Ok, two things. 1. Yes, Ren paid homage to Eminem by using his song “under the influence” in the beginning melody. 2. Taking shots at me for helping her understand a bit about Ren and my experiences talking with him and his team, is not going to earn you brownie points with Karen. Save the white knight comments. Karen and I are happily in love and she asks me to do this during these reactions. Some people claim to be true fans of Ren but leave spiteful comments because I won’t disclose my conversations with him or his team/ talk about HIS health? I’m a man that believes it’s not my business to speak on another’s man’s business. I’m here to introduce her to this master class independent artist that deserves the world. If you do look up to Ren, maybe follow his lead and be more kind. No need to attack me for hosting my show that Karen wanted to experience and asks me to lead. It’s all love ❤
Thank you for saying the em song .. I only asked out of curiosity to learn. I love you and Karen together. I must have missed the hateful comments. I am so sorry people were questioning you. Sending love! By the way I hope your leg is feeling better ❤
Well said. Anyone who has watched your reactions to REN knows how much you respect him as a person and an artist. The happiness you and Karen have ,shined through and was lovely to see. Please ignore the spite, there are far more good people commenting . ❤
I complained a little about the prompts, but it is insane for you to say that is "trying to get brownie points" with her. Really paranoid. I know nothing about her, why would I try to get "brownie points" She doesn't know me, and it wouldn't matter. I think she is very bright, for sure. I enjoy it when she joins you. Maybe I wasn't one of the ones you were aiming that at. I haven't read all the comments, of course. I wasn't even a little unkind, so maybe I'M the paranoid one. LOL. (But your comment was definitely still paranoid) If they were nasty people, you really should just ignore it and scroll by them. You making the comment won't affect the trolls at all.
@@rodb9275 that obviously wasn’t directed to you then. Some people say some messed up stuff. Thats not me being paranoid. That’s Karen reading the comments and asking me to address it. She doesn’t like to see people come at me for something she asks me to do. I agreed with her and made a post speaking my mind. If it bothers you then maybe the shoe fits? Idk why you’d assume it’s directed at you. We love constructive criticism but people calling me names isn’t necessary.
I want more Karen reactions to Ren songs! Her face is so expressive and you can feel the emotional rollercoaster as she experiences it! love it, more Karen!
Sir, I am sorry you lost Karen to Ren. It was very noble of you to show her his stuff here. Best of luck, brother. 1 peice of advice. Do not take her to Ren concert.
Loved that you finally showed Karen this. Her emotions are so transparent you can see them just flash across her face. Looking forward to more Ren reactions with her. ♥
He will never know how many lives he has saved through this video. He's a genius! What is also so amazing is that it was one take! In the Tale of Jenny and Screech he even clears his throat. No edits! He's real and so refreshing!
I love the concept that the two shadows of Ren; from the lighting, are almost individually moving, thus, signifying the two unmistakable characters. Amazing
“So cower at the man I’ve become, when I sing from the top of my lungs. The hour we tire I’ll stand in your fire, inspire the meek to be strong”. One of the best lyrics ever written.
I didn’t think I needed to see another first time reaction to Hi REN but Karen’s response was on point. Absolutely bring her back for more reactions-she’s a breath of fresh air!
The saddest thing about a great song, a great movie, or a great video game is that we can never play it again for the first time. But seeing you both react to it is the next best thing. You have to let her hear The tale of Jenny and Screech.
Karen, I love seeing your insight into these reactions. You're so thoughtful and genuine-it's refreshing. Cliff, It makes me smile to see how excited you are to share your world with Karen. You look so proud of her. Love to you both.
Yay! Karen is back!! Love seeing yours and Karen’s dynamic together! Your shared passion for artistry and music is so engaging! And you are both so real and relatable ❤ Can’t wait to see more of Karen discovering Ren!!
I love seeing Karen react. She's so expressive. And her longer break down as part of HER reaction... let her cook. Lol I think you should show her either Sick Boi next or Jenny and Screech... Real slow like we all got it. He's such a fuckin' amazing artist!! And I'm really loving The Mr & Mrs. Cliff Beats Breakdowns!! ❤❤
"Sorry for ranting"? Are you kidding us Cliff 😂 Rant away 😂. Much love Cliff and much love to Karen. Independent of if you will spend the rest of your lives together or not, what you have together for this part of your journey is special ❤
I love the fact your bringing your partner into the world of Ren and again another refreshing reaction!! Keep doing what you do man!! Ren saved my life and I found you through Ren!! I'm loving the videos lately man!!
She will always be a part of this channel! It’s whenever she gets the itch. She does not like being in the public spotlight but loves what we do here and wants to take part sometimes 😊 ❤
@@johnnyeproductions man thank you. I honestly would have any of this without the love and support. We should be thanking you. So thank you on behalf of myself and Karen 🙏
Something you might have missed... Look at the shadows on either side of him. When he's "dark ren" he looks to the right and he's talking symbolically to the lighter shadow. When he's himself he looks to the left at the darker shadow. This also alludes to the pendulum, eternally swaying between the dark and the light. The layers to his theatrical abilities are unparalleled.
I first heard this last January and I’m so glad Karen is finally going down the Ren rabbit hole. I will be looking forward to watching the direction this goes. Peace and love
I watched Hi Ren at least 200 times now. Still love it as much as on the first day, but I would pay a lot of money to experience it again for the first time... Big ups to Karen, great reaction!
As far as the lights in the video, you'll notice they mainly flicker when the Bad Ren voice is talking. I've always taken that to mean that the lights flickering represent his brain malfunctioning (like, short-circuiting), or maybe "the dark side" intruding on "the light." During the middle section, where the Bad voice is claiming dominance and referring to itself as basically Satan/All Evil/Whatever, the lights are going crazy. The Dark is making his brain go haywire. Then, when Hope comes in afterward, the lights are on and steady. After this point, it becomes handy to understand that the theme of the entire song is about finding balance and realizing that both sides, the Dark and the Light, are a part of you and neither can ever fully defeat the other. You have to learn to live with both sides of yourself (and both sides of life, the ups AND the downs). So, in the last part, when Ren revisits the guitar part and "Ooh-ooh ooh-ooh" melody from the beginning, the lights are flickering on and off constantly... BUT Ren is dancing and singing with it. He's learned to dance with both sides of life, both sides of himself, even when his brain is "flickering" or the dark is intruding on the light. It's all one -- two sides of the same coin -- eternally going from light to dark and back again, and he's living in it instead of fighting it. I know you write Cliff, but Idk how much you delve into music or music theory. Those "ooh-ooh" bits at the beginning and end are made up of two similar but slightly different lines. One is a full-step interval between notes that sounds relatively "normal" and pleasing to our ears. The other is a half-step that has a little dissonance to it that can sound a little uncomfortable (some voice coaches on YT, not realizing it was intentional, have interpreted it as Ren missing the note (even though he does it consistently and it's obviously on purpose)). One represents the good voice (the pleasing, full-step interval) and one represents the bad voice (the weird, half-step interval). By going back and forth between the two in the intro, Ren is symbolizing in the instrumentation and vocal melody the larger theme he's talking about with the lyrics. Like the best musicians, Ren's setting the thematic stage with the instruments before he's even sung one word. Then, in the end, he's singing both those lines again, joined together as one triumphant melody, and extends it into a full, celebratory outro. In rap, as you know, we talk about writing schemes. Each line is on the same subject, reinforcing a single idea, or whatever. Ren is doing that with his lyrics, but ALSO with the musical notes and chords he's choosing, as well as with the structure of the song as a whole (the intro, the outro, etc). Every note of this song is part of one large scheme. Not one part of it is just because "Oh, that sounds good under the words." Every note is purposely in service of the larger message. That's part of the genius of "Hi Ren."
Oh yeah- she’s hooked now! 😁💜 Love that you still got chills Cliff 🫶 What a great community you have all created! I say either Sick boy, or The Tales! I also love to go to the acoustic version of Troubles, for more of his story, but it’s more recent. You really can’t go wrong tbh! What a fun thing to experience with her now! ❤
Great review guy's, REN is such a talent. He's a lyrical genious at telling a story. Voval, guitar, piano there is nothing he can't do. Thank you for sharing your reaction ❤
She nailed it right on, right off the bat. Anxiety is a fantastically astute interpretation. Those of us with all this extra info complicate it, myself included. We want the huge conceptual exploration. But seriously, props for the interpretation! I also want to point out that it isn't light VERSUS dark and needing to be the light. It learning to be both the light AND the dark.
Most people don't realize that this song is about "real life". Not bout artists and music. But about all peoples struggles in life with self doubt in general.
absolutely love seeing karen's reactions to new artists in general that she's never heard before, but especially when she hears rens music. i love the interactions between the two of you whenever you react together. this one you could def see karen enjoying every single moment. love you both!! and love ren too!
This was one take but took 3 goes … It had multiple cameras which came into play .. Only cuts in are from what the multiple cameras shot & edited in post 😀
@@donegalrediscovered3309 no. You said it is a one take but took 3 goes. The video is indeed shot with three cameras but the actual video is edited from the four takes that they did so it is not a one take video.
We were forging throgh the dark waiting for the light and then we realized noone is coming to save us. We are the light! cracked boken and doing our best we shine!
Kudos for calling it anxiety and not split personality or schizophrenia, like most people do. I believe this inner turmoil that so many of us experience can be traced back to some form and anxiety which is also fear and self doubt.
Karen, I wouldn't mind, if you said even more❤Keep baking👩🍳🥧🧁🎂So excited Cliff is finally taking you down the Ren rabbit hole!! Cliff, your proud smile watching Ren was just so heartwarming🤗 So happy you finally found the courage to take Karen on the Ren journey😅Great reaction🔥
Yeah she had me on a time crunch so I kind of had to guide us towards the end. This is something she asks me to do because we can talk all day but people get mad when I follow her instructions 🤦♂️❤️
@@LazyGrey hopefully next time Karen joins we can discuss more. We went live at 10:30pm-12am and she had work at 5am. I wish we could have chatted more.
@@CliffBeatsOfficial I just saw your pinned comment. I hope you didn't take what I said the wrong way, it wasn't meant negative in any way. I like listening to you guys. I was just referring to your title and to what Karen said about how she's baking...😅 Nothing but love from me! P.S. I haven't read the comments, but don't let the negative ones get to you❤
@@CliffBeatsOfficial Sorry, I missed your last reply. Yeah, that would be great! You two have such great energy and Karen is very insightful, it's nice listening to her, just as it is listeining to you😉Much love!
I take Ren's speech at the end to not be so much about "there's light and dark and I have to represent the light" as much as it's about the fact that life is a mix of light and dark, good times and bad times, and it's always going to swing back and forth between the two (whether your situation is currently good or bad, "this too shall pass"). If you approach it with the idea that you can "defeat" the bad, somehow "win" in a way that you never have to struggle ever again, never have a bad day, never have to deal with that internal critic, then you're going to continue to suffer, thinking that you're failing, thinking that there's some secret to defeating the dark side that you just haven't figured out (bc you suck, you're stupid, you're not worth it, you're cursed, or whatever). But the reality is that both sides of you -- the good voice and the bad voice, the "snake in Eden" and Hope -- as well as both sides of life, are always going to be there. Ren's lesson at the end of this is that you have to learn to dance with the good times and the bad times, always reminding yourself that "it's not a battle for [you] to win," it's an eternal dance of light and dark that defines the human experience. Once you accept that things aren't always going to be good, you can also accept that they aren't always going to be bad either. "This too shall pass," whatever it is. The Dark is eternal, but so is the Light. The Bad Voice is eternal, but so is Hope. So, relax and dance with life. When your pendulum has swung into the light, be aware that it may very well swing back into the dark at some point and that's okay. You don't have to spend every day fearing it instead of enjoying the light while you have it. And when it swings into the dark, know for a fact that it will one day swing back the other way and you'll come out of it, so don't give up. Hang on and flow with it. It reminds me of the saying, "The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm."
Your girl is so cute, my guy. 😊 It's very cool that you two have done so many reactions together. And she always brings something to the discussion. I'm looking forward to her experiencing the Tales.
this was a one shot take every now and then you can see a couple of the camera operators which Ren decided not to edit out. the lights only flicker when "dark Ren" is talking and also the style of guitar play changes between dark and light Ren. great reaction video
When you say he’s using an EM beat… From where? I don’t hear that at all. Somebody tell me what I’ve missed. I’ve heard hi Ren easily over 200 times and that never occurred to me.
i THINK, he was referring to the "fighting with a subconscious" but BEAT would imply he has sampled or remixed some other eminem song's melody, and yeah im confused af, no disrespect but we already got his reaction, i kinda just wanna hear his friends thoughts lmao edit: i should clarify, im a huge hypocrite saying that, i get over-eager and want to share anything and everything ive just seen for the first time, so i totally get it, easier said than done ig lmao
"There's not a lot happening, but there is so much happening right now." YES!!! You are totally on point right away. No, I don't think she was overthinking anything, but it did look like that comment changed the rest of her reaction. I think she was just catching on and appreciating the art sooner than most people do. I would have loved to see what she was about to say there and the rest of her reaction unbridled! She's a badass and very astute.
Karen, welcome to the wonderful world of ren, where you can always expect the unexpected 😊 cliff can show you the way down this deep and winding rabbit hole 😁🥹💜💜
Well done, love your channel and your passion. And you have a good human with Karen seams like a very sweet person. Looking forward to more reactions with her?
Such a great reaction from her. I’d say let her hold the pause button and let her marinate in it. Then at the end, fill in the blanks she may have missed 🤘🏻
This song was my intro to Ren and he came along at a very dark time for me. I was ready to end it all when he came along and taught me a new way to live with my mental illnesses. They only had time for 4 takes before the landlord came and threw them out. It IS a 1-shot live performance. It blows my mind that 1) Ren didn't think any of the takes were up to his standard and 2) he almost didn't include the spoken word at the end. I loved Karen's reaction and would like to see more. I am about to go check to see if you introduced her to Losing It. Also, advice to the younger guys in here from an old fart: Most women can carry their own battles in the world at large. Women rarely want to be rescued by guys. Best to only assist if they ask for it. The best way to help women is to not be a dick.
Omg I was watching some of your videos last night of you showing Karen Ren for the first time and I was kkke wait he hasn’t shown her Hi Ren yet!! Thanks for this
If I understand correctly, it was primarily video from one of four attempts with a couple video shots of 3 other attempts cut in where needed, and the audio was live from the attempt used for the bulk of the final cut.
The flickering of lights that came from movies and stuff. Whenever an entity came into a room or evil or anything, they just use that for dramatic effect. That's all. And Ren used it greatly when the The Evil Ren came out. And then when the nice friend was talking, the flickering stopped, and it's nice, and it's relaxing. The one light on, that's all it's about.
I'll add here... as many others have. Karens eyes... show the emotions she is getting from the song. Loved watching as this epic played before her vision. Please have her listen to other classic songs Ren has made... but also new stuff like Back on 74 which I love.
One can get stuck on an interpretation and stick with it convincing themselves of its sureness. It’s best surely not to implant those interpretations into another listener before they get a chance to develop their own picture. It’s worth noting that this is live one take. That this is years after misdiagnosis of a disease and being given mind altering antipsychotics causing an exacerbation of the crushing physical and psychological symptoms of a Lyme Tick bite. He was signed and later released by Sony. He made friends and played with other great musicians and drew great people towards him including a great videographer. He is as versatile as anyone could be as an entertainer.
More Karen! I would love for her to react to some older Ren/Big Push busking stuff and originals - maybe Blind eyed with Sam ... What You Want, the Manu Chao cover ... so many great options! My 2nd song was Chalk Outlines with Chinchilla and it was a great gentle sequey from the heavy stuff to some of the other offerings out there. I enjoy seeing people react to the tales and sick boi, but I feel like doing those right after Hi Ren sets a tone that is pretty intense and doesn't give a sense of the fun stuff. Love this so much. Keep on keeping on. We love you Cliff!
Yes, it was a "one-take", in that there's no audio editing (except maybe the spoken word at the end). He recorded it 3/4 times (as I remember), and chose the best one.
Been a subscriber for awhile sense you started reacting to ren. You remind me of a fan boy like me showing her this.same hand movements I do showing people this at 3 am
A live music video in 1 take, as he's often done with others such as his earlier group, "The Big Push", other solo tracks and x Chinchilla. I believe this very video is from the 4th attempted performance shot, played all the way through without cuts... The truth out of both, sorrow, and brilliance Thank you
![WHAT A FIRST IMPRESSION! | Ren - Hi Ren (Official Music Video) [REACTION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HYvKHUJVhOQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Ok, two things.
1. Yes, Ren paid homage to Eminem by using his song “under the influence” in the beginning melody.
2. Taking shots at me for helping her understand a bit about Ren and my experiences talking with him and his team, is not going to earn you brownie points with Karen. Save the white knight comments. Karen and I are happily in love and she asks me to do this during these reactions.
Some people claim to be true fans of Ren but leave spiteful comments because I won’t disclose my conversations with him or his team/ talk about HIS health? I’m a man that believes it’s not my business to speak on another’s man’s business. I’m here to introduce her to this master class independent artist that deserves the world.
If you do look up to Ren, maybe follow his lead and be more kind. No need to attack me for hosting my show that Karen wanted to experience and asks me to lead.
It’s all love ❤
Thank you for saying the em song .. I only asked out of curiosity to learn. I love you and Karen together. I must have missed the hateful comments. I am so sorry people were questioning you. Sending love! By the way I hope your leg is feeling better ❤
Well said. Anyone who has watched your reactions to REN knows how much you respect him as a person and an artist. The happiness you and Karen have ,shined through and was lovely to see. Please ignore the spite, there are far more good people commenting . ❤
noones stealing Karen from you with that beard game my man. Ignore the simps.
Love your work
I complained a little about the prompts, but it is insane for you to say that is "trying to get brownie points" with her. Really paranoid. I know nothing about her, why would I try to get "brownie points" She doesn't know me, and it wouldn't matter. I think she is very bright, for sure. I enjoy it when she joins you. Maybe I wasn't one of the ones you were aiming that at. I haven't read all the comments, of course. I wasn't even a little unkind, so maybe I'M the paranoid one. LOL. (But your comment was definitely still paranoid) If they were nasty people, you really should just ignore it and scroll by them. You making the comment won't affect the trolls at all.
@@rodb9275 that obviously wasn’t directed to you then. Some people say some messed up stuff. Thats not me being paranoid. That’s Karen reading the comments and asking me to address it. She doesn’t like to see people come at me for something she asks me to do. I agreed with her and made a post speaking my mind. If it bothers you then maybe the shoe fits? Idk why you’d assume it’s directed at you. We love constructive criticism but people calling me names isn’t necessary.
I want more Karen reactions to Ren songs! Her face is so expressive and you can feel the emotional rollercoaster as she experiences it! love it, more Karen!
Sir, I am sorry you lost Karen to Ren. It was very noble of you to show her his stuff here. Best of luck, brother. 1 peice of advice. Do not take her to Ren concert.
Loved that you finally showed Karen this. Her emotions are so transparent you can see them just flash across her face. Looking forward to more Ren reactions with her. ♥
He will never know how many lives he has saved through this video. He's a genius! What is also so amazing is that it was one take! In the Tale of Jenny and Screech he even clears his throat. No edits! He's real and so refreshing!
I loved this!!! So happy that you finally have Karen watching Ren! He is just too special not to share!!!! I love how Karen gets it right away!!!❤❤❤
I love the concept that the two shadows of Ren; from the lighting, are almost individually moving, thus, signifying the two unmistakable characters. Amazing
“So cower at the man I’ve become, when I sing from the top of my lungs.
The hour we tire I’ll stand in your fire, inspire the meek to be strong”.
One of the best lyrics ever written.
Aye that's the "crack" moment
I didn’t think I needed to see another first time reaction to Hi REN but Karen’s response was on point. Absolutely bring her back for more reactions-she’s a breath of fresh air!
The saddest thing about a great song, a great movie, or a great video game is that we can never play it again for the first time. But seeing you both react to it is the next best thing. You have to let her hear The tale of Jenny and Screech.
Karen, I love seeing your insight into these reactions. You're so thoughtful and genuine-it's refreshing.
Cliff, It makes me smile to see how excited you are to share your world with Karen. You look so proud of her. Love to you both.
Your girlfriend is GORGEOUS btw, I loved her reaction. I always am looking for new Ren reactions.
I agree, more Karen! She’s adorable and the expressions… love you both
Yay! Karen is back!! Love seeing yours and Karen’s dynamic together! Your shared passion for artistry and music is so engaging! And you are both so real and relatable ❤ Can’t wait to see more of Karen discovering Ren!!
Giving Karens a good rep...
not really Karens are bad. she is called Karen that doesnt make her a Karen. being named Karen and being called a Karen is a complete different thing.
We love Karen! 💜🥔
Love it when you share Ren with Karen. ❤ Huge hugs to you both, I know there's been drama recently.
I love seeing Karen react. She's so expressive. And her longer break down as part of HER reaction... let her cook. Lol
I think you should show her either Sick Boi next or Jenny and Screech... Real slow like we all got it.
He's such a fuckin' amazing artist!!
And I'm really loving The Mr & Mrs. Cliff Beats Breakdowns!! ❤❤
You never get sick hearing Hi Ren ❤
Karen, you have a beautifully expressive face, great for reactions. Many people sit still with a stunned mullet expression.
"It was never really a battle for me to win. It was an eternal dance." What a great line.
I love Ren, i love watching Karen-s reactionandi really enjoyed watching Cliff react to his girl! Great job to you all.
Loved seeing Karen reacting to Ren finally, she really is beautiful ❤
"Sorry for ranting"? Are you kidding us Cliff 😂 Rant away 😂. Much love Cliff and much love to Karen. Independent of if you will spend the rest of your lives together or not, what you have together for this part of your journey is special
❤
The fact that he did it in one take makes it even more amazing.
I love Cliff’s smirk 😊 watching what he has done with this one
Please rant away, it's great to see two people as into this as the rest of us, Karen is the best, she's really good at this love to you both ❤
I love the fact your bringing your partner into the world of Ren and again another refreshing reaction!! Keep doing what you do man!! Ren saved my life and I found you through Ren!! I'm loving the videos lately man!!
Karen has a knack for this already and I can respect that a ton! Hope to see/hear more from her!!! She's a gem ❤
She will always be a part of this channel! It’s whenever she gets the itch. She does not like being in the public spotlight but loves what we do here and wants to take part sometimes 😊 ❤
@@CliffBeatsOfficial Love it, glad to hear! You are both amazing humans!
@@johnnyeproductions man thank you. I honestly would have any of this without the love and support. We should be thanking you. So thank you on behalf of myself and Karen 🙏
She’s such a joy ❤
Cliff, you're a brave man introducing her to Ren 😂
I may be misremembering, but I think he showed her Back on 74 a few months ago. If any video of Ren is dangerous, it's that one 😅
@@toniyoung5131 yep, they both reacted to multiple ren videos like 5 months ago!
Something you might have missed... Look at the shadows on either side of him. When he's "dark ren" he looks to the right and he's talking symbolically to the lighter shadow. When he's himself he looks to the left at the darker shadow. This also alludes to the pendulum, eternally swaying between the dark and the light. The layers to his theatrical abilities are unparalleled.
Beautiful reaction ❤More Karen please✌️
I think the room is a representation of inside his head. The lights flash erratically. Same as those thoughts present themselves.
I first heard this last January and I’m so glad Karen is finally going down the Ren rabbit hole. I will be looking forward to watching the direction this goes. Peace and love
Yes, more Ren and Karen please. Troubles tells his story so well. 🥰
I watched Hi Ren at least 200 times now. Still love it as much as on the first day, but I would pay a lot of money to experience it again for the first time... Big ups to Karen, great reaction!
Karen is very perceptive. I’ve watched a number of these reactions and she is sharp as a tack. Very sweet.
As far as the lights in the video, you'll notice they mainly flicker when the Bad Ren voice is talking. I've always taken that to mean that the lights flickering represent his brain malfunctioning (like, short-circuiting), or maybe "the dark side" intruding on "the light." During the middle section, where the Bad voice is claiming dominance and referring to itself as basically Satan/All Evil/Whatever, the lights are going crazy. The Dark is making his brain go haywire. Then, when Hope comes in afterward, the lights are on and steady.
After this point, it becomes handy to understand that the theme of the entire song is about finding balance and realizing that both sides, the Dark and the Light, are a part of you and neither can ever fully defeat the other. You have to learn to live with both sides of yourself (and both sides of life, the ups AND the downs).
So, in the last part, when Ren revisits the guitar part and "Ooh-ooh ooh-ooh" melody from the beginning, the lights are flickering on and off constantly... BUT Ren is dancing and singing with it. He's learned to dance with both sides of life, both sides of himself, even when his brain is "flickering" or the dark is intruding on the light. It's all one -- two sides of the same coin -- eternally going from light to dark and back again, and he's living in it instead of fighting it.
I know you write Cliff, but Idk how much you delve into music or music theory. Those "ooh-ooh" bits at the beginning and end are made up of two similar but slightly different lines. One is a full-step interval between notes that sounds relatively "normal" and pleasing to our ears. The other is a half-step that has a little dissonance to it that can sound a little uncomfortable (some voice coaches on YT, not realizing it was intentional, have interpreted it as Ren missing the note (even though he does it consistently and it's obviously on purpose)). One represents the good voice (the pleasing, full-step interval) and one represents the bad voice (the weird, half-step interval). By going back and forth between the two in the intro, Ren is symbolizing in the instrumentation and vocal melody the larger theme he's talking about with the lyrics. Like the best musicians, Ren's setting the thematic stage with the instruments before he's even sung one word.
Then, in the end, he's singing both those lines again, joined together as one triumphant melody, and extends it into a full, celebratory outro. In rap, as you know, we talk about writing schemes. Each line is on the same subject, reinforcing a single idea, or whatever. Ren is doing that with his lyrics, but ALSO with the musical notes and chords he's choosing, as well as with the structure of the song as a whole (the intro, the outro, etc). Every note of this song is part of one large scheme. Not one part of it is just because "Oh, that sounds good under the words." Every note is purposely in service of the larger message. That's part of the genius of "Hi Ren."
OMG finally! I'm gonna watch it straight away! ❤
Yay!!! ❤❤❤❤❤
Oh yeah- she’s hooked now! 😁💜 Love that you still got chills Cliff 🫶 What a great community you have all created! I say either Sick boy, or The Tales! I also love to go to the acoustic version of Troubles, for more of his story, but it’s more recent. You really can’t go wrong tbh! What a fun thing to experience with her now! ❤
Great review guy's, REN is such a talent. He's a lyrical genious at telling a story. Voval, guitar, piano there is nothing he can't do. Thank you for sharing your reaction ❤
She nailed it right on, right off the bat. Anxiety is a fantastically astute interpretation.
Those of us with all this extra info complicate it, myself included. We want the huge conceptual exploration.
But seriously, props for the interpretation!
I also want to point out that it isn't light VERSUS dark and needing to be the light. It learning to be both the light AND the dark.
What’s really cool, is that he recorded this live in one take. He’s playing the guitar with nylon strings which give it that sound.
Most people don't realize that this song is about "real life". Not bout artists and music. But about all peoples struggles in life with self doubt in general.
absolutely love seeing karen's reactions to new artists in general that she's never heard before, but especially when she hears rens music. i love the interactions between the two of you whenever you react together. this one you could def see karen enjoying every single moment. love you both!! and love ren too!
This was one take but took 3 goes … It had multiple cameras which came into play .. Only cuts in are from what the multiple cameras shot & edited in post 😀
It was what, 3 or 4 cameras right? Just bounced between them for the emphasis since he wasn't up and moving around until the end.
Incorrect. The audio is from one continuous take but the video is spliced together from multiple takes.
@@CreativePhotoWS .. That’s what I said .. Music was one take from 3 attempts & video was edited from multiple cameras during those 3 takes .. 🫠
@@donegalrediscovered3309 no. You said it is a one take but took 3 goes. The video is indeed shot with three cameras but the actual video is edited from the four takes that they did so it is not a one take video.
You finally caved huh😂😂😂😂 Just don't let her see Ren shirtless😂😂😂 Seriously though great reaction.❤❤❤❤
Naw man, he should show her Murderer next. 😉
@bethray469 If only I was thirty years younger. Yeah , Ren is a little too young for me
@@sheenadees2701 Hey I'm 43 so he's way too young for me too, but I can still appreciate beauty of all kinds. ❤
Yes definitely more Ren for Ka-Ren !
So great to introduce Karen to this masterpiece & share it with us 👏👏👏🥰
We were forging throgh the dark waiting for the light and then we realized noone is coming to save us. We are the light! cracked boken and doing our best we shine!
Yes FINALLY im on it 20 min after you posted!
Kudos for calling it anxiety and not split personality or schizophrenia, like most people do. I believe this inner turmoil that so many of us experience can be traced back to some form and anxiety which is also fear and self doubt.
“I’m the voice you hear when you loosen the noose on the rope” is one of the hardest lines I’ve ever heard.
Karen, I wouldn't mind, if you said even more❤Keep baking👩🍳🥧🧁🎂So excited Cliff is finally taking you down the Ren rabbit hole!! Cliff, your proud smile watching Ren was just so heartwarming🤗 So happy you finally found the courage to take Karen on the Ren journey😅Great reaction🔥
Yeah she had me on a time crunch so I kind of had to guide us towards the end. This is something she asks me to do because we can talk all day but people get mad when I follow her instructions 🤦♂️❤️
@@CliffBeatsOfficial Well, I don't mind, if you guys talk more.. That's what I'm here for❤
@@LazyGrey hopefully next time Karen joins we can discuss more. We went live at 10:30pm-12am and she had work at 5am. I wish we could have chatted more.
@@CliffBeatsOfficial I just saw your pinned comment. I hope you didn't take what I said the wrong way, it wasn't meant negative in any way. I like listening to you guys. I was just referring to your title and to what Karen said about how she's baking...😅 Nothing but love from me! P.S. I haven't read the comments, but don't let the negative ones get to you❤
@@CliffBeatsOfficial Sorry, I missed your last reply. Yeah, that would be great! You two have such great energy and Karen is very insightful, it's nice listening to her, just as it is listeining to you😉Much love!
I take Ren's speech at the end to not be so much about "there's light and dark and I have to represent the light" as much as it's about the fact that life is a mix of light and dark, good times and bad times, and it's always going to swing back and forth between the two (whether your situation is currently good or bad, "this too shall pass"). If you approach it with the idea that you can "defeat" the bad, somehow "win" in a way that you never have to struggle ever again, never have a bad day, never have to deal with that internal critic, then you're going to continue to suffer, thinking that you're failing, thinking that there's some secret to defeating the dark side that you just haven't figured out (bc you suck, you're stupid, you're not worth it, you're cursed, or whatever). But the reality is that both sides of you -- the good voice and the bad voice, the "snake in Eden" and Hope -- as well as both sides of life, are always going to be there.
Ren's lesson at the end of this is that you have to learn to dance with the good times and the bad times, always reminding yourself that "it's not a battle for [you] to win," it's an eternal dance of light and dark that defines the human experience. Once you accept that things aren't always going to be good, you can also accept that they aren't always going to be bad either. "This too shall pass," whatever it is. The Dark is eternal, but so is the Light. The Bad Voice is eternal, but so is Hope. So, relax and dance with life. When your pendulum has swung into the light, be aware that it may very well swing back into the dark at some point and that's okay. You don't have to spend every day fearing it instead of enjoying the light while you have it. And when it swings into the dark, know for a fact that it will one day swing back the other way and you'll come out of it, so don't give up. Hang on and flow with it.
It reminds me of the saying, "The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm."
I like the way you explain this and that you took the effort to type it all out. Thank you
Loves you guys reaction and just great vid thanks
Your girl is so cute, my guy. 😊 It's very cool that you two have done so many reactions together. And she always brings something to the discussion. I'm looking forward to her experiencing the Tales.
We live about 30 miles from Ren and would love to have seen him live last weekend
defintely continue down this rabbit hole with her 👍👍👍
this was a one shot take every now and then you can see a couple of the camera operators which Ren decided not to edit out. the lights only flicker when "dark Ren" is talking and also the style of guitar play changes between dark and light Ren. great reaction video
Sometimes, I really wish I could hear it again for the first time! ♥️
When you say he’s using an EM beat… From where? I don’t hear that at all. Somebody tell me what I’ve missed. I’ve heard hi Ren easily over 200 times and that never occurred to me.
Same
Yeah, I have no idea either. Cliff we need to know!
i THINK, he was referring to the "fighting with a subconscious" but BEAT would imply he has sampled or remixed some other eminem song's melody, and yeah im confused af, no disrespect but we already got his reaction, i kinda just wanna hear his friends thoughts lmao
edit: i should clarify, im a huge hypocrite saying that, i get over-eager and want to share anything and everything ive just seen for the first time, so i totally get it, easier said than done ig lmao
He's already heard the lyrics , I agree bro, get hi ren on bruv
"There's not a lot happening, but there is so much happening right now." YES!!! You are totally on point right away. No, I don't think she was overthinking anything, but it did look like that comment changed the rest of her reaction. I think she was just catching on and appreciating the art sooner than most people do. I would have loved to see what she was about to say there and the rest of her reaction unbridled! She's a badass and very astute.
I cannot watch this video, by itself or reaction, without tearing up every time.
Karen, welcome to the wonderful world of ren, where you can always expect the unexpected 😊 cliff can show you the way down this deep and winding rabbit hole 😁🥹💜💜
Love your girl Cliff! Can't wait to see you experience more Ren! He's special.
If your girl did not have info before hand she might be one of the smartest reactors out there. Good stuff
Well done, love your channel and your passion. And you have a good human with Karen seams like a very sweet person.
Looking forward to more reactions with her?
Karen is so intuitive, it was done in one take
Such a great reaction from her. I’d say let her hold the pause button and let her marinate in it. Then at the end, fill in the blanks she may have missed 🤘🏻
Definitely more Karen reacting to Ren. So great!
Great reaction bro you guys look so sweet together
He's not naked under the gown. I adore the silent run off of this video, it enables the thinking state.
More Karen please! ❤
hi ren was one take always good at spotting stuff karen, much love guys
This song was my intro to Ren and he came along at a very dark time for me. I was ready to end it all when he came along and taught me a new way to live with my mental illnesses.
They only had time for 4 takes before the landlord came and threw them out. It IS a 1-shot live performance. It blows my mind that 1) Ren didn't think any of the takes were up to his standard and 2) he almost didn't include the spoken word at the end.
I loved Karen's reaction and would like to see more. I am about to go check to see if you introduced her to Losing It. Also, advice to the younger guys in here from an old fart: Most women can carry their own battles in the world at large. Women rarely want to be rescued by guys. Best to only assist if they ask for it. The best way to help women is to not be a dick.
Welcome to the rabbit hole. Thankfully Cliff knows the songs. Such a great reaction. 1 take, 4 cameras and live.
😂😂😂best reaction to this amazing video!! One more time, please, try whit Prof!!
Of course we want her to experience the wild world of Ren!
Yes bring us more of her Ren reactions!! I’m from Kane County, btw.
Omg I was watching some of your videos last night of you showing Karen Ren for the first time and I was kkke wait he hasn’t shown her Hi Ren yet!! Thanks for this
Like*
Welcome to the family ❤💐 Best wishes
If I understand correctly, it was primarily video from one of four attempts with a couple video shots of 3 other attempts cut in where needed, and the audio was live from the attempt used for the bulk of the final cut.
9:35 Karen I felt that reaction lol...can't wait to see more Ren reactions with her
Hello Karen! Welcome to the family!! ❤❤❤❤
The amazing part of this entire video is he did it in one take!
The flickering of lights that came from movies and stuff. Whenever an entity came into a room or evil or anything, they just use that for dramatic effect. That's all. And Ren used it greatly when the The Evil Ren came out. And then when the nice friend was talking, the flickering stopped, and it's nice, and it's relaxing. The one light on, that's all it's about.
Great reaction guys 😊😊🎉🎉❤❤
Honestly, if you could get lucky after showing your girl Hi Ren you’re in Ren GOAT territory…
I'll add here... as many others have. Karens eyes... show the emotions she is getting from the song. Loved watching as this epic played before her vision. Please have her listen to other classic songs Ren has made... but also new stuff like Back on 74 which I love.
One can get stuck on an interpretation and stick with it convincing themselves of its sureness. It’s best surely not to implant those interpretations into another listener before they get a chance to develop their own picture. It’s worth noting that this is live one take. That this is years after misdiagnosis of a disease and being given mind altering antipsychotics causing an exacerbation of the crushing physical and psychological symptoms of a Lyme Tick bite. He was signed and later released by Sony. He made friends and played with other great musicians and drew great people towards him including a great videographer. He is as versatile as anyone could be as an entertainer.
He is able to reveal these to parts within him. But remember, what is able to see and reveal these two things. There is a third thing within him.
What You Want❤❤❤ it's a fun song and showcases his rap abilities.
More Karen! I would love for her to react to some older Ren/Big Push busking stuff and originals - maybe Blind eyed with Sam ... What You Want, the Manu Chao cover ... so many great options! My 2nd song was Chalk Outlines with Chinchilla and it was a great gentle sequey from the heavy stuff to some of the other offerings out there.
I enjoy seeing people react to the tales and sick boi, but I feel like doing those right after Hi Ren sets a tone that is pretty intense and doesn't give a sense of the fun stuff.
Love this so much. Keep on keeping on. We love you Cliff!
I would love a Jenny and Screech reaction next. But any of his earlier hiphop is also appreciated. Power, Genesis, etc. Thanks Cliff.
Yes, it was a "one-take", in that there's no audio editing (except maybe the spoken word at the end). He recorded it 3/4 times (as I remember), and chose the best one.
Been a subscriber for awhile sense you started reacting to ren. You remind me of a fan boy like me showing her this.same hand movements I do showing people this at 3 am
A live music video in 1 take, as he's often done with others such as his earlier group, "The Big Push", other solo tracks and x Chinchilla. I believe this very video is from the 4th attempted performance shot, played all the way through without cuts...
The truth out of both, sorrow, and brilliance
Thank you
Don't show her back on 74 you'll lose your girl hahahahha just kidding lmao
I actually did! We realized towards the end she heard ren once and that was the song during a live stream
@@CliffBeatsOfficialI'll definitely check that out👍🏻