Sports News: Roy Jones beats Trinidad, Patriots & Giants will square off again for the Super Bowl

 Saturday, Felix Tito Trinidad came out of retirement for a match with Roy Jones Jr. I was a little skeptical about this match, since Roy Jones got knocked the hell out in embarrassing fashion in 2 of his last 3 losses. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how entertaining the match turned out. Both guys came out and fought a great fight, but ultimately Roy was too much for Tito to overcome. Roy was hilariously entertaining with his dancing and other crazy antics, but he backed up with some strong punches…knocking Trinidad down twice. It was great to see the respect they showed for each other and they clearly enjoyed just being in the ring. A rematch would be pretty great.

Today, the final two games deciding who would be heading to the coveted Super Bowl were played. Ultimately, the Patriots proved that they deserved to be in the Super Bowl and set a record for being the first team to go undefeated for 18 games in a single season.

On the other hand, the game between the New York Giants  and Green Bay Packers was a real nail biter at the end. The Giants had a chance to seal their victory in the final seconds of the game with a field goal but Tynes just couldn’t deliver for the second time in the game. Luckily for them Webster intercepted the ball from the Packers putting the game back in the Giants’ control and giving Tynes another chance to redeem himself. His field goal sent the Giants to the Super Bowl, and the match-up is all set.

The Patriots beat the Giants a few weeks back, and I find it hard to believe that they won’t repeat their victory for the Super Bowl. However, anything can happen on any given Sunday.

What do you guys think of these match-ups? Was Roy Jones being lazy by not going for the knockout or was he just incapable of delivering that kind of blow? Are you looking forward to the Patriots/Giants rematch?

Posted by Reecie

Oh Shut the F*%k Up: BET Founder Bob Johnson Slams Obama

 BET Founder Bob Johnson appearing with Hillary Clinton took the opportunity to take  few swipes at Barack Obama. Here is the story:

“As an African American, I’m frankly insulted that the Obama campaign would imply that we are so stupid that we would think Bill and Hillary Clinton, who have been deeply and emotionally involved in black issues when Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood that I won’t say what he was doing but he said it in his book,” Johnson said while campaigning with Clinton in Columbia South Carolina.

Clinton’s campaign says Johnson was not referring to Obama’s past drug use, but rather his career as an organizer and state legislator. Meanwhile, Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, another African-American supporter of Clinton, said of the comments, “Sometimes people say things that aren’t sanctioned … I can’t speak for Bob.”

Later Sunday, Johnson maintained the comments were not in reference to Obama’s drug use: “My comments today were referring to Barack Obama’s time spent as a community organizer, and nothing else,” he said in an issued statement. “Any other suggestion is simply irresponsible and incorrect.”

In Obama’s 1995 book Dreams of My Father — a book that was little read at the time, but recently reprinted — the future presidential candidate writes he was once headed in the direction of a “junkie” and a “pothead.”

This is my problem with the Clinton campaign, she is going to parade around every Black sellout she can get her hands on over the next few months, to do her dirty work. I’m not calling Bob Johnson a sellout because he is supporting Clinton rather than Obama, I’m calling him one because he is basing his support on his financial interests. As a result, he needs to lay off the “As an African American” b.s. and speak from the position of someone just out to get paid. The problem is, when someone like him makes it a racial issue, people assume that he speaks for the Black race even though he doesn’t. Furthermore him raising the issue of Obama’s youthful drug use in a passive aggressive manner is even more despicable. If he was simply referring to Obama’s work in the community, then why not just come out and say that? Besides, as founder of the BET network which is responsible for disseminating and perpuating every negative stereotype that exists about Black people, I only have one more thing left to say to Bob Johnson: oh shut the f*%k up!

I don’t believe that every Black person in the country is obligated to support Obama because he is Black, but that doesn’t mean that we have to participate in tearing him down. It’s a shame that the crabs in a barrell syndrome has to extend to a man running for the presidency.

What do you guys think of Bob Johnson’s comments? Isn’t he the last person that should be speaking from the position of a civil rights activist? Wouldn’t it be a damn shame if Black people end up being Obama’s biggest enemy in the public forum?

Posted by Reecie

Obama Wins Iowa!

In 2004 I was an avid follower of the Presidential elections…taking in every poll, reading every article, op/ed, watching the conventions. However, when the election results came in and everyone had it all wrong, I realized that there is really very little point in keeping track of every little shift in opinion. As a result, up until now, I have paid little attention to the news stories about which candidate is in the lead, who is expected to win Iowa, and who can win the election, because the only thing that really counts is the result. Well the results are in and Senator Barack Obama scored his first and groundbreaking victory by decisively winning the Iowa caucus. The polls were all over the place with practically none of them showing this victory as a likelihood yet the proof is in the pudding.

Up next is the New Hampshire then South Carolina where the next democratic nominee will likely be determined. For the record I’m not going to really spend anytime speaking on the Republican race since one of the main contenders, Rudy Guiliani, didn’t participate thus making it less of an indication of what is to come for that party. Whether Obama can ride this momentum into the Democratic nomination remains to be seen, but his victory is historic nonetheless.

As a people we have become so complacent with the images and notions of Black men as nothing more than rappers, athletes, and thugs…yet so skeptical of the possibility of a Black man becoming the next president. With Obama’s win, hopefully things will start to change in the community’s mentality. I am inspired by his win and he represents an amazing hope for the future. 

Regardless of your race, ethnicity, or background, you can’t deny that Obama is one of the most accessible on a personal level of all the presidential candidates in a long time. His victory makes it that much more attainable for someone other than status quo to reach such a level of prominence and represent the interests of all people.

What do you guys think of Obama’s Iowa victory? Does this solidify the legitimacy of his candidacy? Will he be able to secure the democratic nomination? What does this mean to you personally (if anything), the Black community, and the country to potentially have Obama as the next president?

Posted by Reecie

Dumb and Dumber: Yung Joc Brings Loaded Gun to Airport, Trey Songz Attacks Audience Member

Ok so I am a few days late with this one but oh well. First up on the “Stupid Is As Stupid Does” team is Yung Joc. He effed up twice in totally inexplicable ways. First, he decided it was a good idea to bring a loaded gun to the airport and was of course arrested. WHY rappers still believe that they can get away with bringing weapons to the airport is beyond me. Is trying to convey a thug image really worth catching a case? Then, he decided to skip out on his court hearing and a warrant was issued for his arrest (he showed up several hours later). Here is a little more on the story:

“Joc, whose real name is Jasiel Robinson, was arrested Sunday at a Cleveland Hopkins International Airport security checkpoint. Police said they found a semiautomatic handgun and ammunition in his carry-on bag.

Robinson, 27, told police he didn’t know the gun was there. He said in the statement that the incident is unfortunate.

“I have the utmost respect for the laws of this country and would never deliberately commit an act that would jeopardize my freedom, my family, or my career,” he said.

Robinson, who faces a felony charge of carrying a concealed weapon, didn’t enter a plea at a Wednesday arraignment. He was freed on $50,000 bond and was due back in court Jan. 25. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to 18 months.”

**Sigh*** I don’t know what is more retarded, knowingly bringing a gun to an airport or being so f&%king stupid you don’t even notice a semiautomatic handgun and ammunition in your carry-on! I don’t know what kind of bag he had, but I just don’t see how it is possible to not notice such a thing. Note to Yung Joc: Boo you won’t sell anymore records. It didn’t work for Shyne, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, and it for damn sure won’t work for you.

Moving right along…Trey Songz decided to get buck with an audience member who was throwing ice at him at a recent concert by jumping into the crowd and attacking the guy. Now…I’m not saying people should let someone throw things at them, BUT…there is nothing cute or cool about attacking someone with the help of your bodyguard and causing all types of ruckus. Perhaps it’s that LA paranoia in me, but I know it only takes one dumb ass to start  fight before all hell breaks loose. If anyone else in the crowd decided to act a damn fool like he did, things could’ve turned out pretty bad and guess who would’ve had a fat lawsuit he couldn’t afford on his hands. So note to Trey Songz: Sit your short skinny a$$ down somewhere.

What do you guys think of these stories? Is Yung Joc really oblivious enough to not notice a gun in his bag? Is Trey Songz trying too hard to be a bad ass?

Posted by Reecie

Grammy Nominations Are In: Kanye West and Amy Winehouse Lead the Pack

 

The Grammy nominations were revealed today and Kanye West leads the pack with 8 nods; with Amy Winehouse in a close second with 6 nods. Here is a list of the top categories:

Nominees announced Thursday in top categories for the 50th Annual Grammy Awards:

Record of the Year: “Irreplaceable,” Beyonce; “ThePretender,” Foo Fighters; “Umbrella,” Rihanna featuring Jay-Z; “What Goes Around … Comes Around,” Justin Timberlake;”Rehab,” Amy Winehouse.

Album of the Year: “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace,” Foo Fighters; “These Days,” Vince Gill; “River: The Joni Letters,” Herbie Hancock; “Graduation,” Kanye West; “Back to Black,” Amy Winehouse.

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals: Steppin’ Out- Tony Bennett & Christina Aguilera; Beautiful Liar- Beyoncé & Shakira; Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)- Robert Plant & Alison Krauss; The Sweet Escape-Gwen Stefani & Akon; Give It To Me- Timbaland Featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance: Just Fine- Mary J. Blige; When I See You- Fantasia; No One- Alicia Keys; If I Have My Way- Chrisette Michele; Hate On Me- Jill Scott

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: Woman- Raheem DeVaughn; B.U.D.D.Y.- Musiq Soulchild; Because Of You- Ne-Yo; Future Baby Mama- Prince; Please Don’t Go- Tank

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: Same Girl- R. Kelly Featuring Usher; Disrespectful- Chaka Khan Featuring Mary J. Blige; Hate That I Love You- Rihanna Featuring Ne-Yo; Baby- Angie Stone Featuring Betty Wright; Bartender- T-Pain Featuring Akon

Best Contemporary R&B Album: Konvicted- Akon; Just Like You- Keyshia Cole; Fantasia- Fantasia; East Side Story- Emily King; Because Of You- Ne-Yo

Song of the Year: “Before He Cheats,” Carrie Underwood; “Hey There Delilah,” Plain White T’s; “Like a Star,” Corinne Bailey Rae; “Rehab,” Amy Winehouse; “Umbrella,” Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z.

New Artist: Feist; Ledisi; Paramore; Taylor Swift; Amy Winehouse.

Pop Vocal Album: “Lost Highway,” Bon Jovi; “The Reminder,” Feist; “It Won’t Be Soon Before Long,” Maroon 5; “Memory Almost Full,” Paul McCartney; “Back to Black,” Amy Winehouse.

R&B Album: “Funk This,” Chaka Khan; “Lost & Found,” Ledisi; “Luvanmusiq,” Musiq Soulchild; “The Real Thing,” Jill Scott;”Sex, Love & Pain,” Tank.

Rap Album: “Finding Forever,” Common; “Kingdom Come,” Jay-Z, “Hip Hop Is Dead,” Nas; “T.I. vs T.I.P.,” T.I.; “Graduation,” Kanye West.

Best Rap Solo Performance: The People- Common; I Get Money- 50 Cent; Show Me What You Got- Jay-Z; Big Things Poppin’ (Do It)- T.I.; Stronger- Kanye West
 
Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group: Southside- Common Featuring Kanye West; Make It Rain- Fat Joe Featuring Lil Wayne; Party Like A Rockstar- Shop Boyz; Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)- UGK Featuring OutKast; Better Than I’ve Ever Been- Kanye West, Nas & KRS-One

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: I Wanna Love You- Akon Featuring Snoop Dogg; Kiss, Kiss- Chris Brown & T-Pain; Let It Go- Keyshia Cole Featuring Missy Elliott & Lil’ Kim; Umbrella- Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z; Good Life- Kanye West Featuring T-Pain

Best Rap Song- A Songwriter(s) Award: Ayo Technology- 50 Cent Featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland; Big Things Poppin- T.I.; Can’t Tell Me Nothing- Kanye West; Crank That- Soulja Boy; Good Life- Kanye West Featuring T-Pain

Well the Grammy’s should shape up to be an interesting one. I’m shocked that at least Stronger wasn’t nominated for Record of the Year or Song of the Year, but Kanye West’s other 8 nods are very well deserved. I’m going to be interested to see if he takes home any of the big awards. I’m rooting for him to win Album of the Year. Oh yeah and they must’ve been really desperate in the R&B department, because Tank’s album was total trash.

What do you guys think of these nominations? What are your Grammy night predictions? Will Kanye finally get the coveted Album of the Year? Will he “beat his brother” in the Rap album category? Who do you think should’ve been nominated?

Posted by Reecie

BREAKING NEWS: Pimp C found dead in L.A.

From TMZ.com:

Pimp C, real name Chad Butler — and one half of the rap duo UGK, was found dead in a hotel room this morning. He was 33.

L.A. County Fire responded to a 911 call at the Mondrian Hotel, located on trendy Sunset Strip in Hollywood. They arrived to his sixth floor hotel room to find him dead in bed.

UGK is best known for appearing on the Jay-Z track “Big Pimpin’” in 2000, and more recently with Outkast on the song “International Player’s Anthem (I Choose You).” Pimp C had just performed with fellow rapper Too Short at the “House of Blues” in L.A. on Saturday night.

Source: TMZ, CL

Rest in Peace to Pimp C. The HM Family sends our condolences.

Tragic: Washington Redskins’ Sean Taylor Passes Away

CNN has the story:

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) — Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor has died a day after he was shot and wounded in his Miami home, Taylor’s former attorney Richard Sharpstein said Tuesday.

Sharpstein told CNN that the 24-year-old football player was shot Monday during a home invasion and died later at a hospital.

“The blood loss was too much. He didn’t make it,” Sharpstein told CNN. “He did supposedly squeeze a nurse’s hand. I wasn’t there,” said Sharpstein. “But obviously that was either some kind of response or muscle reaction and not any sign for the better.”

He never regained consciousness after the shooting, Sharpstein said. “It’s a senseless, tragic death that was so unnecessary, another example of the incessant violence in — not only our community — but the country now.” Watch Sharpstein describe Taylor’s death »

At 1:45 a.m. Monday, a woman identified as Taylor’s girlfriend called 911 and said someone had been shot. Taylor was airlifted to Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital.

Sharpstein said the NFL safety’s girlfriend — who said she was hiding under bedcovers during the attack — has described the shooting to police.

“Sean was awakened with his girlfriend and 18-month old baby,” Sharpstein said. There were “noises, thumps in the living room.” Taylor “got up and locked the bedroom door. Before he could do anything, the door was kicked in and two shots were fired — one hit him in the leg, one went into the wall.”

Taylor “was on the floor, nonresponsive, bleeding out and chest heaving, eyes rolled back and he was pretty much gone from that point on,” Sharpstein said.

Taylor’s girlfriend “tried to call 911 and it’s unclear whether the phone lines were cut or the phone was broken or off or unplugged or turned off,” said Sharpstein. “She had to use her cell phone to eventually call 911.”

“Whether this was a purposeful action in taking Sean’s life or in shooting him or whether it was a burglary gone awry, the police are still investigating those circumstances,” Sharpstein said.

Lt. Nancy Perez with the Miami Dade Police Department said investigators were looking for an “unknown suspect.”

Taylor’s home also was reported broken into eight days earlier on November 18, according to Miami-Dade police.

Someone forced open a window and left a kitchen knife on a bed, according to the police report. Several drawers and a bedroom safe had been searched during the break-in, the report said. No one knows whether the first invasion is related to Monday’s attack, Sharpstein said.”

I’m not really up on football too much, but when I read about this I couldn’t help but be horrified by this senseless tragedy. To go after a man in his home with his girlfriend and young child is just repugnant. It’s so sad to hear about the untimely death of a promising young man. My deepest condolences go out to his family and I hope his killer is brought to justice.

Posted by Reecie

Kanye West Makes a Triumphant and Heart Wrenching Return to the Stage in Paris

This weekend, Kanye West returned to the public eye with his concert in Paris, France for his Graduation tour. It’s no surprise that Kanye would use the stage as an outlet for the overwhelming grief he must be feeling, considering that his mother was often by his side when he performed and wholeheartedly supported and believed in his music. The thing that is amazing about this concert is that Kanye isn’t putting on a tough guy facade…he is the same energetic and vulnerable artist he has always been. I don’t know how anyone can watch him soldier through his performances and not feel empathetic to his pain and a great deal of respect for what it must take to get on that stage after burying his mother just a few days earlier.

My respect and admiration for Kanye has been criticized on this site quite a bit, but it’s times like this that prove unequivocally that those feelings are well warranted. Although the footage captured from concert is very amateur, it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to be able to sense the kind of energy in the air. I’m sure Kanye is gaining strength by the abundant love and support from his fans, and I hope that he continues to get the love and support he needs. Check out his performances.

Show Opening

Can’t Tell Me Nothing & I Wonder

Click here to watch Heard Em Say

Click here to watch Homecoming

Homecoming (Continued), Flashing Lights, Drunk & Hot Girls

From Virginia Tech to SuccessTech- Schools, Kids, & Guns

Source

I could be seriously mistaken but this tragedy didn’t get the kind of press that the shooting @ Virginia Tech received.  Nevertheless, it just seemed to me that this situation kind of came and then it went.  But what went down is seriously another alarming cause of alarm that something’s terribly going wrong with our young kids in school. Without trying to go into my usual reminisces about proverbial “hay-days” in school, I just feel that shyt like this didn’t pop off when I was younger.  You didn’t hear a lot of cases of young kids goin for gusto on a campus….I’m sure it happened and maybe I wasn’t paying attention but I’m just seeing more and more of these cases taking place as of recent, especially ever since the notorious Columbine massacre.

 So, for those who don’t have a clue as to what I’m really talking about, here’s the net-net of the story.  Let’s go to Cleveland, OH and enter the halls of a highschool by the name of SuccessTech Academy, an alternative high school in the public school district that stresses technology and entrepreneurship for about 240 students, most of them black, with a small number of white and Hispanic students. The school shooting that took place there on Oct. 10th resulted in the death of the shooter, Asa Coon, who took his own life, and the injuring of several students and teachers.  While it’s a fortunate situation that none of the shooter’s victims died during the assault, what’s more disturbing is that school officials and security were previously aware that Asa (sorry, i just get a sharp ping in my neck using his last name) had some serious issues.  Even close friends to him knew he wasn’t all together.   One of his people’s stated, “He said if he did shoot up the school he’d let me and some other dude he knew go and all that, but I didn’t think he actually meant that…….I thought he was just kidding around“

In 2006, Asa was put under psychological testing after he slapped his mother and was thus put in a shelter where he was made several suicidal attempts. A few days before the shooting, Asa was beat up by some students because of his “gothic” lifestyle, his atheist beliefs, and worshipping of Marilyn Manson.  After what had to be years of mental & social anguish, Asa finally responded back….He was said to be wearing all black with a Marilyn Manson t-shirt on and black finger nails during the shooting.  A few days before the shooting, he gave warnings to students and said, “I got something for ya’ll” but no one seemed to take him very seriously.  One student did and made it a point not to attend school the day of the shooting.

New school, new city, same story….Why/How are kids getting to the point where they feel a need to do this? It doesn’t make sense for fingers to be pointed because what’s done is done but who do you feel is responsible? Could this have been prevented? Is the school system unable/incapable of detecting these signs before it’s too late? What’re your thoughts?

~Thesis

Nas is dat “Nigga?”

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Our favorite Godson pka (previously known as) Esco has caught some backlash as of recent due to his decision to name his upcoming album “Nigger” aka “The N Word.” His recent interview with MTV had Nas defending the title stating that it shouldn’t be taken so seriously.  He is trying to reach the streets and not reach the Civil rights generation that was affected by such an a caustic slur.  Nas seeks to take the negativity out of the word by placing it in such a light.  As comedian Jeff Foxworthy has clearly endeared the term “Redneck,” Nas is trying to take the sting out of it and put it back in the power of black people as he truly believes times have changed and audiences have clearly undergone transformation during that process.

Though Nas has clear intentions of flippin’ the script on the word, individuals like Jesse Jackson are throwing him under the bus saying that though he has a right to call his album “Nigger” he shouldn’t be glorifying it and that he should use his voice for uplifting and not degrading. In response to Jackson’s comments, Nas says, “And to my older people who don’t know who Nas is and who don’t know what a street disciple is, stay outta this (expletive) conversation. We’ll talk to you when we’re ready. Right now, we’re on a whole new movement. We’re taking power from that word“  Though Nas respects the old leaders, he feels that he is a new leader in this movement and wants to reach his audience in a way that they will listen to his message.

I think Nas’ approach and response to Jackson and other naysayers was right on! For individuals to automatically cast judgement on a title without confronting the artist or listening to the music first is not only unfair, but as Nas put it during his interview, “counter-revolutionary.” I think Nas did good by given respect to Jackson but tellin’ him the biz like a man.  Thas’ wassup.  I think Jackson & Co. really should take an L for this one.  I’m with Nasir!

What’re your thoughts on this situation? Is Nas taking the whole term of endearment thing a lil too far or is this whole “N word” story a lil trite?

~Thesis