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Free Hamze Shares New Album ‘FREETAPE 3: Survival of the Realest’

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Lebanese rapper Free Hamze returns with his brand-new six-track offering ‘FREETAPE 3: Survival of the Realest’. Rising Houston producer K33F, well known for his collaborations with JAN HVPE and TSF, produced this tape. Combining Free Hamze’s distinctive lyricism, trap-inspired production, and unconventional revolutionary viewpoints, ‘FREETAPE 3: Survival of the Realest’ features rappers Blakchyl and TTBBY.

‘FREETAPE 3: Survival of the Realest’ reflects on the idea that the only way to thrive in a world that is becoming more and more superficial and distant is to be true to who you are. Free Hamze’s passion for preserving community led him to establish Sahar Studios in Austin, where he records local musicians for free and hosts showcases. Along with his collective, A5, he is currently working on creating an intentional community on 40 acres of property in the American Southwest. Free Hamze continues to be dedicated to using all available means to better the material and emotional circumstances of his friends and family, using music as his main medium of expression and spirit. Freedom is his ultimate objective.

Inspired by present trap music and Houston hip-hop, the song was written on FL Studios. Strong bass lines are used throughout the beats, accompanied by both hard 808s and more conventional bass guitars. There are also indications of electronic and anger influences.

Free Hamze spent a month recording ‘FREETAPE 3: Survival of the Realest’, when he was dividing his time between Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. The studio where the entire project was recorded is called Sahar Studios, which he owns. The word “magic” in Arabic is “sahar.” One of the cornerstones of the Austin rap movement, the studio’s tagline is “music is a mirror made from magic.” he and K33F locked in at SXSW, and he sent him a selection of beat packs.

Like much of his earlier work, the majority of the songs on this mixtape were recorded as freestyles. Free Hamze selected his favourite rhythm among many that K33F sent him. When he was ready to record, he just followed the beat and recorded whatever came to him, without hesitation or second-guessing. Both “Kill Me Twice” and “D.A.R.E.” were recorded in a single take without a single word being jotted down. He rerecorded “Gold vs. Silver” after making some adjustments to the original freestyle version. The songs “One in the Same,” “Revolutionary Trap$tarz,” and “Better Forreal” were all composed with the mixtape’s theme in mind.

Free Hamze greatly respected the two features, Blakchyl and TTBBY, who are skilled collaborators and artists from Texas. Blakchyl, who is from Austin, is a frequent visitor to Sahar Studios and they have collaborated on multiple songs. After TTBBY’s performance at a Sahar Studios showcase during SXSW, the two artists became friends. He greatly admires both of these artists, and he felt that their contributions to the song meant a lot to him. TTBBY is a well-known rapper from Houston who shares a similar background with producer K33F, and Blakchyl is one of the best rappers in Austin.

Although it was not the original plan, the themes of the project were impacted by the ongoing genocide in Palestine; for example, the project begins with a quote from Ghassan Kanafani and finishes with an homage to Gaza. The war struck after Free Hamze had finished a few songs, and he felt obliged to express some of his emotions on the subject through his music. He feels that it is his duty to at the very least address these issues in his artwork. He released another song, “Raji’un,” ahead of the mixtape’s release. The song borrows the Quranic phrase “Inna Illayhi Raji’un,” which laments the passing of family members. The mixtape’s title, ‘Survival of the Realest’, was likewise inspired by these experiences and emotions. He previously stated that it is “a rumination on the belief that staying true to yourself is the only way to survive in an increasingly detached and superficial world.”

On the album, Free Hamze comments, “When I gave FREETAPE 3 the title ‘Survival of the Realest’ it was because I wanted both me and my listeners to be constantly reminded how critical it is for us to stay real. In this world and in this lifetime. So much suffering, insecurity, fear, and misalignment comes from people refusing to prioritize realness in their lives. And what does it mean to be real? To me, it means being honest with yourself, it means being brave in the face of suppression, it means being dedicated to your dreams, and much more. And survival isn’t just about staying alive – it’s about living in alignment with your highest self and in alignment with the principles of righteousness. So much music is about needless violence, unchecked greed, and superficial gain. To truly survive in a corrupted world, we need to elevate beyond these limitations and embrace realness within ourselves and within our communities.”

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Anna Silverman Shines in Chekhov’s London Revival

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The stage is set, the lights dim, and in just a few moments, a timeless classic unfolds. Chekhov in London is not just another adaptation of The Seagull – it is a daring, stripped-down reimagining guided by the singular vision of Victor Sobchak, a director with an uncompromising approach to theatre. This unique production, blending performance, documentary and personal reflection, challenges both actors and audiences to reconsider what it means to tell a story on stage.

At its heart, Chekhov in London follows three interwoven threads: a condensed performance of The Seagull, an intimate exploration of the rehearsal process, and revealing interviews with Victor and his cast. The loose structure allows room for spontaneity, ensuring that the final piece retains the raw energy of live performance. The result is an immersive theatrical experience that defies convention and highlights the director’s unorthodox methods.

It might be a short production , but within those few moments unfolds an intense scenario of The Seagull.  The film fuses performance, documentary and behind-the-scenes insights, resulting in a fascinating work that feels at once theatrical and uncomfortably real.

At the center of this version is Anna Silverman in the role of Irina Arkadina. Unlike the more fragile, wide-eyed Nina, Arkadina is fierce, ego-driven and emotionally strong. Her character is a woman of status and pride but yet, beneath the surface, she is quite brittle. The film’s direction leans into that psychological tension, and Anna doesn’t shy away from it and in fact, she walks straight into the fire.

“I knew from the beginning this wasn’t going to be a conventional performance,” Anna reflects. “Victor didn’t want a polished, distant Arkadina – he wanted a woman trapped in her skin, in her legacy, in her relationships. There was no way to play her halfway.”

In this adaptation, Arkadina isn’t simply a supporting figure in her son’s tragedy – she becomes a central pillar of the emotional architecture. The scenes between her, Treplieff and Nina are structured to feel tight and unforgiving. From a visual perspective, the production chose to create a claustrophobic atmosphere, using close framings, low lighting and limited space. This wasn’t accidental – it was intentional.

Featured photo credit: Tom Trevatt

“The idea was to strip away the distance – both physically and emotionally,” Anna says. “The camera is close. The pauses feel longer. There’s a tension that’s not just acted, it’s felt.”

For Anna, playing Arkadina came with its own set of challenges – not just technically, but emotionally.

“It was important for me to avoid turning her into a villain. She’s not cruel for the sake of it. She’s scared. She’s aging in a World that punishes women for being anything less than eternal. She’s trying to hold on to relevance, to love, to her past power and it’s slipping. I had to meet her there.”

Working with Victor Sobchak is not for the faint-hearted. Known for his intensity and no-nonsense expectations, he pushes actors into emotional terrain that feels almost unsafe—but never without purpose.

There were moments I left rehearsal feeling completely stripped bare,” Anna admits. “Victor doesn’t settle for performance. He wants truth – even if it’s messy, even if it makes you uncomfortable. Especially if it makes you uncomfortable.”

This meant many scenes were approached with only minimal technical blocking and instead prioritised emotional improvisation. Anna’s performance, while deeply rehearsed, maintains a feeling of spontaneity – it is almost like we are watching her discover Arkadina for the first time, in real time.

Behind the performance was intense internal work. Anna immersed herself not only in Chekhov’s text, but in Stanislavski’s psychological approach, asking not just what Arkadina says – but why she can’t say anything else.

“You have to find where she lives inside you,” Anna says. “For me, it was about understanding what it means to be needed, but not nurtured. What it means to perform not only on stage, but in life.”

She also speaks of the moments when she doubted herself, at some points when Arkadina’s emotional contradictions left her feeling disconnected.

“It’s exhausting to play someone who won’t break, because it means you carry the weight of everything she’s holding in. As an actress, the real challenge was to show the cracks without letting her fully fall apart.”

The film makes the most of its minimalist structure – focusing entirely on the emotional triangle between Arkadina, Treplieff and Nina. There are no sweeping landscapes or dramatic scores. Instead, it’s the silence, the breath between lines, the glance not returned that builds the tension.

“That was Victor’s vision from the start,” Anna explains. “He wanted it to feel like there was no escape – emotionally or physically. Every word, every pause, becomes a battlefield.”

Featured photo credit: Tom Trevatt

In the end, Anna doesn’t pretend the role left her untouched. Arkadina, she says, revealed more to her than she expected.

“I think the most painful part of playing Arkadina is how much I saw of myself in her fears. It’s easy to admire the beautiful parts of a character, but it’s when you recognise your own shadows in them – that’s when it becomes real.”

Chekhov in London may be brief in length, but it leaves a long emotional imprint. And Anna Silverman’s Arkadina is at its heart: proud and undeniably alive.

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Chekhov in London” is a rebellion, a love letter to theatre itself.

Featured photo credit: Tom Trevatt

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