Jay-Z Under Fire for visiting Kentucky Locker Room??? (Video)

Who out there really thinks Jay-Z is a has been?

Anyone?

For anyone who doubts Jay-Z’s longevity as a premier star needs to wipe the tears of hate from their eyes and recognize. This guy dropped his first major album in 1996 (now that’s 15 years ago if my math is on point) and still receives the respect of athletes that were 5, 4, or even 3 years old at that time.  So with that being said, it can be assumed that his visit to the UK locker room was icing on the cake. If you aren’t sure, just watch the video and listen to the team after they are greeted by Jay after the game.

Hold up a second…. Isn’t Jay-Z’s alternate identity (Shawn Carter) an executive of the NBA’s New Jersey Nets? Does this mean the NBA may have to pay Mr. Carter a visit? It will be interesting to see if the NBA decides to review this visit to determine if a penalty will be assessed.

More of the story here at Yahoo

- Slim

Music 101 – 10 Most Unforgettable Music Videos

What does Nirvana, Ice Cube, and Flava Flav have in common. Each has been in a video that has been etched in my brain as unforgettable....

As you may know from my previous blogs, I am a 110% old school hip-hop head… I can talk about this stuff until you fall asleep, and would probably still be talking about it when you woke up. But I have to admit, I am a fan of all music, if it reaches me….

Growing up in the south I was obviously exposed to a variety of things, with music being one of them. It got to a point where I could be listening to Ice Cube one minute and then Nirvana the next. I mean, some albums sounded too good to “hate on” just because it wasn’t rap. You have someone rocking a guitar with a sick drummer behind it and my attention is locked…    

 Vanilla Ice - An unforgettable that didn't quite make this cut.

And if I wanted to receive a quick education session, I would simply tune in to the music commentary of Beavis and Butt-Head and I was ready!!

With this being said… there some music videos I saw that I will NEVER forget whether it be a rap or rock video. It could be because of the way the video followed the song, or for the Pure Shock Value as you will see when you get to my #1 video (which is censored, not for the easily offended.)

10 - Dr. Dre - Dre Day
The first time I ever saw a true diss track on video. Okay the second time after the Real Roxxane. I remember seeing the fake Eazy-E and thinking how could they be doing this to the leader of the old N.W.A.  Welcome the 145lb Snoop Dogg to primetime.  

9 - Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit.
I remember my being in middle school and my friend Amanda brought the tape to show her friends.  You know, the infamous butt-naked baby under water?? This was actually one of the first songs that made me really start paying attention to music other than hip-hop

8 - Ice Cube – It Was A Good Day
Instant classic. This song and video would ease anyone’s day a better one. A perfect summertime track.

7 - Afrika Bambaataa – Planet Rock
Every B-Boy on this planet has to recognize this one. The video was raw footage of what it was like to break back in the day. My mom wouldn’t let me try going on my head. So I had to live vicariously through Turbo and Ozone.

6 - Ghostface Killa & Mary J Blige – All That I Got Is You
Classic – words can’t describe this one

5 - Geto Boys – My Mind Playing Tricks On Me
Talk about 3 guys going crazy… maybe they were on that syrup before the rest of the country knew about it back then. Regardless, this song and video were a definite in the south.

4 - 2Pac – Brenda’s Got a Baby
This is the only video that I watched once, and couldn’t watch again simply because of how sad it made me.

3 - Metallica – One
This has to be one of the videos that sent me the strongest message. The agony and mental anguish that is portrayed in this is off the charts. When I heard my son playing this on Guitar Hero, it took me back. Even though the song dropped in the late 80’s, I never heard it until a friend of mine (David Chaffin) put me on to it in 1996.

2 - Public Enemy - Fight The Power
In regards to sending strong messages, this was the other song. Chuck D and Flava Flav brought the community together for this video, and hip-hop enthusiasts recognize this as a trendsetter for years t come.

1 - Prodigy – Smack My B’ Up
(This is censored but is still not for those who are easily offended)

This video will forever be stuck in my head until the end of time…. I was a sophomore in college when I saw it on MTV at like 3 in the morning on a Tuesday, and this was by far the craziest video I had EVER SEEN on tv.  What made it so crazy is that I never actually listened to the song,  but I was stuck watching the video.

I couldn’t call anyone and tell them to turn to it because everyone was sleep. I couldn’t tweet, text, or blog about it because that just wasn’t happening in 97-98.  What was crazier is that MTV pulled it days later. So it only lived on through word of mouth sorta like an urban legend.

This video even influenced Lil Jon’s – I Don’t Give A ….. See it here

I had to find a true censored version simply because I’m a grown man with a family and I can’t be promoting all kinds of tom foolery…. But when you see the video you will get the idea

Oh and for those that haven’t seen the uncut video before… the video was entirely shot from the first person view of a female… (she looks at herself int he mirror but it's blurred out in the end)

This was a hard list to compile and now that I have finished, so many have come to mind, but I only put the ones that simply came to mind first. I guess this means another unforgettable list will be coming soon…

- Slim

Wayback Wednesday...... Return of the STARTER.....

They say time waits for no man…. It obviously doesn’t wait for fashion either…. 

While gracefully browsing the internet looking for some Air Max BWs or 91s (if anyone knows a legit source, please let me know) I started thinking back over all of the “gear” over the years that I had purchased, sold, lost, given away, etc.

I remember the first pair of “buddies” my mom bought me and sent me off to school in…. they were called Hoops…. They looked like the 90 Jordan’s but were far… FAR from them. I found an old ad for Hoops on the DevyNewYork blog. 

<==== I mean look at that mess. If you look closely, you see the instead of the Jordan Flight Logo, you got some dude pulling a jumper with another dude trying to block his shot!!! What were they thinking... 

I got tired of getting ripped. I was already skinny, dark-skinned, with glasses.... and we all know that was the recipe for a daily roast session. With that being said, I started to hustle… but no, not drugs... people at my school would remember me as the “Candyman” and I had it all: Resees, Butterfinger, Snickers, M&M’s, 3 Musketeers, Hersheys…. but I made my loot from those Jolly Ranchers @ 1 for .25 or 3 for .50. 

I had teachers, students, bus drivers, coaches all buying from me, until the school got smart and loaded the vending machines with name brand candy….  At that time, the “Candyman” had to hang up his hustle.

Anyways, I used that money to up my style with only one item in mind…. The Starter Short Sets….  And did I get them. I had the L.A. Kings, Miami Hurricanes, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Braves, and Colorado Rockies. 

But my two favorites were my Oakland A’s Green with White Pinstripes and my Florida Marlins White with Blue Pinstripes. (Rest In Peace to my Florida Marlins starter short set… My cousins and I were going to White Water Park to kick it for the day but my Uncle Sylvester made us work on a flower bed in that Red Georgia Clay before we left and the shorts never recovered.) 

The hook was that these items were NOT CHEAP. Some shirts went for anything from $59 to $79. The shorts and the hat were separate… but in 91 and 92 YOU HAD TO HAVE THEM!!!! 

So now that I have a little bit of income….  I have made the decision to recoup some of my lost Starter shirts. Match those up with some of the retro Jordan’s that my man D.P. Cliff  keeps finding and I’m gonna be fresh just as I SHOULD HAVE been back in the day. (Check out my man's Kick Deals community on Facebook.)

Oh – for all of you that don’t know about the Starter gear, please reference the following videos that served as walking Starter commercials…

Kris Kross – Jump

If these kids were smart, they could have made serious money simply from market placement. They have on Starter apparel in every scene.

Fresh Prince – Summertime

This summed up the epitome of the Starter Jersey…. Barbecue’s, Car Show’s at the park, and Starter gear. That Eagles Starter Shirt was one that I always wanted.

I wanted the Georgetown Hoyas set so bad… but please believe if I decide to get it now, there is no way I’m doing the shorts. Even I'd laugh at my own-damn-self if I was walking around in any type of short set.

Picture courtesy of ForAlltoEnvy

- Slim….

MUSIC 101 – New E-40 feat. Bun-B, and Slim Thug - That Candy Paint

I don’t do this much….

Actually I don’t do this at all….

But you gotta give respect when respect is due…. 

As I get older (and as there are more and more rappers emerging without lyrical talent) I get more into the beats behind the lyrics more than the actual lyrics themselves…

With that being said… I was talking to my man C. Gaines back in Bama, and he is telling me about his fam that has supposedly put together this ridiculously sick track. He was going on and on about it and all I could do was listen. 

Now we ALL KNOW somebody who makes beats and supposedly put something together for somebody, which is why I don't put much stock behind many of those stories.... but this was different. My man CG doesn’t get all rah rah for anyone… and this is the same dude who could tell you about everyone’s different flows, beats, and styles from Showbiz and AG to UGK so I had to at least see what he was talking about….

Needless to say when I heard the track, it was mesmerizing… It threw me into a summertime daze and took me back to 96…

Then I heard E-40, Bun B, and Slim Thug run through it… 

I was sold.  Hearing 40 and B go took me back to the days of Be About Yo Paper and Diamonds and Wood. Throw in Thugga and you got new summertime anthem.

So enough with my talking and listen for yourself

Big Shout to SHAPE SHIFTA and  VERSATILE MUZIK Productions. They are destined to do some big things out there... 

Facebook – Versatile Muzik - Twitter - @ShapeShifta

Check Back in this week as I post tracks with some of my favorite beats from back in the day. I mean, once you hear a sick beat, you'll never forget it right...?

-Slim

BARKLEY BOWS TO NONE…. Just ask Rick Pitino

See below for RUN DMC reference.....

If any of you caught the NCAA Tournament coverage this weekend, you probably saw Charles Barkley square off against Rick Pitino regarding the attention given to the Big East. Rick, whose Big East Louisville squad was dismissed in the first round by Morehead State, was told by Charles that the Big East is overrated and that they never should have received 11 teams in the tournament.

But as you will see below, that was only the beginning….. 

Needless to say, Notre Dame was drilled by Florida State to the tune of 71-57 which left Charles looking more like Nostradamus, and left Pitino looking like Joe Pesci. 

And I’m not talking Casino Joe Pesci.

I’m talking Home Alone Joe Pesci.

Now everyone sing a-long with the fabulous flow of Run DMC as they give Coach Pitino some valuable advice before he speaks to Sir Charles again....

Eat Em Up Chuck.... (representing Leeds, Alabama)

-Slim

MUSIC 101 - Let’s Take It Back to 94….

The summer that I endured my first set of two-a-days….

The summer that I started stacking a little cash in my pocket….

But more importantly - The summer that I turned 16 and got my driver’s license…

However, unlike these new Teen Drama shows and Real Housewives of (enter your city here) my first car was a straight hand-me-down. 

That’s right, before I got my Nissan Maxima,  I was forced to push a 1985 Ford Escort.

It was given to my oldest brother as a graduation present to take to college when he enrolled to the University of Alabama.

It was then given to my middle brother for transportation of him, his friends, cousins, and football teammates to and from practices and school.

 

And in 1994… it was given to me.  I remember having my boys Ricky and Mike push the car down the road as I popped the clutch so we could ride out and see some “friends” over an hour away. Oh and the car was a dirty, rusty red, with no insurance and no updated plates. It didn’t matter, the car may have been busted, but i was still clean rockin my "Dopeman Nike's". Most importantly, I was free.

The realest thing I remember was the tapes (YES TAPES) that I had in the car. I was to broke to afford buying the full tape for $12 so I would buy a single or dub a copy from one of my people. 

Well tapes are now extinct, but the music on the tapes still live. Simply because I am sure that  everyone remembers the tapes they had in their first car, and I am going to share my top 10 tapes to ride to in the summer of 94.

Honorable Mention:

Black  Moon – I Gotcha Opin
Eightball and MJG – Lay It Down
K-Dee – Hittin Corners

10 – Bone Thugs n Harmony – For the Love of Money

Thuggish Ruggish was the first single, but For the Love of Money was the song everyone “fast-forwarded” to. It was hell trying to actually get the tape at the right place before CDs came along….  

9 - Keith Murray – The Most Beautifullest Thing In The World

This hook was stuck in my head for years….  It also helped that the track was on point.

8 – Common – I Used To Love H.E.R.

Everyone who considers themselves a hip hop fan fell in love with this song, especially when everyone found out it was Hip Hop and not a girl he was talking about.

7 – Da Brat – Funkdafied

You know a song is a summertime classic if you hear it at EVERY pool party, barbecue, or stop light. This was no exception.

6 – Method Man and Mary J Blige – You’re All I Need

With so many remixes that came out, it is hard to find the one on the original album. The video actually  made me want to move to NY… (Never happened)

5 – MC Eiht and Compton’s Most Wanted – All For The Money

For anyone who had any type of knock in their trunk, this would put it to the test. The song itself was a summertime classic.

4 – Outkast – Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik

Welcome to the new south. We weren’t only bass and booty shaking music anymore. Big Boi and Andre brought a new light to the A

3 – Nas – It Ain’t Hard To Tell

This is probably my favorite song/video of all time. No flashy lights, expensive cars, or big butts in the background. Simply Nas spitting a classic before he even knew it.

2 – Warren G – This D.J.

This DJ became my favorite because everyone who got in the car always wanted to play regulate..

1 – Notorious B.I.G. – Warning

We all know Juicy was the flagship song on this album…. But I still go hard to Warning at the gym every morning…

I hope you are feeling my “FIRST CAR TOP 10 of 1994”

Holla back.

-Slim

March Madness The 2011 Edition…

My Bracket Breakdown, NCAA Tournament Flashbacks, and Bracket Challenge

The madness has already begun….. just ask Colorado, but don’t worry Buffaloes, you will be playing long after many of these so called "better than you teams" are back in their dorms.

This may be the most balanced tournament in years, but that doesn't mean we aren't due for some surprises, and this is how I see some of the teams....

Seedless Grapes: Pittsburgh

This will be the first #1 seed to lose in the tournament. Battle Tested – Yes. Strong Squad – Yes. Vulnerable – Yes. This squad had gone through a lot this year, but as talented as they are, inconsistency always sets in during tourney time.

Sleeper Teams: Belmont and Utah State

I like both of these squads and with the way the brackets are coming together, it wouldn’t surprise me for one of these teams to make the Sweet 16.

Here they come… There they go….: Wisconsin, St. Johns, Purdue

I feel that one of these teams are going to fold, not because they aren’t good, but simply because they had a rough experience in their conference tourney’s and now face tough match-ups with opponents that come into the tourney hot.

Strong Showing: Michigan State, Florida State, Richmond…. 

I feel Sparty will leave it all on the floor simply because it’s too hard to imagine an Izzo squad leaving after Day 1. Florida State doesn’t seem to get much love on the hardwood, and they will play with that chip on their shoulder, and I personally feel that Richmond will push Vandy to the buzzer and could even eek out the win.

Much Love For…. Virginia Tech.

I am speechless imagining how a 4 year senior could not taste the tourney after being so close each time. I am not going to go into the VCU, UAB debate, but this one hurts…

My Final Four:  Join the “Life Is My High Bracket Challenge” on Yahoo to find out”

Click here to join the bracket challenge or email me at lifeismyhigh@gmail.com

This time of year always makes me think back to some of my favorite NCAA tournament memories, so join me as I hit the Hot Tub Time Machine once again (everyone keep their clothes on please…)

1990 UNLV vs Duke

One of if not my favorite team of all time… Duke simply wasn’t ready for these boys….

1993 California vs. Duke

Jason Kidd showcasing his talent’s on the biggest stage by “Besting” Duke 82-77…. (You like how I threw Besting in there right???)

1994 Arkansas vs. Duke

Nolan Richardson’s 40 minutes of hell combined with the performances of Scotty Thurman, Corey Beck and Corliss Williamson was too much for Duke down the stretch.

1996 Kentucky vs. UMass

The star power and talent in this game was ridiculous.

Kentucky had 3 future First Round draft picks in Antoine Walker, Tony Delk, Walter McCarty along with Derek Anderson, Jeff Sheppard, Ron Mercer, Wayne Turner, and others compiling a 32-2 record.

UMass trotted out a 35-1 record with Marcus Camby, Donta Bright, Dana Dingle, Camelo Travieso, Edgar Padilla and others

This game was an instant classic…. That’s all I can pretty much say about this.

1990 Loyola Marymount vs. Alabama

This was a hard pill to swallow… Being 11 years old at the time, I could not put death and sports together. It just didn’t seem fathomable.  So needless to say, the Hank Gathers tragedy was something hard for me to understand. During the LMU tournament run, the emotionally charged squad was averaging well over 100pts per game and was matched up with Alabama (my favorite team) in the Sweet 16.  Alabama held them to 62, but still fell 62-60 in the contest. LMU caught a buzzsaw in UNLV in the Elite Eight and their run abruptly ended there.

If you want to get in on this year's bracket action, click here to join our public group..

So go grab a cold one, sit back and let the games begin......  

- Slim