The Roots' last two albums have been classic. And that's speaking lightly. Rising Down and Game Theory both seemed to fly over the heads of the mainstream for some reason though. I hope that with their new album, "How I Got Over", the Philadelphia-bred band steps back into the limelight. Check out the video for the title track from the album and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...
How many Warriors stalwarts does it take to screw up a media day? Two, it turns out: One to continue his credible campaign to get the heck out of town and one to scoff at the franchise's latest bit of strategic make believe.
So much for all the positive vibes heading into the start of training camp today! Wait, the Warriors almost never have any. Time to start dumping popular players once again, apparently.
You see, Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis weren't just making random observations about their positions in the Warriors' solar system. This was bigger than Jackson's refusal to back off of his trade request and Ellis flatly stating that he could not play alongside prized rookie Stephen Curry, though those things also happened at Monday's media day.
I've never seen so many promising teams dismantled. You guys are the West coast version of the Knicks. For the latter part of this decade, this team has been the bastard children of unrealized talent and lackadaisical coaching. Don Nelson left the Mavericks in a hailstorm, and while I was sad to see his free-wheeling style gone, I can see why it's impossible to consistently win with his style. The lack of defense at all times, and the dubious decision making from the front office has made the franchise into a laughingstock again. Now that Monta won't play with Steph Curry (don't know why heads are calling him ROY already) and Captain Jack wants out, it's obvious that it's time for a change. Don Nelson has to go. He's been the one constant in this equation. He put together the 2007 Warriors team that made me believe that small ball was really the way to go. He then dismantled that same team within a year. How is that good coaching? And let's not get started on Chris Mullin. What kind of owner just sits back and lets that happen? Whatever the case, I'm not as excited to see you as I was a month ago. The starting lineup of Monta, Curry, Jackson, Randolph, and Biedrins might be a good look in video games, but in real life, it's looking as functional as a car with square wheels. I'm gonna watch the video below, and pray that you guys get your act together, like this team did...
Curren$y has arguably had the best summer out of all of last year's Freshman 10. He dropped his first album, a dope collab mixtape with Wiz Khalifa, and is working on a mixtape with Don Cannon as we speak. But for now, he's JUST going to release another mixtape called Jet Files. This time around, Hot Spitta is promising two In and Outs (quick verses over popular beats), another one of his favorite stories and, of course the slick lyrics that made his first seven mixtapes as good as they were. Check the tracklisting, some loosies and three preview videos from Curren$y off his new mixtape, 'Jet Files'...
1. Dossier (In and Out) 2. Perfect Time 3. On My Way 4. Smoke N Maintain (In and Out) 5. Sleepless in New Orleans 6. Stay Up 7. Tokyo Drift 8. The Seventies 9. The Pledge (In and Out) 10. Burn an Ounce 11. Bring Her Home 12. I’m Just Dope
Now, you know you're wrong for this one. If anything falls under 'crackhead behavior', participating in an MMA brawl as a rapper, is probably one of them. Now, I'm not saying you're destined to lose, because I've never actually heard of Eric Martinez (a quick Google search showed Martinez linked to DMX on all the hits). However, for a rapper attempting a comeback, don't you think you should probably be, ummm, maybe in the studio? Or on a promo tour? Or doing something, anything rap related? X, you were one of my favorite rappers in like 6th grade. What happened to the X that was about his grind, and not exposing himself as a druggie on BET? All I hope is that you don't end up getting knocked out, especially by a dude that's on your management team (via AllHipHop). Please just take it back to the Earl Simmons that was at the end of this track...
So, THIS is the next Air Jordan sneaker? After over 20 years of fashion, style and cultural innovation, this is the best you guys could come up with? I never knew you guys and Payless (no offense) were doing a collab! No seriously, this looks like one of the generic shoes that comes with create-a-players in basketball video games. Jordan Brand, what are you guys doing? Since the XV's, none of your releases have been that hot. It's seeming more and more that Jordans are destined to die out with retros fading in quality and ridiculous concepts like the Fusions. Get it together fellas, because this looks worse than the Dada's Chris Webber was wearing for a while. At least those looked right for the times. The 2010's look like what we thought sneakers would look like when we were still in 1995...
I'll admit it.. I slept on XV. I downloaded the mixtape, thought it was hot, but it somehow slipped through my cracks (PAUSE) over the summer with how much Curren$y and Wale I was listening to. He dropped the video for Fall Out The Sky from his mixtape 'Everybody's Nobody', and I must say, dude has a lot going for him. Check the video and make sure to check out the mixtape too...
This was simply brilliant. If you're going to try and do Tetris in real-life, this was probably the best way to do it. Happenings like this make me happy to be so open to the idea of letting my boredom take me places. So many of the cockamamie schemes we come up with in our downtime fall victim to the whims of doubt or (un)common sense. Today (I know there's not much time left), try to see one of your schemes into fruition. You might not be playing human Tetris, but it's a hell of a lot better than sitting on your butt and being mad that you're bored...
I thought we were past this but it seems like during my residence in Philadelphia, I've grown desensitized to violence. Black youth, is this really what we want our lives to be? A never-ending cycle of violence, mourning, short waves of activism and MORE violence? For the longest, it seemed like we were getting the picture. It seemed like the election of Barack Obama and the bringing of personal responsibility for students to the forefront were starting to take hold in our minds. It seemed like we were turning the corner that our forefathers had been working for decades to push us around. But alas, there's not much light that can be salvaged from this blight of darkness. Murder rates among black teens (aged 14-17) have risen almost 40% this decade alone, and with the grizzly murder of Derrion Albert, it doesn't look like this trend will tail off soon. To my peers, I have only one question: When will we stop? When will territorial vendettas and color wars become less important than our livelihood? How many more people have to die before we realize we are killing OURSELVES?!?! Okay, that was three questions, but all ones that needed to be asked. I'm sick of hearing about death. I know (or at least I hope) you are too. Be the change you want to see in yourself, people. It's an easy task for something with such difficult consequences...
Soooo, remember yesterday, and Friday, when I put you guys on to those two Big Nike High's repping LBC and Atlanta? Remember that I said Nike is probably gonna do a City Pack with more cities? Well, yeah.. I'm right!! Nike released pictures of the two other sneakers in the pack, two Blazer mids repping NYC and Chicago. The entire pack will be at Nike Sportswear's 21 Mercer St. location, but only specific ones will be available in most regions. Check the rest of the pictures of the pack...
There's no reason for Illecism to not be signed yet. If Soulja Boy and Gucci Mane have any place on record labels, then Illecism should be getting Grammy's and ASCAP's. No, seriously. Whatever the state of the music industry, Illecism is working on his second solo mixtape, the sequel to Have a Refreshment: Vol. 1, 'Tenga Un Refresco: Vol. Dos' (somebody check the Espanol on that for me). I'm excited for what's coming for this man. Check the first trailer for Illecism's new mixtape...
So, ummm, if you were following Dear Whoever earlier this month, you would have seen the two letters about college (here's the one to freshmen, and here's the one to the colleges themselves). I wanted to include some verbiage for all my college graudates. Unfortunately, I still haven't graduated yet. So, I had to get some knowledge from my man Ricky (aka InternetGoon; check the blog and the Twitter). Check out his take on being a graduate...
Smile!! Unemployment is right around the corner!!
If you didn't know, the iGoon is a graduate...I looked the word up just in case I wasn't and it means: a holder of an academic degree or diploma. Pretty simple..I've been a graduate all my life..
It first started in Kindergarten where I was prone to taking naps, kissing girl under tables, and just being a great kid. I didn't go to Pre School...I didn't need that shit..My preschool was my sister teaching me my ABC's and 123's...And by the look of it I turned out great..haha..
Then the next time I became a graduate was from Elementary School...5th Grade was actually good..I went around having different girlfriends..I actually had one girl that I took to the prom (yup we had one) and I used to call her using the house phone while I hid under a table in the living room..I didn't want my parents knowing anything so I tried to be very discreet...I wonder if it worked...By the way I was mayor of my school...All I did was make announcements on the PA speaker, get free periods off, and went on a free trip to DC...Pretty good...
Now we're in middle school...Big boys...I lived 2 minutes away from my school...I found a love for sports and became a solid athlete..Had a couple girls, experienced some major kisses...Escaped on freshman friday..(Basically every Friday, if you were a freshman you were bound to get beat up by the 7th and 8th graders) Not only was I fast as hell but I knew the upper classmen so no one was touching me...I graduated and it was great...
High School was one of the best experiences...I went to a boarding school in Delaware...did some great things..found my first love...made some great friends...had the best classes ever..was taught by the best teachers ever...I would definitely go back and experience it again...Damn...Some great times and great stories...Great graduation in which I was sad as hell..cried all over the place but I had to move on...
I moved on to college...To be honest, I didn't know there was an institution after high school..Sometimes you get so comfortable with high school that all I knew was Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and other Ivy Leaguers that I didn't have plans or dreams for college...But I made the move to a great college in Chestnut Hill, MA...Didn't like it first but realized that it would become the greatest place for me..Alcohol, women...education....more alcohol, more women...An abundant amount of nearby schools..It was just the place to be...
Now this is why graduating ain't shit...I ain't got no job...And yeah I could hide under a rock and blame the economy but fuck that...It's hard as hell out here in the real world...I wish I would have known what life would be like because I definitely did not sign up for this crap...I'm getting tired of people telling me the same thing, I'm getting tired of unpaid internships (I got bills bitch!) I'm tired of people saying "It'll get better." I haven't given up..Cause if I did I wouldn't be here..But this shit is rough..I remember last year I wrote an article saying I won't be jobless at this time next year...SMFH...Here I am, jobless...And don't get me wrong, I worked my ass off in college..It may not seem like that to you but I really don't give a fuck..I networked with what I thought were the right people...But if my connectors can't do any connecting then I'm fucked...
I got loans up my ass...It's getting real...It's not a fucking game...Now if I had a job would I be writing this article? Nope...Hopefully I get somewhere and some door opens...My resume is out there in the hands of people I trust, opportunities like blogging for Dr. Jay's may open some shit...But who knows...Right about now, graduating ain't shit...
How do you feel? I leave you with this great skit from Kanye's "College Droput"
Last Friday I dropped a preview of the LBC version of the Big Nike High. This week we got another version of the sneaker, this time with Atlanta as the premise of the colorway. So it's looking like Nike is going to do a city series with the Big Nike, even if that isn't the case, these colorways of the Big Nike are looking DOPE. Check the 3M patterning and slick colorway on the ATL Nike Big Nike...
If you know me, you know that I curse like a drunken sailor after stubbing his toe finding out his girlfriend is cheating on him. That's why this video is so freaking hilarious. I'm not really the biggest late-night television fan because I think I can come up with funnier material than them. This segment might have just proven me wrong. Make sure you watch until the last episode. Nickelodeon and CBS must really be having some problems...
I've always had a part of me that wished I could be from California. If there's a 'New York State of Mind' then there is definitely a 'California State of Mind'. I suppose the closest I'll be able to get to it, until I actually hit the West Coast, is these sneakers. The Nike Big Nike has been getting a lot of colorways lately. I feel like this might be Nike's way of telling us that they're getting tired of Dunks, in the same way that they started releasing dope Dunk colorways when the Air Force 1 got played out. Check the flicktures of the Big Nike 'Long Beach'and if you're in California, make sure to check out the release tomorrow at Proper in the LBC...
How's it going people? Today's Friday and that means only one thing: Freestyles brought to you from Dear Whoever. Last week we only had one cipher on deck, so this week we're bombarding you with them. Check these joints out, have a happy Friday and keep it locked to Dear Whoever...
This first one is from Lupe Fiasco (my favorite rapper, if you didn't know) over some track from Jay-Z (I forget the name). It's a live freestyle from a concert, so try and bear with the sound quality...
This second one is by Eminem on Tim Westwood TV, and it looks like Em is back on his dopeness (not the first half, though). I like this whole segment because it's sooo long. The only thing is all of the expletives are bleeped out (When are people gonna get over cursing?) Make sure you peep Alchemist in the background...
The last one is by Asher Roth (been bumping his stuff a lot lately) over some other random Jay-Z song. He really is one of the most eloquent MC's out right now. And he has such a distinct flow. I can't even put my finger on why his raps hit so hard, but it's impossible to deny how nice he is...
I'm not really a fan of Tyler Perry and his little black media conglomerate. First off, he's probably gay. And second off, any dude that isn't beating his wife or smoking crack in a Perry production probably is too. Third off, Tyler Perry gets way too much credit for being a 'black' playwright, rather than a playwright who just happens to be black. That's why I'm so hyped for something, anything on TV with a black cast, that ISN'T spearheaded by Tyler Perry. Enter 'Brothers', the new sitcom on FOX (they have good TV, regardless of their bullshit news programming) starring Michael Strahan, ironically playing a retired football player. Strahan's character, Mike (big whoop), decides to return home after his playing days are over, only to see that the more he's changed, the more his family stays the same. The trailer seems funny and the premise, while somewhat worn, has some room for hilarity to ensue. Plus, you won't find Michael Strahan dressing up in drag. Check the trailer for 'Brothers' and the cast of the show talking about it on the red carpet...
A Russian tycoon with a longstanding passion for basketball agreed to a $200 million deal on Wednesday that would make him the principal owner of the New Jersey Nets and a key investor in the team’s proposed new home in Brooklyn.
Mikhail D. Prokhorov, who is 44 years old, stands as tall as a basketball forward and is widely considered the richest man in Russia, would become the first overseas owner of a National Basketball Association team. While other Russian billionaires have become prominent in English soccer, Mr. Prokhorov now becomes the first of that group to cross the Atlantic with the aim of becoming part of the American sports scene.
Mr. Prokhorov’s deal also stands out because there is little foreign ownership of any kind in major American sports. Last May, Chinese investors reached a deal to purchase 15 percent of the N.B.A.’s Cleveland Cavaliers. And the majority owners of Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners are Hiroshi Yamauchi, a former executive of Nintendo, the Japanese video-game company, and Nintendo USA, the company’s American subsidiary.
Move over Jay-Z. Brooklyn is getting a taste of that Soviet swagg, now. The question is, is this good for the NBA? Let's take a look at some precedents. In The English Premier League (soccer, for you uncultured ingrates), another Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich drew the same ire after purchasing the controlling stake in the Chelsea Football Club for $233 million. The catch? Within two years after the takeover they had won the Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup twice. They went from perennial runner-up to being THAT team in England. Of course they drew a lot of flack for basically turning into an 'evil' empire-esque club, but theystill got those championships.
That said, Nets, this could be a big move for you guys. In recent years your company, not just the team has been going through some financial hardship. Plus, it's not like you guys have been making deep playoff runs in the past few years. You've got my favorite point guard (Devin Harris) on a team full of scrubs, with the exception of Brook 'Shaq' Lopez. Any dead presidents coming into the franchise would automatically put some rocket fuel into a team that's been languishing. In terms of the whole 'foreigner owning an American team' issue, what really is the issue? We as Americans are completely fine with economic imperialism, so why can't more than one country play at that game? Prokhorov isn't some blind billionaire just looking for a new toy. Dude actually plays basketball and has invested a lot of money into basketball in Russia. Honestly, this is a win-win move for you guys and the NBA. We're always talking about how we wat basketball to be a global game. Well, here's our first taste of that. I wonder what Prokhorov thinks of the Blueprint 3...
