Takeover v. Ether: Who Really Won The Battle?

The Nas versus Jay-Z battle was epic on so many different levels. I remember where I was and what I was doing when I heard about Nas’ “Ether” track.  Me and a few of my friends were standing outside of a dorm on the campus of UNCG and one of my boys drove up asking us if we had heard Nas’ track.  He said he had just left North Carolina A&T State University and that he heard the track over there.  Before the battle began, I wondered why Nas and Jay-Z had never collaborated on a track.  After Biggie and Tupac’s untimely deaths, Jay-Z and Nas were widely considered to be the best emcees in the game.  Both emcees are from New York City, yet they never worked together.  I always thought there was something more than met the eye. Sure, Jay-Z sampled Nas’ voice on his song “Dead Presidents” but that is not a true collaboration.  Many people never want to see top players or emcees align because they feel that it will remove the competitive nature naturally felt amongst top players/artists.  This theory is the same one that plagues Lebron James and Dwayne Wade’s relationship.  I think people feel it is unfair and just do not want to see the top talents on the same team, so to speak.  I am a huge fan of both Jay-Z and Nas and I believe their battle was one of the best in hip hop history. Most importantly, the battle remained “friendly” and to my knowledge, there we no violent episodes as a result of the battle.

There are many theories as to why the fued began between Nas and Jay-Z.  I do not know the truth, but I do know Jay-Z went public with the feud at Summer Jam 2001.  I am not from New York, but I know Summer Jam is a major event where thousands of people come out to hear good music.  Jay-Z performed “Takeover” on stage and he attacked both Nas and Mobb Deep on the song.  To me, this song symbolized Jay-Z’s proclamation to the world that him and his crew ran hip hop and that he would destroy anyone who attempted to get in his path. In the last line of the song, Jay-Z rapped “ask Nas he don’t want it with Hov.”  He rapped about Nas having one hot album every ten years.  He jabbed at Nas stating that Nas created his persona on wax and that he never lived the life he rhymed about.  He talked about Nas having the worst flow on “Oochie Wally.”  He bragged that he sampled Nas’ voice and that Nas did not get a dime from the deal.  He said that Nas made it a hot line and he made it a hot song.  He went below the belt and alluded to sleeping with Nas’ baby mother while they were still together.  The song was classic because Jay-Z made statements that were factually accurate or easily verifiable.  I love the beat and I’m a fan of “Takeover” being one of the greatest battle songs ever recorded.  Check it out. 

In 2001, Nas released “Ether” off his critically acclaimed album, Stillmatic.  Before he released this song, he released a freestyle over Eric B and Rakim’s Paid in Full record dissing Jay-Z.  I think the freestyle was a warning shot but he really went for Jay-Z’s juggler vein on “Ether.”  On “Ether,” Nas rapped about Jay-Z being his son and he accused Jay-Z of being a misogynist.  He claimed that Jay-Z stole his style from him.  The beat moved me and exuded “this is war.” He jabbed at Jay-Z and stated that Jay-Z gets noticed by women because of his money and status and not because of his looks.  He blatantly stated that Eminem outrhymed him on “Renegade.”  His all out attack on Jay-Z’s credibility did not stop and he even rapped that Jay-Z stole rhymes from the late, great Notorious B.I.G.  “Ether” attacked Jay-Z on many levels and was a dope song and one of the best battle records ever released.    Check it out.

I like the fact that throughout the battle, the two sides remained peaceful which was great for hip hop. Before their battle, the last time two rap giants who battled were killed.  The death of the Notorious B.I.G and Tupac is still being felt today and it was good to see two artists battle and live to survive it.  Jay-Z also released “Got Yourself a Gun” freestyle that was aimed at Nas and he also addressed Nas on a track on Blueprint 2: The Gift and The Curse. On Stillmatic, Nas recorded a track entitled “Last Real Ni**a Alive” where he dissed Jay-Z.  In my opinion, the battle between the two rap giants inspired some of the best music the two emcess have produced to date. Jay-Z’s Blueprint album is a classic and is one of the best albums of all time.  Nas’ Stillmatic is also a classic album and one of his top three albums ever released.  In the end, Jay-Z and Nas displayed to the world that healthy battles are still good for hip hop.  Eventually, after the battle was over, Nas and Jay-Z worked together at Def Jam and even appeared on stage together on tour.  This battle was a win for the fans and a win for the hip hop culture.

Jay-Z's "Super Ugly" Diss

Nas' "Stillmatic" Diss

Who do you think won the battle?

Peace 

Lil Wayne: The Greatest Rapper Alive? NO NO NO

What are the qualities of a great hip hop artist?  Is it longevity?  Is it lyrical content?  Is it the number of albums released by an artist?  Is it the number of classic songs released by the artist?  I do not believe any one of the previously mentioned attributes standing alone can define a great hip hop artist.  If we only looked at longevity, one could make the argument that L.L. Cool J is the greatest rapper alive.  If we examined lyrics only, the greatest rapper alive could be Common or Black Thought of the Roots.  I believe everyone is entitled to an opinion and that each person’s opinion should be respected.  At the same time, however, I do believe any statement made should be open to critique and subject to good hearted debate.  With that being said, I grow frustrated with people who believe Lil Wayne is the greatest rapper alive.  I will discuss why I feel this way throughout the remainder of this article based of the previously mentioned criterion.

In the area of longevity, I must give Lil Wayne his respect.  He has been a staple in the hip hop community since the mid 1990’s and he has continued to remain relevant.  He began his career with the Hot Boys and at that time, he was not the stand out artist he is today.  His later music is a reflection of the hard work he has put in on his craft, or is a testament to him having a great ghostwriter.  Either way, his popularity seems to continue to grow and I don’t foresee him being irrelevant anytime soon.  He has been able to withstand questionable moments like the infamous kiss with Baby or most recently, he was able to wear the tightest pants known to man on the recent MTV Video Music Awards and people still like him and respect his music. 

In my opinion, Lil Wayne embodies many characteristics of a great mixtape emcee.  He usually has great production and he has witty punch lines.  In fact, I would go so far as saying that some of his mixtapes are better than his studio albums.  I must admit that I appreciate his mixtapes and the trend he has when he picks the beats from songs released by other artists and makes a better freestyle than the person who released the actual song.  I think his “Sorry for The Wait” mixtape is better than Tha Carter IV.  His ability to produce quality music on a mixtape should not be confused with the ability to have great lyrical content.  Lil Wayne has good rhyme schemes and has good production, but to me, he rarely, if ever says anything profound or thought provoking.  He has never excelled at the art of storytelling and I think that is a skill a great emcee must possess.  I do not consider him to be a great lyricist.

Lil Wayne has released a total of six solo albums.  His first album, The Block Is Hot, was released in 1999 and sold over a million copies.  He released Lights Out, 500 Degreez, Tha Carter, Tha Carter II, Tha Carter III and Tha Carter IV.  Of the six albums he released, I’m not sure he has a bonafide classic album.  Some may consider Tha Carter to be a classic album but I’m not certain this is a view held by the masses. His latest project, Tha Carter 4, features him doing a lot of singing and rhyming about weird subjects.  I definitely believe Tha Carter III is a  much better album and that Wayne has taken a step back, which is never a good sign for a recording artist.  I tried to listen to the album with an open mind, but ultimately, I skipped many tracks because the music is subpar.  Obviously, he has some good tracks on the album, but this album is a far cry from being considered a “classic.”  To be considered a great emcee, an artist must produce classic albums over the course of a career.  Nas, Jay-Z, Biggie, and Tupac all produced multiple classic albums.  In order to tread in the same waters as these great emcees, Wayne has a lot of work to do and I am not convinced that he is capable of doing so.  

The other day I had a conversation with a friend and he posed this question: “can you name one classic Lil Wayne song”?  I thought about it for a minute and said, “no, I cannot think of a classic song.”  What “great” emcee can you name that you cannot immediately name a classic song they recorded.  Off the top of my head, I can name many classic Jay-Z songs such as, “Politics as Usual,” “Allure,” “Takeover,” “Streets is Watchin” and many more.  Nas has “New York State of Mind,” “Nas is Like,” “If I Ruled the World,” “One Mic,” “Rewind” and many more.  Biggie has “Big Poppa,” “10 Crack Commandments,” “Juicy,” “Warning” and the list goes on and on.  Tupac has “Pour out a Little Liquor,” “Dear Mama,” “Only God Can Judge Me,” “Pain”and many more.  In my mind, the fact that I could not think of one “classic” song recorded by Lil Wayne speaks volumes about his place in the hip hop hierarchy.

I believe Lil Wayne is a very talented emcee, but I do not believe he is the best artist now nor do I believe he is an all time great emcee.  He is one of the best rappers of the current day, but what does that really mean?  This is an era of music where the likes of Soulja Boy, Gucci Mane, and Waka Flakka are considered, by some, as credible emcees.  What are your thoughts?   

Peace     

Allen Iverson: Best NBA Player Under 6 Feet Tall

My love for the game of basketball began in the 6^th grade, but that was not my first encounter with the sport.  While in the 5^th grade, I attempted to play basketball for the first time and one of my friends told me I was terrible.  At the time, I could not be mad at him because I was terrible but his words motivated me to challenge myself and learn the game.  I practiced basketball almost every day from that point going forward and worked myself into good enough shape to play in a YMCA basketball league.  I began immersing myself into the basketball culture by watching AAU basketball games, NBA games and college games.  Allen Iverson became a household name just as I entered high school and he immediately became my favorite player because of the tenacious manner with which he played the game. 

Allen Iverson was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996.  The class of 1996 included included Kobe Bryant, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Stephon Marbury and many other great players.  In many respects, his presence in the league ushered in a new era of basketball for many people.  His on-the-court talent is undeniable but his off-the-court influence must be considered as well. He came into the league and did things his own way and did not apologize for being himself.  He ushered in the hip hop era of the NBA with his tattoos, corn rows, and baggy shorts.  Although the executives and conservative naysayers may not have liked his style, they could not deny his talent on the basketball court. When he won Rookie Of The Year in 1996, he talked about doing things his way.  He said he did not want to be remembered as the next Michael Jordan or the next Magic Johnson.  He wanted to remembered for being Allen Iverson.   His defiant nature would not have worked for most players, but then again, most players did not have his talent.

I think Jay-Z said it best when he said, “men lie, women lie, but numbers don’t.”  As an NBA rookie and savior for the Philadelphia 76ers franchise, Iverson averaged 24 points, 8 assists and 2.2 steals and won Rookie of the Year.  In his third season, he averaged 26.8 points per game, 2.3 steals and 4.6 assists per game and won the first of many scoring titles.  His 2000-01 campaign must go down in history as one of the best individual seasons in league history.  This season saw him average 31.1 points per game, 2.5 steals per game and 4.6 assists per game.  He was named the league MVP and All-Star game MVP.  He also won the scoring title and steals title.  Despite his individual success, his biggest accomplishment was leading his overmatched Philadelphia 76ers’ team into the NBA finals to face the mighty Los Angeles Lakers which featured Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.  The second best player on his team was probably Aaron Mckie or George Lynch but he willed his team to an upset victory during game one of the Finals.  During the remainder of his career, He never averaged less than 26 points per game until 2008-09 when he was traded to the Pistons.  His career averages are incredible.  Over a career that started in the mid 90’s and lasted until 2010, he managed to average 26.7 points per game and 6.2 assists per game.

I would be remiss, however,  if I did not mention another great player of small stature  Many people consider him to be the best small guard to ever play the game.  The biggest supporters of this argument state the obvious which is that Isiah Thomas won two NBA championships.  Isiah played for 13 seasons and has career averages of 19.2 points per game and 9.3 assists per game.  He was an 11 time NBA All Star and member of the Hall of Fame Class of 2000.  Those who make this argument have a solid foundation to do so, but I think the inferior quality of the teams Allen played on must be considered as well.  I do not believe a player’s worth can be measured simply by evaluating the number of championship rings he has attained.

Allen Iverson was in incredible talent and his impact was made on the court and off the court.  He will always be my favorite player under 6 feet tall to play the game.    Check out some clips.

Caught Michael Jordan slipping

Illest Crossover Mix

Peace

The Best and Worst Times: Bar Prep

Before I began preparing for the North Carolina Bar Examination, I honestly believed the process would not be as bad as everyone says.  I believed if I worked hard and remained disciplined in my studies that the process would be no different than surviving law school.  In theory, this plan sounds good but it was wishful thinking and a little unrealistic.  The one thing I omitted was the impact the pressure of the exam would have on me mentally, physically and emotionally. When enough pressure is exerted, a piece of coal can be transformed into a diamond.  I felt the squeeze and the pressure this summer while studying for the bar. At times, I was frustrated that we even had to sit for the Bar Examination.  I thought: “haven’t we struggled, toiled and fought long enough during law school?  Why on earth do we have to jump through yet another hoop?”  These are questions I asked myself and I came to one conclusion:  Sid, you have to “man up.”  You are not the first nor will you be the last person who will be required to sit for the bar examination. 

May 2011 was a great month for me, my family and friends.  I finished my last exam on Saturday, May 7, 2011.  When I finally finished typing my last exam, I felt a wide range of emotions.  I was excited and proud to finally be done with my law school journey.  A few days later, I headed to Myrtle Beach for a much needed vacation, which I enjoyed.  When I returned, it was time to begin the two day session for Invest In Success which is really the first step in the long process otherwise known as bar preparation.  A few weeks later, my family and closest friends came to my law school graduation to watch me accomplish a lifelong dream.  My mother was beaming was pride and my dad remained calm and cool, but I knew he was very excited as well.  During that weekend, the stars aligned in my life and I felt wonderful. I tried my hardest to not think about bar preparation and how much work was still ahead of me.  I was truly thankful to be done with law school, but I knew that my journey was not quite complete.  I knew bar preparation would begin on May 16, 2011.

My bar review class began on May 16, 2011 and I was not ready for my summer to be over.  My class started and I began working about 6-7 hours a day for the first week.  A week later, I began my primary bar review class and my 7 day a week, 12-hour a day regime began and would not end until July 23.  During this period, I arrived at school at 7:00am and left at 7pm.  When I left school, I used the hours of 7:00pm-9:00pm to eat dinner, work out and prepare for bed. From the hours of 9:00pm-10:15pm, I worked on either outlining essays or reviewing practice multiple choice questions.  I really believed I was living in the movie “Groundhog Day,” where Bill Murray was stuck in the same day.  If I simply stated that the process was frustrating, it would be a huge understatement and misrepresentation of the truth.  There were days when I felt unmotivated, and days when I did not see the progress I thought I needed to see.  I was frustrated more times that I can remember and knew that I had to keep pushing forward.  My mind expanded and absorbed material I did not think I could possibly understand or memorize.  I stayed true to my schedule and as a result, my anxiety and nervousness began to subside during the month of July.  By mid July, I began to feel that all my hard work and perseverance would pay off for me when I sat for the Bar Examination.  By July 23, I had stopped studying and was officially in relax mode.  I reasoned with myself that if I did not know the material by then, I would never know it.

As a law student, I heard many horror stories about the bar examination.  Based on my experience, I found the stories to have some truth to them, while other stories were farfetched.  Either way, on July 26, 2011, I was ready to attack day one of the bar.  After the first day, I felt good about my essay responses.  The next day, which was the Multi-State Bar Examination day, the morning session was very challenging.  I was not as confident about my multiple choice responses and felt I needed to improve my performance during the second half of the exam.  During the second half of the exam, I began to feel confident about my responses. I definitely felt my performance of the latter half of the exam was a major improvement over the first half of the exam. After finishing the bar examination and having a few days to reflect on the test, I knew I had given it all I had to offer.  I also knew my ultimate fate was out of my hands at that point.

I will never forget the day that has permanently changed my life.  The date was August 26, 2011 and I was shopping at South Point Mall in Durham when I received a text message asking me if “I had passed the bar.”  I responded that I did not know but that I was headed home to check my mailbox.  I began driving to my house and I must say that it was the longest 5 minute drive I have ever experienced in my life.  While driving to my house, I thought how I desperately needed a favorable result and that I had no idea what I would do if the result was unfavorable.  As I parked my car and walked to my mailbox, my heart was racing.  I finally reached my mailbox and inserted the key and opened the door.  As I peered inside, I saw a letter from the North Carolina Board of Law Examiners.  I opened the letter and read the first sentence.  It said “Congratulations, I am happy to inform you that you have passed the North Carolina Bar Examination.”  I checked the letter to make sure it was addressed to me and then I started making telephone calls.  The first person I called was my mother.  There are certain moments in your life where words cannot describe, and this was definitely one of those moments for me.  Overall, this was truly a summer of the Best and Worst times.

Peace

Fresh To Death

My mother schooled me early in life about the importance of having a nice scent.  Slick Rick and many other rappers have rhymed about staying fresh from head to toe.  Back in the day, I believe Brute was the most popular cologne.  Although the popular brand of cologne has changed, the art of staying fresh has not.  In my opinion, nothing caps a night out like having on a nice outfit and capping it off with the perfect cologne.  Wearing cologne is a good thing, but wearing the entire bottle is not.  The phrase “less is better” is probably a good way to approach applying cologne.  I hear applying a little cologne to the back of the ear, the inside of the forearm or in the beard are the best places to apply cologne.  For some reason, application in these areas allows the cologne smell to last just a little bit longer.  Below, I have listed some of my favorite colognes. 

Georgio Armani: Armani Code

Dolce and Gabbana The One

 

Gucci by Gucci

 

Yves Saint Laurent 

Dolce and Gabanna Light Blue

 

Creed

Peace

Outrhymed On Your Own Track

Sometimes an emcee will ask another emcee to drop a verse on his song.  For the most part, this process is relatively simple.  The featured emcee usually emails his verse and the producers mix it and the song is complete.  At times, the emcee asks the other artist to drop a verse because of the chemistry they have with each other on wax, or it could be motivated by a need to sell more records. Either way, there have been times when the emcee whose album the record will be featured on is completely in over his head.  No matter who your favorite emcee may be, if he/she has been around long enough, he/she has likely been outshined on his or her own track.  Below, I will briefly discuss my favorite tracks where one emcee stole the show on another emcees project.

As much as I hate to admit it, the poster child for being outrhymed on his own track is none other than Jay-Z.  Jay-Z released a classic album in 2001 entitled The Blueprint.  The production, lyrics and overall feel of this album is second to none.  The album would have been perfect if it were not for the song entitled “Renegade.”  Jay-Z definitely came with great lyrics but he was outshined on his own song.  Eminem’s verse was one of the best I have heard to date.   In an act you rarely see in hip hop culture, Jay-Z seemed to admit that Eminem out dueled him on a track on Blueprint 3.  For the longest time I was in denial, but now, I must admit Eminem outrhymed Hov on “Renegade.”  Check out the audio and make your own decision.

In 1995, Raekwon released the critically acclaimed album, Only Built For Cuban Linx.   This is one of my favorite albums and Raekwon is my favorite emcee from the Wu Tang Clan.  Despite this, I must admit he made the mistake of asking a young, hungry and focused Nasir Jones to appear on the best track on the album, “Verbal Intercourse.”  The track featured Nas and Ghostface.  All three emcees brought great lyrics to the song, but Nas’ verse embodies excellence and is light years ahead of the other verses on the song. Check it out.

In 1997, The Lost Boys, a hip hop group from Queens, New York released their second album entitled, Love, Peace and Nappiness.  The Lost Boyz were definitely a well respected group at that time.  “Beasts From The East” is widely considered to be one of the best posse tracks of all time.  The song featured A+, Redman and Canibus.  All of the verses on this track were good, but Canibus shut the song down with his verse.  He was the last emcee to rhyme and you could tell he had something to prove on the track.  I think he proved his point.  Check it out. 

In 2004, Kanye West released The College Dropout album.  At this particular time, he was not the lyricist he is now.  As a result, he took a major loss on the track “Never Let Me Down” which featured Jay-Z.  Kanye’s verse was not bad, but it could not compete with the verse Hov dropped.  Check it out.

In 1997, the Notorious B.I.G. released the album entitled Life After Death.  At the time the album was released, Bone Thugs n Harmony was a very successful group and their rhyme style was different than most because they rhymed very fast.  Up until this album, I had not heard anyone flip their style better than they did.  However, once I heard B.I.G.’s verse on “Notorious Thugs” I had to add them to the list of being outshined, even though that was not their album.  In their defense, B.I.G. is widely considered the greatest emcee of all time.  Check it out.

Mase released the Harlem World Album in 1997.  On the track, “24 Hour to Live,” Mase had the worst verse on his own song.  The track featured Black Rob, The Lox and DMX. Every artist featured on the track was a better lyricist than Mase and I do not think anyone was surprised that he was outrhymed on his own song.  I think DMX had the best verse on the track.  Check it out.

Peace  

Summer 2011:The Summer Kevin Durant Dominated

As the NBA lockout became official on July 1, 2011, I thought my summer would be even worse than I had imagined.  I already knew the majority of my time would be spent studying for the North Carolina Bar Examination.  The NBA lockout also meant that there would be no NBA summer league games to watch on television.  I always hate this time of the year because it represents that awkward period when the only major league sport on television is baseball.  Although baseball is “America’s Past time,” I hate the sport and refuse to watch it on television.  This also happens to be a summer where there are no World Championships or Olympic basketball games to watch.  Because many NBA players refuse to play in non-NBA sanctioned leagues, I was not sure that we would be able to see NBA players competing this summer.  Boy, was I wrong.  NBA players have been showing up all over the country in summer leagues.  I had an opportunity to see Brandon Jennings, Raymond Felton, Josh Powell, and John Wall compete at the NC Pro Am at North Carolina Central University.  Although these players are good NBA players, I don’t think anyone of Kevin Durant’s status has played so much non NBA sanctioned summer league basketball in recent history.

For those of you who are not familiar with Kevin Durant, I will give you a brief introduction.  He is the reigning two time NBA scoring champion.  This past season he finished in the top five in MVP voting.  He is a first team all NBA player and many consider him to be a top three player in the league.  If he is a top three player in the NBA, that also means he is a top three player in the world.  He led his Oklahoma City Thunder team into the 2010-11 NBA playoffs where they ultimately lost to the eventual NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks.  In short, he is a bonafide superstar and he makes super star money.  The fact that he is willing to risk injury, and/or damage to his reputation for the love of the game is rare.  Some may say he is playing at these parks and leagues so he can have more “street cred.”  Others believe he just loves to play the game.  In every interview I have heard this summer, he has genuinely sounded like he is doing this summer tour for the love of the game.  He has made trips to some of the most famous gyms/courts in the country.

On August 1, 2011, Kevin Durant played at the famed Rucker Park.  Actually, he dominated at the Rucker Park.  Kevin Durant is not the first super star to play at the park because other players such as Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Baron Davis, Steve Francis and Lebron James have played there before him.  However, this has truly been Kevin Durant’s summer.  I saw one clip from the game at Rucker Park when he came down the court on five consecutive possessions and hit a three pointer from a few feet beyond the three point arc, with a hand in his face.  He is pretty much an unstoppable force because of his height, skill and incredible jump shot.  When the night was all said and done, Durant had 66 points and yet another win during his incredible summer.  The very next night, he scored 41 points in another win at another top notch New York City summer league.  He sealed the deal in this game with a three point basket with six seconds remaining in regulation. 

Durant at Rucker Park

On August 20, 2011, Kevin Durant had an outstanding performance in a big summer league game.  This time, the stakes were a little bit higher and the competition was even more competitive.  This game featured the stars from the famed Washington D.C. Goodman League against stars from the famous Drew League in Los Angeles.  The game was played in Washington D.C. and featured many NBA players.  Some of the participating NBA players included: Ty Lawson, John Wall, James Harden, Brandon Jennings, DeMarcus Cousins, DeMar DeRozan, JaVale McGee and other NBA players.  By all accounts, the players put on a great show for the fans.  Again, Kevin Durant emerged as the best player on the court and was named most valuable player of the game.  He finished the game with 44 points and led his Goodman League team to a 135-134 victory.

Regardless of whether you believe Durant has a motive outside of his love for the game, his summer has to go down as one of the best in the history on modern summer basketball.

Peace               

Great Attorney Performances on the Big Screen

I recently graduated from law school and I have always had a love for the legal system.  As a child, I watched movies and I was drawn to the actors who played attorneys in the movies.  In most cases, the attorney played the role of a hero.  The attorneys seemed to be the good guys who fought against oppression and spoke for the indigent and underprivileged.  Nowadays, it seems that attorneys have been stereotyped as greedy, unscrupulous, deviant people.  I do not agree with this generalization and quite frankly, I find it to be quite offensive.    As in any profession, it only takes a few bad apples to ruin the reputation of a profession that otherwise is full of courageous, selfless, and generous professionals.  The list below symbolizes some of the ways attorneys have been stereotyped by movie directors.

“A Few Good Men” is a classic movie.   Tom Cruise plays a defense attorney who represents two marines accused of murdering a fellow marine.  At the beginning of the movie, one of the co-defendants did not respect Cruise and even went so far as to not salute him even though he was a Navy officer.  He viewed Cruise as being a person who only cared about himself.  By the end of the movie, however, Cruise had earned his respect by displaying characteristics of honor, loyalty, and courage.  My favorite scene in the movie occurs when Tom Cruise calls Jack Nicholson’s character to the witness stand and performs a direct examination regarding whether he ordered a “Code Red.”  Because Nicholson’s character was a decorated military hero, Cruise knew he could be placed in contempt of  court and possibly brought up on charges as well if he did not approach the examination with due care.  In the famous scene, Cruise asked Nicholson a question and Nicholson responded by saying, “you want the truth, you can’t handle the truth!”  Check it out.

“My Cousin Vinny” is a comedy starring Joe Pesci.  Pesci played a New York defense attorney and his nephew and nephew’s friend were charged with murder in Alabama.  Pesci had an unorthodox style and the movie is filled with funny moments.  Although it is a comedy, the scene in the movie where Joe Pesci laid the foundation for an expert witness has actually been used in teaching the technique in Trial Practice classes across the country.  My favorite scene in the movie occurs when Joe Pesci cross examines a witness about how long it took him to make grits.  During direct testimony, the witness testified that it took him ten minutes to make breakfast.  On cross examination, Pesci attacked his credibility and asked him how it took him ten minutes to make grits when it takes much longer to make grits anywhere else in the country.  He joked that maybe the witness had magic grits.  Although his method was unorthodox, he proved his point of destroying the witnesses’ credibility. 

In Lincoln Lawyer, Matthew McConaughey plays a slick, borderline unethical defense attorney.  McConaughey represented a wealthy defendant who was accused of a heinous murder.  At first, McConaughey believed he was innocent, but he later discovered the defendant was guilty of the current murder and that he had also committed an eerily similar murder a few years prior to the current murder charge.  And to make matters worse, McConaughey actually represented the defendant in the first case, who was innocent, and he persuaded him to take a plea bargain.  As a result, that man ended up being incarcerated for a crime he never committed.  Because his current client told him he committed the murder during an attorney/client meeting, the confidential communication was protected by the attorney-client privilege and he could not tell the authorities that his client was guilty.  Ultimately, McConaughey maneuvered around the system and found a way to zealously represent his client and to help the innocent man be released from prison.  My favorite scene from the movie is where he figures out that his client is really guilty and he devises a plan that ultimately leads to the innocent man being exonerated of the murder he was convicted of committing.

“A Time To Kill” is by far the most serious movie on my list.  In this movie, McConaughey plays a defense attorney who represents a man who is accused of murdering the men who raped his little daughter.  Samuel L. Jackson played the role of a hard working father who did not have a lot of money or formal education.  When Jackson discovered his daughter’s attackers would likely be released after serving minimum or no time in prison, he snapped and murdered them both at the courthouse.  At this point, we all understood why the movie was properly entitled “A Time To Kill.”  During McConaughey’s representation of Jackson, he experienced a range of emotions and endured many trial and tribulations.  Ultimately, he defended Jackson and won a favorable outcome for his client.  My favorite scene from the movie is McConaughey’s closing argument.  Check it out.

Peace

Mixtape Review: Elmatic and Friday Night Lights

I have listened to mixtapes since the mid 1990’s.  In fact, I remember when mixtapes were actually audio tapes.  I still have DJ Clue mixtapes in a shoe box at my parents’ house.  I have to shout out my mother for allowing me to listen to all types of music, no matter the subject matter because she knew I was mature enough to separate reality from entertainment.  Sorry for the aside, but I have to shout out my mother every chance I get.  When I was in high school, it was difficult to obtain mixtapes but I heard a lot of “underground” hip hop on a radio station that broadcast from the campus of North Carolina A & T State University in the late 1990’s.  They played underground hip hop every Friday and Saturday night from 10pm-3am.  I believe the show was called the “Full Moon Block.”  I still remember hearing “We Gon Make It” and “Body In The Trunk” on a DJ Clue mixtape.  That was a great time and I always search for that feeling again with today’s mixtapes.  Unfortunately, I rarely find that feeling, but this year, I heard two mixtapes that brought the feeling back for me.  

 Elmatic

I have to shout out my boy for introducing me to this album.  He said, “do yourself a favor and download ‘Elmatic’ because Elzhi killed the album that was inspired by Nas’ Illmatic project.”  I downloaded the album that night, and I was pleasantly surprised.  I listened to the album while working out for at least one week.  Sometimes you hear music that is so good you cannot put down your Ipod.  This album is that good in my opinion.  For the hip hop lovers, we know Illmatic is a classic album and an artist must come correct if he attempts to tackle a remake.  Elzhi is an emcee from Detroit so he put his own “Detroit” spin on this mixtape.  My favorite track on the album is called “One Love.”  On this track he rapped about a woman he met who was incredible.  He rapped “We met up at the mall in fall, something I’ll never forget, she was the sh*t like when you sit and let it fall in the stall, like it was made, I’m more taller than small, she was 5’3”, looking like a woman with drive that had the live key, I pressed up loving her thighs and how she dressed up, bugging off her eyes and the size of her breast cups, long story short I got the numbers in the email  . . .”  Every song on this album is great and if you have not heard it, do yourself a favor and download the album.

Friday Night Lights

I was born and raised in Winston-Salem, NC and J. Cole is a fellow North Carolinian, so I have to salute him for bringing more acclaim to our state.  I heard about his music around 2005.  One of my frat brothers knows him and always talked how nice he was as an emcee.  I did not take the time to listen to his music at that time. For the last two years, however, I have listened to a lot of his material, and I think he is a very talented artist.  There was a serious buzz around the release of Friday Night Lights.  When I downloaded the album, I seriously thought it was a studio LP.  The sound, flow and artistry of the mixtape sounds more like a studio album than a mixtape. When I heard the song “Too Deep For The Intro” and I heard Erykah Badu singing the hook, I was sold.  My favorite track on the album is “Blow Up.”  This song is about a person excelling in life and not settling for mediocrity.  On this song he raps, “now don’t it sound legendary, live enough to resurrect the dead and buried, this for n*ggas not satisfied with secondary, this for my sisters who ain’t satisfied with secretary uh, I’m blowing and b*tch I’m still me,  . . .”  From start to finish, this mixtape personifies pure hip hop.  This is a must have mixtape.    

Peace

Who Is The Best Point Guard In The NBA?

Best Point Guard In The NBA: CP3

The point guard is the most important position in the game of basketball.  Without a great leader on the court, a team’s chances of success are diminished.  This notion may help to explain why NBA teams are willing to spend huge amounts of money in hopes of finding the next great point guard.  Although no team with a “great” point guard has won a NBA championship since the 1980’s when Isaiah Thomas did so with the Pistons, the position is nonetheless important.  Today the NBA has a slew of great point guards and one could argue that today’s crop of point guards is the deepest ever to play in the NBA at one time.   Some of the league’s stars at the position include: (1) Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets; (2) Deron Williams of the New Jersey Nets; (3) Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls ; (4) Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics; and (5) Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.  I will briefly discuss each player and hope to ultimately convince you that Chris Paul is the best point guard in the league.

Russell Westbrook had a phenomenal 2010-11 campaign.  He became an NBA all star for the first time and he amassed stellar individual statistics.  He helped his team reach the playoffs, only to lose to the eventual NBA champions, the Dallas Mavericks.  He is probably the most athletic of the top point guards, but he lacks a skill that is crucial, which is court vision.  I think the fact that he played shooting guard in college and is now adjusting to the position may be a factor in this area of his game.  He is also turnover prone, and his inability to make effective late game decisions was displayed during the 2010-11 playoffs.  At times, he seems to compete with his teammate, Kevin Durant, for the alpha dog role on the team.  Clearly, Kevin Durant is the best player of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

2010-11 Stats: 21.9 ppg 1.9 stl 8.2 apg 84% FT% 33% 3p% 44% FG%

Rajon Rondo is a really good point guard.  He has played for the same team, the Boston Celtics, since he joined the professional ranks.  He is an incredible passer and has great court vision, which are important components of a great point guard.  Rondo is an accomplished defensive player and an underrated rebounder for his position.  He has been fortunate to play on a team full of future Hall of Famers and his coach seems to trust him to control the team on the court.  However, his weaknesses cannot be overlooked and keep him from being ranked higher on this list.  His biggest weakness is his inability to be an efficient and effective shooter.  He is also a liability at the free throw line.  At the end of games, teams often either foul Rondo or leave him open and double team other players on his team.  If he improves his shooting ability, he could possibly move up on this list.    

2010-11 Stats: 10.6 ppg 2.2 stl 11.2 apg 56% FT% 22% 3p% 47% FG%

Derrick Rose is the reigning 2010-11 NBA MVP.  He enjoyed a breakout year in 2010 and his leadership and skills helped lead the Chicago Bulls back to prominence in the NBA.  Derrick Rose has a rare combination of size, athleticism, skill and incredible speed.  He has been forced to become a high volume shooter because he does not have much help on the offensive end of the court.  His improved shooting touch helped him become a more complete player.  Although Rose is a top tier player, his ability to create for other players is not on par with Deron Williams and Chris Paul; therefore, I rate him as the third best point guard in the NBA.

2010-11 Stats: 25 ppg  1.0 stl 7.7 apg 86% FT% 33% 3p% 44% FG%

Deron Williams is a phenomenal point guard.  When I discuss the topic of top point guards in the NBA, his name is mentioned just as much as Chris Paul’s name.  Some of my friends believe Deron and CP3 are essentially even in terms of skill.  Williams does not have any glaring weaknesses in his game and therefore, I cannot make a strong argument as to why Williams should not be ranked as the best point guard in the league.  He combines the size of a shooting guard, which makes him a nightmare for most point guards in the league to guard.  He is an outstanding mid range and long ranger shooter.  His court vision is unmatched by any player not named Chris Paul.  Each year he manages to post great individual statistics and he even made Carlos Boozer look like an all star caliber player while he played in Utah.

2010-11 Stats: 20.1 ppg 1.2 stl 10.3 apg 85% FT% 33% 3p% 43% FG%

Chris Paul is the best point guard in the NBA and he has been so for a number of years.  Chris has a combination of skills unparalleled in today’s NBA.  He has been compared to the great Isaiah Thomas and for good reason.  Chris is the most efficient point guard in the league and frequently finishes in the top five in the league in PER rating. He is a very effective shooter and he understands how and when he needs to take the game over offensively. He is a phenomenal passer and he is a throwback player because he truly enjoys making plays for his teammates.  He is a great defensive player and each year he is always ranked in the top three in steals.  One character trait that cannot be underestimated is his desire and determination to win.  If you look at the success he has enjoyed with the New Orleans Hornets, it is easy to see his worth.  He made David West look like an all star caliber player and he keeps his team in the playoff hunt each year.  Last year, he was recovering from offseason knee surgery and did not seem to have his speed and explosiveness until the latter part of the season.  When healthy, there is no other player that can run a team with the precision that Paul can.  If you do not believe me, ask the Lakers who the best point guard in the NBA is.  He obliterated them in the 2010-11 playoffs, and now that he is healthy, you can expect more of the same next year.

2010-11 Stats: 15.8 ppg 2.4 stl 9.8 apg 88% FT% 39% 3p% 46% FG%

Peace

Watch The Throne: A Critical Analysis

So, I was in the barbershop the other day when my barber said the weirdest thing to me.  He said “Kanye West ‘carried’ the weight on Watch the Throne album.”  When he said it, I looked at him like he had five eyes.  I was shocked that anyone would say such a thing.  However, I also realize that I am a huge Jay-Z fan and I may not be the most objective person to comment on the subject.  The next day, I made a two and a half hour drive to Charlotte and I had an opportunity listen to the album from start to finish, two times.  After listening to the album with a critical ear, I concluded that neither Kanye nor Jay-Z “carried” the album.  Instead, they pushed each other to make inspired, original music.  I do not believe Watch the Throne is the best album released by either artist individually, but it is still a really good collaborative effort between two of the best emcees in the game.

Kanye West arrived on the hip hop scene as a talented producer who had aspirations of becoming a serious emcee.  At that time, not many people respected Kanye as an artist and many people joked that he was wasting his beats when he rhymed over them.  At the time, I thought Kanye should continue producing and allow more seasoned emcees to rhyme over his beats.  He released the critically acclaimed album, College Dropout and people began noticing his skills as an emcee.  I enjoyed the album for its subject matter and for its great production.  At this point in time, I did not consider Kanye to be a great lyricist.  Over the past few years, I have noticed a change in Kanye’s lyrical ability.   He solidified his ability and position as a great emcee when he rhymed on “Run This Town.”  Although he only had one verse and Jay-Z had two, his impact on the song was undeniable.  I realized he was a force to be reckoned with from that point going forward.

Jay-Z is still the best emcee in the game, but he has become a victim of his own success.  When celebrities reach a certain level of success, critics look for reasons to hypothesize their demise.  Jay-Z is one of the most prominent and respected artists in the hip hop game, and he has been so since 1996.  Unfortunately for him, his harshest critics judge his current music against his classic albums of the past.  This is no different than NBA players or professional boxers who reach the pinnacle of success and are criticized for being a “different” player or fighter at a later stage of their respective career.  In sports and in hip hop, “different” means “worse.”  However, in reality, a different approach can be a better approach.  I think Jay-Z’s flow is different now than it was on Reasonable Doubt, but it is still one of the best flows in the game.    People often forget that progression as an emcee is important.  If his skill set had not changed over the years, I’m not sure he would have experienced the level of success he currently enjoys.  Also, Jay-Z has had many collaborations with great emcees and he has rarely been seen as losing the internal battle on any given song.  On his  album, “The Blueprint,” many people say Eminem out-rapped him on his own song.  This is one on the only times people said Jay-Z did not have the hottest verse on a song.    

Jay-Z and Kanye both brought stellar lyrics, great production and great chemistry to the table on Watch The Throne.  There were tracks that Jay-Z out-shined Kanye and other tracks when Kanye shined a little more than Jay-Z.  The one thing that stands out to me is that Kanye more than held his own with Jay-Z on this album. This is a testament to the work Kanye has put in on perfecting his craft and not a negative criticism on Jay-Z’s abilities.  The truth is that not many people expected Kanye to hold his own the way that he did, and he surprised the masses with his lyrical improvement. 

On the track “No Church in the Wild” Kanye rapped about the subjects of morality and monogamy.  Both topics are somewhat taboo in America, but he tackled them with zeal and confidence.  He rapped “two tattoos, one read no apologies, the other said love is cursed by monogamy, that’s something that the pastor don’t preach, that’s something that a teacher can’t teach, when we die the money we can’t keep, but we probably spend it all cuz the pain ain’t cheap.”  On the track “Murder to Excellence” Jay-Z rapped “this is to the memory of Danroy Henry, too much enemy fire to catch a friendly . . . .”  Jay-Z approached a controversial topic by commenting on police brutality which has always been a problem in America.  There are countless other songs where Jay-Z and Kanye rhymed to a virtual stalemate.  Either way, Watch the Throne is a classic album.  So what are your thoughts?

Peace