After the big snow/ice storm of 2013 (*C'mon son face*), I sat on my couch watching television when I randomly started thinking about musicians who made the transition to becoming successful actors/actresses. This has always been a source of controversy to some actors in certain Hollywood circles. These individuals collectively believe that musicians should not be cast in movies unless and until they have "paid their dues" or at least attended formal acting lessons. I am not an actor so I do not have an opinion on the matter. However, I do know that some people have natural talent and do not necessarily need professional classes before being ready to appear on the big screen.
Will Smith
Regardless of how you feel about Will Smith as a hip hop artist, the fact remains that he was extremely successful. He released multiple platinum selling records. He was not one of my favorite hip hop artists, but I respect his hustle. He seamlessly transitioned his career as a hip hop artist into a very successful, and lucrative acting career. At this point, he is one of the most respected actors in Hollywood. He is one of the best actors of the modern era and he still has many years left to make his impression. Some of my favorite Will Smith movies include: Bad Boys, Bad Boys II, Enemy of The State, Independence Day, The Pursuit of Happyness, and Hitch. My favorite Will Smith movie is probably Ali.
Tupac Shakur
Tupac Shakur is a true hip hop legend. In fact, many consider him the greatest hip hop artist of all time. He released many, multi-platinum albums while alive and has sold many records posthumostly as well. He mastered the genre of hip hop and I believe he was well on his way to a very successful career as an actor. The roles that Tupac played would not garner Oscar nominations, but they were still good movies, in my opinion. Juice, Above The Rim and Poetic Justice are three of my favorite movies starring Tupac. In Juice, he played the role of "Bishop," who was an angry and possibly psychotic teenager living in Harlem, New York. If you have not seen this movie, you should check it out. Many people say his role as "Bishop" signaled the change in his personal life that ultimately led to his demise. I am not sure about that, but I am sure that Tupac was a really talented actor who died too young.
Queen Latifah
U-N-I-T-Y "who you calling a Bi*ch?" UNITY is one of my favorite Queen Latifah songs. The Queen has always been one of the most respected women in the male dominated hip hop genre. She made the transition from hip hop royalty to Hollywood royalty. And, she seemed to do it on her own terms. For many people, Set It Off, is the role that introduced her to mainstream America. Some believe her role as "Cleo" was not too far out of her personal character and therefore, it was easy to portray. Again, I do not know her personally, and if true, it does not take away from the impact of her role as "Cleo." She also played a starring role in the movie Just Wright, opposite fellow rapper-turned-musician, Common.
Common
Common is one of my favorite emcees. He has not experienced the kind of mainstream success that some of the others on this list have experienced as a hip hop artist. But, he is undeniably one of the more respected emcees in the hip hop game. His signature performance is probably his role in Just Wright, but he has also had roles in American Gangster, Smokin Aces and Brown Sugar. He released a studio album in 2012, so it seems that he plans to maintain his musical career along with his acting career.
Mark Wahlberg
Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. I still cannot believe Mark Wahlberg used to be known as "Marky Mark." Marky Mark was NOT a respected figure in the hip hop community. But, he was technically a hip hop artist, and he is unquestionably a great actor. Some of my favorite Mark Wahlberg movies include The Perfect Storm, The Italian Job, Contraband, The Fighter and Four Brothers. He should fight any feeling he may have to return to hip hop. In fact, if he ever picks up a microphone and attempts to kick a verse, he should be forced to forfeit the money he has earned as an actor. Stick to acting, Mark.
Honorable Mention:
Mos Def, T.I., Andre 3000, Ice Cube, And Ice T.
Peace
The fans have spoken and the 2013 NBA All Star Game starters have been selected. The Eastern Conference starters are: (1) Rajon Rondo, (2) Dwyane Wade, (3) Lebron James, (4) Carmelo Anthony, and (5) Kevin Garnett. The Western Conference starters are: (1) Chris Paul, (2) Kobe Bryant, (3) Kevin Durant, (4)Blake Griffin, and (5) Dwight Howard. At least one starter from each team should not be in the starting lineup. But, when the fans decide, the selection process becomes a popularity contest. Either way, tomorrow night the All Star reserves will be announced for each respective conference. Below I will discuss who I think should be included in the 2013 NBA All Star Game.
Player: Kyrie Irving
Conference: Eastern
Team Record: 11-32 (Not in playoff contention)
**Unfortunately for Kyrie, his team's terrible record will keep him out of the NBA All Star game this year.** His individual stat line is ridiculous- 23.3 PPG, 5.6 APG, 3.6 RPG and 1.8 SPG. However, great players on bad teams hardly ever make it into the game. I cannot remember the last great player on a truly bad team that was selected to an all star game.
Player: James Harden
Conference: Western
Team Record: 22-21(8th seed in West)
James Harden is a lock for the game. He has been the best shooting guard in the Western Conference not named Kobe Bryant this year. I also have to give him a lot of credit for arriving in a new city and immediately becoming the franchise player. His stat line is quite impressive-26.3 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.4 RPG, and 1.9 SPG.
Player: Chris Bosh
Conference: Eastern
Team Record: 26-12 (Best record in East)
Chris Bosh's worth is often underestimated because he is the third best player on an outstanding team. When he is in the lineup, he creates space for Lebron and D. Wade because he is a great jump shooter. The opposing team's center has to leave the paint to guard him. In turn, teams are unable to double team LBJ and D.Wade, which creates easy opportunities. His stat line-17.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.4 BPG.
Player: Russell Westbrook
Conference: Western
Team Record: 33-9 (Best record in the NBA)
Russell Westbrook receives a lot of criticism because his style of play can be erratic and out-of-control. That does not bother me as much as his unwillingness to defer to Kevin Durant during crucial moments of games. If he ever realizes that he is Robin and Kevin Durant is Batman, the Thunder will be an even more dangerous than they already are (scary). Stat line-22.4 PPG, 8.3 APG, 5.3 RPG, 2.0 SPG. And, he is playing on the team with the best record in the NBA.
Player: David Lee
Conference: Western
Team Record: 25-15 (5th seed in West)
David Lee is having an outstanding season for the Golden State Warriors. His individual success has translated into wins for his team and he deserves an all star nod. David Lee has been a very consistent player in the NBA, but because he has almost always played on a terrible team, he has never made an all star team. Despite his outstanding season, the best event that could have happened for his all star chances was Kevin Love's injury. His stat line-19.7 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, 52.9% FG.
This year, a lot of players deserve serious consideration for the all star teams. But, as always, some players will fall victim to the infamous "all star game snub." In previous years, Josh Smith, Carmelo Anthony, and other good players were left off the all star team. The NBA is a business and the politics of the business necessitate that certain players must be included (Tim Duncan) while others (Zach Randolph) will probably watch the game from their homes.
Peace
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of my favorite leaders of all time. His quote "Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that," is as relevant now as it was when he uttered the words over 50 years ago. Because of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, my office was closed today. I enjoyed my day off and a three-day weekend is always appreciated. I find it very ironic that MLK Day and the inauguration of President Barack Obama occurred on the same day. The careers of these two leaders have been compared since President Obama became the 44th President four years ago. For many African Americans who lived during the Civil Rights era, today must have been a remarkable one. Many of them probably never thought they would see a day when the Office of the President was occupied by a minority.
I watched CNN from approximately 9:30 a.m. until about 9:00 pm. I saw President Obama deliver his Inaugural speech, which was excellent, as always. He is one of the most gifted orators in the world and today he delivered, per usual. He spoke in terms of "we" and "us" and he concluded his speech in less than twenty minutes. During the speech, I reflected about the United States and how far the country has progressed. Just fifty years ago, Jim Crow was the law of the land that oppressed many citizens. Now, President Obama is in his second term as President of the United States of America. Progress.
Sometimes, the media covers side stories that are a part of the bigger picture. Michelle Obama's dress fits that description. Her outfit was nice, but that is really nothing new. Vice President Joe Biden seems to be a natural politician and he obviously loves interacting with the public. As Biden made his way to the White House, he ran and shook hands and generally had a great time interacting with the public. His behavior was funny because the CIA agents assigned to protect him looked frustrated. They looked like they wanted to tell him to stick to the script but it is difficult to tell your employer what to do. Beyonce sang the Star Spangled Banner. It looked like she experienced technical difficulties during singing of the song, but she pulled it off masterfully without a glitch.
Some of My Favorite Images from Inauguration 2013:
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
First Family.
Jay-Z and Beyonce.
Peace
I finally saw Zero Dark Thirty. I was really anticipating the movie and that often leads to a an emotional let down. However, I was not disappointed at all. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by the movie. Based on what I remember from the official reports regarding Bin Laden's death, Zero historically accurate. Although Zero has received critical acclaim,it has also been widely criticized.
Zero's director,Kathryn Bigelow, has been criticized because some people believe she glorifies the use of torture during the hunt for Bin Laden. I do not believe that was her intention at all. In fact, she made a statement a fews days ago and emphasized that she did not intend to glorify the use of torture. However, it was important to include in the movie because torture tactics were used during the years leading to Bin Laden's death. Not discussing torture would be the equivalent of making a movie about Lance Armstrong's life and not discussing doping allegations. I applaud Ms. Bigelow for making a movie that is as historically accurate as possible despite knowing that she would be criticized for her decision.
The Movie:
The United States government is the single most powerful actor in the world. That said, the specifics of what really happened the night or months and years leading to Bin Laden's death may never surface. What I like most about Zero is its focus on the time leading to Bin Laden's death. The hunt for him spanned at least 10 years. During that time, he seemed to find ways to avoid being captured. It was almost as if someone was alerting him when the U.S. government was close to finding his location, so he could disappear. Zero does an excellent job showing top CIA agents' frustration. The search for Bin Laden cost this country billions of dollars. He was probably the most infamous man in the history of the modern world.
My favorite character in the movie is Maya who is played by Jessica Chastain. Maya was recruited to work for the CIA directly out of high school. She was a genius and also happened to be obsessed with finding and killing Bin Laden. When she started her job, she was very inexperienced and it seemed like her role as an interrogator of 9/11 detainees would be too much for her to handle. However, during the course of the movie, she became more and more oblivious to death and terror attacks. She lost many friends during the hunt for Bin Laden. At one point, she said that she believed she was still alive because she was destined to kill Bin Laden. She literally stopped living her own life so she could focus solely on the search for Bin Laden. If accurate, the United States of America owes her a great debt of gratitude for incredible service for her country.
I appreciate how this movie was filmed in a very unemotional manner. I do not recall hearing loud, emotionally charged music during any of the intense scenes. The tone of the movie was somber and unapologetic. Yet, I did not get the sense that Bigelow secretly glorified any immoral behavior. She presented the movie in an objective manner. I think that is an important component when depicting historical events.
If you have not seen this movie and you enjoy great acting and do not mind seeing violent scenes, you should go see it.
Peace
Last week, I read an article on cnn.com that proclaimed Nas as the greatest lyricist of all time. The greatest of all time. I am a big Nas fan, so the article did not bother me at all. Although Nas is not my favorite rapper, he is in my top five. When I reflect on some of the lyrics he has rapped over the years, I have to respect his talent.
I did not begin listening to Nas until the Summer of 1996. I heard his album It Was Written while I was playing in an AAU basketball tournament in Orlando, Florida. One of my teammates was listening to the album on his portable cd player. At that time, the portable cd player was the newest musical device on the market. We were not too far removed from listening to cassette tapes on Walkmans. He let me listen to the album while we were in Florida. When I came back home to Winston-Salem, that was the first album I bought. I also bought Outkast's album Atliens and Jay-Z's album, Reasonable Doubt. That was a great summer for the hip hop movement.
After listening to It Was Written, I knew I needed to hear more from Nas. I did a little research and discovered that he had released another album named Illmatic. After listening to Illmatic, I realized Nas was truly on another level lyrically. I also realized that he might be too complex of an artist to truly be appreciated. It is easy to not appreciate greatness until years later. I watched Michael Jordan play during the 90's and I became accustomed to him scoring 30 points every game. It became common and because he did it so effortlessly, it was hard to appreciate how great he really was. Nas is the same way. He probably won't be appreciated the way that he should until he has either retired or passed on to the next life.
Either way, I think Nas is one of the best lyricists of all time.
Peace
Today I read the cnn.com article which named Nas as the greatest lyricist in the history of hip hop. Reading the article made me think about other great artists who are no longer alive or never reached their potential. DMX was the first artist to come to my mind. To be completely honest, that might be, in part, because I recently watched the VH1 "Behind the Music" special about his life. DMX had so much potential, but his drug and alcohol addiction have derailed his once promising career. Hopefully he will be able to recover and release more good music. His first album, "It's Dark and Hell is Hot" was released in 1998. If you recall, that was a competitive time in hip hop, as many artists were competing for the illusive crown that B.I.G. left behind.
"It's Dark and Hell is Hot" is one of my favorite albums of the 1990s. It was completely different than the material being released by the mainstream artists of the time period. It was a dark, gritty, street album. Hip hop music can become very boring when people realize that a certain type of music will help them sell records. Remember the "bling bling" era? (Kill me now please) What about the "shiny suit" era? (Just tell Diddy and Mase to stop dancing in videos wearing shiny suits) DMX released his debut album when hip hop was predictable. It needed an influx of talent. It needed an new artist with a different sound. In short, it needed DMX.
I heard "Get at me Dog" on the radio. It caught my attention because it was such an aggressive track. I watched the music video on Rap City: The Basement with Big Tigger. The video had a grimy, anti-shiny suit vibe that I appreciated. DMX was featured in the Source magazine and that only led to more buzz around the release of his album. At that time, if the Source gave an album at least 4 mics, you knew it was worth purchasing. Notice I said purchasing and not bootlegging or stealing.
From start to finish, the album is great and it took you on a journey. The skits were perfectly placed and the production was top notch. The next logical question is, what is my favorite song on the album? Of course the answer cannot be straight forward. The truthful answer is my favorite song changes from day to day. For instance, when I listened to the album today, the first song I played was "Niggas Done Started Something" featuring Da Lox. At first listen, I thought Jadakiss stole the show, but DMX had the last verse and he absolutely bodied the track. Do you have a favorite track on the album? If so, leave a comment with the name of the song.
Peace
After sitting down in my seat, I could not calm my nerves. My heart was pounding one hundred beats per minute. I looked at some of my colleagues and thought that the look of terror in their eyes would help ease my nerves. That sounded like a solid plan, but everyone I looked at appeared to be calm. That caused more trepidation and uncertainty on my part. As if that was not unsettling enough, I started thinking about my cell phone and wondering if I had put it in silent mode before coming into the classroom. As I reached in my bag to check for my cell phone, I heard a deep, booming voice say "welcome to civil procedure."
At that moment, I knew that I had reached the proverbial "point of no return." I began thinking about the events leading to my decision to pursue a legal career. I thought about the sacrifices I had made by leaving my career in banking and the opportunities I had foregone to begin law school. I had come too far to doubt myself, so I decided that I would do whatever was necessary to become a successful law student. I snapped out of my haze and began listening to my civil procedure professor, who happened to be a legend at my law school. He is the best professor I have ever had at any level of education. The way he taught the class and the level of excellence he demanded from his students is something I carry with me everyday.
After surviving civil procedure,it was time for property. My professor told us that she would be randomly calling on students to answer questions. She also told us that she would be using the dreaded socratic method. I knew I would have to come to her class prepared and ready to answer multiple questions, if necessary. That said, I knew I was not prepared that first day and I prayed that she would not ask me to answer a question. It was the same prayer you pray when you know you are doing something that is wrong and you swear that you will never do it again if God helps you get through it. I did not want to get off on the wrong foot with my professor, or my colleagues by appearing unprepared. I was relieved when class concluded and I survived without being asked to brief a case or answer a legal question about a case.
Property class concluded around 11:00 a.m. I was relieved because I knew my next class did not begin until 2:00 p.m. I went to the library for an hour and reviewed some of the written material from civil procedure. I packed my lunch that day and decided that I would eat lunch around 12:00 p.m. Around noon, I went to "the fishbowl," which is an area in the lower level of the law school where many people watched television, studied, ate meals or just relaxed. I sat down at a table with some people I did not know. I said hello and then started eating my lunch. I did not consider starting a meaningful conversation with anyone at the table. They probably thought I was a jerk. Honestly, I wanted to talk to them but I did not think I had time because I needed to prepare myself for my last class of the day.
I will discuss the remainder of my day in the third installment.
Peace
Chris Paul is the best point guard in the NBA. If you think that Deron Williams or Rajon Rondo are on his level, I respectfully disagree. I have been saying that for the last 3 or 4 years, but people have made arguments for other players.
Exhibit A: January 4, 2012
The Los Angeles Lakers played the Clippers on January 4, 2012. If I said that CP3 put on a show, that would truly be an understatement. I believe he finished the game with 30 points, 14 assists and 5 rebounds. I think a lot of people think that he is not a great scorer. He may not be a great scorer in the mode of Carmelo Anthony, or Kevin Durant, but he is very underrated. He has an uncanny ability to give his team the production they need when they need it. After the game, he was interviewed and he stated that he knew that Jamal Crawford would not be playing, so he would need to score more. He responded to J. Crawford's absence by almost doubling his scoring average and exceeding his average assists per game. When the game became close in the final few minutes, he made all free throws and scored consistently against Kobe Bryant, or whoever attempted to guard him.
Exhibit B: The Statistics
This year, Chris Paul is putting up very good numbers. He is averaging approximately 17 points, 9 assists and 4 rebounds. He is also averaging 2.2 turnovers per game, which gives him a 4.5 to 1 assist to turnover ratio. That is an impressive statistic. It is even more impressive because he handles the ball at least 75% of the time. He is also shooting a very respectable 47% from the field and almost 90% from the free throw line. He is also leading the league in steals per game at 2.6 per game. His player efficiency rating is 23.09, which is one of the best in the league. His season is even more impressive because he has the type of production in about 32 minutes per game, which is a career low. That leads me to my next point.
Exhibit C: The Record
The Los Angeles Clippers have been so dominant that he has been able to sit out multiple fourth quarters. If he played 38 or 39 minutes like Durant or Lebron, his statistics would be even more impressive. I would imagine that he would average over 20 points per game, over 12 assists per game, and probably over 3 steals per game. The Clippers are tied for the best record in the NBA. A big part of the MVP award is a candidate's team success. With the best record in the league, Paul has propelled his team to the top of the league. Also, from the time he arrived in Los Angeles, the Clippers were transformed from a proverbial laughing stock to a contender. At this point of the season, Chris Paul has been the most valuable player in the NBA.
Peace
I still remember my first day of law school like it was yesterday. In reality, I began law school in August 2008. I finished the journey in May 2011 and I am so thankful that chapter of my life is closed.
The Sunday before my first day, I experienced difficulty sleeping. I felt excited, nervous, happy, confident, and many other emotions. I had spent the entire weekend (approximately 20 hours) studying for my first week of classes. Studying at that time consisted of aimlessly flipping through pages and pages and pages of text that was as foreign to me as the Russian language. It was very frustrating because I knew I was putting in the time, but still felt that I did not have a firm grasp of the information. Now, I know that most first-year law students experience these same feelings. However, at the time, I thought I was the only person and was really unsure about my decision to pursue a law degree.
That first monday of classes I woke up around 6:00 a.m. Honestly, I had been awake for most of the night because I was so excited to be starting law school. I showered, and got myself ready to leave the house around 6:40 a.m. That day was warm and sunny, which was the ideal way to start my legal career. I drove to the law school and parked in the first available spot. I actually believe I was the first person to arrive at the law school that day. I sat in my car for a minute to collect my thoughts and say a quick prayer. Then, I gathered my bag and books and began walking to the law school front door.
I had to use my access card to unlock the door. I said hello to the person working at the reception desk and headed to the second floor of the law school to the law library. I spoke to the head librarian for the first time and headed to the third floor of the library. Ironically, I sat down at a long table on the third floor. At that time, I had no idea I would sit at the same table, in the same seat during my three years of law school. The librarians often joked that they would retire my seat when I graduated. When I studied in other areas of the law school, I could not find my groove like I could in that seat. I think I really convinced myself that knowledge seeped into my mind better in that seat that anywhere else in the school.
First Year (Same spot)
Third Year (same spot)
That first day of law school, I had three classes: Civil Procedure, Torts, and Property. Civil Procedure began at 9:00 a.m., so I had about two hours to prepare myself for class. I reviewed the cases that were assigned for that first day of class. I thought I was ready. Or, I knew I was not ready, but I tried to convince myself otherwise. After meeting some of my classmates during orientation, I knew that I would be embarking on a rigorous journey with some of the brightest people in the country. No longer did I feel that I was the brightest person in the room like I had felt at times during undergrad and graduate school. I knew, without a doubt, that I was not the brightest person in the room. I knew that I would have to work harder than ever if I wanted to be successful.
Around 8:45 a.m., I packed my study materials and headed to room 100 of the law building. It was time for Civil Procedure and I had honestly never been more nervous. All the horror stories you hear about the dreaded socratic method were starting to bother me. I walked into the room and sat in the fourth row from the front of the class. I was sweating like a thief in Sunday school, but I wanted to maintain a calm outward appearance. And then . . .
Peace
