Matt Damon is officially an action star. Quote me on that. After dropping jaws left and right with his wildly successful appearances in The Jason Bourne series, Damon is back with another BANGER. Green Zone is based on the novel Imperial Life in the Emerald City by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekara, which deals with the United States' search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Damon plays a CIA officer who stumbles onto pivotal information in that search. Looks like it's going to be a hell of an action movie. Check the trailer...
Okay, Tiger... I'm actually sick of writing about you and wish that some other athlete or personality would do something newsworthy. Regardless, as I turned on my television this morning to ESPN (as usual), I was met with the usual talk about you and your career and its downfall. After all of this, I have one thing to say:
WHY ARE YOU APOLOGIZING!?!?!?
Tiger do you realize how bad the media made you look? If so, you should realize that by apologizing on national television and making such a big deal about it, you're playing right into the media's hands. I find it funny that you felt the need to do this considering the amount of infidelity that runs rampant among celebrities, entertainers, athletes and politicians. John Edwards had a lovechild that he denied for a year. Lil' Wayne has about 6 baby mothers that we actually know of. Yet and still, no one is asking them to apologize. You've essentially put yourself in a position, where if you don't do well at golf when you come back, your career is over, no matter how much you apologize. You've been painted a cheater and homewrecker and a person of bad moral character in the court of public opinion. In fact, I think if you had just kept silent, and popped up at the next major tournament on the PGA Tour, it would be a lot more powerful than you up at a podium reciting a written apology. It's a sad state in the world where groupies can bring down the most pristine of stars, yet people who do just as much wrong go unnoticed. Tiger, go hit the ball and love your business partner wife. Lord knows she's waiting for another groupie to step to you so she can collect that next check...
If you watched the movie 'Funny People' (yeah it wasn't that good) then you remember Aziz Ansari's character, Randy. It's funnier that now, Aziz is taking his character to the next level and recording a comedy mixtape in that character. He's going to have special appearances from his in house DJ, and more jokes that will have you laughing your d*cks off. Check the trailer out and stay tuned for the actual mixtape...
What's good people? It's Friday, which means freestyles!! Today, it's the XXL edition of Freestyle Friday because of all the cyphers coming out from this year's Freshman 10. Honestly, we know most of these cats already, but I suppose it's time for them to step into the limelight. Check out verses from J. Cole, Wiz Khalifa, Nipsey Hussle, Fashawn and Pill...
This is either some kid's fantasy, or came straight out of an episode of Cribs. Customized Designs manufactures this coffee table which encases a 32-inch screen, and can be connected to any video input. The company also can build in underlights, as well as a netbook PC into the console with a bunch of pre-made background. Don't worry about scratches and water damage, because the glass is 1/4 inch think. All in all, a table like this would turn any living room into your favorite room, though at $1499, it's not a recession-buy. Check the video...
I guess owning the Clippers has its perks when you're the one pulling the strings, whether they win or lose...
It's been a long time coming, but slowly and surely, the summer of 2010 will be upon us. A year ago, it seemed like all of the speculation around potential free agents was all sizzle and no steak. Now that it's 2010, and a lockout is becoming more and more imminent by the day, a lot of you are trying to save your asses. You're looking to set yourself up for the summer to get a good pickup, and also trying to make sure your teams will be solvent and your assets players will be safe from the bullshit of arbitration. That said, I can understand the frenzy. At the same time, I think it is detestable how you guys are treating your players, because it's going to affect the game soon.
Whether it's Marcus Camby finding out about his trade (2 days after the fact) from his agent while at dinner with his family, or John Salmons being left at the team's hotel on a gameday upon his trade, it's obvious: you guys have become less and less concerned with the treatment of their players and more with the bottom line. And that bottom line is coming before player morale (the Nets look like they're writing suicide notes), the team winning (Knicks; 'nuff said) and even federal law (coughGilbertcoughcoughArenascough). But seriously, when will it stop guys? When will the cap-clearing and player shuffling stop? When will you guys hold on to your players so that there's some sense of loyalty? I'm not going to lie. Players are spoiled prima donnas sometimes. Sometimes moving players need to be moved for one reason or another. Sometimes the money does override the player's interest. But here's an interesting thought: maybe taking care of your players would lead to better outcomes and less friction between the players and the ownership.
T-Mac probably would have gone right back to this, given the time to rest...
Think about it: Why didn't LeBron participate in the Dunk Contest this year? He didn't want to get injured and have the front office start yanking his money. Look at T-Mac (PRAYING he's back to form for the Knicks). Why was his departure from Houston so hard? The ownership didn't want to lose their asset player, and would rather him rot on the bench. Look at Chris Paul, who's team decided to have surgery on his knee, instead of letting it heal naturally. He could have stayed out and rehabbed the knee correctly, but is probably going to play again this season (another order from the management), and re-aggravate it. And there are historical precedents for this, like A'mare Stoudamire or J-Kidd, who's careers were slowed down by their teams opting for quick returns. You guys really do treat the players like assets. No wonder there's going to be a lockout. Players won't play for you guys unless they know their money is safe, because they know once you're done with them, they get dropped.
I suppose it is just business, and we are in a recession. but at the end of the day, is the NBA doing good business right now? Players against the owners, injuries galore, wack All-Star Games and lack of competition don't sound like a success to me. Then again, most people would rather wack basketball than none. Get it together, owners. This summer will definitely be crazy, but you guys have to do your players right, and I guarantee they'll do right by you...
No, that is not a typo. I meant to entitle this blog post that way, because frankly, it's a lesson few people learn. Also, it's a friendly reminder of why Oakland is not to be messed with. On a city bus, a white man and a black man get into an argument over something racially sensitive. The white guy walks away, and you see the back of his shirt, which says 'I Am a Motherfucker'. Now, I don't know about the next man, but upon seeing that shirt, I most likely would have ended the quibble and went about my day. As you can see in the video, homeboy who got bloodied up clearly didn't heed the advice in the title. I hope the people in the ambulance didn't laugh too hard at him...
Keeping it Real, like a very famous comedian once said (if you need the name, off yourself), is the most used phrase in the world. Everyone likes to keep it real. The question, however, is whether everyone can keep it real. Most people say they keep it real, but then when faced with the opportunity to do such, either keep it extra fake or, worse, keep it too real. Therein lies the problem: How real is too real? Does realism stop because of a less-than-honorable cause, or should we keep it real regardless?
Waka Flocka Flame is currently in the recording studio working on completing his goal of releasing twenty street albums by 2011. Three releases are currently on deck, including Salute Me or Shoot Me Volumes 2 and 3 and the studio album Murda Man Flocka. Waka, who is a member of 1017 Brick Squad, will travel to New York this week to make an appearance on BET’s 106 & Park countdown show.
Enter Waka Flocka Flame (FLOCKA!!!!). You are one of my new favorite rappers, simply because you keeps it real. Waka, you don't try to fool hip-hop. Unlike 95% of the industry, who hide behind a guise of lyricism and try to dupe the masses into believing their raps are superior, you keep it 100. Your lyrics are non-existent, and you have absolutely no problem with that, and now, I have no problem with that. Waka, I can respect your hustle (this is when 'hustle' should be used) because besides making money and getting shot over a chain, you don't bother anyone. You stay in your lane of making ignorant catchy tunes and doing shows and are making BANK off of that. In fact, by saying that the lyrical cats in hip-hop aren't making money, you may have made one of the best points I've ever heard! Infectious singles make stars (for the most part), not punchlines and metaphors. I'm not going to sit here and say that I condone that (I wouldn't be keeping it real), but it's a valid assertion, Waka.
For what it's worth, your music is catchy in that 'I'm at a club with a drink in hand and nonsense on my mind' way. At the same time, it's never going to make me press rewind or be on my shortlist of best lyrical songs. As long as you're okay with that, I'm okay with that. Like you said, you have no wife, no kids, a brand new house, cars and are doing shows for over $15,000 each. And that all came from an admitted non-lyrical track that shot up the charts. AND you have another 20 albums on the way?? Waka, that is trill, to say the least. If more people kept it as real as you did, there would be no reason for the rap vs. hip-hop debate. The lanes would be clear, and everyone would have their slice of the pie...
Remember the Kicks, Chicks & Porno Flicks mixtape I posted about a month ago? Well, in that post I spoke about togetherness in hip-hop and a new wave of collaborations coming our way. This is one of them. Producer Ski Beatz, along with Dame Dash brought together the likes of Mos Def, Jim Jones, Curren$y, The Cool Kids, Stalley, Jean Grae, Jay Electronica, Camp Lo, Wiz Khalifa and Tabi Bonney to create the album '24 Hour Karate School'. Clearly most of these MC's aren't well versed (pun; get it?) in karate, so they did the next best thing, and rapped. The tape doesn't come out until March 30th, so I guess you'll have to practice centering your chi until then. Check out the trailer and some snippets from the tape...
I'm generally not the biggest fan of taking animation to live action. However, I was never really an Avatar (James Cameron cost Disney millions by swiping that name) fan, so seeing this movie won't ruin a classic like GI Joe did. 'The Last Airbender' (the official title) follows the first season of the show, where Aang (the last airbender; hence the title) tries to restore balance to the earth. Yeah, it's a bit of a trippy premise if you're not into fantasy, but visually it looks pretty cool. Not sure if it's going to compare to the real other Avatar, but with a bunch of bad buddy comedies slated for this summer, there might not be much more to watch...
Young Money has long been the butt of hip-hop jokes because of their lack of star power behind Lil' Wayne, Drake and Nicki Lewinski. Yet, it's looking like they're going to have to rely on that star power when Weezy F. Baby goes to Club Fed Riker's Island next month. Hip-hop comedy blog, ItsTheReal delves into whether the 2nd, 3rd and so forth in command of Young Money can hold the fort down until their Daddy (you know someone in YM has to call him that, at this point) comes home. Check the video, because, trust, you've been thinking the same thing for a minute...
Greetings from Harlem, USA, where 15 years ago, hip-hop had made its way back uptown. In 1995, Big L released the album 'Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous', a gritty portrayal of life in Harlem at the time, and the most ridiculous barrage of metaphors this side of the Hudson. L came out to huge acclaim from the underground community and with good reason. His brand of rap had never been heard before. Sadly, Lamont Coleman was gunned down right on his block of 139th, at the peak of his career. His raps stand the test of time though. The track 'I Don't Understand It' talks about the watering-down of mainstream hip-hop and rappers putting on characters to sell records. That sounds eerily familiar to today. If a song made 15 years ago still applies today, shouldn't that artist be more highly acclaimed? #imjustsayin
Re-living childhood memories when you're older is a treat that everyone relishes. I know a lot of you remember playing dodgeball in gym class. These students at the University of Alberta (Canada; next time get an atlas) decided not only to play dodgeball, but to host a game so big, it would break the world record for players. First off, some of those kids had to be cheating. And second off, how long was that game?? The game still looked like dope time. Check the video...
Do you know what the difference between rap and hip-hop is? I'll give you a second. Whereas rap is saying you love something, hip-hop is being in love. Whereas much of rap is going through the motions, hip-hop is much more extensive. All-Star Weekend, you turned into rap, a shell of your former exciting self. I'm not sparing the rod this year because last year was even less disappointing. Let's see how far you've slipped:
First of all, ASG, what's up with all of the corporate sponsorships and bubble-gum R&B/pop acts? If it wasn't T-Mobile and Taco Bell ads being repeated left and right, then it was Shakira and Alicia Keys as long-winded headshakers of performances and Usher making me feel uncomfortable with his Batman-esque corset during the introduction.
Skin-tight plastic does not make me want to play or watch basketball...
Second of all, All-Star Saturday night SUCKED. Point blank. The three-point contest had at least two participants who shouldn't have been in it (Paul Pierce, you aren't the best shooter in the world; you just got hot). Then, the dunk contest was a yawner to say the least. Gerald Wallace looked like he didn't want to be there, and did some of the blandest, emotionless dunks ever. Shannon Brown did a dunk that I can do after failing terribly at his first (somewhat) impressive dunk. DeMar DeRozan tried to copy Vince Carter with his dunks. And the winner, Nate Robinson did what he's been doing: be short and dunk. I have no problem with him winning it this year, because it sucked, but for future reference, get Nate out of the contest. His dunks wouldn't be as cool if he was 6'4" instead of 5'7". The dunk contest seriously might have taken a shotgun blast to the head with the way 2010's contest went. Either you get the stars to come out and go HARD, or you cancel it. That brings me to my final point, the actual All-Star Game.
DONTLETSHANNONDUNK.COM
ASW, I was one of a few people who didn't criticize some of your omissions from the teams, although I know some of the players didn't deserve to be there. I'm simply going to say that this year's game was a tad bit less boring than the dunk contest, but was unbelievably uncompetitive and boring. I didn't fall asleep because of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade (their dunks and alley-oops could have won the dunk contest) being the superstars that they are and actually being competitive. Other than that, you're game this year was a YAWN. The game was about as intense as Summer's Eve lotion, and the eerie silence in your record crowd of 108,713 displayed that perfectly.
Clearly the most exciting parts of the weekend were when this man touched the court.. Everything else?? Meeehhhhhh....
This was the biggest crowd to watch a basketball game EVER. All-Star Weekend, you could have been the boost that basketball needed. You could have been the reason that people got their interest in the NBA again. For people that don't watch basketball on the regular, the you should have been spectacular and bigger than big. Instead it was like a giant circus with unfunny clowns, tiny elephants and fake fire-breathers. I can honestly say that I've never been let down by a sporting event as much as I was with your ASW 2010. To say you were a slam dunk this year is more than a lie; it is a travesty...
DISCLAIMER: In no way, shape or form, am I denouncing the use of music for charity... It's just jokes, and social commentary.
We Are the World is a classic. By that virtue, it might have been better off not being touched. When crisis hits in the world, most normal musical conventions go out the door in lieu of philanthropy. Artists that would never have met are cast onto the same stage. Musical genres that should never really converge on the same song are mashed together for an honorable cause. Enter the earthquake in Haiti. Everyone bruised their fingers with the amount of aid text messages, and now you guys, the stars, decided to ramp up your own initiatives.
If this was what came of all your brainstorming and studio sessions, then you guys had better pray that this song even goes Wood. From the minute I saw Jamie Foxx's introduction, where he looked like he was holding back hysterical laughter, I knew that this song was destined for hilarity. Lil' Wayne and T-Pain laced the track with auto-tune while LL Cool J and Will.i.am belted out some of the most generic, underwhelming raps about hope and Haitian prosperity I've ever heard. You guys even had 10 seconds of Michael Jackson superimposed next to Janet (I wonder if Universal is going to sue for that).I mean seriously guys, if you're going to do charity songs, you should make sure the song sounds good. Everyone in that room, for the most part, was tone-deaf, making the actual singers in the ensemble sounds just as bad. It was like you guys pressed to find something to do, and at the last minute someone said, "Hey! Maybe we should remake 'We Are the World!'"
Good idea, but bad execution, guys. It's one thing to bring celebrities together for a good cause. It's something completely different to invite everyone in your BBM and ask Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones to make singers out of them. Like I said before, I can't balk at your attempt, because no charity should go unheralded. Why ruin a classic though? I'd rather remember it...
Steve Nash is a Hall of Fame point guard, two time NBA MVP, and apparently, a budding comedic filmmaker. Instead of going the traditional route of having a cheesy, slow-motion commercial, where he does moves you've already seen him do to a dark background and cool music, he's making his own Vitamin Water commercial. The ad clearly pokes fun at the Dos Equis commercials and put Steve Nash on my radar for one of the funniest dudes in the NBA (especially now that Gilbert Arenas got knocked off). Check his new Vitamin Water commercial, and his older mock-infomercial...
Let's get this straight: spin-offs usually SUCK. In fact, I'd rather most spinoffs stay unspun, so that the original story doesn't get thrown to the whims of idiocy by money-hungry Hollywood producers. Regardless, there are a few instances where spinoffs might very well be just as funny as the first. Enter 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall', a hilarious interpretation of the (a)typical breakup. Remember Aldous Snow, the drugged-out, hypersexual, societal norm-bashing rock star that took the main character's girlfriend? Yeah, well this new movie, 'Get Him to the Greek' is Aldous' spinoff, where a record company intern (Jonah Hill aka the fat kid from Superbad) has to transport the lawless rocker from London to Los Angeles in 72 hours. Judging from the character in the first movie, this should be epic. Hopefully the producers didn't write out all of the funny stuff from the first movie. If not, I'll have wasted two hours on OneClickMoviez $12 for a sub-par spinoff comedy. Then again, it's from the same team as Knocked Up, so it might be entertaining, at least. You be the judge. Check the trailer and look out for the movie on June 4th...
