DUWHITE HOWAAD N DA POST DAAAAAAAAAAAAWG

LMAOOO FOH B

You remember the Carmelo Anthony shit a couple of years ago?  Or even the Chris Paul offseason, resulting in the first time I've ever seen the Lakers get screwed out of anything?  This Dwight Howard shit is GREAT. Thanks to Howard's lack of a backbone, we're basically ignoring Steve Nash's possible moves and Deron Williams' destination.  Of course, Howard is better than either one of those players (really, Howard is a top 5 player.  You could convince me that he's a top 3 player), so it makes sense, but wow.  We're looking at the most hilarious shit since the CP3 to LAL trade was rescinded.

Right now, I'm looking at multiple teams interested in Dwight Howard; the Nets, Hawks, Rockets, and Lakers have all shown interest, and have appealing deals on the table.  The HILARIOUS shit is that the Magic know that despite all of the news (again, similar to Denver), they have all of the leverage in this situation...for now.  Howard seems incredibly mentally fragile, and until the trade deadline, the Magic really do have all sorts of power.  If you remember the Carmelo trade situation, there were a lot of trades in the air (even though we knew that Melo only wanted to go to NY), and the Knicks trades got progressively better for the Nuggets.  We eventually got to see the Knicks give up most of a VERY promising young line-up (plus picks) in exchange for Melo, Billups, and some bullshit.  For those keeping score...THE KNICKS DON'T EVEN HAVE BILLUPS (or most of what they received) AT THIS POINT.  So, by holding out, Denver indeed won.  They basically got a starting line-up in exchange for a player who hasn't produced the playoff success that his talent would suggest, and a great PG at the end of his career.

I'll list the deals I've seen so far and give my take on them


Nets/Magic

Nets get Dwight Howard and Turkoglu (to dump his contract)

Magic get Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and the Nets' 1st round draft picks for 2014, 2016, and 2018.


PERSONALLY, I want Dwight to join Brooklyn.  How hilarious would it be to have 2 teams in NYC, and the Knicks being the worst of the two?!  How hilarious would it be to have the Nets, after being spurned by Melo, keep Deron Williams AND get Dwight Howard?  Yo I would die of laughter.  Yes, they will be top-heavy and luxury taxed.  I doubt that Prokhorov gives a fuck though.  A line-up that includes Howard/Gerald Wallace/Joe Johnson/Deron Williams will either be epic as fuck, or tragically bad.  Wallace gives you great versatility offensively and defensively, Howard is still the DPOY, despite Chandler getting the nod, and Williams is a top 3 PG.  If Johnson can give them 18ppg, the Nets will be a problem.

For the Magic; you receive a good offensive center in Lopez, but let's not think he's anywhere near Howard defensively.  ANYWHERE.  He's also more healthy than people pretend he is, he hadn't missed a game before this season.  Foot issues are sensitive points, so I can see why people are nervous about him in the future, but I think he continues to be a productive player.  MarShon Brooks will be a top 5 SG in the league in a few years, IMO.  I'm really high on that kid, so I think the Magic getting him would be a great look.  Humphries is somehow still underrated (likely because the Nets suck), despite being a double-double per 36min for most of his career, and an actual double-double the past two years.  He compliments Lopez well and helps the Magic immensely from a rebounding standpoint.  Despite Lopez's anemic rebounding numbers for his height, I think having Humphries and Ryan Anderson will help with that.  The three picks will be near the bottom of the 1st round, but I feel like a three 1st round picks are a pretty good haul, even though none will be lottery picks.

I want to see the Nets do well, and seeing Dwight go to Brooklyn after all of the hatred he's kindled will be GLORIOUS.  As in LeBron winning a championship last year glorious.

My nigga *Denzel voice*

Hawks/Magic


Hawks get Dwight Howard

Magic get Al Horford, Jeff Teague, Zach Pachulia, and protected 1st round pick (from Houston)


Hawks getting Dwight Howard, keeping Josh Smith, and with what they left over (Anthony Morrow, Devin Harris, etc.), I think the Hawks turn into a legitimate contender.  Dwight is a game-changer, regardless of what you think of him as a person.  In an OFF-YEAR he put up 20/14.5/2, with a 24.2 PER.  To me, he's the most impactful player on both sides of the floor this side of LeBron James.  You're getting a DPOY with an acceptable offense.  I've heard that he wants more touches; in Atlanta he would get more touches.  A Howard/Smith front-court is probably the best in the Eastern Conference, and depending on how things go out West, could be the best in the league.  Smith had his best year yet last year, playing in all 66 games and averaging 18.8/9.6.  With his athleticism, he is a difficult cover, and his rebounding has been improving (necessary since Horford was out).  If it wasn't Atlanta, I'd be happy with this, but I don't want them to ever be anything.  Fuck the Hawks.

Magic get Al Horford, a talented big, and Jeff Teague, a young, talented guard.  Protected 1st round pick is better than any of the picks the Nets can give them, and Zach gives them depth at the center spot.  Horford is no Dwight Howard, but he's not bad either.  He's probably the 2nd best center in the EC when healthy, and he plays hard.  He was a difference maker in that 6 game series with Boston, despite missing half the games.  He gets a full offseason to get back in shape and will probably be the second All-Star center in the East.

I like the deal for both teams, but FUCK THE ATLANTA HAWKS.  Remember that they paid THIS NIGGA $20 mil a year

....fuck you.

I'm going to ignore the Rockets deal if only because I can't see that happening at all, and thirst is disgusting in sports.  If you want to think about it, lots of people will move on that deal, and it's still pretty flexible.  Losing Dragic (like I am hearing has a good chance of happening) makes them even more unappealing and I have to think makes it difficult for the Rockets to give Orlando equal value.  Of course, since it's me talking about this, either the Houston deal happens or this one does....................



Lakers/Magic




Lakers get Dwight Howard (I don't even like typing this shit)

Magic get Andrew Bynum and Metta World Peace (the last that I heard regarding this)


...................if you know me, you know I hate the Lakers with a passion.  I'll rant about the Lakers later though.  This trade is so fucking annoying on multiple levels.  One, the Lakers get the best center in the league.  Two, they get to drop a very talented player who doesn't want to be Kobe's #2.  Three, if this happens, I have to think that it's because Howard has decided he's cool with deferring to Kobe until Kobe retires.  Four, the Lakers get the best center in the league...again.  For the Lakers, this is a great trade, especially if Howard doesn't make a fuss about being behind Kobe.  They become a legitimate title contender, since Howard will give you just about everything Bynum does, outside of the occasional 3 point shot LOL.  They get better defensively, and you will hear less complaints about Gasol, should they keep him.  Kobe's terrible shot selection becomes something you can deal with more easily, and you lose just about nothing.  Furthermore, I have to think that LA loves Howard.  And when Kobe retires in 2020, they'll love Howard more if he gives them rings.

Magic get the best replacement for Howard through this deal.  I LOVE Andrew Bynum.  He's bigger than Howard, gives no fucks in general, is better scoring-wise, and legitimately believes he can be a #1 guy.  You get MWP in the deal, who isn't the same player he was in Indiana, but was surprisingly effective in April this season...until he killed James Harden.  But he's not really relevant to this deal...Bynum makes losing Howard acceptable, and the Magic remain an annoying out in the playoffs.  I don't think they become a contender unless they get another piece though.

If you want some semblance of parity in trades, this is the best one.  If you're annoyed with the Lakers getting shit, then this trade fucking sucks.  Last I heard, Kobe wanted Howard to be the 3rd offensive option, which was a primary reason for Howard not wanting to go there.  Hopefully, Kobe hasn't smartened up and we can live in a world where Howard and Kobe do not play together.  Fuck Kobe.

Where's Childs when you need him?

SAM IS DEAD!

Smfh

I already reviewed the Odd Future Tape Vol 2, but since this video came out last week, I figure I'd dedicate a post to this video.  This is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and it's my second favorite video to "Oldie."  Video below:

Mmmm....Pop

My nigga Goku though?  Damn.

So I was first put on to XV listening to the Combat Jack Radio Show (btw, check that out. You can find previous episodes on iTunes under the Combat Jack podcast) with Just Blaze.  He shouted this new rapper out, and spoke on his talent, but remarked that he was kinda getting outside of his comfort zone and trying to do things that weren't "him."  I downloaded his mixtapes Zero Heroes and The Yellow Brick Road to SXSW, but I never put them into my rotation, really.  I listen to a ton of music and I'm always getting new music (seriously, I have around 30,000 songs) and I literally never got around to finishing either project.  Since this one came out a couple of weeks ago, and I refuse to listen to/review Plies' mixtape, I decided to give XV a listen and see if he's worth listening to.



1. Intro - This is a pretty interesting introduction...has part of The Simpsons' theme, Full House's theme, and some other stuff I probably should know (I'm annoyed that I don't remember what the background to the latter half of the intro is from).  A nice little intro, nothing to really rate.


2. Andy Warhol (Ft. Slim the Mobster) - This one's a good intro.  It's got an interesting mood; pretty somber-sounding, but it also has some bump.  XV's got bars.  "Grew up around shells and dudes with bandanas, damn, you would think I'm talking 'bout Ninja Turtles".  I'm a young nerd, so I appreciate that line as well as the Andy Warhol references.  If the rest of the tape has lyrical dexterity on par with this one, I'm in for an enjoyable experience.  I want to call him a kid, but he's older than me....but this kid's nice with it. - 4/5


3. Breaking Bad (Ft. Raja) - Continuing with the somber tone of "Andy Warhol," we get this track.  The hook kinda grated on me at first, but it's not TERRIBLE.  Sounds like some shit you'd hear on a Lupe Fiasco track though....and I don't particularly like many of his hooks.  There's a Breaking Bad reference that anyone who has watched the show would appreciate.  He's got punchlines galore...not all of them are great, and some are a little too direct, but he does have some gems; "They say life is a trip and a bitch, well luckily I always pack condoms in my Goyard."  Like I said, this dude is nice with it.  I also like that he's stuck with the almost depressing-sounding backgrounds...gives it a Mood Muzik 2 style feel, and I LOVED Mood Muzik 2 - 3.5/5


4. Be There, Be Square - At the very beginning of this, I thought that Lupe was dropping a guest verse.  When I got over the disappointment that Lupe wasn't on the track, I was able to appreciate it.  He sounds like Cyhi da Prynce on here, but it works; there's an energy on this one that wasn't on the previous two tracks.  "Shoveled snow to get Versace, girls still didn't dig me"...man, I really like this guy, why the fuck haven't I been listening to him?  Something else, by the way...I generally don't go for rappers who only do 2 verses and a hook.  It reminds me of 50 Cent, and I just feel like 3 verses is what a rapper should strive for. With 50, you knew he didn't really have bars, so 2 verses and a killer hook made his shit work.  For someone with bars, like an XV, doing only 2 verses really feels lazy...but he makes it work.  The first few songs have only had 2 verses, but that's perfect for my attention span right now.  So I don't know if this is progress or regression, but I can tolerate 2 verse tracks more now, hahaha - 4.5/5


5. Her Favorite Song (Ft. Raja) - Man.  Yea, I don't like this Raja guy.  You know how I said he kinda sounds like Lupe in some ways?  The terrible hooks by this Raja contribute to this in a negative way.  I'm cool with XV's raps, but I can do without these hooks.  This one in particular sounds like some pop shit, which....can work for some people, but it has a real L.A.S.E.R.S. feel to it, and I DEFINITELY didn't like that shit.  I listened to this a few times to see if I could bump the rating up for it, since I like this guy, but nah...FOH with this. - 2.5/5


6. The Kick - I don't know if you know who Hans Zimmer is, but the odds are he worked on the soundtrack to at least 1 film you liked (The Dark Knight and Inception come to mind for me).  This track samples "Time" from the Inception soundtrack.  This track is great for him...he's convinced me that his formula works for him; dark-sounding backgrounds with 2 longish verses.  A few Inception references on this track, including the final line "Tell my haters hit record on they remote controllers; until my totem falls over," and they work pretty seamlessly with the record.  Nice number punchlines here as well; "I'm a 2 3 5, always in my prime," "And it's 4:15, meaning it's my time." Dude is nice with it!  I'm kinda hyped that a younger dude is spitting bars like these...I get in arguments a lot about this generation not producing any talented hip-hoppers, and I'm glad to add XV to that list of good rappers under 30. - 4/5


7. Interlude - Nothing really special here, probably some movie sample that I should know but since I'm not a movie guy, I don't, smh


8. Go On Without Me - Oh shit, we get 3 verses on this track! *pops bottle* *realizes I'm not getting paid for this shit* *corks bottle* We get an introspective track here, a story about a friend of his who ended up hanging with the wrong crowd...the friend ended up killing himself, and XV regrets not recognizing the signs ("They said he showed signs that I didn't take directions from").  This is a pretty sad one for anyone who's had someone close to them commit suicide, or for anyone who's had friends get caught up in the street shit.  I remember multiple people from my high school dying while in high school off some dumb shit...fucked up.  Needless to say, this one continues the trend of dark tracks...but tracks like these are generally my favorite ones (a huge part of why I like Joe Budden) - 5/5


9. Wonkavator (Ft. Emilio Rojas) - Alright, so when I saw the feature, I figured that Rojas would be on the hook, since the other features thus far were on the hook.  For this track, we actually get a guest verse, and the dude is nice!  He's got a nice flow, and he follows the Willy Wonka theme of the track (there are also Wonka samples on this).  This one has a slightly different energy from the previous tracks; it's still dark, but there is more of an electronica feel on it.  Overall, I'm not terribly fond of the beat, but the verses make up for it quite well.  Also, I'm partial toward Wonka samples ever since "Exhibit A," so there's that. - 3.5/5


10. Mary Kate & Ashley (Ft. Freddy High and Sez Batters) - Despite the features, this is another 2 verse track.  Samples Full House, with Mary Kate & Ashley's "you got it dude" line.  Sounds kinda industrial, but the bump works.  This is a short track, with about as much hook as spitting...I could hear this poppin in the club, to be honest.  I feel like even the "you got it dude" sample would work in the club, hahaha...I like this one, it's a lot more fun than most of the tracks on here. - 4/5


11. Interlude - Something else I should probably know the origin of, yet don't.


12. Jedi Night - This is another one that sounds similar to a L.A.S.E.R.S. track, but at least there isn't a terrible hook.  Of course I approve of the Jay-Z sample, and we get 3 verses on this one, so I'm cool with it.  I'm going to come clean here; despite being a nerd, I haven't watched any of the Star Wars films, so I don't get all of the references...I'm sure that if I did, I'd be a bit more appreciative of this track, but as it stands, a lot of the references go over my head.  Overall, this one gets a - 3/5


13. Aaahh!  Real Monsters (Ft. Schoolboy Q & B.o.B.) - Yo.  I fucks with Schoolboy Q.  I fucks with chopped and screwed shit.  So the beginning of this track is fucking great for me.  I don't really fuck with B.o.B. much anymore...so I was anticipating him on the hook, pissin me off *Unforgivable voice*, so imagine my surprise when he rapped instead of sang!  Schoolboy doesn't have the bars that XV does, but it's fine, I've yet to hear a track that Schoolboy messed up, and he doesn't start here.  Now we get to B.o.B....yo, his verse is nice.  It pisses me off that he's been dropping pop bullshit, because the nigga can rap.  Ignoring my disappointment with dude, he ends the track with a snap, even throwing a bit of social commentary in his verse.  I fucks with this track. - 4.5/5


14. Hi, Life - Despite most of the tracks being dark-sounding, there really is an understated variety in the beats this guy is rapping over.  I don't always approve of rappers pseudo-singing for their hooks, but this one is OK.  I like the witty beginnings to the second and third verses; Konnichi wa and Bonjour are ways of saying "Hi" in Japanese and French (which I can't help thinking is another subtle reference to Lupe Fiasco; in this case, "Paris, Tokyo").  I fucks with this track, even if it does sound a little pop.  - 3.5/5


15. Zombieland Rule 32 (Ft. Irv Da Phenom) - I feel ashamed that I never played Donkey Kong Country 2.......I'm losing my nerd card here.  Fuck.  Anyway, XV's got some bars on this one, including a lengthy Wheel of Fortune metaphor.  I was expecting Irv to be a rapper, but he's a singer...and he does a good job on the hook.  When a hook is done properly, within the frame of the song, I can't hate on it.  This is a good example of a hook being done properly.  If you've watched Zombieland, then you get the track's name as well as its overall theme: "Enjoy the little things."  This album thus far has been one of those little things to enjoy, and this track is pretty good on its own.  Bonus points for the Curb Your Enthusiasm reference, I fucking love that show. - 4.5/5


16. Ending Credits - This sounds like something off of Thom Yorke's "The Eraser"....I have to see if he sampled it.  It leads in to the true end of the mixtape....


17. One of One - This is a great way to end the mixtape.  Lots of punchlines, some Batman references, and a nice, short rehash of his journey here for those of us who haven't been following him for long.  This guy has talent, and the depressed energy of this track fits perfectly with the rest of the tape.  - 5/5



Wow.  Not what I expected at all.  I thought that this would be jumbled and disjointed, full of obvious attempts at radio-friendly tracks and lacking any sort of vision.  I was completely wrong.  This is a young rapper who sounds like he knows what works for him and doesn't try too hard to stray from it.  He doesn't let the few features outshine him on his tracks, and really, outside of the couple of songs with Raja on them, this is an excellent mixtape.  Even though I didn't get every single reference he made on the tape, it was obvious that he intended to stay true to the mixtape's title, Popular Culture, and he did so very well.  I'm definitely going to go back and listen to Zero Heroes and The Yellow Brick Road to SXSW, this guy won me over.  Overall, I'm going to give this a 4/5...now when is this dude's debut album dropping?


Side note: I'll have to listen to the tape again, but I don't think I heard a Dragonball Z reference :-(

My other obsession

OK, so you should know by now that I'm pretty big on sports, politics, and music (specifically hip-hop).  My other passion is....manga/anime.  Yea.  Like Lupe Fiasco.  I'm not ashamed to admit it, I'm a nerd.  Been a nerd for a long time, will probably die a nerd.  So, I'll be watching anime and reading manga until the day I die.  With that in mind, I'll probably do some reviews of manga chapters as they come out; the manga I will be reviewing will most likely be Naruto, Gamaran, and Shaman King: Flowers.  This first one is going to be for Naruto, specifically Chapter 591.

Before I go any further, let me state that I'm not linking to any images or adding any images to my manga reviews....I'm not about that get my blog seized on some copyright infringement bullshit life.  If you're a manga fan, you know where to find the stuff.  Buy it online or at a bookstore.  Or...do whatever.


So Chapter 591 picks up where 590 left off.  Itachi, having ended the Edo Tensei, revealed the truth of the night of the Uchiha massacre to Sasuke, and reassuring Sasuke that no matter what path he chooses, he will always love him, returns to the realm of the dead, with his spirit leaving the sacrificial body it was housed in.  The Konoha sacrifice fell to the ground, and while Kabuto stood trapped in Izanami (damn, the shit lasts even after the user dies), Sasuke seems to come to some realization about his future goals...of course Kishimoto chooses not to reveal what said realization is.

As the remaining Edo Tensei return to the land of the dead, we get a forced recognition of Itachi as a true hero through the ending of the Edo Tensei, as if killing his own clan, keeping Akatsuki away from Konoha, and remaining silent about what he knew about Konoha weren't already enough.  Idk, it really irked me how forced the recognition seemed.  We finally get to see Dan's Reika no Jutsu (Spiritualization Technique) and it's fucking OP.  You send your spirit to inhabit another shinobi and murk them.  Goddamn, that's broken as fuck.  It's basically a better version of the Yamanaka Clan's techniques, IMO.  Madara launches a "final" assault on the Gokage, trying to land a blow before he is eliminated, but thanks to Tsunade's Byakugou no Jutsu, she's able to fend off his fire attack.  The jutsu runs out, but Tsunade is content knowing that Madara has been defeated, but...........

Come on bro, there's no way you thought Madara was going out like that.  It's annoying enough that Itachi basically made Kabuto's contributions to the war worthless, you couldn't expect him to also get rid of Madara, who really seems like the only villain competent and powerful enough to be the final villain.  Besides, it keeps with Itachi's story...a very talented, selfless shinobi who always fucking failed.  But that's why he's my favorite character.  He's not perfect, he never pretends to be, and no matter how broken his abilities are, no matter how great strategically he is, no matter how powerful he is overall, he never actually succeeds at shit.

Anyway, so Madara regains his ET body and almost kills Tsunade, but Dan's OP Reika no Jutsu allows him to reach her, inhabit her body, and move it to dodge Madara's attack.  Either the Gokage fight was really close to where he was or that technique is way too fucking OP.  Fam.  Between Dan and Minato, how many shinobi do you think were murked without even seeing their opponent?  Holy fuck.

We get the Dan/Tsunade meeting that all of us expected after seeing him resurrected, and in a reversal of what happened before, Dan kisses Tsunade on the head...how cute.  So you were talking about how if Jiraiya came back alive, you'd be better to him, but you're still sprung off Dan.  Fuck you, Tsunade, smh.

After the touching reunion, Madara reveals why he's still around: the drawback to Edo Tensei is not Itachi's existence (although in this instance, I guess it kinda was, lol), it is that any ET that knows the seals can undo the summoning contract and free him/herself from the summoner.  The ET is then an independent, immortal, infinite chakra (someone tell Muu and the Niidaime Mizukage that they had infinite chakra at their disposal, LOL) being who is close to impossible to stop.  Madara undoes the contract, and we're sure to see the Gokage get their collective asses kicked next chapter.  That's the end.


Overall, I give the chapter a 4/5.  We already knew there would be a loophole for Madara to survive, but rather than it being the Rinnegan's resurrection technique, it is Madara's knowledge of Edo Tensei.  So instead of Madara simply coming back with a normal human body, he retains his ET body, which is fucking ridiculous.  Itachi is gone, so now we have to wonder, how in the world will Madara be defeated?  Will Sasuke join up with Naruto to crush him?  I'm really curious to see what happens.  I took a point off for them waiting so long to have the Dan/Tsunade meeting happen, and then having it happen so ridiculously.  How in the world did this guy die in combat?  Luckily they got him in the barrier early, and apparently Kabuto summoned him purely for his relationship with Tsunade, rather than knowing the techniques he knew...if he DID know that Dan had that technique, then Kabuto is a fucking idiot.


Predictions for the next chapter: we get to see Madara do some damage, and we get a return to the Tobi vs. Naruto/Gai/Kakashi fight.  I don't really care for that fight, but maybe Tobi can make it interesting.

We have serious issues.

Fuck this dude b

Yo.  I know I listen to Odd Future, and I know Tyler makes Sandusky references often, but I don't find the Sandusky shit funny in any fucking way whatsoever.  I live in Pittsburgh, which, while not being the epicenter of Penn State's power base, is still in Pennsylvania.  There are thousands of Penn State graduates who live here, and the disconnect here is sickening.  When news of the scandal first broke, there were people in my office who genuinely defending this dude, Joe Paterno, and Penn State, as if the most horrific of crimes hadn't occurred there.

More Sandusky cover up shit.

The shit is disgusting.  In what world do we defend an organization that refused to treat allegations of child molestation seriously?  In what world do we place athletic achievement over morals?  Look, I'm not some soapbox motherfucker, but real shit, I went to an elementary school where the gym teacher was finally found out as a child molester.  When you're a child (well, back when I was a child), the shit looks a little weird when the teacher is touching the girl on the balance beam, but you don't really know if it's right or wrong.  The gym teacher was also gymnastics instructor (and fortunately for me, he had a spot for little white girls rather than little Black boys), so we will probably never know just how many girls he fucked around with.  If you have a younger sibling or a child, or a younger cousin, or anything similar, that should disgust you to your core.  Yo, kids are fucking bad nowadays.  I know kids at 9 who know more about sex than I did at 13.  Whenever I go back home (DC), I get flipped off and cursed out by 6 year old children.  Regardless of these facts, child molestation is not fucking cool b.  The fact that bloggers like me have to type shit like this because ADULTS are still refusing to acknowledge the shit as sickening is completely ridiculous.  I can look around and see people thoroughly pissed over abortion or gay people getting married, but THESE SAME PEOPLE will gloss over some shit like this.  WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH US?!

I'm an empathetic dude.  I don't rush to judgment on people who murder or rob because I can understand situations where you might feel that is your best or most attractive option.  I think drug dealers are the worst, but despite their negative way of affecting the community, I can understand what drives a person to pursue that lifestyle.  The child molestation shit is something I can't understand, explain away, justify, or defend.  If you are charged with helping raise the youth, and you do something that can scar them for life, not to mention the fact that you are taking advantage of the trust that parents (or guardians) have in you, you are the worst scum on the planet.  Some of these kids don't even have reliable parents at home (I attended a great elementary school, but there were still those kids with those problems) and people hope that those children can find adult guidance through other channels, whether it's after-school programs or extracurricular activities, or just at school itself.  Yet, instead of taking pride in your position, you choose to fuck these kids' lives up further?  Real talk, I don't wish ill on many people, but child molesters can burn until their nerves are almost burned off, then get sodomized with a fucking shovel.

Duwhite Howaad n da post DAWG

BK's Savior?

Yo.  If you've ever discussed basketball with me, you know my opinion on Dwight Howard.  Best defensive center (player) in the league, and it's really not close in terms of centers (it's kinda close in terms of player though).  Not the best offensively, but efficient and a good, willing passer.  Could use more variety in his skill set, and I'm curious to see how he bounces back from this back surgery, but if he's at 2010-2011 levels, he's the best two-way center in the league (you could argue Bynum is better offensively).

All of that being said...what the fuck is wrong with this dude?  He's just been making all sorts of stupid decisions for the past year or so, and now I'm hearing talk about him suing the Magic to get out?  Dwight, get your shit together, bruh.  This shit is not attractive.  I know that no team that gets you is going to care, because you're probably a top 5 player (definitely a top 10 player) in the Association, but have some fucking pride b.  If you do indeed go to Brooklyn, Brooklyn doesn't fuck with shook ass niggas.  Fuck around and get got by Russian mob niggas.  Fuck around and get put in the dirt by Jay-Z's Illuminati connects (lmaoooooooo imagine if I actually believed in that dumb shit b).  Either way that shit isn't going to end well for you fam.

Not with the fuck shit, bruh

Now I'm hearing that he DEFINITELY wants to go to BK over anything else, which is fucking marvelous.  If he goes to BK, AND they re-sign Deron Williams (which has to have a better chance of happening with D12 being there), and they work out something with Gerald Wallace, in addition to what I'm hearing about them getting Joe Johnson (how the hell are they paying all of these niggas?), maybe they can make up for the stupid-ass trade they did that resulted in them losing the #6 pick.  Honestly, having Howard/Williams/Johnson/Morrow/Brooks/Humphries/etc. is actually pretty fucking formidable.  I haven't seen what offer the Magic want from the Nets in order to give up Dwight (I'll look into possible options later), but as long as they have Williams and Howard, they'll be able to manage.

And truthfully, isn't it better for the NBA to have two NYC teams in the playoff running?  The Western Conference already looks to be exciting (if Golden State stays healthy and the T-Wolves can get Pau....watch the fuck out), but for the Eastern Conference to have some excitement in a year that the Bulls won't be true contenders....that's fucking great.  I'm already looking forward to next season.  Obviously, I'd like Heat vs. Thunder in the Finals again, just to get this rivalry going, but I have no complaints about the playoffs becoming more competitive.

Peace and Happiness

Eh, they aight

Well, not all YNs are beefing with each other...I figured that since the Yellow Album came out this week, I should do a post on that as well.  I'm not a big Dom Kennedy supporter, in fact I don't really check for dude at all.  All I know is that he's from California, and even that I only knew because Tyler referenced him in a track (with some disdain).  This is actually good though, since I can listen to his mixtape more objectively and focus on the music rather than the person.  I'm actually kinda curious, since this is the first review I've done of something that I wasn't already bumping.


1. So Elastic - An OK way to start the album...I'm already aware from this track though that I shouldn't have my lyrical bar set too high for dude.  So, with that in mind, the track is decent.  Nice and laid-back, definitely some chillin music for summer/spring.  Like I said though, don't expect any lyrical acrobatics on this one - 3/5


2. Been Thuggin - Well, his sequencing is on point thus far.  Great way to get the energy up on the album after the first track.  It's also nice that this is a short track, I'm not REALLY trying to hear dude rap for 4 minutes, hahaha.  This track plays to his strengths though, this is a very solid track.  I fucks with it. - 4/5


3. We Ball (Ft. Kendrick Lamar) - Oh shit, a K Dot feature?  Damn, this nigga must be on a little more than I thought he was.  The beat is fire, and the overall vibe is nice.  Again, Dom's not a lyrical wizard or anything, but he does what he does and sets it up for Kendrick to slay the beat.  Not really a fan of Kendrick doing that little hook thing in between the two verses, but his verse is dope.  NOT TO MENTION THE RIC FLAIR SHIT AT THE END.  Yo, this is dope.  I'll go ahead and give it a 5/5, even though it's more like a 4.5/5


4. My Type of Party - The first misstep of the album IMO.  Not feeling anything about this track, really.  If you like it, you like it.  It's just not for me. Period. - 1/5


5. Girls on Stage - On this one, we get back to Dom's strengths.  The beat is mellow, but kinda keeps your mind off of the lyrics.  It's short and pretty to the point, which is great for Dom.  I fucks with it. - 3.5/5


6. Don't Call Me (Ft. Too $hort) - Biiiiiiiiiiiiitch!  Wait.  I don't think he said that once on this track.  Fuck!  Is a Too $hort track a Too $hort track if he doesn't say "Biiiiiiiiiiiiitch!"?  I need answers!  Anyway, this one actually has a direct message...ho don't fucking call me in the morning!  Fuck!  I'm making money!  This one's also chill as fuck, but...I really want to deduct a point for not hearing "Biiiiiiiiiiiiiitch!"  Especially since he baits it at the end of the track.  - 3.5/5


7. 5.0 | Conversations - Well, he's got his formula down.  Another chill beat you can vibe to, even after the beat switch, and overall, nothing really to write home about lyrically.  I can't hate too hard on it, but he's really sounding like a Wiz Khalifa with even less lyrical ability.  - 3/5


8. Gold Alpinas (Ft. Rick Ross) - A Rick Ross feature?  Damn.  If you think reading this review has become redundant, just imagine listening to the shit...and listening to it multiple times because you don't want to miss something.  The beat is mellow.  He's got a simple hook.  And now he's got Ross on board to stunt...cars are the topic here, in addition to getting money and shit.  I fucks with Ross, but he really doesn't sound at home here.  It's wild...I hadn't heard a beat Ross didn't sound good on in a while, but...here we are. - 2.5/5


9. PG Click (Ft. Niko G4) - This one has a little more energy, which is a change from what the tape has been.  Overall though, it's just a sped-up version of any of his earlier tracks.  You can vibe to it, but you can vibe to any track on here, for the most part.  Niko isn't special either, so it's not like he can get saved by someone like on "We Ball."  Just a lot of mediocrity here.  You haven't struggled until you've tried to listen to a 7 minute track by this dude.  LUCKILY, the latter half of the track has more B.I.G. lyrics than Dom lyrics....so I was able to avoid that situation.  I'll give him credit for this though; he knows that a longer track should have the background split in two, rather than just 6+ minutes over the same beat. - 3/5


10. Lately - The beat on this is more traditional West Coast.  You could imagine Game spitting some shit over this...it's basically a low-rent Dre beat.  I wouldn't be surprised if dude was a ghost producer for the good Doctor, tbh.  It could be just exhaustion, or maybe this album is just too mellow, but at this point, I'm really tired of this guy's rap voice and his raps.  Very meh-inducing.  - 1/5


11. Hangin' (Ft. Freddie Gibbs) - When that Freddie Gibbs/Madlib project comes out, I will be one of the first ones reviewing it.  Without a doubt.  Gangsta Gibbs is that nigga.  Fittingly, this beat is less mellow, more gutter.  Interestingly enough, Dom sounds just as at home on this as on chill beats.  If you've listened to Gangsta Gibbs before, you know his shit is fire.  Great flow, great delivery...I fucks with Gibbs.  This track is a very welcome change from earlier offerings on the tape (although really, there hasn't been a mellow beat in a few songs).  This isn't the best song I've heard with Gibbs on it, but it's still a solid track - 3.5/5


12. 1:25 - This one is actually dope.  Straddles the line between bumpin and mellow, and does it well.  Dom's got a gift for adapting to any beat that he's on, and it's on display here.  Pretty decent track.  When you're not getting bombarded by mellow beat after mellow beat, you can enjoy dude's raps a little more.  - 3.5/5


13. P + H - The end of the album, this one has that generic computer voice on it at times...which isn't dope.  The beat is dope though, and the concept is nice.  A low-energy way to end an overall mellow album...which works.  Peace and happiness is all any of us can really hope for.  I fucks with this ending. - 3.5/5



Overall, he makes his weaknesses a bit too apparent on this, but he also showcases his strengths pretty well. A little too mellow for my taste, and he has no hope of shining on tracks with Kendrick Lamar or Freddie Gibbs, but overall, this is an OK mixtape.  I'm giving it a 3/5, with the final 3 tracks keeping it from a 2-2.5/5