Easter Weekend, Boob Tube, and another Top 20 Countdown.

Originally written Thursday, April 21st, 2011. 

TGITELW (Thank God It's The Easter Long Weekend, and why not?! After all, this is the weekend when he (assuming a man's in charge up there) gave his son to the world, so you could enjoy an extended paid vacation. Seriously. I was talking to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.)

Happy yesterday! To those of you who have already forgotten, yesterday was 4/20, the reason you forgot is the same reason you celebrated. But since I do like a good chill tune, here's one for just such an occasion.

Okay, it's been a few days since I last chimed in on entertainment, music, sports and summer on here. Today I'm culturing the kiddies on the world of the 'Arts', teaching a mix of high school outdoor pursuits and art class. I'll be going around "OoO'ing" and "Ahh'ing" but I should have sometime to write in my journal, and then get it typed up and online by the end of the day. Today we'll try to touch on a little bit of all those things I mentioned above; we'll discuss the value of having a "human microwave" (I'll explain this further below.) for any aspiring NBA playoff squads. I'll take a look at what IMHO are a couple of the best shows out there right now, some will be just recent premieres and others will be heading into their newest seasons. I'll also continue my countdown towards summer, despite the fact that all things summer appeared to be put on hold this week, as we had what I pray is the final snowfall of the 2011 winter season. And lastly, I'll unveil my latest Hip Hop Top 20 countdown to close this thing out and get us ready to enjoy the long weekend!

Okay so I'm going to enjoy a baked potato. (a rare craving, I admit.) But I'm starving, I need nourishment and I need it now. I can cook it in your conventional oven for and I'll be 45 minutes getting what I'm looking for, in fact, I might have perished by now. Or I can microwave it and it'll be done in about 8 minutes. The point I'm making is that microwaves heat up, and quick! In the playoffs, where staunch defence triumphs and even the most profilic offences can stall at times, having a player who can heat up quick can be an invaluable asset.

Vinnie Johnson was an integral part of the Bad Boys late 80's back to back championship seasons, he was also the original "Microwave". Johnson garnered the moniker for his penchant to enter games and seemingly heat up on call- like a microwave. Other variations have included Gilbert Arenas' self proclaimed "hibatchi" title, from his pre-pistols days.While some players are like you're conventional ovens, they can be used for multiple purposes and and when they get hot they can stay hot, your Carmelos, Dirks and Durants come to mind. These fellas are pre-heated, they get to the line, get their feel, get their rhythm, let the game come to them. Then there is the guys who don't log the long minutes and don't get the same volume of looks, but are seemingly able to come in an impact the game, almost instantaneously. The league has very much become a superstar league and you need those players to carry you deep into the post season, most every team has a franchise player or two that fill this roll, an at times they cancel each other out. At times it is the supporting cast, and in a game where swings and momentum play such a key role, having a guy who can come in and  seemingly score at will can make a huge difference.For years, Manu Ginobili filled this role to perfection for the San Antonio, at times, shifting the tide of a crucial close game or close series. Here are my picks for guys who fill this role  for their teams, and how their ability to fill this position could be the difference between and early vacation and playoff immortality.


JR Smith - If JR wasn't a knucklehead, he would probably be a starting 2 guard somewhere and we'd hear his name mentioned as one of the most lethal scoring threats in the L. Unfortunately, JR is a knucklehead, and because of this he has spent the better part of his NBA career in George Karl's doghouse - the end of the Nuggets bench. But his offensive prowess is undeniable, coming off the bench to reach double figures in 14 of Nuggets final 18 games attest. He has unlimited range and absolutely no conscience when it comes to pulling. When he's hot he can take a quarter over single handedly, something the Nuggets are going to need if they hope to slip past the defensively sound Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

James Harden - Speaking of OKC, the Thunder have their own source of fire in James Harden, serving as their sixth man and often their 3rd option offensively behind the two-headed monster of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Sefalosha starts, but he is in their as a perimeter defender, when Harden gets in their he is looking to make his impact felt on the offensive end. Since the departure of Jeff Green to the Celtics in mid season for the defensive stopper Kendrick Perkins, Harden has blossomed in his role as the Thunders 6th man and 3rd option offensively, to the tune of 16.3 ppg in those games. The match-up of JR Smith v James Harden will be on to watch in the first round, I see them as the key to winning the bench battles for each respective side. And that won't be the only time they're called upon if either team looks to go deep into May.
  
Jamal Crawford -  I would be remiss if I didn't include Jamal Crawford in this conversation as the man has served the Atlanta Hawks "microwave" for a number of years now. Despite the fact that the reigning 6th man has relinquished his crown to Lamar Odom in 2011, a year that has seen his numbers dip slightly from previous years, he is still called upon to come off the bench and provide instant offence for the Hawks. Crawford has an uncanny ability to get any type of shot off, including some that make you say "wtf", but he also makes more tough shots than anyone in the league. The leagues all time leader in 3 pointers made with the foul (26) is a crucial part of the hawks game plan and they'll need his outside scoring to push them past the favoured Magic in the first round.  So far his tallies of 23 and 25 points in the series first two games show his flair for rising to the occasion.

Jason Terry - Much like Crawford, Terry too has made a living in this league providing an offensive lift off the bench for his team. Among the league leaders with an average of 6.2 ppg in the 4th quarter, Terry has provided a scoring punch for the Mavericks off the bench all season and will continued to be relied upon. While the 'Jet' may have lost a step defensively, he can still get his shot off at will and has the stones to do it on the biggest of stages. If  Dallas is going to finally make noise this post season you can count on Jason Terry playing a key role in it.

That's a few, others who come to mind, these fellas may be bit players but they will need to come in and hit timely shots, Kyle Korver, Peja Stojakavic, and James Jones.

One medium that has received little attention from me to this point is television - what's hot on the boob tube these days. While I admittedly don't watch a tonne of TV, and I watch even less major network television of the canned laughter variety. I'll leave that fodder for the pleasure of the masses. I do enjoy a good series, and I like them best if I can sit and take a volume in over a should period of time. The torrent world has blessed us with the ability to watch our favourite shows at our leisure, and if you miss a week of your favourite show, you can Here is a look at some of the best tv programs out there at the moment, a few that have been running for some time and others that are 100% fresh. First off, i'm in it for the grit. I don't enjoy the polish and ease of network television, with its monster of the week, solve the crime in an hour formula, I'm in it for the nitty gritty, the character development,give me what goes on behind the scenes, and the occasional cuss word or boob doesn't hurt, those do exist in the real world too. Here's 5 that I'm currently enjoying or looking forward to what comes next.

The Killing - The Killing is a American adaptation of a Danish miniseries "Forbrydelsen", which follows the police as they investigate the murder of a teenage girl, the story has a series of interlocking stories and leads which weave together as the police unravel who is responsible for the murder of Rosie Larsen. Intriguing storylines and good characters are what have me watching this show as it airs weekly on AMC at 9et. Some people have compared the series to Twin Peaks, I haven't seen Twin Peaks so I guess that's my bad, maybe I'll check it out when this series is through. But do check this one out if that synopsis appeals to you at all.

Boardwalk Empire  - Boardwalk Empire takes us back to the days of the roaring twenties and the prohibition era as we follow the exploits of politician/gangster Enoch "Nucky" Thompson. Thompson is the kingpin of all the hustle going on in Atlantic City but he must protect his position as well as his perceptions. As political ties and criminal syndicates begin to intertwine and skeletons reveal themselves, can Nucky keep everyone and everything in check to protect his own interests. Great writing and a genuine feel that you've shifted eras makes this show an enjoyable watch. Some memorable characters here. 

The Walking Dead - Another AMC original series, The Walking Dead follows police officer Rick Grimes as he leads a group of survivors in a area overrun by zombies or 'the walking dead'. The series aired with 6 episodes in the fall and got picked up for a second season. Creator Frank Darabont, of Shawshank Redemption fame, has developed the show from a series of American comic book graphic novel  of the same name. The show itself can be quite graphic at times- meaning some gory zombie head shots which are enjoyable. The show returns with it's second season this fall, catch up on season one in the mean time.

Breaking Bad - Again, AMC serves up another great offering with Breaking Bad. Bryan Cranston (The Father in Malcolm in the Middle) plays Walter H. White, a brilliant chemist who teaches high school chemistry. Walter learns he has terminal cancer and decides to use his chemist knowledge to develop some top choice crystal meth, as a means to pay for his cancer treatment and provide stability for his pregnant wife and disabled son. Breaking Bad is excellently written and Cranston carries the show expertly. The show is heading into it's 4th season which begins airing in July. 

The Game of Thrones - Game of Thrones sees seven noble families fight for the control of the mythical land of Westeros. The show sees much in the way of political and sexual intrigue as more than one family have their eye on taking the throne, by any means necessary. Having only seen the pilot I can't say a whole lot except that I really enjoyed it and most people who have read the books and loved them said that the HBO show follows the story quite accurately and that's a promising sign as the books have been lauded in many circles. I'll likely be referencing this show more in the coming weeks but if the first episode was any evidence of things to come I'll be following this one.

Contrary to what it may seem, hip hop isn't the only music I'm into, here's a tune if there ever was one.

So I look out my window and I see a bunch of nasty white stuff out there on the ground, and while this is certainly a disappointing circumstance it only serves to fuel my desire for greener times and warmer weather, I am left wanting summer that much more. Our countdown continues, giving you another series of summer related desires that are just around the corner. So we'll toss the countdown widget up, close our eyes and dream of basking in the warm summer sun.

63. Camp Fires - Camp fires are a summer staple. Usually one person will pipe up and claim that they can light a fire, to which we give that person , a medal and watch them go to work. This is usually followed by about a 45 minute struggle of man vs. nature. Smoke everywhere, "white rabbits" and  remarks like "the wood's awfully wet!". But when a fire finally comes together it is well worth it. It brings folks together and makes the beers go down a little quicker as you ought to get em down before the flames heat em up. An if you want a snack with those beers how bout...

62. Hot Dogs Over the Open Flame - Sure you can eat hot dogs all year long but it's not exactly a staple of good health (So Struan tells me) but hot dogs are one of the few things that are easily roasted over the open flame, making it delightful camp fire treat. Now you can enjoy all the hot dogs you desire without the same stigma or the shame that comes with eating them all winter.

61. Smores - With all this talk of camp fires and the treats they yield, I couldn't leave out the most glorious of all camp fire treats. For those of you unfamiliar with summer. those who don't know what a s'more is, an no it's not a second helping, it is scrumptious sandwich of freshly roasted marshmallow and chocolate pressed between a pair of graham crackers.

60. Ice Cream - In keeping with the food theme, summer is synonymous with delicious new ice cream varieties and I'll be looking forward to what my new flavour of the summer will be this time around. Speaking of which, Four C's opens on  Friday (tomorrow), so let's hope this snow is off the ground and there's a warm breeze in the air, summer is on the way.

From one countdown to another...

The Hip Hop Top 20 for the week of 04.18.11

TW     LW              Track                                     Artist
20.       20.              Success Is My Cologne        Curren$y
19.      n/a.              Show Goes On                  Lupe Fiasco
18.       12.              Wet                                   Snoop Dogg
17.      n/a.              My Last                           Big Sean Ft. Chris Brown
16.      n/a.              Wake Up                         Wiz Khalifa
15.       19.             On My Level                     Wiz Khalifa Ft. Too Short
14.       09.             3D                                       The Game Ft. David Banner
13.       14.             All Of The Lights (Remix)     Kanye West Ft. Drake, Big Sean and Lil Wayne
12.       15.             Eraser                                  Kid Cudi
11.       13.             All Black Everything             Lupe Fiasco
10.       10.             Phone Numbers                   Wiz Khalifa Ft. Trae The Truth and Big Sean
09.       11.             American Rapstar                Big K.R.I.T.
08.       06.             Makin' Dough                      Obie Trice     
07.       08.             Capcom                               Kid Cudi
06.       05.             Black and Yellow (Remix)   Wiz Khalifa Ft. Snoop Dogg, Juicy J, T-Pain
05.       04.             6'7"                                     Lil Wayne Ft. Cory Gunz
04.       07.             Roll Up                               Wiz Khalifa           
03.       02.             All Of The Lights                 Kanye West                          
02.       03.             Dreamin'                             Big K.R.I.T.
01.       01.              Red Nation                        The Game Ft. Lil Wayne


Ed's Note. Sorry so slow getting this published, I'll have a weekend wrap up on Sunday or Monday. Hopefully I'm not writing a Knicks 2011 season eulogy. Have a good one folks!

Happy 10th blog as well. 

NBA Playoffs, Post Season Awards, Countdown

Yesterday we saw the tip-off of the 2011 NBA playoffs, and it did not disappoint. The Bulls v. Pacers  game provided great entertainment for an 8 v. 1 seeding. With the Bulls trailing by a 6-8 point margin for a great duration of the game, they sparked a furious 16-1 finish that saw them go from 10 down with 3 minutes to go, to a  5 point victory for the home favourites when the buzzer sounded. The run was fuelled by the the usual suspects, as Derrick Rose did his best impersonation of you-know-who, putting up 39 and hitting all the clutch shots down the stretch. The Pacers played a great game, but it wasn't enough in the end - I expect this series to be over quick. Apologies to Psycho T, ha, that guy is bananas.

Playoff Predictions - I know I'm a bit late.

Eastern Conference: First Round
(1) Bulls v. (8) Pacers.............. Crystal Ball: Bulls in 4
(6) Heat v. (7) 76'ers................Crystal Ball: Miami in 5
(3) Knicks v. (6) Celtics ......... Crystal Ball: Celts in 6 (Hurts me even to suggest this, took a Proline with the Knicks on it though, I bet with my heart, that's what you're supposed to do, right?)
(4) Magic v. (5) Hawks...........Crystal Ball: Orlando in 7 (Found yesterday to be quite surprising.)

Western Conference: First Round
(1) Spurs v. (8) Grizz ..............Crystal Ball: Spurs in 6 (This Grizz team scares me a bit in this match up.)
(2) Mavs v. (7) Blazers............Crystal Ball: Mavs in 6
(3) Lakers v. (6) Hornets.........Crystal Ball: Lakers in 6
(4) Thunder v. (5) Nuggets......Crystal Ball: Thunder in 7 (Will be the best series of the first round.)

Playing it safe with the top seeds, but the NBA is a top heavy league so I think that's to be expected. You play 7 games so the better team moves on, its not like the NCAA tourney where one off game can spell disaster. The Bulls are like 25 games better than the Pacers, I know yesterdays game was close but I think that's also about as good as Indiana can get. The good teams will get the job done in the first round.

Eastern Conference: Second Round
(1) Bulls v. (4) Magic........... Crystal Ball: Bulls in 6
(2) Heat v. (3) Celtics...........Crystal Ball: Heat in 7 (Celts pay for losing home court advantage down the stretch.)

Western Conference: Second Round

(1) Spurs v. (4) Thunder.......Crystal Ball: Thunder in 6 (I think Thunder's size, plus age sets in on the banged up Spurs)
(2) Mavs v. (3) Lakers ........Crystal Ball: Mavs in 7 (Chalk it up to a hunch, I guess)

Eastern Conference Finals
(1) Bulls v. (2) Heat.............Crystal Ball: Bulls in 7 (Potentially epic series, Celts/Heat could have wear-down effect.)

Western Conference Finals
(2) Mavs v. (4) Thunder.........Crystal Ball: Thunder in 6 (Just when Dallas thought it was their year)

NBA Finals
Bulls v. Thunder.............Crystal Ball: Bulls in 6

The Chicago Bulls your  2011 NBA Champions.

A bunch of other teams could probably win too.

I'm liking these two Big Sean songs off his mix tape, Finally Famous Vol. 3. Maybe you'll enjoy them too!

       

                                                         

So yeah, I like what Derrick Rose is doing and I see no reason why it won't continue. That makes the transition to my post season award winners pretty easy .

MVP: Derrick Rose
Derrick Rose was the best player on the best team, so he wins that traditional MVP debate. Beyond that you can make innumerable cases for his selection as the leagues MVP this season, leading the Bulls day in and day out with dynamic play, great leadership, and gritty toughness. Even with both Noah and Boozer missing considerable time, Rose still led the Bulls to a league best 62 wins, a 19 win improvement over last seasons total, and a leap frog from 8th in the East to First. Heading into the season everyone was talking Miami and Boston, but it has been the defensive minded Bulls that have set the standard for excellence in the East, and that starts with their leader Derrick Rose. LeBron, Kobe, Howard and Dirk round out the voting for me.

Game time update: Matt Bonner back to back threes late in the fourth. If you're watching you'll know when I was writing this.

Coach of the Year: George Karl
Super difficult decision to make here, so many deserving candidates - Pop has done it again, getting the Spurs to the top of the West, Doug Collins turned things around in Philadelphia (!), and of course, Thibodeau has had a great first season, leading the Bulls to the best record in the L, putting his defensive first scheme to work. However, in the end, I think Karl is deserving; keeping the Nuggets heads in it throughout the 'MeloDrama' of the season's first half, and improving upon their record following the departure of the face of the franchise, not an easy task. The Nuggets were a tough match up down the stretch and I think Karl has done a great job not just keeping things going, but improving the quality of his teams play as the season has gone on.

Battier for 3!
Wow. Memphis is gonna mess around and win this game. RJ misses, Barkley looks smart for today.

Rookie of the Year: Blake Griffin
I could show you a veido of someone walking, because that's how Griffin is winning this award, in a walk. Instead, I'll show you all 214 of his dunks from his 2011 Rookie Season, all in under a tidy 5 minutes.

 

Now you can't wait to see him again in 2012. Your welcome. DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, and Landry Fields also had noteworthy rookie campaigns.

Most Improved: Derrick Rose
His quantum leap from 'star' to 'superstar' saw him entirely jump 'all star', which is likely thanks to his other-worldly athleticism. See what I did there. Apologies to Kevin Love, who also greatly improved but wasn't able to translate his individual success over to the teams success, on the same level as Rose. Dorell Wright stepped his game up in Golden State, and that's worth a mention as well.

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard
I think this one is pretty expected. Dwight Howard changes the game on the defensive end of the floor, intimidating shots when he's not blocking them, and gobbling up rebounds like a certain someone gobbles up ranch chip dip, yeah #realtalk. If you know, you know. But yeah Dwight is huge, and no one is impacting on the D end at his level right now. Kobe defends, Tony Allen deserves mention as well. Chandler's D in Dallas is notable as well.

All NBA Teams
1st - G - D. Rose G - K. Bryant F -  L. James F - D. Nowiztki C-  D. Howard

2nd - G - D. Wade G - M. Ginobili  F - P. Gasol F - K. Durant C - A. Stoudemire

3rd - G - R. Westbrook G - C. Paul F - Z. Randolph F - C. Anthony C - L. Aldridge

Apologies to Tony Parker and Blake Griffin, probably should be a Celtic in there, so I'll say Rondo, and another Bulls player is likely deserving, but I can't decide between Deng, Noah or Boozer.

Okay, enough NBA talk. Lets get to something else. It's Sunday, it's the 17th of April, and the count down is running.

It has been a few, so today sees us move up past the 67th, 66th, 65th, and 64th day until we arrive at our destination, which is where I'm heading with our number 66. So let's pump these out.

67. Vacation - Sorry Leaf's fans but I couldn't resist, and it seems to me that the Leaf players enjoy a good vacation, "They want us to play hockey... in June? Forget that, I'm on vacation!". Lots of folks save their vacation time for the summer and why not. I get it Leafs, Me (Age 15):  "So, teacher's work as much as high school students, and they get their summers off too?" My mama didn't raise no fool. I'll take the summer, thanks.

66. Road Trips - The summer is the perfect time to load the car up with your pals, unleash homemade mix cds on one another and go get lost some wheres. One of these summers I'm gonna do a Route 66 trip down through the heart of the U.S. I'm thinking Red Hot Chili Peppers "Road Trippin", 'Road Trippin with my two favourite allies'. On to more pressing issues, Osheaga Anyone? Eminem, meh, but if he went MM LP style, that would be something. But give me Kid Cudi, John Butler Trio, Flaming Lips, The Hip, Bright Eyes too and I think I'm in for that. Shotgun!

65. A Good Toss - Your at the beach, you get the gloves out and have a good toss. Few pop ups, a few off the sand, an apology to a concerned mother, a tinge of nostalgia, all in a good toss.

64. Nice Cars - I had the opportunity to go to the SpeedSport Car Show that was in town last week. There were definitely some real nice cars there, but also a lot that I said I wouldn't take out on our streets because the roads still have plenty of winter grime and salt on them. A few more rains and as things warm up, our roads we'll start to see some nicer rides. Fun to look at, when I was in Oz there wasn't a weekend that went by where we didn't see something double take worthy. I'm not talking Rav 4, though the Rav is the perfect 2 person car. Right Stru.

I'm all typed out for today. We'll get back to it early in the week with another top 20 list. Let me know if I forgot anything would ya. Hope everyone had a swell weekend! I leave you with some Hannibal Buress, give it a look. P.

My Hip Hop Top 20, The Knicks, The Jays and Naked Mullets...

You Gotta Fight..... For Your Right......To Parrrrrrtttay!

    
This is especially the case on a Wednesday!

        Enjoy the vid! It's a trailer for a new short film produced by Beastie Boy, Adam Yauch , and it features a copious amount of comedic talent. You've got Will Ferrell, Danny McBride and Jack Black just to name a few. The 22 minute short film premiered at Sundance in the short film program, it coincides with a return, the song to form for one of Hip Hop's original crews. The Beastie Boys also have a new album, Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2. Here is a first look at the new single of off of the new album, titled "Make Some Noise". Hot Sauce hits record stores May the 3rd.

       Hopefully that served to whet your hip hop appetite. Because, I just may hip hop in your mouth. That doesn't really mean anything, I just wanted to say it. Today we load up, mostly on beats and blaps as I kick out my inaugural Top 20 singles list. (musically speaking, not eligible women, though it is a thought and a growing concern - where are you girls?) Hoping to make the countdown a weekly feature around here. We'll take a look at  my squad, the New York Knickerbockers, and consider their NBA playoff hopes.We acknowledge the fact that summer is a mere 69 days away. We also take our first look at this seasons version of the Toronto Blue Jays. Jays Jays Jays Jays! Go Jays. I hope we can all agree on that much.

We'll save the best for last, so let's leave the top 20 for now and get straight to the tidbits.

Countdown, countdown, count it down! Monday we gave props to Dennis Rodman for being, decidedly, the best rebounder of all time. An while "The Worm" had little to do with our summer, (besides the fact he was often still playing for rings in June) I'm willing to bet Dennis enjoyed his offseasons. As well in there somewhere, I tossed out No. 70 for the game of golf, can't wait for the days of strokes, smokes and beers. Links baby!

Despite my desire to belt out Bryan Adams' "Summer of 69", and the obvious connection between the number and the season. I won't. I just won't. Aside from being an incredible easy out, the hypocrisy of the whole blog would cause it to implode from within. So instead, I've got an idea - Let's get naked. (Not the first time I've come up with such a solution.)

69. Skinny Dipping - While you can skinny dip in the winter, it's not something I look forward to. However, make that some summer skinny dipping, preferably mixed gender, warm evening, perhaps a wobbly pop or two and I can't say no to freedom like that. We're talking taking commando to the next level, freedom for the fellas. Not to mention that skinny dipping is decidedly advantageous for the male gender, perhaps that's why we're nearly always the ones to suggest it. What results sometimes is a males only party, but we don't mind, we see it as a win/win opportunity every time. Ladies, care to join? What's Jared Allen got to do with it, aside from wearing the digit, I figured it may be the only time you see him in '11, so why not. What's more check out the mullet! See if I don't go back to back with the mullets, that said, let's get to our 68th reason to look forward to summer.

68. Watermelon - I know that you can eat watermelon all year long but there's just something about getting a fresh melon, cracking it open on the picnic table, and carving that shit up. Where I come from watermelon is a summer staple, preferably seedless. (What an improvement) At 68 we have yet another majestic flow, thanks for  the memories Jagr. Arguably the best player in NHLPA 93.

New York State of Mind: Knicks Rolling Into Playoffs, Set to Play C's In 1st Round





            That's right the Melo Man. Call him MeloDRAMATIC, remind me that the Nuggets are "better off without him", and that the Knicks are only 14-13 since acquiring him and Billups back in February at the trade deadline. Say what you will I'm not listening I've been waiting too long for this. Long term the trade makes sense for the Knicks. My argument being that it is easier to add secondary players through the draft and free agency than land a superstar player, a player of Anthony's calibre. An while I will admit we did empty the cupboards and subsequently our depth in the deal, we got the best player in the deal. That is pretty much always the most important thing, (what'd Milwaukee get for Kareem?) This serves us best in the long term as we begin to put the pieces in place to build a title contender, I donno that we are there yet, we're still figuring out the chemistry between Amare and Carmelo and the guys are still learning to trust their defensive systems. I think Billups will be gone at the seasons end and we'll start looking for the point guard of the future. Get that, a bruising rebounder, and a wing defender and I think we have the makings of a team that can compete year in and year out for the next 4 or 5 years.

              So while I'm not ready to make any bold predictions about our title hopes I do think that we have a fighters chance in our first round match up with the Celtics.  We're playing our best basketball of the season at just the right time, and coincidentally the Celtics are playing their worst. I realize the C's went through the same thing last year stumbling into the playoffs only to make a push at the playoffs. However, this Celtics team isn't the same as last years squad, last years squad sacrificed wins to rest up and be ready come play off time. This season Doc Rivers played his guys down the stretch and they seem to have burnt out down the home stretch. Through in the Perkins trade and their lack of size up front and I think the Celtics have some major concerns entering the playoffs. That said, the Celtics hold the advantage in experience, team chemistry and half court defence all factors that often prove key in the grind it out fashion of the playoffs.

Boston just better hope they don't leave it in the hands of New York's second best closer to Mariano Rivera, Carmelo Anthony.  Anthony's game-winner against the Pacers on Sunday gave him 16 go-ahead field goals made in the last 10 seconds of a game, which is the most by any NBA player since the 2003-04 season (Carmelo's first season). Anthony leads Kobe Bryant (15), Ray Allen (11) and Dirk Nowitzki (10), atop the list. He is also 19-for-39 on shots that tie or put his team ahead in the final 10 seconds of regulation or overtime. That is the highest percentage of any active player in those situations since 2003-04. So yeah, he knows how to close it out. Win or lose in this first round I do think we have made great strides in the right direction, something I was seriously questioning back in July, when we lost out on the Lebron Sweepstakes! I think I'm happier with the way it has worked out in the end.

Jays, Jays, Jays!

Maybe I'm writing this a week too late, this time 7 days ago we were 4-1 and looking for a spot at the top of the AL East, while we looked down upon the struggling Yanks and Bosox. In the words of the Jigga-man, "Shit was all good just a week ago." I joke, as a Jays fan no baseball season can begin without the Jays building up a well of hope and support, only to hit us with a dose of AL East reality not long after. But this year there is a feeling of more than just early season hope. As much as blowing big leads to a just fair Seattle squad sucks. Growing pains, I guess. I just want to look as happy as this Jays fan when it's all said and done. Is that too much to ask? Bring back '93!

New General Manager, Alex Anthopoulos, has abandoned the useless strategy of building through aging veterans, so that we can finish third in the division, and flirt with a .500 season. For the last ten years did we really think scooping players like Frank Thomas, an aged Cecil Fielder, Raul Mondesi, Troy Glaus, Hakeem Olajuwon was the answer?(Maybe that last one was the Raps, but the same goes for them.) Finally, (I hope, I pray!) the Jays have acknowledged that they aren't going to outspend and out attract free agents over the Yanks and Sox.If we want to win in this division we are going to have to do it through shrewd moves in the draft, acquiring prospects/picks/space through player movement (which they've done nicely in unloading long time Jays Rios, Wells and sad to say, Halladay. Hopefully now the goal is to acquire a set of complimentary players to help the youth movement already at work. Steal a play from Tampa Bay Ray blueprint, for example, building a team through the draft and developing them in the minors. At current the Jays have some budding young prospects in Kyle Drabek, Brett Lawrie, and JP Arencibia, some young talent in Romero, Snider, Cecil and Escobar. We've got some middle aged veteran leadership in the likes of Aaron Hill, Adam Lind, and Jose Bautista and lastly, we've got a surprisingly strong bullpen, which will only get stronger when Frank Francisco returns from the DL. All of that adds up to something we haven't had in quite some time, hope. With that I'm looking forward to the growing pains we're going to experience this season. As long as the big picture continues to trend upwards I think we have to see this season as a success.

Which brings us to...
I'll be dropping my personal Top 20 from week to week here. Keep in mind this is just my own interpretation of what's hot and has nothing to do with airplay or record sales. I'll also try and keep to anything released within the last 3 months approx. If you're looking for a billboard top 20 list, I think they have their own site for that shit, and this ain't it. Enjoy.

Top 20 for the week of 04.11.11.

Honourable Mentiona: Yung Stunna - The Game Ft. Birdman, If I Die (John) Lil Wayne Ft. Rick Ross, Sookie Now - Big K.R.I.T.

20. Bundle Up - The Cool Kids
19. On My Level - Wiz Khalifa Ft. Too Short
18. Put Some Money On It - Slaughterhouse Ft. The LOX
17. Coming Home - Diddy Ft Skyler Grey
16. Taylor Gang - Wiz Khalifa Ft. Chevy Woods
15. Eraser - Kid Cudi
14. All Of The Lights (Remix) Kanye West Ft. Drake, Big Sean and Lil Wayne
13.All Black Everything - Lupe Fiasco
12. Wet -Snoop Dogg
11. American Rapstar - Big K.R.I.T.
10. Phone Numbers - Wiz Khalifa Ft. Trae The Truth and Big Sean
09. 3D - The Game Ft. David Banner
08. Capcom - Kid Cudi
07. Roll Up - Wiz Khalifa
06. Makin' Dough - Obie Trice
05. Black and Yellow (Remix) - Wiz Khalifa Ft. Snoop Dogg, Juicy J, T-Pain
04. 6'7" - Lil Wayne Ft. Cory Gunz
03. Dreamin' - Big K.R.I.T.
02. All Of The Lights - Kanye West
01. Red Nation - The Game Ft. Lil Wayne

Maybe next week we'll get to hear Struan's take. Hump day is over, it's all downhill from here. Enjoy some of the dopest lyrics on wax as my farewell. Nas circa '94, with "One Time For Your Mind". 

It's all knowledge, but check out where this picks up part way through the second verse:

I'm new on the rap scene, brothers never heard of me
Yet I'm a meance, yo, police wanna murder me
Heine(ken) Dark drinker, represent the thinker
My pen rides the paper, it even has blinkers
Think I'll dim the lights then inhale, it stimulates
Floating like I'm on the North 95 Interstate
Never plan to stop, when I write my hand is hot
And expand alot from the Wiz to Camelot
The parlayer, I'll make ya heads bop Pah
I shine a light on perpetrators like a cop's car
From day to night, I play the mic and you'll thank God
I wreck shit so much, the microphone'll need a paint job.

Peace. 

Weekend Moves Out, Ugly Cousin "Monday" Moves In...

       Per usual the weekend was only about half as long as we'd like and by the time we were done celebrating the fact that is was the weekend, we came to, only to realize it was actually Monday morning and it was gonna take more than a Tim Hortons extra large coffee to make it feel as bearable as say, a Tuesday.

 

         I'm looking particularly haggard this morning, and it's less an internal feeling of 'yuk' and more of the external, "you look terrible this morning Mr.Budd", variety. So being wise as I am, I decided to be proactive, you know, "shower the night before, so as to be not so rushed in the morning". All that really means, is I sleep-in an extra ten minutes in lieu of getting up to shower. So I still feeling the pangs of rushing around - only this time with sleep in my eyes and the hint of feeling "a little less clean", than usual. I also decided to shave my face last night, which is a rarity (to shave in general, that is) and now I know why, because I'm not particularly good at it. I did a half ass job last night, thinking another half ass job in the morning, would equal a whole ass job. In this instance, the only 'ass' in question, is me. It must have been the sleep in the eyes still, because I have a patchwork of whiskers resembling an unkempt Chia pet. Furthermore, looking in the mirror in one of the staff bathrooms, I remember why I don't like to shave and it's largely because my 'jaw line'. Because it's really not a 'jaw line' at all, it's actually my beard line and it has been replaced by Patches O'Hoollahan. An to make matters worse, no 'jaw line' means the dreaded double chin, which I fear only slightly less than my own mortality. I kid you not. This has been noted and expanded on in various forums of discourse. Mind you, I'm not feeling insecure or anything like that this morning, only 'weekend haggard', with a desire to go back to 12th grade and learn the finer points of facial landscaping. The moral here, shower every morning- even if you're not 'dirty' per say, it's worth it to feel fresh and not have crap all over your face. But you already knew that.

          The weekend wrap: I like to start my weekend off with a fairly uneventful Friday evening of serving at your local "City Grill". Followed by a late night of YouTube clips and songs on the AppleTV. The highlight of the evening being Darren Madden's "Casper" impersonation. Saturday was slightly more entertaining, which is to be expected when you consider the veritable powder keg that is Ben Smith, Rob Taylor, Jared Steeves, Dev Bezenson, Jon Black and John Brushett. We fed at the Tide and Boar, a new Gastropub restaurant located in downtown Moncton, on Main St. I do plan on beginning a series of local restaurant reviews in here and my only regret is that I didn't take any notes on Saturday, which would have made for pretty good review fodder. I'd go from memory but... I really would have needed notes on this night, trust me. The rest of evening doesn't get a whole lot clearer, however I do recall cursing myself for my decision to, once again, go to the "Vie". Every weekend I go, I am reminded that there is not enough room to move around or buy a drink without feeling trampled upon or shoved aside. I compare my relationship with the Vie to that of a high school boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, despite the let downs it's all my Saturdays have known for so long that I catch my self sliding right back in there time after time, almost unknowingly at times. So i declare, no Vie for me! Not until Saturday, atleast!

          On to the daily rift raft, I have an extended writing opportunity thanks to the fact that I've truly made it as professional teacher. No, I still have yet to land a contract but I did have an intern to work the day away for me aujourd'hui. I realize I just had a rant about it being Monday and rah rah rah, that was all true, but the cosmos have thrown me a bone here in this instance. The teacher I'm supplying for has a student teacher doing her internship, and this young teacher is so far along in her internship that she is actually teaching the classes at this point, and well, that leaves me to 'supervise' her, while she supervises the students. This time last year I was the student-teacher, working for free and teaching the classes, while my mentor teacher 'supervised' me. I've come full circle. However, the fact remains I just need a full time jay-oh-bee. This exciting new development has given me a little extra time to write for today. As you can see, I have tracked down a 'countdown widget' to track the days til summer. Now keep in mind the countdown listed here supposes that 'Summer' officially starts June 21st, I have heard conflicting dates, some saying that it starts June 20, and me being the impatient, glass half full guy that I am, I'd like to think of this countdown merely as a set of arbitrary numbers, that summer will already be in full swing by the 20th of June. My glass overflowth perhaps?!

        So without further ado, I will begin my Summer 2011 Countdown"" at numero 70 and carry it right on through til we're eating the lobster we resemble.

 70. Golf - With "The Masters" just wrapping up over the weekend, I know for many of us this is the introduction to the 2011 golf season. Many of us are chomping at the bit, looking forward to getting the courses cleaned up. We all simply cannot wait to get out there, curse our faces off until about the 6th hole when we've had enough to drink that we accept our ineptitude and begin developing more creative ways to shave strokes of our scorecard, foot wedge anyone? I realize this has nothing to do with "The Worm", but kudos to him and his recent Hall of Fame induction, thanks for donning the '70' with Dallas in the twilight of your career.


In other countdown news, we are two weeks away from that time of year when rabbit's begin to lay eggs and Jesus died for your weekends, also known as Easter. See you soon, Palm Sunday.

         Heavy rotation in this week's speakerboxxx finds us still enjoying Arcade Fire's, "The Suburbs", still bumpin' last weeks review artist Big K.R.I.T. and his "Return of 4eva" album. Wiz's "Rolling Papers" album also got some serious play over the weekend. I would also like to digest just a bit of crow for my preemptively derogatory remarks about Jim Jones' "Capo" album, which I have listened to and found surprisingly, slightly enjoyable and worth a listen. Highlights being his collaboration with  Wyclef Jean titled, "God Bless the Child" as well as another collabo with The Game, "Milk Carton". Real talk. Is anyone hotter than The Game right now? Besides maybe Hansel. Looking forward to his oft-delayed "Red" album, which still as no set release date, but prognosticators suggest it should be available sometime in June. For now, we'll just have to enjoy his seemingly endless stream of mixtapes. As for this weeks releases, one album I'm looking forward to hearing is critic darlings TV on the Radio and their new release "Nine Types of Light". If they can conjure up any of their past magic, a la "Return to Cookie Mountain", I look forward to playing their new album for weeks to come.

        "Do you like scary movies, Sydney?" (Said in creepy, original "Scream" voice) This week features the latest instalment of the "Scream" series. Scream 4 debuts Friday across the nation and sees the return of some familiar faces from the original. In news that could make for a potentially big week for the blog, I got my hands on Blu ray copies of, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" and "The Girl Who Play with Fire", both of which are screen adaptations of Steig Larsen's Millennium series novels. Having read the novels already, I'm looking forward to seeing the director and screenplay writer's interpretations. It's always interesting to contrast your minds eye with the vision of someone else. So I'll be looking to write some type of response concerning that. I should note that I am patiently looking forward to David Fincher's 'American' adaptation of the novel, which is set to release in just in time for Christmas of 2011. Something to write about anyway.    
        
         As I alluded to with my No. 70 above, this past weekend was a great weekend for sports. The Masters featured a compelling finish in which Tiger, yeah that Tiger, nearly marched his way up the leader board to victory. Insert, needed a bird in the hole joke here. Rory McIlroy had a near epic meltdown that he will be forgiven for, given his age. He only gets another half dozen of those before we start to throw Greg Norman's name in his face. In the end, it was the brilliant finish by Charl Schwartzel that brought the green jacket home. Schwartzel birdied the final 4 holes to pull away from the crowded field, holding off the charges of numerous Aussies seeking the Continent's first Green jacket. Australia remains without a green jacket representative, despite a strong showing that saw 3 Aussie blokes finish among  top 6 on Sunday. In other major sports news, the NHL and NBA  regular seasons are just winding down and playoff pairings are lining up. Here's what the first round match ups look like.

NHL

The 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs will begin on Wednesday, and the first round match-ups are now set.

With re-seeding taking place before the second round it is not-possible to post a proper bracket however here are the first round series.

Eastern Conference

Washington Capitals (1) vs New York Rangers (8)

Philadelphia Flyers (2) vs Buffalo Sabres (7)

Boston Bruins (3) vs Montreal Canadiens (6)

Pittsburgh Penguins (4) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (5)

Western Conference

Vancouver Canucks (1) vs Chicago Blackhawks (8)

San Jose Sharks (2) vs Los Angeles Kings (7)

Detroit Red Wings (3) vs Phoenix Coyotes (6)

Anaheim Ducks (4) vs Nashville Predators (5)

 

With so many lower seeded Western Conference teams playing their best hockey of the year heading into the playoffs, this should make for an exciting first round. The first round also pits last years Stanley cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks versus the class of 2011 to this point, the Vancouver Canucks. Can the 'Nucks finally get the playoff monkey off their backs? Time will tell.

 

.

 

NBA

The NBA Season still has 2 games remaining. Despite this fact all 16 play off teams have already cemented there place in the post season. The only remaining mystery is the final seedings for the lower half of the Western Conference bracket. So I'll put the current match-ups, though they are subject to change given the teams results between now and Wednesday
.





Eastern Conference                                                   

Chicago Bulls (1) vs Indiana Pacers (8)      
Miami Heat (2) vs Philadelphia 76ers (7)     
Boston Celtics (3) vs New York Knicks (6)

Orlando Magic (4) vs Atlanta Hawks (5)           

Western Conference

San Antonio Spurs (1) vs Memphis Grizzilies (8)

Dallas Mavericks (3) vs Portland Trailerblazers(6)

L.A. Lakers (2) vs New Orleans Hornets(7) 

Oklahoma City Thunder (4) vs Denver Nuggets (5)

Now keep in mind that the positions 6-8 in the Western Conference can be juggled around as yet. Portland, New Orleans and Memphis are all separated by just 1 game with 2 games remaining.

More on both of these playoffs pictures as the week progresses.

That's it for today folks, thanks for following. Shout out to Royce, aka MC, who is keeping my blog international with viewership from Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand. I'm following you, while you follow me. Unless of course I am mistaken and I have other viewers out there in Southeast Asia, in which case I'd like to thank you for you viewership as well.

Stay tuned later this week for my hip hop's most wanted column, featuring the top 20 hip hop singles out there at the moment. (IMO and hopefully Struan will chime in as well. Something I'd like to make a weekly feature. 

The Thursday Re-Up

"Please stop killing things while the national anthem plays Anthony, have a little respect."

      That's how I started my day. To clarify, Anthony is a student in the grade 10 Computer Tech class I was teaching this morning. Some students come in before the start of class to play video games on the school computers, and this particular zombie annihilation game had carried over to the start of the school day, I hated to interrupt his kill streak but it had to be done! Oh, Canada!

      Just figured I'd start off by sharing that anecdote with my good friend, the world wide web, as well as my mother. I know you're out there and I know you're reading. It's been a good week so far, generally speaking, life is good. There is the familiar fragrance of spring in the air, the mornings are a fresh cool, but not a frozen cold. I hate to jinx the emerging new season, but I think we're finally out of the drones of winter - long overdue. In fact, we are now 73 days away from  the summer season, starting at 70 I will begin a countdown of summer "things" to help keep up the morale as we look forward to the best season Eastern Canada has to offer. If your summers are anything like mine, 70 highlights should be a warm summer breeze - and I'm not even counting that one. Countdown to the countdown - 3 days.

Quick Movie Review - I saw "Lincoln Lawyer" with my father a few nights ago,
and I pleasantly surprised by what I saw. For once I felt they didn't spill too much in the trailer. (An aside - some previews these days should be accompanied by a spoiler alert following the "intended for all audiences" green screen - I'm of the mind that I've already seen the movie "Company Man". So let me see, Ben Affleck loses his job and his sense of worth, only to rededicate himself, pull himself up by his bootstraps and overcome the recession like a good hard working American, I know, I've seen the trailer like 3 times) But I digress, it's rare with the media hype these days that a film lives up to or exceeds expectations and LL exceeded my initial expectations, so boo-ray. Don't get me wrong you likely won't see this film up for any year end awards and Matthew McConaughey doesn't exactly stretch his range as a smooth talking, arrogant, defence lawyer. But the film is highly entertaining and does move from one scene to the next with good pace. Ryan Philippe plays a convincing role as the wrongfully accused (uh oh, is he?) defendant. If you enjoy a good legal thriller, where ethics and morals are put to the test then I would recommend checking it out. If you're just in it for Matthew McConaughey's jaw structure and abdomen, Surfer Dude is widely available at your local blockbuster.


      In other movie news,  "Your Highness" is one film debuting this week. It's the follow up to director David Gordon Green's stoner success, "Pineapple Express". Follwoing a similar blueprint it features a couple of the major players from PE in Danny McBride and James Franco. This time the fellas are joined by Natalie Portman in a movie set in medieval times. This film promises to be "high" on laughs, if not on plot. "Hanna" also has piqued my interest and comes into theatres this weekend. It should be an action packed thriller, in which a young girl is trained by her father, an ex-CIA agent, play by Eric Bana. She undergoes rigorous training from a very young age to be a skilled assassin. After years of training, the young girl, play by newcomer Saoirse Ronan, (Also in The Lovely Bones) who is sent out by her father to complete a mission. I won't delve any further but think "Bourne Identity" meets "Leon (The Professional)". And lastly, there is the comedy "Arthur", starring comedian Russell Brand which also debuts this weekend. Based on the previews this film looks like a skipper for me, despite the fact that "Get Him To the Greek" and "Saving Sarah Marshall" were both worth watching. I think the formula grows a bit tired here and I question whether Brand has enough gusto to carry a full feature length film on his own, whereas he had a brilliant cast of supporting comedians in the past and was more of a bit player than the star of the show.

      Pretty slow week as far as DVD's go: you can pick up a copy of Tron Legacy, on the 3rd instalment of the DeNiro/Stiller series "Little Fockers". Rush. Or don't. Also if you're an aficionado, the 10th anniversary Blu-Ray edition of "Memento" comes out this week. Loaded with extra features, and if you have yet to see it, do rush.

Mid Class:

Me: "Alright Anthony, let's get back to work there"
Anthony: "Alright, just as soon as I kill all these zombies!"
Me: "Of course, first things first."


        Brilliant stuff really. So I was writing that Big K.R.I.T. review and listening to the album ad nauseam, when I concluded that the reason I like it so much is that it reminds me of what good Southern rap should sound like - good Southern rap should sound like Outkast. (IMHO, apologies to UGK, Goodie Mobb and the Geto Boys) While Big K.R.I.T. is undeniably his own man and has his own original flavour- it it is the heavy bass, Southern soul and g-funk that stands out to me as signature characteristics of an Outkast album. So in the days that followed I took a trip down memory lane and got back into some mid 90's Outkast. This inspired me to share with you all an inspired list of the top 20 efforts by the dynamic duo of Andre "Three Stacks" 3000 and his partner in rhyme, Big Boi. It is important to note that this list will solely deal with albums the tandem completed together and will not include their individually complete double album "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" (despite the fact it kicks ass) or Big Boi's solo 2010 release, "Sir Lucious Left Foot... The Son of Chico Dusty" (Arguably the best rap album of the year!) I'm looking more specifically at the Organized Noise produced, raw Southern Hip Hop that put them on the map as a rap power group in the mid 90's. So without further a do, he is my list of Outkast's best work.

In descending order, from transcendent piece of art to uber-transcendent piece of art.

The sneaky extra honourable mentions: Over Da Wudz, West Savannah, Hootie Hoo, Git Up Git Out

 20. Ms. Jackson (Stankonia)
19. Gasoline Dreams (Stankonia)
18. Aquemini (Aquemini)
17. Skew It On The Bar B (Aquemini)
16.  Da Art of Storytellin' Pt.1 (Aquemini)
15. Babylon (Atliens)
14.  Ain't No Thing (Southernplayalisticadillacmusic)
13. Jazzy Belle (Atliens)
12. B.O.B. (Stankonia)
11. Southernplayalisticadillacmusic (Southernplayalisticadillacmusic)
10. Elevators (Atliens)
9. So Fresh, So Clean (Stankonia)
8. We Luv Deez Hoez  (Stankonia)
7. Rosa Parks (Aquemini)
6. Slump (Aquemini)
5. Return of the 'G' (Aquemini)
4. Wheelz of Steel (Atliens)
3. Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac) (Atliens)
2. Atliens (Atliens)
1. Chonkyfire (Aquemini)

Many rappers would be hard pressed to put together a top 20; coming up with twenty from 'Kast is easy. It was making the cuts and fixing the order that was the order of the day.

        My comparison to Big K.R.I.T. may be premature and is mostly concerning their earliest work where they collaborated almost exclusively with Organized Noise. Big K.R.I.T can only hope that he matures as an artist in a similar fashion as the pair of Andre Benjamin and Andre Patton two artists in the rap game that would fit on my Rap Mount Rushmore, if it had five heads or a Siamese thing going on. What an adventure of different sounds they have explored, nearly always with great success, save for the Idlewild thing. Otherwise the catalogue is top-notch. From early space funk era of "Southernplayalisticaddilacmusic" and "Atliens", to the ethereal feeling of "Aquemini", transformed the futuristic sounds of "Stankonia", only to switch it up and release a double individual effort with "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which emphasized each rappers individual talents. Clearly they have grown in different directions musically throughout this process, we can only hope that their paths find a cross section again soon.

Check out "Royal Flush" on YouTube for one of their latest sessions. It's not overly new but if you haven't heard it, both 'Dre 3000 and Boi cut this one up, one of Benjamin's epic verses in my opinion. Raekwon also drops by and holds his own.

        
        In other music news, this week marks the 17th anniversary of Kurt Cobain's descent into the netherworld. Pretty unbelievable that it has been that long, also hard to believe the impact himself and Nirvana continue to have on the music world after all these years. In really doesn't get much better than 1991's "Nevermind", an album that changed the landscape of popular music in the early 90's and propelled North American music out of the anthem hair metal of the 80's and into the grunge alternative sound of the 90's. Rest in peace KC.

Newly available albums include: Bizzy Bone has a new album out, Jim Jones drops "Capo", so it's one of those weeks where you just save your money I suppose.

10 minutes left in class.

Me: "Anthony, for the last time stop playing that game. I thought you had only a few left to kill?"
Anthony: "Yeah I do, but then they just keep on coming!"
Me: "Ain't that the truth."

Some people's kids.

Keep on rockin' in the free world. P

And Then There Were 2, Big K.R.I.T.'s R4, and My Love/Hate Relationship With Being Lazy

What up! It's been a little over a week since I last posted and much has transpired since you were last this bored. Of primary notation, I want to wish all the best to my big brother Dan, who has just taken off to South Korea to complete a year long teaching contract. I'm sure all is well and that life will continue to provide him an infinite number of blessings wherever he is it at! Holla! In other news we have the culmination of March Madness this evening to discuss, I anoint Big K.R.I.T. as a pillar of hip hop's future blueprint and I discuss how my body punishes me for punishing it.

Let's get started with a link. I would be remiss to not acknowledge my disappointment with the current state of humankind. (ha! a broad but day to day truth) Exhibit A for me has to be that Rebecca Black's, ahem music video, "Friday", now has over 80 million views. Which means most of you have already seen the video, criticized the lyrical content, questioned the age of drivers licence certification validity, rhymed bowl with cereal, and admitted it was somehow a catchy car accident you couldn't help but hum and tune into. So in an attempt to embrace our incompetency, I've elected to share some of the entertainment and humour that has spawned out of this latest blip on the Internet's viral video radar. So rather than simply spew venom I'll just share Stephen Colbert's rendition of "Friday", which he performed this past Friday, April 1st, on The Jimmy Fallon. Colbert performed live alongside The Roots Crew, the result of a bet Colbert had lost to Fallon.
 
http://www.okayplayer.com/news/video-stephen-colbert-x-the-roots-friday-live-on-lnwjf.html

Despite all that Friday fun, the fact remains that is really the Anti-Friday, FFFIM. (You figure it out!) But unlike every other Monday of the year, this Monday sets the date for  the National Collegiate Basketball Championship and it's "One Shining Moment" along with it. This years tournament has been one for the ages. No no.1s in the Final Four. No no.2s in the Final Four. A tightening of the gap, it seems, between the power conferences and those that boast the "mid majors". Despite the fact that there seems to be an admitted drop in the quality of basketball, the tournament remained as competitive as ever. And for most viewers, it is the excitement of close games, the thought that David can indeed upset Goliath, and namely competitive finishes that makes for a great 3 weeks of basketball.


So I say, even though there has indeed been a talent drain, it has been a great few weeks of basketball. And believe the talent drain is real. For example, this years tournament didn't feature future professional superstars like Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, John Wall, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and others from recent years past. You would be hard pressed to come up with a top ten of tournament players who will be cashing in big a lottery selections for the NBA in a couple months time. (Derrick Williams looked like one, would still like to see him play more but Kyrie Irving may be another) The tournament's two most talked about players Jimmer Fredette and Kemba Walker both have major question marks when prognosticating about theirs chances for future professional fame. Again, in spite of the fact we don't have the big NAMES I think this year we are seeing some big TEAMS.

I take my hat off to the Butler Bull Dogs who have triumphed over both a number 1 and a number 2 seed before most recently outlasting a scrappy and desperate VCU team. The coach for the Bulldogs has his young men buying in and believing! On paper this Bulldog team doesn't look like much, I doubt many of its squad even received so much as a sniff from the major BCS power schools. But when they get out on the court the Bulldogs play with poise and a scrappy resolve that has translated into close late game wins. Connecticut boasts a more talented squad but that hasn't meant much in this tournament so far and Kemba Walker definitely appeared to be feeling the effects of his now month long reign over college basketball. Walker has put the Huskies on his back and carried them since their 9th place seeding in the Big East tournament in early March. Since then he has led the Huskies to 10 straight playoff elimination, lose and you're out, victories. So that all said I will take the Butler Bulldogs for tonight's final, the BEST team will beat the tournament's BEST player. I'll be tuning in either way, it's Monday and we excited, we so excited!

The Final Four wasn't the only basketball tournament taking place with past weekend. We had our BNB provincial finals over the weekend, losing in the finals by 4 to a team representing the Fredericton area. Despite the loss, the weekend was a great chance to get together with old friends, rivals, etc. In the finals I managed to pull my right hamstring, which gives me a pull in each of my legs over the course of the past 2 weeks, through in an AC sprain in my shoulder and somehow I've concluded my body has given up on me. Further research suggests that I may have given up on my body first. I enjoyed a healthy career, never once getting hurt to the point of missing a game or more than a practice. I believe this to be partly the result of good luck, and partly the result of a steady work ethic and training program. In the years that have followed I play considerably less competitive basketball, but I also do considerably less to put myself in the position to succeed. That's right, laymen terms I don't stay in shape the way I used to and to this point the result was just I didn't play as good but now that my body is falling apart I'm thinking it might be time for a switch. That's right D.White, I may not have been entirely correct when I said "life is too short not to eat as deliciously as you like". Hashtag real talk. So it's with renewed dedication that I'm gonna get at besting myself, try and right a few recent wrongs that I've been  burdening my body with. It's been take, take, take and it seems it's time to give,give, give, once again. It's all about harmony folks. I'm looking for mine. See ya at the yoga studio!

In music news, this past week saw the release of a few notable hip hop albums. Wiz Khalifa dropped his first major label debut and Snoop Dogg also released his first note worthy release in quite some time. I've listened to both of those bigger name releases and I will get around to writing a review on each of these soon enough, but this week another lesser name dominated the airwaves in our apartment. Big K.R.I.T. of Mississippi fame independently released his latest album this past Tuesday, titled "The Return of 4eva" or simply "R4", you can download it for free at a variety of different torrent hotspots, as well as at KRIT's own website for the album. http://www.returnof4eva.com/

If you have listened to Big K.R.I.T. before than you have likely checked out his mix tape "Big K.R.I.T. Wuz Here" and this album picks up where the fall mix tape left off, including borrowing the name of the mix tapes first track for his album titled. While K.R.I.T. may be a new name to many, he has been around the scene for a while now and is coming of age. His name K.R.I.T. is an acronym for King Remembered In Time and judging by his latest offering the name may not be out of reach.

K.R.I.T.  begins his album with the intro titled R4 Intro, dropping a brief series of bars to get the album started off right. From the start you can feel the Southern influence on his work. The second song "Rise and Shine" reminds me of an old Outkast tune ,"Get Up, Get Out". And if you know me, then you know as far as I'm concerned Outkast is a great influence to pattern yourself after. The appropriately titled, "Rise and Shine" gets the album off to a great start as KRIT begins to show the lyrical dexterity he possess that separates him from other "also ran" rappers from the South. KRIT's lyrical quality is refreshing in an era in which hip hop has become dominated by style over substance at times. "R4" features a fluid South soul quality that shares from it's heritage but also embraces KRIT's own originality. "R4 Theme Song" comes next and features another borrowed sample of Outkast's Andre 3000's "4ever'eva". Sonically speaking, "R4" is heavy on the bass, which makes this album great for driving slow and taking in. The albums 4th offering, "Dreamin', is a contender for best track on the album. I'll post the video for "Dreamin" after the review. "Dreamin" is a catchy track that details K.R.I.T.'s rise above the obstacles he's faced on his way to this point. The following couple songs have a Third Coast feel to them of the South. One of the things I most respect about KRIT is that he makes his own beats, everything you hear on "R4" is Big K.R.I.T. "Rotation", "My Sub" and "Sookie Now" are all Southern bangers that feature heavy basslines, horns, bounce and references to woodgrain kits. The beats alone would make these songs listenable, add in that what K.R.I.T. says on the tracks is worth hearing is what separates him from typical Soulja Boy big beat, big hook 'one and done's, out of the South. Fellow Mississippi relative David Banner lends his talents on, "Sookie Now" and despite a decent verse K.R.I.T. easily outshines him here. The next song ,"American Rapstar" is a track I shared a link to on here a couple weeks back. KRIT comes with it on this track questioning the hypocrisy of being an "American Rapstar", this guys not just in it for the money, he's got ideas and creativity and this song shows it. Mix in an infectious hook and it'll get play, even if he is questioning the rap scene.

The following song, "Highs and Lows" is a bit slower than the preceding tracks suggesting life is like an EQ of 'Highs and Lows'. Kind of a take it our leave it track as far I'm concerned but those that like the slow g-funk sound will likely enjoy it. "Shake It" features Joi and sees the tempo sped up. K.R.I.T. flows effortlessly over this beat showing he can mix speeds as well as styles. "Made Alot" sees the return of KRIT's pal Big Sant over a smooth beat. "Made Alot" addresses the haters who suggest that K.R.I.T. has changed as a result of his new found celebrity. K.R.I.T. rebukes this thought, or at least those who harbour it. "Lions and Lambs" comes next and is a slower beat that explores a timeless metaphor or hunt or be hunted, only the strong survive. This track features some old school scratching and a Goodie Mobb homage bite. The next track finds K.R.I.T. asking himself what's a king without a crown? Bringing a strong soulful touch and old school feel to the song. Next up is, "Time Machine" in which Chammillionaire lends his vocals as he and KRIT reminisce over the songs, albums and artists they grew up in their cars listening to. The two artists pay respect to Southern legends the Geto Boys and UGK among others. The next track "Get Right" feels like a borrowed sample from an Organized Noise production, certainly sounds like something Outkast could spit over. This track has that old school feel, taking us back to the mid 90's, my favourite era for hip hop. This track will be getting some play as  I "Get Right" for the summer. After that we have "Amtrak",  featuring a catchy beat in which KRIT invites his listeners to take a ride on his locomotive. Not terrible but i think this song slightly misses the mark, not forgettable but not memorable either. K.R.I.T. follows this with Players Ballad, an undeniably Southern joint  featuring voice of the South Raheem DeVaughn, on the course.

Next comes one of the albums heavier tracks, "Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed and Encouraging Racism", check the acronym. A more socially conscience effort, in this joint KRIT spits over a series of trumpets and declares his independence and individuality from the ignorance that imprisons us all. Great song. It's songs like this that give this album it's outstanding replay value as each time you listen you find another nugget of wordplay. The next track "Free My Soul" is a soulful piano laden beat that has KRIT wondering whether the material possessions of this world will be enough to free his conscience, free his soul. "The Vent" is a lot like how it sounds, starting out slow and flowing nearly acapella KRIT spits about his struggle and basically what he's going through. He does this with a sincerity that makes you turn and ear up to hear every word. He closes out the haunting track with some singing and shows his melodic qualities. And lastly the album closes itself out with a bonus track, a remix of the "Country Shit" track that appeared on his "K.R.I.T Wuz Here" mix tape. Only this time the track features major label heavy hitters, Ludacris and Bun-B. K.R.I.T. fits right in here and Luda also delivers and offering worth getting excited about. A great way to finish off a great album. I donno that this album will get enough promotion and distribution to become a game changer in itself but it may serve as final notice of Big K.R.I.T's rise before he is indeed remember as a King in the rap game. I greatly look forward to his major label debut and in the meantime I will be getting plenty of airplay out of "R4"!  Check it out, you'll be glad you did.
http://www.okayplayer.com/?s=big+krit

Beats: 8.5/10   Lyrics: 9/10   Overall: 9/10

Okay that's it for today, this has been a while coming and a while finishing. Enjoy tonight's game and get that album! Let me know if you dig the album.

P