ReBlogged: 10 Reasons Why Y'all Can Have the Club Scene

An old post from about a year ago, yet still relevant: 

People always ask me why I don't really mess with the club on the same level as most people my age. Stop asking, here are the Top 10 Reasons. Que my music, mistro:

1. After a certain age, it's just not OK for grown men to participate in dance crazes, i.e. "The Stanky Leg" and "The Dougie". And in the club that's all you see, groups of grown men huddled up beside one another shucking and jiving together. Now I don't know what hood y'all from, but that ish don't fly in the 'Burbs. Besides, I don't dance no more all I do is this:

#2StepShawty

2. Nowadays people have no concept of personal space, at all! And I don't do well with folk in my bubble while in the grocery store, much less a 40x40 box where there is no way to escape the heat....the stank....and the sweat. And somebody had the AUDACITY to tell me the other day that sweat was a natural aphrodisiac. *blank stare*

3. You see the same people over and over again. No matter the promotional squad throwing the party. No matter the venue. No matter if it's an 80's party, ladies free before 11 or if it's a Jersey Shore party, everybody free with a student ID. The same group of grown niggas gon' be in there huddled up closely, shucking and jiving and the saaaame group of girls gon' walk out the club with their heels in hand, feet lookin' like this:

4.There's always a group of girls who came to the club for the sole purpose of being antisocial. Dressed to KILL. H-h-hair done, nails done, everything did. But they didn't pay extra to guarantee themselves solidarity in the VIP section. Noooo. Where do these pseudo-bougie ladies post up? Smack dab in the middle of the dance floor. But don't ask them to dance, 'cause they ain't here for that. They're apparently havin' a book club meeting.

5. There's always a group of dudes who came to the club for the sole purpose of fighting. They don't talk. They don't dance. They don't do virtually anything. That is until this song comes on...

...now all of a sudden they jumpin' all over the place punchin' people in the back of the neck! Niggas!

6. There's always that girl in the club who has to take it 12 notches TOO FAR. Commonly known as "The Baby Girl". 20 minutes into the Go Go set, shawty done came out all her clothes and coincidentally, people keep catching an aroma that resembles Captain D's. To each his own though! Make that paper don't let that paper make you!!

7. Then there's "those guys". The group of dudes that are too cool for school. You can't miss them because they're glowing like Rick James. These niggas have on the typical uniform of slacks, bow-ties, and the occasional blazer. They look like a debate team, but you don't want to test these goons because God forbid anything get in the way of them "winning". Some of 'em got money, but some are just tag-alongs. And you can bet at least one will have a bottle of something-or-another in his hand, acting like he bought the whole bar out. But at the end of the day, it's just one bottle. One $60 bottle of something-or-another.

8. Did I mention bodily fluids? Sweat, vomit, pee, etc. Yeeeeeah...about that.

9. When the club let out, you got people that try to milk a good moment for everything it's worth. Maybe the club was jumpin'. The music was right all night. Everybody was dancing. But eventually, all good things must come to an end. Some people don't get that. The lingerers who follow girls all the way to their car? Yeah. Shoutout to you creepers.

10. The club is relationship suicide. Men act like they're OK with some pooputt dry-humping their queen on the dance floor, but not 'round'ese parts, turbo. And seeing as though one of the cardinal rules of the club is NO HANDCUFFING, there is no reason for me to be there.

The End.

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Cole World: Post-Game Analysis

(image source)

The first time I saw J. Cole live, I think he was wearing a ninja turtle shirt from Wal-Mart, b. He did an a capella performance of "Lights Please", seemingly surprised by the fact that people actually knew the lyrics to his songs. Now he has the number one album in the country, a pretty solid fanbase, and he just made his network TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel last night. That's major!

As a fellow North Carolinian, I couldn't be more proud. So, I thought I'd take a moment to give my two cents on the album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. Not a review per se, just a few random thoughts on the project. Hit the "read more" link for the scoop.

•The typical cut that everyone likes:
"Nobody's Perfect"
This joint is aural crack! It features an interpolation of Curtis Mayfield's "Think", which was also used by Jazmine Sullivan and Victoria Beckham for "Resentment". Missy sounds amazing on this joint, so it's no surprise that Cole chose it to be his next single.

•The song that nobody likes, but I happen to love:

"Mr. Nice Watch"

Not everyone is feeling the Dubstep influence, or the radio-friendly appeal. Some even think Hov gave Cole a "throw away verse" but I beg to differ on this line alone:

"I got a Hublot, I call it Tebow, I strap that bit' with a gator band/ Y'all niggas ball half-time, y'all niggas like the Gator Band/"

 

Sports references over EVERYTHING!

•The song that prevents me from saying "I can play the whole CD through without skipping":
"Work Out"
:-( No comment.

•The song that I absolutely relate to the most:

"Breakdown"

"So many things you could have told me/ And saved me the trouble of letting my mistakes show me, I feel like you barely know me/ And that's a shame cause our last name is the same/ That blood type flowing through our veins is the same"

If I kept a diary. Cole could have very well used it to write this one, b. 

•Favorite cut overall:

"Rise and Shine"

"We in two different games, you playin' patty cake/ Brother you're lame, ya Shane Battier!"

I don't know if it's the Jay-Z clip at the beginning or the shot at former Duke player, Shane Battier, that makes this stand out. It's probably the latter #UNC #TarHeels!

•The joint that sounds the best in the car, aka my "ride out" track:

"Cole World"

"B*tch, I made this in the crib, watchin' Belly/
Eatin' peanut butter jelly, what the f*ck can niggas tell me?/"

•The track that could push this album into the "classic" conversation:

"Lost Ones"

"I've been giving it some thought lately and.../ Frankly I feel like we ain't ready and this.../ Hold up now, let me finish!"

Now before y'all jump down my throat, I'm not calling Cole World a classic. I don't think you can deem an album classic until yeeeears later, when you can pop it in the deck and rock to it like it just released yesterday. But either way, rappers generally don't tell stories anymore and Cole did/does it well...a la some of the greatest.

•That one song that I can listen to repeatedly and never get tired of it:

"Never Told"

The beat breakdown at 2:35 is just... >>>

What do you all think of the project? What are some of your favorite songs? Least fav? Ride out track? 

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ESPN's The Body Issue

Serena Williams on the cover of the 2009 Body Issue

Today, ESPN the Magazine released their 3rd annual Body Issue, which features, well, buckit neckit pictures of some of your favorite athletes. Tastefully done, of course.

This year's issue features pictures of Hope Solo - Goalkeeper for the U.S. national team, Natasha Hastings - U.S. Track & Field sprinter (yes'lawd!), BlakeGriffinifyoulikethatsortathing, and Sylvia Fowles - WNBA player, just to name a few.

To preview the issue, click HERE.

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TREYNINGDAY APPROVED!

Everybody and their momma watches CSI, but I've never really been able to get into it. It's not that it's a bad show or anything, but it's missing something.

Well, after watching an episode of the ABC's new take on the classic, Charlie's Angels, I figured out what was missing from CSI. Big, dramatic explosions. A slew of automatic weapons. Fly designer clothes. Fast cars. And most of all, beautiful wominz!

I don't know anything about Rachel Taylor (pictured far left) but apparently she stars in Grey's Anatomy. Minka Kelly (middle) was voted the "Sexiest Woman Alive" by Esquire magazine last year and I ain't mad at it. Lastly, y'all might recognize Nigerian-American, Annie Ilonzeh (far right), who starred on a few episodes of Entourage recently. She is just.... ==> bruh, look.

Alllllll that aside, it's really entertaining and there was a recent addition to the show this week. Y'all might recognize 'em.

Isaiah Mustafa aka, the  "Old Spice Guy". Bruh can actually act, too!
Check the show out for yourself, Thursdays at 8.

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Barbershop Talk: The Lebron James Debate

*waves white flag*

That's it. I'm throwing in the towel. After this post, no longer will I exert any more of my energy defending my favorite NBA player, Lebron James. Reason being, the lines have been blurred and I can't tell who you guys are a fan of, preventing me from formulating rebuttals to your comments. I give up.

IF you are a Cleveland fan (or from Cleveland), the entire organization capsized when Lebron left. In the year that he left, the Cavs went on to set a NBA single season record for the most consecutive losses. That was no coincidence, g.

IF you are a Lakers fan,  Lebron swept the regular season series your team, dusting them off on Christmas, of all days? Just rude. Then the Lakers went on to get swept in the conference semi's by the Dallas Mavericks. Swept. Not beaten, swept.

IF you are a Celtics fan, Lebron finally got over the hurdle of beating your team in the playoffs. And quite decisively at that, winning the series 4-1. It's evident that the Celtics are set back after this season. In spite of Doc River's contract extension, the players are just getting old. (And trading Perk and Nate Robinson was the dumbest decision ever.)

THEN there's a melting pot which includes:

• Carmelo fans, who automatically root against Lebron (the same people who were saying "The Knicks are back" earlier this season)
• Kevin Durant fans, who automatically root against Lebron (although Durant has nothing to show, save for 1 NBA scoring title)
• Floaters, who have no team, nor favorite player, but automatically root for whoever is playing against Lebron.

FINALLY there are the Bulls "fans", and I use that word with caution, because I ain't heard anyone legitimately rep the Bulls since ~'99. Now everyone is suddenly a Bulls fan, (yes, this includes Celtics fans, Lakers fans who openly and shamelessly hopped on the bandwagon after their teams lost). All of these people, for some reason, seek pleasure from seeing Lebron lose.

I can't with you folks, because I am not able to tell who or what you stand for, all I can tell is who you stand against. And that's real ho'ish to me! So y'all win. I am conceding victory. Peace and blessings...

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Barbershop Talk: The Skylar Diggins Saga

Last night, men from every hood and every suburb gathered around their respective TVs to watch the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament. But NOT to witness the dominate Lady Huskies go for their third consecutive national championship. NOT even to witness Maya Moore, one of the most decorated players in the history of NCAA basketball, play in what eventually became her last collegiate basketball game.

Instead, my brethren and I were glued to the TV to see one thing and one thing only: Skylar "CGI" Diggins. We took to the Twitters to share in our mutual appreciation for Diggins' assets and hoop skills mostly dem assets doe. I think some fellas actually fell in love, while others simply had fun exaggerating how great she looked in the name of humor and sarcasm.

Lo and behold, the male-driven Skylar Diggins Movement brought about a considerable number of curious female commentators, as well. It left me wondering if men could ever chop it up amongst one another without having to worry about things like this:

-The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

Twitpic'ing her and condescendingly giving us her Twitter name? OK.
So when Chris Brown's risque pictures leaked recently, it was the topic of discussion amongst women for DAYS. And my timeline was full of #ThatTangibleThirst® - "TheThirst you can FEEL".  We talked about Skylar for only a few hours, and the same girls who have CB's buckit neckit pictures saved on their hard-drive decide to take shots? Nah, g. We don't believe you.

-The Spoil Sports

Smh. No Comment.

-The Haters

I don't understand why some women do this. Clearly Skylar was getting a lot of shine, from dudes who never sat and watched a women's game in their lives. What does one stand to gain by chiming in and saying she isn't cute. You just look jealous. If women were raving over some guy on Twitter, you would NEVER see dudes discredit him like this. It is mad questionable breaks so many Man Laws anyway.

-The Cool Kids

They were few and far between, but definitely gained points by letting us have fun for the night and some even joined in to agree.

-"That Guy"

THIS nigga (and those like him). The scum of the Earf. The lowest of low. Trying to capitalize by going against the grain. Not only does he lose respect by obviously lying about the greatness that is Skylar Diggins, but he gets blocked and reported as spam.

In summation, I just have one thing to ask: Can we live? It's lowkey a double standard cause women gather online regularly and tweet about all the guys on their favorite shows (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Real World, Jersey Shore, The Game); they tweet about live appearances of their favorite artists; and they tweet about dudes THEY watch in sports, etc. We do it once in a blue moon and see what happens?

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V-LOG: What Chris Brown Taught Me About Women

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If Grant Hill Could REALLY Speak His Mind

Upon watching the Fab 5 documentary this past Sunday, my heart swelled with joy from the copious amounts of Duke hatred that spewed from the former Michigan players, specifically, Jalen Rose. For those of you who don't know, Rose referred to Grant Hill as a "b**ch" and an "Uncle Tom" as he touched on the common belief that only certain types of black players are recruited by Duke University. 

As to be expected, Grant Hill took to the New York Times and responded with a politically correct, dissertation-like letter to the Fab 5. While I thought it was very well-written, many just didn't see its purpose or effectiveness. With that said, I took it upon myself to paraphrase Grant Hill's response. Please keep in mind that I am not defending dook or its players. I am, however, writing this in response to the black community's notion of the "Uncle Tom". This is what Grant Hill would say if he could REALLY speak his mind:

In 2011, I shouldn't even have to write this article, because while I'm wasting time doing this, I could be getting to the monies. But last night while I sat around my antique mahogany dining room table eating an assortment of crustaceans with my wife and kids...

This is my wife, by the way. "Winning."

....I overheard my so-called "friends" narrating this interesting documentary and calling me a b**ch and worse, calling all black players at Duke “Uncle Toms” and, to some degree, disparaging my parents for their education, and getting to the gwop?! America is divided into two classes, "The Haves" and "The Have Nots", and something tells me you just mad cause me and my family were styling on you.

Now I am aware Jalen has gone to some length to explain his remarks but I don't care if someone referred to me as a "B**ch" and an "Uncle Tom" twenty minutes ago or twenty years ago, I'm going to speak my piece either way. WHAT YOU THOUGHT IT WAS, MY NIGGA? I was just gon' take these comments about me and MY WHOLE FAMILY in stride?! Nah, b.

See, what you fail to realize is that I'm not mad about how you perceive me. I have haters. I've always had haters. I'll always have haters. However, I am upset because you, and other blacks like you, are perpetuating a intra-racial divide by trying to define what it means to be "black". SO WHAT if you were only 18 when you "supposedly" held those beliefs? That's still old enough to know better. I shouldn't have to see Friday, come from low-income housing, or own a painting of dogs playing poker to be any more black than I already am. I thoroughly enjoy reading Chaucer, visiting art exhibits, and eating my cereal with $300 Ace of Spades instead of 2%. Sue me. But If I was in a police line-up, I doubt they would record my race as anything other than black.  Half of you will never see what I've seen, or do what I've done, because you're too concerned with being "real niggas".

The statement "acting white" is laden with ignorance. And nicknames with negative connotations such as "Uncle Tom" shouldn't be placed on blacks who come from 2-parent households and strive to be educated,  speak properly, dress neatly, etc. Nevertheless, if I can help it, my children will be raised as "Uncle Toms" by your standards because I've seen what you coons are capable of.

My life hasn't been all peaches and cream, bruh. I caution my fabulous five friends to avoid stereotyping me and others they do not know in much the same way so many people stereotyped you back then for your appearance and swagger. Because while I may not do it myself, I have no problem calling some people who have zero reservations about popping the trunk on you niggas for $5 dollars and a Denny's gift card. Thank you.

Grant Henry Hill
Phoenix Suns
Duke ‘94

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ISH-List: Lupe Fiasco and Non-Voting

I saw this video over at BoiGenius and had to post it. Lupe is making a claim for why he does not vote and it is so disappointing to watch. Black and youth voter turnout is almost always low, while complaints from this demographic about the state of the American government is almost always high. The last thing we need is for the cool kids favorite rapper to sow more seeds of passive aggresiveness. His argument isn't even sound. It went something like:

Premise 1: The American government propagates war.
Premise 2: Voting in elections supports war.
Conclusion: Not voting will cause wars to end and peace to all. 

My nigga, what?!

You can dress faulty logic up with all the rhetoric and floridity you want, but at the end of the day, it's still faulty logic. People in Muslim countries are giving their lives for democracy, while people like Lupe insist on taking the do-nothing-but-SAY-a-lot approach to change. I'm no expert on politics and foreign policy, but it just seems so...backwards. Lupe, you're one of my favorite rappers and I respect your approach to Hip Hop. But for now?

You have been ish-listed, brah.

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The more you know, you know?

I'll be the first to say that I am geographically challenged. I'm better than this girl, but I still have my moments. And with all that is going on in the Middle East, I find it hard to mentally picture where this stuff is occurring when watching CNN.

But thanks to the good people over at Google, nothing is impossible. So after a little digging, I found a Middle East for Dummies caliber breakdown of the countries.

The Middle East refers to countries that lie between Africa and Asia, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea.

• Sometimes the countries of North Africa are included as well.
• Most of the countries in the Middle East are Arab and they all speak the same language - Arabic. Iran is not an Arab country and Iranians speak Persian.
• Most people in the Middle East are Muslim, except for people who live in Israel. Israel is a Jewish country and Israelis speak Hebrew, although some also speak Arabic and are Arab.

A bruva spent 5 minutes studying this map, and now I'm equipped to whip niggas over the head with semi-informed discussion, ya dig? No need to thank me, my children.

Chea!

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Multiple [Twitter] Personalities

Every time I log onto Twitter, someone is being brought forth and charged with two counts of Twitter Thuggetry and/or Mistaken Identity.  People often say things like:

“You say stuff on Twitter you wouldn’t dare say in person.” 

OR 

“You act totally different on Twitter than you do in real life.”

Not only are these statements annoyingly redundant, but they suggest that people are one-dimensional. It completely discounts the idea that there is a time and a place for everything. Now I can only speak for myself when I say, it’s not that I lack the gumption to speak my mind in person, it’s just that the opportunities rarely present themselves. Think about it.  If I don’t like someone, chances are we have very little face-to-face interaction. I'm not with that "keep your enemies closer" nonsense.  And in the event that we do cross paths, what I look like walking up to someone in the bread aisle of Whole Foods and telling them a clever one-liner about how lame I think they are? That's how niggas end up on WorldStarHipHop. As previously mentioned, there is a time and a place for everything and Twitter just happens to be the outlet for many to speak their piece. The way I see it, saying what I have to say on a social network does not make me a "Twitter Thug" because if I did say it in person what are you really going to DO?

In terms of these mistaken identity accusations…it all boils down to the fact that people are multi-faceted. The face that I put on for a job interview is going to be totally different than when I’m chillin’ with my friends. The same applies for Twitter. It’s a platform for RANDOM THOUGHTS. People tweet extemporaneously and allow things that they would normally suppress in conversation slip through the cracks. And if someone tweets something, it is essentially who they are. Right? The thoughts originated from within them, not someone else.

But I don't know, I'm just rappin'. Thoughts?

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THE MALE GROUPIE

Normally, I would charge it to the game and abstain from discussing such frivolous matters, but this issue needs to be addressed before things spiral out of control. There has already been an unprecedented number of casualties.

The Male Groupie.

I didn’t want to believe it at first, but you do indeed exist.

You shameless, dirty niggas you.

But besides the fact that you exist, my penultimate concern is that you aren’t even hip to your own presence. I cannot fault you for lack of awareness due to the long-standing misconception that females are the only ones capable of sporting the title of “The Groupie”. Albeit, something has to change cause some of you dudes have got women beat!

One may argue that male groupies are simply a myth because...

(Hit the link for the rest..)

...they don’t have anyone to stan for.
Female actresses? Maybe.
Female musicians? Possibly.
Female athletes? Unlikely.
But therein lies the greater problem. Male Groupies aren't just stanning for females. Male Groupies are out here going hard for other males, as well.

That’s right. They wake up every morning, “rise and grind” for Fabolous, “wake and bake” for Wiz Khalifa and go on their merry ways. They disguise themselves as fans, but we all know the truth. The most pervasive example being the grown men are out here repping Taylor Gang and The Jets vehemently. Once they caught wind that Wiz only smoked papers, these guys put their blunts down and joined the movement...bragging about rolling papers and filters as though the concept was invented with the release of Kush and Orange Juice. If Wiz said he was a vegetarian tomorrow, KFC and Church's Chicken chains across the country would go out of business as a result of his Male Groupies alone. This is just one example, for we all know that Kid Cudi and many other celebs have Male Groupies, too.

Long gone are the days of appreciating celebrities from a distance. Male Groupies have ushered in a new era of appreciating these celebrities right from the tip of their sacks. And I am here to say that it is not OK. Especially considering how quickly men are to call women groupies. Stop it. In the words of the homie Alexis over at Looking4Trouble:
 
“Is something troubling you? Let it be known.”

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"uh, she want that old thing back" _Jay-Z

why shawty soak and wet doe? o_O

We've all done it before. Sat and wondered what it would be like if we could get that old thing back. But I ain't talkin' relationships. Or that old school Nickelodeon. Nor childhood innocence. I ain't even referrin' to those days when we had scheduled naps in class.

I'm talking about music. We yearn for more Lauren Hills, and less Nicki Minajs. We wish there were more Tribe Called Quests, and less NO Soulja Boys. We bask in the memories of what was, while cringing at the site of what is.

But at what expense would you go to get that old thing back?

Lauren Hill has been touring lately and showing up really late to her shows (when they aren't canceled altogether). She showed up as late as four hours recently in Brooklyn and told the crowd she is "worth the wait". And we ALL know she doesn't even sound the same.You might not want to accept it but you're aware, my G.

To pay to see her now is beyond me.

Look at it like this....if a dude showed up 2 hrs late for a date, it wouldn't matter if he took you to the FUTURE, you would still be hot about it, right? So why make an exception for an artist who doesn't value your time?

I'm just saying, at what point will we learn to just LET THINGS GO? Sometimes it's best to leave that old thing right where it is and move on.

Signed,
A Lauren Hill fan

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Trey's Top Ten Favorite Albums of 2010

Disclaimer: This list is my Top 10 favorite albums of the year.  These are the joints that I have listened to multiple times and rocked with the most throughout the year.  I am NOT claiming that these are the Top 10 best albums. In other words, this list is NOT up for discussion, for you musical head huntin' great debatin'ahh folk! Love you, mean it. :-)

One of the first things you'll notice when looking at my list is that there is no My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and to that I say...



Not to take anything away from Kanye, because I'm sure he will win a Grammy for his efforts. But Hov said it best, "Niggas want my old s**t, buy my old albums" and I prefer College Dropout/Late Registration to MBDTF. With that said, my favorites from this past year were:

10. Jazmine Sullivan, "Love Me Back" - I think Jazmine Sullivan's voice could cure Cancer if they'd try it. The End.

9. Eminem, "Recovery" - Funny thing about this album, I was about to write it off after a haphazard first listen. Luckily, @miss_kelliebaby listened to it a lot around me and I was able to realize how dope it actually was.

8. Fantasia, "Back To Me" - Despite her personal trials and tribulations, Fanny was able to put together a quality album that spoke to both her struggles and her triumphs. Her sound is gritty. It's soulful. It doesn't sound manufactured. And she compared LOVE to her momma's collard greens and cornbread?! Come on now.

7. Reflection Eternal, "Revolutions Per Minute" - The combination of Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek is timeless. Not to mention it has my favorite track of the year on it, as well: "Just Begun" ft. Jay Electronica, Mos Def, and J. Cole.

6. Bruno Mars, "Doo-Wops and Hooligans" - A lot of people are in love with Bruno Mars unique sound, but he locks down the number 6 spot on my favorite albums of the year because of his pen skills. With tracks like "Grenade", "Lazy Song", and "Liquor Store Blues" it is hard to deny that this dude is a problem with a pen and pad.

5. Rick Ross, "Teflon Don" - Uuungh! Rick Ross is one of my favorite artists because he drops thorough albums every single time. His subject matter might be limited but he makes music that I can ride out to with my system all the way up and my windows all the way down.

4. Nas x Damian Marley, "Distant Relatives" - Collaboration albums are usually a hit or miss with me but Nas and Junior Gong definitely did it justice. The production, the lyrical content, even the album insert that came with the hard copy of the CD--all crazy!

3. Miguel, "All I Want Is You" - Another reason why this couldn't be a Top 10 Best album list is because people seem to believe that recent releases or freshman debuts shouldn't be given as much weight, but Miguel sounds like a seasoned veteran with this joint. "Sure Thing", "Quickie", "Girls Like You"THE WHOLE ALBUM! Trust me, if you don't have it. Get it. Love it. Thank me later.

2. Big Boi, "Sir Lucious Left Foot..The Son of Chico Dusty" - Nothing can fully fill the void of Three Stacks' absence, but Big Boi came pretty freakin' close with this album. I can't put my finger on why I like it so much. I just...do. Even the skits are entertaining. And the Janelle Monae feature takes it to another level.

1. B.o.B, "The Adventures of Bobby Ray" - he might be a newbie to some of y'all but Bobby Ray been around for a few years. I was incredibly excited when he was given his just due. The thing that impresses me the most about this album is that it's SO uniquely different. Buddy raps. He sings-ish. Heavy 808s on one track and synth guitars on the next. Plus I just found out he was born in North Carolina so that's my story and I'm stickin' with it. COSIGN!

Top 5 Runner Ups:
-Lloyd Banks, "Hunger for More 2"
-Cee-Lo, "Lady Killer"
-The Roots x John Legend, "Wake Up!"
-Erykah Badu, "New Amerykah Part Two (Return Of The Ankh)"
-Curren$y, "Pilot Talk 1"

2010 was a GOOD YEAR for music!!

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Let Nicki Minaj be, well, Nicki Minaj

I am no fan of Nicki Minaj, so much as I am a fan of the come up. I just don't get people who knock her for being overly expressive, "gimmicky", or any other negative assertion. Many hip hop heads have qualms with the stark change in her subject matter and delivery after signing with Young Money and to that I say:

Cause either you play the game or watch the game play you/And be that broke mutha*** talkin bout "I stayed true"/ _J. Cole

From an entertainment standpoint, she's a beast. From a hip hop standpoint, you win some you lose some. With the love of music flowing through my veins, I'm not fond of the commercialization of the art, for my listening-sake, but I ain't knockin' anyone's hustle as an entertainer! Niggas gotta eat! She's projected to sale 400,000 copies first week and is the sole, heavily recognized female rap artist out right now. Explain to me why y'all so mad? For real? No, for real? If you're disappointed 'cause you were a fan of her music prior to her selling out, cool. But mad?

I won't entertain the Kim comparisons simply because there are people who were NINE when Hardcore dropped, treating Kim like the ultimate hip hop vanguard right now. To be honest, I believed a LOT of you pump-fakin' hipsters copped that Hardcore last month for the sake of arguing. Kim ain't Lauryn Hill. Kim ain't MC Lyte or Queen Latifah. Simply put, everything doesn't have to be so dichotomous! You don't have to hate someone just because you don't love them. Be impartial, rather, because there is a ton of good, true-to-form hip hop still out here at our disposal. Handle that with care.

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Got a main chick....got a mistress...

After Solange...
..there's Keri.
Keri.
Keri.
Keri.

Mmh.

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Question du Jour - Why does cute automatically equal good?

Why are people so surprised when beautiful women like Halle Berry or Kim Kardashian have multiple relationship failures? It's as if we regard these people as God's gift to men simply because they are good looking. But what do we really know about them?

I'm hearing whispers of, "If Eva Longoria can't keep a man, then there is no hope for us."

Excuse me? You cannot make a holistic assumption about who someone is because they are attractive. Don't get me wrong, I don't condone cheating, made evident by my Open Letter to Tony Parker. I do believe that people place entirely too much emphasis on appearance. If you you are blinded by beauty and you get in a relationship that doesn't end well then that's only yo' asphalt!! I warned you all about the Halo effect a long time ago. Let's keep it G, after acknowledging that men shouldn't cheat, a lot of people immediately make the rash assessment that these pretty women are the All-American wives/girlfriends. All we really know is looks alone. They could be crazy as heck behind closed doors.

But what do I know, I'm just rappin'. What are y'all opinions on the subject?

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Open Letter To Tony Parker

Dear Tony Parker,
I think I speak for all the Black Men in America when I say, we are sorry to inform you, dumb nigga, that as a result of your recent indiscretions, you have been excommunicated. Please do not seek any compensation henceforth. Do not pass go and do not collect $200. May the ensuing ridicule by sports columnist, women, and sponsors weigh on your back and haunt you in your dreams like recurring images of Drake's Sprite commercial.

We stood behind Michael Vick during his most recent downfalls. We stood behind Weezy and his styrofoam cup. We even separated Tiger Woods the husband from Tiger Woods the golfer and accepted him for who he was. But for you to step out on Eva Longoria when there are thousands of Black Men out here spending our hard earned rent money in the club to get a woman half as good (edit: good-looking) as her, you exhibited tactless, poor decision making in it's rarest form. From the bottom of our hearts, we hope that you fail in all of your future endeavors and may your next wife be stricken with a permanent condition that requires her to whip her hair back and forth at random times like Turrets Syndrome.

In closing, there is only an ounce of humility that you still contain and it lies in the fact that...to much of our surprises...you were cheating with a woman instead of a man because several of us were certain that you were on the downlow.

Deuces,
Black Men of America

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Cleveland Fans Spoof Lebron and in true Dub (my alter ego) fashion, I responded

Cleveland fans made their own version of Lebron James' new "Rise" Nike commercial. I found it entertaining, I'm not going to lie. But I'm a fan of Lebron and we ain't goin' out like no chumps ho!

Sooo, I took 30 minutes out of my day and made my own video response. I wasn't going to post it at first because it was all in fun, but it has almost 500 views on Youtube in a few days so someone finds it entertaining. Hopefully you will, too. lol Peace!

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Barbershop Talk: Kobe vs. Lebron, cont'd

Harry How/Getty Images

When asked who the best NBA player of all time is, most of you say MJ automatically, ignoring Bill Russel's 11 rings, 12 all-star appearances and 5 NBA MVP Awards. [So for all-time purposes, your criteria doesn't have anything to do with championship rings, clearly.]

Yet.

When asked who is better between Kobe or Lebron, the very first thing you all default to is "Kobe has more rings", ignoring the fact that Lebron is on pace to shatter Kobe's scoring numbers, already has more NBA MVP Awards at a younger age, and is infinitely more athletic. [So for the purposes of this argument, all of a sudden you guys are more concerned with championship rings.]

So, with that said, I want you ask yourself, are you jocking Kobe and blindly ignoring the obvious?
The answer is obviously yes.

PS.
Not to mention Lebron's sneaker releases have been consistantly better all-around....

...than Kobe's. But that's neither here, nor there.

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