Fabolous: Why is He Underrated?

The year was 2000, and I was a freshman at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; I was a huge hip hop fan.  I prided myself on “keeping my ear to the ground” regarding new hip hop artists.  I loved everything about the culture—the lyrics, beats, artists, fashion, stories, etc.  Around this time, I began hearing stories about a new Brooklyn emcee (this was during a time when Jay-Z was in his prime).  That artist’s name is Fabolous.  At the time, I believe he was signed to Desert Storm, which was D.J. Clue’s record label.  For my younger readers, being signed to Clue at that time was akin to being affiliated with D.J. Khaled in 2016.  This period is significant because many consider it to be the “Golden Era” of hip hop.  During this era, great artists and groups such as Jay-Z, Nas, DMX, Mobb Deep and the Lox were in their respective primes.  I loved this period of history because only truly talented emcees were celebrated.  Despite coming along during a competitive time in hip hop, Fabolous emerged as a new player.  More than 10 years later, he remains—as respected and relevant as ever.

“But, Fab is a Mixtape Emcee”

I have heard this argument many times over.  This statement, however, does not tell the entire story.  It simply ignores the work Fab has done on studio albums, cameos, freestyles and the like.  That being said, I absolutely agree that Fabolous has yet to release a certified classic studio album.  For hip hop lovers, this can be very problematic.  Fab’s contemporaries have at least one classic album: Jay-Z (Reasonable Doubt); Nas(Illmatic); and DMX (It’s Dark and Hell is Hot).  So the argument goes something like this: How can you put Fabolous on a list of all time greats when he does not yet have a crowning masterpiece album?  My response is simple (I always use basketball analogies): Was Charles Barkley not a dominant player just because he failed to win an NBA Championship?  The correct answer is no.  So, in Fab’s case, you have to analyze his entire body of work before disqualifying him from contention based on one category. 

Fab’s Body of Work is Remarkable

Hip hop is and always has been an ever changing culture.  It reminds me, in many ways, of the practice of law.  Things are always changing.  That said, the criteria for judging talent changes with the times.  When Fab was making his entrance into the game, mixtapes were becoming fairly popular.  Quick aside: For my Greensboro/Winston readers, I still remember going to buy mixtapes and white T-shirts from Mr. Smith’s on Randleman Road.  Since the early 2000s, Fab has released some of the best mixtape series ever.  The fact that these mixtapes were given to the public at no charge should not detract from the quality and impact of these releases.  These mixtapes must be included in the overall analysis of Fab’s career, which is still ongoing.  If you can identify an artist with a better mixtape run than Fab’s, please let me know.  Thus far, he has released the following series: There is No Competition (1-3); The Soul Tape (1-3); Friday Night Freestyles; and Summertime Shootout.  The fact that these collections are “mixtapes” does not change the fact that they are classic projects.

But, Have You Heard “I Miss My Love”?

Disclaimer: I love storytelling songs more than any other kind of song in hip hop.  With that being said, I can continue.  Sometimes, an artist creates a song that catapults him/her to the next stratosphere.  Some songs help the artist establish his place among some of the best to ever do it.  Fab has yet to release a classic album, but he released one of the best hip hop storytelling tracks ever.  Most people have never heard this song.  In fact, I had not heard it until a few years ago when one of my good friends told me about it.  It is the last track on his [underwhelming] album, Loso’s Way. 

The name of the song is “I Miss My Love.”  Over the years, I have listened to the song hundreds of times.  The story, beat, lyrics, and delivery are perfect.  The song describes a love story with a strange twist.  I think people from all walks of life—men and women alike—can appreciate this song.  If you have ever heard Nas’ song titled “Undying Love,” you might be able to guess what the “strange twist” is.  Either way, this song is a top-five all-time storytelling song.  An artist capable of this kind of mastery, coupled with consistently releasing good music, deserves his respek (Birdman’s voice).

Bottom Line

I could go on and on about Fab’s skills as an emcee, but I won’t belabor the point.  He has been incredibly consistent, has remained relevant, and has an unrivaled mixtape catalogue.  And, to boot, he wrote one of the best hip hop storytelling songs of all time.  That said: it is time to give Fab the respect that he deserves.

Peace

Are the Golden State Warriors Invincible?

Today, my good friend, Chimezie Okobi, and I have written a joint blog regarding the Golden State Warriors and their chances of success during the 2015-16 season.  Chim has taken the position that the Warriors are invincible, while I have taken the opposite position.  After reading this blog, please comment with know your opinion.    

Golden State of Mind

By: Chimezie Okobi

Win, Win or Draw; the Golden State Warriors have already surpassed early season expectations. Most “experts” did not pick Golden State to come out of the West and many people deemed last year’s title to be a combination of good luck and favorable match-ups against injury-ravaged opponents. This year Golden State has begun a potentially historic journey to repeat as NBA champions. The Warriors have looked unbeatable thus far and based on the statistics the Warriors are an unbeatable force that will go on to win this season’s NBA title (barring injury). They cannot be beaten.

72-10 Bulls

The Warriors started the season with an NBA record 24 game winning streak which has put them on pace to break the NBA all-time record for most wins in a regular season set by the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. Golden State is 31-2 (as of this article); this has created buzz as to whether or not Golden State will topple the Bulls’ record. In 1995-96 Michael Jordan returned for his first full season after his first retirement to lead the Bulls to a title. That Bulls team was invincible and led the NBA in points per game, Offense, Defense but played at a slower pace (20^th out of 29 NBA teams). Even with Golden State’s most recent loss at the end of a seven game road trip, the Warriors are on pace to 72+ wins.

The Blueprint

Golden State is on a historic pace because they possess two of the NBA’s best shooters in Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry (more on Curry later). They also have a prototypical “small ball” power forward in Draymond Green which allows Golden State to play at a fast pace and defend the perimeter and paint with speed and quickness. Golden State ranks first (1^st) in Offensive Efficiency per 100 possessions and 1^st in points per game; Golden State also ranks 3^rd in pace and 8^th in Defense. In short, for a team to beat the 2015-16 Warriors, that team would need to be able to efficiently score a lot of points and drastically slow the pace of the game.

This team is unbeatable because of its elite and efficient three point shooting, pace and its collapsing defense. Golden State averages 115 points per game. A team would need to realistically average at least 105 to contend. Currently there are only three teams (OKC, Phoenix and Sacramento) that average 105 points. To beat the champs, a team must also be able to shoot efficiently from the field (~45% from the field or better). Golden State leads the league with a .487 FG%. There are eight (8) teams (in order of efficiency: San Antonio, OKC, Miami, Cleveland, LA Clippers, Sacramento, Atlanta and Phoenix) that shoot efficient enough to compete. The other way to compete would be to slow the game’s pace to prevent a shootout (which favors the more explosive Warriors team). Currently, there are ten teams that play at a significantly slower pace than the Warriors. Those teams would also need to shoot efficiently and play top tier defense to make it a game. Only San Antonio fits the criteria necessary to challenge the Warriors because San Antonio ranks top 5 in slowest pace, defense, defensive efficiency and offensive field goal percentage. Whether or not San Antonio can dictate the pace of the game to Golden State still remains to be seen. (Note: Cleveland’s stats and record should not be weighed yet because Cleveland’s “real team” has yet to play any minutes this season).

Stephen W. Curry

The main catalyst for the Warriors’ historic start has been reigning MVP Stephen “Chef” Curry. The Chef is having a career year; he is averaging a career best in points (averaging +9 more points this year than in any other year of his career), steals, rebounds, three point and field goal percentage. This means that Curry has become more efficient while shooting and scoring more than he has in the past. This is a positive regression that is counterintuitive to the norm. It is normal for a player to become less efficient as they are asked to shoot more, run more of the offense and expend more energy. It is also the norm to become less efficient when opposing defenses prepare and defend for a player to take the majority of shots/possessions for his team. The Warriors have become unstoppable because Curry is an offensive outlier; a player who has become more efficient when taking more of his team’s possessions. While Klay and other teammates’ overall usage has dipped, it is because a shot by Steph Curry has become the most potent weapon in pro basketball.

Curry’s emergence as the most efficient shooter and shooter in basketball has made the Golden State Warriors unbeatable in 2015-16.

Golden State Warriors: Invincible (I Think Not)

By: Sidney O. Minter

The Golden State Warriors are defending NBA Champions, and have shown no signs of decline this season.  So, to a casual NBA fan, they may appear to be invincible.  However, much like any great team, they are susceptible to defeat.  Do you remember how dominant Mike Tyson was prior to his first loss? What about the 1985 Georgetown basketball team who lost to Villanova in the National Championship Game?  One thing about sports is that: on any given day, a more talented team can lose to a less talented team.  That, my friends, is what makes athletic competition so captivating and why there is no such thing as a team that cannot be defeated.  I want to convince you that the Warriors are not invincible and are not guaranteed to repeat as NBA Champions.

Too Reliant on One Player 

The Warriors are too reliant on Steph Curry—who happens to be having one of the most outstanding seasons in NBA history.  The Warriors cannot win without him because he sets the tone for everything they do as a team.  His ability to shoot the ball from anywhere, coupled with his masterful ball-handling, make him indispensable.  However, Steph Curry, just like any other great player, is not immune to injury.  Let’s not forget that, just a few years ago, he experienced a rash of ankle injuries that kept him from playing in a number of games.  Although he has been healthy the past few seasons, he is currently out of the Warriors lineup because of a leg injury.  Although this injury is not severe, you never know if it will morph into something that will keep him out of the lineup for a substantial amount of time.  Remember: Kevin Durant’s foot problems were not thought to be major issues at first.  Without Steph Curry, the Warriors are still a very good team.  However, without him in the lineup, the probability of them repeating as NBA champions would be diminished considerably.

Rugged Western Conference

The Warriors play in the Western Conference, which, during the past seven or eight years, has been the better conference.  This year, the Eastern Conference teams have made up ground in terms of win-loss records.  However, despite the win-loss records of some teams, there are only a handful of serious contenders for the NBA championship.  Of those teams, four hail from the Western Conference, while one or maybe two hail from the Eastern Conference.  So, what does that mean for the Warriors?  It means that in order for them to repeat as NBA Champions, they will likely have to beat the Spurs, Thunder and/or the Clippers.  Last year, during their championship run, they did not face any of these teams.  The Spurs have a much-improved team with the acquisition of LeMarcus Aldridge and the emergence and dominance of K. Leonard. The Thunder have been bitten by the injury bug during the past few years.  However, at this point, they have two top-five players in their respective primes in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.  Anytime you have game-changing players of their skill level on the floor, they will always have a chance to win big.  Lastly, the Clippers are a team that is well-coached and has two perennial all-stars.  So, the Warriors will have their hands full if they want to make it to the championship round.

Too Many Jump Shots 

Some contend that the Warriors are too content to shoot jump shots.  Some might argue that this is also their biggest strength, but I will go with common sense and the history of the game of basketball.  Logically, a team has a better chance of making a two-point shot from fifteen feet than they do of making a three-point shot from twenty-four feet.  As great of a shooting team as the Warriors are, they are capable of having poor shooting nights from the field.  When they face a team—like the Spurs—who have a more diverse offensive strategy, the Warriors can lose. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are the biggest threat to the Golden State Warriors.  The Cleveland Cavaliers are lead by the best player in the game, Lebron James.  He nearly willed his undermanned team to an upset of the Warriors during their championship season.  The 2015-16 iteration of the Cavs have developed continuity between its best three players—Lebron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.  This team has the size upfront with Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love and Mozgov to really dominate the glass.  They also have good perimeter defenders and an all-star point guard who will make Steph Curry work on the defensive end.  They also have a very good shooter off the bench—Mo Williams (who did not play last year).  In short, I believe the Cavs can beat the Warriors.

The Warriors are not invincible.

Peace

Jay-Z is Kobe Bryant, not Allen Iverson

**This blogpost is based on a number of conversations I have had with one of my good friends.  I am expressing a theory he dropped on me, with my own little spin.**

Today is December 4, 2015, which is Jay-Z’s birthday.  If you are a serious hip- hop fan, you have or will pull out your favorite Jay-Z albums and playlists today.  Like Henry said in Goodfellas, “they did it out of respect.”  Jay-Z is arguably the GOAT when it comes to hip-hop.  I would argue that, despite his spot at or near the top of hip-hop’s Mount Rushmore, at his core, he is an overachieving underdog.  This might sound a little strange, but I believe it and hope to persuade you as well.  If you recall Jay-Z’s early career, and I am talking pre-Reasonable Doubt, his music was not well received by the masses.  In fact, some old heads would emphatically declare that he was kind of lame.  His pace was very fast and his sound was more Das Efx than Kool G. Rap (If you are not familiar with these hip hop acts, you might want to stop reading now).  His rise to the top did not occur overnight.   I will discuss his talent and rise to the top of hip-hop through a direct comparison with another all time great—Kobe Bryant.

Allen Iverson is one of the greatest basketball players ever.  He was also a child prodigy—not unlike Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  From the age of thirteen, or maybe even younger, he was the best basketball and football player in the State.  By the time he was fifteen years old, he was the best basketball and football player in the entire country.  Iverson was gifted, and that is one of the many reasons his “practice” rant is so funny.  For him, practice was not necessary to perform at a high level.  I imagine he did not have to lift weights, or train, or practice twelve hours a day to be the best—he simply was.

Nas is a very similar talent in the realm of hip-hop.  Like Iverson, Nas was a child prodigy.  He recorded Live at the Barbeque at the tender age of fifteen.  At that time, he worked with some of the all-time greats in the hip-hop game.  Surprisingly, or maybe not surprisingly, they dubbed him the next big thing.  How could they not, though?  Then, at the age of nineteen, he released Illmatic, which is one of the most flawless albums ever released.  I believe he actually recorded the album while he was only seventeen years of age. 

I believe it is very appropriate that Kobe’s announcement of his final NBA season and Jay-Z’s birthday occurred in the same week.  In many ways, they are inextricably tied to one another.  Jay-Z released his first album, Reasonable Doubt, in 1996.  If you follow basketball, you know that 1996 was the year Kobe entered the NBA.  As great of a basketball player as Kobe is, at the age of thirteen, he was not likely the greatest player in his state.  In fact, it was not until he was in high school that people took notice of his immense talent.  He is different from Iverson and Nas because he took his God given skills and worked his ass off.  He left no stone unturned and his hard work paid off—literally and figuratively. 

I contend to you that Jay-Z is more Kobe, than Iverson.  Like Kobe, he was a relatively late bloomer.  When he started rapping in the late 80s/ early 90s, he rapped really fast and people did not necessarily take to his style.  Then, around 1995, or maybe a little before, he slowed his flow, then Jigga was born.  Even still, he could not find a record label to sign him so he could release his first album.  Consequently, he thought outside of the box, worked his ass off, and created Roc-A-Fella Records.  The rest is history.

The other week, I had a conversation with someone who said Jay-Z is overrated.  Because I am a huge Jay-Z fan, I had to take a proverbial step back so I could hear the opinion as objectively as possible.  After hearing the argument, I was not convinced.  Jay-Z is maybe the most successful hip-hop artist of all time.  He has sold millions of records, went bar-for-bar with Biggie and Big L, retired, returned, became an NBA owner, owned a clothing line, owned a line of vodka, became President of Def Jam Records, and so on and so forth.  If you are a hip-hop purist and decide to examine his career strictly on his catalogue of music, it would be difficult to say that he is overrated.  He has four or five legitimate hip- hop classics to his name (Reasonable Doubt, The Blue Print, Black Album, Volume 1 and Volume 2).  Who else—living or dead—can boast this level of consistency?

He epitomizes what many people fail to see—the overachieving underdog.  He is a guy who was blessed with talent, just like every person on this earth.  But, what do we do with our talent?  Do we cultivate it? Do we sit on it? Do we complain that we do not have enough?  Jay-Z chose to believe in himself, despite naysayers, and grew his talent to become arguably the GOAT.  That is an amazing feat considering there have been many people blessed with more talent who never accomplished a third of what Jay-Z accomplished in the hip hop game, or the game of life. Remember: “Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard.”

Jay-Z is not Allen Iverson, or Nas.  But, he is Kobe Bryant, which places him in great company.

Peace