Ep 168: Cheers to 2023 ’A Gratitude-Filled Wrap-Up’ ft Raphael Harry

Raphael Harry [00:00:00]:

Welcome to the last episode of White Label American for 2023. Thank you for staying with us throughout the year. Appreciate you all. This is an episode about gratitude, and this is a wrap-up for the year. And I'll be sharing some fun data outside podcasting that's related to my year, and I'll also bring up some storytelling outside of and in podcasting. So it's all stuff that I enjoyed throughout the year, and I hope that you will enjoy this. So it's just me. No guests here.

Raphael Harry [00:00:40]:

It's just a personal episode. So join me on this, join me, and let's have fun together. So first of all, I would like to thank everyone who said yes to coming on the podcast throughout the year. You could have been anywhere else, or you chose to come here and share your stories, and your journey in life, and I appreciate it. We have people from all walks of life bring their stories here, and It's not easy to sit down in front of a mic, in front of the camera, and, you know, Talk about where you were born, share personal journeys. And for some of these people, this was the very first time that they had done that. It's a very big step in life, talking about your family histories, things that are very personal and dear to them. So I appreciate that, and I just wanna give a shout-out and give plenty of love to them.

Raphael Harry [00:01:53]:

You know, there are a lot of people who are on the podcast. We have people who talked about being sober. We have people who talked about growing up in different countries. There's a diversity of stories, people in different professions, and we had lots of artists, comic book artists, People who are sculptors, who are sculptors, people who are, into, what's that called again? You know, the different types of art. And when I began this podcast, you know, it seemed like I only had people who are in the financial industry at first, blue-collar jobs, and as life will have it, you know, I started having people from all walks of life, and that's just, I'm just grateful. That's the point. I'm just grateful. I ran into somebody about 3 weeks ago, and she said that she listened to an episode Of this podcast, I won't say the episode so that you guys want to do the press.

Raphael Harry [00:02:56]:

I don't want to give the name, but she listened to the episode, and the guest of the episode is now the love of her life. That's how she made the love of her life, and that has to be one of the highest compliments that I've received. So if you are single out there and, you know, people there are a lot of people who struggle with online dating or even, face-to-face dating, whichever words you have for the dating game. One way to tell people, you know, You know, if you want to know about me, you know, give them an episode that you've appeared on. That's what how how how what better way for people to Know who you are for people to know you. You know? There's no no no better way because she said she listened to the episode and said, wow. This person is Really interesting. I would like to know this person.

Raphael Harry [00:03:47]:

I would like to hang out with this person. I you know, it is, maybe a lot of his friends who've known this person since childhood. I've listened to that episode, and he's been telling me that they connected with him in a much more personal way personal level than, they they ever thought because he revealed a lot, it's a very personal episode, and I appreciate him. So There are a lot of episodes like that of white label American, and that's why I love this podcast. I love doing what I do, and, You know, I appreciate people who support the podcast, and I keep telling you all, to share it. Share it with your friends, lovers, secret families, and everybody. So keep I hope you guys will stay with us in 2024, and, you know, remember that podcasters grow fastest through word-of-mouth. So we don't just say that for the sake of saying it, but statistics are out there, and that's what happens.

Raphael Harry [00:04:48]:

But, I'll share a few other things. Yes. Those of you who wrote us 5-star reviews, We didn't get as many as we got in 2022. You know, so hopefully, in 2024, you guys will Beat the 2023 record, but we still appreciate those of you who gave us 5-star reviews. It also helps, especially on Apple, which is the largest, It's a platform for my listeners, outside of Patreon. You know, it's, I appreciate every one of you who took the time to write a review. It was Very helpful. It is very helpful.

Raphael Harry [00:05:34]:

It's another way for people to discover us. So thank you. Thank you. And, you know, it's the holiday season, so please take the time to write another review. You know, I believe in you. You can do it. There will be no threats today, so thank you again. A few things outside of podcasting that I enjoy when it comes to storytelling.

Raphael Harry [00:05:55]:

This year, I connected with a bunch of Shows, you know, shout out to the actors and writers who were on strike. You know? I really, I'm I was in solidarity with them. And there were some movies and TV shows that I enjoyed, but I won't I won't be too much on the movies. I'll just talk about TV shows. So, a couple. I won't give you all of them, but just a couple that I, remember right now, move in is a South Korean superhero show that's on Hulu. I don't think I'll I'll be on Star overseas. Depending on what country you are, Disney or Star.

Raphael Harry [00:06:43]:

And that's South Korean Blue Eyed Samurai. It's more recently on Netflix. Reservation Dogs is also on Hulu. Beef, we held a special episode on that, which everybody got to listen to. And on Patreon, we had, I think we had more than 1 episode, 1 special episode on Patreon on beef. I love beef. Foundation is on Apple. The last of us is on HBO.

Raphael Harry [00:07:11]:

We had multiple special episodes talking about the last of us. That's one of my favorite things from this year in general. Well, great storytelling at showing grief, hate, most importantly, how powerful Love is as a drug. I just love how they they they they brought all that to the light and how they told it. And I connect with stuff like that in a way that I might not even have the words to describe it right now, But it's just beautiful seeing how amazing storytelling has in how has come in this day and age, and it's not that I don't enjoy comedy like I used to. I still shout out to my south side. There's still nothing as funny as South Side that I've seen, and, I'm still mad that they canceled, that it wasn't renewed for another season. It that it's I think that's still the funniest comedy, maybe above my chewing gum.

Raphael Harry [00:08:22]:

But, There's an immigrant story in almost all of the shows that I just mentioned. There's Generational trauma. There's, the issue of belonging, and community, But there's also the complexity of us as humans in all these properties that I mentioned. So I connect to all that, and I know some people, you know, Got distracted by, you know, the action or lack of action, and I get it. It's Everybody has their thing, and not everybody's me. But it's why I appreciate the writings, the direct directing on these shows, and these properties when they are brought to light, and I dig What did, how far they they go into bringing these stories before us, and I really, recommend them to other people. So yeah. There were still some there were some other ones that I forgot to write down for this episode.

Raphael Harry [00:09:35]:

There was one I watched on HBO, The animation was interesting, and, some guys were stuck on a planet. I can't recall the title, but That was also very interesting, very interesting. Some sci-fi animated shows. I'm not usually on HBO for stuff like that, but I kind of caught it recently. So, yeah, a lot of good stuff this year. A lot of good stuff. And, The final fun stuff that I would like to share with you guys that I think touches on me being a parent and, kind of surprised me. I saw I've been getting notifications to check it out and, okay.

Raphael Harry [00:10:19]:

You know? I don't think there's anything that will surprise me, and then I decided to check out, and I was like, wow. Okay. I guess this confirms that I'm a I'm a parent now. So I said, oh, maybe I maybe I should share this with you guys, and You guys will appreciate it. So the first one that I will go through is my YouTube, recap. I didn't realize that YouTube has started doing, recaps. So I'll go through my recap, and, I guess YouTube's recap is tied to their music only because I was wondering what it would do it will look like. And it says I listened to 80 different artists, which I was like, oh, just 80, but, that's on YouTube music only.

Raphael Harry [00:11:07]:

And it says my top five were infrared crypto, who's responsible for the music on this podcast. Swale Swale or Swale. I don't know how to pronounce his name. Blakaway blackway, black caviar. Now, if you ask me what're the songs of those 3, the bottom 3. Well, I'm let me correct myself. My top 5 artists were actually Metro Boomin, and Infrared Krypto, who's responsible for the songs on, for this podcast. Swae Lee, Blackwave, Black Caviar.

Raphael Harry [00:11:49]:

Now, Sweli, Blackwave, Black Caviar, I can't tell you any of their songs, to be honest, but there's a reason why they're on my list because I will tell you why. Now it says my top artist was obviously Metro Boomi Boomi who I don't think I had heard of him Until we saw, spider Into the Spider into no. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. And after that, you know, my kid is like, she wants the songs from the movie because she does that with anything that she likes. And, well, I got it on our playlist, and she was going through this phase where she wanted to hang out with music playing on our scooter. So I have one of, I have a couple of, I think I have, like, 2 I have, like, 2 2 speakers. I have a JBL speaker that can and and and an echo, so I can hang you can carry the JBL speaker like a typical New Yorker, you know, a certain type of New Yorker. You know? And So she has, hanging on her scooter where she's riding, and she plays this song.

Raphael Harry [00:13:07]:

Play Across the Spider-Verse. Give me Spider-Man. She just called it Spider-Man. So okay. Spider Miles Morales. I'm playing Miles Morales, and she keeps playing that, and it's over and so, like, repeat, repeat. And sometimes she's as she's going, some other kid was, Spider-Man. I'm.

Raphael Harry [00:13:22]:

It's funny to see kids connecting on Spider-Man, and I'm like, okay. I guess I'm a cool parent. You know, I'm a coop down that of the year at this moment, and I'm not realizing that, you know, if I'm I thought I was doing it only on Spotify. I didn't realize that I was doing it also on YouTube. And then I'm getting this, rip recap at the end of the year, and I'm like, dang. My My YouTube list is now made up of only, Certain types of music that I'm like, I didn't realize that, Yeah. Swalee is now I'm now I'm now in the top 3% of Swalee's listeners. I'm like, I don't really know this guy's music, to be honest.

Raphael Harry [00:14:07]:

But I guess he was on the Across the Spider-Verse Album. So, I don't know if he had one of the songs. I thought he featured, but now I'm considered Swae Lee's Top listener? You're listening to them 6 times as much as the average listener. Wow. I need to get I get I need to start a Personal channel for my kid. I have YouTube premium premium, so I that That's a problem because she I'm not getting YouTube premium for her, she'll still be coming back to mine. But, I don't feel comfortable with being a Swilly Premium. I don't feel this this is it's not the stuff that I wanted.

Raphael Harry [00:14:53]:

So, let me see. It says if your year We are an album. Okay. No. I can show you guys this. This is, this, some ads that he made. Okay. Pulling colors from your top from okay.

Raphael Harry [00:15:05]:

Wait. And I highlight. I like that song for okay. That's also from Spider-Man. So Spider-Man dominates a lot. I like that movie, though. It's one of my best movies of the year. You're listening to 168 different songs this year.

Raphael Harry [00:15:20]:

I'm pretty sure I listen to more on Spotify. I highlighted was the top song by Pedro Allison. Okay. So my top 5 tracks from 2023 were Anna Highlights from across, Spider-Man across the Spider-Verse. Mona Lisa is also from across the Spider-Verse, but they had the wrong Mona Lisa track. The 3rd track was Colin also from Spider the top 5, well, from Okay. Well, the top 4 from spider verse, is self-love. The 5th track was actually from the 1st movie, Into the Spider-Verse, What's up, danger? So those were days that my kid would just, like, repeat keep repeating Spider-Man tracks, And somehow, they got to dominate my YouTube songs for the year.

Raphael Harry [00:16:18]:

And then my top albums were Krypto Soul, the 4th Crypto Soul by Infrared Crypto, 95 Minutes Played, And Infrared by Infrared Krypto, and the Mind of Dom volume 2, Infrared Krypto, which is a surprise. I'm like, how did that beat the Across the Spider-Verse? So did your music moods match your real feels this year? So January to March, the beginning of the year was, in my happy place. Okay. Now The middle of the year was at ease and in the moment, and end of the year, upbeat and energized. My these are my kids, man. This is not me.

Raphael Harry [00:17:05]:

And overall, your music this year was chill, 24%, dramatic, 24%, upbeat, 20%, uplifting, 17%, energizing, 14%. I mean, when I'm doing work at home anywhere. Sometimes, you know, I mean, the library doing work. I I I like using the lo-fi Type of music. I play it sometimes. So I guess this counts. It goes you know, all these these stats all count with that. And then I listened to 16 genres, but my favorites were hip hop music, 19%, and Soundtrack, 12%, which is definitely my kid.

Raphael Harry [00:17:47]:

Pop music, 4%, my kid. Telugu, oh, which, Australians should be proud of because that's his his language or his people. 3%, which is all definitely from RRR. Rhythm and blues, 3%. That's 3%. I listen to a lot of jazz. I thought I did. And, Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:18:09]:

Top artist and track. Okay. So this is the roundup. So that's from YouTube Music. So now let's see Spotify, what Spotify has. I believe Spotify should be more adult-themed, more of my taste, but my kid also has a playlist On Spotify, which sometimes when she's in the mood, we get to play that. So this year, my listening Took, my listening took me a place, so Spotify has a global map. Okay.

Raphael Harry [00:18:39]:

Lusaka people there are more likely to listen to Funds. Okay. Well, this is new. I don't know why it took me to this. I played 1,403 songs. Alrighty. So yep. My top song was Mona Lisa by Dominic Fike or Fike, from Across the Spider-Verse.

Raphael Harry [00:18:59]:

So, we have something in common, But I had room in my heart for more than 1 favorite. You're romantic. Well, I'm I'm I'm definitely romantic. My top songs were Mona Lisa, and Vulture meets culture. What's up, danger? The first 2 were from Across the Spider-Verse, and the 3rd song was from Into the Spider-Verse. And, number 4, silk and cologne, Across the Spider-Verse, and number 5, For I can't stop from Across the Spider-Verse. So once again, Across the Spider Verse, my kid is winning again. And the Last number is the next one.

Raphael Harry [00:19:47]:

Time is a construct. Okay. I listened to it for 31 1,731 minutes. So that doesn't, okay. So gen I listened more in January. Okay. I listened to 1,193 artists this year, And the number 1 artist is Infrared Krypto. So, actually, that proves that I won here than my kid, which is a surprise.

Raphael Harry [00:20:20]:

Well, not too much of a surprise because I have control of my Spotify and my kid. And yeah. Oh, pick the list for July. Because I have to tell Ahmed that. Yeah. I yeah. Number 2, Daniel pem Pemberton. Also, he did, the 1st Spider Man movie and a Metro Booming number 3.

Raphael Harry [00:20:47]:

Wow. So despite their need they need to pay me for the Spider Man because I did a lot. Diamond White. Well, this is my kid. She did, moon girl. So Marv Marvin used to pay me for that. Number 5, Dominic how do you pronounce name? Fike or Fike? Mona Lisa, but I'm Mona Lisa track. It's actually popping.

Raphael Harry [00:21:05]:

I ain't gonna lie because my kid loves it, but I also love it too. So it's a tie. 5050. Has anyone ever told you that you're a great listener? And okay. So for podcasts, well, that's different than Spotify and to listen to more podcasts on Spotify. So it is my top podcast. Well, if you guys know me, you know that I love the black IO tips. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:21:35]:

I'm just going it's taking too long to load. Why is it so slow? But, yeah, the music definitely says a difference slight difference, not that big a difference between Spotify and YouTube, which I think if it had been 2 years ago, 3 years ago, I I I would have loved to see, and I would love to see that start because I think the gap would have been much wider that's I I would because I think I said I always started making a playlist for my daughter between yeah. I think it was last year I started. I made our playlist, our 1st playlist last year. So finally, the new designs of the White Label American podcast T-shirt Have arrived. If you go on my Instagram, the White Label American Podcast Instagram, You'll see Paula from Talk Shit with P podcast. She'll be the 1st episode of  2024, launch. She did an unboxing video.

Raphael Harry [00:22:41]:

She just got her 1st, T-shirt. She got a T-shirt, and, I think she got a mug also. So you see I'm unveiling the T-shirt. So, yeah, that's proof that we have the new design out there. And, yeah, I'll I don't I don't do unboxing, but I'll I'll try and do an unboxing later and make a short video. So You can go get yours now, and, I think that should be it. It's a good place to end. Any other thing? Bobby Was great.

Raphael Harry [00:23:16]:

I ain't gonna lie. My kid finally got to see it. You know? American fiction, I just saw it. That movie, Jeffrey Wright and, Sterling K. Brown. Man, that dude can command a tear. He's like he has tears on demand, but his performance was also it was telling. Yeah.

Raphael Harry [00:23:38]:

Just like his name. Fantastic. Fantastic movie. Joy Joyride was one of the movies I enjoyed earlier this year. So I didn't really see a lot of movies this year, which is Proof of the problem Hollywood has instead of blaming Marvel. So, yeah, that's all that, but we'll we'll talk about that on Patreon later on. So, Yeah. That's it.

Raphael Harry [00:23:59]:

That's a wrap-up for the year. There'll be more stuff coming. 2024 will be packed. We have, there's a there's a soccer player who plays locally, professional soccer player, we're in talks. We just have a finalized date. There are architects. There are, more artists. More artists.

Raphael Harry [00:24:23]:

Yes. There'll be plenty of artists, From comic book writers to painters, and sculptors. Yep. You have them. Trying to reach out to somebody who I saw On, was it wired? Yeah. I think it was wired. I saw him on, and he was doing amazing work with Legos. I didn't even realize that the word Legos came from was a Danish word.

Raphael Harry [00:24:51]:

So, yeah, reaching out to him. There's still somebody who's, Captain America, but he's sick. And we have been in talks. It just hasn't finalized the dates yet. All that should be in 2024. Appreciate your support. Keep the love coming in. Thank you for the privilege of your company.