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music × review
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Nineteen ninety-seven. Byzantine chains & Cartier frames. Devoid of laptop musicians, leather kilts or anything else that wouldn't appease an adenoid-laden backpacker. Effects of the crack cocaine epidemic are prominent and wide spread. Southern rap was still the redheaded stepchild of the hip-hop community. By the time TRU had released their debut album, groups like UGK, Outkast and EightBall & MJG had already established a stereotypical third coast sound. From Richmond to NOLA, a triad of rappers known as the Miller brothers set up shop — and they intended to monopolize.
The emergence of No Limit Records marked a new era in rap music. Long gone were the P.S.A. days of Chuck D. This was something new — braggadocio over slow-tempo cruising music. Synth heavy and encrusted with samples from your parent's record collection. It was something unique. The producers, Beats By The Pound, proudly flaunted unaltered loops unlike Pete Rock or Premier. Showcasing samples from Seals & Croft, EWF & The Isley Brothers, No Limit embraced direct chords and contorted them to their liking. They re-sung choruses to suit their "country-fried, swamp cocaine" style of rapping (P said it, not me).
The emergence of No Limit Records marked a new era in rap music. Long gone were the P.S.A. days of Chuck D. This was something new — braggadocio over slow-tempo cruising music. Synth heavy and encrusted with samples from your parent's record collection. It was something unique. The producers, Beats By The Pound, proudly flaunted unaltered loops unlike Pete Rock or Premier. Showcasing samples from Seals & Croft, EWF & The Isley Brothers, No Limit embraced direct chords and contorted them to their liking. They re-sung choruses to suit their "country-fried, swamp cocaine" style of rapping (P said it, not me).
TRU's Tru 2 Da Game is looking kind of dusty these days. How it got to this point, I do not know. And I know you'd rather listen to Dom Kennedy rap about tacos (I am sorry) but hear me out.
Every modern rapper has been influenced by No Limit, knowingly or unknowingly. Records executives now know not to ever let another artist get away with a Master P deal, the Rap Game might as well be called the CEO game and do you know how many rappers bit the Pen & Pixel style of album artwork? They pioneered a sound that is strictly theirs. Let's dive right into this cajun, G-Funk classic.
1. Master P - Smoking Green
The Millennials reading this probably attribute this sound to the Raider Klan & Shaggy's ugly manchild son. I had this 2-disc treasure in my Coby CD player constantly. Scratched up, skipping whenever I walked. This was the gateway drug school assemblies warned you about. I didn't know why everyone talked about weed, but I sure do now (Just kidding I still don't). Thank you Percy Miller.
2. TRU - Tru 2 Da Game
If you're in tune with your inner funk, you probably picked up on the Cameo interpolation (replaying samples to avoid lawsuits). Beats By The Pound put on their DJ Quik wigs with this one.
3. Master P - Swamp Nigga
Have you ever felt empty inside? Disappointed with Wu-Tang? Melancholy because Dipset wasn't good yet? Is Three 6 Mafia too diabolical? Hieroglyphics too lame? Do you love smoking blunts in humid climates? Do you have two or more pagers? Do you enjoy gumbo and King's Cake? If you answered no to any of these questions, then please — don't move to New Orleans.
That's what I would've said in 1997. Things have changed. Those were simpler times. If you got paid, you rapped about how it happened. Feelings kept to a minimum. I'm not trying to listen to a Lifetime Network podcast. I want to hear about how you barked at a crackhead.
TRU did it best (and with a tinge of militancy).
Free C-Murder & R.I.P. Soulja Slim
lifestyle
Just another stereotypical house party. Beer cans litter the backyard lawn. A group of tipsy wannabe rappers spew improvised lyrics while huddled in an enclosed circle that doubles as a makeshift cypher. Small plastic ping pong balls sink into red plastic cups, carefully filled halfway with tap water. Most of the partygoers congregate to the kitchen where all the alcohol resides and where a lot of the party-favor distribution occurs.
Random hedonists fraternize around the kitchen table conversing over the rolling of various blunts about topics they won't even be able to remember the next morning. Guy #1 tells an inebriated joke and Girl #3 giggles obnoxiously. Guy #2 rambles incessantly through a bathroom door, as Girl #1 proceeds to vomit profusely into the toilet bowl of said bathroom. Guy #5 falls fast asleep on the living room couch with his shoes still on.
Events not too dissimilar to this is what transpired at a party I attended a couple Fridays back. At this same party I was preoccupied with an unnecessary thought, while steady sipping and spilling my lukewarm beer all over myself. I was preoccupied with the notion that I had to classify the various characteristics that could shed some light on the Modern Day Partyman and Woman alike. The four categories that I devised and drunkenly believed at the time were "totally appropriate" is the Moocher, the Biter, the Lurker, and the Brother.
The MOOCHER
Pretty self-explanatory huh? This is the dude or chick that we all know and greatly appreciate, and they might have actually been any one of us at some point in time just like any of these other categories that will follow. They're usually a person who comes to a gathering with the ulterior hopes of getting smoked out the whole night and/or to plunder any hidden cache of Pabst Blue Ribbon that may be stowed oh so securely away. This includes thieving off limits food from any pantry or fridge in the house. I noticed some dude strung out on coke through the kitchen window at the party I mentioned before. He poured himself a glass of milk, zapped it in the microwave, and continued to sip on it. I walked inside and asked him why he was drinking warm milk. He replied, "It's a natural laxative." A sub-group of the MOOCHER is the LOOTER, a person who loots valuable items from the home of a house party for any sordid reason.
The BITER
The BITER is the most pugnacious one out of all the categories. They're the person who probably got way too shit-faced and decided to rile up any one imaginable at a party. Their confrontational attitude can be the result of a shit day or just a shit life in general, or it could be because a girl or guy at the party didn't return the favor after their attempts to hit on them. Their goal is usually to make enemies of the entire party and/or draw blood while getting knocked around a little bit themselves. The first and maybe unrelated stage of a BITER is the BARKER who yaps away verbally assaulting anyone in their wake, like a chihuahua with an inferiority complex.
The LURKER
Hide your significant others and loved ones, there's a LURKER on the prowl. A dog without a chain. They're the lewd soul who's sole purpose is to score any bit of tail by any means in the short amount of time that is a party. Corny pick-up lines, vulgar gestures, and the handing out of as much shots as possible to loosen up the sexual prospects. In my experience men mostly fall under this category, but of course women are by all means not exempt from this categorization. Most of them are possibly future date rapists in training.
The BROTHER
The BROTHER and/or the SISTER is the most genuine person EVER out of this hedonistic bunch. They are your aspiring best friend for the night. They tend to be a person who you've probably just met that night who has high hopes of being your friend in real life. They bring gifts of alcohol or tobacco in hopes that they will earn your favor, sticking to you like glue more than even a LURKER. Not necessary a bad thing because they laugh at your not funny jokes and don't mind if your an intoxicated mess. Just like the BITER, the BROTHER is usually a guy who is possibly at the party by himself trying to socially network. Just like the BITER it isn't necessarily just guys, but women are seldom SISTERS to one each other due to reasons you're probably already familiar with.
So what will you do with all this frivolous information? Maybe next time you can use this guide to see if it matches all the drunken participators at your local shindig. You could also use it to compare and contrast in retrospect the differences between parties now and the eloquent cocaine parties of the 80's, seeing how much more we've deteriorated as a species in such a small amount of time.
music × review
When you think about it, your favorite rapper's latest album is already irrelevant. The internet has transformed modern, toe-tapping laypeople into snobby toddlers combing through Costco samples.
You don't know what Pusha T's last album was called (I don't blame you). We'll save the modern day mixtape reviews for Pitchfork. Think you've heard that chord progression before? Need inspiration? This series will delve into some of your favorite artist's favorite albums.
As The Dust Settles on Jamiroquai's Travelling Without Moving, Pharrell & Tyler, The Creator are chuckling in pastel shoes, breaking speed limits. Here are three of my favorite tracks off the album.
1. N*E*R*D Jamiroquai - High Times
This post-Kool & The Gang, pre-BADBADNOTGOOD blend of jazz, R&B, rock, dub and funk fuse warm synths with lead singer Jay Kay's raspy falsetto to ultimately create something that sounds eerily familiar. You can find the song yourself.
2. Jay Kay - Everyday
You might have noticed that Jay Kay is the "Napoleon Dynamite Boogie is 4Real guy!" Yes. Canned Heat was an amazing tune and Jared Hess is superior to Wes Anderson. But that's beside the point. Travelling Without Moving is the precursor to acts such as Toro y Moi, The Internet & Mac DeMarco. You now see the influence of the fastest man on BBC's TopGear. Watch the lap here.
3. Wallis Buchanan & Stuart Zender - Didjital Vibrations
This is not another obnoxious YouTube cannabis snob video. The man pictured above is in fact, a master of the original Aboriginee instrument (the Didgeridoo). Incorporating atypical sounds with almost rappable drums marked the pinnacle of one of the most pivitol genres in recent years. Groups like A Tribe Called Quest and Tony! Toni! Tone! all drew from the same funky, synth-ridden well. This song showcases the influence acid jazz had on the mainstream. 90's UK computer-oriented pop artists such as Radiohead, Massive Attack and Aphex Twin all used this sound to their advantage. Even hip-hop prolifics Guru and J Dilla were inspired by Jamiroquai (See Jazzmatazz Vol. 2 & Black Capricorn Day). To hear some of the fairly common instances where they went against the grain, you'll have to delve deeper into their discography.
I hope these songs have taught you that it's socially acceptable to loosen your tie, unbutton your collar and pour a double shot of Wild Turkey. Serious people work 9 to 5's. It's the eccentrics that get to dance while simultaneously rolling joints on stage and participate in Suzuki Liana time trials. A stiff upper lip with cufflinks will get you tickets to the Bon Jovi concert and a renewed Valium prescription (if you're lucky). Do yourself a favor and incorporate some more funk into your diet.
tech
Android TV was announced at Google I/O this past June, since we've been waiting to see what comes in the way of set top boxes. Razer has teamed up with Google to create an Android powered "micro-console." The Razer Android TV will focus on gaming but is capable of streaming movies, music and other apps available on Android TV. Like the Amazon Fire TV, the Razer console features voice control with an app for navigation on any Android tablet or smartphone; it also features Google Cast allowing you to cast music and video from specific apps, similar to the Chromecast.
nba × nba playoffs × sports
Originally this was supposed to be a "Winners and Losers from Round 1" column. One guy was so far above the other guys, I decided to flip that into an introduction dedicated specifically to him.
Adam Silver destroyed all competition.
His response and discipline for the Donald Sterling situation was perfect. This ugly and unfortunate event placed the spotlight directly on the NBA. Luckily for Silver and the league, it shone smackdab in the middle of the craziest, most entertaining first round I can remember.The first round had five seven-game series, buzzer beaters, suspensions, locker room face offs, fresh faces, and legitimate concerns about "contenders" in OKC and Indy. I actually had a piece ready to go about the fall of the Thunder, but a Z-Bo punch to the jaw of Steven Adams changed my plans. All that, (plus a weird thing that happened with a headline in an Oklahoma City paper about Kevin Durant that blew up way bigger than it should have) let to a nice increase in ratings across the board for the first round. No one is smiling bigger than Silver in his first playoffs as commissioner.
Onto my 2nd round predictions.
West:
(3)Clippers vs. (2)Thunder
Both teams are coming off seven-game series. We watched OKC play crappy basketball for 5 of 7 games, but two smart(ish) performances by the MVP, Russell Westbrook and even Scott "My seat should still be on fire" Brooks, helped them escape round 1 by the skin of a Joey Crawford ball grab. *Pause*
The Clippers on the other hand were the center of attention in round 1. Their disgusting owner took eyes off the basketball court and onto his racist shenanigans. They were able to feed off of Sterling's ouster to beat the Warriors in 7. They have a better coach in Doc Rivers(it's going to be a bloodbath in this dept.), smarter PG, in Chris Paul, a KD irritant in Matt Barnes, outside shooting that'll make the Thunder pay for their shitty rotations, bench scoring, and I haven't even gotten to the vastly improved Blake Griffin. Throw in DeAndre Jordan who can be a handful when he's focused, and you have the ingredients for a team that can beat the Thunder and get the alarms sounding in OKC again.
The Thunder can win if...
1. KD has an MVP series.
2. Russ being Russ means more Good Russ than Bad Russ.
3. Scott Brooks gets his head out of his ass.
4. The OKC backcourt can play solid defense- In the first round, it took solid play from the OKC frontline to make life tough for the Memphis Bangerz. This round, LAC boasts a backcourt rotation of CP3, Jamal Crawford, Darren Collison(no relation to Nick da gawd), JJ Redick. If the OKC backcourt guys can play disciplined, pressure defense and make life hard for the Clips, they could advance.
(5)Blazers Vs. (1)Spurs
The Portland Trailblazers won their first playoff series in 14 years on the backs of Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Aldridge. They run up against the veteran San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs who destroyed the surprising Dallas Mavs in the seventh game of their series are looking to get back to the Finals after last year's heartbreaking defeat.San Antonio's experience(and they have a lot of it) will be too much for the young Blazers to handle. I think it'll go very similarly to the Spurs' second round matchup last year against Golden State; exciting games against a good young team, but ultimately the Spurs will win in 6.
The Blazers can win if...
1. Father Time catches up to San Antonio. Year after year we expect the Spurs to be a step slower. Coach Pop rests his players so well, he's managed to keep their aging stars in great shape for the playoffs.
2. Damian Lillard can take another step forward.
3. Nic Batum has a huge series.
East:
(1)Pacers vs (5)Wizards
I've watched the Indiana Pacers completely lose their basketball skill slowly but surely over the course of 3 months. Roy Hibbert has turned into Uwe Blab. Seriously, has there ever been a key clog lose all confidence as quickly as Hibbert? They looked as bad as you expected them to in the first round. They've showed nothing that would make me think they have turned it around.
The Wizards have savvy big men and two explosive young guards in John Wall and Bradley B3al. Washington also has a lot of playoff experience up and down their roster. Nene, Ariza, Gortat, Andre Miller are all battle tested. Wizards in 6.
The Pacers can win in if...
Nope.
(2)Heat vs (6)Nets
Brooklyn got the matchup they wanted in the second round. Paul Pierce and KG get one last crack at Lebron and Co. Unfortunately, Miami is well rested and ready for a battle. The only way Brooklyn can upset is if they get a couple of vintage performances from their older players. I just don't see that happening. Brooklyn will make them sweat a bit, but ultimately it'll be Miami in 6.
The Nets can win if...
Nah.
NCAA Basketball × sports
My infatuation with March Madness began in 1995 when this happened:
Since that day I've been hooked. By some strange coincidence I found myself falling ill around the end of March every year to where I couldn't make it to work or school or anywhere that didn't have a TV. March Madness streaming on my phone made the illness easier to handle. Brackets, upsets, and shining moments became my favorite time of the year. With all the warm and fuzzies out of the way, let's quickly examine the spectacular abyss that is this year's March Madness.
South Region
Things to Watch For:
Aaron Craft
Seriously, it seems like this guy has been playing for at least a decade now. He plays D, he plays hard, but do the fans of OSU believe he can be anything but an offensive liability at the end of close games?
A Syracuse/Kansas Sweet 16 match up would give us 3 potential top 10 picks in Tyler Ennis, Andrew Wiggins
and Joel Embiid in a 40 minute battle. It will be interesting to see which guys can carry their teams and elevate their games throughout the Madness.
My Pick:
Florida
Considering we don't know the status of Kansas big man Joel Embiid and his back(which could scare some pro teams away), I'll go with Florida here. Syracuse has played bad ball leading into the tournament, UCLA goes through too many lethargic stages in their games, and I'm not sleepy enough to pick VCU. The Gators have a very solid defense and are well coached by the perpetually underrated Billy Donovan.
East Region
Things to Watch For:
Shabazz Napier
The smallish PG will draw a lot of comparisons to the guy he used to back up in Kemba Walker. He plays with just as much heart and passion, and he'll look to cut down the nets one more time before he leaves the Huskies.
Marcus Paige
Full disclosure, I'm a huge Tarheel fan. After a fantastic February and, a slow start to March, Paige picked it up against Duke and Pitt during the ACC tourney. He's going to have to be fearless in order to keep this UNC squad playing in March and through April.
Nova vs. UConn
What could be more fun than the two former Big East foes facing off with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line?
My Pick
Michigan State.
Such a trendy pick, but it's hard to go against the inside outside combo of Gary Harris and Adreian Payne. It's even harder to go against Tom to the Izzo in March.
West Region
Things to Watch For:
DOUG MCDERMOTT!!
The Creighton senior(yes those still exist) forward has been my favorite player in college hoops for the past few seasons. He's tough and he can put the ball in the basket, as evidenced by his slot at number 5 on the NCAA all time scoring list. Just watch his 45 point performance against Providence this season, he can score many ways and should have his full arsenal on display for the world to see during the tourney.
Nick Johnson
This uber athletic SG and new Pac-12 POY could potentially match up against Marcus Smart in the round of 32, which would be one of the more entertaining individual match ups of the West.
Xavier Thames
He's been the key playmaker on the 4th seeded Aztecs averaging a smooth 17/3/3 plus providing SDSU with senior leadership . The former Sacramento native (TREE CITY!) is already 23, older than former Aztec and current Spur Kawhi Leonard, but with a long postseason run, he could win the hearts of some NBA scouts.
My Pick:
Arizona
Scary defense, scary athleticism.
Midwest, AKA the Region of Doom
Things to Watch For:
It's safe to say if the Shockers of Wichita want to stay undefeated, they're going to have to run the gauntlet to do so. Last year's NCAA champion Louisville and runner up Michigan, the Duke Blue Devils, and Kentucky Wildcats all reside in the torturous Midwest.
One player to keep an eye on will be Wichita State's Cleanthony Early. The senior will be looking forward to earning some respect for the overlooked Shockers.
Julius Randle was at some point this season a consensus top 3 pick. It's no coincidence his stock slipping coincided with the struggles his Wildcats were having. He'll be looking to get both ships in the right direction.
My Pick:
Duke.
Believe me, it was as hard for me to type that as it was for you to read. This isn't your usual Blue Devils team. They're athletic, fast, and have a legitimate blue chipper in Jabari Parker. A Pitino/Coach K or Kentucky/Duke match up in the regional final would be a hoop purists' dream.
nba × sports
This past trading deadline, rumors were a swirl about what the Minnesota Timberwolves would do with star power forward Kevin Love. With an early opt-out clause looming after next season(and the Kupchak/Purple and Gold monster waiting to pounce in the city he played college ball), Minny may be approaching the reality of losing another franchise big man.
Before this season, we saw the Wolves add pieces to their roster with the intent of taking some of the burden off of Love. Adding wings Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer, resigning Chase Budinger and bruiser Nikola Pekovic(who tops my list of players I'd have no problem running away from in a dark alley) and nabbing underachieving UCLA one and doner Shabazz Muhammad along with Louisville center Gorgui Dieng in the first round of the 2013 draft, had the makings of a solid offseason haul. The biggest move of their offseason may have been kicking GM David Kahn, notorious for his head scratching roster moves, to the curb and replacing him with Flip Saunders. All of this wheeling and dealing had the Wolves seemingly ready to hold down one of the Western Conference's lower playoff spots with certainty.
So what happened?
1. Injuries
Last season we saw Minny decimated by injuries. This year, (while not nearly as bad as the prior) the injury bug struck again. Starters Martin and Pekovic went out with ailments before the All Star Break, causing them to miss 7 and 13 games respectively and the team to lose out on about 40% of their scoring. With a bench coming in as one of the bottom 5 scoring units in the league at 26 points a game, not having those weapons did the team no favors.
2. Rubio's Lack of Progression
3rd year Spaniard Ricky Rubio may have been the reason the Wolves' big wigs(specifically Kahn) didn't offer Love the 5 year max he could and should have been afforded, choosing instead to save it for the PG. Unfortunately, Rubio's numbers are just about the same compared to his rookie season and he's in the midst of the worst shooting season IN NBA HISTORY. He can't shoot, can't finish, and defenses generally play off of him, making it tough for other guys to get going. This is a part of the reason the team is shooting a dreadful 43% from the floor, a terrible number for a team trying to slip into the playoffs.
3. Defense
Defensively, the Timberwolves tend to let opponents kill them in the paint. With no real rim protector on their team, opponents are scoring to the tune of 45 points in the paint against them. These easy buckets near the tin are helping contribute to their bottom 3 opponent field goal percentage mark. Defense wins championships, or at least gets a team to the playoffs.
If nothing else, the Minnesota Timberwolves are an entertaining squad. They play at the 3rd fastest pace, and are 4th in team scoring at 105.7 a game. Kevin Love's eye popping numbers and even better February, where he averaged a ridiculous 34 and 14 with a handful of high assist games in the mix, are reasons enough to watch this team play. After getting Martin and Pekovic back in a win in Sacramento on Saturday, the Wolves are back at .500 and winners of 5 of their last 6. They have an easy upcoming slate of games against the reeling Nuggets and Knicks teams, Pistons, Raptors, Bucks, Bobcats and Kings. This will be followed by two big games against current 7th and 8th spot holders Dallas and Phoenix with a game in Houston in the middle.
It'll be interesting to see if they can make the last month and a half a close race for one of the last seeds. Memphis is getting healthy and looking dangerous, currently sitting at the 9th spot. If Minnesota can't get their foot in the door, Sota' fans may want to start preparing themselves for seeing Love's outlet passes as a road player.
Follow me on twitter: @redeyeviews
music
Blu (feat. Mela Machinko) - "Kiss The Sky" (prod. by M-Phazes)
Kendrick Lamar - "War Is My Love"
Oh No & DOOM - "3 Dollars"
Childish Gambino - "We Ain't"
Asher Roth - "Outside"
Kendrick Lamar - "War Is My Love"
Oh No & DOOM - "3 Dollars"
Childish Gambino - "We Ain't"
Asher Roth - "Outside"