Story Time with Bradley: Sweden Part 2
The Road So Far…
So I made it into Malmö? Cool. I have the address of my AirBnb? Awesome! Do I have an internet connection to use my phone’s GPS? Nope. Was I confident enough with my Swedish to feel comfortable talking to strangers? I helvete heller (Oh, hell no)!
This was my first time in a foreign country that English wasn’t their primary language. Not only that, barely anyone back home knew that I was going. I’m telling you right now; don’t be like me! I set myself up for the perfect Taken situation and my dad is NOT Liam Neeson, so I would have been left to fend for myself.
So I’m just kicking back at the subway station, using their free Wi-Fi to at least get a rough estimate of where I’m supposed to go with my GPS. When I say that GPS was just as confused as I was, that doesn’t even start to describe how bad it was.
What I and my GPS, that I named Siro at the time because I had the male voice enabled, later found out is that pedestrian walkways go under bridges and underlap parks close to the college areas in Malmö. I don’t know if you are aware but if you go under a road, without internet connection to provide your precise location, your phone’s GPS flips out and essentially goes into a loop like, “I got you this far! Help yourself!!”. 70°F weather in a light hoodie when your lost feels like 90° F in a winter coat.
The worst part wasn’t even that I was lost though. It’s that I was super sweaty!
I’m a vain person; sue me. I could NOT walk around a country lost AND looking sweaty. That’s just not my way, but there I was looking like Clark Griswold just trying to get to Walley World. What was supposed to be a 13 minute walk with only 3 turns, turned into a 37-minute adventure just trying to find this AirBnb. The plan was to get to the AirBnb early so I could gussy-up, get this sweat off my face, drink a glass water, situate my luggage, and chill -but that didn’t happen. Less than 10-minutes after I FINALLY get to the apartment and use the restroom, I get a text saying “I think I’m at the gate?” GIRL!…WHAT?! I’m still oozing with sweat - I’m talking damp, and this is my first impression of meeting this person whom I’ve been getting to know for the last few months.
I hated it all. I wanted to run away, but the only exit was the gate (where she was), so I had to just wipe my brow and deal with it. I greet her at the gate. I’m super hesitate to give her a hug because I’m more soaked than ever - which is funny because we joke how disgusting the first time we met was (so I was RIGHT to be self-conscious). I probably looked like Tyrone Biggums because I had all sorts of crackhead energy like, “So how was your flight?!”, “Did you find the place okay - I got lost and was hunting for the last half hour?”, “Boy…this place doesn’t have anything but this tiny icebox air conditioner. Is it hot here, or just me? I wish I could say that was me being smooth, but honestly I feel DISGUSTING with how sweaty I am I wasn’t planning on Sweden to be this hot so I wore this hoodie without thinking that y’all actually have summer here too. Duh! Of course you have summer…Midsommar!” I kid you not that all was said in one sentence.
Crackhead energy is NOT appropriate in Scandinavia!!
Not just in Sweden, but all Scandinavia. You can’t just come in hot with people or else they will not respond well, but in a polite way. Similar to Patrick Bateman’s “I have to return some video tapes” line in American Psycho, you’ll get a very similar response like “I must use the toalett”, “I have to get started on dinner.”, “Are you ok?”, and many more that it doesn’t matter what time it is - they can be used.
After freaking her out a bit by my zeal to show her the place and the air conditioner, we were able to settle down and chat. As hours passed, we realized that both of us hadn’t eaten in hours so we went to a place more universal than the United Nations - a pizza place.
Pizza is NOT Sweden’s best food…
Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but it wasn’t ALLLL THAAAAT. The ordering experience was fun though. Have you ever watched when a kid tries to be an adult and order for themselves, and their parent has to eventually step in and do it the right way for them? That’s what ordering this people felt like. I thought I was killing it! Like, “No I can’t eat that, it has kött (meat) on it” but when the man asked me “Vad ska du ha? (What will you have?)” I completely dropped the bag, and had to give him that look like “Ehhhh…Google translate?” Unlike MOST of the people in Sweden, this man did NOT speak English, but luckily I came with my own personal translator. She ordered one meats pizza and one with vegetarian kebab for me so I could try it. The crazy part was that no banana HAD to be said or else I was about to get banana all over my pizza. Excuse me what? Yes. When she said “Inga banan (no banana)” I knew she was going to be cool people and I wasn’t going to end up being trafficked that day.
Going to get pizza was just the first of many adventures that we went on during this trip. Check back in next week; probably one of my favorite and most memorable stories of the whole trip…✌🏿
Story Time with Bradley: Sweden Part 1
The first Story Time with Bradley. This is part one of my trip to Sweden, where I discuss the s#@tstorm that went into just GETTING to Sweden.
Of ALL the places in the World Why Sweden?!
The answer is very simple: a girl.
When I decided to go Sweden, I hadn’t left my house in months due to the pandemic, and was kind of going stir-crazy. I’d been spending HOURS on Clubhouse getting to know people from all over the world, and somehow I found myself in a community full of a lot of people from Sweden. Some of you might not know this, but I LOVE language. Getting to understand the rules of grammar, the origins, and especially learning phrases that I can’t learn in an academic course.
So fast forward - after spending months on this app, I got to know a Swedish, influencer woman that was quite popular on TikTok and Instagram pretty well. Nothing romantic, initially, just chatting here and there. It was kind of nuts in retrospect. I used to have so much time, that I could stay up until 3/4AM hosting this comedy dating “show” where people would drop in, and practice their pitch for getting a sugar daddy/ mommy*; she would come in for a laugh every now and then. After a very weird summer, Europe FINALLY lifts their travel ban and I am invited to come to Sweden.
I went to Sweden wanting two things: 1. Surströmming and 2. Have a proper fika.
So unlike most people that go to Sweden for the first time, I went to Malmö, and I’m SO happy that I did. Neither the Swedish woman nor I had ever been to Malmö, so this was going to be something new for everyone.
Getting to Sweden
I was in a “Yes” mood to everything leading to this trip. So when my buddy dropped me off to the airport he’d asked me, “Do you want an edible for the flight?” (pause - this was at a time where cannabis and I did NOT agree with each other. ESPECIALLY edibles*) I said “Sure, but probably just a half. I ain’t trying to die on this plane. hahaha” Well little did I know…I’d sealed my fate with that response. I made it through TSA (no problem), I got to the gate (piece of cake), and I even got to my chair on the plane with no troubles, but I did the worst thing for myself and went to sleep immediately upon arrival.
If you’ve never woken up high before; it’s a rude awakening.
I felt personally attacked by that edible, and to make it worse - I wasn’t digesting anything until I touched the ground (if ya know what I mean), so that edible was just hitting.
Eight hours. That’s how long the first flight to Amsterdam was. Eight hours of trying to chug ginger ales, trying to use the toilet, and just trying not to die. It was great. I could barely even enjoy my favorite part of flying which is watching all the movies I can’t find on my smorgasbord of streaming services. So after a movie and a half of flying - my body just had to get rid of it the only way it could. There are a handful of people that when they know they’re going to vomit, they try and make the world a better place for everyone involved - I’m one of those people. I went to the airplane bathroom (which makes me want to vomit now just thinking about it), secured the toilet bib down, and braced myself for impact which lead to swift relief.
After that it was smooth sailing though…
Amsterdam was no problem, now that the edible was dealt with. Schipol is kind of a shithole airport, but otherwise it was cool. Even though it was the Netherlands, I felt like everywhere I went it was just the American corner. Even on my flight to Copenhagen (because that’s the closest airport to Malmö. Sweden), I had an American man seated next to me. I didn’t talk to him, but I learned some tips & tricks in order to uncover who the Americans in Europe are.
I might have done something illegal though…
When I arrived in Copenhagen (now mind you, I’d JUST started learning Swedish about 2 months prior and Danish is WAY harder), I was a bit lost. I was told by a customer service representative, “Look for the train to Malmö”, so that’s what I did. When I got to the train station there were kiosks to purchase tickets and when I TRIED to buy a ticket, it didn’t take so what was I supposed to do? I hopped on the train anyway, even took a seat in first class (which has VERY comfy seats AND Wi-Fi), and nobody even asked me for a ticket or anything so I just assumed it was free - well I thought it was at least. It wasn’t. The ECONOMY train tickets are 240kr (≈$24 USD). Whoops! 😅
But lo and behold, I arrived in Malmö: the 18th most dangerous city in Europe, to meet a stranger from the internet, after just coming down from an edible…
Anyway - that’s all for the first part of the this story time. Check back in next week for another story time with Bradley! ✌🏿
* = there is a story to this
Why I REALLY Love Weddings (from a Photographer's POV)
When it comes to weddings, it’s not just the money for me. Every wedding client that I’ve ever had, has taught me and every attendee of their wedding a great lesson to take with them.
As a passionate photographer, people often seem to be very curious and want to know, “If you could photograph anything at all, what would it be?” To that intriguing question, my answer has consistently remained the same over time – because it feels so straightforward and obvious to me, “Weddings. All day, every day (or at least, a lot of days)!”
The Thrill and Pressure of Wedding Photography
Photographers may wonder, “Isn’t the pressure overwhelming?” Of course it is! As a wedding photographer, I capture special moments and emotions in real time, and that’s what makes it exciting. It’s like handling a big project at work—there's a risk of failure, but doing well can lead to great opportunities. While that thrill is part of the job, my true love for wedding photography comes from a more personal place.
Weddings Through a Personal Lens
I often find myself joking with my best friend, saying, “I’m a child of divorce!” whenever I need a lighthearted excuse for a bad choice I made or when I’m seeking a little grace in the face of judgment. Even though I’m well aware that this isn’t a valid excuse for everything that happens in my life, it surprisingly ties into one of the reasons why I absolutely adore photographing weddings (ironically). To me, weddings serve as a beautiful and symbolic representation of not just what your marriage is going to look like, but also of the people you want to have involved in this special journey. I’ve had the privilege of photographing weddings where couples have spent thousands on lavish venues, exquisite caterers, beautiful chairs, and more, but I have also thoroughly enjoyed capturing the heartfelt moments at intimate backyard weddings. Each experience is unique, and I love both styles equally!
My First Wedding: A Lesson in Humility
The first wedding that I ever photographed, I was completely unprepared for it, but I accepted it because I needed the money. I charged the couple $450 to drive 2 hrs and photograph just the ceremony (something I DON’T recommend as a good business practice, charge for mileage), gave them a Dropbox of all the Hi-res images, and didn’t offer any ways to print their images with me. So needless to say, this was not a wedding that I profited from monetarily, but the lasting impact that it left on me was priceless.
The wedding was very small, with only about 15 people. My then-girlfriend helped me as a second shooter, which I later regretted because the space was so tight that we kept getting in each other's way.
The Foot-Washing Ritual: A Strong Symbol
To this day, I’m still not exactly sure what the specific religion was of this couple, but one thing that truly stood out to me during that time was a unique foot-bathing ritual they practiced. At the moment, I found myself feeling more disgusted by the fact that I had to look at these people's dogs for what felt like an extended period of time. My girlfriend and I were both retching in response, as we found the idea of other people's feet to be particularly revolting (though I must admit, she was more disgusted than I was).
Now though, I completely understand and appreciate the deeper purpose of the ritual. It serves to remind both the couple and the audience that in a loving relationship, each partner is truly meant to be of service to one another. Oftentimes, we think of the delicate balance of a relationship as being 50/50, but the reality is that it’s not typically that straightforward. There are moments when partners may find themselves in different positions emotionally or physically. However, just like during this intimate foot-bathing ritual, whether you’re the one receiving the soothing bath or the one lovingly giving it, you are neither above nor below your partner in status or importance. Because in the grand, beautiful scheme of things - you are equals; beautifully balanced and united in your journey together.
Why Weddings Remind Me of the Bigger Picture
I’m no relationship guru; I’m a portrait & event photographer. One that loves his job because I get to learn something with every client that I interact with.
I really love weddings because they remind me not just of what I wanted when I was little for my parents, but of some things that I put on the back burner for whatever reason within my personal relationships. Whether it’s: communicating with your partner when shit hits the fan 20 minutes before the ceremony and you need a light joke, forgiving some of the trauma enough to share a father-daughter dance, or just washing your partner’s feet in front of God & country all of these acts are so important to me - even as just a witness/ active participant of your wedding.
The Geography of Hip-Hop
Hip-hop according to the Oxford Language is “a style of popular music of United States Black and Hispanic origin, featuring rap with an electronic backing” but it is so much more than that. Hip-hop is not just a musical genre, but a way of life, a vibe - an essence. Though this culture was pioneered in the South Bronx, New York, it wasn’t until 6 years later with the release of “Rapper’s Delight” that the culture ventured beyond the five burrows of New York. As the musical style moved across the country, many cities started to develop their own way.
“Rap has different feels and different vibes in different parts of the country. For example, people in New York city don’t drive very often, so New York used to be about walking around with your radio. But that doesn’t really exist anymore. It became unfashionable because some people were losing their lives over them, and also people don’t want to carry them, so now it’s more like “Hey, I’ve got my Walkman.” For that reason, there’s a treble type of thing going on; they’re not getting much of the bass. So rap music in New York City is a headphone type of thing, whereas in Long Island or Philadelphia... it’s more of a bass type thing.” - Chuck D
Hip-hop according to the Oxford Language is “a style of popular music of United States Black and Hispanic origin, featuring rap with an electronic backing” but it is so much more than that. Hip-hop is not just a musical genre, but a way of life, a vibe - an essence. Though this culture was pioneered in the South Bronx, New York, it wasn’t until 6 years later with the release of “Rapper’s Delight” that the culture ventured beyond the five burrows of New York. As the musical style moved across the country, many cities started to develop their own way.
The East Coast
The pioneering sound, that eventually becomes what we know as hip-hop, came from the quick-mixing style found in Jamaican dancehall music. This technique allowed disc jockeys to isolate & prolong the break section of a track between two record players, as they spoke rhymes over the track. The earliest form of East Coast rap could be considered somewhat of a disco-hip hop fusion. This can be heard best in the song “Rapper’s Delight” by The Sugar Hill Gang. There is just something about that alternating bass and snare that just makes you move and groove. Throughout the years, hip-hop has grown and aged, just like its listeners, allowing for more artists to develop their own interpretations and styles of the legendary genre.
When it comes to East Coast Rap these are the key elements:
The Rhyme
The Sample
The greatest thing to consider that make up the East Coast and every other region’s sound, whether Old School or New school is the environment these artists grow in. For example, many New York rappers aren’t making songs to bump while you’re driving in your car because that wasn’t their experience growing up. Some of the best backpack rap* artists come from the East Coast like Black Moon and Mos Def.
Now don’t get me wrong, there are many examples of East Coast rappers moving to other rap regions, and gaining a huge following (2Pac being a great example), but just like the ink on your birth certificate - you can’t change where you were born. If you were to look at the 325 songs (not including remixes) released by Tupac Shakur, you would see that 2Pac sampled 518 songs. Although, he’s credited heavily as a West Coast rapper, in an interview with Sway he credits not just the West Coast but also the East Coast for shaping and molding him into the person he grew to be.
(Also, I know I’ve not mentioned other East Coast hip-hop fusions (like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul), Latin Rap and Trap artists (like Bad Bunny or even Cardi B), and even the Rock Rappers (like the Beastie Boys), but for this intro we’re going to be focused mostly on boom bap*.)
The West Coast
The fastest growing style of hip-hop to branch off the originators was the West Coast style of rap, pioneered by Alonzo Williams. Unlike its East Coast counterpart, early West Coast hip-hop focused more on the DJ than the rhyme. In the 80’s this changed with the introduction of harmonized rap (later to be defined as gangsta rap) by such artists like Mixmaster Spade. For those that thought the musicians of the East Coast held back, then the early West Coast musicians were right up their alley. Alonzo “Lonzo” Williams was once quoted saying, “The lyrics came from the heart and from the streets. That is why “PARENTAL ADVISORY” had to be put on albums and CDs. Then came the beat. The West Coast had beats that were crazy , but people were loving it !”
When it comes to West Coast Rap these are the key elements:
The “Gangsta”
The “Flow”
When I use the word flow in regards to West Coast Rap I don’t mean the rhyme, as most people would think. I’m talking about the actual wave like pattern of each cadence. Similar to the way that a person’s voice pitches upwards when asking a question and resolves downwards when responding; West Coast Rap has a similar internal question and answer. A really great example of this can be found in the song “Streiht Up Menace” by Compton’s Most Wanted.
Similarly to East Coast Rap, the means of transportation can be heard in West Coast Rap music. In the song “Boyz-N-The-Hood” by Eazy-E, there’s a major key in the first line, “Cruisin’ down the street in my ‘64…” That key being the word cruisin’. The act of cruising is one major experience that distinguishes an East Coast rapper from a West Coast rapper. Whether you’re driving down the street in a coupe or a single-speed Schwinn, the one thing for sure is that you’re cruising - or at least thinking about it.
The Midwest
As broad as the accents are amongst the people of the Midwest, so are the influences of rap. Taking a look at 4 different cities that some of the most popular Midwest rappers have come out of (Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, and Cleveland), each of these have a very distinct sound to them, even though they are all from the same region. Though hip-hop didn’t originate in the Midwest, rappers from the Midwest have definitely become the favored region amongst The Recording Academy. Since 1996, the year the first Grammy for Best Rap Album was rewarded, the recipient has been a Midwestern rapper 12 times of the 25 (50% of that being Eminem alone).
When it comes to Midwestern Rap these are the key elements:
Coded Language
More White Artists
Though rap is mostly spoken in the African-American Vernacular, each region uses coded language* Similarly to how in the East Coast and Southwest region you’ll find more Latin Rap, in the Midwestern region you’ll find more white rappers. With that though, you’ll also find more rappers that go against the “traditional” ideas of what hip-hop/ rap culture means. On one side of the spectrum you’ll find rappers like Eminem whom challenge the bounds of rap and rhyme, and on the other end you’ll find rappers like Lil Dicky whom equally challenge bounds of rap, but through the lens of a white male acknowledging their white privilege.
The South
I was born in the South but raised in the Midwest, so I’m not as hip to Southern rappers, but there’s a reason for that! Prior to the 90’s, most Southern rap stayed popular in the South and didn’t move to these other regions. It wasn’t until the late 90’s that Southern rap become a mainstream sound and that is greatly due to Master P. He was the first Southern rap artists to really gain national recognition with No Limit label that extended beyond music and ventured into merchandise. I speak heavily of New Orleans’s influence in Southern rap, but don’t get it twisted Atlanta definitely developed and popularized the genre of *trap music with artists like Outkast and T.I. which allowed for New School artists like Waka Flocka Flame and The Migos to develop the Southern Trap sound that we know so well now. (so many triplets…)
When it comes to Southern Rap these are the key elements:
The Twang
[Either] The Bounce or The Groove
As Lil Troy said, "It’s a laid-back vibe that we like down here. That way you can understand what people sayin’ real slow and stuff. When you’re smoking that weed everyday and drinking that codeine syrup, your brain is slow already so you on time with it.” Similar to the West Coast flow, some Southern rappers have a laid-back groove in their rap style. You can hear an example of this in the song “Wanna Be A Baller” by Lil Troy. The extended synth notes at a fairly slow 92 beats per minute, help keep the energy in this song at a casual walking pace. If the groove is the head’s side of the coin, then the bounce is definitely the tail. Southern bounce music just sounds hot & sweaty (temperature-wise). To quote Big Freedia, “If ya booty ain’t movin’, you ain’t doin’ it right. The more twerkin’ the betta.” A popular Bounce example comes from New Orleans-native Choppa with the song “Choppa Style”.
Dictionary
*Backpack rap refers to music that is listened to by backpackers. Backpackers: People who only listen to underground or conscious rap"
*Boom bap is an onomatopoeia that represents the sounds used for the bass (kick) drum and snare drum, respectively.
*Coded language describes phrases that are targeted so often at a specific group of people or idea that eventually the circumstances of a phrase's use are blended into the phrase's meaning.
*Trap music is a subgenre of hip hop music that originated in the Southern United States during the early 1990s. The genre gets its name from the Atlanta slang word "trap," which refers to a place in which drugs are sold illegally.
Here are all the songs mentioned for your listening pleasure
I would like to thank Katya Deve for providing me with a collection of literature by hip-hop scholars. You were a tremendous help.