The Paw Print

A news publication created by Baruch's College Now high school journalism class

Archives for August 2019

New Yorkers Say Goodbye to Plastic Bags

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“They’re everywhere, and there is no doubt they are doing a tremendous damage,” said Governor Cuomo in a meeting at Long Island University on Earth Day 2019.

New York State will finally ban plastic bags, beginning March 2020. This law was passed by Governor Cuomo with the goal of reducing pollution and waste, as well as protecting wildlife. 

Stores will no longer be able to give plastic bags to consumers. Instead, there are various options, such as bringing your own reusable bags when shopping and paper bags offered in stores.

Most New Yorkers are content with this new law due to the fact that big changes are being made to help the Earth. 

18 year old, Midtown Manhattan resident Hari Murugesan says, “Our generation has to be the one to take preventative measures to ensure the safety and well being of the Earth before we hit the point of no return.” Hari comes from a traditional Indian family where plastic bags are “a gift that keeps on giving” due to the fact that they have many uses when they are recycled. Although he already recycles plastic, he is looking forward to the new law because he wants more people to help prevent more damage to the environment.

There has also been a surprising number of New Yorkers that are already making changes of their own regarding plastic bags. In Queens, residents are glad to finally have the government support recycling plastic bags, since many of them already do this.

For 41-year-old Alma Jimenez, who lives in Corona, Queens, the ban of plastic bags is nothing new. The Mexican native shops a minimum of 5 times per week and recycles every single plastic bag and keeps them in a cabinet under the sink to use for other things. She says most Hispanics in the neighborhood do the same. 

“I think nowadays people waste tons and tons of unnecessary plastic, and there needs to be changes done, so this law will definitely help the environment that we are responsible for,” she states.

College student Andrea Pineda, who also lives in this neighborhood, has very strong favorable opinions on this new law. “I used to live in Paris where plastic bags were banned, and I found out this so much more comfortable and convenient because you could bring your own bag everywhere; and now most Americans think that everything should be given to them on hand and fast such as plastic bags, so when they see the difference that this new law will make, it will not only be beneficial for the environment, but for our individual self,” she says. The 21-year-old also states the fact that the USA makes 30% of the worlds waste so New York is a great place to begin, since it is very populated and will cause a great change.

These New Yorkers interviewed stated that when March comes, they will take their reusable from home to go shopping. They are satisfied with the new law because it is finally making a difference to help our planet.

While some New Yorkers are content with this law being passed, others are not.

Fetpak, a big supply company that specializes in plastic bags is not happy. While they do offer paper bags, it will not be as much as the sales lost on plastic bags. “The increase in paper Bag sales does not make up for the decrease in plastic bags sales, especially in cases where there is a fee to the consumer,” says CEO from Fetpack, Wayne Fetta in an email. The law can therefore hurt businesses greatly and in the future put them out of business.

Other residents are simply annoyed that they won’t have plastic bags to use. 17-year-old Sebastian Gomez says, “I use plastic bags for many things in my house, what am I supposed to use now when they are gone?”

Although there are many alternative options for plastic bags, this won’t be enough to make up for all the plastic we use now. This new law will benefit most people, but the rest are annoyed that they might not find a better option to use. 

 “We got used to the standard of living of killing our environment, and this law is a step towards changing that,” says Andrea Pineda.

Corruption of NYCHA

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For the past few years, the number of complaints about NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority) has skyrocketed by residents living in their projects. Their complaints range from rat infestations to dangerous levels of lead in their paint, and residents of NYCHA are sick of it. 

NYCHA is supposed to give safe and decent affordable housing in a secure environment for low-income residents, but that doesn’t seem to be the case to many NYCHA residents. The vicinity of housing buildings are scattered with rats and the construction of the buildings are weak, causing mold and leaking roofs on rainy days. NYCHA residents have had enough and want better conditions for themselves and their family. 

When residents try to contact workers in NYCHA to help fix their issues, they receive terrible service and have to wait until NYCHA comes to fix it — which is usually after many days or months. 

“They guys [NYCHA workers] made a hole in my son’s room. This happened almost a year ago, and they still haven’t fixed it after saying they would come in the next day to fix the issue, and now a mold is growing from that hole,” said Sonia, a resident in a Frederick Douglass housing building between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenue on 104th street. 

The wall in Sonia’s sons room

Sonia isn’t the only one with a problem like this. In nearly every other housing building, there are more issues that endanger the health of residents and authorities of NYCHA aren’t doing much about it. 

According to the City Limits, “lack of provision of adequate heat & water, functioning elevators, uncontrolled pest infestations, and fraudulent inspections whereby the City of New York (via NYCHA, NYC’s largest landlord) admits to numerous housing-code, environmental and human-rights violations disproportionately impacting the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of low-income residents, in particular children and seniors of color.”

NYCHA residents are getting a lack of care of attention, and not much has been done to satisfy them. This leads to residents having to take on the problems with their own hands, wasting money for issues they are not responsible for. 

“Last year, over the summer, they [NYCHA] had shut off my stove for three months. I’m a single mother with two kids, and I didn’t know how I could feed them… I had to order a small mini stove to cook for the three of us… it was one of the hardest times I’ve had in my life,” says Mayah, who lives in the Washington housing buildings on 3rd Avenue, 100th street. 

Rather than tackling the issue head on, NYCHA has been trying to minimize the problems.

“They put a bandaid on the problem, they don’t fix it entirely,” the tenant association president at Ingersoll Houses told Spectrum News. 

While many people are complaining about these hazardous situations in their homes, NYCHA continues to get away with it. 

An article on the Gotham Gazette, states, “most notably, 20 months ago we issued a report after our investigation determined that children in NYCHA apartments were being exposed to dangerous levels of lead paint and that senior NYCHA officials had filed false forms with the federal government that failed to disclose this fact.” 

NYCHA then had falsified more forms after failing to check smoke detectors. The same article on the Gotham Gazette mentions, “the first report came after two children died in a fire where the smoke detector did not go off, even though an inspector had been in the apartment just hours before the fire and falsely filed paperwork stating that he had tested the alarm and it was working.”

Angry residents urge that NYCHA be held responsible for their incompetence and give them a secure and healthy living space so they can get their money’s worth; and so they won’t feel as though their lives are at risk.

Summer Heat

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With the summer heat killing everyone, all you want to do is cool off in a pool and stay there all day. Those who can’t go to the pool, go to the nearest fire hydrant that is open. Walking past seeing the kids play and get soaked looks refreshing.

The only problem is the people cooling themselves don’t know that they are wasting water that could be used to put out a fire. If a house is on fire the day after a fire hydrant was open pouring thousands of gallons of water out, when the firefighters come and open the fire hydrants, the possibility of little water coming out is high. Opening a fire hydrant without asking a firefighter is illegal and is called uncapping. People who do this could receive a fine of $1,000 or 30 days in jail.

Uncapping fire hydrants, started with the “Great Heat Wave of 1896,” which lasted 10 days, according to 6sqft. The hydrants were opened to cool down the streets and help wash away the garbage piling up. Kids enjoyed playing and people continued uncapping fire hydrants more often, but later on many complained that water was being wasted.. After this uncapping was no longer legal throughout the twentieth century. In the late 1950s, six city agencies met up to come up with a solution to uncapping fire hydrants illegally. They agreed to distribute free spray caps which released only 25 to 28 gallons per minute versus as much as 1700 gallons per minute without the cap. This is better for the community as it saves water in case there is ever an emergency.

The uncapping of fire hydrants is tolerated by the city when temperatures climb above 90 degrees, because not all pools can take everyone. It benefits people because hydrants are much closer to their house and they don’t have to wait in line. During the heatwave in NYC that lasted for three days July 19-21 allowed the uncapping of fire hydrants. The temperature was above 95 degrees, but it felt like 107 according to a New York Times article.

Uncapping mostly happens in large neighborhoods with a higher percentage of people living on lower incomes. Hell’s Kitchen, the Lower East Side, the SouthSide of Williamsburg, Bushwick, BedStuy, Jackson Heights, and Woodhaven are among the city’s uncapping hotspots according to 6sqft.

In Corona, Queens five fire hydrants were opened all day on July 20. Kids were playing, getting all soaked and the parents were talking to their neighbors. “The kids are having fun and running around, it’s good, especially with this type of weather,” said a mom who was sitting outside her building while her two kids were enjoying themselves with the water. Another mom added “It’s better than being inside with the kids on their phones and tablets all day.”

Now spray caps are not being used, the problem of overflowing water is back. Gallons of water are being released and wasted because people don’t know that if you go to a local fire station, a fireman will install or lend you a spray cap.

 

A Queens District Attorney candidate may be brought to victory by the Democratic Socialists of America and Working Families Party

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It may seem like the only way ordinary people can impact elections is to vote. But in Queens, effective grassroots campaigning may decide the District Attorney election.

It seemed Tiffany Cabán was winning the Queens Democratic primary election for district attorney. However, the paper ballots take longer to count, and when they were counted it was determined that Melinda Katz, Cabán’s main opponent, had won the election by just 20 votes. Because of how close the election was, the votes are in the process of being recounted, so Cabán still has a good chance of winning.

Cabán’s near victory is part of a larger progressive movement. She campaigned around issues like ending the war on drugs and mass incarceration within queens, as well as planning to “tackle corporate crimes” according to her campaign website. Cabán was also backed by the NYC Democratic Socialists of America, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren.

This election mirrored the 2018 congressional election as Katz and Cabán were each backed by candidates in that election. Former Congressman Joe Crowley backed Katz; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive candidate who defeated Crowley, backed Cabán.

According to Luke Elliot-Negri, a CUNY Grad Center sociology student who has been published in Jacobin and NY Daily News, there are other factors at play than just a recent progressive movement. He believes that the Working Families Party was central to Cabán coming within 20 votes of winning. The Cabán campaign was a “coming together” of the two organizaitons’ strengths: the DSA’s numbers and the WFP’s methods and experience. The WFP has connections to labor unions who could be drawn on, while the DSA has members who helped a lot with the campaigning process. “The most effective thing to get people out to the polls is to show up to their doors” as Luke Elliot-Negri put it.

This election is part of a greater national struggle against political machines throughout the country. Due to the recounts, it is very possible that Queens’ next District Attorney could be Tiffany Cabán, despite the efforts of some powerful political figures.

Why “Lesbian Jesus” aka Hayley Kiyoko is a Queer Icon

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“Lesbian Jesus,” also known as Hayley Kiyoko, is an LGBT icon in both music and TV. She is an idol to many young queer girls including myself.

Growing up, I did not know what the word gay meant. When I heard the word gay it was used as an insult. Gay was a bad word, I did not want to be known as a bad word, I tried to avoid the word or anything related. But during my early adolescence, I began to realize I was interested in girls. I thought about girls the way a boy thinks of them. As much as I wanted to display these feelings I could not, I wanted to keep this part of me locked up forever. 

 

I did not know anyone who was gay, my religion told me it was wrong, my parents would have cast me out, and most importantly, I had no support, no one who understood. It was not until I heard Hayley Kiyoko’s music that I found what I was missing- support, acceptance, and understanding. 

 

She is known for her songs “Girls like Girls”, “Cliff’s Edge”, “Sleepover”, “Curious”, and “Feelings.” Her songs took the gay community by storm. The lyrics represents lesbian love, equality, and acceptance. Kiyoko’s music inspires people to be their true selves. She inspires people to live for themselves. She has become an icon for the community by advocating for LGBT rights and providing the normalcy most of us do not have. During an interview with Refinery 29, Kiyoko, said, “I’ve had several music industry execs say, ‘You’re doing another music video about girls?’ I looked at them and was like, um, yea…Taylor Swift sings about men in every single song and video, and no one complains that she’s unoriginal.’ I’m not over-sexualizing my music. I make out with women because I love women, not because I’m trying to be sexy. That’s not to turn heads—that’s my life.”

 

Kiyoko has become “Lesbian Jesus” due to her advocacy and musical representation of lesbians and other members of the LGBT community.The need for more LGBT representation is more than to diversify the media it is to provide support for developing adolescents questioning their sexuality. Having icons such as Kiyoko telling us it’s okay, creates a positive impact. She proves it’s okay to be yourself, she provides positive reinforcement with her music and advocacy. That is what makes her iconic-positivity and importance for what she stands for. When asked “ As an artist and as someone who has been really open about their sexuality and experiences, what’s the most meaningful reaction you’ve ever gotten from a fan? ” by Lana Kaplan during a Billboard, interview Kiyoko said, “ I think the most meaningful reaction is when I go on tour and see 12-year-old girls at my show being proud of who they are and with their parents at my shows. When I was 12, I was like, ‘I’m never going to be happy until I’m 30’,because I was struggling with my sexuality. Seeing everyone be 15 or 16 and seeing this community of support has been really meaningful because it shows progress and change within our generation. We still have more to go, but to see what has been awesome.”

 

Even if it is not Kiyoko’s music it is the love, compassion, and support, she shows, that makes her Lesbian Jesus, an advocate for all.

 

Effects of social media on young people

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Do you use social media, apps or Youtube? Life seems easier with phones in our hands where we can communicate with whoever we want and when we want. But is social media safe for young people?

With new studies and reports raising questions about mental health and vulnerabilities that affect young people, there have been a lot of worries about adolescents and social media in the past couple of years.  But are there more bad than good?

Adolescents are very curious and with phones in their hands, nothing can stop them from learning and having new experiences and learning about different aspects of life.

Young people get support by using social media, according to Andrea K.Mcdaniel, an author of an article in the ELAnews. She pointed out that some research has found that social media can be a resource for teens to find social support when they are struggling with life issues and that they can use the different online platforms to express themselves.

A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research of teens aged 13 to 17 found that most teens value the feeling of connection with friends and family that social media provides. Social media is not just useful for passing time when they’re bored time as others might say, but is used to connect families and friends around the world.

Many risky behaviors have dropped sharply among teens. Cigarette smoking among teens is at a historic low since peaking in the mid 1990s, along with alcohol use, teen driving fatalities and teens pregnancy rates. All these changes are due to the reliance by teens on social media which keeps them occupied and out of it.

It may look as though teens are wasting a lot of their time hanging out with their new media, whether it’s texting or watching videos.”But their participation is giving them the technological skills and literacy they need to succeed in the contemporary world. They’re learning how to get along with others, how to manage a public identity, how to create a home page,” according to the New York Times.

Some people might say that social media hurts young people more than it helps. But that’s not the case at all. For example, a 2012 study conducted by psychologists at the University of California at Berkeley found that sending and receiving text messages boosted texters’ moods when they were feeling upset or lonely.

As long as it’s used in a healthy way, social media is helpful for young people and help them emotionally as well as mentally.

 

Brandy Melville’s unique and often biased hiring method

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Throughout the city, businesses from ice cream shops to clothing stores delve into hundreds of job applications filled with resumes and references from teenagers hoping to bring in some money for the summer. At Brandy Melville, they ask for your Instagram. 

Clothing store Brandy Melville launched stores in the US in 2009 and quickly became a teen hotspot. They have four locations in New York City filled with teenage girls looking for new clothes and others working at the cash register. The brand continues to gain popularity having an annual profit growth between 20-25%, according to digital marketing expert Jeff Bulla. As loved as the Italian clothing brand is, they have been criticized for scouting primarily young white employees.

Girls often get hired by being asked in the store if they are interested in working at Brandy Melville. If they say yes, the employee proceeds to ask for their name, availability and Instagram handle. 

“I was hired because they asked me in the store but I’ve noticed that they rarely ask girls of color to work when they’re in the store,” said one employee. To her knowledge, all of her colleagues were asked to work at Brandy Melville. “Applying has a much lower rate of success,” said the 16-year-old. 

Many shoppers experience seeing a flock of young, thin, white girls working at Brandy Melville. Their body types are a result of Brandy’s one size fits all clothes. This is an aspect of the store that faces criticism but ultimately, works in their favor. Justina Sharp, a 17-year-old fashion blogger described it to the Huffington Post as an exclusivity thing. Knowing that not everyone can wear the clothes makes more girls inclined to wear them. 

The company defended this choice saying there is something for everyone because they offer stretchy and loose items. In regards to the lack of racial diversity in their models and staff, the brand has not released a statement. 

15-year-old Isabel Greider talked about her sister’s experience working at Brandy Melville, saying, “Girls would get paid different wages (which my sister said was often racist).” 

Although there has yet to be other reports of racial bias in wages, the lack of diversity does not go unnoticed by shoppers, especially non-white ones. 

 “The employees are kind of rude…..I don’t see any black workers. I want to shop at a store where it’s diverse,” said one Google review. 

Greider elaborated on her sisters experience working at Brandy, “They took pictures of all the workers every day.” They were never told why. 16-year-old Gracie Paulson goes through a similar thing while shopping at Brandy Melville. Employees often ask to take a picture of her when she is wearing a vintage t-shirt. She believes it is to ‘steal’ the design. 

The brand had multiple lawsuits involving them stealing clothing designs-including one with Forever 21. The sales associates are also part of the brainstorming team and most likely photograph shoppers clothes for inspiration. 

In Brandy Melville’s New York City locations, the Google reviews are filled with comments complaining about the staff. “I’m so disappointed to give Brandy a 3-star rating (as I love their clothes), but I can’t lie. The staff there aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed and are extremely rude,” said Marie Khoury about the Soho location on Broadway. 

Despite review upon review of customers having trouble with staff, Brandy Melville has made no change in the way they pick their employees. Why? 

Lawyer and founder of The Fashion Law, an independent source of objective fashion law and business analysis, Julie Zerbo dissected the method to Brandy Melville’s madness. 

 The employees play a multipurpose role by not only looking the part but also acting as ambassadors, explained Zerbo. It is not uncommon for brands to use their employees to get input on what clothes they should make. 

It is more cost-effective to hire teen girls than to hire consultants; teenagers are content with minimum wage. Most importantly, the employees succeed in suggesting clothing designs that please the consumers. 

In regards to asking for employees Instagrams, the power of social media continues to grow. Brandy Melville wants girls with a strong following and an Instagram that reflects their brand. 

“It’s hard to say that it’s not kind of brilliant business,” said Zerbo.

A win for New York’s libraries: The promising investment

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On June 14, Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City council were able to secure 33 million in additional funding in the FY20 executive budget for New York’s three library systems.

Many were shocked when Mayor de Blasio, an avid user of the park slope branch in Brooklyn, wanted to slash the New York City’s library system’s funding. Mayor De Blasio proposed cutting the funds at $10.4 million in operating funds from the city’s three public library systems in his latest budget proposal. The libraries seem to have grown under de Blasio’s watch by 88 million according to Spokesmen Raul Contreras with the Daily News. However, with a cut in New York City’s libraries, they would be unable to provide programming, updated facilities, more staff and security, and longer branch hours. 

Unable to deal with the decrease in funding of all three Library systems in New York City (New York, Brooklyn, and Queens) banded together in #InvestInLibraries.The increase in funding would allow the systems to maintain their current upkeep as cost arises, but also continue to provide for New York communities for generations. 

Advocates such as actress Sarah Jessica Parker were able to speak for the public on the investment in libraries, “Libraries mean a great deal to me and my family. I have been visiting my local library and borrowing books for as far back as I can recall. For the past couple of decades, Jefferson Market Library in Greenwich Village has been my local branch, and for my family and our community it is not only a regular neighborhood stop for books, programs, and more, it is a cornerstone, a beacon, and one of the most beloved buildings in our community. I don’t know what we’d do without it. I recently learned that the City is proposing budget cuts that would significantly impact services—fewer hours, fewer librarians, fewer collections, fewer programs, fewer classes.” Even if not as famous as Parker people were able to send in over  120,000 letters and 5,000 sticky notes according to Tony Marx the New York’s public library president.  

The additional funding in New York City’s libraries further proves the importance the libraries are to the New York community. New York’s community relies upon and well as uses the library for all it’s purposes no matter the need or want, the libraries provide it.

A library is more than a place that provides books and computers they provide a community. Whether you are rich or you are poor, the library is a place where you can study, read, go to one of the various enrichment programs they provide, play games, have storytime, the library can bring everyone together regardless of race, class, and or gender. The investment in the libraries is a win for all as the libraries of New York City continue to show importance in New York’s diverse and expansive community. 

 

Will fare finally be fair to the environment and its riders?

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Metrocards are trash. Literally. 

Between refilling and losing cards, a lot of customers can agree that the 27-year old transit fare system should be updated to prioritize New Yorkers’ convenience.

Patrick Foye, the CEO of the MTA, has decided to transition to OMNY by 2023. OMNY – One Metro New York – is a contactless card fare payment system, according to its website, omny.info. 

This new fare payment system claims to be more efficient because of its flexibility. No additional card is required with OMNY making the system more environmentally friendly. New Yorkers can use a contactless credit or debit cards available at most of New York’s major banks–Chase, HSBC, Santander, and Capital One–or they can opt for using Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or Google Pay, or they can use the MTA OMNY app which will launch later this year.

When New Yorkers in Madison Square Park were asked how they felt about the MTA’s plans to update the fare system, responses were initially mixed.

“I like the Metrocard,” said Anne, who recently moved to the city. 

Andrew Introna, a college freshman and New York native, agreed, claiming he liked the convenience of the unlimited card. 

Anne and Andrew had a change of heart when they found out that the plastic used to make metrocards cannot be recycled. The MTA has tried combatting this by adding a $1 charge to newly purchased Metrocards to encourage riders to refill their existing cards. This had little success as Metrocards continue to scatter the floors of subway stations and transit centers.

Apart from the environmental aspect, Metrocards are also a huge waste of money. In 2011, WNYC reported that lost and unused Metrocards across the city add up to $52 million yearly. This is wasted money coming straight out of commuters’ pockets.  

OMNY claims it will improve the efficiency of the MTA, changing the daily commutes of millions of New Yorkers. 

One New Yorker, Victor, was concerned that people without existing credit and debit cards would not be able to use the city’s metro. To address this, OMNY will release its own card by 2021, which will work like a Metrocard. It is still unknown as to whether this OMNY card will be recyclable. 

AM New York reports the new fare system could also make fare more equitable. The MTA has faced backlash because not all New Yorkers can afford the monthly savings pass, despite the fact that New Yorkers of all socioeconomic backgrounds use transit daily. 

David Jones, an MTA board member, told AM New York, “With the [new] technology, if you in fact swipe through enough times in a month you could automatically be given the 30-day benefit,” which would create a more equitable fare system. 

Some New Yorkers were concerned about OMNY’s potential for security risks.“I prefer using a Metrocard because I’m used to it and I feel like using a credit or debit card can be more of a security risk,” said Julia Finnegan, who uses a Metrocard for her daily commute to school. 

Mastercard, which is one of the first companies to release a contactless card, is addressing these concerns by assuring users that the only thing transmitted on a contactless payment is a one-time code from the card to the reader that identifies the transaction. This makes fraud possible, but highly unlikely.

Systems like these have been implemented in cities all over the world. London updated its Oyster fare system in 2019 to ease the commute. Mastercard found that in London the cost to collect fares was reduced by 6% and that it took an average of 500 milliseconds to walk through the turnstile and onto the train platform. 

OMNY is still in its trial phase, but hopefully the MTA will work to smooth out some of the inconveniences the system has been causing in its early launch. Just last week, I tried the system on a Staten Island bound express bus. I tapped my card and found a seat. All was well until I opened my bank account to find that I had been charged $6.75 – the cost of fare – and an additional charge of $2.75 from the MTA. I was confused as to what this second charge was, so I called my bank.They refunded the money and are currently running an investigation to figure out what happened. This seemingly hassle free system ended up wasting more time and energy then it claimed to save. 

I have used OMNY everyday since last week’s incident and have not run into any more issues. 

OMNY is currently available on Staten Island buses and stops on the 4, 5, and 6 lines between Grand Central-42 St and Atlantic Ave -Barclays Center. By late 2020, OMNY will be available across the entire city, adding the Long Island Railroad and Metro North early in 2021. 

XXL Freshman Review

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 In the year 2019, we have watched upcoming artists blow up with multiple billboard hits, record selling albums, and maybe a one hit song. The following artists are ranked from the best substance of music to the worst. 

 

 Standing at Number 1 is YBN Cordae from Suitland Maryland. Cordae is known for being in the group YBN with artist known as YBN Almighty Jay, and YBN Nahmir. YBN Cordae is known lyrically to be the best from the group, with hits Locationships( inspired by Jay Z’s song Girls, Girls, Girls), Target ( talks about racial profiling done by police),and his newest song Have Mercy( talks about life changes, and asks the lord for mercy). Listed at Number 2 is Tierra Whack. From Philadelphia, Tierra Whack is claimed to be the best female artist right now by Meek Mill, which says something because, when it comes to music Meek Mill can’t be compared to new age artist . “ Having flashbacks, Where yo’ past at?/Where the cash at? Ayo, pass that/ I will stab backs just for bags, racks, Tierra Whack said in her song Unemployed. Tierra’s starts off with vivid word play and uses something called slant rhyming. Slant rhyming is when rappers use words that don’t rhyme and make it rhyme.  Rico Nasty from Largo Maryland is listed at Number 3 . As a female artist Rico Nasty is most known for her emphasis towards black women expressing their anger. With dropping projects Anger Management, Nasty, and Sugar Trap 2 we can see what point she is trying to get across. “Yeah, your ass fat, but you a whack attack/Seek the money you can’t wait to latch”Rico stated in her song Big Titties from the Anger Management album . Rico Nasty raps about females getting attention for how their body looks ,but states when it comes to money with men they forget their value. From Houston,TX we have Megan Thee Stallion. As a Southern Rapper, Megan is known for her assured flow and sexual lyrics. Megan’s best songs are Big Ole Freak, Best you Ever Had, and her STALLI FREESTYLE. “ Come in the room and I’m givin’ commands/ I am the captain and he the lieutenant/ I need that neck like a muhfucking pendant,’’Megan stated in Big Oe Freak. From the rugged streets of Compton, at number 5: we have Roddy Rich. Roddy Ricch is known for songs Die Young, Down Below, Every Season, Project Dreams, and his latest song Out Tha Mud. One of his most known lines is, “Tell me legends always gotta die quick?’’, Roddy Rich stated in Die Young.  At Number 6: stands Da Baby from North Carolina. With collaborations from Louisiana’s Boosie Badazz, and Atlanta’s Offset, Da Baby is most known for songs Suge, Going Baby on Baby, and Next Song. When it comes to history, Da Baby shows what he knows about rap in Suge. “ I’m a young CEO, Suge( Yeah)/ Yeah,Yeah”, Da Baby vigorously repeats in his song Suge. From East St. Louis, Illinois we have Comethazine. Even though, Comethazine is listed at number 7 he stands with songs Walk, Bands, Piped Up, and 2 albums named Bawskee.

One of his most known lines is, “ I walk around like that nigga, finger on the trigger/ If a nigga want smoke, I let the chopper eats his liver(Boom)”, Comethazine vigorously repeats  song Walk. From Atlanta at Number 8 we have Gunna. Gunna is most known for his collaborations with Lil Baby, Young Thug, Polo G, Tory Lanez, Chris Brown, and etc. When it comes to Gunna’s own songs, One Call, Who You Foolin, Top Off, and Richard Millie Plan. Lyric wise nothing stands out ,but from his songs his hooks are the best. At Number 9 stands YK Osiris. YK Osiris best song of course is Worth it. In this song he talks to a girl about him being worth it because, he will give them the world. At Number 10 stands Lil Mosey. Mosey doesn’t stand at the bottom because of songs: Kamikaze, Noticed, and Pull Up. What makes him stand out is his enticing hooks, and his good selection of beats. Last but not least we have BlueFace. Although, BlueFace has songs: Bleed it, Next Big Thing, Dead Locs, Studio and Thotiana. Besides having decent hooks, catchy beats, Blueface can’t rap on beat making him sound like he doesn’t take any of music serious. 

 

The first part  of the XXL is the rappers freestyle. In the freestyle, we get to hear the rappers, go acapella with either a written freestyle or something off the top. With the freestyle we are doing no order from best to worst just who did what. Now the first person we look at is Comethazine. After listening to the freestyle I’m impressed. Even though I didn’t expect too much from a 40 second  freestyle, Comethazine shows us he wants to be in the XXL , and raps every line enhancing. “ Niggas wonder why I’m savage, you ain’t never put your buddy in a casket”, said Comethazine. When saying this line you can tell Comethazine means it, and is saying it because he feels like it. The second person we’re looking at is Da Baby. With a 1:28 freestyle Da Baby says everything like the usual. Even though, Da Baby looks like he  just woke up from a flight, Da baby shows high charisma, and proves he doesn’t need a freestyle to prove himself, which is good. However, the only problem with Da Baby’s  freestyle is him reusing lines from a previous freestyle, with Funk Flex. The only trick with Da Baby’s XXL freestyle, is the words being said slower, and on FunkFlex Da Baby uses a faster flow when saying it. The third person I am reviewing is YBN Cordae. My opinion is that Cordae has the best freestyle right now since a few more artists need to freestyle . However, what makes his freestyle unique is Cordae showcasing his lyrical abilities, and his good flow. “ Huh, never will I ever forget beginnings/ A country boy who humble and grateful for his position/ But never satisfied or complacent, my intuition”, Cordae said. In this freestyle Cordae raps about his life, and talks about what he wants to achieve. For the fourth person we have Megan Thee Stallion. In my opinion,  Megan’s freestyle is Top 3 right now with Rico Nasty, and YBN Cordae. What makes her freestyle good is her mixture with her raps and bars. In this freestyle, Megan’s subject is mostly about topics Cardi B, or Nicki Minaj will talk about ,but she says it in a compelling way. “ They done fucked up and let Houston, Texas get up in here/ They saying I’m a freshman but I spit like I been here”, said Megan Thee Stallion. In my own words this isn’t relative to what I was saying, but this was a good way to start a freestyle. The fifth person I’m reviewing is Rico Nasty. Rico Nasty is in my top 3 because, every line she says differently, she has a fast flow, and Rico showcases her rapping skills. Her placing right now in my Top 3 is the 2nd best. In Rico’s freestyle she constantly switches from topics about modern day females, and  people playing her even though she knows she isn’t the one. “ Promise my mama that I won’t fuck with no fucking nigga/ Seems like they only pay attention to who butt bigger,” said Rico Nasty. While rapping about these things, when she freestyles you can picture the things Rico talks about, and why she said her lines so aggressively. Up next we have Lil Mosey. Lil Mosey right now is put in my Top 10 because his freestyle is trash, he recycled most of his lines from a snippet called Aye Royce, and when he freestyles I’m not even interested to begin with. For our 7th person we have Roddy Rich. Roddy Rich in his freestyle has done something other rappers have not done. In Roddy Rich XXL freestyle, while he was freestyling he made a beat by using his jewelry , and also used his melodic sound to rap.  In my opinion this freestyle is going to keep him at the Top 4. When he started freestyling, I gained an interest in listening to it more. “ You get 20 years fed time, for the 6 months you balling hard,” Roddy Rich said. In other words, I can be hustling to get money the only way I can , but that can lead to me serving long time, even if I’m doing what I’m doing. Now I am not going to review YK Osiris, Gunna, and Blueface because their freestyle isn’t out. Also Tierra Whack would probably not do a freestyle because, she wouldn’t need one. This is my prediction for the top 10 best freestyles to worst: 1)YBN Cordae, 2)Rico Nasty, 3)Megan Thee Stallion, 4)Roddy Rich,5) Comethazine, 6)Gunna, 7) YK Osiris, 8)Da Baby, 9) Lil Mosey, and 10) Blueface. 

 

The last part of the XXL is the cypher. In the cypher, the rappers are grouped together based on their rap skills, and how they fit together. I will not be reviewing the cypher because, it is not out at this moment , but I will show my prediction for the  groups. Group One: YBN Cordae, Tierra Whack, and Rico Nasty. Group 2: Megan Thee Stallion, Da Baby, Gunna, and Comethazine. Group 3: YK Osiris, Roddy Rich, Lil Mosey, and Blueface. Overall, the XXL 2019 Freshman is better than last year ,and have more to give. Even though, the list could’ve been better, the artist in 2019 have shown their skills, and what they can do.