Last week was a weird week for me.

First of all, I had no desire to listen to any rap music.  I had to clear my head (||) so to speak.  Gotty™ always spoke about it, but I just figured it was one of his OMG rants.  Yet, I spent the week listening to Jazz.  I came across Quincy Jones’ cover of the classic song “Along Came Betty” while waiting for the airport McDonald’s® to tell me they didn’t have milkshakes for the 59th consecutive day.  To my surprise, they finally hired someone who had higher than (or wasn’t working towards) a high school diploma and figured out that some part was in backwards.  Milkshake in tow; I pulled into a parking space, turned up the volume, turned off the work phone and sat quietly listening, enjoying the moment and the music.

With Hubert Laws leading the way on flute, The Dude updates and loosens up  the Big Band era sound that gave him his first shot in the game.  And to tell you the truth, this was the closest I came to hearing words on a track all week.

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Download — Quincy Jones – “Along Came Betty”

Simply put, the kid has the potential to live up to his freak of nature billing, and given what everyone already knows about him, I fully expect him to. Dubbing Griffin as the ‘next Amare Stoudamire’ may be premature, but clips like this give me all the reason in the world to continue to do so (too bad he plays for the forgotten stepchild of Los Angeles sports). Read the rest of this entry »

It’s always tough to admit when you’ve made a mistake, especially when you’ve had chances to redeem yourself on a weekly basis. Regardless, when you finally do realize your mistake, it is best to confess it rather than go on acting like you never made it.

I slept on Pill’s music. Read the rest of this entry »

After I gave Wiz Khalifa a tip of the hat the other day, it’s not surprising he went and set the bar so high by rocking over the one offshoot joint of the year Gotty™ and I’d been waiting for someone to sample all summer; “Walking On A Dream,” Empire Of The Sun’s floaty indie pop ditty that earned the powerpop duo from Down Under national commercials and a spot on Hov’s CD. Read the rest of this entry »

There was a time in life when having a pair of Pro-Keds meant something. This was many moons before million dollar endorsements, technological advances, advertising campaigns…hell, it was right after tennis shoes came to be. Read the rest of this entry »

Very very clean. Left Coast in full effect as Hella Tight gets with U-N-I to release a snapback that alludes to the group’s “Land Of Kings” as well as the Lakers. Releasing today @ the Hella Tight e-store. Read the rest of this entry »

Nadia Jo, Thicker Than A Snicker

Six People Whose Quest For Fame Was Worse Than Richard Heene [Gawker]

Weed Smuggling Horses Busted By the Man [Animal]

“Beverly Hills 4? Starting Over [Showing Out]

Colombian Mayor Cancels Calle 13 Show Over T-shirt [AP]

These Quarterbacks Don’t Hate Each Other Enough! [Kissing Suzy Kobler] Read the rest of this entry »

Well, not really. As we all know, Koopa isn’t the one for curse words or to talk greasy for that matter, but you can see the frustration as he’s recounting the time his Royal Airness made him feel like a groupie over a simple request. 15 G’s!?!? For real? What was that, snow bunny fare Mike? Read the rest of this entry »

You know something is terribly wrong when Leslie Hindman Auctioneers can sell some of Elvis Presley’s locks for fifteen large, while four thousand miles away in Venice, 97-year-old Bessie Mae Berger and her two sons live in a dilapidated ’73 Suburban. Read the rest of this entry »

The homie Neil D. was just asking me on Sunday what my intentions were for beanies this winter. It coincided with another conversation that I was having with an elder and the fact that it’s already brick in October…plus I’m a crazy baldhead. Aside from a handful of Lo joints I’ve swooped from Marshall’s, I don’t really have any winter headgear so I’m in need.

Enter these Mitchell & Ness team beanies, which look right nice & comfy. Double-layered knit for the warmth and coming in old & new NFL & NHL logos. Not bad @ all.

The team-colored pom-pom @ the top is just to help keep you feeling youthful.

Seen @ CK

Major moves continue to be made as Starks teams up with Nike and Lance Armstrong to add their signature laces & tips to the joints that come on the Zoom Tiempo. Fresh respects Fresh with respect due to Alex and the whole Stark Laces conglomerate.

[CtotheJL]

This Dro & Cannon mixtape is nearly three weeks late (it was originally scheduled for 10.1) and we’re all overdue for new material Grand Hustle’s de facto face-of-the-label during T.I.P’s incarceration. As a result, I know a forum full of disappointed fans that have been voicing their displeasure @ the wait for this one. But who can really complain about free? And what better way to get a Monday in motion than to hear Dro talk about the kaleidoscope of colors that make up his cars and clothes? Read the rest of this entry »

Even though the album is pushed back, “I’m Good” still has a wee bit of life left and they’re gonna keep it moving. Lemons to lemonade because that’s what hustlers do. The purveyors of coke team with Hip-Hop’s top cop for a remix of “I’m Good” and both Push & Mal bring quality verses that Read the rest of this entry »

You didn’t really think Gucci was going to slow down simply because he released three mixtapes simultaneously on Saturday did you? Pssh, little downloader please. That was an offering to satisfy his core fanbase. Now, he’s attempting to stoke anticipation for The State vs Radric Davis coming this December by releasing the Polow-produced “Spotlight.” Read the rest of this entry »

Damnit, Timbo. Not again, man. It feels like we just went through this a week ago when BP3 was springing a leak quicker than suspects on “First 48.” Now your own work for Shock Value 2 is leaking and “Believe It Or Not” featuring Hip-Hop’s Oscar De La Hoya (“Golden Boy”) is on every site imaginable and there goes the element of surprise right out the window. Read the rest of this entry »