If you are a Cleveland fan you can cry.
I’m predicting right now that LeBRON and the Cavaliers will be on vacay by tomorrow.
The dream matchup between KOBE and LeBRON will have to wait another season.
Nike senses the forecast too so they are rolling out all their Most Valuable Puppet videos while they can still be relevant.
When it comes to throwing Kanghey Zest under the bus that is usually Bol’s lane but today I had to put ‘Ye on blast for the interview here at the X-spot featuring him and his self-help guru Sakiya Sandifer.
Kanye West, Between The Sheets Lines
The crown of the interview is when ‘Ye is asked what might have been the influence for his book’s graphic layout. It seems the book uses a format similar to Saul William’s ‘Said The Shotgun To The Head’. In truth the ‘Ye book doesn’t remark the Saul William’s book to me but it is more reminiscent of 1970 modern ad propaganda. When confronted with the question though KanYe bristled.
“You know what, I’m not familiar with no books. I don’t know no books, dead ass.”
Relax KanYe. Sure you know from books. Why else would you write a book anyhoo? You obviously recognize the power of words to inform and TRANSFORM people’s lives so you decided to put your words on paper so that people could read them and invoke the words that might help them have success in their lives similar to yours. That’s called a book playboy. Accept it and embrace it. The idea of writing informational shit down is one of the pillars of civilization.
I don’t understand how you promote a book you’ve written by telling people that you don’t fux with books? I would hate for someone famous to be promoting a music CD of them rapping when they say that they don’t listen to rap. Something like a Joaquin Phoenix. “Does anyone make real shit anymore?!?” is one of my favorite lines when I witness pop culture doppelgangers at work. KanYe almost becomes one of the people that he rails against.
I think KanYe has some kind of beef with Saul Williams. Ever since I heard that song ‘Never Let Me Down’ that featured a bootlegg Saul Williams poet I thought that ‘Ye and Saul were diametrically opposed to one another. No wonder he got peeved when he was associated with swagger jacking Saul Williams graphic design. KanYe is prA’li still feeling bruised for using J.Ivy to spit like Saul Williams on that college dropout track.
I remember when they were giving out the KanYe book at the end of the ‘Glow In The Dark’ concert. I liked that shit. It was colorful and all Murakami’d out. Simple and clear design. It doesn’t really challenge you to overthink anything. It’s like a compilation of daily affirmation tropes for the Hip-Pop set. I fux with shit like that. The book that pulls me out of my doldrums is the series of joints by Jack Handey called ‘Deep Thoughts’. That shit is the best money you will ever spend on a book.
If you really feel like reading some shit take a look at these books also…
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley – What more can I say?
Hank Aaron: One For The Record by George Plimpton – The story of the summer that Hank Aaron endured prior to eclipsing the home run mark set by Babe Ruth. Hank Aaron is the most hardbody athlete of all time.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess – Get the un-edited joint that has the ending that Burgess wanted the story to have. This is one of my fave all time joints. Them hooligans in London used to get it in.
Why haven’t you been to the Roots crew Jam Sessions @ Highline Ballroom yet?
Is it geography? Are you too far away from NYC? I just linked with some kids from Temple U. that made the trip to NYC just to see the show.
Is it topography? Are you one of these NYC residents who doesn’t cross bridges or go downtown after 11pm?
What is YOUR problem?
Whatever your pathology is you need to get your mind right and come to see the legendary perform at the $10 bill show. There ain’t nothing left in this city to get you this high for this cheap. The Jam Sessions have featured some of rap and rock’s best performers along with some of the faces that will be the future of music.
Plus, you get the Roots crew going in hard for over two hours of non-stop body rocking, booty shaking, free your mind musical madness. You won’t be able to get this deal forever. When these shows at the Highline Ballroom are over who knows what the schedule of the band will become. You need to get up on it doggoneit.
On Tuesday night I stopped by my old barber’s shop in Corona, Queens. I have had the same dude cutting my hair since I was 15. STEVE is also my mentor, my therapist, my football teammate, and one of my best friends. I had been promising him that I would bring him to one of these Roots shows and the window opened up this evening thanks to SHAMZ.
STEVE is a music lover. He appreciates the intricacies and the skill level that entertainers have to employ for their craft. STEVE blew my mind when he gave mad props to JAMES POYSER for holding down the keyboards. Many of you will recognize that name from the Hidden Beach recording sessions that produced such talents as JILL SCOTT.
STEVE got the extra treat of seeing ESTELLE sing with the Roots on a few songs including the classic ‘You Got Me’ which the Roots transformed into a Jamaican dancehall riddim to let ESTELLE flex her Caribbean roots. The rapper Skillz also showed up and gave the crowd an old school rhyming battle with Black Thought and Truck North.
After that performance, which happened to be STEVE’s first Roots experience he vowed to return for a subsequent show. I know STEVE will too because he is a man of his word. So what’s your story? Why haven’t you come through? The Roots crew Jam Sessions @ Highline Ballroom are not be missed. Stop sleeping and stay ‘woke.
9:11 Where you @ Carmelo?
9:13 Trevor Ariza is my friend on Twitter –> @tariza
9:15 Uh oh. Stream just went down.
9:16 I’m back. Ariza for three.
9:17 Dantay Jones = Ho sit down!
9:22 ESPN’s Doris Burke speaks like a man.
9:24 Trevor Ariza. Don’t h8. Celebr8.
9:34 Billups choking?
9:36 Denver’s foul situation is not advantageous for them.
9:44 Nuggets need halftime. Bad.
9:51 Stream dropped again. Damn you stolen Wi-Fi signal!
9:56 Still searching for new stream link. Should I go legacy and turn on ESPN radio?
9:56 Is Carmelo wearing culottes?
10:01 Denver = Chicken McNuggets. Real soft meat in the middle
10:10 Kleiza is turning the Nuggets fortunes around.
10:14 Billups is an effin’ pro. Halftime.
10:33 Carmelo is getting hot.
10:36 Did I tell you that Ariza is my Twitter friend?
10:40 Derek Fisher is not my Twitter friend
10:44 Thuggets just bodied Ariza
10:48 Mark Jackson puts verbal talcum powder on Kobe’s nuttsachs
10:54 You foolish mortals can’t guard Kobe with a 4-ward
10:58 Carmelo Anthony going in [ll]
11:05 I’d like to see Kobe pass to Brown at the end of the 4th Qtr
11:10 Lakers are sleeping on these Nuggets
11:13 Bill Walton just bought a round of shots somewhere
11:18 Carmelo rising
11:32 This is the slow time in an NBA game. The 4th Qtr foul parade
11:35 I was about to un-follow Ariza on Twitter if he missed that second free throw
11:42 Nuggets were so uninspired in the first half
11:45 Ariza you are so un-followed
11:50 Chauncey Billups is like a less ugly Sam Cassel
11:53 Thuggets FTW
I was sure I would enjoy listening to Red & Meth’s new album. I wish they has called it something other than ‘Blackout 2’. That title has no taste or imagination. I understand that the label execs want to convey that we will be getting the energy of the OG ‘Blackout’ album, but if we wanted the exact same album we would just listen to ‘Blackout’. Lord knows that shit is on KaZaa.
I’m happy to say that this album is another album altogether. Red & Meth are the prime example of how artists can combine and become greater than the sum of the individual parts. I loved listening to Redman’s latest disk ‘Red Gone Wild’. It was vintage Redman even if it had a few more weedcarrier features than I would have wanted. The album was still solid and Red was still retarded. Meth on the other hand isn’t the dude that I have fuxed with individually. I loved his verses on ‘8 Diagrams’ (a tragically slept-on, senselessly hated-on album) but I can’t tell you when his last album dropped.
Method Man needs the motivation (read: weed) that Redman must be growing in his basement. There is more than enough tracks on this album that sound like Meth 1999 when he was still hitting SuperHead in the pum-pum. Back when Meth and Red were gonna be Hip-Hop’s Amos & Andy. Classic Blunt Brothers collabos.
There are a few features on this album that help the dynamics and the balance between Meth & Red. There isn’t anything forced either which surprised me since Def Jam is good for putting Ne-Yo and Chrisette Michelle on every possible song they can. The rap music industry is reverting back to the old MoTown days. Don’t be surprised when you see a rapper boy band in New Edition chopper suits. That day will soon come.
Let’s preview some of the tracks on ‘Blackout 2’.
‘A-Yo’ (featuring Saukrates)
You’ve heard this track on the internets already. It’s smooth and fluid. The production is that new funk. This is a dope song to drive out to.
Errbody Scream (featuring Keith Murray)
My homey Tahero hit me on the text and asked me if Joe Budden wrote Method Man’s verse on this track. Meth’s flow does sound Budden-esque inspired circa ‘Pump It Up’, but if Budden had written this joint wouldn’t it be depressed about something?
Ms.International (featuring Erick Sermon)
How are you dudes gonna act like a song for the ladies ain’t what’s really good? I know four ladies that are all getting their doctorates this month. Somebody better get woke to the idea that ladies need to be recognized and treated like ladies. Lady doctors will be keeping the lights on hardbody in the near future.
4 Minutes 2 Lockdown (featuring Raekwon and Ghostface Killah)
You wait all year to hear a song like this. Tracks like this are why rap music fanboys are so excited for the Slaughterhouse collective. Four emcees get on a beat and act like str8 surgeons in the I.R. theatre doing Harlem Globetrotter tricks with the scalpel. The horns is what makes me get ill for this joint. There are so many sick lines from each spitter. Red opens up with the heat, ask Houston how he rock it. Raekwon is the metaphysical rap mad man. Meth redeems his credibility. GhostFace blacks the fuck out. Crazy. Rewind this joint 100x.
