of the sides. As one of the few Palestinian restaurants in the city it can definitely be packed, especially lately where it’s become a destination for New Yorkers in search of any way to support the local Palestinian community as the U.S. tries to brainwash us into believing that a genocide of their people isn’t taking place at the hands of Israel and all who back them. And even with all of that said, the food is not overshadowed, it’s that good. Along the way exemplifying what’s so special about the half chicken meal: It’s a perfect way to put your culturally specific bent on a dish familiar to everyone. 

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