The Black Athlete

Salutations World,

I write this about a week or so after the events that lead to Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg at a club in NYC. When originally hearing this, I automatically knew that there would be an uprising from sports commentators alike about how this is another Black man with millions, acting stupid. True to form, Stephen A. Smith of ESPN fame lends his take on the situation..


And after listing to this, I was somewhat upset that such a major figure in sports entertainment would not take an easier approach to addressing this situation. Ultimately, all athletes are adults and should be held responsible for their transgressions, but does it make us any better to automatically assume that if a young black man is given millions, that somewhere along in his career he will mess it up?

There are a few things that really made me mad about this rant. First of all, black athletes are very rarely ever examined for the good that they do. All we ever hear is whether they have been arrested or how hard and tough their upbringing was. We never hear stories about guys like Allan Houston, who runs a father/son basketball camp, as a tribute to his close relationship with his father. We never hear stories about Grant Hill or even college stars like Gerald Henderson of Duke, and Stephen Curry of Davidson, who both came from NBA household and who are both excelling at top notch universities..

Allan Houston and Jeff Young. In Philly

No, we only hear about Pac Man..Or Plax..Or Allen Iverson.

And who is usually ready at the front lines ready to pounce on our black athletes..Black People. I find it disappointing that instead of taking an angle where he illustrates the number of black athletes that do not engage in extreme acts of coonery and buffoonery, Stephen A. Smith ranted and raved that the black athlete is somewhat of a plague to today's sport. Citing examples of the NBA instituting a dress code as an example of the negative black influence..

My plea to black sports writers as well as blacks in general..PLEASE uplift and educate. Uplift the black athletes that are doing good in their respective sports as well as in the community. And educate those who are unaware or who are ignorant enough to believe that every young black man with millions is merely in training to 'make it rain'..

Like always, until next time..

Peace.

-Yeezy

The Lake Show

Yo!

Just giving a heads up on new posts on 24 seconds!!

Great interviews from Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom

Until Later,

Peace

-Yeezy

Blast From The Past

Salutations World,

Sorry for another lengthy hiatus (blame that on the ridiculous workload handed out by Fox School of Business professors) but I am bizzack with a rather light-hearted post..

So, as I am doing my daily rounds of channel/Internet surfing, I turn to MTV Jams. And low and behold I see a video of one of my childhood idols...MC HAMMER! Yea I said it, when I was 5, I wanted to be MC HAMMER (Either him or Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). So I dug into my hammer files, no homo, and pulled out a few videos that should take you down memory lane..

Slight Disclaimer: If you were born after 1990, you may not fully appreciate this post.

Now MC Hammer, next to Michael Jackson and James Brown, had to be one of the greatest show men that the industry has ever seen..



And of course you have classics like..





But I feel Hammer was at his best when he hit his raunchy stage. When he became aligned with Suge Knight, the true MC Hammer came out with one of my childhood favorites..



Man, I wish MC Hammer could have stayed around and been a factor in today's music scene. Just imagine MC Hammer using the "Autotune" effect?!?!?!

Until later,

Happy Turkey Day from RealTalkDC

Peace Out,

-Yeezy

Stick To Your Day Job

Salutations as always,

Now recently, I have been taking a more serious tone in my posts. Well guess what, to hell with that. Today I am angry. And you say, "Jeff how can you be angry?" Well, while enjoying a day of football, my cousin feels the need to send me a link of Allen Iverson rapping..YES I SAID IT, Allen Iverson rapping!..

So this got me the thinking, why can't they just stick to their damn day jobs?!

I mean is making millions doing what you love to do too tough these days? I mean, can a man who makes 20 million a year really convince me that he is struggling and that he will "murder me in the second and first degree"!!..

So in true RealTalk DC form, I give you a list of sorts, of the Top 5 worst songs ever conjured up by your favorite sports star!!

No. 5, our good friend Allen Iverson aka Jewels, with his song "40 Barz"


I mean the beat is tough..that's about it..

No.4, The Mamba (Kobe for you non-basketball lovers)ft. Tyra Banks, "K.O.B.E."


This was wrong for so many reasons..

No.3, Rasheed Wallace..Shit sheed!


And, well the No.2 and No.1 spots belong to Shaq Fu, sit back and try not to break your monitors..



And last but not least..



If you guys think like me, the next time your favorite baller makes a song, throw a cup of sprite onto the court while he is on a fast break, and with the hope of the masses, he looses his ability to make words rhyme forever..

Until later, Peace.

-Yeezy

Yes We Can..

"They said this day would never come. They said our sights were set too high.."
-President Barack Obama, Jan. 4th, 2008

On the evening of November 4th, 2008, I was witness to what I believe is the most monumental event in the history of our nation..



Now, as I thought out this post, I tried to think of all the angles to present this story to you. To talk about how our people have shown the ability to overcome adversity and ban together to make a change. Or how children from now on, of all races can one day aspire to be President. But only one story really seemed to capture the true essence of this moment..

You see, this story is about the sacrifice of these two people, and how they paved the way for my family and helped to make me the man that I am today. These two happen to be Thomas and Lillian Jones, my grandparents. These two, neither of whom graduated high school, scratched and clawed their way through every obstacle thrown their way to achieve a better life for their children and the rest of their family. The fact that they came up in a time where they could not even fathom the idea of there being a black president speaks to how far this country has progressed. And the fact that today, on Nov. 4, they had a hand in re-writing the history books. It gave them a sense that their sacrifices and hard work did not go in vain. And their sacrifice was no more evident then when at 11:26pm, I received a call from my grandmother, just for her to simply tell me that "she loved me." The pride and hope that beamed through that simple "I love you", really let me know how important this victory was to the people who helped set the foundation of our lives..

I say this to you guys because I want you to appreciate what is happening and what we are a part of. But to also realize that things are not going to change overnight. But with the patience and faith of those two in the picture, maybe one day the change that we so desperately need will be manifested in the lives of our children and their children and so on..

But until that day, keep this in mind...YES WE CAN!!



Peace.

-Yeezy

Nov. 4th

Salutations World,

Before today, I must admit that I was still skeptical about this whole "Democratic Process" known as the Presidential election. And I mean who could blame me? I have lived in an era where a man essentially stole an election and drove our country into the ground. But today, after attending a rally (In which my frat brother and I performed) where the Mayor of Philadelphia, Kevin Lyles, Mary J. Blige, Diddy, and Jay-Z spoke at, I have never been more inspired for a cause in my life..

It is imparative, as young people (whether you are African-American or not) to participate and exercise your right to vote. IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE (as cliche as that might sound)! Now personally, I'm pulling for Barack Obama, but I encourage everyone to vote..

Well, I guess I'll have more to rant and rave about tomorrow once the results are in, until then..

Peace.

Oh and p.s...Me and Hov! lol

2008-2009 NBA Preview

Ah yes,

The great game of roundball has returned. For a preview of the NBA season, check out 24 Seconds. As the season progresses, Real Talk as well as 24 Seconds, will take a look at some of the major stories that develop.

-Yeezy

The Cypher..

Decided to drop the video from the last cypher at the BET Hip Hop Awards last night.. This video is a preview of sorts to some future post featuring Fab and Jada..Enjoy!



-Real Talk

Beyond A Reasonable Doubt..

"I built a dynasty by being one of the realest niggas out, way beyond a Reasonable Doubt.."
-Jay-Z, "Moment of Clarity"

Happy Wednesday World,

Just thought I should share this with you guys. Being that "Reasonable Doubt" is one of my top 3 favorite albums of all time, I think it is essential that if you feel the same way you should check out this documentary. I guarantee that the next time you listen to the album it will be at least 3x better than the last time you heard it. The documentary is a little over 53mins, so if you want the link to another site to watch it, click here. Enjoy!



Also, here is the "Reasonable Doubt" album, for your enjoyment.



-Yeezy

The Double Standard

Good Day world,

Once again, I am angry. Not extremely angry, but angry nonetheless. The sports world has once again shown that a "Double Standard" applies to athletes. Today, Dallas Corner back (And 'Make It Rain' extraordinaire) Adam 'Pacman' Jones, was suspended for his involvement in an altercation in a Hotel Room with his team hired security. Now he has been suspended by the league, NOT by the Dallas Cowboys.



Now you guys may say "well he deserved it" or "he is a nuisance who is always in the news for dumb stuff!" And I have no choice but to agree with you on this. But something is bothering me that has been swept under the rug, and that is one Matt Jones. If you are not familiar with Matt Jones I'll give you a crash course..



Now before I bash the man and his transgressions, he was one hell of an athlete coming out of Arkansas. But I could care less now. He has repeatedly been busted with Cocaine, his last offense being caught with nearly an ounce of the powdery goodness. And what happens to Matt Jones you say? A year's ban from the league? A four game suspension? Numerous Rap punch lines centered around him treating his nose?..

Nope! Matt Jones was sentenced to a drug treatment program!! Now, not only is that the softest slap on the wrist this side of San Fransisco, but he is also currently playing in NFL games this season.

Last time I checked, if there is any suspicion of a black athlete being involved in drugs, he is kicked out until further notice. Shoot, all Pacman did was make it rain and cause a ruckus in the club (by the way, where I come from we call that a quality night on the town). Why is there still such a double standard in sports, when the majority of the superstar athletes earning the leagues and teams these outrageous amounts of dollars, are black?

Let me know what you think..

"..yellow mustard Phantom, call it Grey Poupon, I can make it Pacman Jones in here too long, we up a hundred grand whenever I make a new song.."
-Fat Joe feat. Lil' Wayne, "The Crackhouse"

-Yeezy

Crew Love Pt. 1

"..Ain't nothing but a G thang baby, two loc'd out niggas going crazy, and Death Row is the label that pays me.."
-Snoop Dogg, "Nothing But A G Thang"

Salutations World,

After a much needed hiatus (due to excessive amounts of schoolwork and a budding social life, lol) I am back, and ready to start a series that me and my cohort in blog have been talking about for a while. Over the next few post, we will chronicle the most successful rap crews in hip hop history. Now I know you super hip hop heads will say well what about the crews from the 80's (Boogie Down Productions, etc., etc.)? Well I say to you, did the great BDP sell 50 million albums worldwide? Or how about generate over $750 million in revenues?..

In 1991, super producer Dr. Dre and world renowned goon Suge Knight founded the hip hop heavyweight known as Death Row. And in December of 1992, Death Row released it's first classic, Dr. Dre's the Chronic. This album had hip hop classics such as "Dre Day", "Let Me Ride", and of course..



The Chronic set the mark high for Death Row, and with the signings of Snoop Dogg and ultimately Tupac Shakur, Death Row pumped out hit after hit. Relax as I take you down Death Row memory lane..

From The DogFather's 1993 "Doggystyle":


From Tupac's 1996 Double Disc "All Eyez on Me" (A Hip Hop Classic!):


And Another Shakur classic off of "The Don Killuminati: 7 Day Theory":


And these are just three of my favorites from Death Row. In hindsight, Death Row actually started the genre of rap that is prevalent in today's music. Yes, N.W.A. broke down the door, but Death Row (Along with Suge Knight) slapped anyone who was standing behind that door. Their smooth beats and equally smooth west coast slow flow is still a sound that is bumped at cookouts from east to west coast. Death Row set the precedent that to be successful in hip hop, you need crew love out the ass. A stable of artist behind you so that if you ever enter in beef, the crew is behind you. Need a hot single, your crew is willing to hop on the track to produce a hit. Death Row records should be embraced for helping usher hip hop into not only the 20th century but the 21st as well.

-Yeezy

The Golden Era of Rap for the 2K Generation

When people think of the Golden Era in rap, names like Rakim, Kool G Rap and Big Daddy Kane come to mind. I personally appreciate everything they did to pave the way for our generation of entertainers, but I really can't relate to their music and I don't listen to it that much. In my case, the Golden Era was from the 4TH QUARTER of 2002 to the 1ST QUARTER of 2004.

(For those not familiar with the quarter system, releases dates are broken down into 4 quarters, JAN/FEB/MARCH, APRIL/MAY/JUNE, and so on.)

I've been a big fan of rap music since around 1994. It had grown from listening to an artist here & there and basic radio hits to "digging in the crates" and actually buying & listening to a variety of sounds & genres of rap.

At the end of 2002, I was making the transition from High School to College. I was relying heavily on music as an escape from studying/applying to schools and also as a High-Enhancer during my various weed-smoking escapades as a youngster.

Looking back on it, I realize how spoiled I was around that time. The amount of quality CD's that came out during that time is mind-boggling. The following CD's were released from the 4th Quarter of 2002 to the 1st Quarter of 2004:

Jay-Z- The Black Album
Kanye West- College Dropout
State Property- State Property Presents the Chain Gang Vol. 2
Young gunz- Tough Luv
The Diplomats- Diplomatic Immunity
50 Cent- Get Rich or Die Tryin
G-Unit- Beg For Mercy
T.I.- Trap Musik
Three 6 Mafia- Da Unbreakables
Outkast- Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
Freeway- Philadelphia Freeway
Juelz Santana- From Me to U
Roc-A-Fella- Dame Dash Presents the Dream Team
Ludacris- Chicken & Beer

... and those are just the major releases. Albums like Hi-Teknology by Hi-Tek and Electric Circus by Common also provided some classic tunes. I'm sure im missing others on that list as well.

Out of those albums, I would put AT LEAST 3 of them on my favorite albums of all-time list (Hint- I was a big Roc/SP/Dipset fan around that time). Those albums are, for the most part, each respective artists' best work. I vividly remember riding up on AMTRAK to visit Temple University as a prospective student and playing Diplomatic Immunity over and over. I can remember feeling like Jay really went out with a bang with "My First Song." (Little did I know he would indeed come back like MJ wearin the 4-5). I remember listening to every song on State Prop 2 without skipping one track. I can remember the goosebumps I got the first time I heard "Spaceship" by Kanye West. I was never a huge fan of 50 Cent, but there's no denying the hit-after-hit variety that he provided on Get Rich or Die Tryin. I can remember the whole G-Unit CD being played at house parties when I was a Freshman. T.I. was at his best on Trap Musik, where he was still able to more-than-effectively strattle the line between street and commercial. "Ridin Spinners" captured the fad so perfectly and also provided Lil Flip one last breath before T.I. took his life as a rapper. People were skeptical of Outkast coming out with solo projects, and I think most people liked Andre's LP better, but I liked them both and thought they defied all haters and took a big risk which resulted in two smash hits("Hey Ya" and "The Way You Move"). Freeway had such a new, unique style and although his voice was a bit much at times, I was still a big fan of Philadelphia Freeway. I was a huge fan of Dipset so nuff said bout Juelz lol. And hearin "One for Peedi" and "Home of Philly" made me feel right at home even though I had only recently become a resident in the area. Even Luda, my arch nemesis, had a plethora of bangers on his KFC & Bud Lite LP.

The one thing that all these artists had in common was their collective hunger. Some of the albums above were those artists' first, and that in itself was motivation to put their best product out. Some of the albums were efforts by the artists' to solidify their growing buzz or acknowledge their legitimacy as Hip-hop heavyweights. Some of the albums were an artists'grand finale (or was supposed to be in one artists case) or goodbye to mainstream fans. Other albums were collective efforts by a group of artists who were at the top of their game at that time and were able to co-exist and shine equally on a major stage. Unfortunately, the majority of cliques in the rap game from that time have disbanded for a number of reasons. It's unfortunate because now is when we need their best efforts the most, and barely any of the artists mentioned above still have the fire or skill they once possessed.

With all that being said, here's a playlist I made that has a few tracks from each of the cd's mentioned above. I wasn't able to get all the ones I wanted, but it's still a mix that probably contains more quality tracks over a 1 1/4 year span than the amount of quality songs that have been released in the 5 years since the "Golden Era". Enjoy!!



- J. Todd

The Race Card

"...We are Africans, and we happen to be in America. We are not Americans. We are a people who formerly were Africans who were kidnapped and brought to America. Our forefathers weren't the Pilgrims. We didn't land on Plymouth Rock; the rock was landed on us."
-Malcolm X

Salutations world,

Normally I try not to touch on topics that deal with race and politics, because there is never any clear cut or correct answer. But I feel like with the recent comments made by Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard about the National Anthem, I started thinking "Does Josh really have a point?" First, lets check out the footage..



Now, before I defend or justify what he says, lets take into account the history of our illustrious nation, as well as the "African American" history in this nation. I started off this post with a well known quote by Malcolm X, in which he says that we cannot be African Americans because we were "Kidnapped and brought to America." So does Josh have a point? Should blacks really embrace things such as the National Anthem or Independence Day when we were brought to this country against our will?..

Of course slavery is a strong reason why many blacks do not feel attached to this nation, and some people would even argue that it is time for blacks to get over that and embrace the patriotism that is exhibited by whites. I then say, even if we try to "forget" the ills of slavery and the civil rights era, what about the state of the black nation now? I currently reside in North Philadelphia, and everyday I see visual proof that blacks are still overlooked and mistreated in this nation. The fact that I can see a 40oz. spot on every corner and kids wandering the streets at all times of night (and even the day when they are suppose to be in school, schools which are severely understaffed and poorly funded) is mind blowing to me. How can I sing a National Anthem, when I am a young black man and I see these crimes committed against my people on a daily basis?

So do I agree with what Josh said? Well, yes and no. Yes in the sense that he is correct. As a young black man, I feel like we are always fighting an uphill battle for equality. But I am not fully sold on the way Josh expressed his feelings. He could have chosen a better avenue to express himself as well as a better choice of words. But hey, sometimes when you feel strongly about something then it has to be said. So, what do you think? Was Josh right? Should black people exhibit love for a country that has historically oppressed and overlooked them?..

"It is necessary to understand that Black Power is a cry of disappointment. The Black Power slogan did not spring full grown from the head of some philosophical Zeus. It was born from the wounds of despair and disappointment. It is a cry of daily hurt and persistent pain."
-Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

-Yeezy

Point "Gods"..

"And y'all scared I can tell, and I'ma get bucks like Milwaukee cuz like Sam I-Can-Sell.."- Jadakiss, "Put Ya Hands Up"

Now normally, this blog is full of opinions centered on hip hop and pop culture. But today is solely dedicated to my first love, BASKETBALL. And with today's NBA being heavily influenced by hip hop, it is only right that Real Talk takes a stab at a heated debate..

And the debate is, WHO IS THE BEST POINT GUARD IN THE LEAGUE?

Now some people would say CP3 and other would say D. Will (people like myself)..

So, while trying to be as arbitrary as possible, lets break down both cats.

First, CP3..



Of course, CP is what many would look for in a Point "God". Quick, amazing vision and creativity are all things that define his game (also a 2nd Place MVP finish, shout out to AG). But on to my pick..

D. Will



First and foremost, check the first clip in this video where a certain someone gives CP3 a few moves. But yes, I feel D. Will is the best point guard in the league. He posses the same qualities as Paul, while also having a excellent jumper and size that allows him to put smaller point guards (Such as Paul)in the post and score at his discretion. Now they were the class of a rather weak 2005 Draft, D. Will being selected third and Paul forth. And I am not knocking either ones accomplishments, but lets just be honest with ourselves for a minute..

So, my idea was to keep this simple so that it would leave room for a heated discussion with all my fellow basketball lovers. Let the Debate begin!!

"Fuck y'all mean, handlin' since a teen, like LeBron or Sebastian High school graduates, straight to the league.."- Jay-Z, "Dead Presidents III"

-Yeezy

North North!! My ode to Project Pat

Top 5 Worst Videos of All Time

Sometimes there's a music video that comes along that makes you question one's existence, state of mind and/or level of sobriety when deciding to go ahead and shoot their masterpiece-of-shit. Below are 5 of those videos that will make you shake your head in disgust/vomit/break your tv/etc.

#5 Mase- Welcome Back



Mason Betha.... Boy oh Boy. People were already skeptical of your comeback to rap after leaving the game to become a holy man in Atlanta, the home of faulty pastors. Then he unretires to make this. He opens up the video with a horrible Mr. Rodgers impersonation and then spends the rest of the video practicing his horribly outdated dance moves. Nice Comeback, Mase. Come to think of it, where is Mase? I'll save that for another post

#4 V.I.C- Wobble



This video premiered fairly recently, but was so horrible that it's already made the list of all-time visual bricks. Not only is the concept for the song deeply awful, but the video takes it deeper in the depths of garbage. He starts off sitting in his dressing room, only to put on an African tribal mask that happens to be hanging up next to his mirror, which magically takes him back to a speakeasy-like 1940's environment. Then the camera cuts to Mr. Collipark in full Coon Mode, doo-woppin and skippin around the stage. The rest of the video consists of various horrible dance steps by V.I.C and every 10 seconds cuts to Collipark cheesing or doing something resembling Sambo. Simply Unacceptable.

#3 Ludacris- Get Back



I'm not the biggest Luda fan, so my opinion may be a bit biased. Is it just me, or is Luda by far the corniest dude in the rap game. I'm not sayin he can't spit, but all that hyperbole and stretching out his words just doesn't do it for me. Unfortunately, this video looks like it was all Luda's idea. He spends the intro and the first verse in a dimly lit bathroom beating up some loser with his popeye forearms. I didn't crack a smirk. I was ready to try crack by the end of the video. He spends the second verse walking down the street with a posse of overweight women wearing what looks like old-school flight attendant outfits. He proceeds to tell various animals and girls with animal fur boots to get back. video over. Good show, Luda, you bamma ass dude. I wonder if it's a coincidence that the Album "Get Back" was on was his weakest album sales-wise and in every other regard.

#2 Big Pun- How we Roll



First off, RIP Big Pun. He was one of the most slept-on, underrated artists of all-time. With that being said, he would be spinning or turning as much as he could in his grave (pun was a big dude) if he saw this video. Never have I ever seen such horrible animation. It looks like something off the first season of South Park or a game on Atari, maybe Nintendo, but thats being generous. This had to be Fat Joe's work. I say that because I noticed it had Pun wearing Fat Joe's now-defunct "FJ-560" clothing line, which was in stores for about 19 days. I would've been more than happy with an old footage/image collage of Pun, not this High School Computer Applications Project, which I would've given an F- if I was the teacher.

Drumroll please.......

#1 P. Diddy ft. Hurricane G(whoever that is)- Public Enemy #1



Oh Man. This was a really dark time in Puff's career/life. I want to date this video around 2000, approximately 3 years after The Notorious B.I.G passed. Mase had left to become T.D. Jakes. Black Rob went to jail. His crew that he proclaimed had arrived with his song "we aint goin nowhere" had careers that were doing exactly that. Going Nowhere. So it's understandable that he was a bit disoriented and felt he had to put Bad Boy on his back with this single "public enemy 2000" from the cd Victory.

With that being said, where do I start?! The video starts off with him Driving a lambo down some street in what looks like LA with Flava Flav riding shotgun. This is before Flavor of Love popped so Flav was definately unpopular at this time. He then has some random broad start poppin wild shit and droppin catch phrases about how "nice" he is. LOL. Nice (which im guessing is referring to his lyrical abillty) and Diddy just don't go together. Viewers are then introduced to a shimmering Puffy on his circular dance stage. He begins his painful-to-watch dance moves, but the video moves on pretty averagely until around 2:50 into the clip. The beat drops, the camera zooms in, and Puffy starts spinning around. The "Planet Rock" beat drops, and Puffy proceeds to make an absolute fool of himself. He performs a combination of washed up dance moves with the camera man seemingly putting in more work than him rotating around him at high speeds. While watching this debauchery, I couldn't decide whether I didn't want it to end because it was so funny or if I just wanted to end as soon as possible because it was so bad. Fortunately it does end, and then his third verse takes place outside Southern Fried Chicken, a popular NY food spot. He's posted on his bentley with some Daunte Culpepper Look-a-like and a crew in the back with 0 recognizable people. He then ends the song with the same chick poppin some more shit and then thankfully the video is over. Puffy obviously has deleted this video from his memory, because it's impossible to have the swagger and confidence he possesses with this song and/or video ever crossing his thoughts.

P.S. He did a an all-spanish version and a rock version too, which im sure are equally horrible.

Honorable Mentions:

Field Mob- Sick of Being Lonely
- I like the song. The video's not that bad either, just an excessive amount of cooning throughout the clip.

Ja Rule ft. Ashanti- Mesmerized
- A horrible attempt at a re-make of Grease. Ja-Rule's only fan left probably gave up on him after this one.

Ja-Rule Ft. Bobby Brown- Thug Lovin
- Another half-way decent video, but it's obvious that Bobby Brown was high on Crack the whole time. His Fiend Mouth was quite crooked in this video. Shout out to Anee for that one.

Refugee Camp All Stars- Stayin alive
- Another pitiful attempt at re-creation. This one was supposed to be "Saturday Night Fever." I feel Lauren for jumping ship when she did. It probably made Wyclef but on his life vest.

If you have any other suggestions for bad videos, feel free to provide input in the comment section.

-J. Todd

"The 2008 Overrated Awards"

"And the winner is.."

Welcome ladies and gentleman to the 2008 Overrated Awards! Now before we start I'll give you a little history behind these awards.

One day, while surfing the net (Shouts to Skye Boog once again), we came across a list of the 33 most overrated trends, people, and anything else in general. But we felt something was missing...Hence, the 2008 Overrated Awards!!

First, there are a couple of honorable mentions including Chain Snatching, Spinning Rims, and anything involving Benzino!..Now back to the Awards..

50) Chain Messages- Look I don't want to send this shit to my next 7 friends just so that I will have a good day. Cut that shit out!

49) Eccentric Females- Look, you ain't Erykah Badu, Period!

48) LLS and SMH (Aim acronyms)- Whatever happened to the good ol' LOL or LMAO, now negroes (of course) have once again taken it upon themselves to mess up a good thing. Lets keep it simple!

47) Wild Chainery- NO MORE FAKE CHAINS, CHRIST!

46) Songs that require a dance- Like, let Soulja Boy live. I don't want to hear nobody else making a dance song.

45) Being on Time- Yea, being on time is completely overrated. Case in point, I was supposed to post this 3 days ago, ah well!

44) College Goons and Thugs- Like nigga you can't be tough with an organic chemistry book in your backpack.

43) Mohawks- NO!...HELL NO!

42) Waist Belts- Girls, cut this shit out now! Nobody wants to see sections of fat seperated by a big ass (usually one, solid obnoxious colored) belt.

41) Big Sunglasses

40) Baseball- Y'all niggas play 162 games a year!!! Why do I want to watch the Yankees and Red Sox play 74 times a season?!?!

39) House Phones (or calling niggas in general)- Texting has killed that awkward silence that I so hated on the phone.

38) Girls with the Rihanna Cut

37) BET- They coon our people out so much!

36) The Game- When will he ever stop name dropping in every song

35) Facebook Applications

34) Everybody can't be a party promoter!

33) Black People Skateboarding

32) "I Get Money"- If i hear another person say they gettin money, I'm kicking them square in the teeth.

31) "I'm Fly"- Refer to #32

30) Only T-Pain can use the T-Pain Voice

29) Rape- Like, just pay for a prostitute and call it a day

28) Everyone starting a clothing line

27) Take all these new school cartoons off tv- BRING BACK DOUG!!

26) Vitamin Water

25) Gas

24) Peace Sign in pictures- Once again, another semi-cool thing that black people destroyed

23) Grown ass men with braids- Nigga you are not a member of Bone Thugs N Harmony

22) Makin it rain

21) Poppin Bottles

20) Wearing heels to an 8:40 class- Next girl I see doing that, I'm pushing her down the aisle in the lecture hall

19) Model Pose's in pictures/Modeling in general- It has got to stop!

18) Star Tattoos

17) Lower Back Tattoos

16) I Love (Insert City) T-shirts

15) Reality TV Shows

14) Blogging (LMAO)

13) Wild Colorful clothing

12) LL Cool J- He is dangerously close to falling into the Benzino category in my eyes

11) "Lil" and "Young"

10) Gucci

9) Lil Wayne- Let's be real, he is falling off

8) Guys wearing Skinny Jeans

7) Sneaker Heads- Invest in a suit and some hard bottoms, instead on a $900 pair of dunks

6) The 80's retro style

5-2) I give you guys these 3 spots to insert anything that you totally depsie

and the winner of the most overrated thing in 2008 is...

A College Degree!!

So you mean to tell me that I have to work dumb hard for 4+ years, just to get a piece a paper. Now that piece of paper get's me a job where I will slave just to make enough money to pay back the loans that I took out for that piece of paper. My advice to the youth, learn how to shoot hoops or sell crack! LOL..

Peace Out world!

-Yeezy

"To Know Where You Are Going, You Have To Know Where You Have Been.."

"I'm not trying to be, no big thing..No No..I'm not trying to give you no advice.."- "I'm Not To Blame" by Bobby Byrd


Salutations world,

Just wanted to share a little playlist I conjured up while thinking about all the quality samples in hip hop history. This is just a sample but I hope you enjoy..

"But I Can't Teach You My Swag, You Can Pay For School But You Can't Buy Class.."

I put Marcy on the map, I put Brooklyn on my back.."

Sorry for my absence, but school is just starting back up and I needed some time to do me. Props to the Barack posting by my cohort in blog.

Now, back to business. As, the summer drew to a close, I began to drift further apart from hip hop. Occasionally, I would listen to timeless classics on my iPod just so I wouldn't abandon the genre in whole. But, in every cloud there is a silver lining. Jay-Z, is single handed, bringing hip hop back..

Now before you began to question who is the best rapper, let us check his credentials..

1. Reasonable Doubt (Nuff Said)
2. Streets Is Watching (Set the foundation for movies such as State Property and Belly)
3. Volume 1: In My Lifetime (Besides "Sunshine", definitely was a quality, overlooked album)
4. Volume 2: Hard Knock Life (Set the standard for truly street rappers to crossover..sold 5 million+)
5. Volume 3: Life and Times of S. Carter (Introduce the "Club Banger".."Big Pimpin", "Do It Again"...)
6. Dynasty: Roc La Familia ("First I get my money right, then I get my team on (slight Kanye reference but you get the idea)..Also introduced Kayne to the world and Freeway)
7. The Blueprint (NUFF SAID)
8. The Blueprint 2: The Gift and The Curse (Hidden gems amongst a rushed album)
9. The Black Album (A proper send off)
10. Kingdom Come (A decent but rushed comeback)
11. American Gangster (One of the most cerebral albums in hip hop. From front to back, Hov gave you the story of a hustler from the beginning, to the height of power, to ultimately his downfall..)
12. Blueprint 3...

Back to business..

In the past couple of months, Sean "Jay-Z" Carter, has hit the airwaves and mixtape scene hard, letting fans (and critics) know that he is still the "G.O.A.T."..It all started with a simple freestyle to "A Milli"..



And then he proceeded to continue his tear through '08 with..
(Fast track to 2:10 to hear Hov)



And if that wasn't enough, He told the whole rap game what they were doing..



Now, after these 3 tracks, I was already waiting at Best Buy for the blueprint 3, then he proceeds to hop on..



In a game where substance is clearly lacking, Jay-Z has once again "Step out his blazer, lossend up the tie, and stepped inside the booth, Superman is alive." To deny that Jay-Z has hip hop in his hand right now, you would have to be a fool. Besides the impending release of T.I.'s "Paper Trail", "The Blueprint 3", is on a course to be another classic by the God MC. He has always had a knack for knowing exactly how to properly drop an album when hip hop is in desperate need for a savior (Coming from a man who sold 500,000+ on Sept. 11, 2001)..

"School of Hard Knocks I'm a grad, and that all blue Yankee is my graduation cap, it's HOVVVVVVVVVAAAAAAAA.."

(Shout out to Skye Boogie, for sitting through my nonsense while I got these thoughts out!!)

-Yeezy

Why are Barack Obama's biggest critics black?

When Jeff and I decided to start a blog, it was the result of an in-depth conversation about the state of hip-hop. I was sure my first post would be about the hottest new song, the redskins upcoming season or who was the baddest chick in the game. Ultimately, it was the comments made by three supposed "intellectuals" that prompted me to make my Inaugural post. On Thursday evening, August 28th, 2008, I watched (along with millions of other people) the historic, powerful, and poignant speech by Presidential candidate Barack Obama. Still high off the power and conviction of Obama's words, I turned to PBS because a friend of mine told me Tavis Smiley was interviewing Dr. Cornell West and Dr. Julianne Malveaux about the speech. I was already aware of Smiley's dislike of Obama over a forum he hosted that Obama declined to attend. However, I figured that West and Malveaux would provide a more objective and rational analysis of the speech.



To my dismay, they didn't. They only furthered my thinking that there is a serious generation gap in the black community and a conflict of interests as well. Dr. Malveaux said that the speech "broke her hart". Dr. West was displeased that he didn't devote part of the speech to the people that fought to get him to that stage. WTF?!?!

It's pretty common knowledge that Barack Obama is Black. It's also pretty common knowledge that there are still serious issues regarding race and equality in this country. If Barack Obama runs his campaign focusing on his race and it's history, he'll lose, period. Prospective voters, especially those not sold on a minority being the president, are interested in hearing what he can do for America. He addressed that specifically in his speech.

It's beyond my comprehension how they could criticize Obama when his candidacy is the culmination of the work Martin Luther King, Dr. Malveaux and Dr. West put in during the civil rights era. Maybe they feel slighted for not being acknowledged. They wanted him to refer to Martin Luther King by name in his speech. They should take MLK's advice and practice a little selflessness and shut up before they cost him the presidency. He's already had to deal with Rev. Wright's hatin ass and now this. I'm sure he was expecting some harsh criticism, but not from his own kind. It's time for these old heads(yea, you too, Jesse Nutcracker Jackson) to fall back and let history take its course. And I know alot of young people are weary of the voting process, but our ancestors died for the opportunity for us to have a voice, so that "my vote doesn't count" shit doesn't fly around here.

That'll all for today. Oh yea, No one on the corner got swagger like us lol (had to throw in the hottest current catch phrase to be trendy)

- J. Todd

"Ain't That Brandy's Brother..?"

Now, lets get a few things clear before I start my tirade...1, I am normally not a hater of any sort. 2, I feel as though the Ray-J/Kim Kardashian sex tape should have sold more tickets than "The Dark Knight". And 3, After you read this, I am sure that you will have the same disdain for any future music that is recorded by Ray-J..

Back to business..

While channel surfing last night, between NBC's 97 straight hour coverage of Michael Phelps Highlights, I ended up on MTV Jams and saw this nonsense..


I immediately threw up slightly in mouth!! This was hands down one of the top 5 worst songs I have ever heard in my life. As a matter of fact, we're going to get a little Dave Letterman-ish and give you the top 5 worst Rap/R&B songs I have ever heard..

5. "Smack That"-Akon ft. Eminem

4. "I Love My Chick"-Busta Rhymes

3. Anything by Benzino

2. "Them Jeans"-Master P (Might I add, at 1:15, this nigga says "I Ain't Bill Cosby but I love Jello Pudding!"..WTF MASTER P?!!?!?!)


(Drum roll please...)

1. "SHAWTY GOT GIFTS" by Ray-J

Like C'mon Ray-J! Shawty got gifts?!?! I am so angered by this song that I have had to replace the exclamation key on my keyboard 2 times while typing this post. And now that I think about it, I am not even mad at Ray-J, I am mad at the 5 to 7 ignorant negroes that support him with words like "Yo kid, dis shit is hot" or "Man, this is a club banger". Those people should be shot (along with Benzino, sorry extreme tangent). I am also mad at the studio people who let Ray-J come in and record this shit, the video director for agreeing to put this nonsense on camera, and the 15-20 grown ass people dancing in the background of the video. I am actually going to stop on this note before I throw up again just thinking about that God awful chorus!!!!!

"Hey wait a minute, Ain't that Brandy's brother"..

P.S., If anyone knows where Benzino is, kick him in the throat. Thanks.

-Yeezy

"If I Could Be Like Mike.."

"Some time I dream, that he is me.."

Remember growing up and seeing this commercial? Everyone wanted to be like Mike. "MJ", "His Airness", "The Greatest Player Ever". Some would even say the greatest competitor and athelete that any sport has ever seen. And I clearly would not argue with that..Well that was the case until I started paying attention to another Mike..

If you are a true sports fan, then you have been huddled by a tv into the wee hours of the morning watching the games of the XXIX Olympiad. Of course, the main focus of Americans going into these games was how would the "Redeem Team" fare in the first major international competition since the disappointment known as FIBA 2006. But in watching the Olympics, another Mike has stepped into the forefront as maybe one of the greatest competitors that modern sports has seen..this Mike..Michael Phelps.


At this moment, he is currently 6 for 6 at the Olympics, breaking world records (previously held by him) in every race that he has won. Currently, he has 14 Olympic medals (12 of them gold) and has held 26 World Records. He is already the most decorated athlete in American Olympian history and is on a pace to break Mark Spitz's (I'll wait while u wikipedia my man) record of 7 gold medals in a single olympic game..

I just figured I should write this because even through all his accomplishment, once the dust settles and the Bejing games are a mere after thought in our minds, will anyone truly remember the accomplishments of Phelps? Will kids camp outside of Footlocker to pick up the new Michael Phelps swim trunks? Will he be featured in the next freestyle by Jay-Z dissin Belgium swimmers (you know the whole LeBron/DeShawn thing..well you get the point)? Will little kids in the inner city begin to go to the pools and say "I wanna be the next Mike" instead of screaming the same sentiment as they hit the game winner in a pickup game? Only time will tell..

"Some times I dream, that he is me..Like Mike, If I could be like Mike!"

-Yeezy

"The Hood Love to Listen to Jeezy and Weezy..And Oh Yea Yeezy"

So, I choose this title for a bevy of reasons. First as a slight introduction to the world of blogging (Yeezy being a name conjured up by my friends during a heated high school rap battle, lol), and also as a smooth segway into the issue at hand. While sitting in my office looking for anything to pass the time, I began a discussion with one of my good friends (and future blog contributor) John about a few things. But the main point of the discussion is what happenend to hip hop? Of course anyone can blame Soulja Boy, Lil Jon for his crunk shannanigans, and even the radio stations for feeding into it. But is it ok for us to blame the producer? Just maybe..

As this discussion raged on, we came to a consensus that after the 2001 release of the classic album "The Blueprint", that there was a solid 4 to 5 year period of amazing rap music. Most of it accompanied by the soulful beats of one Kanye West (hence the other refrence to Yeezy in the title). His beats seemed to tell a story all in themselves. As I write this I am listening to "Guess Who's Back", off of Scarface's album "The Fix". This song was classic for a couple of reasons, one being the line up of artists on the track; Hov, Face and Beans (A hungry beans at that). But what stands out amongst Jay-Z yelling "TALK TO ME MANNN", is the beat. A sample of the song "Sunrise" by The Originals, it seems as though the beat expresses the true feeling that the song is trying to get across(See Bottom for both tracks). Not only was it this song, but other songs such as "Get By" by Talib Kweli, "The Takeover" by Jay-Z, and even "You Don't Know My Name" by Alicia Keys. Not to mention albums such as "Be" by Common and the aforementioned "Blueprint" which both had Kanye stamped all over it..

What happenend to soulful beats and lyrics displayed in those songs and many others? Is it that the artists that truly have a message or that can truly spit are being overshadowed by those who can simply come up with the latest dance (No diss to Soulja Boy, because at one point or another everyone has Superman'd Dat Hoe)? Is it the labels fault for dumbing down artist just to make a fast dollar? Or is it the producers fault for finding a commonality in the game and sticking to it, instead of branching out like the Early Kanye West?...

The Hood Loves to listen to Jeezy and Weezy...and Oh Yea Yeezy..!

-Yeezy