Wu-Tang is for the children!

So Wu-Tang's newest album, Wu-Tang Chamber Music, is due out in a few days (June 30) and I'm actually pretty excited about it. I thought 8 Diagrams was a pretty good album and I think this one will be too. It's produced by RZA, which is always a good sign, and it features some veteran guests like AZ, Masta Ace, and Havoc from Mobb Deep, among others. I checked out a new leak off it today, "Radiant Jewels," and I really liked it. This dude I've never heard of Cormega kills it on that song. I don't think GZA is featured on any of the songs, though, which is is disappointing. Anyway, I'm pretty excited about it and here's the song I just spoke of:

Radiant Jewels - Wu-Tang Clan (Ft. Raekwon, Cormega, & Sean Price)

On a side note, it's kind of surprising me that more and more people tell me they've never even heard of Wu-Tang's video game, Shaolin Style. If you still own a PS2 or even an original Playstation, buy it off ebay for like 4 or 5 bucks. It's a fucking sick game, trust me.



Movin on yo' left, HA!

Also this shit never gets old:

Draft Recap

Here are some thoughts from the NBA Draft:

1. Let's be honest. Hasheem Thabeet was a terrible pick. Almost as bad as Darko Milicic (more to come) a few years back. For anyone who watched the draft last night, Jay Bilas's description of Thabeet as a player who "has to get strong.. and has to refine his offensive skills." How can a team actually take a player # 2 overall who is not game-ready? Thabeet will be a good defensive player, maybe averaging a few blocks per game and a few boards, but this man is a homeless-man's version of Sam Bowie or Michael Olowakandi, whose name "I want candy" is perhaps the only positive associated with him.

2. The Seattle Supersonics - www.nba.com/sonics - blew their chances at being the most exciting team n the league hands down. The Spurs added Richard Jefferson to an already explosive lineup, the Magic added Vince with Dwight, and the Cavs picked-up a fellow named Shaq O'Neil to team up with the King. But in terms of potential, age and excitement a team of Rubio, Westbrook, Durant, and Jeff Green would be tantalizing to watch. Imagine last year's Blazers on steroids. Sorry Welles, your team really fumbled this one.

3. T-Wolves drafting 5 guards, and trading one. A backcourt of Rubio and Johnny Flynn will be a disaster. You have an 18 year old European and a 5"11 thug from Syracuse NY who had one good game (whose Stats were inflated as it was a 6 OT game). Good luck coach, whoever you may be. The best thing Johnny Flynn did was refer to himself in 3rd person. We couldn't stop laughing when he said that he doesn't compare himself to any current NBA'ers but rather Johnny Flynn has to be Johnny Flynn.

4. I think as a collective unit three of us let out 60 f-bombs once the Warriors picked the savior Stephen Curry right before the Knicks who were left with another under-sized Power Forward. Curry is going to be a stud. Hopefully he'll start rolling with a new entourage than he did in college: I love College (Davidson University)

5. The similarity between the Minnesota Twins and the Indiana Pacers? They both love white guys. A Pacers lineup of Troy Murphy (from Delbarton), Jeff Foster, Mike Dunleavy and recent pick Tyler Hansbrough is as white as paper. All they are missing is Welles Wiley. Race and Sports

6. This draft absolutely was awful the rest of the way. None of these guys will be good players, let alone all-stars and most won't even crack a starting lineup. 10 of the first 21 picks were point guards alone, most of whom will be out of the league in the next few years.

7. The best picks of the night were Eric Maynor to Utah in the first round and DeJuan Blair - the next Big Baby Davis - to San Antonio (who is on its way to a Championship).

Overall, this draft was one of the worst ever. Too many foreign players. Too many player I've never heard of. Too many garbage players. Rather, this trade will be remembered for its trades.

The best of which was Quentin Richardson for Darko Milicic. You gotta love Donnie Walsh. I just put this item up on Ebay, feel free to bid! Here

Twitter

Before I continue with my NFL power rankings, let me just state how much I hate Twitter. I hope no one disagrees with me about this. Seriously though, someone should hack into Twitter's mainframe and just delete it forever. Virus the shit out of that thing. I log online today to gather some new sports news and I immediately see that Lendale White and Chris Johnson are in a light feud over some stupid shit regarding their mutual nickname ("Smash and Dash") because of something Johnson "tweeted" (don't ever let me allow that term to leave those quotation marks). Yeah, it's probably all in jest and the media is surely overreacting but it calls to mind Charlie Villanueva's use of Twitter at halftime of an NBA game. Message to Pro Athletes from someone with little athletic prowess but who does have some common sense: Stop fucking twittering.

I was just as dismayed to read in the article, which I'll include a link to at the end of the post, that "[Lendale] White isn't one to back to back down, so he dared Johnson to unveil a new touchdown celebration." What? Did I misread that? So an NFL player dared a feuding teammate to do a new dance as a means of getting even? How about running him over in practice or better yet, in a move that actually might help the organization and team itself, challenge him to something that actually has to do with playing so that a healthy competition can develop and better both players? Shit makes me sick. I would love to hear Mike Singletary's comments were something like this to happen on the 49ers. Johnson and White remain two of my favorite players to watch, though, and I clearly still think the Titans will be an elite team this year.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d810fb441&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true

From Origami to the Moonwalk in the Moonlight

Dating back hundreds of years, the Japanese have always been a master of crafts. Now, however, instead of delicately folding paper into cranes, the Japanese have turned to the music world. One Shinichi Osawa has turned heads around the world with his scintillating house grooves.

I was lucky enough to catch Mr. Osawa in concert this past week as he opened for Fatboy Slim at Terminal 5 in New York. He not only didn't disappoint, he far exceeded my expectations. Fatboy was left looking Slim as Shinichi blew him away. Fatboy Slim rested on his laurels, using a mostly prerecorded performance and some over the top fist pumping to try and please the crowd. Osawa, however, was busy mixing his music throughout the hour-plus that he played. He would mix for five minutes, slowly building to the peak, rarely looking up as he concentrated, and then he would release the tension for the excited crowd. After quickly throwing his hands in the air to celebrate the surreal beat he had just created, he would grab a swig of his Sam Adams and get back to work.

The only slight disappointment was that he left out almost all of the songs that people knew. No "Perfect Vision." No "Main Street Electrical Parade." No "Dreamhunt" or "Detonator." No complaints, however, as I thought it was amazing that of all of the songs that I have come to love Shinichi through, the only one he played was "Pogo" and I still thought the show was unbelievable. Here's a link to download "Pogo," as well as two other dope songs. I realize that this is an old song and you've probably heard it, but take a second listen...and then a third. It's worth it:

"Pogo (Shinichi Osawa Remix) - Digitalism

In other music news, Phish will be playing a three day festival for Halloween! Another cool announcement through Phish.com on Friday, the band will be throwing on their musical costume for some extended sets in what is speculated to be Indio, California, the site of the Coachella festival.

Halloween has always been a special day for Phish as they don their costumes in the form of music by covering full albums of other bands. They have played The White Album, The Who's Quadrophenia, Velvet Underground's Loaded, and Talking Head's Remain in Light. You also can't forget 1998 when they covered Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon just two days after the Halloween show where they played Loaded.

While you have to expect the unexpected with Phish, one can't help but find it interesting that they announced this the day after Michael Jackson died. Fans had always been hoping for them to cover his Thriller album and this could be the year. No matter what, this will be a weekend to remember and I will do everything I can to be there. Anyone who wants to join is more than welcome. Here's a video of GRAB (Trey and Mike Gordon with the Benevento Russo duo) playing "Billie Jean." Could be quite the dance party under the stars of SoCal with the kings of the jam band scene covering the King of Pop with some questionable substances and costumes to aid in the process:

Second Round Sleepas

These guys are not as big as Shaq, studly as Nick Nolte, nor are they Blue Chippers. But these are the ballers who have the potential to rise from the heap of shit that is this year's NBA draft and become this year's Agent Zero (second round steals). Without further ado, these guys are almost as sleepy as Sleepy Flloyd:

1) AJ Price AkA The Macrook Pro: His arrival to your locker room may prompt a boost in security (damn I'm original), but it also will add an immediate boost to your squad's three point shooting, along with some real quick hands. Price is one of the more seasoned guards at the draft, at 22 years old, and he showed in the Big East and NCAA tournaments that he raises his game when it matters most against the best competition. He's a gamer, and he also has the pedigree (his father took Penn to the Final Four and was briefly in the NBA). Is there really a 35-40 player gap between Price and Ty Lawson? Jrue Holiday? The guy was the best player on one of the best teams in the nation, and showed legit NBA range. He was flat out making it rain at times this season while showing the ability to distribute the ball. The Price is right, and whoever nabs him in the second round has a quality point guard who can contribute immediately.

2) Dionte Christmas aKa Dionte Claus (sequele to Fred): Another underrated, veteran guard. See a trend here? Potential is sexy, yes. But who would you rather spend a night in a Red Roof Inn with right now: Myley Cyrus or Meghan Fox? Myley Cyrus, like the J-Rue Holidays and Brandon Jennings of the world, could transform her cutie thang and become a straight up bombshell in a couple years. Or she could start hanging out with Lindsay Lohan and find herself getting to know Tony Montana pretty well. Guys like Jennings and Holliday may very well become All Stars, or they will more likely be lured into the ludacris NBA lifestyle and start chillin with Mr. Grey Goose and that Cranberry Juice. While the young guns will light up Dutchmasters, Christmas can light up a scoreboard with the best of them. He played in the A-10 for Temple and was one of the best scorers in the country for the past three years. Just because he wasn't a big name, McDonald's All American doesn't mean he doesn't belong in the NBA. Are guys like Austin Daye and Nick Calathes really going to be better players than him? Doubtful. Talent and youth are quite alluring, but usually the subtle and solid guys do more damage.

3) Dante Cunningham AkA Dante Cunnilinguist: At a lengthy (long ass arms) 6'8", this schmohawk is big enough to defend most powerfards in the NBA, and quick enough to beat them in the post or off the dribble. Simply put, he is a much better basketball player than Hasheem Thabeet, for instance. He is an excellent rebounder, very solid passer, knows how to play the game, and puts the ball in the net more often than not. Will Cunningham make an All Star game? Probably not. But if guys like Carl Landry and Ryan Gomes can make it in the NBA, why can't Cunningham? He's played in the best conference for the past four years and always played well in the tourney. This guy is just a rock solid player who shows up to play every night. Someone will dig up some gold or some cumontheirhands with this pick.

*I also like Jodie Meeks, Patrick Mills, and Josh Heytvelt as second round quality picks*

Man, Sportscenter used to be so ill (sigh):

Early NFL Preview

Okay, so I know it's early, but I personally can't wait for the NFL season to get underway. As such, I'm going to do an early power ranking by conference. When the season gets closer and everything gets ironed out, I'll do a league-wide version. Please leave comments if you agree or disagree with anything I have to say; I'd be happy to argue these with anybody.

AFC 1-5:

1. New England Patriots: This isn't a biased choice. This team went 11-5 with a guy who hadn't started a game since high school and now have the best player in the league back. Welker and Moss have now had two full seasons to learn the offense, and their performances in their 1st years within the offense says enough. Veteran Joey Galloway adds another long-ball element that will complement Moss well. He had a down year last year (from 1,000 yards a season before) but it was on the fucking Bucs. Look for TE Alex Smith to have a breakout season. The Pats also bolstered the O'line by drafting four offensive linemen, two of whom could make an immediate impact. The signing of veteran Fred Taylor is perfect for a running back corps in need of guidance. Faulk and Morris should remain on the roster.

Rookie Brandon Tate adds a promising dimension to the special teams unit after the departure of return-man Ellis Hobbs. The D'line is still one of the best in the league and Wilfork's contract issues are less worrisome with the drafting of Ron Brace. An already strong (but aging) linebacking corps of Thomas, Bruschi, and Mayo will only get better with the acquisition of Paris Lenon, who had more tackles than Ernie Sims last year on the God-awful Lions. At least Lenon got plenty of action being on that defense last season. The secondary is the only concern for me, but the mix of Merriweather and some fresh draft prospects could be the answer along with the guidance of veteran Shawn Springs and Belichick's defensive schemes.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: Returning Super Bowl champs have to be high on your list. Losing Larry Foote and some of the secondary will hurt only slightly; this team's defense is still terrifying. Harrison, Farrior, Timmons, and Woodley resemble the Steel Curtain of lore. They even have Donovan Woods. DONOVAN WOODS! They also have solid cornerbacks and one of the best safeties in the league in Polamalu. The offense is pretty much the same. Roethlisberger has clearly proven himself as a capable passer and the receiving corps is excellent. Ward signed a fresh contract, Holmes showed what he can do in last season's Super Bowl, and they have three promising receivers vying for the third spot. I think Sweed will win it and have a pretty solid season. Heath Miller is legit at TE. Fast Willie Parker had a down year but a healthy, nasty Rashard Meandenhall is going to significantly bolster the RB corps. They do need to address the O'line but it shouldn't be a problem. This team hasn't changed much and that's a good thing--they didn't need to. They will clearly be a contender in 2009.

3. San Diego Chargers: As much as I hate the Chargers, I have to say I think they are going to have a great season. Firstly, they play in one of the shittiest divisions in the league, especially now that (as Larry noted) McDaniels is ruining what Shanahan built. They do actually face some pretty tough opponents out of the division, though. Philip Rivers is somehow one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and they kept both Tomlinson and Sproles. The receiving corps could still use some work; Jackson and Chambers are not a legit 1-2 punch. Buster Davis could have a breakout season though after an injury last year and they still have Antonio Gates. They also boast one of the best offensive lines in the league, highlighted by Marcus McNeill and Kris Dielman. The defense is strong, too. A healthy Shawn Merriman is never good for opponents, and the selection of LB Larry English with the 16th pick will add depth to the LB unit. I like the secondary, especially with Antonio Cromartie, arguably the most athletic player in the league, still back there. Plus the D-Line retains Castillo and Williams. Watch for 4th round pick DT Vaughn Martin from Western Ontario--this guy could end up being a stud. I really think this team is legit. Don't forget their late playoff run and 11 point loss to the Super Bowl champs.

4. Tennesee Titans: I'm still not sure about this team. The Kerry Collins storyline is cool and all those people that always come out of the woodwork to root for the old guys when they do well late in their careers love it. I can't stand those people. Root for someone their whole career, will you? Anyway, this team is still a serious threat. Defensively, I think people are getting their panties in way too big of a twist about the Haynesworth loss. Yes, he's amazing and was a key piece of that D'line, but don't forget about team captain Kyle Vanden Bosch, who had 12 sacks in 2007 and managed 4.5 last year in 10 games. They also addressed the D'line in the draft. They linebacking corps is primarily unproven youngsters but that shouldn't be anything Keith Bulluck can't fix. I think their secondary is the best in the league with Hope, Finnegan, Griffin and Harper (just imagine if Pac-man had worked out). Will Donnie Nickey start another fight in training camp this year? Offensively, they're set. Johnson and White (don't ever let me refer to them as Thunder and Lightning) might be the best tandem in the league and they run behind a good line. I love watching Johnson.

They also finally addressed the receiving corps, which has always needed work, when they drafted Kenny Britt with their 1st round pick and signed Nate Washington, who I think will do far better here than in Pittsburgh. Justin Gage should have an excellent season. Bo Scaife and Alge "The Butt" Crumpler actually form a formidable TE duo, and Rob Bironas might be the best kicker in the NFL. Fischer is one of the best coaches in the league and you have to credit the organization for sticking with him, just as the Steelers stuck with Cowher all those years and were rewarded. Gotta like this team's chances and their decision to rock the old oilers uni's for a few games. Classic.

5. Indianapolis Colts: This team is probably going to drop in my final rankings, because the more I hear, the less I like their chances. They lost Dungy and a ton of his staff, which is going to make for some bumps along the road. They did, however, astutely put one of their own, former assistant coach Jim Caldwell, at the helm because he knows their complex system. But Peyton is coming off an injury and Marvin Harrison is gone, so Reggie Wayne's numbers should drop some, even though Gonzalez and Clark are both very viable passing options. Still, it's a serious loss. Addai had a down year and his injuries are cause for concern, which you have to question even more with the 1st round selection of Donald Brown. I've also never been a real believer in this team's defense and I am even less so now that Ron Meeks is gone. Yeah, Sanders is amazing but Freeney is overrated (although he did have a good season last year), their linebackers suck, and Marlin Jackson isn't what he was supposed to be. Plus, Vinatieri can't boot it like he used to. I think this team is crumbling but I still view them as an elite AFC team (although that division is all of a sudden pretty sick).

That's it for now, I'll follow up with 5-10 in a few days or so.

NBA Draft Right Na Na Na

The NBA Draft (not quite as exciting as Dave Chapelle's racial draft) takes place this Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Every team hopes they will nab the next NBA superstar or snag the steal of the draft. Every team hopes they can avoid The Bust. Every Knicks fan knows that the player we take is either going to shoot himself in the leg or contract AIDs from a hooker within the next year. In what is being labeled as possibly the worst draft of all time, teams should follow one simple rule: take the best player available. Do not worry about how high someone's vertical is, how many illegitimate children they have, or what form they use on their jump shot. Go with your gut, and pick who your franchise feels is the best player available (like NFL teams almost always do). Do not pick someone just because they fit a positional need (see: Michael Olowakandi, Marvin Williams, etc.). In today's NBA, you want the most athletic and versatile player--not necessarily the biggest or strongest. You want someone who can create mismatches and can change the game. I read via my ESPN Insider an article about how Isiaah Thomas is, by the numbers, one of the best drafters ever. I'm not on Zeke's level, but I was so keen as to know that Oden over Durant was not the move. So without further ado, here are three guys that (all projected to go in the top 10), I sure as hell would not draft, pray the Knicks don't end up with, and have more bust potential than Asia Carrera:

1) Hasheem Thabeet: AkA Hasheem Tha-Weak-Sauce. Is he as good (or as big) as Emeka Okafor was in college? No. Does he have any post moves? No. Will he be able to block shots against Dwight Howard (note: not Luke Harangody)? No. He also has the same body type as the guy from the Air Up There. Will he be able to stay out of foul trouble? No. Does he have an eating disorder? Debatable. The guy is a skinny little biatch who blocks shots against undersized white dudes. Think he's going to be able to stop nasty mofos like Ron Artest? NAA. Look at all the trouble Greg Oden has had making the adjustment to the league, playing against guys close to his size and a whole lot tougher. Thabeet isn't half the prospect Oden was, and while he has shown the ability to improve, he just doesn't do it for me. At best, he is the next Samuel Dalembert. At worst, well...the Candy Man!

2) Jrue Holiday (who many experts believe the Knicks may take): AkA Drew. What have you done for me lately, Ja-Rue. The spelling of his name is almost as whack as his game. The guy's biggest strength is "defense," because he has long arms. Can't you find a guy with long arms and good agility in like, the D-League? His range is about 12-15 feet, and he barely played point guard last year for UCLA. He did not do much in a down year for the Pac-10. Umm...This guy is going in the top ten? Really? He was invisible every time I watched a (shitty) UCLA team play. This is not the reincarnation of Russel Westbrook--Holiday is a MAJOR project and is more likely the next DaJuan Wagner (out of the league) than Chris Paul. DraftExpress lists this guys BEST CASE as Rodney Stuckey and his worst case as Mario Chalmers. Does not sound like a lottery pick to me...

3) James Harden: aka The Hard-On I get it--he's athletic, versatile, and the ULTIMATE TEAM PLAYER. Drafting a team player in the lottery (top 5 especially) is like walking up to a bar, and instead of going for the group of hotties, you go for the group that reeks of mediocrity, knowing you have a solid chance at netting a decent ay babay. With Harden, you have a solid chance of netting an average NBA player. That doesn't sound good enough to me for a lottery pick. You're going to draft a guy in the top 3 who is known for deferring to other teammates, had an abysmal NCAA tournament, has an ehhhh jump shot, and is only 6'5" (with shoes on). I like the guy and think he can stay in the league, but I do not see him becoming "the next Brandon Roy" or ever making an All Star team. However, he's going to be a great in Cialis commercials.

*I also would not draft anyone that Doug Gottlieb loves*

Akon is more of an OG than any of these fools will ever be:



(look at that man move!)

General Thoughts

1. I saw David Guetta the other night here in Barcelona and he did not disappoint. It was a sick venue and he definitely has some certified jams up his sleeve. There must have been at least 350 people in this club and it was clear that everyone was feeling what Guetta was laying down.


I'm hesitant, though, to say 'laying down' because if I'm not mistaken, he basically just parked his ass up there and played music he's already composed. Quite frankly (another expression I'm hesitant to use because it's associated with former ESPN analyst Steven A. Smith—that unnecessary middle initial stands for Ass-wipe in case you were wondering), that's fine with me because he has some ill songs under his belt, but I guess I would've liked to see some more improvisation. Whatever, it was sick. Here's a couple Guetta remixes that never get old:


Once the event ended everyone made their way right outside to the beach, which is just another amazing aspect of this city, along with the freedom to light up a j on said beach like it's legal.

2. The hookers here are brazen as hell. My friends and I were at an ATM and this ‘tute who looked like she had just stepped off a pirate ship came up and kept grabbing our arms. Not only am I not going to give you the D because I'm never going to stoop to that level, but if you're going to heckle us I might have to dump a beverage on your head.

After I told her to get away she informed me she'd "fuck me real good," as if that's going to convince me to pay her for AIDS. How about I give you my dick cheese and then you just keep trolling the street as before? Anyway, I'm not going to sit on here and rant about Spanish hookers but it's one minute annoying aspect of life here (the only one I've noticed at all). Here are two tracks about hookers from Weezy F:



3. On a more positive note, the street performers are dope. They are these really weird people that dress up in ridiculous costumes and pretend to be statues until you give them some change. Once you do, they make these really unique sounds with their mouths and move like robots. Real wizard.

Homeless people should try this stuff because it's definitely something you could pick up with practice and would earn you a ton more money. I feel like it would also be more enjoyable (this all assuming you are able) than simply withering away in the gutter with your hand out. We also saw a performer do a flip over 3 standing people. Yes, that just happened and it was nuts.


4. A brief warning. Don't ever read the novel Who Walk in Darkness by Chandler Brossard, which I picked up solely because of its supremely badass title and its documentation of the birth of the Hippie movement. It's actually piece of garbage that I’m considering just leaving in my hotel room or maybe giving to a homeless person, despite the fact it apparently received serious popularity in France. Just thought I'd spread the word so no one is subjected to this rubbish.