August 2007 Archives
Runnin' Game
I'm on a roll so lemme just jump into it. As we start moving into our fall issues, can't help but have the NBA and the Grizzlies on the brain. (You try planning sports pages for the winter months - if it ain't football, it's basketball, 'cause, seriously, who plays hockey?) Anyhow, so I'm a day late on this one, but I'm pocketing my dollar 'cause after mulling some NBA shit around all day yesterday, I started to get the sinking suspicion that this year's Draft Lottery was definitely fixed, and not just 'cause the Grizz lost out on both Oden and Durant.
Lemme take you through it, and let's start with the biggest story of the lottery: Boston's slip to fifth pick. After a horrible season that started to feel like the end of a franchise or at least the beginning of a new dark age (and just for the record, Beantown bawlers, try rooting for the Knicks this millennium), the Celts throw the rest of the season in the hopes of landing the first, or at least second pick, and a new franchise player as a result. The result? Fifth pick. Stern ain't playing that shit. Can't have teams, especially ones in major/storied NBA markets landing rewards for hardly showing up for the second half of the season. It'd set a horrible precedent and just give even more stones to the NBA's critics (magnets, anyone? I mean, point shaving?). So the Celts are spanked to the back end of the league's elite losers and forced into crisis mode, which fortunately led to some interesting trades and should keep things interesting in the East at least until they realize they have no bench (and, in fantasyland, Penny makes the Heat, somehow learns how to play D, and watching games in South Beach gets rocketed up to whole new level - again, fantasyland).
Then you've got the Grizz and the Hawks, two teams that completely by accident (well, the Hawks by birth) managed to have horrible, horrible seasons. Looking at the math, the Grizz and the Celts were damn near locked to lock up Oden and Durant. No dice. Grizz slip to fourth, the Hawks grab third, and here's why: neither city has a strong NBA fan base. For whatever reason, the Hawks can't bring people out to games, even though the city is flourishing in a way it never has before. Maybe folks would start going to games if they could put a winning team on the court with a marquee player at the helm? Maybe? But after years of failing to bring anyone out to the games, why would the league even want to risk it? Oden goes to the Hawks and no one goes to the games anyway cause everyone's saving their money to go see the Falcons (or at least they were until Vick let the dogs out, but how was Stern supposed to see that coming?). And as for the Grizz - here's a franchise that's also suffering in the attendance category, but honestly, more because it's unclear whether the local economy can support a professional sports franchise. Folks ain't particularly well-off in the M, and tickets aren't particularly cheap, which is why the Titans ended up in Cashville and not the Home of the Blues. Now don't get me wrong, Memphis folks love their ball, and if there was a winning squad on the court, I'm confident folks would rob and steal to find a way to get into the games. But the city doesn't have an NBA legacy, it has a basketball legacy, particularly a college basketball legacy (again, what up, Penny? And what up pre-season #1?!?), and with rumors already swirling about possibly relocating the Grizzlies yet again, well, that's not a market where the league wants to bank on their next 10 years, either.
All of which leads us back to Seattle and Portland, the least probable teams to land the second and first picks, respectively. But of course, that is what happened, mainly because they're both rich cities with thriving local economies - plenty of money in the Northwest to purchase plenty of season tickets (gotta love the Internets). Both cities have storied NBA legacies, and fans who will troop out to support a winning squad, without a doubt (even with a horrible team, Portland was still posting solid attendance records). And then there's the Sonics' push for a new stadium to the point of threatening to leave town if one doesn't materialize. If Durant lives up to the hype, my money says they get their wish.
Tape Worm
Three videos hit worth talking about this week. Let's start with this one:
Fif finally delivers a semblance of a hit after a bunch of really lukewarm records this spring. Can't say I'm really into his performance - hearing him over this simply serves as a stark reminder of how well T.I. fit into the Justin/Timbo mold - but it's clear this record will win enough for Curtis to finally come out. There's money behind this video and track, it will get radio play and it will become a popular record whether folks like it or not. I will say this, the other thing that strikes me about this track is just how great of a team Justin and Timbaland make. It's a 2007 MJ and Qunicy. Impressive stuff. Oh, and I ain't mad at the women (got a hard spot for long-legged ritzy chicks in stockings - and for those taking notes, no pause neccessary).
One of the biggest records of the summer finally gets a video. Say what you wanna say about Soulja Boy, this record, and the South as a whole, but this is one of the most hip hop videos I've seen in awhile. What I realized watching this today was that instead of hating on all the snap music coming out of the A, what folks need to do is rethink the whole situation: translate this whole scene to the East Coast and all these kids would be b-boys, b-girls and old school call and response DJs, it just so happens that "Crank That" is a million times more accessible than a break record. And thank God for that. (And for the record, I'm not really checking for a whole Soulja Boy album, but I'm psyched that this dude is out there, making records, and that there are folks who are that excited about an artist and a dance rooted in rap. Folks, hip hop lives in the South. The kid's got his name written on his sunglasses - aka, what's more hip hop than that?!?)
This one just speaks for itself. As my man Young Scav said, NOW I'm ready for the weekend! Enjoy.
All the Way Live
Note to self: step your blog game up.
(Shameless) Note to you: Check out our September Juice issue, Obama on the cover. It's a beast.
Moving on… A coupla weeks ago I headed back down to the M to sit back, relax, puff a square, sip a Becks (or, in my case, Bud), and to duck into the 5th Annual Crunkfest. To mark the occasion the show relocated from the essentially crumbling Mid South Coliseum to the newer and much more massive FedEx Forum, and as we headed downtown the streets were packed with everyone from folks looking to get into the show, cats shilling CDs, regular drunks milling about on Beale taking novelty pics and getting henna tattoos, and cops. Despite having made the trip basically just to catch the show, my ticket situation was still a lil sketchy as the show got underway, that is until Joe Wiggins, Yo Gotti, and Peppa stepped in to make sure that folks were straight. Thanks to their efforts, non-existent floor seats became backstage access and the rest of the night was a celebration of the current state of Southern rap. Sure Lil Wayne, T.I., and Jeezy didn’t make it, nor even some of the biggest homegrown talents – Eightball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia, and Kinfolk Kia Shine – but outside of Wayne, whose name was on the bill at one point (and had a show to perform in NY the next day), the missing acts were hardly, well, missed, mainly because there’s so much bubbling down South and below the national radar that’s got folks open.
We missed the first half of the show due to the ticket drama but were posted up in time to see how bright Boosie’s star truly shines, watch Soulja Boy Tell ’Em do it, take note of Gucci Mane’s once again flourishing career firsthand (it’s impressive, considering) not to mention the skills of young hot spitter All Star, and witness Playa Fly’s first show since he got out of the pen earlier this spring. The crowd was riding hard for damn near e’ryone of ’em, though All Star is still too busy establishing his mic rep to truly keep a crowd crunk (and I ain’t mad at him -- if he gets a break, he’s got the promise), and the only person who put the place on it’s collective ass was Baby Boy Da Prince. Not from lack of trying, either, I just don’t believe it’s ever gonna really happen for dude.
But the night belonged to hometown hero Yo Gotti who capped the show and turned the place out with a short set that was tight and tough. It’s crazy to be in a stadium-sized crowd so immersed in a set performed by an artist who’s virtually unknown in the rest of the country. And because I’m a Gotti fan just like my folks, it was the best live show I’ve seen in years.
Back to the Basics: Crunkfest Edition
Kinfolk missed the show, but popped up on Beale just as my iPhone was going dead (before you try’n get your hands on one, check out my full review here), so that worked out well. Ended up kicking it with him and Wifey all night, and although he was crazy pissed that he missed the show due to some shoddy private jet service, you gotta give the man respect for walking up and down Beale, shaking hands, signing autographs, and generally showing the hometown love. We ducked into the Plush Club long enough for a shot, a beer and an impromptu Kinfolk set and then kept it moving long enough to see some dude walking his pet kangaroo down Beale at 3a. Exactly: pet kangaroo. Try wrapping your beer goggles around that.
At the end of it all, shouts to Kinfolk, Frost, Wifey, Blink (and his Memphis or Die DVD), and the rest of that squad for extending the hospitality and just generally being good folks. Shouts again to Wiggins, Gotti, and Peppa for getting us in the backdoor (and congrats to Peppa for throwing a crunk ass event without any crazy ass motherfuckers fucking it up). Frog, as always, thanks for holding me down. Devin, for being one of Memphis’ few kings – we’ll get up soon, I’m sure of it. My boy Ed and his new home and wife. And the M in general, for just being there.
Kinfolk’s album, Due Season (Universal), in stores now. Keep an ear out for the second single, “W.O.W.”:
Gotti’s showstopper and reigning Memphis street anthem, “What Up,” from Back 2 Da Basics (TVT), in stores now:
And an All Star record, "A to Z," for the hell of it:
Also, my dude Dart’s got a hot single and a hot video on his hands. You know Cashis. You probably know this song. And you may or may not fuck with him. Watch this video. It changed my perspective entirely and I’ve been bumping the shit outta this track ever since. Sometimes things have to be seen to be heard. I know it ain’t got shit to do with this, but I just thought I should mention.
Cashis, “Lac Motion,” off the EP, The County Hound (Shady/Interscope), in stores now.
