Road to the Championship:The Orlando Magic

Let me say this first :

Anyone who knows me will tell you that i am a DIE HARD Orlando Magic fan. But as we all have witnessed, Dwight Howard can not seem to stay out of foul trouble. In the Orlando Magics sweep of the Charlotte PussyCats Dwight averaged : 26 mins 9.8 points 9.3 rebs 3.3 turnovers & 5.5 personal fouls. This is just not acceptable. Sure the refs dont let the big men play physical down low but some of these fouls are unwarranted and stupid. He has been in the league long enough to know how the refs call his game & he needs to adjust accordingly. While im glad to see that we are once again a great TEAM i would love us to be a great team with Dwight on the floor & out of foul trouble. Shut up & play smart. Thats all we as fans ask.

But what about the road to the Championship? Can the Magic make it? Well you obviously know how i feel. Cleveland getting the savvy Boston squad full of veterans & an academy award winning actor in Paul Peirce was the best thing for the Magic. This is bound to be another long tough & violent series for both teams. Personally im hoping for a brawl in game seven & suspensions being handed out. The Magic will either play the Bucks or Hawks in round two. Neither of those teams have a winning pedigree. Dont think that either will be anymore than a speed bump to the Magic. The key is the big men. Dwight, Gortat, Lewis, Bass & Anderson are more than capable. With the lights out shooting of Peitrus & Reddick off the bench, the Magic are a force to be reckoned with. The dynamic play of Jameer Nelson & White Chocolate running the offense, stability at the point guard spot is not an issue like last year. Im Yet to mention Vinsanity. While he is just a shadow of what he once was , he is still a capable scorer. Fortunately he has the luxury of not having to carry his team. I hate to be cocky but the road to the Eastern Conference Championship goes through Orlando. The goal is a championship. They are not happy to be in the playoffs like alot of teams. The Magic are forreal. Please Belive that.

The Greatest Snub of All Time

You wanna talk who had the best lyrics? Maybe who had the best & most complex wordplay? You would be a fool to automatically jump & say 2Pac or Biggie. Lets talk William Michael Griffin Jr better known as Rakim. Rakim is probably your favorite rappers favorite rapper. Listen to a Biggie or Pac track then listen to ANY of Rakims track from the 80's and tell me there arent obvious similarities. Rakim was truly before his time. His flow was and still is the benchmark for all emcees. He could conquer any beat. Im willing to bet he could kill freestyle on a Mozart piece. Go listen to "Paid in Full" "Follow The Leader" & "Dont Sweat the Technique". If you cant see his greatness you probably have a couple of missing chromosomes. Its sad that he gets snubbed as one of the greats when its obvious that he is one of the most influential emcees of ALL time. While all yall are ENGULFING Tunechi's jock please take time during his forced hiatus to listen to a REAL Emcee.

Answer Me This

Why cant i have my own personal choice in music without someone having the AUDACITY to call me a sellout. You mean to tell me that, since im a 20 year old black male in the south, the only music i should know about & listen to is Trick Daddy, T.I., Lil Wayne , Usher & T-Pain? I refuse to cage my mind like that. I refuse to conform to what society feels a young black male should be in America. The only thing one track musical minds promote is ignorance. You mean to tell me if i want to drive down the road blasting 30 Seconds to Mars im a sellout or an "Uncle Tom" & if a white person were to blast Kanye West down the block they are trying to be black? Sorry that's nothing but good ol' ignorance. The excuse i always get when people have a one track musical mind is "I cant relate to those songs. What do they know about me? I can relate to So'n'So's music". Thats not a valid excuse. Honestly there are not that many different things that we as humans dont all experience. Maybe you dont like the delivery of some artists but dont dare say that you cant relate to the ISSUES in other musical genres. Its just not a sensible excuse. Music is has a far reaching effect on society whether we realize it or not. Music helps you connect with others through their thoughts expressed in their own unique way. While you may not choose to do that for yourself, RESPECT those that do.

Money Talks

Racism here in the south is alive & well. I cant say ive ever gone a day without some blatant sort of discrimination. Whether its being followed for a few aisles in the store or someone asking me what kinda work i do just because i pay most things in cash. The racial tension in the south is evident even if you dont look for it. It works both ways too. I remember as a child, when i would go to the hair supply store with my mom, women calling the store owners ‘ChingChongs’. I thought nothing of it. Honestly , at that age , i didnt know any better than to laugh or at the very least giggle.Mexicans too. I dont know how many times ive heard someone mumble ‘dirty mexicans’ under their breath. But im telling yall anything you dont already know about race relations in American. This new economic climate has caused a further rift. Green is the new barrier not shades of brown. The class distinctions are becoming the bigger issue not the color of peoples skin. I honestly feel like we are reverting to the old Caste System of ancient India. Just like in ancient India most people are forever stuck in whatever ‘caste’ they are born into. So not only is there unwarranted racial discrimination to deal with but the economic barrier is now even more defined now. I have no idea what talking about this will do to change it though. Society , while we wish it wasnt, is nothing but a vicious cycle that is forever changing & it destroys & forgets those who do not change with it.

Serving up PLENTY for the Critics.

All that talk about an 185lbs bench press sure seems foolish right now doesn't it? Kevin Durant is nothing short of a superstar in only his third year in the league. Averaging 29 points 8 rebounds and 3 dimes per game the Darantula is leading the young Oklahoma Thunder to their first playoff birth since leaving Seattle. Kevin Durant is warranting MVP discussions with his play this year. KD isnt racking up these gaudy scoring numbers against the bottom feeders of the NBA either. In the last month he has scored 35 against the Jazz, 45 against the Spurs, 29 verses the Lakers and 37 against the Celtics. And to think 3 springs ago the talk was he could play in the NBA. With the dynamic play of Russel Westbrook and the continued development of Jeff Green, Thabo Sefolosha & rookies James Harden & Eric Maynor , Kevin Durant will be hoisting the O'Brien trophy sooner rather than later.

The Playoffs are Coming

Anyone that knows me knows im a DIEHARD Orlando Magic fan. As the season winds down im feeling rather confident in their chances of repeating as Eastern Conference Champions. I was a fan when Tyronn "I miss wide open layups" Lue was running the point & PG13 (Pat Garrity) was our only AllStar representative. Ive been in for a while. But now i think we finally have the pieces to WIN a championship. The additions of Vince Carter , Matt Barnes ,Marcin Gortat & Jason Williams are obvious reasons for my confidence but the maturation of Brandon Bass & Ryan Anderson are what makes confident. Bass has finally come into his own in Orlando. Ill admit i was doubting him for the first 40 games of the season. The play of Bass and Anderson has allowed Marcin Gortat & Dwight Howard top get some rest during as the season winds down. Why is this good? Fresh big men in June are deadly. I dont see any team besides Cleveland even CHALLENGING Orlando in the East. Just a couple of thoughts as the season winds down. Ill be going in on these NBA topics as the playoffs begin.

Nothin on You Remix

If you havent heard of B.O.B. by now i dont know what to tell you. This Grand Hustle artist has come a long way since he headlined the December 2008 XXL Cover. Adorned with a musical mix of Hip-Hop & Alternative genres B.O.B. aka Bobby Ray is sure to be around for a long time. Lovers of GOOD music will make sure of it. This is the Remix to his lastest single "Nothin on You" . His debut album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray ,drops April 27.

Nothin on You Remix featuring Bruno Mars & Big Boi

NBA Playoff Song?

First off, I couldnt help but think that this song is gonna be big enough by the summer to be played during the NBA Playoffs this season. The basketball overtones are more than obvious. Secondly, on star power alone, this song should get plenty of air play. Jamie Foxx, Justin Timberlake & The King (T.I.) all come together on this track. Listen/Download . What Do yall think? Hot or Not?

Winner - Jamie Foxx featuring Justin Timberlake & T.I.

Elephant in the Sand Part II

Jealous Ones Still Envy 2 - Fat Joe

Well the featured artists are the only reason i decided to check this album out. Lil Wayne, Ron Brownz, Akon,Pleasure P, Rico Love, T-Pain , OZ, TA,Swizz Beats,Benisour, Raekwon , Lil Kim & Cherlise are all featured on the album.Ill give you a quick run down of the specs on this album before i break it down track by track.

Album name : J.O.S.E 2 (Jealous Ones Still Envy 2)

Record Label : Imperial/Terror Squad

Singles : One featuring Akon

Aloha featuring Pleasure P & Rico Love

Album Length :12 Tracks 49 mins

Scheduled Release Date: October 6 2009

Now that thats all out of the way, Ill make an analysis of each track. Im going into this with an open mind. It cant be worse than Elephant in the Room.Can it?

Track 1: Winding on Me featuring Ron Brownz & Lil Wayne

I can see Joeys logic in having Lil wayne on the albums first track. Hate him or love him, Lil Wayne is media gold right now. Ron Brownz seemed to be on his way to something big after dropping the ever popular "Arab Money". But with all that considered this was honestly a HORRID way to start an album. Ron Brownz overuse of autotune & Lil waynes sub-par verse makes the song barely listenable. Joey cracks verse isnt praise worthy either. Ill generously rate this song 1 of 5.

Track 2: Joey Dont Do It

THis is obviously my personal opinion, but the rock n roll beat of this song is what catches me immediately. He is all alone on this track and is fairly consistent with his word play & lyrics. But there are also two things that stand out. He starts out very strong but 8 bars in he reverts to the "Elephant in the Room" Fat Joe.On top of that the song is only 2:18 . Thats how far you've fallen? 2 mins ? The song title & the beat have so much potential. Maybe he should have had Lil Wayne on this track. 2 of 5

Track 3: One featuring Akon

This is possibly one of the best songs of the album. Maybe im partial to this song because of the meaning behind this song and my current situation. This song was inspired by his marriage. Akon kills the hook as always(IS there a Hook he has not killed?) Listening to the lyrics, this song is actually rather deep."Even when im down,You make me feel on top" "Nothin but the best baby girl, and thats just out of respect" Even though this was a single and i try to shy away from those i cant deny that this is a great song. After all "Everyone wish they had that Ride or Die". 5 of 5

Track 4: Aloha featuring Pleasure P & Rico Love

This is the second single off of the album. Joey has a few good lines.But aside from the 10 bars i was impressed with, Joey dropped the ball. Good thing Pleasure P & Rico Love are on this track. They , in my opinion make the song. 4 of 5

Track 5: Put Ya in the Game featuring T-Pain & OZ

This is a song you can play for more than the bass.OZ's verse is good. T-Pain and his Autotune do their thing on the hook. It has a relaxed vibe to it. Not to shabby Joey Crack. 4 of 5

Track 6: Congratulations featuring Rico Love & TA

Ehhh. This song has something missing. I cant quite figure it out. It just seems incomplete.Rico Love does his thing on the hook though. 2 of 5

Track 7: Pornstar featuring Lil Kim

As much as i tried to keep personal opinion out of this i cant help it. I havent liked Lil Kim since La Bella Mafia. This is just justifacation. Enough Said. 1 of 5

Track 8: Cupcake featuring Benisour

This seems to be Joeys confirmation song of the album. He had a few tracks that were kind of soft. This song was purely to confirm to us that Joey is still the Gangster we never thought he was. Benisour sorry you had to be colateral damage. 1 of 5

Track 9: Ice Cream featuring Raekwon & TA

Nine tracks into the album Ive given up on Joey. So the only reason i listened to this song was to hear Raekwon. The Sample used in the song is a CLASSIC. New-Comer TA held his own on his verse. Now to Raekwon. As always. he killed it and delivered a bigger message with his verse. Just skip Joeys verse and listen to the rest of the song. 3 of 5

Track 10: Okay Okay

This is the second of two songs that Fat Joe is on alone.On HIS own album. I can honestly say this was much better than his previous solo song "Joey Dont Do it". The song grew on me i must say. Its worth a few listens.Nothing Spectacular though. 3 of 5

Track 11: Blackout featuring Swizz Beats & Rob Cash

All the elements are there for this to be a quality song. I mean Swizzy rarely hicups on a beat.Right? Wrong. I was anticipating the beat on this from the moment i read the tracklist. The hook is ok. The beat is ok.Joey's verse is whack. Rob Cash did his thing inspite of the card stacked against him in this song. I would have actually prefered that Rob Cash had two verses & Joey only one. 2 of 5

Track 12: Music featuring Cherlise

I like this track.Joey basically just tells us that music is his love.I really like his little solioquy at the end. "The working man is not a sucker." A common misconception in todays society. Too bad it took 11 tracks for him to say that, but then again, thats a good way to end the album.3 of 5

So my overall review of the album? Its listenable. I can see myself making a mix cd with some of these songs but then some are just throwaways. 2.5 of 5

If you so desire here is the album.

J.O.S.E 2

Joy & Pain

Avants latest song is a cover of the Frankie Beverly & Maze song "Joy & Pain". Now you may not know much if anything about Frankie Beverly or Maze but i can bet your parents do. They were responsible for hits like "Joy & Pain" "Before I Let Go" and "Southern Girl" in the 1970's . I personally love when todays R&B artist pay tribute to those who paved the way for them by doing covers of their classics.

Avant - Joy & Pain

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