Only Adding To Our Legend

Songs of the Year

With 2012 wrapping up it's time to look back and count down the five best tracks of the year.

Choosing just five songs was no easy task considering how much music came out this year. Everyone from Lil' Wayne somewhat returning to form, to the Dungeon Family's Future cracking out hooks left and right, to rap cliques MMG and G.O.O.D. Music both putting out compilation albums full of hits, 2012 was undoubtedly filled with radio-friendly singles. But through the airwaves if you looked hard enough 2012 was also filled with quality music that only shows promise for the future.

Now, before I start rambling here are my five best songs of 2012. Feel free to comment and discuss what you feel should have made the list or what have been excluded.

5. T.I. feat. Andre 3000 - Sorry

Quiet as it's kept, Tip had been on a killing spree prior to his 8th album Trouble Man: Heavy is the Head. With guests verses on Future's 'Magic' and the 2 Chainz hit 'Spend It', T.I. not only catapulted his fellow ATLiens into the position they're in now, but also renewed interest in himself after many fans had abandoned him. On 'Sorry', T.I. is in rare form as he spits two unapologetic verses defending some of his decisions in the past, stating that if you were in his position you might have made those same mistakes. The third verse finds Andre 3000 stealing the show as always, as he uses more than sixteen to ask for forgiveness for his mashaps. The highlight of any optimistic Outkast fan comes with a personal apology to Big Boi for being the reason why the duo is in hiatus. Although coming at the end of the year, Andre's verse only (He doesn't even like rapping fast!) makes this one of the best of 2012.

4. Nas - Daughters

For two decades Nas has made songs dealing with so many topics I'm surprised he hasn't run out yet. With his summer release Life is Good, Nas tackles his toughest subject yet; his own daughter. When Nasir's daughter Destiny made some of her latex collection public earlier this year, the Queens emcee responded the only way he knew how. With help from producer No I.D., Nas crafted one of his most personal tracks ever. He took full responsibility for some of his daughter's decisions, claiming that maybe he should have focused on being the best father and not the best rapper. With a cameo from Destiny in the visuals for the song, it seems like their relationship is better than ever. With over twenty years in the game. Nas not only looks the same as when he started, he's still rapping the same too.

3. Frank Ocean feat. Andre 3000 - Pink Matter

So, basically in 2012 all you had to do to make a classic song was catch Andre 3000 in his trailer while he was doing his other career and ask him for a verse. In all seriousness, 'Pink Matter' would have been a classic without the 3 Stacks feature. It is Frank Ocean at his best; soft instrumentals, organic production, and emphasis on his song-writing. The standout track from his debut channel ORANGE, the song is without a doubt a new millennium vocal jazz song, with remnants of Etta James or Ella Fitzgerald. Slightly underproduced (which makes the song what it is), 'Pink Matter' is undoubtedly the song that led to Ocean's six Grammy nods. While Ocean has said that his debut might be his first and final album, he has given us a song that will reach timeless status.

2. G.O.O.D. Music - Mercy

The first single for Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music debut compilation album had everyone with a radio either saying "swerve", "2 CHAINZ!", or thinking they were Ric Flair. With verses from Big Sean, Pusha-T, Titi-Boi, and 'Ye himself, 'Mercy' stayed in rotation for damn near a whole year (I guarantee you'll hear it somewhere today). The track prepared us for Cruel Summer and only propelled 2 Chainz' stock even further. After freestyles from seemingly anybody and everybody, the Getting Out Our Dreams crew's posse cut has made it to the exclusive instant classic hall of fame. With new albums from Sean Don, Pusha, and maybe Kanye himself, he looks like G.O.O.D. Music will roll over their success into the new year and take over 2013 also.

1. Kendrick Lamar feat. Jay Rock - Money Trees

Song of the year, ya bish. Like it or not, Kendrick Lamar came through in 2012 to crush the buildings and single-handedly change the culture of hip hop music. While Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City plays out like a movie that could be turned into a Spike Lee joint one day, 'Money Trees' is the song that put K. Dot on top. Partially set in '03 when Lamar is 17 (PLEASE listen to this album all the way through to understand the story), the proclaimed leader of the new West West raps on his dreams of becoming a rapper. With a final verse from TDE's own Jay Rock, Kendrick and company put to rest any doubt that Black Hippy is going anywhere any time soon. With everyone from fellow Compton rapper The Game changing his album cover to mimic his autobiographical theme to Big Sean including skits on his next album to follow his format, Kendrick Lamar has directly and indirectly changed the game; and it's only the beginning.

Young Man's Game

Music has always been looked at as one of the most timeless expressions of art. The combination of nostalgia and In the modern era, musicians have earned the iconic status that was formerly reserved entrepreneur tycoons and revolutionaries. The difference with musicians is that a majority of the time this legendary prestige is only gained after investing decades and decades of work into the craft; for most genres. Then it hit me. While aging in other genres of music is celebrated, maturing in the hip hop culture is viewed as a weakness.

I initially questioned this after being reminded on Twitter that today is ~~Ether Day,~~ I mean Jay-Z's birthday. At 43, Hov is without a doubt the one of the most successful rappers in history, and even in his forties is still one of the most popular and influential emcee's. While Jay-Z has found the formula to stay relevant, it has been a secret that has remained elusive for most other rappers.

The root of this problem stems from the genre itself, where some of the strongest features also leads to lack of longevity. Hip hop is the most personal form of music in the world. In contrast to other music, rap albums have become audible autobiographies. Especially in the internet age, fans do not want the music as much as they want to know the story behind the music. What happens much too often is that once a rapper becomes successful, the things they use to rap about become unbelievable. Atlanta star T.I. is a prime example. It's easy to authenticate dope boy rhymes when you're fresh out the trap. It's not so easy to believe when you have been a millionaire for the past decade with a reality show. It becomes hard to believe that the same person driving the newest Bentley on BET is still in the hood serving fiends on the block. And just like that, fan appeal and interest declines.

While realness and authenticity has always been a reason for fans to abandon an emcee, the current state of the genre can also be to blame. With artists' work being so easily and readily available, the value that music once had is non-existant. In this mixtape generation, the strategy has gone from innovation to imitation. Whereas artists before tried to distinguish themselves from others by always being fresh, the artists of today have developed the habit of hoping from trend to trend, which results in the music being forgetful rather than timeless.

While the hip hop fans marvel at '90s artists like Jay-Z and Nas for still being relevant, the genre has to find some way to restore the value back into the music. As I write this Fleetwood Mac is preparing to do a world tour while celebrating six decades of work, Wayne Newton is still doing weekly shows in Las Vegas, and Aerosmith's Steven Tyler is hosting American Idol while a majority of rappers from five years ago don't even have a record deal. Hip Hop is the music of the moment, but if there is not a way to truly innovate the culture, then it may not be the music of the future.

In The Tapedeck: Big Sean - Detroit

I step in the booth and change the world like I was voting ~ Big Sean

After saying that he didn't like his debut album, Big Sean hit us with his fourth mixtape Detroit. Released just days after Lil' Wayne's Dedication 4 and named after the city he reps so much, Sean guaranteed to return to his mixtape roots, and it's obvious he has only grown since his Finally Famous series days. With a mix of soulful and trap beats, Detroit has a track for every occasion and a song for everybody.

One of the qualities that separates Big Sean from a lot of newer rappers that have come up with him are lyrics. Like it or not, Big Sean is a lyricist, and Detroit proves it. Opening up with 'Higher' Big Sean laces the hookless song (which flips to the G.O.O.D. Music hit 'Mercy' halfway through) with bars after bars of his trademark witty lyrics. The deep content that is often overlooked also returns on this mixtape after being absent from his album; "less trigonometry and more about taxes, how about preparing us for life instead of lab rat us" as he raps in '24K of Gold'. The highlight of the tape comes at the fourth track 'How It Feel'. Backed by a crazy Barry White sample, Sean Don keeps up the player persona and crafts a song that sounds like it should come with a bottle of champagne. With big name features such as Wiz Khalifa, Wale, and Chris Brown and all original songs; Detroit sounds more like an album than a mixtape, and I'm sure this is the album Big Sean wanted to release from the start.

It's now apparent that Big Sean has become the self-proclaimed ambassador of Detroit in the hip hop world. Since Eminem is still working his Howard Hughes angle, Big Sean has gladly come in and assumed the role of representing Detroit and Michigan as a whole. From naming this mixtape after his city, to making the Lions logo famous again, to hopping on tracks with local rappers such as Dusty McFly and HBK Big Sean is doing what is needed to bring Detroit into the limelight musically. As important as it is to bring Detroit to the forefront, what Detroit really did was show doubters and haters that Big Sean can rap. Not only can Big Sean rap, but Big Sean can really rap, and might be one of the best from this era. So no matter where you stay, listen to these Detroit player rhymes and enjoy it as Big Sean has without a doubt made one of the best mixtapes of the year.

Download Detroit here

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Flicks: The Dark Knight Rises

So, yesterday after putting on my vest and find a seat by the nearest exit I finally saw this summer's blockbuster The Dark Knight Rises. Starring Chritian Bale, Tom Hardy, and Anne Hathaway, TDKR concludes direcor's Chris Nolan's Batman trilogy.

After some initial worries I can say that this film both lived up to expectations and disappointed. At 165 minutes it is Nolan's longest Batman film, but the length serves a purpose. There is a lot of story here, and at times too much. Nolan also focuses the story more around the development of Bruce Wayne and the decline of Batman. The first look at Wayne is eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, where he has become nothing more than a recluse shacked up in his mansion (I think I was the only person in the theater under fifty who caught the Howard Hughes reference). That serves as the theme for the rest of the movie; does Batman have to die for Bruce Wayne to live? From then on, Bane steals the show. Now, myself personally loved and hated Bane. Tom Hardy played one of the best villains ever put on screen (I don't think a lot of people realize how hard it is to act just using your eyes). Created using Nolan's lust for realism, Bane is transformed from his comic book freak show look to a menacing criminal mastermind. Although it is hard to fully buy into Bane's new look, you can't deny Hardy's talent as an actor. By putting emphasis on his intellect rather than his physicality, Hardy has crafted one of the darkest villains in any Batman film.

As great as TDKR is, it also feels rushed and jammed-packed at times. Through the many story lines and abundance of characters, there are many moments in the film where there is too much going on. It looks like Nolan tried to combine the heavy storyline of Batman Begins with all the action sequences of The Dark Knight, which results in a overly produced movie going in too many different directions. Nolan also strays away from the original comic too much in this movie way more than in his previous. From Bane's look, to the multiple different names given to some characters, it's like Nolan just created his own Batman universe, which is hard to grasp for those who grew up on Batman. With all this said, the biggest disappointment is the most obvious one; Heath Ledger. Ledger was the best and worst thing to happen to the Batman franchise. After his award winning performance as The Joker in TDK, a conclusion to a trilogy without him just isn't right. In fact, there is no mention of The Joker at all in this film, which shows how Ledger is gone, and took The Joker with him.

The Dark Knight Rises was a great film to end the Chris Nolan era of Batman films. For the man who resurrected the franchise after the disastrous Joel Schumacher titles in the 90s, Nolan has set the bar for not only future Batman films, but all superhero films in general. I highly recommend you go see TDKR, but watch it with an open mind. Nolan's realism and dark themes work perfectly in ending this chapter for Batman.

In The Tapedeck: Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE

You don't know how much you matter until you're all alone ~ Frank Ocean

I imagine that's how Frank Ocean must have felt in the days leading to the early release of his debut album channel ORANGE. With the recent news that Ocean was a bisexual, many critics didn't know how the announcement would affect reaction of his album. It seems like the controversy only helped promote the album, which is on pace to sell over 125,000 copies in the first week, despite being released a week early and exclusively sold through iTunes. While the numbers don't lie, public opinion about if the album lived up to expectation, and it definitely did.

Now, let me start off by saying that if you are not a fan of true, traditional music composition you might want to save your $10 and keep this off the iPod. This is the type of music you play at the top of a penthouse suite on a Friday night in Las Vegas with a bottle of champagne on ice by the mini bar. With one of the most unique musical directions I heard in a long time, Ocean's debut has a vintage feel with a new age perspective.

When listening, there's an obvious focus on songwriting and Ocean's voice. With features limited to fellow Odd Future member Earl Sweatshirt, John Mayer, and ~~Outkast,~~ the rest of the project solely relies on Ocean himself. While the production on the album helps propel songs likes "Lost", "Monks", and the ten minute single "Pyramids", it's Ocean's vocals on the slower tracks that really show his strength as a musician. Songs like "Sierra Leone" and "Pilot Jones" display Ocean at his best; stripped down instrumentals that allow Frankie's raw emotions to come out through his lyrics. Nothing shows this better than the standout track of the album "Pink Matter", featuring Andre 3000. Over a quiet string section and a crying guitar, the song showcases nothing more than a man and his music.

When I finished listening to Nostalgia, Ultra for the first time I thought nothing more than Ocean being a promising up and coming R&B singer that seemed to have a talent for songwriting. By the end (and I mean literally "End") of channel ORANGE I felt like I could not even compare him to an R&B singer anymore. Frank Ocean has discovered the art of musical improvisation, similar to the way a jazz singer does. When listening to the vocals they are rarely, if ever, doubled. When singing, there are no ad-libs recorded on separate takes. Ocean simply follows where the music takes him. In the same way as Billie Holiday, Ocean lets the melody guide his voice, which only makes his records that more authentic. Now, I'm not saying that this is Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite or Baduizm, but as far as debut albums go this is more than a solid effort. While it might not be a classic, Frank Ocean has made a debut that can be enjoyed by music fans of all genres. With it's authentic feel to it, channel ORANGE delivers in terms of debut solo projects. I recommend you pick this up, even if it's your only purchase of the summer. With music this honest, the replay value is endless, and should be in every music lover's collection.

You can purchase on iTunes here.

Songs For (Women)...

Who the hell knows what Purple Rain is and am I standing in it? - Frank Ocean

A few days ago after a BBC Radio listening session for Frank Ocean's upcoming LP Channel Orange, many began to believe that some of the lyrics may have been hinting at Ocean being bisexual. While it was strictly rumors and speculation when first mentioned, it was confirmed by Frankie himself when he published this letter on his Tumblr. In the letter he admits that he had an encounter with a man four years ago, and that he is indeed bisexual.

Now, I myself had no idea that all this time Frank Ocean was gay (even though now that I look back he left clues, such as in the Odd Future song Oldie with the line "Hi and I'm bi, wait I mean I'm straight...?"). The question Ocean faces is not how will coming out affect his life. In this generation is seems that homosexuality is becoming more and more acceptable. Just recently, popular talk show host and CNN anchor Anderson Cooper made the announcement that he's always been gay. The question that looms over Frank Ocean is how will it affect his career? From a women's perspective one of the newest rising sex symbols is off the market. While it's true that there are real female fans out there, a part of that fan base is just there for the visuals. I mean, do women really go to Chris Brown concerts to listen to him sing? On the contrary, he might have lost his male fan base all together. Our worst fear has come true, that maybe the slow jam we sang to our girlfriends late at night was originally written to a man. In a society where men, especially black men, are brought up to be homophobic coming out might have already caused irreversible damage; but only time will tell.

In the bigger picture outside of music, maybe Frank Ocean coming out will do more for others keeping the same secret. I personally believe that the entertainment industry has a slew of artists who are living in the closet that just don't want to commit career suicide. Fat Joe shared my feelings when he said in a DJ Vlad interview that the "gay mafia" was infiltrating hip hop. You even see how artists tests the waters about their sexuality, such as Miguel's mysterious transformation from having a suspect look to a more masculine and womanizing image seemingly over night.

As this whole thing unfolds I really hope it doesn't affect his career negatively. I've always believed that business is business, and what you do in your personal life should not influence business. So, as for me I still plan to listen to Frank Ocean because he makes good music. It will be a shame if his music isn't enjoyed because of his sexually preference, and hopefully critics won't go out of their way to not support him (besides, it always seems like the most homophobic people are always the most concerned with what gay folks are doing). So in the mean time, put Nostalgia, Ultra on for another spin while you wait for Channel Orange to drop on July 17th. Ocean is making timeless music, and it would be tragic if you don't find the time to listen.

Good Job, Good Effort

Last night after a clutch 3-pointer by Paul Pierce, the Miami Heat found themselves from being in cruise control to a championship, to on the brink of elimination. For the second straight year it seems like the South Beach boys might fail in their one goal; bringing the title back to Miami. After watching them in this year's playoffs, one thing seems crystal clear now. The Miami Heat do not have the team to win a championship.

Now, if you know me you know that LeBron James is currently my favorite NBA player (outside of Pierre McGee). If you really know me you know that I will fight to the end to prove that LeBron is the most underappreciated player since Shaq, and his talents truly won't be admired until long after he retires. He still is scrutinized over every move he makes. He still is having his whole career downplayed over the fact he hasn't won a title yet. But perhpas the biggest gripe about James is his decisions in the clutch. Although I myself agree that in some situations in the past he has been way too passive in the final seconds of a close game, but the way people hold a double standard when it comes to him and other superstars is outrageous. To this day I will never understand how when the Spurs' Ginobli takes a desperation 3-pointer over a double team sports analysts say he should have passed it to someone more open, but when LeBron passes out a triple-team, led by former defensive player of the year Kevin Garnett, he has a twenty minute segment conducted by your's truly. Anyway, before I get on a rant let me say this; James is not going to win a ring this summer.

Looking back at "The Decision", it's obvious now that The King took his talents from Cleveland to Sunny Cleveland. Besides Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, LeBron is still alone. Looking back at history it shows that you can't win a championship playing 3 on 5, no matter how talented those 3 are. When Bosh went out in game 2 of the Pacers' series, Miami's worst fear came to a realization. The basis in which they built their team on was gone. While a team can get pretty far with three all-stars, making it to the Finals with only two is damn near impossible. Honestly, does anyone think that a team with Joel Anthony and Shane Battier starting can win a championship? When you look at the rest of the conference finalists, you see well-coached t-e-a-m-s. The Thunder are a team, Boston is a team, the Spurs have a team. Miami just has three amazing players with a coach who doesn't know what he's doing. That's a team that will win a lot of games, but doesn't have what it takes to win it all.

So, rather it ends up in Kevin Durant's first or Tim Duncan's fifth, it's almost certain it won't be LeBron's first. Now, I highly doubt LeBron will go through his whole career without winning at least one ring, but it won't happen with this current Heat squad. Best believe changes are coming, and coming sooner than you might think. Mr. Riley doesn't like mediocrity, and with standards as high as Miami has put upon itself, that's what has happened the past two years. So prepare to see a very different Miami Heat team next year, one with one less superstar, and more quality role players. They say no man is an island, so it is kind of ironic that James plays in Florida; a state that appears to be off by itself like an island, but at the end it is still connected to it's neighbors. There may be an 'I' in King, but not in team. Basketball is a collective effort, and the King needs all his men in line to bring him his crown.

JUSTICE4TRAYVON

Cops don't give a damn about a negro, pull the trigger and kill a nigga he's a hero - Tupac Shakur

I was planning on leaving this whole Trayvon Martin case alone, seeing that events like this happen every day. But after doing some more research I sit here utterly amazed that a killer is walking the streets free man, while another family is burying their child. This incident, as sad as it is, really doesn't come as a surprise to me. It just adds further proof that racism is still very much alive.

For those of you who somehow still don't know anything about the case, Trayvon Martin was a seventeen year old African-American male from Florida who was gunned down by neighborhood vigilante George Zimmerman. The reasoning for the slaying? Zimmerman claims that Martin looked suspicious because of his hoodie and acted in self defense. It was discovered that Trayvon was unarmed and was carrying a pack up skittles and a can of sweet tea. Yes, a child gone forever while he held a bag of candy. And yet this still doesn't warrant the proper reaction from me as it should because it's nothing new.

Now, racial profiling leading to acts of violence by the police have been well documented over the years. From Amadou Diallo in the Bronx, to Sean Bell in Queens, to the most ~~famous~~ infamous case with Rodney King the police have long been getting away with brutality and murder against minorities. The thing that makes the Martin case standout is that he wasn't killed by the police, he was murdered by another citizen. Now first let me remind you that vigilantism is illegal. Yet, even though Zimmerman acted illegally with no justification, he was never even arrested. Let me say that again. Zimmerman was never even arrested for shooting an unarmed person who was not committing a crime. The part that saddens me the most is that you know it was racially motivated. If Trayvon would have been a seventeen year old white teenager named Taylor there would never have been any doubt in Zimmerman's mind that he was out of place in that neighborhood. Although Zimmerman says it wasn't a matter of race, his 911 calls are saying otherwise. But of course like other important leads in this case, the police have came out and said that they must have "missed" that part of the emergency call. It is honestly insane how the police are doing everything to avoid bring Trayvon justice.

So now the question is what to do. In 2012 there is no reason for minorities not to take a stand for injustice they are still receiving. President Obama kept quiet about the issues until recently (remember it's an election year, that's just the game) when he said "if I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon". Besides, the President cannot take on every local issue. So no relying on Obama to fix our problems, what needs to be done? Maybe we should have a 2012 L.A. riot and burn half the city down? Or maybe we should do as Geraldo Rivera says and stop wearing hoodies. Or maybe we should just stick to the same routine and have Al and Jesse do some interviews and marches, and move on to the next one. Whatever it is something has to be done. I don't mean having another black male throw their life away by killing Zimmerman out of rage. I mean something has to be done legally. For far too long the criminal justice system has not been in our favor. As unfortunate as it is that this kid had to die for nothing, let's not have his murder be in vain. We need to use this as opportunity to gain justice the legal way, and hopefully we won't have anymore tragic stories like Trayvon Martin.

Black Thoughts

Make black history every day, I don't need a month - Kanye West

With February coming to an end it marks the end of another Black History Month. In what has become more of a faux honorary holiday, it seems like Black History Month has just become routine to many, including many African-Americans. As everyone is aware of the struggles black people have gone through in this country, the question is in 2012 is a month dedicated to black history really necessary?

Stemming from the early days of slavery to as recent as the 1960s African-Americans have been the most oppressed people in the short history of America. After enduring everything from Jim Crow laws to separate but ~~equal~~ policies black people have been through years and years of irreversible damage. With leader such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X paving the way in martyrdom for equal rights it would seem like in the years since their deaths that the African-American people would follow their example and move up the ranks in society. In reality, the truth is black people have remained stagnent. With no real leadership (looking at you Jesse and Al) and misguided priorities, black people have gone ten steps backwards, and by the looks of things it doesn't look like that wil change anytime soon. Instead of building a better community, we find ourselves more intrigued with who's the newest signee of Maybach Music. Instead of sharing with our brothers and sisters you see young people killing each other over overpriced shoes. Instead of uniting together to improve our lives, we have people fighting over the color of the shirt they wear and dying over blocks that have been there before them, and will still be there after them. We care more about appearing rich rather than accumulating real wealth. When we finally have an opportunity to have some representation on a world stage in the form of a black president, we use it as an excuse to sag our pants. With this state of mind true change doesn't seem plausible in the near future.

So as I think to myself all the time if we even deserve a whole month dedicated to history that we don't acknowledge, I still believe Black History Month is a necessary part of the year. I still find it amazing that it took me until my third year of college to learn any type of African-American history besides MLK, Malcolm X, and the "guy who did his thing with peanut butter". It's a vital part of American history, and of the many things I'd change about the public school system is more education focuses on black history. When I went to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan last year I thought to myself that everyone should visit at least one. Then it dawned to me that the majority of people probably wouldn't even know that it's located downtown. Maybe if I could get Big Sean to perform there then people might realize one of the hidden gems located in the heart of Detroit. Black history is American history, and as important as past events are it is equally important to keep making history. My personal hope is that maybe that change Sam Cooke was talking about can finally come, and the African-American community can fully appreciate the amazing feats that those before them accomplished.

What's a Mob to a King?

Last night's 61st annual NBA All Star wrapped up a weekend that was lackluster at best, but resulted in one of the best games in recent memory. As the East staged a Lebron-led comeback in the 4th quarter, a costly turnover in the final seconds sealed the victory for the West. Kevin Durant added to his mantle collection by winning the MVP award with 36 points.

Now, before I go into all the problems of All Star Weekend I have to talk about how great this game was. In the 1st quarter both conferences put on a show that put every dunk contest of the past ten years to shame. Led by Kevin Durant and Blake Griffin, almost all of these dunks would have earned a 50 in Saturday's contest; especially this dunk by the King. The 2nd quarter showed how much the game has evolved with point guards Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose stealing the show. It's amazing how point guards are considered some of the best dunkers in the league now. The second half of the game was dominated by the many records that were broken. Both Durant and Lebron were knocking on Wilt Chamberlain's all time single game All Star scoring record as they both racked up 36 points, just six points away from Mr. 10,000's 42 point mark. Dwyane Wade recorded the game's third triple double, joining Michael Jordan and Lebron James as the only players to do so. The greatest record broken was Kobe Bryant passing Michael Jordan's all time All Star scoring record. The Black Mamba even did the MJ travel as he passed His Airness. In the 4th quarter Lebron James single handedly brought the East Squad back by hitting nine straight, including six 3's as the Eastern Conference got within one point. As amazing as the actual game was, it almost doesn't make up for how bad the rest of the weekend was.

After that fiasco that was the dunk contest (with four people you have never heard of), I could honestly care less if they cancelled it. It's a shame when the D-League dunk contest it better than the NBA's. One of my personal solutions is to invite players from outside the NBA to participate such as Kenny Dobbs, Air Up There, and James White. Those three together would be a hell of a show, but we all know what needs to happen. LEBRON JAMES IS THE ONLY PERSON WHO CAN BRING THE DUNK CONTEST BACK. Last night I found myself agreeing with Reggie Miller for the first time when he said the league has to do something to make Lebron do it. It's unfair to the fans and the game for Lebron James to never participate in a dunk contest. When asked what would make him change his mind, he responded that if the prize was $1 million he may reconsider. Now, as much as I defend Lebron there's no way I can defend that. It shouldn't be about the money, it should be about the fans and showcasing your talent. Lebron is the best dunker since Vince Carter, and it still amazes me how he has not done it just once.

The 2012 All Star Game in Orlando was both a success and a failure at the same time. The game will go down as one of the best ever, but all most people will remember is the decline of the dunk contest. It used to be about superstars coming up with the most creative dunks, now it has transitioned into who can ride a motorcycle into the arena or strapping an eye-cam to you. As talented as other dunkers such as Westbrook, Rose, and John Wall are, the King has to get off his throne and bring the excitement back into All Star Weekend. Whether he likes it or not, he's the face of the league, and all of the burdens are on his shoulders. While no one has there hopes up, we can only dream that Lebron will finally step up and save the dunk contest. If he doesn't it may go down as one of the greatest tragedies in sports.

Highlights and box score of the game can be found on here.

Say What's Real

I can't rap about being broke and selling drugs no more, 'cause I'm not broke and I'm not selling drugs no more - The Notorious B.I.G.

Just recently rapper Rick Ross was named the hottest MC in the game according to MTV, with little dispute from the masses. In the past two years Ross has not only risen to the top of the rap game with singles such as "B.M.F. (Blowin' Money Fast)" and "MC Hammer", but has also made one of the strongest label stables with his Maybach Music Group with fellow rappers Wale, Meek Mill, ~~Pill~~, and Stalley. As there's nothing wrong with Rozay being the hottest rapper out, the deeper issue lies in what he represents. Ross, who claims to have been a central figure in the Miami drug game, has always stood his ground in his authenticity. Even after pictures surfaced of him as a correctional officer in 2008, he continued to make music depicting his drug dealer past, in which fans still supported him. So the question that still remains is if being real is really necessary or even believable in rap music today?

Hip hop has always defined itself with trends; rather it be gangsta rap, conscious hip hop, or trap music. Recently a new wave of rap stars have brought a more positive vibe into music, straying away from gangsta personas their predecessors developed. Some of the leaders of this new movement have never led street lives, and don't pretend to either. Big Sean kept a 3.7 GPA before graduating from Detroit's Cass Tech High School. J. Cole (who was excluded from the hottest MC list) received his bachelor's degree from St. John's University. Wale (who had been called the white/black rapper before signing to Rick Ross' MMG label) boasts that "I never spent a minute up in the streets" from the title track from his 2011 release Ambition. YMCMB rapper Drake recently said in a Complex interview that you have a better chance finding girls than thugs at his concerts. Drake, who has been known to be brutally honest in his music, received major backlash for claiming that he may catch a body one day in his single "Headlines". Even one of the most respected artists of the decade Kanye West stated in his first album that his style is more spoken word, rather than coke and birds. With that being said, all of these rappers were ranked lower than Rick Ross.

When it comes down to it, when keeping it real two things must be done. Either you have to fake it until you're exposed, or you have to keep it real when real life happens. In 2007 when indictments were made against the Black Mafia Family drug ring kingpins Big Meech and Southwest T pled guilty and were sentenced to more than 30 years. Rapper Bleu DaVinci chose to remain loyal and go down with the BMF ship and received 5 years. Young Jeezy, who affiliated himself with Big Meech and BMF, distanced himself from the gang during the indictments. This led to Bleu DaVinci questoining his realness in a recent interview. Now who knows if Jeezy really did the things he says he did in his lyrics, but everyone saw how he turned the real switch off when the heat was turned up. It seems like a lot of rappers turn the real switch on in the studio, then turn it off when the police come around.

Now first let me say that I haven't watched MTV in more than five years, and there's no way in hell I'm going to let them have a say in anything hip hop related. As much as I hate MTV, they do have right with Rick Ross at the top. Now you can't possibly believe that Ross was selling cocaine with a cartel connect while working as a correctional officer, but you can believe that Rick Ross is one of the most talented rappers out right now who knows how to entertain. Ross knows what sells, and he knows how to make good music that makes a lot of money. The rap game is similar to reality television now. Yes, VH1 could make a series showcasing how elegant wives of basketball players interact with each other, which would probably consists of them just staying at home most of the time. As exciting as that sounds, VH1 can make the highest rated show by showing B-list players' ex-girlfriends fighting every week. So as with everything, the dollar has the last say. Everyone wants to be entertained when they listen to music, and unfortunately fiction sells more than talent.

The Greatest Love of All

I have nothing if I don't have you - Whitney Houston

Late last night news broke that legendary singer Whitney Houston had died. She was at a Beverly Hills Hilton hotel getting ready to attend Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party when her lifeless body was found. Early reports say that she was found head-first in the bathtub when a hairdresser came in to check on her after an hour of waiting for her to exit. Houston's passing concludes the tragedy that her life had become as fame, fortune, and drug use destroyed one of the most beautiful and talented woman the world has ever seen.

Whitney Houston was born in Newark, New Jersey where she first started singing in the church choir. She was discovered by Clive Davis as a teen after she began performing in night clubs with her mother. She began singing backup vocals with stars such as Chaka Khan and Jermaine Jackson before releasing her self titled debut album in 1985. With classics like "Saving All My Love for You" and "Greatest Love of All" Whitney became an instant star. By the end of the 1980s Houston was the biggest name in the world next to Michael Jackson. As she would enter the 1990s the decade would prove to be the best and worst of her life.

In the early 90s Whitney began dating New Edition bad boy Bobby Brown, against many of her friends' warnings. The two were married in 1992 and eventually had a daughter together. Later in that same year Houston would star in The Bodyguard alongside Kevin Coster, which began a successful acting career. The movie's soundtrack (yes, when movies actually had soundtracks that mattered) became one of the best selling albums ever, and spawned the Dolly Parton remake "I Will Always Love You". The song stayed on top of the Billboard charts for 14 weeks. It seemed destined that Whitney would go on to become one of the biggest female entertainers of all time.

By the late 90s Whitney's career, and more importantly her life, began to spiral out of control. There had been rumors of drug use within Whitney's and Bobby's marriage. Houston was accused of erratic behavior, and her voice and live performances suffered. After signing a $100 million record contract (the biggest in history) Houston performed at Michael Jackson's 30th anniversary concert, where concerns about her appearance resurfaced. Whitney's personal problems became public when her and Bobby became filming their reality show Being Bobby Brown. Viewers were watching the downfall of Whitney "hell to the no" Houston every week on their television.

In recent years it seemed like Whitney was beginning to make a comeback. She divorced Bobby Brown, and had not made any crazy appearances. Her last album I Look To You reached number 1 on the Billboard charts, showing that the icon still had the voice. Whitney was looking and sounding good, and it looked like this new image was here to stay before Don Lemon broke the news to all of us last night on CNN. In a sad and ironic twist, Whitney was on her way to see Clive Davis, the same man who discovered her more than thirty years ago.

With her unfortunate passing, it's important to remember the music. Like Michael Jackson, we all grew up on Whitney Houston. At every bbq in the Summer a few Whitney joints were necessary to make it right. Her music touched everyone. Even the thugs get up and dance when they hear "How Will I Know?". Through all her personal problems we'll always remember the voice. She had that voice that made you feel good inside, and when you heard it you knew exactly who it was. Even though she hasn't been relavent in the last ten years, whenever a new singer's voice is compared it's always to Whitney Houston, and it's never as good as she would sing it. Whitney's death is just another example who the evils of life can grab a hold of anyone, no matter who rich or famous you are. So today just turn on a Whitney song and just reminisce. We probably will never hear a voice so pure and strong, and with so much soul. It's a shame that our biggest stars seem to always have the biggest problems also, but I guess that's just life. So today is for Whitney, and we will always love you.

Whitney Houston

August 9, 1963 ~ February 11, 2012

I Do, I Do, I Do

Last night after a late drive gravity assisted touchdown, the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLVI. With their second win in four years, the G-Men once again relied on a heroic catch to save the game and eventually get them the W. After all the confetti settled the real story being talked about was Eli Manning. In a sports world where championships mean everything, many sports analysts began to question if Eli is one of the best to ever play the game.

Now as much as I hate Eli Manning (for no reason other than he looks like he has down syndrome most of the time), I'll be the first to admit that this win does put him in the elite class of current quarterbacks. Winning one Super Bowl is hard, winning two is harder, and winning both against Tom Brady is nearly impossible. By all accounts Eli should be the best quarterback in the league.

Here's where I differ from most people. RINGS DON'T EQUAL GREATNESS. All I ever hear in sports is that championships equals greatness, and it's just not true. As long as these are still team sports, one player's status on championships that they don't win by themselves. We all know it takes a good team, and usually another superstar to win championships. In the NBA Michael had Scottie, Magic had the whole Showtime squad, and Bird had a Hall of Fame Celtics team. Even with one of the best players to ever touch the rock, Kobe Bryant has never won a championship without Shaq or Pau Gasol. In fact, in the years between the two Kobe didn't make the playoffs and was eliminated in the first round after not showing up in a game 7. Really, the one player to almost win a ring by himself is the man everyone loves to hate Allen Iverson, who almost won it all with this group of bums.

The worst part about the ring factor is that it takes away from truly appreciating great players while they are here. LeBron James is one of the most amazing basketball players in history, and yet every morning I have to hear Skip Bayless hate on him. There's only one trophy per season, and winning takes time. You can see that with former MVP's Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett, who won in the later part of their careers. With that being said, there will always be great players who weren't in the right situation to win a ring.

Going back to Eli Manning, there's no one on Earth who will say that the kid can't play. It's obvious by how we leads his teams to wins. At the same time, you can't place him above some other players. If someone came up to me and said Eli is better than his brother Peyton just because he has one more ring I'd get the baby powder out and slap them. In a case like this, Eli just had a better opportunity to win. I'll even argue that Eli isn't better than Tom Brady, even though he's beaten him twice in the Super Bowl. Now don't get it confused and think that rings are meaningless, that's why you play the game. All I'm saying is championships have to be taken in context. If rings are everything then Robert Horry is better than Michael Jordan, and Barry Sanders is one of the worst half backs to ever run the ball. With that being said, I think it's time to start measuring legacies by how good a player actually was, and not by how much their team won.

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.

Songs of the Year

Young Man's Game

In The Tapedeck: Big Sean - Detroit

Flicks: The Dark Knight Rises

In The Tapedeck: Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE

Songs For (Women)...

Good Job, Good Effort

JUSTICE4TRAYVON

Black Thoughts

What's a Mob to a King?

Say What's Real

The Greatest Love of All

I Do, I Do, I Do

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?

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