The House of Shaolin reigns supreme yet again. In preparation for it’s November 25th theatrical release, the Ninja Assassin OST gets gully enlisting The Chef Raekwon and producer Kannoby, who in turn, recruits some West Coast all-stars to kick lyrics like Rain. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re a cig smoker and have had a headache lately, you’re not alone.

Thanks to a relatively-new legislation passed in quite a few states, Fire Safe Cigarettes will be taking the place of those skwos you live and die for. Apparently, this ‘enhanced’ cigarette extinguishes if left sitting to long, in order prevent the hundreds of cigarette-fire deaths and millions in property damage that occur every year. If you don’t believe me, or just don’t want to, check next to the barcode on your packs for the FSC logo. More than likely, it’s already there and you didn’t even know it. And, if the nice lady at the gas station is correct, every brand from Newports® to Natural Spirits® will be chock full these FSCs for the rest of eternity.

I’m not a smoker myself, but my friends are heated about it – calling everyone – and throwing out the updated acronym ‘Fucking Shitty Cigarettes’ every five minutes.

Me…I’ll just stick to the good stuff.

Stray Shots

Trek_Manifest_-_The_Precedent_Volume_Three

Anita Baker – Compositions

3OH3-Want-(Deluxe_Edition)-2009

Cee & Bekah – Soul Movement Vol. 3 (Hosted by Mick Boogie & Terry Urban)

Bobby_Creekwater-Anthem_To_The_Streets-(Hosted_By_Don_Cannon)-2005

Bobby_Creekwater-Back_To_Briefcase_(Hosted_By_DJ_Infamous)-(Bootleg)-2007-

Maxi Priest – The Best Of Me

DJ_Magic_Mike-Bass_Is_How_It_Should_Be_Done

Jabari & The NMC Present: Neako “The Rubix Cube: Blue Edition”

Vic Damone & DJ Onpoint – King Of Queens

Lean On Me OST (1989)

Stray Shots

Not sure if there are any future indications that you can read from this but seeing Mecca & The Soul Brother together again on stage is sight for sore eyes…and sweet sounds for the ears.

We all know that hindsight is 20/20.  But for Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey, it also tastes like salsa.

Joakim Noah could not play. He was soft, had the shooting form of a fourth-grader and simply didn’t have game.

Of this, I was certain on Draft Day 2007. I couldn’t have been more certain if the late Wilt Chamberlain had called from his water bed in the sky to tell me Noah was a 6-foot-11 fraud.

Above my column the next day was a photo of Noah in a bow tie and a seersucker suit, his tangled hair sticking out Bozo-like from the sides of a Bulls cap as he shook hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern. The instant-classic headline: “You must be Joakim.”

Well, who’s joking now?

I stand before you a humbled man, having been set straight by a Bull who possesses energy, heart and, yes, ability.

I was wrong.

Joakim Noah can play.

In that ill-fated jumble of words from June 29, 2007, I wrote that if in three years I realized I was off-target about the University of Florida center, I would drizzle salsa on the column and eat it. I wrote it never expecting to do it. On Monday, I showed up at the Berto Center with the offending column and some hot sauce, and ate my words, with Noah watching at my side and rookie James Johnson looking on. – Rick Morrissey

I can’t front, Noah was extremely annoying in college, but at no point did I ever think he’d be a bust.  I mean even while he was in college, Anderson Varejao was a poor man’s Joakim Noah.  Head to three minute mark to see things get under way.  Noah’s in attendance and is doing all the goofy dances and outbursts that may have distracted some people from recognizing his abilities on the court.

I never thought Joakim would become a perennial All-Star, but I assumed he’d have a nice 10+ year career.  And for that (along with keeping my mouth shut on draft day) I get eat my salsa with tortilla chips.

[TrueHoop]

One time I was supposed to kick it with a friend of mine at some random club of skanks like every other Friday night. But he didn’t want to go. Why?

“Yo, I got burnt by this chick. My nuts are burning.”

I laughed and told him I’m getting ready.

“Naw, for real. I’m not joking. I got to air em’ out or something.”

Then the laughter gave way to discomfort and silence. I mean, not the kind of discomfort he felt or anything. But uncomfortable and awkward still. Read the rest of this entry »

“My stomach can’t keep on growlin’, I can’t keep on window shopping, I’m sick of when Christmas come, I’m the one with the empty stocking…”

November 17th cannot come soon enough, even though I know it’s only a few days away. Our favorite unofficial duo do their do once again, this time over a simple masterpiece by Ced L. Young. Read the rest of this entry »

With rumors circulating more than the H1N1 strain, I’m not sure if and when Diddy’s Last Train To Paris will ever leave the station. Thing is, that “Dirty Money” ensemble he formed wasn’t half bad, at least this track wasn’t. Sean likely wanted to hold on to his Drake assisted cut, “Hurt (Loving You No More)”, but the powers that be saw fit otherwise. Puff and his Dirty Money crew harmonize over this smooth instrumental that’ll likely have the hook stuck in your head long after the song concludes. However, it’s Aubrey who comes through with an impressive guest verse.

“Uh, tryin’ not to think
Only cause I drove and I had a lot to drink
When I wanted it blue
You said we had to paint it pink
And it’s pieces of your hair still sittin’ in my sink
And you still got underwear that sittin’ in the dryer
How come everytime that you’re suspicious I’m a liar?
You stand out, I can hear you whistle in a choir
And that’s the only reason you the misses I admire.”

It’s easy for me to say, “this should have been the single”, but this really should have been the single. That’s water under the bridge though. Regardless, as 2009 and the decade draws closer and closer to the end, the Hip-Hop world awaits the debut album from the Toronto thespian-turnt-rapper. Call him generic, call him over saturated, but, for the most part, he makes some pretty damn good music. “Rookie” or vet. Thank Me Later has the potential one of the better debut albums in a long while based on one definitive factor: Drake’s ability to make a quality song.

And that, my friends, isn’t as easy as you might think.

Download — Dirty Money Feat. Drake – “Hurt (Loving You No More)” Pulled by request of Bad Boy

As a bonus, add these to your archives as well. In case you’re wondering, these won’t be on TML.

Download — Drake Feat. Colin Munroe – “Material Girl”

Download — Birdman Feat. Drake–Play Ball | Drake – “Scriptures”

Respect: ATF

Slum Village has been through their fair share of trials. Everything from fall outs, roster changes and even untimely deaths have affected it’s very being in the past couple of years. But somehow, the group (or whatever is left of it) rises from the ashes and hits us with new music. Read the rest of this entry »

Come next NBA season, everything that says LBJ23 in your closet will either be collector’s memorabilia or lawn worker’s gear because LeBron is changing his jersey number to #6 to honor Michael Jordan. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s three ways to deal with haters. You can either tell them to go suck a railroad spike when the train’s on the way. You can position yourself above them, squat and poop à la Jay-z in “Thank You.” Or you can take the Chamillionaire/Bugs Bunny approach and give them a big hug.

Some people prefer not to deal with them but myself, I’m a big fan of hugging people. Which is why I’ve been singing “Gooooood Morniiing” to my bosses all week. Yeah, yeah, ‘Cham can do better. Cham should go harder.’ But it’s an album titled Venom, let the lil’ non-cussing gremlin be bitter.

The new album will be in stores February 2nd, 2010.

That’s A Nice Pool Table. And A Nice Jessica Skyy

The 10 Hottest American Apparel Models [Street Level]

How To Buy A Watch [GQ]

Why The *%# Are They Famous? [Clutch]

Carrie Prejean Is Retarded [Warming Glow]

DMX Owes $1.5 Million in Back Taxes [TBBB]

Middle-Schooler Suspended Over Bengals Haircut [SbB]

Man Eats Mother & Only Gets 15 Years[Daily Mail UK] Read the rest of this entry »

As both a Sigel fan and a Jay fan, I respectfully plead the fifth when it comes to their personal issues. As far as the strategic aspect of it all, we all see Fif using Beans as yet another marketing ploy for his album. Read the rest of this entry »

At least Varejao can say he’s been in an NBA poster.

For over a decade, I watched my grandfather & then my father spend incessantly on my aunt Jean, now the former junkie. Court costs. Giving her money for “food” (you know where that went). Paying her rent. Paying in pain when they would hear of the latest stunt she’d pulled in the streets. Being “old street aggins,” they never showed their pain & their were no tears. Yet the anguish was visible, the frustration seeped out on the rare times they chose to share their feelings. Read the rest of this entry »

Hey Doormaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan…. Someone let YN get this ahead of schedule.

Til’ The Casket Drops in stores Dec. 8th

Download — Clipse – “Doorman”