As the NBA season winds down with the Finals soon, and MLB getting into the full swing of things, the big sports talk still surrounds the NFL.
College football is still huge, but we all know the NFL makes everything complete.
While many of the league’s superstars have enough saved and invested to weather the storm, there are many incoming rookies, practice squad players, and those who need this season in hopes of taking their careers to the next level.
With that being said, I feel that I should do my part as a model citizen and help these guys with some motivational words from one of the greatest sports figures ever……….. Leon.
Leon speaks on life after sports:
Leon speaks on taking up another game:
Leon speaks on helping the upcoming rookies:
Classic words of wisdom from Leon… With that personality and those impeccable skills, I’m sure he wouldn’t take the lockout too seriously.
Okay…. I know that I usually go throwback style on Wednesday, but I have to address something that has been on my mind for quite some time now…. What in the Hell happened to the Starter Brand????
I have already voiced my love for the throwback Starter jerseys… but we also have to give a moment of silence for the Starter Pullover Jackets. I mean unless you lived in a desert (Phoenix, Yuma, the Sahara, or anywhere between Dallas and El Paso) you know you had a Starter pullover, or at least wanted one.
But a pullover isn’t the only thing that I need to locate…
Here are the 3 items on my list that I consider a must have purchase, RIGHT NOW….
1) L. A. Raiders Starter Pullover….
With so many teams to choose from back in the day, how did the L.A. Raiders become a NFL favorite of hip hop heads? Simply thank Ice Cube, Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Mc. Ren, and DJ Yella for this influence.
You would hardly find any video footage were they were not in L.A. Raiders and Kings gear, and oh I had to have it. I may not have been Straight Outta Compton… but chanting Straight of Alabama just didn’t sound as gangsta….
I doubt I will throw one on to rock out here in Phoenix, but it’s still a must have.
YES!!!! These are my favorite J’s of the series… There was dude back in middle school that had EVERY JORDAN, BO JACKSON, DEION, etc…. you name it he had it… but the only ones that made me want to chop his feet off at the ankles were these.
But you know you weren't official unless you let the tag hang from the shoe...
If you can help me locate a LEGIT pair of these, please hit me up.
3) R Kelly and the Public Announcement TAPE….
Yes I said the TAPE…
I wanna keep pressing fast forward, then play, then rewind, then play, then fast forward, and then play again just to find the beginning of the song (young’uns don’t know about that). I know many people are all on R. now, but this was a 100% classic. Slow Dance, Honey Love, Dedicated…. Need I say more?!?
Maybe I was too young to recognize everything he was talking about… But hell I knew enough
R. Kelly - Honey Love
And for an honorable mention…. This next item isn’t for purchase, but it sure needs to come back:
Public Displays of DISCIPLINE (aka ASS WHIPPIN’S….)
No pictures needed here...
I remember going to Kmart with my mom and playing in the clothes racks. My mom would tell me to stop and bring your butt over here. I would do as she said, then about 2 minutes later, I’m off playing in the racks again. Then I see her face change from loving mother, to the spawn of everything un-heavenly. She grabs me and proceeds to whip my but all in K-Mart. Other parents walking by looking like, Get His Ass!!! She doesn’t abuse me by any means, she simply shows me that she is always in charge.
Oh the days…..
But kids are smart now…… my daughter will push all of my buttons in public because she knows I can’t yoke her up and dust her little butt all across the parking lot. Then when we get in the car, she immediately starts crying because she knows what’s coming when she gets home.
In my heart I know that one good butt whippin up and down the isles of Toys R Us will put an end to that mess……
Let’s recapture the good ol’ days as I close with one of the classics from the early 90’s..
Summertime in the Dirty South cannot be accurately described by words alone. Barbecues, Pool Parties, Super Sunday’s at the park… you name it, we did it.
The style was similar to that on the west coast, but it wasn’t about chucks and cortez as much as it was about Deion’s, Bo Jacksons, Andre Aggasi’s, and of course the Jordan’s.
Andre Agassi's Circa 1989/1990
Many of you probably don't even remember the Agassi's or Bo's, but if you were rocking any pair of these, you were doing it…
However, if you weren't rocking these, there were 3 things that could save you:What you were driving; What you were sitting on; and What you had in the trunk
Bo Jackson's Circa 1989/1990
During the summer of 94, I was on top of the world. Fresh pair of Jordan’s, a car on chrome, and a lil beat in the trunk... And I kept a music store on the passenger seat so everyone that I rode past could understand my mood at the time.
So that brings us to the good stuff…. My Throwback Summertime Top 10 – (The Dirty Dirty Edition)
From Texas to Florida, North Carolina to Georgia, music in the Dirty South has developed its own persona.
Florida’s style was different from the style in Tennessee.
Atlanta developed its own flavor while Texas is something like its own hip-hop country.
You either have to be a true hip-hop head, or had to grow up in it to understand….
So for those of you who need a reintroduction, please allow me to begin with those that receive an Honorable Mention:
·Eightball & MJG – Lay It Down (the only reason they aren’t in the top 10 is because I can’t find a decent video to use)
·UGK – Diamonds and Wood (Same reason as above)
·Tela – Shonuff (Club Classic)
·Master P – Break Em Off Something (Club Banger)
·Playa Fly – Nobody Needs Nobody (Proof that Tennessee is more than Banjos and HeeHaw)
So now that we have recognized those… let’s get to the Top 10.
10) TRU – I’m Bout it
The movies, albums, clothing lines…. You name it, P was in it and when this track dropped, everyone in the south claimed they were Bout It at least once in their life…
9) Ghetto Mafia – Straight from the Dec
ATL, summer 1996…. I heard this on the radio and tried to find a tape to dub it. No one knew who it was, and I was too cool to call the radio. My cousin put me on to it and I copped it when it dropped the FOLLOWING YEAR.
8) Silkk – The Shocker
I was a pure Silkk fan when the Shocker dropped. I could play this album from beginning to end, with this one being the fire-starter. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed with his sophomore effort.
7) Scarface – Let Me Roll
This one speaks for itself. Throwback summertime in Houston Texas.
6) Geto Boys w/Big Mike – Straight Gangsterism
When Willie D stepped aside for a moment, Big Mike came in and made his presence felt on Straight Gangsterisim which is now a southern classic.
5) Kingpin Skinny Pimp feat 3-6 Mafia – One Life to Live
My introduction to Tennessee (Funky Town flow) began my freshman year in college. The style was addictive, and as you see I still haven’t gotten over it. 4) Goodie Mob – Dirty South
1 to the 2, the 3, the 4.. them dirty Red Dogs done hit the floor…. Everyone in the south knew who the Red Dogs were… Red Dogs kickin in doors was just as common as gnats being at a barbecue.
3) Mystikal – Here I Go
If you could follow his on again-off again, fast –then-slow, wax on wax off flow, you had no doubt that this rapper had superior talent. This track was sick.
2) Outkast – Players Ball
Has to be one of the freshest tracks to be released in 1994. When this track dropped, all the “wanna be” gangsters stopped and started wanting to be players …. Hey, I guess it was much safer to be a player than a gangster.
1) Geto Boys – Mind Playing Tricks
With the Geto Boys dropping albums since 1988, it is understandable that they are mentioned on this list twice. And with the Mind Playing Tricks track still getting airplay til this day, it is understandable why they are number 1.
Well that will wrap it up for another top 10…. As I always say, I use no research. I only go from what is on my mind and if I can’t remember one, that means it wasn’t an summer banger in my book.
But like Diddy… I Can’t stop….. Won’t Stop…. Eh-Eh. Eh-Eh
(That was classic Chappelle….)
Anyways, I wouldn’t do the south justice if I did not include the songs that set the club on fire back in the day and with that being said:
Splack Pack – Scrub The Ground
DJ Magic Mike – Drop the Bass
Ghost Town DJ’s - My Boo
DJ Trans – Ride Out
I couldn’t sign out without recognizing just a tad of the party music that placed the south on the hip-hop map years, and I mean YEARS ago.
Shout to Luke, Poison Clan, Trick Daddy, DJ Uncle Al, DJ Magic Mike, Dis N Dat, 69 Boys, 95 South and the list goes on.
A couple of weeks ago, I posted my Top 10 summertime classics - The East Coast Edition...... To continue what I had previously started…. It is time to turn our attention to the West Coast for my summertime Top 10. This one is going to definitely be rough simply because back in the day, the south pretty much adopted West Coast music as our own.
Now you gotta remember, this was before the Dirty South revolution took over. So we were mostly identified by “booty shake and bass music”. So when NWA, Above the Law, classic E-40, Too Short, CMW, and others would drop, the South was ALL OVER IT.
It is also harder to pick 10 because regardless if it is February or September, It ALWAYS feels like summertime out west. Whether its the drop Impalas, or the Menace II Society drop 5.0, the west coast knew how to make me wish I was out there.
So lace up your "Dopeman Cortez" (if you don’t know, I can’t even speak on it) and let’s see what I can come up with.
Honorable Mention:
The Click – Be About Your Paper
K-Dee – Hittin’ Corners
Luniz – I got 5 on it
E-40 feat 2Pac, Spice 1, and Mac Mall - Dusted and Disgusted
The Ten:
10) Ice Cube – You Know How We Do It
I remember telling my mom I was going to take the car to the store, and drive across the city to see this girl.... who didn't even like me! It didn't matter though because with this banging in the Honda Accord, everything was all right with me.
9) Ras Kass – Anything Goes
One for the Money, Two for the Show, Three for the Ladies but all they wanted was One..... This song went so hard back in the day.
8) Dr. Dre - Nuthin But a G Thang
I don't care who you are or where you lived, you had The Chronic album in your rotation. And we all know that G' Thang was the captain of this ship.
7) Celly Cel – It’s Going Down
I still want a 57 Mustang until this day. I don't do ponytails, but I made a lick betting $5 on Madden 95 on Sega. Act like you know.
6) D.O.C. – The Formula
One of the illest west coast rappers ever. No One Can Do It Better was an album that all west coast hip hop heads owned and The Formula was 100% mesmerizing.
5) MC Eiht – Streiht Up Menace
A ridiculous track to accompany a ridiculous movie. For all that have seen the movie and heard the track, it is self explanatory.
4) DJ Quik – Tonite
Quik's freshman album was a classic. I was only in the 8th grade when this dropped but as I got older, the words made more and more sense.
3) Spice 1 – Welcome to the Ghetto
I remember having some Fosgate 10s in the trunk with the glass sub case.... and I remember this song literally tearing my poor little 10s to pieces... TRAGIC!
2) Regulate – Warren G Feat. Nate Dogg
Do I really need to speak on this one..... R.I.P. Nate
1) 2Pac – I Get Around
100% Fun summertime party track. You gotta love how he continues to give props to D.U. and feature them in this track
Well that's my 10, and those who know me know how I do. No research is performed here. If I forgot to mention one in my 10, it didn't have that much of an impact on me as these.
Some of you may wonder…… "Only One 2Pac song", "No NWA", “Where is Too Short???” well these artists actually deserve a top 10 to themselves which will be coming very soon.
Again, no disrespect to the hip hop heads of today. Keep doing your thing because one day, this generation will be looking back on the legacy you leave behind.
Soooo….. My wife has given me her undying support for my love of sneakers and fine cigars. She even told me that she would smoke a stick with me whenever I was in the mood, so you see what kind of woman I have down for me.
With that being said, I have to confess to the breakdown I encountered while attending a business conference on South Beach last week. That place is ridiculous, especially when you are enjoying yourself on another company’s dime!
Prior to making the trip, I was having a discussion with my man Duane from Real Kick Deals about what our next purchases were going to be. And since I am making a trip to Atlanta at the end of the month, we have decided to run into the Nike Outlet together and put it on its back.
The plan seemed to be a good one until I walked into Mr R Sports on Wednesday…. The walls were filled with AM90’s, throwback Jordan’s, Jack Purcell’s and Chucks among others.
However I stayed cool….
Until I went back on Thursday.... And again on Friday.
I walked back in the shop twitching… Like Tyrone Biggums on the Dave Chappelle Show..... You know you remember Tyrone Biggums...
After calming my nerves, there were two purchases I was ready to make…..
Rafael Nadal - Courtballistec 3.3’s
When I picked these up, it didn't even feel like a shoe was in my hand. At that moment, I determined that all I needed was a crisp white shirt and jeans…. throw these on and allow them to introduce themselves to whomever walked by.
Air Max 90 – Cool Grey
Everyone that knows me knows I am an Air Max fiend…
It is something about that Cool Grey that pops during the spring and summer. That would have been my third pair of a Grey Air Max colorway in the last month.
I was actually able to resist the temptation to purchase as I called my boy and he told me to calm down, stay focused, and remember we are going to hit up Nike on Memorial Day. (oh and the fact that they did not have either shoe in a 12 helped as well)
So I gotta give respect to my people at the Real Kick Deals, Mr R Sports, my corporate vendor, and to The Delano for taking care of me last week. The Wife and I will most definitely post up in one of those cabanas on the next trip.
Yeah, that’s me at the Delano last week in all white with the white on black Jack Purcell’s poppin…… A wonderful woman told me years ago that the shoe defines the outfit.... (So now you know why I had to marry her)
I must admit that i had wanted to go with the Crockett and Tubbs style since I had watched the show as a kid back in the day. Since I KNOW I can't pull off a purple suit, white would just have to do.
When I showed the wife the picture she simply gave me a look. I could only say it was the first time, but it won’t be the last…
College football is still huge, but we all know the NFL makes everything complete. 
