Undermined From Within: How Hip-Hop Gives Itself Black Eyes

It's difficult for others to take you seriously when you refuse to do it.

This holds true for hip-hop as well. Last week, I wrote that many conservatives have a skewed view of hip-hop that's grounded in a form of racism; whether that racism is conscious or unconscious is for another post at another time. However, I feel that I was remiss in mentioning the role that hip-hop itself plays in this dynamic; it's a vicious cycle that involves the artists, record label CEOs, the media, and consumers, and while the outside media does a great job of consistently misinterpreting hip-hop music, the media from within the community--or at least claims to be from within-- doesn't do much better.

Why do I say this? Because of the artists that get propped up as opposed to the ones that are overlooked. This dynamic most apparently reflects the change in mindset that hip-hop itself has undergone as time has progressed; what started as a way of conveying the ills of poverty in the ghetto has transformed into a business. As such, hip-hop magazines such as The Source and XXL have gone from exposing acts like Mobb Deep and the Wu-Tang Clan to larger audiences, to supporting trendy artists in order to sell copies. After all, selling magazines is a business, and if you're covering a genre that's all about trendhopping, you'd better follow suit in order to remain relevant. That's nice, but unfortunately, it's come at the cost of hip-hop integrity. On some level, I don't blame the Bill O'Reillys of the world for their dogged distaste for it, not when magazines and television stations such as BET only show some of the worst in rap in an appeal to the lowest common denominator. On some level, it's hard for me to solely blame the conservatives who use hip-hop as a convenient scapegoat for all of society's moral shortcomings, not when Rolling Stone and Vibe refer to an emcee like Lil Wayne as the best of his generation and then compare him to Jimi Hendrix. Both parties share blame, but there's a bitter irony in seeing hip-hop's most severe wounds being inflicted by media outlets that profess to support it.

Looking at it, it's beyond shameful that things have turned out this way; there are a multitide of great artists within hip-hop who don't get the attention and press they deserve. Instead, pop-rap acts like Flo Rida, Soulja Boy, and Hurricane Chris get praise as "hip-hop's newest generation" while more talented artists are ignored. I don't mean to sound like some bitter music elitist, because I'm not; however, I do think that it shows that priorities are out of whack when guys like that get the praise over more substantive artists like Mos Def and Chamillionaire. Priorities are out of whack when Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and the rest of these so-called experts can laud Wayne's "stream of consciousness" style when those same outlets were either blasting or overlooking the very artists Wayne got his style from (MF Doom and Kool Keith among others). In short, it's unfortunate that hip-hop media, much like the music itself, has become more about image than substance.

The public isn't buying it anymore, either; in fact, they haven't for a while. Hip-hop sales have fallen every year since 2003, and while music as a whole has been suffering, hip-hop is hurting more than most. More unfortunate is the fact that record labels don't care at all about this; in fact, it seems as though the upper brass is using the technological age to its advantage in order to get away with signing untalented artists. Hence the "ringtone rapper" phenomenon, which involves making money off of a rapper's single by offering it as a ringtone, while paying little to no attention to the artist's actual album. So long as they make their money, it's ok that the album doesn't sell, right? Right.

But they shouldn't be surprised when people stop listening all together.

Stunned and Shocked: Florida's Loss at Home to Ole Miss

Picture courtesy of the AP

Give Ole Miss credit: they were 22 point underdogs on the road, and they came in and played their asses off. They weren't scared or intimiated, and it showed early on. They faked a punt, pressured Tebow and sacked him three times, and remained aggressive throughout the entire game. When the passing game didn't work, Coach Houston Nutt went with the Wildhog, which kept Florida's defense off-balance long enough for Dexter McCluster to run for a 40 yard score--and give Ole Miss a 24-17 lead. When Florida's defense put the clamps on the Wildhog, Ole Miss went to the air as Jevan Snead connected with a wide open Shay Hodge for an 85 yard score late in the fourth quarter. Even as Florida marched right back down the field for a touchdown, Ole Miss blocked the PAT attempt, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the game. Tim Tebow would try to lead Florida down the field one last time to win the game, but Ole Miss was determined to prevail this day. On 4th and 1--usually an automatic first down for Tebow, the Rebels stuffed the Heisman winner for no gain.

So who's the blame for the loss? I suppose I could point the finger at the defense, which surrended 31 points. I suppose I could Major Wright; after all, it was his blown coverage that led to Shay Hodge waltzing untouched to the endzone on Snead's 85 yard pass. I could blame Offensive Coordinator Dan Mullen, who's inexplicable playcalling on Florida last four plays couldn't earn them the 10 yards they needed to continue the game (Really, Dan? Two deep passes, a good option pitch, and then a run play everyone expected?). But none of those it to blame here.

So, then who is? The offense. Yes, the same offense that saw Tebow pass for 319 yards, the same offense that saw Percy Harvin play the best game I've ever seen him play, the same offense that rolled up 450 yards of offense and 30 points. Why? Because they fumbled 5 times, losing 3 of them. Harvin fumbled three times by himself (losing one), and it was the first time in five games that Florida turned the ball over. Besides costing the Gators chances to score, the fumbles put the defense in bad positions to stop Ole Miss on offense. Despite it, they did an admirable job of containing the passing game--save his 85 yard bomb, Snead was a mere 8-19 for 100 yards, a touchdown, and an interception--and forced the Rebs to punt on their last possession which put Florida in position to win the game. It was ultimately the offensive line which failed to generate enough of a push to get Tebow one measly yard, and it was a lack of execution which prevented Florida from winning.

There's a lot of work to be done with this team; they have to be focused for every game--it was clear that they weren't prepared for such a fight during yesterday's game--and they have to protect the football better. In terms of Meyer's tenure, yesterday was certainly an aberration in this regard, but it should be nipped in the bud quickly lest other teams attempt to exploit it. Most importantly, though, Tebow has to be let loose early and often; the offense runs best when he's able to pass the ball, not when he's doing handoffs in an attempt to get the running game going. Get other guys like James, Cooper, Murphy, and Rainey involved as receivers, but let Tebow be Tebow. Instead, Florida sleepwalked through the first quarter and let Ole Miss believe they could win the game--which they ultimately did.

Hopefully, the team can take it's frustrations out on Arkansas when they travel to Fayetteville neck week.

Saturday Shakedown Week 2.......and Some Musings on USC

Somehow, USC managed to screw things up again.

Fresh off of a bye week which followed a drumming of top 5 ranked OSU, Southern California shits the bed in Corvallis and loses to Oregon State 21-27. The loss is only the latest example of USC overlooking their opponents; last year, Stanford beat the Trojans at home, and the year before that, Oregon State beat them in Corvallis again. The problem here? The players believe their own hype, and the coaching staff isn't doing a good job of keeping them focused. I can't really lay blame at the feet of ESPN or any other sports media here; they're doing their jobs by building USC up into the team that many thought they truly were. However, it's up to the players to turn the damn TV off and realize that without the wins to back it up, all the hype doesn't mean shit. Furthermore, it's up to the coaches to keep a team full of 18 year olds grounded and help them realize that truly great teams take care of business against lesser competition.

Instead, USC has another year of "what ifs."

And now, on to this week's picks. I went 4-1 last week, and I think I can run the table with this slate:

1. Ole Miss at Florida: Florida comes into this game 3-0, largely on the strength of great defense and even better special teams. Think Tim Tebow or Percy Harvin have been the MVPs so far? Think again. Brandon James has been the guy who's given other teams fits, with big returns on kickoffs and punts. With this in mind, look for Ole Miss to try and take James out of the game by kicking away from him. If they succeed, it should force the Gators to open up the offensive playbook; they've been able to get away with conservative playcalling so far because of good field position. However, if the Rebels take away James, we could finally see Tebow, Harvin, and the rest of Florida's playmakers have an impact. Defensively, Florida shouldn't change things up: stop the run, tackle well, and play well at the corners. As for Ole Miss, quaterback Jevan Snead could present a problem for the Gator defense; he's thrown more picks than touchdown passes, but he does have two playmakers at wide receiver in Mike Wallace and Marshay Green. Look for Ole Miss to test the secondary early by going to the duo, using the pass game to open up their offense. If they succeed, the Gators front line may be in for a long game at home.

My Prediction: This could be a letdown game for Florida, as they return from a big win on the road against Tennessee. However, after a similar scenario last year and a 6 point win over the Rebels, look for Urban Meyer to keep his team motivated this time around, especially since the game is at home. Florida should be able to keep Ole Miss' run game stuffed, which will force Snead to pass in order to keep them in the game. With enough passes, the defense should be able to force him into mistakes. Offensively, the Gators will be fine so long as they protect Tebow; they did a good job of this last week, and should be able to keep up the good work this week. With the emergence of Emmanuel Moody, look for him to get touches early and often in order to soften up the Ole Miss defense. Snead may be able to give the Gators a test with his arm, but Ole Miss doesn't have the playmakers as a team to topple the Gators.

Score: Florida 34, Ole Miss 17

2. Penn State at Illinois: Penn State looks like the Big Ten favoris thus far, while Illinois has struggled to a 2-1 start. The Nittany Lions have opened up the playbook, put speed on the field, and coasted to a 4-0 start to their year. Quarterback Daryl Clark has been near flawless so far, and their defense has yet to show signs of weakness. However, the Fighting Illini will be their first big test of the year. Juice Williams has worked hard to improve on his accuracy, and so far, the results have been good. So far, he's completed 60% of his passes, and while he's thrown nearly as many interceptions (5) as TD passes (7), he's become a better playmaker for his team. Tailback Daniel Dufrene has filled in admirably for the departed Rashard Mendenhall, rushing for 300 yards and getting almost 7 yards per carry. The tandem should provide problems for Penn State's untested defense. As for Illinois' defense, they haven't shown the ability to shut down legitimate offenses; they surrended 52 points to Missouri's high powered offense, and 549 yards of offense. With the Lions instituing the spread offense, playmakers like Deon Butler, Jordan Norwood, Evan Royster, and Stephon Green could shine. Norwood is PSU's leading receiver, and the tandem of Green and Royster has combined for 547 rushing yards on 7.6 yards per carry, and 11 touchdowns. If the duo gets going early, PSU could have the game in hand by halftime.

My Prediction: This game has the makings of a shootout, but I don't think this will be the case. Penn State traditionally fields a strong defense, and Illinois should get a boost by playing at home. However, both offenses will get their chances to shine. The Fighting Illini will see good play from Juice Williams, but their running game will falter. Meanwhile, Royster and Green will pace the Nittany Lion offense, but Daryl Clark will struggle in his first game against a good opponent. This game could come down to which team takes care of the ball best, and given Williams' problems with interceptions, my money's on the Illini fighting hard but coming up short.......again.

Score: Penn State 24, Illinois 21

3. Alabama at Georgia: Alabama might be the most surprising team so far this year. They've started off the season undefeatead, and are fresh off of a 49-14 beatdown of Arkansas. Meanwhile, Georgia, the preseason #1, has fallen to #3 despite a convincing 27-10 win on the road against Arizona State. Knowshon Moreno gave them 150 yards rushing and two touchdowns, but freshman receiver AJ Green was the game's MVP as he grabbed 8 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown. He comes into this game hoping to give Bama's secondary fits. Meanwhile, Bama has used a strong run game and good defensive play to climb the rankings. Quarterback John Parker Wilson hasn't been asked to win the Tide any games so far, and with such an effective ground game, one can't blame Nick Saban for not doing so. That said, Parker will have to step up big against the Bulldogs, as Georgia's defense is too fast and athletic to simply be run over. They must be made to respect the passing game, or Georgia's defense will run wild.

My Prediction: Matthew Stafford has been maligned for being an unspectacular QB throughout his career, but he's improved this year; addtionally, with Green stepping up as a go-to-guy, it could open up the field for other receivers to do damage. No doubt the Bama D has seen tape of Green, so with the focus being on him, his biggest role on the field this week could be as a decoy for the receivers further down the depth chart. Moreno won't have the glamorous stats this game, but he's good enough to make the Tide defense remain honest. That said, Stafford will have to be on point with his throws tomorrow. The same goes for Wilson, whose task is bigger because he does not have the go-to-guy that Stafford has. Julio Jones has shown flashes of greatness, but hasn't been given the opportunity to step up like Green has. They do, however, have a great stable of back led by Glenn Coffee, and it'll be up to them to keep the pressure off of Wilson. Unfortunately, I don't see this happening for the whole game, which gives Georgia the chance to take over on offense and exploit Bama's lack of depth on defense.

Score: Georgia 27, Alabama 17

4. Colorado at Florida State: Colorado is undefeated, and Florida State may be the worst 2-1 team in the nation right now. After coasting to back to back wins over FCS teams, the Seminoles got a dose of reality after being held to a paltry three points by Wake Forest. Meanwhile, Colorado is fresh off of a big win against a wavering West Virginia team. They face off against FSU in Jacksonville in hopes of improving to 4-0; meanwhile, the Seminoles look to put last week behind them and get some improved play on offense. Quarterback play will be key, as either D'Vontrey Richardson or Christian Ponder must step up and play better; both finished 6-18 passing against the Demon Deacons. With their offense reeling, they will have to rely on their defense to keep them in the game against a Buffalo team that has a balanced attack. Quarterback Cody Hawkins has completed 70% of his passes so far, and tailback Rodney Stewart is fresh off of a 166 rushing yard performance against the Mountaineers. If Colorado can get it going again this week, FSU will be in for a long game.

My Prediction: This one is hard to predict, but my gut says that FSU's offense just won't get it done against the Buffs. Wake's defense is better than CU's, but neither Richardson nor Ponder showed anything that indicates that they'll be able to perform well against a halfway decent defensive unit. CU held West Virginia to 14 points, and managed to hold WVU to a mere 43 yards passing. I don't see FSU's QBs doing much better. The best chance the Seminoles have is to gash Colorado on the run; West Virginia rolled up over 300 yards rushing last week. However, FSU's offensive line isn't nearly as good as WVU's and Ponder/Richardson along with Antone Smith isn't nearly on the level as the duo of Pat White and Noel Devine; Ponder and/or Richardson could keep the Buffs' defense on its toes by making plays out of the pocket, though. Colorado will win this game ultimately because of FSU's ineptitude on offense; they will be unable to consistently make plays, and the defensive unit will be left on the field too long for them to keep the Buffaloes out of the endzone for the entire game.

Score: Colorado 21, Florida State 13

5. Virginia Tech at Nebraska: Nebraska has stormed out of the gates at 3-0, while Virginia Tech has recovered nicely after an opening season loss to East Carolina by defeating, Georgia Tech and coming back to win over North Carolina. The reason? They've been able to force turnovers. After drawing even on the turnover margin battle against ECU, VT has managed a +6 margin in their three consecutive wins. If they can keep up the trend against the Huskers, they'll keep themselves in the game. Meanwhile, Nebraska has used a balanced attack to coast to their three wins. Quarterback Joe Ganz has passed for over 700 yards and 5 touchdowns, while Nebraska has relied on a stable of tailbacks to pace the running game. They have home field adantage in this game and hope to keep VT's defense honest; if they succeed, the onus will rest on Tyrod Taylor to keep the Hokies competitive. He sparked their offense to a win over Furman by running for 112 yards, and passed the ball well during VT's second half comeback over the Tar Heels. If NU's offense does well, he'll have to respond against their defense. NU's D is untested to this point, and could struggle against Taylor if he can make plays with his feet.
My Prediction: Another difficult game to predict. I do think that Nebraska holds a slight edge in this game due to their developmnt on offense. The Hokies' defense also hasn't been up to snuff thus far. Despite being 3-1, VT gives up more yards than it gains--by an almost 60 yard margin. Plus, they have struggled at the QB position. Taylor is a threat with his feet, but is still an inconsistent passer. Against an offense of Nebraska's caliber, limiting turnovers is a must for VT, particularly given that the team lacks playmakers on offense outside of Taylor. To that end, VT must play well on defense; containing Marlon Lucky is essential, as is putting pressure on Joe Ganz. They'll need to force the Conrhuskers into making mistakes in order to pull out a win on the road, and if they succeed in doing this, it could come down to special teams or a last drive on offense for either team. Unfortunately, I just don't see VT coming up with enough offensively to beat Nebraska.

Score: Nebraska 27, Virginia Tech 14

ESPN CFB Reporting: Lazy, Uninspired.......

......and insert any other synonyms of the like that you wish.

Earlier I listened to Kirk Herbstreit as he posited that while Notre Dame had top recruiting classes, they weren't on the level of a USC. That's cute, Kirk, but it misses the point as to why Notre Dame has struggled as of late. When are these so-called experts going to realize that talent comes secondary to coaching in college football? In the pros, that argument flies because it's more difficult to coach a team full of 20 and 30 somethings with their own minds and lives. In college, coaching is the single most important element in determining wins and losses. Don't believe me? Go ask Bronco Mendenhall if a lack of talent is stopping BYU from climbing in the polls week by week. Go ask Chris Petersen if lack of talent stopped his Boise State Broncos from beating a ranked Oregon team at Autzen stadium. If you want an example in reverse, go and ask Bobby Bowden how all that Florida talent's doing for him lately. There's no way to be nice about this, because it's been proven time and time again that it's coaching, not talent, that wins the day. Otherwise, Paul Johnson doesn't parlay his job as Navy's head coach into one at Georgia Tech. Dan Hawkins doesn't go from Boise State to Colorado, either. We've seen teams with lesser talent hang with more talented ones with increasing frequency as time goes on; Troy hung 34 points on Georgia last year and lost by 10. Boise State beat Oklahoma and Oregon State two years ago. Wake, one of the smallest teams in the ACC, won the conference two years ago, and held a far more talented Florida State team to a mere 3 points this past weekend. There are far more examples, but listing them all would be an exercise in redundancy. Note to the talking heads out there: you don't need a team full of NFL-ready players to win games.

And what the hell is up with the constant talk of Notre Dame? Has any other irrelevant team gotten so much press? They went 3-9 last year; who, besides people in South Bend, cares about Jimmy Clausen or Charlie Weis? Is the media that eager to see them back in top again?

Lesson in Breath Control

Absolutely insane.

Clarification: Where the DMXs and 50 Cents of the World Came From

Lunch= done. Now let's get back to today's lesson.

I mentioned earlier that the shallow crack rappers of today's mainstream bit Tupac and Biggie, seizing their vivid crack tales but neglecting the tones with which the two approached them. That is the important disconnect that defines the shallow and the truly reflective. 'Pac and B.I.G. spit tracks like "Everyday Struggle" and "Papa's Song" along with their drug narratives; it gave their music context by providing a starting place--a reason--for why they did what they did. The rappers of today spit twisted crack tales that are completely devoid of such context and, even worse, glorify the lives that they lead as admirable. The advent of these Pac and BIG clones coincided--or even helped spur--the mass commercialization of rap as an industry; this was both good and bad. Good because, for the first time, rap was able to reach a wider audience and artists were able to profit from it. DMX, Ja Rule, Master P, and others were able to become platinum selling artists with ease. P was able to parlay his success into a record label, which at its prime gave him a net worth of over $600 million. However, it was bad because it has hurt hip-hop as a whole. While some artists were able to reap the fruits of commercialization, others did not. The phenomenon of the "well-known independent" record label faded in favor of a few large ones. As a result, hip-hop's image became less diverse. Think about it like this: you've got a street cart selling beef hot dogs that does quite well. Do you mess with a winning formula, or do you try to sling some pork and chicken hot dogs as well? This is essentialy what the record label CEOs have done: they found a winning formula, and have stuck to it. The problem is that this has had the unintended consequence of flattening people's perceptions of both hip-hop and blacks in general. Again, there have been notable exceptions, but they're just that, exceptions. Jay-Z's going from being a rapper to being a record label owner is an exception. Kanye West being one of the most creative individuals in music period is an exception. Unfortunately, wattered down lyrics and subject matter has become par for the course in a genre of music that I absolutely love.

There is a Texas Chainsaw Massacre type quality to the fact that (mainly) conservative whites have seen fit to assail hip-hop from since its inception while simultaneously ignoring the mechanisms that have allowed it to grow. It is foolish and naive to act as though rappers--many of whom have little say in the direction of their albums--are the sole cause of the so-called hip-hop problem of today. They forget how relatively obscure hip-hop was until it reached white suburbia; had hip-hop remained a "black" experience, hardly any of the artists you see today would go wood, much less Gold. They forget that hip-hop didn't begin to lose its very soul until record labels saw it as a way to make more money. More importantly, though, they forget that these same record labels refuse to expand on hip-hop as they have with other genres such as pop and rock. Pop has many different variations, whether we're talking about the Nickelodeon style pop of an Amanda Cosgrove, or the more adult-oriented stylings of a Christina Aguilera. Rock has many different subgenres, ranging from alternative, to new age, to even Christian rock. However, mainstream rap doesn't have this; it's all along the same vein, without a balancing force to oppose it. Thus, people hear Shawty Lo or Flo Rida, but don't get to hear guys like Common or Lupe Fiasco. Why? Because it's easier to deal with the devil you know than the devil you don't. How would labels like Interscope and Sony look if they actually pushed someone like Cormega or Mos Def? Emcees like that go against the very image that the labels have crafted for blacks for almost two decades now.

Anyways, enough talk for now. Hip-Hop time:

The Roots- Respond/React:


Eminem- Infinite (my favorite Em track):


Kanye West Ft. T-Pain- Good Life:

Some Musings on Hip-Hop (As Inspired By Ta-Nehisi Coates)

Before I begin, let me just say this:

Ta-Nehisi Coates is the man. Period. End of discussion. I stumbled on his Website a few months back after Jesse Jackson wanted to cut Barack Obama's nuts off; I've been hooked ever since. Most of what he says I agree with, particularly as it concerns hip-hop. I'll be blunt here: I love the genre, and for the life of me, I can't understand why more people don't. Furthermore, I can't understand why hip-hop, out of all musical genres, is so grossly misunderstood by the mainstream media. I suppose one could point to BET and MTV and posit that white and black conservatives at large get a flat concept of blackness from them, which contributes to their misguided opinions on it. However, I'm a bit too optimistic to think people that stupid and close-minded. These people had to have run into black people before, right? Or listened to some hip-hop that didn't depict blacks as buffoons, savages, and shallow? Put plainly: they should know better than to pass judgement on an entire musical movement based on a few videos on TV, right?

Wrong. Very, very wrong. Mind-numbingly wrong, in fact. Whenever I see some so-called pundit on TV discussing hip-hop, it's always the same (maybe the news networks share the same script?): put one angry, white blowhard on one side to complain about some random rapper's lyrics, and add one angry, black blowhard to lament the evils of said rapper alongside him. Black blowhard pretends to be knowledgable about hip-hop (because that's what he's there for: expertise, right?) and then promptly shows that he isn't, while the white blowhard gets to pat himself on the back because *gasp* a black guy agreed with him!

Why the hell do we let this shit happen? Furthermore, why do black writers/journalists/what have you let themselves be duped in this way? To give a concrete example, consider this: in the wake of the Michael Vick scandal, Bill O'Reilly had FSN columnist Jason Whitlock to his show to discuss it. Somehow, the two managed to go from talking about an abominable act to riffing about the ills of "hip-hop culture" and how it, not Vick himself, was somehow responsible for the 50 or 60 something dogs that were exhumed from Vick's backyard or taken alive from his premises. Moving past the obvious irony of a man who preaches conservative principles passing the buck in his blatant agenda against hip-hop, let's talk about Whitlock for a second. Who in the hell made him a hip-hop expert? What makes him qualified to determine what hip-hop culture is? The earring he wears? The fact that he's a reasonably intelligent black guy? Let's be clear, here: he's a journalist with a degree in said subject ferom Ball State University. If I'm trying to get an educated opinion about hip-hop, I'm not running to him for counsel. Beyond him, the more pressing question is this: why do people who are so obviously uninformed about hip-hop get a platform to spout their views? At best, it's lazy and trite reporting, and at worst, it's a flourescent sign that says, "We Really Don't Give a Fuck About Black Culture." Seriously, how did being materialistic, violent, and downright stupid become "hip-hop culture?" Last time I checked, these things existed long before hip-hop ever did. "Hip-hop culture" is simply a buzz-phrase conservatives use to describe blacks who act in a way that they expect them to act. Why do you think that O'Reilly was so damn shocked when he realized that black people had manners and knew how to act in restaurants? Implicitly, it's because he--and other of his ilk--truly believe the image of blacks as uneducated, greedy, and over-aggressive. This is completely detached from some over-arching concept of a genre that promotes ingnorance; the "hip-hop culture" tag is a convenient scapegoat for them to justify their own racist views of blacks in general.

This is not to say that the O'Reilly's of the world are completely to blame, because to do so would be to see only a part of the equation. The other aspect lies on the music industry itself, from the artists who put out such images to the corporate bigwigs and media outlets that propogate it. The Young Jeezys, 50 Cents, and DMXs of the world have admittedly given white America at large a selection of easy outs when bemoaning rap music. They try and emulate Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls, without the element of remorse or the cautionary tone with which each adopted with their street tales. The result is the polar opposite of what 'Pac and B.I.G. conveyed in their lyrics: while the two warned against the dangers of drugs, today's new artists glorify them. Jeezy brags about being a hustler who just happens to rap, while 50 Cent is able to sell over 15 million albums on the strength of being shot nine times. The other side of this concerns the record label CEOs who seem to encourage such imagery. Sure, there are exceptions like Kanye West, Outkast, and Jay-Z, but by and large, the mainstream rap landscape is dominated by ringtone rappers all cut from the same mold of buffoonery, and record labels give them deals. Why is this? Probably because they realize that it's a whole hell of a lot easier to make money by selling the brand of black that whites are more comfortable with, as opposed to attempting to reverse that set of views. Lupe Fiasco rapping about Japanese manga isn't as comfortable as G-Unit making videos where they have women in chains. To that end, consumers--white, black, and everything in between--must also share the blame in this dynamic, because they are the ones who buy these most horrifying and disgusting images of blackness.

Of course, Hell would freeze over if the Bill O'Reillys of the world admitted that good ole fashioned family racism played a part in why rap has become the misshapen behemoth that it has. A look in the mirror is too pressing a look into a serious issue; dismissing it as an entirely black problemis far more convenient an explanation.

It is also the one that absolves him and others like him of any blame.

Yeah, I'll probably add more in a bit, but I think this is a good start given that this is the first time I've posted something of this nature.

Florida Trounces Tennessee.......and Other CFB News

Picture courtesy of the AP.

Brandon James is the most dangerous return man in the country. Let's just get that out of the way right now. Trindon Holliday? He can't field returns. Javier Arenas? Jeremy Maclin? They're good, but they're not James. Watch his 78 yard punt return yesterday against Tennessee. Or last year's 83 yarder. Or the 90 yarder that was called back two years ago. He's shifty, nimble, and fast, and he's the perfect return man. Of the four that he's taken to the house in his career, yesterday's might have been the best out of all of them; whereas he usually gets great blocking thanks to Florida's outstanding return team, he took yesterday's to the house with almost no help. He broke three tackles, and it was only Percy Harvin's block downfield that ensured that he would go for six.

Think teams are going to test this guy again?

Anyway, besides James, props has to go to the Florida defense for bottling up Tennessee; they held the Volunteers scoreless until the fourth quarter, and stopped one of the best tailbacks in the SEC in Arian Foster. Instead, the Vols looked lost on offense, as the Gators stopped the run and showed that Johnathan Crompton was unable to beat them with his arm. Know what the worst thing about this game was (for the Vols at least)? Florida called a damn conservative game; the Gators only threw 15 times, and opted to let the ground game pace the team. Emmanuel Moody finally showed up, rushing for 56 yards on 9 carries, and Chris Rainey ran for 37 on 9 rushes as well. Florida only put up 243 yards of offense, but what's to complain about when you score 30 on the road and beat a rival by 24? I'll add that I would like to see Florida open it up, though; Tebow showed us in the Miami game that he's still a top 3 QB in the nation when he gets the chance to cut loose, but for rhythm's sake, I'd like to see him throw it a bit more against Ole Miss. Offensively, they could pose a threat with Jevan Snead at QB and Mike Wallace and Marshay Green being playmakers at WR, but defensively, they may not be ready for the playmakers the Florida offense has.

Early Prediction: Florida 34, Ole Miss 17

Offensive Props:
- Emmanuel Moody, for 56 yards rushing on 9 carries
- Tim Tebow, for going 8-15 for 96 yards and 2 TD passes
- The offensive line, for not surrendering any sacks to Tennessee and a good job of run blocking

Defensive Props:
- Janoris Jenkins, for a recovered fumble and an interception to close out the first half.
- Brandon Spikes, for 10 tackles
- The front four, for holding Arian Foster to a mere 38 yards rushing

Round Robin (CFB Style);
- FSU is terrible. It is ridiculous that they were ranked in the top 25 after beating two FCS teams to open the season. People looking at FSU's history and expecting them to turn the corner were rudely awakened last night, as Wake Forest outplayed FSU and Jim Grobe outcoached Bobby Bowden. They controlled the clock, the pace, and were it not for mistakes in key situations, would've completely decimated the Seminoles last year. Seriously, I don't want to see FSU play a decent offense this year, because it'll be too ugly to watch. I'll admit, though: it was hilarious listening to how quickly the Bob Davie changed his tune over the course of the game. He goes from pimping their defense in the first quarter, to talking about how nothing had changed about the team during the third. Really? That's not what you were saying about them earlier, Bob. They're still the same undisciplined team they were last year, and the year before that, and the year before.......you get the picture. And what's worse is that their offense might actually be worse than it was last year. In addition to still rotating QBs (this time, the victims are Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson, both of whom finished last night's game 6-18 passing), they turned the ball over SIX times. Watching them try and score point was tantamount to watching a NASCAR game for the wrecks: you knew the mistake was coming, it was just a matter of when. Hopefully, FSU will do the honorable thing and tank the season in hopes of getting Bobby Bowden the hell out of Tallahassee.

- Georgia handled business against Arizona State, and looked pretty good in doing so. They sacked Rudy Carpenter four times, and held ASU to four rushing yards in the game. On offense, they imposed their will, rolling up 461 yards of offense, including 150 yards on the ground by Knowshon Moreno. Most importantly, though, Matthew Stafford may have finally found a reliable target at WR: AJ Green. He was an absolure monster last night, catching 8 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown. His jumping ability gives Stafford a great bail out option when plays break down: throw a jump ball to Green and hope he catches it. It's been a few years since the Bulldogs had a playmaker at WR; Mohammed Massaquoi was supposed to be that guy, but he hasn't panned out. Sean Bailey had promise, but his stint at UGA was cut short due to injury. Finally, with the emergence of Green, the Georgia offense could come to rely more on Stafford's arm should teams bottle up Moreno. As for the Sun Devils, they simply confirmed what I thought about them before last night's game: they're soft, and not physical enough to compete with elite teams. Carpenter's a solid enough QB, but they're not tough enough in the trenches to put a dent in top teams. Don't believe me? Watch them when they sqaure off against USC later in the year.

- LSU and Auburn played a hell of a game last night, one that didn't turn out anything like I expected. Instead of a low-scoring defensive struggle, we got a back and forth game whre each offense played quite well. Auburn's Chris Todd threw for 250 yards against LSU's secondary, a unit that, by the way, looked absolutely lost last night. Meanwhile, LSU's Charles Scott showed why he's the best tailback in the SEC so far this year, and they also found a starting QB in Jarrett Lee. Props to LSU for pulling out a gutty win and keeping Auburn's fantastic defense on its toes; after going down by double digits to close the half, they responded in the second half and got themselves right back into the game. And what about the onside kick call by Les Miles? Another time when the mad genius' plan struck gold. Give the man credit: he may not make the most sound decisions, but he damn sure believes in his team.

Week 3 Player of the Week: AJ Green, for his 8 catch, 159 yard, and 1 TD performance against Arizona State.

Shakedown Saturday: Five Game Pickem

Five intriguing college football games to catch this weekend:


1. Florida vs. Tennessee: The Volunteers are looking to show that their loss to UCLA was a fluke, while the Gators are ready to show that their defense is for real. Fresh off of a dominating defensive performance against the Miami Hurricanes--one in which they surrended just 3 points and 140 totals yards of offense--the Gators travel to Neyland Stadium to face a Tennessee team that not only opened the season with a loss to UCLA, but struggled for two and a half quarters against UAB. The Vol offense, led by Arian Foster, is set to defend their pride, and their coach's honor, as rumors of Philip Fulmer 's demise have only grown louder the past two games. Look for UT to test the Gator front line early and often with Foster, Hardesty, and Creer, in hopes of establishing the run game. Meanwhile, on Florida's side, look for the Gators to try and get Emmanuel Moody involved early on in order to open things up for Tim Tebow.
My Prediction: UT's defensive line better get to Tim Tebow often, or else they'll be in a lot of trouble early on. They've only gotten two sacks so far this year, and Florida's offensive line gets a big boost with the return of Jim Tartt to the starting rotation. Beyond Tebow, Florida simply has too many weapons on offense to be contained. Miami's defense, for all of its speed, eventually gave out in the fourth quarter against the Gators. Look for Tennessee's defense to do the same as Tebow paces the offense and Harvin, Rainey, Demps, and the rest take advantage of the open space. Even if Tennessee can run the ball, it may not matter if UT is forced to turn to the inconsistent arm of Johnathan Crompton early in the game.
Score: Florida 31, Tennessee 17

2. Wake Forest vs. Florida State: A few years ago, this wouldn't even be a debate. Anybody who said Wake could beat FSU was either living in North Carolina or La-La Land. Recently, however, Jim Grobe's taken the program by the reigns and turned the Demon Deacons into a pretty damn good team. Two years ago, they won the ACC, and last year, they finished 9-4 with a bowl game victory against Connecticut. Meanwhile, FSU has gone from perennial powerhouse to laughingstock. Last year saw them finished the year 7-6, including a bowl loss to Kentucky. This year, the Seminoles look to break their two game losing streak to Wake; to reverse their fortunes, they've changed QBs, benching Drew Weatherford for Christian Ponder, and so far this year, he's looked good as FSU coasted to victories during their first two games against Chattanooga and Western Carolina. Meanwhile, Wake is coming off of consecutive victories against Baylor and Ole Miss. Coming into Doak Campbell Stadium tomorrow, look for Wake Forest to try and establish the run with Josh Adams while looking to senior QB Riley Skinner to manage the offense. He's efficient as quarterback, and he can make plays with his feet if necessary. They'll look to control the clock and rely on their disciplined defense to keep FSU's scoring chances limited. FSU, on the other hand, will hope that star WR Preston Parker can open up their offense enough for Ponder to find open receivers.
My Prediction: Wake has better coaching, and should be able to control the clock long enough to limit FSU's shots at scoring on offense. If Skinner can take care of the ball (which is a safe bet), the Demon Deacons should be able to tire out FSU's defense, which should result in points for them. For FSU, though, they have yet to be tested at this point in the season. Their two wins this season have been against Division I-AA opponents, so whether or not the Seminoles can play at the same level against better competition is a question mark at this point. Plus, I'm really not sold on them being as disciplined as Wake is. The addition of Chuck Amato hasn't helped in that regard yet, and I'm not sure that it will, either. WF lacks the athletes, but they have the coaching edge here.
Score: Wake Forest 24, FSU 19

3. LSU at Auburn: The defending champions get their first test of the season when they go to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday. They looked good in dismantling their first two opponents of the year in Appalachian State and North Texas, beating them by a combined score of 82-16. Meanwhile, Auburn's struggled on offense at times, beginning the year by rotating Kodi Burns and Chris Todd before finally settling on the latter as the starter. However, things may change for Todd in the wake of a 3-2 victory over Mississippi State that has left Tiger fans wondering whether or not the change to a spread offense was a good idea. Fortunately, their defense has picked up the slack, as they've only given up 15 points in three games and allowed three third down conversions on 46 attempts. LSU is going to have to depend on their stable of runningbacks, led by Charles Scott who has exploded for 262 rushing yards in LSU's first two games; if they can establish a successful ground game, it may open up the field for their quarterbacks, Jarrett Lee and Andrew Hatch. If they can't, then it's going to be tough sledding for the duo. For Auburn, it's going to be much the same thing; Brad Lester and Ben Tate are going to have to open up holes for either Todd or Burns passing, otherwise, their effectiveness will be severely limited.
My Prediction: This is going to be a low-scoring affair to say the least; both teams have major question marks on offense, but both have stingy defensive units as well. To that, I don't see either team doing much on the ground or in the air. However, I do think that Auburn pulls this game out by going back to Kodi Burns; his ability to scramble can make the difference against a LSU defense that will be gearing to stop Tate and Lester. If he can gain some yards on the ground, it could force LSU to stay honest enough for Auburn to get the extra scoring opportunity they need to win this game. In a game like this, where the two teams are so similar, coaching is the tie-breaker, and for me, that edge goes to Tommy Tuberville and the Auburn Tigers.
Score: Auburn 10, LSU 7

4. Georgia at Arizona State: Georgia started the year at #1, but has fallen to #3 despite continuing to win. The reason? A combination of impressive wins by the two teams that passed them (OU beating Cincinnati by 26, and USC's 32 point win over Ohio State), as well as some less than impressive showings by the Bulldogs. UGA gave up 21 points in their opener against DI-AA opponent Georgia Southern, then needed a late defensive stand to hold off a staggeringly mediocre South Carolina team. Now, they have a chance to prove the pollsters wrong if they can win convincingly against the Sun Devils tomorrow. This game lost a lot of its luster after ASU's loss to UNLV, but Arizona State is still a solid team that could challenge for second place in the Pac-10 this year. Led by quarterback Rudy Carpenter, the Sun Devils hope to make UGA's first trip west of the Mississippi River in over 40 years one they'd like to forget. To that end, it is absolutely essential that they protect Carpenter an get the ball out of his hands quickly on pass plays. They'll also need to run effectively enough to stop UGA from constantly sending blitzes his way. If they can hold off Georgia's front seven, then Carpenter could pick apart their secondary just as South Carolina's Chris Smelley did a week ago. If not, then UGA could win this game easily. For UGA, they simply have to play their game, and play it well. Knowshon Moreno has to set the pace early, which would then allow Matthew Stafford the chance to hit his receivers deep on playaction passes. Most importantly, though, they can't let the unfamiliar territory get to them; in this game, they cannot afford to make early mistakes on either side of the ball, or they run the risk of ASU pulling off the upset.
My Prediction: UGA should be able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides; ASU still has major questions to answer on their offensive line, and Georgia has done a good job of protecting Stafford and opening up running lanes so far this year. The Sun Devils simply aren't physical enough to win this game; they were manhandled by USC and Texas last year, and UNLV was able to pressure Rudy Carpenter into bad throws last week in their win. UGA should adopt a similar philosophy coming into tomorrow's game; thus, it's going to be up to ASU tailbacks Dmitri Nance and Keegan Herring to burn the Bulldogs when they blitz. Offensively, UGA should have equal success, with Moreno and Caleb King pacing them with the ground game and Stafford being able to capitalize on open receivers. Dennis Erickson has done a good job of turning ASU into a solid team, but they're not ready to take on a team of Georgia's caliber. A late score will make this game a lot closer than it really was.
Score: Georgia 31, Arizona State 21

5. Miami at Texas A&M: And to think, this game would have seemed interesting a couple of years ago. Now, it seems like a non-event, as both teams are undergoing renovations. Miami's working with a relatively new coaching staff, and Texas A&M has hobbled out of the gate with a new head coach and an injury-riddled team. After suffering a humiliating opening night loss to the Sun Belt's Arkansas State, the Aggies bounced back with a six point win over New Mexico. Now, they host the Hurricanes, fresh off of a 23 point loss at the hands of the Florida Gators. However, the Canes have a silver lining to bring with them, as they showed that the hiring of Kansas Defensive Coordinator Bill Young is already paying dividends. The 'Cane defense held Florida to a mere 9 points through three quarters of play, before tiring and giving up 17 in the fourth. They also get to see more of Robert Marve, the redshirt freshman quarterback who is set to start for Miami for the year, and the team hopes that he can hit his stride against Texas A&M after a lukewarm debut against Florida. The Aggies are looking to put together a win streak before their non-conference schedule ends, but with injuries to Stephen McGee and Mike Goodson among others, such a hope seems far-fetched. Their best bet to win this game is to get Jerrod Johnson to keep Miami's defense honest; he's going to have to be effective running and passing the ball in order to do this. However, this may be a tall order for a guy who never started a game before the beginning of this season. For Miami, they have to execute better on offense; receiver can't drop passes, and most of all, the playcalling can't be vanilla. At this point, what does Miami have to lose? Expectations for them aren't exactly high, and Offensive Coordinator Patrick Nix has to do something to keep his job. If he doesn't open up the playbook this week, he may not be around next year.
My Prediction: This game is going to be grueling to watch. Neither offense can do much of anything, though I do like Miami's to do more damage simply because they have more healthy guys who can make a difference. Plus, I'm not sure that even Patrick Nix could manage to keep the 'Canes from scoring a few touchdowns against a downright pathetic TAMU squad. Their running game should be able to set the tone early, and Marve should then be able to make enough good throws to put Miami in a position to score. Their defense will definitely do its job if the Florida game was any indication; there's simply too much speed and athleticism on that unit for them to fail against a depleted Aggie offense.
Score: Miami 21, Texas A&M 10

Review for GZA's Pro Tools

Check it out here.

West Virginia: What The Hell, Man?

West Virginia's been one of my favorite teams to watch for the past few years now. I loved Steve Slaton before he got bigger and lazy, and I think Pat White's one of the best college QBs of this decade. Noel Devine got me on his bandwagon LAST year, depsite his limited play (and really, he should've been starting over Slaton by mid-season of last year). They went 11-1, won the Big East, and they trashed Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. They lost Rich Rodriguez to Michigan, but everything would be ok with White back, right? Right?

Wrong.

First, they give up 21 points to a Division I-AA team. Not low-end Division I-A, but Division I-AA. Second, for some reason, Bill Stewart got it in his head that he could turn Pat White into a passer, and, for even odder reasons, people started buying it after White threw 5 touchdown passes against said D-IAA team. Then WVU played East Carolina, and got absolutely shellacked by them to the tune of a 24-3 loss. First thing's first: who in their right mind would try and turn a guy like White into a pocket passer? The guy won two BCS bowl games and two Big East conference crowns by making plays with his feet. Sure, he's a competent enough passer, but his running ability is what gives opposing defenses fits, not his arm. He was bottled up against ECU; minus two big runs for 11 and 23 yards (the former of which saw White put the ball past the first down marker--after the rest of his body had gone out of bounds), he was ineffective. Worst of all, the passing experiment failed miserably, as he finished 11-18 for a mere 72 yards.

However, none of that compared to WVU losing to Colorado last night. White ran the ball more, Noel Devine actually got touches, and the Mountaineers rolled up over 300 yards rushing. The result: they still lost. Why? They couldn't get yards when they needed them the most. They got stuffed on fourth downs, failed to take advantage of Colorado turnovers, and they called questionable plays at suspect times. Really, what coach in his right mind would go for a trick play when you're having the success West Virginia was having on the ground? And to Bradley Starks, just wow. You had a guy wide open 20 yards downfield, and yet you still managed to give the guy a skip pass. Congrats. It must take a whole lot of skill to mess up that opportunity. Bill Stewart looked like a hero when he was on the sidelines as WVU decimated OU last year; now, he looks like a clown. His piss poor clock management on WVU's last drive of the fourth quarter made that fact crystal clear. Seriously, what was WVU thinking when they got this guy? They must've taken a page from Miami's playbook and decided that hiring a guy on the cheap would be a better solution than getting a proven HC; given their success the past few years, I can't imagine that finding a replacement for Rodriguez would be that hard. Instead, they're stuck with a coach who is, at best, mediocre, and at worst, set to become a guy who managed to fail despite having a Heisman caliber QB to lead the way. Here's a few things the Mountaineers can do to turn the tide in their favor again:

- Dump Bill Stewart. Sure, you only have to pay him $800,000 this year, but is it really worth it if your team can't compete? Invest some money in a real coach, a guy who's proven himself and can run a spread to keep Devine, Jarrett Brown, and the rest of the offense happy. Guys like Craig Bohl or Jerry Moore would be good choices.
- Let Pat White be Pat White. Stick with what got WVU mentioned in the NC race last year and let White run. Forget about trying to make him into a passer, because that negates his greatest asset.
- Don't forget Noel Devine can play. He got a mere 9 carries against Villanova to start the year, and got only 12 against East Carolina. Against Colorado, he got 26, and responded by rushing for 133 yards. See what happens when you give your playmakers the ball?

Intro: What to Expect

I'm 21, I have a wife and daughter, and I love sports and hip-hop.

Now that all that garbage is out of the way, let's get to what to expect from my blog. I plan on doing entries related to sports and music; I'm mostly interested in college football, so expect to see a lot of my sports posts relating to it. Same deal with music: I'm a hip-hop aficionado, so expect to see a lot of my music posts relating to it. I'll be a bit more flexible on sports since I also take interest in college basketball, and occasionally pro football and basketball, but hip-hop's where I'll be focusing as far as music goes. In terms of CFB, I'd like to drop a post a week on it to cover my thoughts on games that have been played the past week; however, depending on my mood, I could do as many as three or four posts per week. In terms of hip-hop, not only will I link to new reviews that I write for Epinions, but I'll post my thoughts on a particular artist, or trend, should it pique my interest to do so.

If you want a taste of the type of music I listen to, check these out: