Literacy Is a Plague

Just tell me what I have to say to have your vote.

The mainstream media’s agenda-setting powers are both so potent and so thoroughly documented that linking up articles or studies verifying the phenomenon would be nearly redundant and surely excessive. We are all well aware of the media’s potential to set the parameters of a discussion and effectively choose what we, the peeps, care about. And as I have written before--both for college political-science courses and on this website--newspapers, television news, radio programs, and prominent websites are, in effect, the collective organizing element of all political information. The media is vested with the duty of informing the electorate and creating a cognitive cohesion that, theoretically, allows all voting-eligible citizens to objectively analyze the salient issues and the candidates who’d like to devise solutions. After all, that’s how our representative democracy was shaped: It was posited that citizens would elect a select group of governors who, while working with others, would accurately represent the voters’ (often regional) interests. Initially, only elites could vote, and these elites made choices based upon information that was peddled by candidate- or party-run newspapers that sought to flood the voters’ aggregate consciousness with information. Since that time, newspapers (and, as technology improved, all media) have always been the means for widespread dissemination of information theoretically needed before making a choice, and really, the media has grown into its indispensable role as the electoral custodian.

Were the United States a country with an open-ballot system that saw an overwhelming multitude available for votes on Election Day, providing all voters with enough information to make an informed choice would be nearly impossible. However, that’s obviously not the case; the U.S. electoral system has been entrenched in a two-party system for quite sometime. And the old-boy network’s manifestations as collections of men smoking and picking candidates in a private room somewhere were replaced by the current primary system that ostensibly allows almost anyone to run. (Of course, this is a fallacious notion, but that’s not really the point of this exposition.) Limiting the scope of the election process has made the media’s job easier, but also more important: There are relatively few candidates about whom the public needs to be educated, yet the sparse candidate field necessitates closer examination so that each contender can be differentiated and understood in totality.

When you really consider the nature of that responsibility, you should both marvel that our political system works to whatever extent it does and also recoil in horror and incredulity as you consider how much better our system could be were it aided by responsible and independent media. Drudging up older information, distilling complicated ideas so that they can be understood in simpler language, and creating momentum so that people care about the political system are all daunting tasks. There is much to be said about whether these tasks are fair, realistic, or even necessary (why, for instance, are so many people so dispassionate about important topics like global warming? Should the media contribute normative reporting, only thinly veiling obvious biases and missions? Etc.), but they have all either fallen to or been embraced by the media. In this regard, some media outlets succeed in fulfilling their mandate; if you read the New York Times, you will learn who’s running for what, what’s being discussed, and what may have happened in the past that will inform future actions.

Of course, you will not assuredly learn who takes money from which sources, the details of all the critical policy debates, and other information that is now available because of the internets. Nor will you learn about entire stories sometimes, like the Jeff Gannon situation, because many mainstream media outlets also leave much to be desired. It is so unfortunate that American news organizations appeal to the lowest common denominator while trying to make a profit; it is so sickening that probing questions are left unasked because they’re either too complicated or would carry with them repercussions like lost access or lost revenue; and it is so discouraging that any comprehensive assessment of the mainstream media must, for the sake of realism and not fueled by cynicism, account for gross ineptitude, patent biases, and insidious conflicts of interest. Sadly, none of this information or insight is new, and I could write this screed everyday with new fodder, but today’s news seemed especially deserving of this context.

What are we to make of the Washington Post story that President Bush has spent all of his “political capital”? The Post says:

“Two days after winning reelection last fall, President Bush declared that he had earned plenty of ‘political capital, and now I intend to spend it.’ Six months later, according to Republicans and Democrats alike, his bank account has been significantly drained....

“With his approval ratings in public opinion polls at the lowest level of his presidency, Bush has been stymied so far in his campaign to restructure Social Security. On the international front, violence has surged again in Iraq in recent weeks, dispelling much of the optimism generated by the purple-stained-finger elections back in January, while allies such as Egypt and Uzbekistan have complicated his campaign to spread democracy.

“The series of setbacks on the domestic front could signal that the president has weakened leverage over his party, a situation that could embolden the opposition, according to analysts and politicians from both sides. Bush faces the potential of a summer of discontent when his capacity to muscle political Washington into following his lead seems to have diminished and few easy victories appear on the horizon…."

I don’t necessarily disagree with this report, and I am certainly pleased to see the President held accountable for his failures and taken to task for his inability to compromise. But articles like this create a false sense of reality. Yes, President Bush is struggling in some circles, and his approval ratings have fallen. However, the subtext here--that some kind of sea change may be afoot, that President Bush’s vulnerability is the nascent stage of a larger social and political movement--seems wildly unsubstantiated. Where is survey data that shows how ignorant of current events most Americans are? Where is the comparison to other moments when public sentiment was seemingly against President Bush? Where is the invocation of academic research that has proven the invalidity if so many polls?

If Americans have displayed any consistent political character since 2000, they have proved to be blissfully ignorant and resolutely assured of “the truth” because it has become increasingly difficult to discern what is and is not trustworthy. Instead, voters go with candidates they believe to be trustworhty, and the climate of bad media and faulty coverage has made it possible for prisoners to be tortured, lies to be foundation for policy initiatives, ears to be pissed in under the guise that it’s raining, and inept performance to be rewarded with reelection. So to pretend as though some setbacks are going to significantly alter the political landscape seems too hopeful, too naive, and worst of all, too manufactured. Instead of conjecture, give us fact. Instead of trying to create the prevailing angle, give us a fuller context. I do not believe in a liberal media bias, but I do believe that all outlets try to slant coverage, and it's to the public's detriment.

So, what is this story’s point? Is the news trying to make the news? Maybe. Consistently presenting Bush as embattled, and as one whose party’s principles are failing, may slowly but resonantly erode his support and engender significant doubts among voters since perception is often reality. But this article might just be a mostly meaningless masturbatory outlet for we liberals: the stymied Social Security overhaul; the momentary defeat of Bill Frist and his ministries; the ongoing floundering abroad--these are all things that pacify our dismay and frustration, but are articles like this one contributing to anything more than a synthetic oasis is the desert of harsh reality? Why isn’t the real story less speculative and more exploratory? How about explaining the ins and outs of the failed policies instead of nebulously lumping them together? Doesn't getting that information out to the people consistently serve a better purpose?

The agenda setting was even worse in this Post story, also from today:

“…Five years later, Hillary Clinton's tenacity in her personal and political life has left her the most formidable figure by far in Democratic politics -- and in position to make history as the first woman to become president if she runs and wins in 2008...."

Hillary is only the presumptive frontrunner because news outlets keep anointing her as so. I’ve yet to hear a speech from her or any other candidates. I don’t even think she has an exploratory committee. She doesn't even have a vision for the country. No, this is a woman who won’t take a stand on anything if she thinks it will cost her votes; has not led any legislative efforts since entering office; would also piss in your ear and tell you it was raining; treats polling as though it were sacrosanct; and most likely does not share an ideology with a number of voters in her supposed base. For instance, I disagree with her positions regarding the death penalty, faith-based initiatives, and even abortion, something she seems to be waffling on. A number of people will have these reservations and others. But you’d never know this from the Post article because it’s too busy painting her as a top candidate primed to prove her doubters wrong. This is how people become misinformed and misled.

Proof? The latest Gallup research data (must watch a brief ad to gain access) shows that a majority of those polled would vote for Clinton were she to run for President. I'd bet that most respondents hadn't even considered any of the other perspective candidates because the media haven't told them to, yet. What a fucking joke.

If we return to the media-as-custodian analogy, I think it's fair to say that even the Washington Post--the best of the major papers, providing a lot of real analysis and a broader range of stories--needs to start cleaning better. The American political arena is getting messier and messier because the custodial staff does its job terribly.

I do what I gotta do:
- G-Dub got back to his old reliable strategy of denial, baseless assertions, and empty rhetoric. I can't say I have ever agreed with Michelle Malkin before, but his speech was unconvincing. (Of course, unlike Michelle, I am not frighteningly delusional and virulently conservative. And I don't believe that the U.S. is without sin.)

- Eff a first amendment?

- Let's see if the Israeli settlers can continue to wield a disproportionate amount of power.

- Contempt and vitriol for Larry Brown are lingering at the End of the Bench.

Back from Paradise

So hot.

Some random musings as I hopelessly seek to prevent the onset of the coming work week. And man, New York had a fantastic Memorial Day weekend:

- Since defense wins championships, the Suns' trophy case will remain incomplete; Larry Brown is out when his team is; and Rachel Nichols sucks at her job--all of this is going down at the End of the Bench.

- Here it is: a compendium of transgressions committed while Jim Tressel has served as the warden at the Minimum Security Prison and Home for the Mentally Challenged. Lloyd Carr needs to be mailing this to every recruit in the country.

- Is anyone else more than a little disappointed that De La Soul provided the rhymes for that infectious Gorillaz song from the iPod commercial? Counting the Gorillaz among hip-hop's practitioners never really sat right with me, and this doesn't help. But I can't front; the song is catchy. And at this point, my relationship with De La is like that of a parent and a child: De La might disappoint me from time to time, but my love is unconditional.

- No one makes stylized and engrossing gangster movies like the British. Lock, Stock, Snatch, and now Layer Cake. I know that Cake came out a few weeks ago, but I finally got to see it this past weekend, and it was great. So far, it's the best movie I have seen in 2005. The acting was superb (Michael Gambon kilt it); the plot moved quickly; the script was smart; and Sienna Miller, my wife, was in it. (Is it just me, or does ma look like Heidi Klum?) It is immensely fun and you won't see every twist coming, something that sadly cannot be said about most (inferior) films of this genre. There weren't any standout characters who will develop cult followings, but Cake was probably stronger than Snatch, a movie I loved.

- So I still have Detroit Deli in my rotation. I wish that Slum got more love.

- Sit back and take note...of A Tribute to Ignorance's return. Robbie probably knows more about this hippity-hop thing that the kids are always talking about than anyone.

As We Ride Out Into the Weekend...

The Ruler stays iced

Not much from me today. Really, just a few quickies:

- My mellow, Ian, put me onto Blueprint’s 1988, and he wasn’t wrong. The album has a few moments of relative dissonance, but on balance, it’s a very well-made record. Beyond its purposely anachronistic (and welcomed) production style and relatable rhymes, one of the LP’s unintended merits is that the track “Tramp” reminded me of how much time I spent in eighth grade listening to Slick Rick’s Behind Bars. I don’t know if Behind Bars is underrated (it does not merit designation as a “classic” given the way that critics and the credocracy use that word), but it’s certainly overlooked. The beats on that album were mostly syrupy fun, and as always, Rick came through with his mellifluous flow and superlative narrative skills. Really, if anything, Slick Rick might be underrated. Heads (myself included) routinely omit or ignore him when engaging in the masturbatory dialogues about GOATs and influence and all that, but Rick deserves more dap. His verse construction was simplistic at times, but he set the standard for storytelling flows, and some of his lines (to say nothing of the actual vocals) persist as timeless hip-hop elements, if we use that word in a more inclusive sense.

- Fuck a Danica Patrick, and I don’t mean that in no nice way. What is this sportswriter obsession with a homely race-car driver? (Shouts to Ian, again, for making this salient for me. No homo.) First of all, she’s not hot (sorry, Wilbon). (Sportswriters always seem to have bad taste.) Second, who cares about racing? NASCAR may be a growing cultural force, but I am never going to spend time in front of the television watching a bunch of white dudes make one long, continuous left turn. NASCAR’s proponents always mention that the danger involved in the sport make it perversely exciting, and even vicariously thrilling. I just call it stupid and bland. And oh by the way, Patrick doesn’t even drive a stock car. She’s involved with that Formula One/IRL junk that no one cares about, anyway. Is the Indianapolis 500 really a big deal if no one is paying attention to it? I would consider myself a big sports fan, and my friends are people of my ilk, and not one of us has mentioned a car race in about, oh I don’t know, ever. Third, what does it say about women's sports that they only get coverage if one of the participants is either hot or the best ever practitioner of her craft? (And what's with that picture?! Was she auditioning for a part on Lost? To be a hermit saint? What?) Maybe it says more about the men who cover the sports than the sports and the athletes, but it doesn't augur too well for the last two. I’m done with this.

- "Fell from top ten to not mentioned at all...." Coked up is a bad look for her.

- This is not what we mean when we talk about weed carriers.

- Peep Game: Supposed to Bubble

- The Senate energy bill is not as bad as the House’s, but that’s an ignominious distinction, one akin to the differentiation between Skita and Darko: they’re both busts. Until the federal government makes a significant capital commitment to enhanced transmission technology and the development of viable renewable resources at the expense of old-world energy technologies, our long-range energy, economic, and foreign policies will remain perilously unstable. At a time when many indicators suggest that the United States will be surpassed in economic strength by China and then India during the coming century, and that humans are committing awful crimes against the environment, there should already exist compelling reasons to sever the nation’s economic health, international policy, and energy stability from the availability of fossil fuels. But that won’t happen so long as the government is beholden to a myopic, rapacious, and stubborn energy industry.

The Livest Show

Reunited and it feels so good...

Last September, I was trading emails with a friend as we commiserated over having missed the Dave Chappelle block party. At one point, we got on the subject of dream concert lineups. Given that the summer concert season is heating up, I was reminded of the lineup I had concocted, and I thought I’d throw it up as a way to start a conversation. Please chime in and let me know who you’d schedule for your personal Concert to End All Concerts. There really are no rules (for instance, I have Biggie and Pac performing at my show, and they're dead).

(N.B.: As I devised the schedule, I intended to create a procession of artists that would build to a crescendo but also offer various moments of hysteria. I also sought to foster as many seamless transitions from act to act as possible.)

So at this show, the Roots would play backup the whole time, aiding the segues, playing covers, doing their own thing, etc. And my house DJ would be Premier, and he could do whatever the hell he wanted since he's earned it (and half the songs at this show would be his--or at least it seems that way). I have listed each artist, in order, and added additional notes, including the final song for each act. And remember, this is my concert.

*Camp Lo: Sets things off right with an Uptown Saturday Night sonic montage. Final song - "Luchini"
*Pharcyde: No east coast bias here. Final song - "Soul Flower"
*Jurassic 5: I don’t know if these guys ever get enough credit. Their brand of collaborative, harmonic hip-hop is so good at a live show. Final song - "Concrete Schoolyard"
*Roots Interlude: Mostly their own joints, including a few favorites and some junk from Tipping Point. Final song - Opening notes of "He Got Game" (since it is melodic, and just to get it out of the way)
*Public Enemy: Just a monster set filled with energy and aggression. Final song - "Shut 'Em Down" (Pete Rock Remix)
*Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth: Sometimes underwhelming live, but so many great records. Final song - "T.R.O.Y."
*Little Brother: Phonte is worth the price of admission all by himself, and 9th’s record collection makes for enjoyable live remixes. Final song - "Altitudes"
*Roots Interlude: More originals and a brief Hip-Hop 101 segment at the end. Final song - Opening to "Move Somethin'"
*Talib Kweli: Hopefully he’ll stay away from much of Beautiful Struggle and will instead bring out some friends to do tracks from Beautiful Mixtape, Vol. 2. Final song - "Dedication"
*Mos Def: No singing! Final song - "Respiration"
*Common: If he recreates what he did on Tuesday, I’ll be satisfied. Final song - "Food"
*Kanye West: Performs his stuff but also brings out GLC, John Legend (who gets a lot of time), Miri Ben-Ari, and Consequence. Final song - "Last Call"
*Roots Interlude: Pick up "Last Call," spin that into a new version of "You Got Me" and then launch into a full fledged Hip-Hop 101 with all the usual joints like "Planet Rock." They also use the Hip-Hop 101 as a forum for guest spots from Slick Rick, Brand Nubian, Big Daddy Kane, and Kool G Rap. Final song - Opening of "Lately"
*Jodeci: Fuck the haters. I used to love Jodeci (no homo). Final song - "Royalty"
*Gang Starr: Nice and Smooth come out for “DWYCK.” Final song - "Above the Clouds"
*Wu-Tang Clan: This is a looong-ass set, as it includes all the solo bangers as well. And Redman comes out so that he and Meth can do their thing. Final song: "Incarcerated Scarfaces"
*Nas: I’ve never seen a Nas show. Final song - "Ether"
*Jay-Z: Opens with "Takeover," and, in effect, recreates his “retirement show,” replete with the Roc in the building. Final song - "Encore”
*Roots Interlude: Mostly original music, but also a compilation of songs sampled by B.I.G. and Pac. Final song - A cover of The Ohio Players’ "Funky Worm"
*N.W.A.: This set rocks, and it serves as a West Coast party, as Snoop and Pac enhance the street knowledge on stage. Final song - 2Pac’s famous freestyle with the Notorious that they originally performed at Madison Square Garden
*Biggie: Junior Mafia will not be allowed on stage. Final song - "Long Kiss Goodnight"
*Roots Interlude: A brief set of original material. Final song - "Stay Cool"
*De La Soul: They reunite with Prince Paul and perform hits from their entire catalogue, even including a few tracks from A Prince Among Thieves. Final song - "Roller Skating Jam"
*A Tribe Called Quest: This is a massive set, and Jarobi even gets some shine. Final song - "Scenario"
*E'rybody: Illest posse cut ever, picking up the beat from “Scenario” and continuing over all the great posse cut beats, old and new.

Keep bangin':
- There is a sullen mood hanging over the End of the Bench following the Pistons' loss.

- I don't think I dap up my girl Stacey enough. Her blog is the most consistently hilarious thing on all these internets. Just ask my dad.

Larry Brown Should Choke on Something

Why? Peep this. This behavior is not unprecedented, but that makes it no less selfish or disgusting.

Awfully Windy in New York

I'm Burt Reynolds, bitch!

Monday night, I had a concert date with the GZA (no homo), but while waiting on line to enter B.B. King’s, a dude offered me $50 for my ticket since the show was sold out. I was tired and there was a Pistons game on, so I pocketed a healthy profit and made it home in time to watch Detroit roll. Last night, I was slated to see Common at the legendary (?) S.O.B.’s, and no amount of money was stopping me.

I was smart to have attended. Common ripped it, and it was arguably the best performance I’ve seen from him. (I had previously seen Common during the Electric Circus Tour; as an extended-stay guest at a Kanye show; as the twin headliner with the Roots in Detroit last November; at Columbia University back in April; and somewhere else, but the date and location are currently escaping me.) He was dramatically better than he was when he played at Columbia, and the crowd was in love with him. Whenever an artist is really connecting with a crowd populated by his fans, an almost indescribable sense of contentedness seems to blanket the venue, and suddenly the group seems to share collective senses of euphoria and invincibility.

Common’s primary set (he came out for an encore) was comprised of his hits (“The Light,” “H.E.R.,” “Resurrection,” “Come Close,” etc.) and tracks from Be (he did almost the entire album). I was impressed by how good the new tracks sounded; Be might be one of the best concert records in a long time. I like it as it is the advance copy (why, why, why did he remove the studio version of “Food”?) enough, and the record is strong (likely 2005’s strongest so far), but it isn’t as good as some have said. There are a few tracks (“Go” comes to mind, for instance) that get kind of boring and drag, however all of them sound better in concert. Well, all except for my favorite, “It’s Your World,” a song with a lush sonic pastiche that is not done proper justice by a keyboardist, a DJ, and a drum machine. Overall, it was a hot show.

Some other notes:
- Black Star showed up and performed. We got to hear “Respiration” (of course), “Get By,” “Get ‘Em High,” and “Umi Says.” Mos Def was pretty weird all night. When he wasn’t roc(k)ing the mic, he was trying to play bongos (badly), providing guerilla backup vocals, and weaving his way across the stage intermittently.

- Mos also laced a freestyle with Common over the “Electric Relaxation” beat. Mos’s “verse” sounded prefabricated, but the weirdest part was the way that he gradually started singing. What is his aversion to rapping, exactly? I know that people blow smoke up his ass because he’s intelligent, articulate, and can act a little (he’s not that good), but didn’t he used to be a rapper? I have no quarrel with someone who has eclectic taste and interests, nor do I find exploratory hip-hop so awful (see: Phrenology, MM…Food, etc.), but Mos needs to remember what got him here. I don’t want to hear him sing or rock out; stop wasting your talent and my time.

- Musiq hopped up on stage at the end of the show, and I couldn’t tell if it was intended or if he had bought a ticket like everyone else and Com has spotted him in the crowd. Regardless, it was weird. He seemed unprepared to perform, I don’t think he had heard all of Be, and he sounded weak. Also, it seemed like Common was grudgingly affording Musiq some shine.

- Long-time “organic artists” collaborator Kareem Riggins was the percussionist (drum kit, bongos, cymbals) and he did a great job.

- DJ Dummy does not get enough dap

- For the second-straight time I saw him, Common didn’t perform “Food” but did almost everything else from Be. Is this a deliberate attempt to maintain an identity independent of Kanye?

- Sean has more to say about Common, and it’s that crack.

Diplomat without the "t" spells diploma:
- I got the End of the Bench on lock down.

- Will these signings serve as the unwitting undoing of the g-g-g-g-g-g G-Unit? You know how it goes: 50, H.N.I.C., Em, and Iovine get overextended on all of these projects; albums don’t get the promotion they need; personalities clash; etc. Soon enough, 50’s putting out tracks at the opening of Banks albums and Buck is gunnin’ for D12 and Havoc.

- Under Harry Reid’s stewardship, Democrats have done a good job fighting pernicious and senseless policies like Social Security “reform” and reinvigorating their base (to some extent) in the process. However, in typical Democrat fashion (you know, why capitalize on the positive when you can mitigate it with a negative), the Donkeys may now counteract this savvy political and policy choices by actually cutting a deal on Social Security. What is wrong with these people? Daily Kos rightly points out the fallacious thinking that may motivate potential deal makers. And more importantly, when will the Democrats learn their lessons? The Republicans will never settle for anything less than a total victory, so why trust them to adhere to a compromise that would not represent an actual victory? Not as convinced of the GOP’s unrelenting fervor as I am? Here’s the proof.

- Do not cross him: Burt Reynolds just upped his gully quotient big time (make sure you watch the video). This is so awesome.

- Whitney’s home. And there’re only thirty-five more days until her reality show with Bobby debuts. Not that I’m counting down or anything.

Filibusted

Goin' to work

Deee-troit Bas-ket-baaaaaaall. Sorry, I had to get that out of my system.

Much like Kevin Drum, I am surprised to find that I have little to say about the filibuster agreement that the so-called “Senate moderates” brokered last night. I don’t actually think it resolves, so much as delays, anything. Unethical, inhumane, bought-and-paid-for judges like Priscilla Owen; and unrelenting, inappropriate ideologues like Janice Brown (talk about those awful “activist” judges) are still going to, in effect, promulgate partisan federal policies insulated from debate and public pressure. And the agreement does not mandate that the White House nominate fewer radical judges in the future. So, what was won? The Republicans failed to do away with the filibuster. That is good. And Bill Frist looks bad since he couldn’t marshal his party and his resources to accomplish an ideological victory to which he had strongly committed himself. That is good. But I don’t think this accord will forever resolve the issue of judicial-appointment procedures or ensure that the realm of federal-judiciary nominations will cease to serve as de a facto partisan-politics playground.

Today, as I read about this deal, I slipped into an almost catatonic state of indifference, though. I have previously discussed the dismay engendered by Senate Majority Leader and general douche bag Bill Frist pimping his faith to cast the filibuster saga as some opportunity for moral triumph over the pesky, satanic minions championing checks and balances, separation of powers, and informed debate. I have also mentioned that preserving the filibuster as a means to lend the minority a voice in policy and protocol debates was an important measure. But beyond that, this entire episode in the poisonous world of American partisan politics did not get my blood boiling after some initial moments of infuriation.

With apologies to my Republican friends and readers--who I respect and cherish because I know them, their values, and their minds--no treacherous, subversive, brazen action perpetrated by the Republican Party surprises me anymore. At this point, I expect George Bush, Karl Rove, Bill Frist, Rick Santorum, James Dobson, and all of their acolytes to try anything--lying, cheating, pandering--if they feel as though the tactic will advance their agenda--one that appears to favor the rich, loathe the poor, champion evangelical faith, promote a binary moral system, vilify “others,” and repress individual liberties. Do all people who have voted for or likely will vote for Republicans share every opinion expressed by the (mostly) men who shape the GOP’s platform? Thankfully, no. But leaders of the national Republican Party simply have a radically different perception of the world than I do, and as troubling as I find this extant ideological dichotomy--sometimes the chasm between perceptions is staggering and frightening--I no longer respond to my encounters with the seemingly perverse manifestations of this inimical belief system with the same fervent dismay. I simply can’t keep up.

Many in political blogtropolis* can, though. Enjoy (if that’s your thing): Commentary, commentary, commentary, and more commentary. And of course, you can always find more...

Tell me, is it like that:
- Now that James Dobson has temporarily lost his cute little crusade to pack the judiciary with conservative dogmatists, he can turn his attention to other problems eroding our society like--oh no!--women displaying their sexuality. Give me a fucking break. America is a country obsessed with sex--sex is used to sell everything. And Jesus Christ, the most popular TV show is one about sex-crazed suburban housewives. How many anti-sexuality, moral-virtues-espousing lecherous hypocrites is it going to take before we all own up to the fact that Americans are having sex regardless of what their parents, their scriptures, or their media-created moralist celebrities are saying. Instead, shouldn’t we be doing more to teach people how to have sex safely? I’m with this British woman. Replacing already deficient sex ed with abstinence training is ridiculous. And so, again, what’s the big deal about Paris Hilton selling hamburgers while scantily clad? I’m no Hilton fan (read: she’s a trashy, toe-up moron with diseases I probably can’t even pronounce), but this is so absurd.

- Speaking of a responsible, realistic approach to our sexual climate, I gotta give New York dap for this initiative. It is especially important following the harrowing Michael Specter article about the rising rates of H.I.V. infection and that phenomenon’s correlation to crystal meth use.

- Zwigalicious (n/h) beat me to this (and really, Jon beat us both), but I also gotta dap up my man David Myers.

- From the New York Times:

"...Mike Piazza, who was not in the starting lineup, spent his free time getting a baseball autographed by the radio commentator Rush Limbaugh. 'It was like meeting George Washginton,' Piazza said."

Um, Mike Piazza is now my least favorite (and probably the stupidest) New York Met.

- The Toyota Corolla was not designed for eight passengers.

- This publicity stunt is starting to get too creepy. Is Tom Cruise crazy? All those exaggerated facial expressions and emotional outbursts that defined his performances always struck me as acting, but maybe he can only play the same character over and over again because really, he's just nuts.

- Don't mess with Texas (if you're black). Here's a suggestion for Americans: Stop electing national-office holders from this state. It's a bad, bad place. And don't forget about those AIDS-promoting cheerleaders.

- I am pleased to say that neither I nor anyone that I know made it onto this site. But there are some friends who are a little too close for comfort.

- Lost in the 80's came correct today. I love the Pearl Jam version of "Throw Your Arms."

*Given that the mainstream media and bloggers are all obsessed with creating nonce words to describe the internets that host these eblogs, I figured I'd do my best to keep the vernacular fresh and full of synonyms. Feel free to participate in this ongoing public service.

Keep My Blog Out Yo' Search

Yeah, so there was a person desperately in search of information about some fleeting sixteen-year-old star of reality TV and her breasts today. How do I know? Google searches for "ava's breast on my super sweet sixteen" and "sweet 16 ava's breasts" both returned Straight Bangin' pages among the top ten. Why? Because my February archives page has posts about Michael Jackson freaking out about a naked woman and the stupidity that was (is? As in, "Is it still on?") MTV's Super Sweet Sixteen show. This site continues to reach all the intended audiences.

Also, today this site received its 10,000th visit. Thanks to everyone for reading.

Does Bobby Come with the Room?

Hypocrisy Update: I guess that Michael Isikoff runs the Marines' website, also. Oh, wait...

- Controversy just follows the Browns, but I guess this episode--the one when Bobby and his weed carriers get into a fight at Justin’s--will make for good TV when the reality show hits. (That show is going to be AMAZING.) The fighting is stupid, but not all that shocking. But hold up--Bobby was performing at open-mic night at Justin’s? And it was the second time he’s done so?! *Shakes his head* Where’s he gonna be next? Serenading customers at a Dunkin’ Donuts drive thru? Making appearances at karaoke bars?

- What is wrong with British people? They voted Robbie Williams’s “Angels” the best song of the last ten years? And “West End Girls” by the Pet Shop Boys as the best song of the previous decade? (Jigga Man will not be impressed.) Um, this all reminds me of an old adage popularized by Will Ferrell when he used to play Alex Trebek: “Are you English or retarded?” Besides, everyone knows that the best song from the last ten years is Mr. C’s “Cha Cha Slide.”

- All those protestors in Jerusalem need to back up off of Laura Bush. She was just at Dome of the Rock doing a little recon work. What’s the big deal? I mean, how else will she and the evangelical masses to whom her husband is beholden know where to send the demolition crew when the disingenuous evangelical “Zionists” and the delusional, ultra-conservative orthodox Jews try to erect the Third Temple and initiate an end-of-days scenario? The antichrist does need some place to enthrone himself, after all. Sheesh. I would suggest, though, that G-Dub consider sending someone who can think for herself on the next goodwill tour. Laura Bush sort of has a vacant, zombie-like way about her, and quotations like this--"I think that Abu Ghosh, as we leave Israel, can show us what it's like when the people of three religions that have so many holy sites here in the holy land indeed can live in peace with each other,"--don’t reflect so well on America. That’s the best that the First Lady could come up with? Where was that disarming and endearing sense of humor, the one that made Ms. G-Dub oh so funny at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner?

- While the conclave of cardinals was electing Pope Sidious, wasn’t there speculation that the Catholic Church might attempt to re-enfranchise a lot of Catholics in the Western world who had either grown indifferent toward their faith or had too fully embraced liberalized notions that may have been tacitly allowed by Vatican II? I don’t know that vigilantly monitoring video-game sales is what everyone had in mind. But, who’s surprised by this? Why rightly blame developmental problems on bad parenting when you can instead advance a repressive and intrusive agenda by blaming pop culture? I consumed a lot of television, movies, and video games with inappropriate content when I was a youth, and things seem to have worked out all right since I had parents who actually paid attention to me and let me engage in some sort of self-determination. I cannot properly articulate just how offensive and incensing I find self-righteous crusaders seeking to impose their religious values on all people.

- Is white flight worth the trip?

- Blog fam: My mellows Charles and J. Brady have blogs. Peep game.

- Kudos to The Buckets (and Tom and Michael Wilbon): NU managed to win something.

- Crazy Sheed and too much bitching about real hoop--all tackled at the End of the Bench. Update: Retreads all around in the Association.

A Stroll Through iTunes

I got so much music on my mind...

This site addresses music in many ways, be it an essay, a rant, a reference, or even the occasional audio link. But rarely do I revert to my journalism days and review shit; I just don't think most people want to read another album or single review given the high preponderance of them. (Especially since so many heads on these internets write about music better than I do.) That said, I spent a relatively lazy Sunday around the crib and realized that a lot of music was either worthy of praise, rebuke, or non-normative mention. So please indulge me as I take a scattershot whirl through some of the ish I've been pumpin' (n/h)...

- New Little Brother (I see you, Mike): The first single from the Chitlin Circuit 1.5? Peep "Nobody Like Me."

- "...Hall of Justus/It's like Death Row in the 90's/Dho is like Suge..." I can't say I'm really seeing the analogy too well (if Big Dho = Suge, does 9th = Dre? Phonte = 2Pac? I don't think it works), but the Legacy album Project Mayhem is decidedly better than I expected it to be. Some of the less standard and more disjointed beats I'd heard from mixtapes were scrapped, and the record benefits from a serendipitously improved sonic continuity. I am especially feelin' "Mayhem," with its infectious, unrelenting funk; "Pure," with its simplistic drums, enriching whispers, and a guest spot from MC extraordinaire Phonte; and "Fast Girls," with Leg's matter-of-fact flow.

- I think it's fair to pronounce the Memphis Bleek experiment failed. I mean, he just doesn't rap well. His flow has never progressed (he still struggles to "find" the beat, and I always perceive this unintentional sense of urgency, as though he knows he just isn't good); his rhymes are fairly bland if not trite; and all of his records sound like someone was standing in the studio reading a "How to Make a New York Hip-Hop Record" manual while trying to orchestrate the whole venture. I feel bad writing all of this because I've always liked the idea of Memphis Bleek--dude seems like a nice enough person who knows that he's hopelessly engulfed in the shadow of favoritism, and Jay could have used a nice protege (n/h). But I just can't really maintain support for a dude who sounds like he won the lottery.

534 has its moments (like when Jay-Z stops by to help move units with "Dear Summer"; when Swizz Beats rolls out one of his interchangeable "Get It on the Floor"-type beats; when "First, Last, and Only" comes on for the first three or four times; when "Get Low" comes on--hopefully you'll be in a club or some place with a pole when this occurs) but the rhymes are too weak and the beats are too inconsistent. Also, it's so generic: the middle of the album sounds too much like some sick, contemporary-R&B-radio-station-wet-dream collabo between Usher and Sunshine Anderson. And didn't "Alright" come out about eighteen months ago? In his defense, Bleek likely scored at least a few points, though: Surely some of the bloggerati hip-hop pundits appreciated his "no homo" invocation during "534." No?

- Why are people proclaiming the Quasimoto record to be one of the year's best? Has music really been so bad? (Wait, don't answer that.) I like The Further Adventures of Lord Quas, and I think Madlib is a smart, diligent producer whose work and gangsta I can respect, but is this just another M.I.A./Prefuse 73 thing--everyone rushing to jump on some bullshit? Are white people behind this? The record is hot: it cracks me up; the layered production is gripping; the loose narrative lends the record a thematic arc that I welcome in hip-hop endeavors; and this sort of different sound is one that should be explored. But all that said, Further Adventures is a novelty item more worthy of appreciation and wonderment than real hip-hop praise. I am not trying to be a hater, but I'm sayin', though.... Also, if a record like Further Adventures is going to get so much dap, why are people sleeping on Prince Paul's Itstrumentals? I know that all things Madlib/MF Doom are increasingly unassailable in blogdom (and to be honest, dudes are earning the adoration), but is Further Adventures really so superior? I'll say this: the samples are just crazy, and I mean that in a good way, not a Bobby Brown kind of way.

- After Kanye's College Dropout, John Legend's Get Lifted, and De La's Grind Date, there weren't too many albums from 2004 that stood out as indisputably great. One that made my top-ten list, though, was Ed O.G.'s Pete Rock-produced My Own Worst Enemy. I recently came across two tracks that seem like they didn't make the record:

- Ed O.G., "Jus Listen" (prod. by Pete Rock)
- Ed O.G., "Shed a Tear" (prod. by Pete Rock

Shout outs:
- Ian isn't feelin' Revenge of the Sith like a bunch of peeps, including me. I did think it was better than Episodes I, II, and IV. The action sequences were exciting, the computer-generated images were next-level caliber, and the progression of the plot was just so satisfying. As my man Matt said, Lucas really nailed the final fifteen minutes. It's not a perfect movie (for instance, George Lucas has a ten-year-old's conception of how adults interact when they're supposedly in love and he just doesn't direct actors very well), but I found it highly enjoyable. If only every scene with Padme and Anakin didn't elicit uproarious laughter. And to help you calibrate this opinion, I am not the kind of kid who takes a light saber or Wookie suit to the theater, although I will wait on line for several hours to get a good seat. Take that as you will.

- The rational, intelligent, articulate, beatification-worthy Hammer of God (a.k.a. Juan Cole) strikes again. The truth can hurt. (And note that I could have linked up to any of his posts because dude is always on point. Always.)

- My man Dame got his mind right and updated his site. Keep it up, dun.

- Myles Brand might just want to open up a seasonal satellite office on Tobacco Road open for business during the first week of April each year.

- Minimum Security Prison and Home for the Mentally Challenged Blotter Report: Nice week for (the) Ohio State (joke of a) University, as defensive lineman Tim Schafer was arrested for fighting and running back Erik Haw was carrying more of Tedd Ginn's weed. That Coach Tressel, he's just such a stand-up, classy guy.

- End of the Bench is back on point.

Everybody Is a Star

Keepin' it real (stupid)

Please accept my apology for my extended absence. I was traveling for work, and when I returned, I was confronted by a plethora of activities and mundanity--I had a lot of work to do; I had to detonate an “ant bomb” in my basement-level apartment to thwart an attempted infestation; I had to spruce up my backyard by planting flowers in preparation for the barbecue season (no homo); I had to watch the Pistons and the Spurs close out their respective series; etc. But now, I am stealing some time to get back on the grind.

I have often wanted to write about time spent in my car. Despite the presence of a world-class public transportation system (although the subway is growing increasingly unreliable), New York is replete with drivers. Even centrally located Manhattan, the New York borough least likely to require vehicle ownership or utilization, is chockablock with cars. Unintentionally, I live one block north of my childhood home (I can see the building from my backyard), and resultantly, I share both their car and what were their car-moving duties with my parents.

Calvin Trillin's Tepper Isn't Going Out serves as the most notable car-moving memoir, and while I have never read it, the accolades it has received lead me to believe that it sufficiently details the painful process through which cars owners without expensive garage or lot spots must suffer when avoiding parking tickets. Thus, I will not re-hash hours wasted moving a car from one side of a street to the other or putzing around my neighborhood in an endless loop. Instead, I’d like to make an unequivocal statement: If you want to maintain a respectable knowledge of street-hop and idiocy, you need to get a car. Rent, buy, steal, whatever--get a car.

As I circled my neighborhood last night for ninety minutes, I was afforded an opportunity to listen to Hot 97, the preeminent purveyor of most of what ails hip-hop. (Although, I can’t act wholly holier than though because I went to Jacob’s with twenty-five thou as much as I cringe at the poor lyricism and rampant biting that makes so many songs sound like so many others, this a very good time for mainstream production. Who cares if Juelz has anything to say? So long as he spits his idiotic, word-repetition flows over heatrocks, I’ll probably listen to and downlo, er, buy the shit. I just can't stand cats who have taken this disingenuous and condescending interest in vacuous mainstream hip-hop as though it's significant music or a real elevation of culture. It's disposable, trite party music; stop turning it into a movement or fawning over its internally relevant and externally idiotic nature. Is there something sinfully hilarious and appealing about dudes like the Dips and how delusional they are? Yes. Are they "changing the game"? Maybe. Is this a good thing? Not really. Are you cool because you celebrate this mode of hip-hop with grandiloquence and ridiculous assertions? Absolutely not.)

This time of year is usually an exciting one, as all the records vying for club-spins preeminence throughout the summer are released, and Hot 97 assembles a generally impressive roster of its favorite artists for Summer Jam. So what happened this year? Most of the songs getting spins right now are either tired (Cassidy, I see you), bad (Yayo runs New York...but still has to diss Ja Rule over a beat that sounds like a video-game laser gun being fired? Um...), or part of some fad that will likely become annoying yesterday (*cough* reggaeton *cough*). Worst of all, though, the Summer Jam roster has inadvertently illustrated a fairly shocking hip-hop malady: the genre is bereft of superstars.

Well, that's not entirely true. I'd be the first to acknowledge that Eminem is probably the most well-known (if not most popular) musical act in the world. And not far behind him is gap-toothed, oiled-up 50. But beyond them, is there a legitimate hip-hop superstar who isn't currently "retired"? Rappers like Nas will always be seen as above-the-fray lyricists whose skills merit admiration, and personalities like Snoop Dogg will continue to transcendent music and instead permeate our popular culture in a fashion that makes their celebrity greater almost for the versatility than known abilities, but are Nas, Snoop, or anyone else really headliners? Could any of them sell out an arena?

There are tons of MCs who are following a formula, making money, and keeping their shine all lustered up, but are there any real superstars? I think that if forced to create some kind of stratification intended to measure the star power of hip-hop acts (this is NOT some kind of personal preference chart, so don't get ANYTHING twisted), the hierarchy would look something like this:

Tier One
Eminem
50 Cent
OutKast*
Jay-Z**
Usher

Tier Two
Snoop Dogg
Nas
Kanye West
Dr. Dre***

Tier Three
Ludacris
Cam'ron
Lil' Jon (with friends)
???

Lots of MCs--Jada, Game, Scarface, etc.--who could probably be placed in the third tier or perhaps deserve their own tier so as to differentiate them from the hip-hop riff raff, but so many of those artists appear to have limited followings of varying sizes. And someone like Mike Jones--a regional phenomenon who has only recently started to create a national buzz--almost defies classification because so much of that kind of an artist's appeal depends upon region and timing ("screwed" music is not going to have a years-long run as a contemporary style consumed in large quantities).

See what I mean? So few stars, let alone superstars. And as a result, someone like Fat Joe can probably call himself a star and get away with it, at least to some extent. And someone like Fabolous can be billed as a draw for Summer Jam. Isn't that laughable? Who is excited about going to Giants Stadium to watch a bunch of Tier-Three or lower rappers run around on a stage while their weed carriers shout into microphones, mangling every song?

This is like a pre-David Stern NBA. (And speaking of that, End of the Bench was updated.)

* Not currently working together
** Retired
*** Dre's N.W.A. legacy, The Chronic, and his preeminence as a producer and arbiter of hip-hop taste have ensured that anything in which he is involved (so long as it isn't producing a record for Rakim) will likely be a big deal, thus his inclusion.

Away

I'm out of town until Wednesday night, and I will not have consistent Internet access. Please pardon the, um, interruption.

Riding Pine

I will have more to say later, but for now, check out End of the Bench, the spot where I'm wondering if Europeans can be franchise players in the NBA. Dirk isn't making too strong of an argument...

Chat Transcript: Crazy Jay from Around the Way

Not worth what Jay charges for it.

All seven of the people who have visited this site since its inception back in February likely remember Jay, the concession vendor whose alcove is located in the lobby of this Class-Z office building. For those unfamiliar with Jay, here's a synopsis: Jay is from India; Jay sells overpriced candy, beverages, and sundries; Jay's store is located in a way such that he can see all people going to and coming from the elevators; Jay has no problem lighting up derelict customers (read: anyone who doesn't frequent his "store" everyday); Jay's best customer is me. Another way of describing Jay is to call him crazy, because dude is nuts.

One of the most cherished components of my day is the daily visit to Jay's alcove because one never knows what unintentional hilarity might ensue:

Jay: Hey Man, what is going on?
Me: Just bangin'.
Jay: It's chilly today. What is going on? What will you do this weekend?
(N.B.: "What will you do this weekend" is code for "Will you be going out and then going home with any 'chickies'"
Me: I think that tonight I'll be checking out Kicking & Screaming before going out to some parties. As for the rest of the weekend? Who knows?
Jay: Oh, come on, Man. You need to be having a girlfriend. What is going on?! You driss nicely, you speak nicely, you're a good guy. I think you just haven't met the right one yet. You're too busybusybusy. I see you, Monday through Friday, always working. You need to be meeting the hot chickies and finding a good one.
Me: I'm trying. What are you doing this weekend? Oh wait, let me guess. You're gonna hang around the house; maybe go out for Indian food--only vegetarian, of course; you'll play some pool; and you'll drink your Beck's.
Jay: You know me, man. I have a big house and I don't like to go out much.
Me: Take a walk or something, Jay. Take your wife out--
Jay: And you should be with the hot chickies. OK? What, no Twix today?! What is going on?
(N.B.: I just realized that Jay and Randy Moss spend their down time in similar fashion (sub. req.'d). Kinda funny, no?)
...

End of the Bench, updated.

No News Is Good News

The worst warden in America.

Is it just me, or has the news been decidedly unengaging and repetitive lately? It seems as though every time I read a newspaper or use the internets, the same boring stories are receiving the usual coverage: Everyone hates John Bolton but he will still be confirmed by the Senate so that he can start antagonizing the United Nations, berating the entire U.S. delegation, and serving as the United States' top International Asshole Antagonist; the "filibuster debate" rages on with nothing happening; rogue countries flout nuclear proliferation accords and what they perceive as the West's hypocritical meddling; bad shit goes down in Iraq day by day; Elizabeth Kolbert writes about global warming in vain; missing white girls get much more attention than missing non-white girls; and we all wake up the next day and do it again.

My initial reaction is to blame the newspapers and television programs for delivering the same stories over and over and over and over and ov--sorry--again, but I'd rather that journalists report about what's (not) happening than fabricate "news." Upon arriving at this realization, I then get frustrated with politicians because all their opinion polling, scheming, and acquiescence to their donors destroys our system, turning government from an organized structure meant to protect citizens and uphold the nation's mission into a schoolyard full of sniveling, obstinate children all competing to get more or do better. However, this frustration and anger is nothing new, and once I get past it, I am then sort of thankful that nothing else is making news--no catastrophes are good catastrophes. Don't misunderstand me as one who is inviting tragedy, then, but shit's kind of stale right now. I mean, even Stephen Jackson ain't doin' nothin': dude's played nine playoff games and hasn't even come close to fighting. Something needs to happen. In the interim...

Grindin':
- Lindy's overrates Michigan in its preseason top twenty-five. Please explain to me how my Wolverines are beating Iowa on the road or even (the) Ohio State (joke of a) University with a defense that can't stop anyone, an offensive line in flux, and a coach that even Mack Brown can beat in a big game. I am not trying to front on my own team, but come on. Sadly, I think UM is losing at least three this season.

- The New York (Hip-Hop) Times commits another ethical transgression, stealing my idea.

- At this point, I am starting to think that the judge in this case is a Corey Haim plant. When--when?!--are we getting to see Feldman?

- I am no fan of the lying, duplicitous Hillary Clinton, and I found Bill to be a letdown, but I have yet to grasp why conservatives hate Clintons so virulently. What is it about these two people that gets Red State blood boiling so quickly?

- From the "Who's Fucking Surprised" Department: This dude has to be carrying for Tedd Ginn. Just another arrest (what's that, seventy-six since Tressel took over?) at America's premier Minimum Security Prison and Home for the Mentally Challenged.

Updates:
- Michigan 1, MSPaHftMC 0 - Massive OL Justin Boren has committed to Michigan over (the) Ohio State (joke of a) University. That's now two top-100 type football commitments for the class of 2006.

- Uh-oh, update your draft boards. Shav's coming out! Do you think Coach K is paying him? I fell out of my chair laughing when I read this.

Welcome...

...to Russ Bengston, formerly of SLAM. He's now writing an NBA blog that will hopefully be long on insight and opinion and short on the mindless hype that sometimes makes SLAM less than great (read: insufferable). I mean, I think my emotionally disturbed cousin was once on the cover under a headline "The Next Big Thing!" And shouts to the just-updated Mr. Kamoji for putting me onto this.

So Wait, Is He Back or Not?

I thought these were supposed to be Jay's peers, no?

Lettin' You Dumb Mother-effers Know: Who are the top twenty players in the L? Who was that white dude dominating Detroit on the boards? What's with Amare's socks? All of these questions explored at the End of the Bench. Jyeah!
...

If you follow hip-hop and watch DVDs, you know that Jay-Z supposedly retired from rapping. Fuck, dude even had a farewell concert that was intended to serve as his musical gold watch. I know because I was there. But, no one with an IQ above twelve actually believed that Jay was really gettin' out the game; the money and fame are just too good. So, no one was really surprised when he expressed an interest in working with Dr. Dre and released an album and toured (briefly) with R. Kelly. I have to admit that I found it odd when Def Jam handed over control of its operation to Jay (an entrepreneur with a record of success, but always as a collaborator), but that move made his return to rapping inevitable.

His most blatant recorded violation of the retirement compact came on a wintertime Funk Flex show (click here for audio) when he and the Roc dropped some new "freestyles" (a.k.a., pre-fabricated rhymes not yet recorded on any albums). Some of Jay's lines have now become the "Memphis Bleek" song "Dear Summer." I addressed this track on Tuesday, but I mention it again today because I had never really listened to the lyrics before and, thus, I didn't realize how loaded they are.

Addressing his beloved, Summer (who I take to be a metaphor for the career-building role that summertime heatrocks played in his career), Jay toys with the idea of coming back, articulating the internal emotional struggle given his true love, rhyming, and his new trick, the corporate job; calls out the haters who could be surprised that he can still flow; not-so-subtly comes back at The Game, threatening and dismissing him given Game's cowardly kinda-veiled dis ("Maybachs and button-ups" is pretty obvious yet plausibly deniable...maybe) and immediate "I don't go after legends" backpedaling (I wonder if Jay's "No religion" line is also a reference to another Just Blaze banger, "Church for Thugs"?); puts a lyrical beatdown on insane and faltering Dame Dash; and, best of all, begs Summer (and, really, the public) to be nice to support Jay's all-time favorite lover weed carrier protege, Memphis Bleek. Taken in this last context, the otherwise odd presence of a Jay-Z solo track at the relative inception of a Memphis Bleek album can be understood as a figurative passing of the summertime-heatrock torch to Memph Man. Undoubtedly, he'll drop it or let it go out, but that's a record review for another day.

Agree? Disagree? Take a look at the lyrics that I painstakingly transcribed and let me know.

"...Give me couple years
Shit I might just sneak in
A couple words
And like Peaches and Herb
We be reunited and it feels so hood
Now the whole world's sayin'
'How you still so good?'
Well I do this in my slumber, Summer
I ain't none of these half-ass newcomers
You know how I do, Summer
I drop heat when you bring the sun up
The combo make ni**as act up
I pick a gun up/Ni**as back up
They know I'm not no fronter
I don't talk shit/I just flip it on ya
Sorry Lance, I'm try'na advance my quotes
I ain't makin' you the butt of my jokes
But let's not stray from what I came to say
To my beloved, I think we need some time away
They say if you loved it, you should let it out its cage
And fuck it/If it comes back, you know it's there to stay
It's tuggin'/At my heart
But this time apart is needed/From the public
You shoulda gave me the publics (?)
Instead gave me they ass to kiss
But you know me, thuggin' 'til the casket dips
But still shine light down on all my peers
I know they where
Some queer, I still want them to share
And all the success I received
I know you can't believe
I still love 'em but they don't love me
They like the drunk uncle in ya family
You know they lame/You feel ashamed/But you love 'em the same
It's like when ni**as make subliminal records
If it ain't directed directly at me, I don't respect it
You don't really want it wit' Hov'
For the record, I put a couple'a careers on hold
You could be next, kid
Keep ent'in' the danger zone
You gon' make that boy Hov' put yo name in the song
If you that hungry for fame, muh'fucker come on
Say when, take ten paces and spin
But on another note, 'bout to take another vaca'
On another boat
God'damn, a motherfucker wrote his way out the hood
And I pray that I stay out for good
But any day, you know a ni**a could
Try an' play like he Suge
Then I gotta play like Dutch Schultz
You pass the dutchie, I blast you, trust me
Ni**as can't fuck with me
I'm in a good mood
You lucky/I gotta good groove
And I ain't try'na fuck my thing up
But will lay down a couple green bucks
Get you cleaned up
Non-Pulp Fiction/Coke four-fifth and
Young ni**as that blast for me/No religion
[Speaking] Listen here, Summer, baby
I just believe it's the right thing to do
I got a brand new bitch, Corporate America
She showin' me a lotta action right now
I, I know you put me on my feet and all, but
I mean, it's time for me to grow
You gotta let me go, Baby
You gotta let me go
[Rapping] I'm done for now
So "one" for now
Possibly forever
We had fun together
But like all good things, we must come to an end
Please show the same love to my friends"

Reason for Pride or Shame/Even More Fun with Referrals

If one were to scour all of the internets by entering "gggggg g-unit" in the Google search field, Straight Bangin' would turn up on the first page. Is this good or bad? I don't need that Interscope Mafia knowing about me and where I dwell in the cyber world as my criticism of Em and 50 inevitably continues as their time on this Earth persists.

Update: More interesting referrals. 1) Tofu Hut's mp3 blog listings made it into Wikipedia; 2) This site is the only place you'll find "+"mike d'antoni" +toupee"; What the eff is this???

Huffing and Puffing and Blowing...Hot Air

Dispensing boxing bromides and political conspiracy theories.

Yesterday, I wrote nice things about The Huffington Post. That was before the torrent of scattershot blog entries nearly broke my Feed Demon and made me wish that I had never learned how to read. Arianna, I am begging you, please, stop! An XML feed is not a toy, and none of us can handle an endless procession of celebrity friends writing about, um, nothing and everything at once. I was also a lone voice of support for HBO’s Jim Lampley amidst a sea of criticism (most of it reasonable and well articulated).

Today I am changing my tune. Singing a new song. The Huffington Post is really underwhelming. The idea of a liberal news site that seeks to set the agenda is a good one. The idea of a liberal group blog that seeks to formulate strong ideas that can inform public debate and fortify Democratic rhetoric is a good one. The idea of a liberal entertainment site that seeks to aggregate the opinions of talented celebrities and bring them closer to the people who appreciate their efforts and consume their endeavors is a good one. But allowing all three of these proposals to manifest as a single, boring enterprise that fails to honor the entertaining, if not admirable, individual intentions of all three notions is horrible. This dreck is almost unreadable.

I came to my new perspective (or, found my new rhythm, to extend the metaphor found in the preceding paragraph) this morning as I sifted my way through the self-important ramblings of far too many guest commentators. There are simply too many posts from too many people with too little substance that captures my attention. Do I really care about which celebrities Maxim UK Editor Greg Gutfeld fantasizes about rescuing? To be fair, there are a few standout entries (like John Zogby’s accurate and fair repudiation of Democrats as a bunch of bellyachers who don’t generate new, good ideas--where are the alternatives?!) that I not only agree with, but appreciate as fodder for discourse. I’d throw New York Public Advocate Candidate Andrew Raseij’s thoughts about fixing the Democratic Party into this latter group, as well. But too often, The Huffington Post’s blog is a bunch of semi-informed commentary outside of a cohesive context and devoid of new information, compelling intellectual merit, or amusing entertainment value. And if the site isn’t going to deliver on any of those promises, then what’s the point?

(And P.S.: Y’all are too harsh on Lampley. He’s no genius, and he is out of his element as a political commentator sparring with Byron York, but can’t you at least appreciate that Lampley has some actual substance to him? I am probably one of the people most inclined to believe in Republican subterfuge and treachery, and even I find some of Lampley’s arguments specious and perhaps too shallow or warranting further incubation. My mellow Tom, from the Jotsheet, also rightly points out that Maciej Lampe Lampley is arriving at the debate about six months too late. But, agree or disagree with Jim’s politics, at least respect his attempt to be more than just some dude in a tuxedo every month. I think he’s actually intelligent.)

(And P.P.S.: The crtique that Huffington's bloggers are too deferential and benign has obviously resonated with Arianna and her collaborators. Today has already seen some infighting and transparent attempts to promote the site as a haven for fiesty dialogue. And it's only 12:45, meaning that there are about 6,000,000 more posts coming today.)

Chaining Day?

"Well I'm the newest member of the Roc-a-Fella team"?

If you believe the Akron Beacon Journal, LeBron is finna to give his agent, Aaron Goodwin, the Change of Heart treatment and allow some of his weed carriers to run his off-court career. Even better, the Journal reports that 'Bron 'Bron will allow Def Jam Records to handle some of his promotion and management. So let me get this straight (and please correct me if I'm wrong): LeBron is dumping his agent--the one who so far has gotten LeBron more than $135 million in endorsements and has already made James the NBA's biggest star--so that members of his posse and some rappers can run his career? Great fucking decisions. I hope that we next find out that LeBron has retained Ricky Williams as his spiritual advisor. Or maybe he'll get Ruben Patterson to school him on how to treat the ladies.

This also means that LeBron will be runnin' with Jay-Z more often, right? Maybe 'Bron can steal a hot Just Blaze beat from Memph Man also (see below).

Jackin' for beats?
I was seeking out a parking spot last night when Destiny's Child's "Girl" came on the radio, and my brain started to cramp up as I feverishly ran through my mental song rolodex, trying to remember the Athletic Mic League song that had used the same beat. And then I remembered that "Girl" is the same exact song as AML's "Hip-Hop Quotables." Take a listen. What's 9th been listening to?

I had a similar revelation last night as I listened to Memphis Bleek's Jay-Z's new track "Dear Summer" and realized that the first four notes of the melody are eerily reminiscent of "Summer Breeze." Is it purely coincidental that these songs share the word "summer" in their titles? I'd imagine so, but take a listen and tell me if you think I'm trippin'. (And speaking of Jay, Combat Jack says that he's coming back. I ain't hatin' on Jack for breaking this exclusive, so don't get it twisted, but come on, is anyone surprised?)

- Jay-Z, "Dear Summer"

- Main Ingredient, "Summer Breeze"

(N.B.: I realize that "Summer Breeze" is really a Seals & Croft song, but I like this Main Ingredient version, as did Biggie, if you know what I'm sayin'.)

I show you how to do this, son:
- I am liking Arianna Huffington's new blog/news portal. The blog, especially, is amusing given the wide array of guest contributors. For my Curb Your Enthusiasm heads, peep LD's post. And for anyone who has been sleeping on HBO and Jim Lampley, peep how strongly Lampley represents. Now, where's Bryant Gumbel?

- The Breaks goes big time with a fantastic visual sampling analysis (spotted by Ian).

- I think that this article will help serve as just more proof that homosexuality is not a choice, as the idiots would have you believe (obligatory: no homo).

- The other Ian sons rap heads (like me) on the internets with a fantastic analysis of that stupid MTV list that I put on blast last week. This dude is pithy, smart, and he just gets it. I'd like to write like him.

- End of the Bench has been updated. Those Suns have me nervous...

Monday Sundry

The banana nutriment shit, poppin' off below...

I spent a busy weekend in the Chi peepin' a Cubs game, checking out Northwestern, laughing my ass off at a Second City show, and doing a bunch of other Chicago things (like driving along Lake Shore Drive a bunch). However, perhaps the most Chi that I got was when I read William "Upski" Wimsatt's Bomb the Suburbs, a book I had been meaning to read for a while. In part, I was inspired by Del's post about a Wimsatt appearance in the T-Dot (can I write that even though I have only been to Canada--to Windsor, when I was nineteen--once? Probably not. Sorry.) But mainly, I got tired of staring at an unread book I had heard and read so much about.

For those unfamiliar with Suburbs, I can best describe it as a collection of essays intended to collectively examine the then-current state of hip-hop (the book came out in 1994), the role of the white man in hip-hop, and the condition of Chicago's maligned and blighted Southside. The book receives so much deserved recognition because it is a considerate and smartly articulate discussion of hip-hop culture and how it affects America on the whole and those who either rely on or take an interest in it. (Literally, the book's title can be taken as a encouraged graffiti-based assault on non-urban areas; figuratively, and realistically, it is a pithy condemnation of all things "suburban"--that is, the people, thoughts, social movements, public policies, edifices, places, and institutions that have purposely conspired to cripple cities and their mostly minority populations and culture.)

There are meticulous and engrossing passages that focus on hip-hop elements like graffiti and some underground hip-hop artists, but for me, the most engaging and provocative section was that in which Wimsatt--a white, Jewish college graduate with an intact and educated family--discussed how whites approach hip-hop culture and blacks. I do not think that Wimsatt speaks for all whites, nor do I think he addresses the experience of every single white person, but he is as thorough as anyone has been when examining the varying attitudes many whites have about blacks and black culture. In 1994, suburban white fascination with hip-hop had only recently reached what Malcolm Gladwell would now call a "tipping point," and Wimsatt's commentary is startlingly timeless given how lucidly he describes whites who equate "black" with "cool" and adopt terms like "mackadocious" not because it is so "hip-hop," but rather because it is so cool; whites who purport to be "hip-hop" but really are just yearning to seem "down" and who do very little to know black people or anyone else not like them, for that matter; whites who actually live hip-hop and how they struggle to find acceptance and assimilation both among a hip-hop population and a larger American society.

Wimsatt was uniquely positioned to make such observations given that he grew up on Chicago's Southside and was immersed in hip-hop--graffiti and music, particularly--and gritty urbanism for his entire life. While the narratives are at times too literal (Wimsatt, like many who view themselves as "true school," spends too much time myopically obsessed with the supposed four elements and, despite general open-mindedness, his paradoxically rigid understanding of hip-hop) and hip-hop pedantic, Bomb the Suburbs is a fantastic, resonant, and engaging book. It is filled with so much refreshing candor, relatable adoration of hip-hop, funny observations, and sadly applicable commentary (very little has changed in America's inner cities) that almost anyone with an interest in urban planning, American history, or hip-hop will find reading it to be gratifying.

I was especially absorbed in my internal ruminations on race, class, and the United States' built environments because I also saw Crash this weekend. Crash is Paul Haggis' gripping and honest (if not a little obvious and heavy-handed) examination of race relations and anger in Los Angeles (a place I have never been but don't think I like), and it has received incredible reviews. I found the movie to be undeserving of such high praise, however I did think it was excellent, and it elicited a number of visceral reactions.

I found that the two most salient takeaways for me were:
1) Too many people continue to act as though 1968 were the end of racism in America. Our nation's rhetoric regarding race has changed (the "American Creed," as Gunnar Myrdal would call it, now contains a notion of racial equity), however the disheartening and crushing realities of economic and social inequality persist along racial lines. Theoretically ameliorative measures like hate-crimes legislation and affirmative action have been adopted; however I wonder if attitudes have really changed or if people are simply now scared to utter what they truly think. There remain an alarming high number of supposedly coincidental correlations between social plagues and disproportionate racial effect--incarceration rates; execution rates; HIV infection; etc. These phenomena lead me to believe that while politically correct messages circulate throughout the country and many optimists would like to see real improvement, the p.c. rhetoric of American is understood by many as a verbal facade they must suffer to mask their true feelings. Crash is an important movie, then, because anything that might encourage an honest and challenging assessment of the status quo is necessary, even if it the movie is anything but subtle.

2) While the movie has been billed as an exploration of race relations, I found the racial component so apparent that it was almost tired, and for me, Crash seemed more like an examination of anger. I understood many of the characters to be fundamentally angry people who had allowed that rage to manifest itself in discrimination and intolerance, not because they were bigots (there are moments when people connects as humans, transcending race) but because primal emotions like fear and frustration need outlets, and applying them toward ugly stereotypes that are sometimes unavoidable is easier and cheaper than seeking therapy.

Has anyone else read Bomb the Suburbs? Did anyone else see Crash? Thoughts?

I'm a take y'all through a hustla's diet:
- In the Hood: My basketball site, End of the Bench, has been updated. Steve Nash should NOT have won the MVP, and he did NOT win it because he's white. Deal with it...

- On how y'all survive on five dollars: Trickology rightly and hilariously calls out "Rapper Big Pooh"...

- Not tryin' to go over budget: DJ Xplicit has a new project, a Big Daddy Kane appreciation site...

- You have some tuna fish: I am not a big fan of the mainstream media given its horrible, lapdog reporting during the Bush administration's foray into Iraq (sorry Eddie), but I also am not all about this supposed fighting between the mainstream media and the blogosphere. I mention all of this because the dizzying spike in mainstream coverage of blogging seems like the mainstream's attempt to hold bloggers accountable for the animosity and win over members of the public skeptical about all these internets (you know, the ones you hear rumors on)...

- You know'mean, a little bread over here: Without blogs, how would we know about this? "If it's warm and it's damp and it vibrates, you might in fact have sex with it"? Are you fucking kidding me!...

- A little mayonnaise: Given that rogue states do what they want and the world (I am not just hoe-ing out the U.S.) has yet to discover an adequate method to address this problem, does the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty really mean anything? How long until an imperiled state decides that it will do what it wants in the interest of sovereignty and security?...

- Five dollars'll smash that: I'm stressed, bitch! Chappelle should talk to A-Rod...

- You could take the big bag of ninety-nine-cent potatoes: May 17th should be called "America Gets Dumber Day"...

- Lightly cooked--ketchup, salt. You good: Jackogate

Traveling Man

I've been on the road in Bucketland visiting my sister, the Buckets, at Northworstern. Sorry for the delinquence. In the interim, consider this, an email I received on Thursday. I don't really know what this dude's talking about aside from the fact that I am NOT discriminating against Spero Dedes because he's Greek; I discriminate against him because he stinks. Or as the Buckets says, "It's not that you're discriminating, you just don't like him." Enjoy:

Dear Joey (think that's what your name is according to your profile):

We just came across your website with some friends here at work... And couldn't help but send you a quick note on your bashing of my fellow Greek -- Spiro Dedes.

First off, let me say that I've lived in both LA (9 years, and NYC, the last 4 years). Not sure what you mean when you talked about how LA needs a different sound, as opposed to the "NY Marv Albert" school of broadcasting, as you basically put it.

Secondly, me any my co-workers here have agreed that you sound like a dude who tried to get into the broadcasting business, and failed miserably... And is now taking it out on a young buck who's made serious strides in broadcasting -- in the No. 1 market in the U.S.

You shouldn't hate like that. Not healthy.

Interesting how someone so "bad" (in your opinion) has worked for almost every TV network there is -- at the age of 25!

Can you explain that one for me?

You should lay off our the Greek.

P.S. - I especially liked the part where you said Spiro makes tons of mistakes... And then, on another blog praised Kenny & Charles in the TNT studio!!! Those two morons mutilate the English language, and the rest of us have to listen to their garbage 'cuz they could ball?

You're a total hypocrite.

Show me some balls and post this on your blog.

WTF?

Things Done Changed

I didn't feel like searching for a cooler picture.

Yesterday's post is a testament to how much Straight Bangin' readers know and care about hip-hop and basketball. The comments section contains a healthy dialogue. Don't think that I haven't noticed, and I'd like to thank everyone who reads this site for their continued support.

I am also pleased to announce that I am not the only one who has noticed the (at-times) strong basketball dialogue on this site. I was recently contacted by Most Valuable Network, a confederation of sports blogs that receives more than 150,000 site visits each day. MVN hosts a general NBA blog, End of the Bench, which has recently fallen into dereliction, and I was invited to assume writing responsibilities for the site. I have accepted the invitation and will now be writing three or more blog entries each week for EotB. I think I might even be getting some money out of this arrangement, although I am not entirely sure.

Straight Bangin' will go on, and it will continue to benefit from the (mostly) daily updating schedule I have established. This is still my baby, and my home site. It will continue to serve as a repository for thoughts and observations about hip-hop, politics, sports, and life. It will, however, suffer slightly from a diminished NBA focus. I will still post some NBA-related thoughts here, and I will certainly not refrain from making jokes about Kobe Bryant on this site (e.g., Memphis Bleek's new record will probably flop worse than The Rapist without Shaq), however my lengthier NBA ruminations will now be found at End of the Bench.

I hope that you all will support this new endeavor and bring your hilarious, engaging, and insightful feedback over there with me. I'd appreciate it, and I think it would make that site stronger.

Some other notes about End of the Bench:
- I didn't pick the title
- The former author was a dude named Tim Kraus and some of his shit is still posted there
- I am working on changing the template. I hope to throw up new links and get rid of some duds
- I will happily and consistently shout out the sites of my internet heads who visit Straight Bangin'

MTV Is for Idiots

Please make sure that you’re comfortably seated and properly nourished before reading the ensuing rant. It’s poppin’ off…now:

I was going through some websites today and eventually stumbled upon MTV’s list of the ten greatest hip-hop records of all time. What happened? Well, my boss yelled at me after I had vomited all over my desk and disturbed the work place with my shrieks of horror and anger. In my defense, have you seen this list? Efil4zaggin over Straight Outta Compton? A Run-DMC joint ahead of It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back? A 2Pac album on the list at all? And no Native Tongues? Any credible G.O.A.T. list must include a Tribe record (I’d pick Low End but I can understand arguments for Marauders) and a De La record (again, I’ll take De La Soul Is Dead but I wouldn’t Fu-Schnick--that is, ring the alarm--if the pick were Three Feet High). Also, 2Pac was not that good. He was a fine rapper whose articulate nature and multiple talents substantially contributed to hip-hop’s transformation into a larger social and cultural phenomenon, but he has benefited from posthumous overestimation. A 2Pac greatest hits collection is quite the record, but he never made a single great album.

Additionally, I’d add that if MTV had ever done anything to jeopardize its standing as an exploitative, vacuous, and insidious vehicle of cooptation, this list ameliorated the situation. Not since Yo! MTV Raps has any hip-hop-oriented endeavor undertaken by MTV seemed authentic; everything always feels so synthetic and condescending and coordinated. Even this list--from its substance to the phony “transcripts” of the discussions that accompanied each selection to anticipating qualms and calling all the dissenters “backpackers”--feels totally fake, the result of market research and planning. As I have said before, MTV has hurt hip-hop more than it has helped it, and worse, MTV has disproportionately contributed to America’s glorification of the vapid. Along with its tag-team partners, the urban radio stations and multinational corporations like Sony and Time Warner, MTV has stolen the ability to craft hip-hop’s image and has sold the American public on hip-hop as (mostly) discussion of cars, women in thongs, and throwback jerseys. Allowing the Roots to host a dumb show with a contrived name like Sucka Free Sundays every few months does not make up for the years spent fawning over and promoting the 50 Cents of the world or establishing Eminem as hip-hop’s supposed infallible and peerless wonder. Similarly, I loathe MTV’s just-got-on-the-bandwagon routine when it finally figures out what’s going on beyond mainstream outlets and then tries to play catch up and front like it’s been down since day one.

I realize that I’m being quite the hater today; that many of these artists don’t care about cooptation and whatever else because MTV is helping them make more money and reach more people; that artists and other hip-hop personalities who I might otherwise respect and promote are complicit in a lot of this; that MTV has, in fact, helped hip-hop grow and gain efficacy; and that criticizing MTV is, itself, kind of tired. I recognize all that, but I can’t be mad at a Russell Simmons or even a Common for trying to make money if someone is going to pay him a lot of it to do what he’d be doing for fun anyway. And I can’t be mad at a group like the Roots for simply trying to play by the rules of a system that it didn’t create and to which it must acquiesce if it wants to keep doing what it does. (I can get mad at the Roots for other stuff, but not for trying to get some shine.) I can be mad at MTV, though, for so thoroughly limiting the hip-hop that is heard, the images that are seen, and the ideas that are circulated.

Not to sound like some twenty-three-year-old codger, but I suffer from indignation and utter disappointment when I assess MTV’s power and how Viacom wields it. Whether it’s a mindless and accepting celebration of opulence like Super Spoiled Shithead Sweet 16; the irksome and self-aware attempt to seem cooler than you at all times (something most “hip-hop writers” are perfecting in blogland); the knowing theft of culture and movements; or simply the fact that MTV has unleashed Veronica upon us and creates more and more ways to ram down our throats her and other faux-celebrities with flaws that make them ugly and not relatable, there is always some reason to hate MTV.

That’s it; that’s the rant.

Like T.I., I'm just doin' my job:
- [DJ Clue Voice] New ish, new ish...: DJ Matso

- Mr. Kamoji has lots of good ish to read today. Take that Wonderlic. And thanks for the dap.

- Does England's inability to tell right from wrong owe solely to her developmental problems or also to superiors (including, as it turns out, a just-appointed Attorney General) who condone torture?

- Memo to Kwame Brown: If you've been renting, find out when your lease ends. If you've bought, it's now time to sell. I have never played in the NBA, so I could be wrong about this, but quitting on your team while it's in the playoffs and using a lame excuse about a stomach ache is not going to win you many friends or fans. I think that Brown is likely frustrated that he's been in Washington for four years and has not only failed to blossom, but still gets inconsistent minutes. Plus, it can't feel good being labeled a bust and then watching other guys come in and carry the team into the playoffs. At 7'0" and 270, Brown will have plenty of suitors, and anyone who saw him blow past Tyson Chandler over and over again during game one of the playoff series against Chicago knows that Brown has the physical gifts to succeed. Now, like Baatin, he just needs to get his mind right.

- Nothing that has transpired during the playoffs has dampened the enthusiasm that this past season engendered in me when assessing the future prospects of the Eastern Conference, but I neglected to mention just how good Philly could be. Against a long, experienced, and active Pistons frontline, Samuel Dalembert was impossible to keep off of the boards. And, while his proclivity for swatting away balls clearly making their decsent is perhaps a relfection of limited mental function, Dalembert also proved himself to be an imposing defensive presence. He and the twenty-first-century Scottie Pippen Once He Gets Better Jumper (a.k.a. Andre Iguodala) are two sensational pieces around which the Sixers can build as the team goes forward. I am not trying to neglect A.I., but as ESPN rightly points out, his window is closing, and a player of his size is not going to maintain this level of production for so many more years. I haven't forgotten about Korver, either, although I think an ideal situation for him would be one where he could come off of the bench and stretch a defense in special situations and against second units; he doesn't have the game or the athleticism to play as a starter, and he can't guard anyone. And Webber? He's done, although he might be in a good situation: He doesn't have to take the big shots in crunch time, he isn't expected to bang down low, and he can mean mug all he wants.

- The Texas State Legislature, where every day is 1955: Gays can't adopt kids and, now, thankfully, those awful, lascivious cheerleaders can't promote promiscuity anymore. Yay!

- Given concerns about obesity, shouldn't we encourage more aimless ambling around a supermarket, not less? A lot of people don't get enough exercise as it is.

Hi Mr. O'Reilly

It's Freeway in the place with Pepsi, and I got what it takes drink this One right...

We, basketball fans, are constantly told that experience is an intangible commodity of paramount importance, and while extolling a reverence for the lessons learned from previous endeavors has grown hackneyed, it also warrants frequent invocation because the maxim is always proved true. Frequently, the NCAA Tournament is cited as the crucible in which experience is a key determinant of the outcome; however, I couldn’t help but think of experience as a deciding factor as I watched the last few days of basketball. Consider:

- At the end of Sunday’s Detroit-Philadelphia game, Allen Iverson hit a shot to put the Sixers up by two with less than a minute left to play. A team unfamiliar with pressure-filled, late-game situations may have panicked and committed a mental error or taken a wild shot inspired by fear and anxiety. The reigning champion Pistons were not guilty of this inexperience and fear, though, and instead, Detroit ran a set play that got Chauncey Billups an open look at a three that he knocked down because he wasn’t scared and was in rhythm. On the next possession, playoff newbie Willie Green blew a chance to win the game in regulation when he completely choked away his first free throw. In OT, the experienced and confident Pistons won with relative ease.

- Half-court-offense catalyst, excellent defender, and leading rebounder Tim Duncan fouled out of last night’s Spurs-Nuggets game, yet the absence of a top-five player (and one of the all-time greatest) was treated as neither a cause for panic nor an easy rationalization for a loss among the Spurs who remained eligible for participation. Instead, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker calmly executed the Spurs’ offense, relying on their excellent preparation and prior experience to carry them to victory over a younger, less organized Nuggets team that was palpably nervous and frustrated down the stretch.

- Missed free throws, poor clock management, blown box-out assignments, carelessness with the ball--the Rockets committed almost every mistake possible in crunch time against Dallas in Game Five. Tracy McGrady looked tired and Yao Ming looked a little rattled, whereas Dirk Nowitzki and Michael Finley--both in possession of considerably more pressure-game experience--each found a way to make the plays that were needed. Houston really has no excuse for how it played given that there are veterans throughout its roster and its coach, Jeff Van Gundy, has been through the playoff grind and taken a team to the Finals. However, neither McGrady nor Yao could find a way to put Houston over the top, and I couldn’t help but think that both seemed a little rattled in crunch time. I find it sadly telling that McGrady is always smiling after a narrow loss or a near miss. It's almost as though his coping mechanism is detachment and feigned amusement; these losses should be hurting him more.

The Questions:
- Does anyone else feel as though Freeway missed a great endorsement opportunity when Pepsi neglected to retain his services and make him the face of the Pepsi One marketing campaign? Instead, Pepsi has gone with this bizarre (though playful and colorful) Oneify advertising strategy. But think of what could have been: Freeway could have written a little thirty-second reprise of “Roc the Mic” and Pepsi could have used it in one of those shameful and always irritating hip-hop-inspired commercials intended to appeal to youthful consumers by proving how “down” the company is. And, of course, the entire Pepsi One’s slogan could have been “One Yo’self.” Opportunity missed, and maybe because of Bill?

- Did anyone else see this story about ugly children receiving less attention and care from their parents? How, exactly, was the ugliness measured and quantified? And how ugly do you have to be for your own mother and father to hold it against you? Damn, that’s kinda harsh.

- Am I the only one who thinks that David Stern is overreacting in response to Jeff Van Gundy’s comments about the officiating? First, I agree with Marc Stein that there is likely no malfeasance present in this situation; I doubt that the referees are targeting Yao. But more important, I am so tired of the league overzealously protecting its officials. Coaches should be allowed to criticize the referees because in basketball, there are a maddening number of horrible calls. I have no problem with the league fining a coach who takes it too far, but to always swoop in and make it seem as though a coach has threatened a referee’s life is ridiculous. And I strongly doubt that no referee has ever talked to a coach once the conversation was of relatively little consequence. I love me some David Stern, but I think he’s taking this too seriously. I’d rather that he cracked down on a real problem, like players who refuse to report to new teams that acquire them.

- Would UConn have lost a game with the NBA's best rookie and best sixth man this past season?

- Why are some in the media treating now-resigned Oklahoma baseball coach Larry Cochell as though he were the victim of something? I watched John Anderson on SportsCenter last night all but eulogize him as a great man who was the victim of some politically motivated crime. And too many places aren't even fully reporting what he said, opting for euphemisms or softer language. I realize that he was forgiven by all two of his black players, but isn’t the fact that he so casually used the n-word in the first place indicative of the fact that he likely uses it regularly with alarming nonchalance? He’s not some N.W.A cat trying to reclaim the term or force a new meaning upon it, so let’s not lose sight of the main point: The man used a vile racial epithet in a deplorable and shocking fashion.

New Little Brother on June 7th

It's been more than two years since The Listening. More, please.

Not The Minstrel Show, but the Chitlin Circuit 1.5, a re-release (and augmented version) of their interim mixtape. How did I not know this sooner?

All Hip-Hop has a track from 1.5, "Ain't Nobody."
...
Jay Dilla beat; Q-Tip rhymes - "Fever" (spotted at Spine)
...
Talk of the TMac revival has waned, but that's what happens when a team blows a 2-0 lead at home. I think McGrady has been too passive in the fourth quarter; he can't be settling for jump shots. If Houston has any chance left to win this series (and I don't think it's much of a chance), McGrady has to do what he's been doing--playing tight defense, rebounding, scoring, distributing--and he has to stay aggressive in crunch time. It would, of course, help if Yao F.(ucking) Ming could catch a ball and finish, as he's fumbled two crunch-time passes out of bounds in the last two games. The Rockets, as a team, collapsed at the end of game four, but it was McGrady who took those terrible jumpers down the stretch, and it was McGrady who fumbled the ball out of bounds when Houston had a chance to tie the game with a three. Tonight, more than any other, is put up or shut up time for my man TMac.

Non-Sense

It's enough already with that Pharcyde jack homage. Change up!

I engage in some much behavior that strikes people as (at least) a little odd (n/h). A large number of these idiosyncrasies, like re-folding folded laundry until the shit meets my exacting standards, owes to self-diagnosed, no-medication-required OCD. However other stuff, some of which I'll attribute to misplaced priorities, is just bizarre and is derived from some intense yearning for consistency. There are certain things that I just can't stop doing or say "no" to, lest I seem inconsistent or insincere. It can be problematic.

Since turning eighteen-years-old, I have devoted too much of my disposable income to hip-hop concerts. (Why eighteen? Well, aside from the fact that I was in college and didn't need any effing permission to do what I wanted, most hip-hop concerts are in bars or at concert halls that have age requirements. It's not like Tribe was at Madison Square Garden much, you know?) If I'm within 100 miles of a Roots show or a De La show or a Talib Kweli show or a Little Brother show or a (insert name of similar artist here) show, I'm there. One time, I flew from New York to Detroit a night earlier than I had to and went straight from the airport to St. Andrew's to see the Roots and Common; Another, I went to the trashiest bar on Cape Cod to see Funk Flex spin; There was also the time that I waited until 3 AM to see Eminem make a "surprise" appearance at some crappy bar in Ann Arbor just so that I could hear him perform half of three different songs and chant "Fuck Benzino" for twenty minutes. I try to see a lot of different hip-hop acts (but I don't like it when an MC will ruin a show by yelling into a mic while his weed carriers do the same, so I'd shy away from some idiots, like The Game), but I feel almost obligated to support, for lack of a better term, the "OkayPlayer and Friends" hip-hop acts. Everyone from the Roots to Kanye to Slum Village will likely be staring out at my mug if they're performing in my vicinity.

And it was because of this inexplicable though at times tested (see: The New Danger, arrogance and annoying self-promotion, Badu-influenced softness, etc.) loyalty to the roster that I stood around in the rain for two hours on Saturday just to see Common perform at Columbia's 2005 Bacchanal. I don't know that it was worth it.

I hate posting more, um, hate (there's plenty of that on the internets this weekend), but Common's stage show needs an overhaul. He didn't do anything terribly wrong (although the set could have been longer), but he also didn't do anything all that fresh. I mean, at this point, he always: sucks too much energy out of the event by launching into his basement soliloquy too early into his set; repeats "hip-hop" endlessly as a segue into either "Act Too (Love of My Life)" or "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip-Hop)" after the final line of "Used to Love H.E.R."; forgoes a full version of "H.E.R." to instead insert a Pharcyde verse; relies on too many "Go ladies, go ladies, go" and "Homeboys make some noise" crowd directions; slows it down before "Come Close" by dragging some girl up on stage and then playing one of his favorite slow jams like "Closer Than Close" while he grinds with her and then feels her up; and makes his set list little more than a compilation of his best-known songs ("Come Close," "H.E.R.," "The Light," "Respiration").

I ain't trying to be that mad at Com for all of this. First, I recognize that most fans go to concerts to hear the hits, so artists feel like they owe it to the fans to do all the singles and favorites (although this should have ensured that Common performed "The Food" and yet he didn't). Second, it's cool to have some concert gimmicks; they help display musicians' personalities and forge a closer connection with fans. Third, I love when an artist will flip a song and perform it over a different beat (the Roots, of course, own this technique) or invoke some other great hip-hop. So, it's not like Common is horrible in person. To the contrary, he can be great because in the right setting (an intimate one), he really works a crowd well. I just wish he could change shit up more often and try new shit or add more stunts and songs while keeping some of the more cherished elements of his show.

One thing I am mad at Common for, though, is that the only tracks he did from BE were "Go", my least favorite track, and "Corners," which is eh. After "the end" of the show, he came back with "It's Your World," but I was hungry for "Food" and I would have liked to have heard "Real People." Most people had no idea what "It's Your World" was, and they likely thought that Eryka was up to no good backstage or someting. Also, I'd love to hear more stuff from Resurrection and One Day, but I guess those are too distant to resonate with a lot of fans who think Common's first album was "that one with that song about light" (an actual quotation I heard while among the Columbia students on Saturday. The dude who said it was hitting on a girl and trying to sound like he actually knew something.)

Here's a sampling of what I'm talking about, from the Electric Circus Tour's stop in Munich (although he does resist his urge to "honor" Pharcyde):

- Common, "I Used to Love H.E.R." (Live)
- Common, "Act Too (Love of My Life)" (Live)
- Common, "Big Poppa" (Live)

ACC Perspective

I shout the Basketblog out a lot, but it deserves all the dap because it is well run by seemingly smart, nice people. Here's more proof.