Only Adding To Our Legend

In The Tapedeck: The Weeknd - Echoes of Silence

You just want me 'cause I'm next - The Weeknd

This man Abel has done it again. Right after Thursday dropped The Weeknd said that he would release his third album this Fall, and in typical Weeknd form he waited until the last half hour of Autumn to release Echoes of Silence. As I opened iTunes and put on my Beats by Dre's I was thinking in the back of my mind that he could not do it three times in a row; and once again he lived up to the hype.

The only word that can truly describe The Weeknd's music is amazing. When I saw the first track titled "D.D." I thought nothing special of it, until about 30 seconds in when I realized that he flipped the classic Michael Jackson song (and my personal favorite MJ song) "Dirty Diana". Now usually it's an automatic loss when anyone tries to cover Michael, but "D.D." is probably the best Michael Jackson cover I've ever heard. At nine tracks long, EOS follows suit with House of Balloons and Thursday as it sounds like one cohesive album, and like the others this album is almost flawless. Other standout songs include "Same Song" and "Next". It's honestly mind-blowing that someone who is only 21 is making music on this level, and is doing it so consistently. In this new era of music we're lucky to get one solid effort every couple of years, and duke has done it three times in one year.

So if you haven't heard of The Weeknd now it might be time to find that ratchet and off yourself. He took Drake's Take Care to another level, and it's obvious that he's been rubbing off on Drake. As we can expect more collaborations between Abel and Drake, he should also be signed to a major record label soon. There were even rumors that he turned down a $7 million dollar deal, so a very lucrative contract could be in the works soon.

In the meantime, download Echoes of Silence and just enjoy. I don't think the magnitude of what he's done this year has been fully appreciated. Music like this does not come around very often, and a singer so talented with a sound so refreshing is rare. So as 2011 is coming to a close, if you haven't already download The Weeknd's mixtapes, and it will probably be the best end of the year decision you'll make. He claims in his music that he has next in this game, but in reality he has now.

Download Echoes of Silence at The-Weeknd.com

Who Got the Juice?

And like that Showtime was back. Yesterday reports came in that the Lakers had traded forwards Pau Gasol and Lamar Kardashian for superstar point guard Chris Paul. It seemed like Kobe Bryant was on his way to a sixth championship when The Man shut it down like Public Enemy. As the trade was being finalized commissioner David Stern blocked the trade between the Hornets and Lakers, citing conflict of interest. As L.A. fans took to social networks to vent, this led to the question of how much power should the commissioner have, and what parties, if any, should influence trades.

Now first let me say that I am not a Laker fan by any means, but this shit is cray. I can see why people are scared that there will be a league full of Miami Heats, but when David Stern actually vetos trades not only does it make the NBA look bad, but it ruins basketball as a whole. Stern said that the trade to the Lakers was a conflict of interest (The NBA owns the Hornets), and that the trade did not benefit them as much as the other team. What Stern failed to see is that this was probably the best players that the Hornets were going to get for Paul, as either way he has said he will leave after this season as a free agent. Now there is a possibiity that the Hornets will lose CP3 for nothing, just like the Cavs did with Lebron. More importantly, in a league that just ended a lockout that pitted players against owners, fans do not want to see the biggest owner of them all making decisions with their favorite teams.

While Chris Paul is only one player and the Lakers are only one team, this decision might come back to haunt the NBA. Now when it coming to trading players it's up in the air on what is a fair trade and what isn't. Basically Stern can allow one trade, but not allow another. Many are already speculating that all-star center Dwight Howards request to go to New Jersey might be denied. Teams should be able to whoever they want no matter how it looks on the surface. Even when the Lakers received Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies for what many said was nothing, Memphis ended up signing Marc Gasol who became a key piece in their playoff run. With the Paul decision Stern has only added to his "dictator" persona. It's obvious that he's been sipping on the juice that Bishop drank.

So now Chris Paul is stuck in New Orleans, a place he knows he doesn't want to play and in and a place he'll be leaving soon. Numerous reports are saying he's looking at ways to form a lawsuit against the NBA. All indicators say he'll take the Lebron route and go to New York to join Melo and Stat, but who knows if that will go through now. Lebron's former boss added his input by writing a letter to David Stern saying that the other 29 teams should have a say in another team's trade, which is the dumbest thing I have ever heard. It looks like just when the league takes steps to improve they just fall back again, which is why the NBA keeps losing fans. The resolution of this problem is on David Stern and what he decides to do in the future. There's no way he can regulate every trade. The whole point is to improve your team, and sometimes it seems lopsided. Stern is becoming more like NFL policeman Goodell, and that's not a good thing. As the basketball world did a collective Kanye shrug, as J. Edgar Stern showed who really ran things all I could think of is no one man should have all this power.

Albums of the Year

2011 has been a great year for music. From the many debut albums, to the compilation albums, to rappers dropping mixtapes damn near every day, 2011 will go down as one of the most productive years for hip hop music. So as the year is winding down I am going to give you my top 5 albums of the year.

2011 was mostly dominated by debut albums and mixtapes. G.O.O.D. Music artist Big Sean released his highly anticipated debut album Finally Famous following suit from his mixtape series. The album featured the hit "Dance (A$$)" which was accompanied with this video that had me thanking Sweet Baby Jesus. Perhaps the greatest debut this year was from Kendrick Lamar with Section 80, which was very close to making my top 5 list. Section 80 is great, with K. Dot making an album he wanted to make without sacrificing any of the qualities that make him unique. Other debuts included Dom Kennedy's From the Westside With Love II, Phonte's solo debut Charity Starts At Home, California trio Pac Div's The Div, and the "major label" debuts from the How Fly boys Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y with the Planes dropping Rolling Papers and Weekend At Burnies respectfully. Collaboration albums took over the summer as Kanye West and Jay-Z released Watch the Throne which had everyone thinking they were cray. Eminem and Royce Da 5'9" stuck to their Detroit roots with Bad Meets Evil. Finally the Teflon Don Rick Ross and his Maybach Music family released their joint effort Self Made: Vol. 1. The mixtape game was also gravy this year, with some of the best tapes coming from R&B newcomer Frank Ocean with Nostalgia, Ultra, Pusha-T with Fear of God, Fabolous with The Soul Tape, and Lloyd Banks with The Cold Corner 2.

As you can see music was seemingly endless this year, but with no further ado, here is my top 5 albums of this year.

5. Big K.R.I.T. - Returnof4eva

Big K.R.I.T. hit the scene with his critically acclaimed mixtape K.R.I.T. Wuz Here in 2010 and didn't disappoint with his sophomore project either. Essentially a studio album in mixtape form, K.R.I.T. continues his triple threat pattern of rapping, singing, and producing with a cd that will make your mind think as well as make your trunk rattle and rearview mirror shake. With anthems such as "My Sub", "Time Machine" and "Rotation" K.R.I.T. has mastered the art of crafting a banger with a message. With co-signs from Ludacris, Bun B, and David Banner Returnof4eva has replay value for days and is a must have for any music fan.

4. Wale - Ambition

Wale just can't win. When he makes the music the people want to hear his "fans" don't support him (his debut Attention Deficit sold only 28,000 copies the first week). Then when he signs a lucrative deal to join Rick Ross' MMG label those same "fans" say he sold out. The man is constantly playing Russian Roulette. Wale's second album should really be named Balance, because with this cd he has found the perfect balance to keep both fan bases content, since it seems that keeping them happy is impossible. With songs such as "Legendary" and "Focused" Wale goes back to his straight hip hop roots, which any rap fan can appreciate. "Chain Music" and "Tats on My Arms" is for the parking lots with monstrous beats. To complete the trifecta "Lotus Flower Bomb" and smash hit "That Way" keep is classy for the ladies. Ambition is a hell of a comeback for Wale, and it's safe to say Rozay won with his free agent signing.

3. J. Cole - Cole World: The Sideline Story

It's a Cole World, get your peacoat. J. Cole had been warning us for years he was coming and his debut album is as great as you can get. Handling most of the production himself, the album has that same Fayettenam feel that his previous mixtapes had. If Drake is the new Jay-Z with all the shine and fame, J. Cole is happy being Nas, not as popular but with more respect from the streets. This album is Cole's story, everything from early family troubles, to finishing college, to getting signed, to finally making it. Humble as person, but cocky as a emcee, J. Cole exceeded my personal expectations for his debut and has a cd that will be remembered for a long time. Standout tracks include "Nobody's Perfect" where he reincarnated Supa Dupa Fly Missy Elliot, "In The Morning", and "Cole World". For a man who has given us so much quality music for free, he has made an album worth paying for.

2. Drake - Take Care

Drizzy Drake Rogers is the future of music. Not just rap, but music. Now with Take Care you will either love it or hate it, and if you hate it I can understand. Drake takes a different approach on this album, adding more singing than rapping. Some hip hop fans have really dogged this album, but this is Drake. This is So Far Gone Drake more polished and refined. Drake has crafted some of his greatest songs ever with "Shot For Me", "Marvin's Room", and "The Real Her", which all include him singing. My personal favorite "Cameras" is vintage Drake and 40 (plus a meeean Jon B sample) with the OVO crew doing what they do best, making smooth songs you have no choice but to vibe to. This OVOXO movement he has building is going to change music, as Drake (with the exception of Kanye) is going to be the next superstar. Not just a trend for right now, but MJ, Prince, and 2Pac status. As you listen to Take Care you have to just listen with no prior assumptions. Drake is not making rap music, and he's not making R&B music. He is just flat out making good music, and it's something special.

1. The Weeknd - House of Balloons

Whoa. Out of nowhere some kid from Toronto may have made one of the greatest albums ever. I remember downloading this just having never heard of The Weeknd just because I kind of liked the cover. It was around midnight and when I finished listening it was around 3:00 in the morning. House of Balloons is amazing. In one of the most cohesive albums I have ever heard, HOB has the perfect sound of every track flowing together as one, but at the same time each song has it's own uniqueness to it. With songs about drugs, love, women, and sex The Weeknd's music is a blend of everything from The Dream, Prince, Sade, and Jodeci and feels like it's straight from some 80's cocaine infested night club. Standout tracks include "Wicked Games", "What You Need", and "The Morning" which are all as close to perfect songs as you can get. This is not was free music is supposed to sound like, and debut projects are not supposed to be this good. Adding the XO to Drake's OVO these two have great chemistry together, and I expect more great music from them. If you haven't heard this album yet I suggest you listen right now. The Weeknd will truly make you xo 'til you overdose.

#OccupyWallStreet

By now if you've been watching the news (for those of you who do watch the news) you have heard of the Occupy Wall Street movement that has gotten the attention of media outlets everywhere. For weeks a small protest group had been constructing a plan to literally go on Wall Street and stage a non-violent protest. The group, which had gained a lot of cult support on social networks such as Twitter, planned to invade the district of Wall Street for up to two months until their sole demand was met. The only problem? The Occupy Wall Street movement has not said their demand for which they're protesting.

Since September 17th hundreds of protestors have been flooding Wall Street every day for what they have just called resistance to American economic practices. Although it has remained a non-violent protest, Occupy Wall Street has gained national attention for the police response they have received. Since day one of the protest demonstrators have been pepper sprayed, barricaded, arrested, and beaten for exercising their free speech in a public place. Many have seen this as a violation of the first amendment by the police, although it has continued at an alarming rate. It has raised the question of the power of the government to deny citizens their rights, and how people have grown tired of "Big Brother" and have fought to challenge it.

The Occupy Wall Street movement is still continuing as of press time with no signs of showing down. They have even gained the support of some celebrities such as hip hop star Lupe Fiasco and film director Michael Moore. Now it is impossible to see how far this movement will go, and there's a very small chance that they can challenge those who control the money and win. But with their internet support in the form of first-hand Youtube videos and instant news feeds from social networks like Twitter r and Facebook, it seems like they are beginning to get their message across. For decades now your money has been used to finance pointless organizations and personal funds, and people are sick of it. As ignorance is bliss, knowledge is power; and you have the right to know what these people are doing with your money. So it is not only occupying Wall Street, it's occupying your money, and therefore occupying yourself.

You can visit Occupy Wall Street's website at www.occupywallst.org or follow on Twitter @OccupyWallSt.

I Miss You

I have trouble accepting the fact that you're gone, so I won't. - DMX

Those were the words DMX spoke ten years ago in the music video for "Miss You". In what started out as song recalling a past boyfriend who has gone off to college sadly turned into a tribute song when on August 25th, 2001 Aaliyah along with eight others were killed in a plane crash. She had just wrapped up filming the music video for "Rock the Boat" in the Bahamas and was returning home when the plane she was in went down shortly after takeoff. She was 22 years old.

Aaliyah first burst onto the scene at age 14 when she released her debut album Age Ain't Nothing but a Number under the wing of R. Kelly. While R. Kelly seemed to play the mentor role in tailoring her sound, it would later be discovered that the two were much more than that. In what would be the beginning of a long history of underage affairs Kelly, then 27, married the 15 year old Aaliyah after secretly eloping in Illinois. Despite the controversy, songs like "At Your Best" put Aaliyah in the R&B spotlight. A sultry voice mixed with her cool vibe made Aaliyah's music both radio friendly and Afrocentric. She had a uniqueness about her that separated her from other singers.

After her relationship with R. Kelly ended Aaliyah began working with one of the hottest new producers in Timbaland. The album they would create, One in a Million, would become on the of the greatest albums of the 1990s and turned her into a superstar. The chemistry that she and Timbaland had was second only to the likes of Michael and Quincy. Along with others in the Timbaland camp (including Missy Elliot, Ginuwine, and Playa) Aaliyah kept making hit after hit. In this time she also made her film debut starring in Romeo Must Die alongside Jet Li and DMX. Aaliyah was praised for her natural acting ability and her quick transition from the music studio to the big screen. In the summer of 2001 she released her self-titled third album, continuing her trend of critically acclaimed albums. Aaliyah would be the last album she would record.

I still remember hearing the news of Aaliyah's passing on MTV. It came as such a shock that someone so young and so talented could go out like that. I remember Detroit's primary urban radio station WJLB playing her songs all day as it really clicked that she was gone. Seeing numerous stars break down on t.v. as they reminisced on their past memories. The one that sticks the most with me still is listening to DMX start crying as he reads a poem that he wrote for Aaliyah. At her funeral her casket was carried in a white carriage drawn by horse, and twenty two doves were released for every year of her life. The investigation of the plane crash revealed that in a rush to get back to the United States the plane was over packed with cargo and the excess weight was a factor in the crash. A further investigation showed that pilot Luis Morales was not approved to fly that plane, and his autopsy revealed levels of cocaine and alcohol in his bloodstream prior to takeoff. A wrongful death lawsuit was later filed.

In the ten years since her passing a lot has changed. Beyonce has taken off as the unofficial queen of R&B (a crown many say Aaliyah would be holding right now), Timbaland has gone the pop route in recent years, Missy and Ginuwine have be M.I.A. as of late, and R&B as a whole hasn't been as good. One thing that hasn't changed since that August in 2001 is that we haven't forgot about Aaliyah. She had swag before it was cool. She was sexy and classy at the same time. She could dress to kill one moment, then the next she could kick it with the boys in a Tommy Hilfiger fit. She stayed true to herself and made music that people really enjoyed. She's been imitated by many over the years, and her style is still trying to be duplicated. As they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery.

It's still hard to wrap my mind around a decade of her absence, but time waits for no one. We miss you babygirl, and you truly were one in a million.

In The Tapedeck: The Weeknd - Thursday

The weekend on a Thursday?

After months of waiting The Weeknd finally releases his follow up to House of Balloons with Thursday. Dropping last night with only an hour to spare before it was technically Friday, The Weeknd gave fans the next fix to overdose to. The release was so anticipated that the moment he put the download link up on his site, it crashed for more than an hour.

Now how do you follow up a perfect album? The answer is you can't. House of Balloons was a phenomenon that will be damn near impossible to repeat, but The Weeknd comes close to duplicating his debut album. Thursday in one word is amazing. While it is more up-tempo songs than HOB, it still flows perfectly and can be played from track 1 to 9 with cohesiveness. The opening song, "Lonely Star" sets the tone, and insures listeners that The Weeknd is not a fluke and that he is something special. It's hard to pinpoint highlights on the album because all the songs are high quality and refreshing. Drake makes a surprise appearance on "The Zone" showcasing the chemistry that the OVOXO duo have. As I sat and listened to the whole album last night it was like having déjà vu as I kept thinking to myself that this is quality music that can't be slept on.

So please stop whatever you're doing and download Thursday and House of Balloons if you haven't already and you can just thank me later. The Weeknd is so talented and unique that you will have no choice but to xo 'til you overdose.

Both Thursday and House of Balloons are available for download at the-weeknd.com.

Wasn't I A Good King?

Charge it to the game whatever's left on it. - Jay-Z

As the clock struck 12:00 a.m. Watch the Throne was released to the world. Finally, a joint project from hip hop's top performers was no longer just an unrealistic fantasy, but it was a reality. In the works since late 2010, the album had been kept mostly under wraps and had miraculously not been leaked (the rumor is that the flashdrive containing the files was tied to Kanye's waist at all times). In what was the most anticipated release of the year, the minutes leading up to the midnight iTunes release were comparable to none. Twitter was abuzz as #WTT became the number one trending topic worldwide. Online hip hop forums were filled with threads about the album (at the time I am writing this the WTT thread on Allhiphop.com has 139,893 views). This was perhaps one of the few recent releases that fans were genuinely excited for. But as fans were prepping for WTT critics were doing the same, and the inevitable question arose. Can Watch the Throne live up to the hype? It was up to the hip hop world to answer.

I'll be the first one to admit, I was skeptical about the album. I even tweeted this about an hour before it dropped. First off, I personally believe this album should have been made about three to four years ago. No matter how much we try to deny it, Jay-Z at 42 years old is just not in his prime anymore. Second, I felt like that have been in Hov's and Kanye's circle should have been included on the project; such as J. Cole, Jay Electronica, and especially producer Just Blaze. Finally, there was no way that Watch the Throne could ever live up to the expectations people placed upon it. Ever since "H.A.M." dropped earlier this year, fans had been waiting eagerly for Superman and Batman to finally create a whole album. Through the years we had been given snippets of the chemistry these two had in songs such as "Never Let Me Down" and "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" , but fans and critics alike wanted to know if these two musical giants could collaborate and make an entire album's worth of quality music.

As Watch the Throne was released, it received generally mixed reviews after it's first listen. Many praised the album for it's experimental production mostly handed by 'Ye himself. Others cited both of the emcee's lyricism as the focal point; "Coke on black skin made a strip like a zebra, I call that jungle fever" as Kanye recites in "No Church in the Wild" . Critics of the album panned Hov and 'Ye for using the same old tired themes of wealth and power in the songs. Many critiqued the album simply because it did not live up to the hype surrounding it. Whether the album was loved or hated, one thing that remained true is that the cd was being played; and was being played a lot.

The one theme of Watch the Throne that remains consistent is the idea of symbolism. Everything from the title, to the gold plated album cover, to the Illuminati images and references, and even to the way that Jay-Z and Kanye present themselves. This album is about power, and how rap music has transformed two black men from rough inner cities into two of the richest and most influential people in America. As the titled indicates, Watch the Throne is about letting the world know that Kanye West and Shawn Carter are two of the most talented icons of our time, and that they are sitting on top of the popular culture kingdom with no plans on giving it up. But perhaps on a more personal level the title holds a secret meaning. Perhaps it is more than just watching the throne, but it is watching the hip hop torch being passed from Jay-Z to Kanye West. In the last decade we have been able to witness something special in the way Kanye West has developed from just another rapper to a modern day musical genius. Jay-Z has recognized this, and now it is time for the world to also give Kanye the credit he has earned throughout the years. In the end it isn't so much of us watching the throne. We are watching Kanye West, and we are witnessing something great.

Mixtape Mastermind

The way in which music is has been distributed has change drastically in the last ten years. Due to the evolution of the internet music has become instant, and online sharing has become the new means of transportation for new music. So long are the days of going to the record store in order to cop the newest album. With online services such as iTunes and Amazon users can download music, both legally and ~~illgally,~~ in masses with a click of a button. As the internet has changed the way record labels have chosen to sell music, it has also changed the way in which artists choose to produce music.

One of the most popular avenues that artists have chosen to release their music is through mixtapes. Now, mixtapes have been around forever (back in the day they were actually tapes) and are nothing new to the music industry. The main difference between mixtapes and albums is that mixtapes are released for free. That's right; free. With the magnitude that mixtapes now hold there is one question that both music artists and fans alike have been asking. Are mixtapes more important than albums?

Looking back at the recent mixtape phenomenon, the beginning of the hype can be linked to Lil' Wayne. Now although many artists had released mixtapes before him, Tunechi was the spark for the mixtape game going global. When Lil' Wayne released his Dedication series mixtapes with DJ Drama in 2006 he sent the hip hop world in a frenzy. Not only was Wayne releasing quality music for free, but he was taking your favorite rapper's instrumentals and remaking the song so much better that it was hard to remember the original lyrics. Wayne's mixtape campaign gained him the self-proclaimed title as the "best rapper alive", and few were disagreeing with him. As Wayne and others led the revolution of taking other people's beats and making them their own, many rappers began releasing mixtapes with all original music. Hip-Hop's newest obsession Wiz Khalifa grew into a star overnight thanks to his Kush & Orange Juice mixtape. The tape was so popular that it became the number one trend on Twitter worldwide on the day it dropped. Where as before mixtapes consisted of recycled songs with DJ shout outs laced throughout the songs, artists are now essentially releasing studio albums for free in mixtape format. Some of those most critically acclaimed releases this year, including Fabolous' The Soul Tape, Pusha-T's Fear of God, and Big K.R.I.T.'s Returnof4eva, were not albums, but mixtapes given away for free. The songs on these mixtapes have videos to accompany them, and a lot of began to receive more radio play than songs featured on albums. Even R&B artists have gotten into the mixtape circuit, with singers like The Weeknd and Frank Ocean gaining national attention after their debuts through mixtapes.

With albums being pirated so often now it is a necessity that artists make a real connection with their fans. The easiest way to do that is to release their music for free. Free mixtapes show fans that they are appreciated by their favorite artist, and by building that connection they may be more enticed to buy their next album instead of illegally downloading it. It puts it into perspective that if they release the majority of their music for free, when they do sell an album the least their fans can do is go support their effort and purchase it. Mixtapes show that the hunger to make more music is there, and that creates a buzz that musicians can't buy. When a hot mixtape drops it's the talk of streets, and the respect is there. So while artists may be losing money they could have made selling albums, mixtapes create publicity for their music that is priceless.

Don't Make Me Make You Fall In Love

New music from The Weeknd off the highly anticipated mixtape Thursday. By The sound of this track it looks like he has another classic coming.

I Just Hope That You Miss Me A Little When I'm Gone...

Yesterday Shaquille O'Neal, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, announced that he was retiring from the game of basketball after 19 years. Since entering the league in 1992 Shaq had been the most dominate player of his time, and possibly ever. While his ranking among the top centers ever has always been debated among the greats, the one thing that can be guaranteed is that we will never see another player like Shaq again.

Shaq has always been one of my favorite players. He started his career with the Orlanda Magic after being picked number 1 in the 1992 NBA Draft. He played with my all time favorite player Penny Hardaway (who didn't like Hardaway with his Lil' Penny commercials?) and together they began one of the best duos in the league. After only one NBA Finals appearance during his time with the Magic, Shaq took his talents to Los Angeles and joined the Lakers. While with L.A. Shaq accomplished most of his greatest achievements. He won three championships in a row along side Kobe Bryant. He was the league MVP of the 1999-2000 season. He also made the majority of his 15 all-star appearances during the Laker years. While they were winning on the court, off court issues between Shaq and Kobe led to the end of his tenure in L.A. and the end of a dynasty.

In 2004 he was traded to the Miami Heat, where he guaranteed that he would bring a championship to Dade County. In 2006 he made good of his word as the Miami Heat won their first championship in their history. Shaq once again proved the critics who said he had lost it wrong. During his later years Shaq went ring chasing (trying to one-up Kobe) and became a journeyman. He went to play for the Phoenix Suns, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and his final team the Boston Celtics.

Despite all his accomplishments, Shaq has never truly been given the credit he deserves as a player. He was always criticized for his size and strength.Yes, he broke backboards with ease, but Shaq's strength was secondary to his skills, and it's a shame that most people will never recognize that. O'Neal was definitely one in a million on and off the court. Between the movies, the hip hop albums (look up the classic joint with Biggie), the aliases, and just Shaq being Shaq, O'Neal will always be remembered. While players come and players go there will never be another Shaquille O'Neal, and I guarantee that a few years down the line people will truly miss having Shaq in the league and will realize how special he really was. I guess it's true what they say, you don't know what you got 'til it's gone.

G.O.A.T.

And then it was finally over.

Although not official, the collective consensus around the NBA is that this was Phil Jackson's last season as an NBA coach. With the Lakers' backs against the ropes down 0-3 to the Dallas Mavericks, Game 4 was the complete opposite of everything Phil Jackson represented. From being 30 pieced in the third quarter, to Andrew Bynum getting ejected for this cheap shot, to the Lakers being swept (something that has never happened in Phil's 20 year coaching career), everything was just so unlike Jackson basketball. To top it off, the Mavericks and Jason Terry both set playoff 3 pointer records in Game 4.

Before the final buzzer even sounded in Game 4 people were already debating about what this series would do to Phil Jackson's legacy. The answer is nothing. What Jackson has accomplished puts him above any other coach in league history. The only other coach who comes close in comparison is Red Auerbach, who had those stacked Celtics teams in the 1960s. Now there are those who say Jackson only won because he had the best players in Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. That's true, he did have the best players and the best teams. In fact, he did not win when he didn't have the best teams. He failed to win in the mid 90s when Jordan did his baseball thing. When Shaq left for Miami, he didn't win until the Lakers were literally handed Pau Gasol for next to nothing. It only seems natural to say that they players won for Jackson and he was only there to supervise.

As having Hall of Fame players helped win championships, what set Jackson apart from others was his ability to take different players and truly make them united as a team. The one thing the Zen Master could do better than anyone was take superstars with huge egos and make them buy into his system of teamwork. Everyone says that when Kobe and Shaq are on the same team it should be easy to when a ring. However, it is not so easy to take their egos and make them coexist on the same team. That is what made Phil Jackson the greatest, and why he has a record 11 rings.

So as we are all here to witness an end of an era, there may never be another Phil Jackson. He had his own techniques (there's been stories of everything from incense and yoga in the locker room to Buddhist lectures and meditation on the plane rides from arena to arena). He was always calm and let his teams play through adversary. He believed that basketball could be more than a game and that it could offer life lessons. In all other words, Phil had a certain coolness about him. He became the standard for coaching today. If this is truly his last season he is destined to be imitated but never duplicated.

Mission Accomplished

As with most of the country, I was up in amazement last night as the internet and news outlets alike were buzzing about the death of Osama Bin Laden. It seemed like the impossible. For almost ten years Bin Laden had avoided capture by the U.S military, even with a $25 million dollar international bounty on his head. Then with a single bullet to the head, the leader of Al-Qaeda and the world's most dangerous terrorist was dead.

Bin Laden had become kind of a mythical figure over the years. In hiding since 2001, he had remained undetected and rarely seen. Assumed dead numerous times, Bin Laden had only been seen through his many personal video tapes that he filmed to assure his well-being. He was assumed to be hiding in the mountains of Pakistan but his exact location was never able to be obtained. Despite being on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list for years he was unable to be captured during President Bush's two terms. During President Obama's late night announcement last night he claimed that he had obtained a tip regarding his whereabouts in August of 2010. On May 1st a small team of U.S. soldiers raided the mansion he was staying in and killed him.

Late last night there were crowds of people at the White House in celebration of Bin Laden's death. They cheered and sang God Bless America, The Star Spangled Banner, and We Are the Champions by Queen. Yes, even We Are the Champions. The mastermind behind the worst terrorist attacks on American soil had finally been killed. People were once again proud to be an American, and for the moment they now felt safe to be an American.

Perhaps it's only fate that the death of Osama Bin Laden would come on the eighth anniversary of President Bush giving his speech where he claimed that the mission was accomplished after the major combat in Iraq. Now we all know that there will always be terrorism. With Bin Laden gone it's only inevitable that someone will step up and fill his shoes. But for today, the Obama Administration can kick back, light a cigar, and pop a bottle of champagne. They have closed the chapter on that era, and the mission is truly accomplished.

Witness History

Being an avid basketball fan I've been following the NBA playoffs pretty closely for the past two weeks. With the first round wrapping up, it's been pretty exciting to say the least. Z-Bo and the Memphis Grizzlies whooped on the San Antonio Spurs, making it only the fourth time an 8th seed has beaten a number 1 seed. We all saw the return of Frobe Bryant with this dunk over the Hornet's Emeka Okafor in game 5. The Bull's Derrick Rose demonstrated his MVPness all over the Indiana Pacers. And to top it all off, the Atlanta Hawks beat the Orlando Magic 4-2, even after Jameer Nelson thought he could tell the future like Ms. Cleo.

With all the said and done, the top headline in the NBA remains the same. It's not the question of Kobe Bryant tying Michael and winning his sixth ring, or Phil Jackson retiring. It's not the clinic Derrick Rose has been putting on (he has without a doubt become a top 3 player in the league this year). It's not even about what team will win the whole thing. It's about LeBron James. All eyes are on King James, The Chosen One, Bron-Bron, Cleveland's Most Wanted, or whatever people are calling him now-a-days. When LeBron infamously said that he was bringing his talents to South Beach at the end of last year to play along side Dwyane Wade and that other bum, the bar had been set. At that moment it became bigger than the Miami Heat, and even bigger than the rest of the league. It became about LeBron winning a ring, and winning a ring now. When the Heat began to struggle early in the season critics and fans alike labeled them as a bust. 1/3 of the way into the season and the experiment seemed to be failing. Then they began to look like the team they should have been and went on multiple win streaks. They became the NBA's N.W.A. They went from fan favorites to the league's most hated team. Then came the late game issue. While the Miami Heat were destroying the weaker teams, when it came to winning close games against tougher opponents they struggled. The Heat are 1-18 in making shots in the last 10 seconds of the game while they are down 3 or fewer points. The clutch problem had been with them all year and continued into the playoffs when LeBron was blocked by Sixer's Elton Brand on a potential game-tying lay up in game 4. Miami would go on to win the series 4-1.

So as Miami prepares for the second round in which they face the Boston Celtics (who swept Carmelo and the Knicks) , the pressure is up and the goal remains the same. He no longer can blame losing on his team like in Cleveland because he has another top 5 player in Wade. The goal is winning, and anything else will be a failure. A failure that may go down as one of the biggest in sports history.

A Drug[law] Free America?

So I'm watching HBO's The Wire the other day (if any of you know me then you know that it is my favorite show) when one of the episodes catches my attention. Somewhere in the middle of the critically acclaimed season three I get to the episode titled Hamsterdam. Now for those of you who are unfamiliar with the series, Hamsterdam is a section of Baltimore where the police have made drug dealing legal. The rules are actually quite simple. If you sell drugs in the designated areas the police will leave you alone. If you choose to sell drugs elsewhere the police will fuck you up and then proceed to charge you with the harshest penalties. It essentially works until the national news circuit gets word of it prompting city officials to shut it down. Now although it worked in the TV show my question to myself is would it work in real life?

Short term answer: Yes. Long term answer: HELL NO

Now to clear something up when I say drugs I mean hard drugs such as heroin, cocaine, etc. (the ganja should have been legalized a looong time ago anyway). So going back to the question, at first it would work. To be honest it would really work. Just think, it would be a society where the two worlds would be completely separated. If you to want indulge yourself in the drug culture you know exactly where to go; if you want no part in it you'd never see it. In the show the areas where routinely patrolled by uniformed cops, so there would be some supervision. With all the drug traffic in one small area the rest of the city would be drug free, making the community better as a whole. Crime would be down and moral would be up. Even going back in history we see that the first thing prohibition did was make bootlegging increase, so it's safe to say that perhaps the same thing is happening with the drug problem. Besides, it seems that drugs are here to stay, so why not just make them legal in the most run down part of the city?

So it seems like the obvious thing to do is to make a Hamsterdam in every city. But what happens when the honeymoon period is over? We all know that besides the obviously destruction drugs do to the community and to those who use it one of the main reasons drugs remain illegal is the violence that is associated with it. And where does this violence stem from? One word: competition. Competition for customers, product, turf, and everything else is the one aspect of the drug game that would make something like Hamsterdam impossible in the real world. In an area that small and regulated it would become saturated with all different kinds of dealers all looking to make a dollar at everyone else's expense, and that would lead to a situation where everyone loses.

Although an idea such as Hamsterdam seems like a dream solution in all reality it's just that; a dream. A dream that would later turn into a nightmare. Maybe there is a solution to America's drug problem, but making an area for dealers to do their thing isn't it.

New Music: Fabolous - The Soul Tape

After months of waiting Loso finally releases his new mixtape The Soul Tape. With appearances limited to Paul Cain, Red Cafe, Lil' Wayne, and Lloyd Banks it's not feature heavy which is a breath of fresh air. The usual Fab mixed with all soul samples. One Word: Niiiice

Download Mixtape | Free Mixtapes Provided by DatPiff.com

In The Tapedeck: The Weeknd - Echoes of Silence

Who Got the Juice?

Albums of the Year

#OccupyWallStreet

I Miss You

In The Tapedeck: The Weeknd - Thursday

Wasn't I A Good King?

Mixtape Mastermind

Don't Make Me Make You Fall In Love

I Just Hope That You Miss Me A Little When I'm Gone...

G.O.A.T.

Mission Accomplished

Witness History

A Drug[law] Free America?

New Music: Fabolous - The Soul Tape

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