Nike Fresh Water Pack

Nike's really been releasing a lot of solid retro's these days. This is the Fresh Water pack, including a DOPE Air Griffey Max One and an Air Max 95 with the big bubble. You'd better cop before they start releasing generic looking Dunks and Air Force 1's again.

Crank 2: High Voltage

I hate when people try and discredit movies saying "that couldn't happen in real life". It's like taking offense to a video game player. In the realm of film, unless the story happened in real life and ACTUALLY is inspired by or mirrored by actual events, your belief should be suspended. See the heart-pounding action scenes and clearly infeasible happenings, and enjoy them for what they're worth. Stop trying to make something entertaining into a Discovery Channel show. That aside, Crank was a dope movie, but THIS looks like the craziest movie EVER, reality aside.

Killa Cam on the O'Reilly Factor

It's been over six years since Cam'ron and Dame Dash graced the airwaves of uber-conservative white Americans and crash landed on Fox News with good old, black-hating Bill O'Reilly. The dialogue was something that NO ONE could script and fewer people could find themselves not laughing hysterically at. While it set black people back another twenty years, it was still refreshing to see Bill taken aback by the virulent joking and stupidity that ensues when you pick guests that pigeonhole the demographics that they represent. But this segment is even better when you consider that Killa Cam would be completely down with making another appearance on the show, according to SOHH.com:

Quote:

Cam'ron recently spoke on Bill O'Reilly, recalling his infamous 2003 interview, and the Dipset leader revealed his interest in returning to the controversial show. 
Click here to find out more! 

Killa dished out his thoughts on the Fox network host and why he would go back for a head-to-head session. 

"If they ever invite me, I would love to come back," Cam said in an interview. "I get a lot of people on the street who still tell me, 'I loved you on Bill O'Reilly' but whenever he invites me, definitely, I'd go back especially now since I know what type of person he is, I didn't know who Bill O'Reilly was before I got there and that was my first time. I had never watched the show before. I never knew what type of person [he was], that was just me being me. But not that I know what I'm dealing with, I'll be even more prepared." (The Life Files)

SOHH.com

Nike Blazer High - Nintendo Wii

Themed sneakers can be either hit or miss. I know about 99% of my friends would give their firstborn for a pair of "MF Doom" SB's but would kill themselves if forced to even touch a pair of the "Day of the Dead" SB's. Nike's releases are like Jamal Crawford's success; either really, really shitty or unbelievably dope. Even when the actual theme is nice, it's execution is detestable, similar to the 2nd season of the Boondocks. It's absurd how inconsistent Nike is with their themed releases. However, I'm hyped about these. Nike is releasing a "Nintendo Wii" pack, the first release being a high-top Blazer. The soles are clear with a light blue tint, like the cover used for the Wii nunchuck. There's bright red piping around the swoosh and on the tongue in a power logo (pictured below), ostrich-skin on the heel tab and the laces are of the same material as the nunchuck lanyard. It's not often that Nike is able to release a dope sneaker with a commercial theme. I'm definitely copping. I should probably get a Wii though at some point.

Swagger Magazine?

I hate the word swagger. No, I detest the word swagger. No word is misused than swagger. Dumb niggas who listened to a Weezy song yesterday and watch Soulja Boy's "Rich Nigga Shit" Youtube videos are like parrots when it comes to the word swagger. Hell, half of these heads couldn't give you a dignified definition of swagger, much less display any type of swagger that doesn't blow Wayne, Kanye, Jay and T.I. all at once. People have used the word so much that there are different spellings now (ie: swagg, swag, swagga, swaggah, swagah, I've seen it all). The word swagger is so overused that they have derivations of the word now. Seriously though? Swaggerific? Swaggtastic? Swaggnificence? The world (or at least the hip-hop) has put the word swagger in their mouths and it has fucked our lexicon to the point of no return. But lo and behold, the advent of Swagger Magazine, the magazine all about... you guessed it; swagger. While I'm not really high on the word, the magazine looks like it might be well put together. Plus the first three people on the cover list make up about half of my iTunes library. Behold Swagger Magazine, where swagger isn't any thing, it's the only thing.

This cover oozes swaggnificense...

Dear Ron Artest

Ron, Ron, Ron; you've come a long way since yoking up that fan in the Palace. There was a point at which I thought your career was over to tell you the truth. Between getting suspended for an entire season and getting stuck in the doldrums in Sacramento, you even tried to start a rap career. That's why when you got traded to Houston and through the first 3/4 of the season without any altercations, I was pretty surprised. But as with most stars with a hot-headed streak, Ron had to go crazy. Did you really think that you would be able to hold Kobe down the whole game? I know you're one of the best defenders in the league, but you've definitely watched enough SportsCenter to know the three players you can't check (LeBron, D-Wade, and of course Kobe). Seriously Ron, even when he pulled that ridiculous spin move on you for an open three, didn't you think it would be wise to just keep it shut and let your defense talk for you? Anyway, I hope you learned a lesson. While I think Kobe is a dick, he's the best (or 2nd best for you LeBron lovers) player in the league as well as the reigning MVP. Maybe, just maybe he was "ready for you". You must be feeling crunchy though; especially after the man laughed hysterically in your face at that statement. Hey, at least your team is doing better than the Mavs.

Dear Diddy

I guess I'm not the only person who thinks you are poision. From Ma$e to Total to G-Dep to Black Rob to Shyne (when is he getting out?) to Day 26 to Craig Mack to the L.O.X. (thank God they saw the light) to Faith Evans to Carl Thomas, you've ruined people's lives and made BANK off of them. Seriously, Diddy, or Puffy or P. Diddy or whatever the fuck you call yourself this hour, you need to stop making reality shows, stop finding new artists to leech off of and start actually creating music. Hell, I guarantee if Biggie was still alive (RIP) he would be in the same boat. Why do people still think that signing with Diddy is an opportunity? Bad Boy Records should just start calling themselves Bad Boy Cemetery with the amount of dead artists on their roster. I guess when you helped promote one of the best rappers alive or dead, you can put your hand on anything and it'll turn into gold. The problem with Diddy is that ten minutes later the gold starts tarnishing, and by the time people realize what happened, a new golden calf has been cast and niggas just assume the old gold never existed. Fuck Diddy. Fuck Bad Boy. I hope you gets stuck in hip-hop purgatory and are forced to listen to the crap you've put out on repeat for the rest of eternity. Or better yet, I hope you have to listen to Dream's album on repeat for the rest of eternity. 

Dear Saigon,

It seems like a long ass time since you released "Favorite Things" and Turtle and Drama discovered you trying to find that stolen car. You've really gone off the deep end in the past few years. From telling everyone "I QUIT" in November '07 to inking a deal a few weeks ago to sign with Amalgam Digital, (listen to the CEO talk about the deal HERE) the record company that is basically RUN by the man you're constantly sending diss records at. Even if it is one album "All in a Day's Work" (which is a nice little concept), you're really reaching here, my dude. Damn, Sai, is the recession going that hard? Are times that rough? A nigga doesn't even have his hair braided in that first video. Peep what Joey had to say about Saigon's signing. Joey always seem to be on the cool and collected side with whatever he does. That's really why I bang with him:

Asher Roth - Asleep in the Bread Aisle

So unless you've been living under a rock (or way too drunk), you have to have heard the nostalgic, guitar-laced jam by Pennsylvania native Asher Roth, "I Love College." After his critically acclaimed, weed-themed mixtape "The Greenhouse Effect," dude is putting out his first full-length release. There's no scheduled date (that would be way too sober for Roth) so keep your ears open. I'll definitely keep you guys posted. But for now, here's the cover, tracklist, and a few nice videos to keep you occupied.



1. Lark on My Go Cart (prod. by Oren Yoel and David Appleton)
2. Blunt Cruise (prod. by Oren Yoel)
3. I Love College (prod. By Mike Carren and Ben Allen)
4. La Di Da (prod. By Don Cannon)
5. Fallen (prod. by Novel)
6. Be By Myself Feat. Cee-Lo (prod. by Oren Yoel)
7. She Don’t Want A Man (prod. by Oren Yoel)
8. Sour Patch Kids (prod. by Oren Yoel)
9. As I Em (prod. by Oren Yoel and David Appleton)
10.Bad Day Feat. Jazze Pha (prod. by Oren Yoel and David Appleton)
11. Leo The Lion Feat. New Kingdom (prod. by Yoel)
12. His Dream Feat. Miguel (prod. by Yoel)
13. Nothing You Can’t Do (prod. by Nottz)

The Mailing List: March 2009 (#2)

2. Mishka Flagship Store Opening

I always respected Mishka. From their sometimes macabre designs and outlandish colors to the dubious pronunciation of the brand's name, Mishka is a bastion of originality and eccentricity in the streetwear game. That's why I'm so hyped for this. Mishka is finally opening up their first flagship store in Brooklyn (why won't niggas in the Bronx get up on their streetwear?) on Friday the 13th (seems fitting for them). Details on the time and place are below. There's an afterparty, too. Anyone down to make moves?

Playing Scrabble with Weezy

Maybe Weezy F. isn't as dumb as we think...

Rockin' that Shit (Remix)

I'll admit it. I never used to really like the Dream. I thought he was going to be a one-hit wonder and he was going to end up doing a reality show on VH1 within the next two years. Guess even my prognostication ends up wrong at times. Rockin that Shit is officially the ultimate "grab a shorty" song and the remix is no different. Peep the video and the exorbitant amount of Louis Vuitton being displayed. I don't understand how LV hasn't just given in and started letting rappers endorse them. Right now they're making bank from free promotion. (sigh) Leave it to niggas to pay money to subscribe to a brand's style so hard, but get no sort of love from that brand.

Dear Jordan Brand

You guys have officially lost me. What the fuck? I could deal with the constant retro's. The packs were okay too. But these Fusions are despicable. Which fistful of assholes in their right mind came up with this concept?

Nike x Jordan Board Meeting:

Idiot 1: Hey guys, we're up the creek without a paddle. Since the Jordan 18's have dropped, our sales have gone down faster than Brittney Spears' record sales. How can we revitalize the brand?

Idiot 2: Maybe we can just keep rehashing the same sneakers we've always had, just with shittier materials, and then release them in "packs" of two. People will think they're getting a deal when we're fucking their wallets even worse!!!

Idiot 1: No, we've already done that. Plus we can't do any more combinations unless we start having three sneakers a pack and only do the lower numbers. That would be OD; and really hard math to do. Come on guys. We've got to have some ideas.

Retard from Nike (in trademark retard voice): Duhhhhh, maybe we can make a shoe that looks like an Air Force 1 and a Jordan at the same time. We can put them together and make more monies (yes, monies). I think it would look.... (starts drooling and ceases speaking)

Idiot 1: That idea just might be crazy enough to work!!! We can even use the shitty materials we have sitting around in the China warehouses!!! Tell the production people to put Air Force 1 soles on Jordan uppers and start making the Fusions!!!

-End-

I guess when you're the biggest sportswear brand in the world, you can take a shit, put it in a box and it'll still sell like holy water. So much for brand creativity.

It's Mickey!!!

Yeah, so I'm on another blogging binge after going a few days with nothing. But it's whatever because my blog is piff. Here's some more Mickey Factz for y'all:

"This music ish is just like breathin. Got a strong sinus, too bad you got bronchitis." Mickey is a fucking monster.

Everybody and their mom, sister, son, cousin, best friends and dog has spit over this beat. Mickey's the only one that went in off the top and still killed it.

I'm telling you guys right now that this man is the truth.

The Mailing List: March 2009 (#3)

3. SPRING!!!!

I fucking hate winter. Not only is it freezing cold, but it seems like everyone has a cold demeanor during the winter months. I don't want to be outside during the winter. The weather plays a factor in whatever transportation decisions I end up having to make. Not to mention, my living room has a shitty draft coming through the window, but once I turn the heat up, the room gets stuffy and starts smelling like guy. That's why number 3 on March's mailing list is Spring!!! It officially starts on March 21st, when I can finally put my huge North Face snorkel away and just rock a tee shirt. You can see the change that spring brings in people. Everyone seems happier. There are actually people outside. I don't mind taking the long way to class and chilling outside with my friends. But the best thing about spring is that women finally begin disrobing and we see a lot more of this:

Is that Serena or just some random chick from the Bronx? Is Nike is finally reaching out to the sisters!?!?

Dear Shitty Black Establishments

Now, I've always been one to support my people, seeing that there's usually no support coming from elsewhere. I make the effort do my business at black-owned and black-operated establishments in the hope that somehow our people as a whole will benefit and for the most part will give them the benefit of the doubt depending on the situation. However, when I realize that my hard-earned (and when I say hard-earned I mean that shit) money is spent for naught, I get pissed. I get upset when niggas think that just because you're black that they can act out and give you bad service. When your English is indecipherable, you have an attitude while serving me, you smell, clearly don't care or want to care, and just suck at operating a business, I can't subscribe to it anymore. Fuck supporting black businesses when they don't do good business. For God's sake, we have a BLACK PRESIDENT!!! If that man can get to the White House, y'all niggas should be able to put a fucking plate down in front of me with a smile on your face. When you guys step your service up, I'll step my tip up.

Three Dope MC's

So I said I would feature Mickey Factz every day this week. Here goes nothing. Mickey is one of those MC's that goes extra hard when he's cyphers with other dope MC's. Here's a freestyle with him, Cory Gunz and Charles Hamilton from Sirius Satellite Radio and after that a freestyle with him and Cory Gunz on BET's The Deal (aka the fake Rap City). Enjoy, kids. You're hearing three of the up-and-comers in the game.

Mickey Factz, Cory Gunz & Charles Hamilton on Sirius Satellite Radio

Mickey Factz & Cory Gunz on "The Deal"

Dear Barry Bonds

BEFORE:


AFTER:

We know you took steroids, Barry. It's obvious. No man can go from a skinny, fast, base-stealer, to a beefy (PAUSE) home-run hitter who can barely run around the bases. Your career is over. Your record is a farce and you no longer have credibility. Not to mention you're a selfish son of a bitch when it comes to playing with a team. Face it, Barry. I find it unbelievably funny that you're trying to make a comeback and shopping offers from teams these days. I guess all that litigation you're tied up is making your wallet thinner than you were. Yes, the recession is even hitting the immortal and over-juiced Barry Bonds. By the way, don't think that anyone forgot about this: 

Barry Bonds, if he continues taking steroids

The Mailing List: March 2009 (#4)

4. Jadakiss - The Last Kiss

For those of you who don't know (if you're reading this, you probably already do), Jadakiss is the TRUTH. His flow is impeccable, his wordplay is unparalleled and his punchlines are top 5 dead or alive, in my humble opinion. The funny thing is, dude has only released two albums. But after 5 years and a few low-key features (not to mention, a play count of 139 for his A Millie freestyle), Al-Quaeda Jada is coming out with the new album, "The Last Kiss". It drops March 10 (hopefully, that is; y'all know how shit gets pushed back constantly). Here's the cover, tracklist and his first single (I don't like it, but Jada's never been one for love songs to me):

1. Pain & Torture
2. Something Else (featuring Young Jeezy)
3. Things I’ve Been Through
4. Can’t Stop Me
5. Money and Jewelry
6. Smoking Gun (featuring Jazmine Sullivan)
7. Times Up (featuring Barrington Levy)
8. I Tried (featuring Avery Storm)
9. Searching (featuring Sheek Louch)
10. Two-Step (featuring Pharrell Williams)
11. Come and Get Me (featuring Sheek Louch & S.I.)
12. By My Side (featuring Ne-Yo)
13. Death Wish (featuring Lil Wayne)
14. Letter to B.I.G. (featuring Faith Evans)

Reebok "The Question" Retro

So you guys have finally admitted that the recession is even hitting the sneaker game. Taking a page out of Jordan Brand's never-ending saga of retro's, re-releases, re-retro's and infamous packs, Reebok is re-releasing the original "The Question", the first signature shoe of Allen Iverson. The shoe comes in the original colorway of the original release of the shoe from 1996, complete with the icy blue sole and the bubble, that, as a kid, I poked so much that I popped it after two months. Whatever the case, kids, this is a limited release (go figure), complete with a signed box. I'm definitely copping before they retro it again and raise the price because they come in a baby-skin case with a platinum and diamond-encrusted hangtag, some socks made from AI's newly shaved hair, and a random Allen Iverson highlight DVD.