___ makes the rain go.

I looked down the street.
the levees broke.
the water tore through me
like hands through tissue paper
pockets of air slipped through my sockets
the eyes spun 'round, my lips went blue
and then i flatlined, sunk into the undertow
drug through the pavement, the alley,
the paint chipped enslavement,
somebody pull me up god willing,
pull me up god willing

I don't want to die. God, put me back together,
I can walk, swear on high I can walk.
those eyes? I'll make do without
those lungs? I heard tubes are all the rage.
I don't want to die, put me back together.
I don't want to die, I don't want to.

This is why.

I look to my left, then to my right. I shake off the hands flung wide open calling for the ball in the corner- backside help is on point today. I notice my defender sag back then jerk forward- a common mistake. A quick intake of air through my one working nostril, a flash of my eyes toward the corner, a jab step to disorient his positioning, lead with the right foot one quick penetration dribble- I rise for the shot. Exhale. The leather tugs against the nylon with rotational torque. My defenders posture slacks. He looks devastated. I look just as I did before I even touched the ball; poised.

That is why I succeed.

on repeat.

god willing, do you have a comment
dogma filling, went in sayin' ah fuckin bomb-it
saw him pull the trigger, dug into his chest
gimme play by play, does he know the rest
number 12 in the corner, not with a jumper
had a pipe and a shank his move be the slumper
grimey times like eighty-five,
AIDS n crack were thrive,
God was not alive, shit just didnt jive
call it what you will, fallin to the sill
window to the glass, bat connected with his pass
naw scratch it, 'twas the bridge,
that shit up in his mouth, right up wit tha whites
or was it wretched yellows, rotting in the nights?
dont gotta be a slave to be a slave
aint that the truth bruh?
rule number one, wince when the whip hits,
quick, as he blinks knock his noggin with a bat til its bone bits.

wait, switch it up, where the fuck is clinton?
fuckkk i was dreamin', we in bush still, they did the classic presi-switchin'
no rights, burn the fuckin paper, stress positions
classic word-smiths lingo for torture and the grossest since the jew killin' kitchens
what the fuck happened to god fearing christians?
this ain't peace, this is war wit a bible,
god hates fags, god hates dark skinned people... shit is like villanous disciples
whitey spikes a swastika rockin it like change in his pockets braw
let's get him in his lockin' jaw just like...

naw, let's switch it up, bring it to the heart
people got a soul, not to late to start
bring it with the L, not talkin the loss
I'm talkin the love with the up above boss
let's groove, to the swell king geedorah
mr Doom got me all fuckin sweet-on-ya
got a date on a hole in the wall, rock a hand hold a hug and a fade with the suede
life got a smile and a sunset, just a love make away from a life jones,
call it what you will but ima love til im in the dirt with nuttin but wood n bones
like...read into the truth, you'll find the honesty begs, questions and bemoans
speaking of the questions, when will i find you, who are you going as
love got many names; you got your fam, your bam, and your hot-god-damn
will i find you or will you chase me down like the uni's
will you rock the rosary, the cross or the kufi's?
gimme some perspective lord, bring it in and lose me
make me find you in the corner of a black n white movie.

MOS DEF for my man DP

ALBUM: THE NEW DANGER


The New Danger

ALBUM: BLACK ON BOTH SIDES


Black on Both Sides

ALBUM: TRUE MAGIC


True Magic

ALBUM: BLACKSTAR (MOS DEF N TALIB KWELI)


Black Star

DP, this is just a start.

Buff1 - Theres Only One (2008)

Buff1

BIG L Playlist

This is for you DP

big l

Post Racial My ASS.

You think America is no longer having race problems? Here's two white cops beating the living daylights out of a black 15 year old girl for nothing but flipping her shoe off into the direction of the cops. you can see that the shoe barely went anywhere and fell at the officers feet. The cops slammed her head into a concrete wall, held her down and punched her in the head, then handcuffed her and picked her up by her HAIR. Sorry folks, police brutality with a CLEAR view of racism is not over. People need to wake the FUCK UP. Racism is not over. Obama is president, but not because of a lack of racism. Remember all those that DIDN'T vote for him JUST because he WASNT white? Yeah, there were hundreds of thousands if not millions. Here's the video of the beatdown on the 15 year old girl. By the way, this happened in SEATTLE, not known for extreme racism. Just goes to show.

UPDATE: Apparently, the cops asked the girl to give them her shoes and apparently she was screaming "I'm not resisting" while getting beaten.

Best Live Performance I've Seen

Don't mind the 30 second ad, the video is worth it.

VH1 TV Shows | Music Videos | Celebrity Photos | News & Gossip

One of my favorite dunkers in the world...

Seriously, I'd give you guys a big breakdown of him, but you should just watch and comment me with what you think. Oh, and yeah, this is the newest BIL mix.

A sports Documentary I am REALLY interested in.

This is just a taste of the Findlay Prep documentary that will come out sometime next year. Findlay Prep has Carlos Lopez, Victor Rudd, Avery Bradley, Tristan Thompson & a slew of other highly touted players. Check out the documentary's site, www.theseason.wordpress.com/ for more!

THE REVERSE PIVOT|oscar breakdown

I love the Academy Awards. Actually, I just flat out love movies... I have my top fifteen films down pat. In fact, for posterity's sake, I'll list my top 15 before I get down to this years nominees and my pick to win.

1. Goodfellas (Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro)
2. JFK (Kevin Costner, Tommy Lee Jones)
3. The Sand Pebbles (Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough)
4. Star Wars: A New Hope (Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill)
5. Caine's Mutiny (Humphrey Bogart)
6. Rebel Without A Cause (James Dean)
7. The Dark Knight (Heath Ledger, Christian Bale)
8. Platoon (Willem Dafoe, Charlie Sheen)
9. 2001:A Space Odyssey (Kier Dullea)
10. Cool Hand Luke (Paul Newman, George Kennedy)
11. The Great Escape (Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough)
12. Schindlers List (Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes)
13. Citizen Kane (Orsen Welles)
14. The Treasure of Sierra Madre (Humphrey Bogart, William Huston)
15. A Clockwork Orange (Malcolm McDowell)

All 15 of those movies should be watched before death. Alright, on to the NOM's.

BEST PICTURE:

THE READER- This movie is not a holocaust movie, I repeat NOT a holocaust movie. It's a movie about a man trying to figure out something a bit difficult to understand. If you loved somebody your whole life and found out they committed unspeakable acts- is your love real?

MILK- This movie is gay, yes, but who cares? Gay is fine. This movie is about gay people rising up in the late 70's in San Fran' Cali to gain some equality in the world. This movie is about the first openly gay man elected to public office.

FROST/NIXON- Based on a Tony Award winning play, this flick is based off of a play based off of a set of interviews that solidified the impossibility of Richard Millhouse Nixon regaining some public likability.

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON- Look, I can tell you what it's about, but basically know this. Forrest Gump, only instead of him being mildly retarded, he is born old and dies young.

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE- A film about poverty, and wishes fulfilled. You should know about this film by now.

WHO SHOULD WIN: The Reader is the best film, it's fucked up...It is thought provoking and all together disturbing for the soul.

WHO WILL WIN: Slumdog Millionaire just has too much going for it right now.


BEST ACTOR:

MICKEY ROURKE- The Wrestler.

BRAD PITT- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

SEAN PENN- Milk.

FRANK LANGELLA- Frost/Nixon.

RICHARD JENKINS- The Visitor.

WHO SHOULD WIN: Sean Penn is the best actor alive right now. Period. He fucking owned this movie.

WHO WILL WIN: Sean Penn. He's a fucking legend.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:

HEATH LEDGER- The Dark Knight

ROBERT DOWNEY JR- Tropic Thunder

JOSH BROLIN- Milk

PHILLIP SEYMORE HOFFMAN- Doubt

MICHAEL SHANNON- Revolutionary Road

WHO SHOULD WIN- Heath Ledger. Don't argue.

WHO WILL WIN- Heath Ledger. A writer for Newsweek said that if he doesn't win, riots should ensue.


BEST ACTRESS:

ANNE HATHAWAY- Rachel Getting Married

KATE WINSLET- The Reader

MERYL STREEP- Doubt

MELISSA LEO- Frozen River

ANGELINA JOLIE- Changeling

WHO SHOULD WIN: Kate Winslet has been nominated 5 times for an oscar, and deserves it this year like no other.

WHO WILL WIN: Most feel this is Kate's year. As for Angelina Jolie, fuck her, she's a talentless hack.


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

VIOLA DAVIS- Doubt

AMY ADAMS- Doubt

TARAJI P. HENSON- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

MARISA TOMEI- The Wrestler

PENELOPE CRUZ- Vicky Christina Barcelona

WHO SHOULD WIN- Viola Davis made me appalled and shocked and sad in her spot in Doubt. She killed it. In a scene with Meryl Streep, the best female actress ever, she held her own and then some.

WHO WILL WIN- Penelope Cruz is a horrid actress, but apparently people lover her in this role. I can't stand her.


There are many more awards in the show, I have personal opinions on each one, but realistically not many people have time to read all my opinions on awards like best makeup and best sound editing. So check out the awards tonight, and rest assured the biggest snubs were The Dark Knight not getting a nom for best pic or best directing as well as Benicio Del Toro not getting shine for his portrayal in the Che Guevara epic, The Argentine & The Guerrilla.

UNDER ARMOUR YOUNG MONEY SHOE

Alright, everybody is wondering about Under Armour. They sign Brandon Jennings to a big shoe deal. Nobody REALLY has a super fresh look of what they look like. Here's the scoop, and the shoes-





Give me your thoughts.

This is why Alabama can't have nice things.

Game in Alabama. Foul happens, riot ensues. Just watch.

UK HIP-HOP: LEGEND STATUS

Mike Skinner. Also known as: THE STREETS. He has an odd, jump cut flow. Everything he cuts out of his lips is pure fucking gold. I love Mike's style. I'm going to give you guys a bit of catch up on the best UK guy in the game. Yeah, he's white. No, he isn't UK Eminem...Even though they call him that in America. He's more the UK Mos Def. It's Wednesday at around 5AM CST, 3AM PST, 6AM EST...But regardless, here's the most blow your mind, I shouldn't like this music but I love it list of Mike Skinner's finest. Enjoy. Oh...Before I Start, I should remind you that this cat isn't underground that I'm trying to boost. SOURCE Magazine loves this cat. So does Q. And Rolling Stone's review of his debut album, ORIGINAL PIRATE MATERIAL, was 4/5 stars. Here's the review.

The Streets now have a name, and it's twenty-three-year-old musical mastermind Mike Skinner. He's audacious enough to title a track on his first album "Let's Push Things Forward" -- and inventive enough to deliver. The relentlessly smart Original Pirate Material blends two-step garage beats with conversational rapping, low-key in effect but bold in content: "We first met through a shared view/She loved me and I did, too." Skinner is from Birmingham, England, which means that some of his monologues sound like Ozzy Osbourne, only with better beats. The rhythms are spare but groovy; Skinner enhances them with melancholy keyboards and orchestral samples.

The United Kingdom has produced very few rappers of note (Slick Rick and Monie Love are among the exceptions). But Skinner's raps are not only fluid and clever, they're pervaded with Britishness; guys are "geezers," girls are "birds" and weak rhymes are "rhubarb and custard verses." That sense of place goes beyond vocabulary: Original Pirate Material evokes the gray British skies and details the mundane world of English youth -- broke and wasting time on the PlayStation. Skinner has said that the name the Streets was not meant to evoke the mean streets of tough urban life but rather, empty, anonymous concrete.

On "The Irony of It All," Skinner stages an argument as good as Eminem's "Guilty Conscience," playing both Terry, a drunken lout, and Tim, a mellow engineering student who likes to smoke weed. They debate criminality and provoke each other; on the evidence of this excellent debut, few people can challenge Skinner right now except himself.

#10: THE STREETS...WEAK BECOME HEROES


#9: THE STREETS...PRANGIN' OUT


#8: THE STREETS...CANT CON AN HONEST JON


#7: THE STREETS...WHEN YOU WASN'T FAMOUS


#6: THE STREETS...DRY YOUR EYES


#5: THE STREETS...TURN THE PAGE


#4: THE STREETS...HAS IT COME TO THIS?


#3: THE STREETS...GEEZERS NEED EXCITEMENT


#2: THE STREETS...IRONY OF IT ALL


#1: THE STREETS...FIT BUT YOU KNOW IT

Kanye West.

You ever watch a video online, and the compression is screwed up? You know, it looks like the pixels aren't refreshing correctly? Watch this Kanye West music video. It's the new music video for "Welcome To Heartbreak". It turns the bad compression technology issue into an artform. Personally, I love it. Check it out.


KANYE WEST "Welcome To Heartbreak" Directed by Nabil from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

Pat Riley said I need to cut down on the carbs.

Over the past few months, I have gotten lazy. I stopped working out, I stopped counting calories, I stopped being an athlete. Today I've kind of had a wake up call- I had heartburn for most of the day. I need to get back to my athletic shape from before college. So, my mom (a registered nurse) led me to myfitnesspal.com, basically a site that helps you track your goals, does the math for you. All for free. So basically, I am going to TRY and lose about 10 pounds per month. It's going to be very hard. I am going to do it though. I'll update you guys weekly on how many I lose.

It's that Valentines Day weekend post, isn't it?

Welcome, welcome welcome. It's all star weekend, but outside of basketball, more importantly, it's Valentines Day weekend. I had a great Valentines day, spent some time talking to my lady, watched movies & wrote my first blog post for HIBACHI 2.0! It's a bi-weekly feature I'll be doing for them from now on. It's pretty exciting. My life is extremely hectic right now with college, the SLAM internship, helping run BALLISLIFE, blogging here, blogging at the 'Bachi, somehow working on a social life. All this writing is basically my backbone, my wall to lean against. I must remind myself to keep on top of it all.

This is a short post, I just felt a need to talk about it quickly. Time to watch KINDERGARTEN COP! I'll be giving you all a lengthy post on Tuesday!

The crack was created, you were swept into it.

The American health care system is completely fucked. Whether you have an HMO, PPO, or no insurance at all, chances are high that you are getting screwed by the system. I am lucky enough to have a mother who works for United Health Care (she isn't screwing people, she's a registered nurse (RN) who calls people up who have insurance to tell them what their rights are and how to make sure they keep their coverage)...So I haven't been screwed. But I still hate the system. I honestly think the United States of America needs universal healthcare, or at least a hybrid between the current system, and another one. You can tell me that it's socialist, or whatever. Fact of the matter, universal healthcare works. You want proof? Okay. Here's Michael Moore's amazing documentary on the Healthcare system: SICKO. The movie, in its entirety, hosted by google video. I claim no rights to the footage, all rights to their respective owners, of course. This movie is long, it's not something you sit down on for 30 minutes, but it's fucking worth it. You need to know what's going on in the world.



Ladies and Gentlemen, your INSURANCE COMPANIES! Fucking loons. Alright, everybody have a nice day.

The revolution will be televised.

ACT I
The tattered champion watched his shadow sprawl on the cityscape
leather rotated while gently pulling against the tips of his fingers-
the ball, mere extension of his yearn to grow, convinced passers-by
lay down your palms, take a seat in empty air, chest out, you know the drill
prepare to be amazed, THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED

The swagger laden champ curls his upper lip,
He ain't havin' this trash on his pavement, his sanctuary
Fibers of muscle flex, his first step is a red herring-
Fam swore they heard soulful jazz as his footwork unfolded on the floor,
you hesitate, a flinch of your base, the sweat flows down to your brow

THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED
There will be a jab step, one quick cross and two steps to the rack.
There will be ovations from fans unseen
There will be nods of assent all around.
There will be a chant hurled into your ears-

THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED.
You have been weighed, measured, and found wanting.
To the victor goes the spoils- two points.
THE REVOLUTION WILL BE TELEVISED

INTERMISSION
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you- life. I was born September 26, 1989 into a world fresh from the cold war, into the new shit. No parents to speak of, just a nametag in the plastic bassinet, and an adoption agency vouchin' for my potential as a toddler. A married couple, Harold and Denise signed me to a long term contract. League minimum salary- which is to say 6 figures and a fresh crib with a view. Shit was real in Nebraska. I was born in the same hospital Malcolm X popped out of. Sort of fitting- by one way or another, he dropped his surname, which is to say his family name. I lost my family name. Different circumstances, surely, but I do not see coincidence. I see providence. I will make mistakes, large, glaring in the face of the public eye. I will scare a lot of pretentious blowhards. I hope to, nay, I strive to. As the story goes, I moved to Dallas, Texas & the rest is history.

This is my introduction. This is my life. I am going to let the keys be struck on the MacBook. This, overall, will not be a basketball blog. It's just going to be about my life, the shit that occurs in the confines, etc. Alas, this is my holier than thou attitude toward the world. END OF INTERMISSION. PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS.

ACT II
The bars going through my brain:

MOS DEF: KATRINA KLAP (DOLLAR DAY)



MALCOLM X: OXFORD UNION DEBATE



JEDI MIND TRICKS: UNCOMMON VALOR (A VIETNAM STORY)




The movies I can't break my gaze from right now:

CHE



FUNNY GAMES



WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE (EXCERPT)