Highlights From Goodman League vs. Melo League Exhibition in Baltimore (DURANT, LeBRON, MELO, PAUL)

I watched a little of this game last night but was flicking back and forth between the Sox/Yanks game so I missed some of the best dunks and highlights but I knew it would be all over SportsCenter this morning so I wasn't worried.  There was obviously no defense being played but there the stars were also trying much harder than I expected.  Although it's subpar competition for the most part, it's still nice to see these guys on the court since we may not see them at all next year.

Kevin Youkilis and Biz Markie Perform Together For New Herb Chambers Commercial (FUNNY)

This concept would have been kind of terrible had it not been for Biz Markie showing up to save the day.  It went from crappy to solid in one quick second.  He even dropped a "YOUK!!!  You Got What I Need!"  Love it! 

Wale Feat. Tity Boi - "Globetrotter" (NEW ISH)

I have no idea who Tity Boi is but he's actually halfway decent considering he has one of the worst rap names of all time.  I didn't think I was going to like Wale's shift to Rick Ross' Maybach Music Group but I've liked everything he's put out recently which is a nice surprise.  Now that he's got some decent producers, I don't see any reason why he can't release a monster solo album that is both critically acclaimed like in the past but also has some radio/crossover appeal. 

Timbaland feat. Pitbull & David Guetta - "Pass At Me" (NEW ISH)

I can't really tell the difference between these David Guetta tracks anymore because they all are starting to sound the same while using the same artists but at the same time I still end up liking almost every single one.  Kind of strange but I guess he found the formula and is sticking to it.  I can't blame him.  Dude is making bank...

J. Cole - "Bring Em In" (NEW ISH)

More dopeness from my man J. Cole.  I literally have not disliked one song from this dude yet.  I can't get over it.  Everything he puts out is sick.  The fact that he makes almost all of his own beats is unreal too.  Nobody is fuckin' with this dude in the near future.  He's on another level...

Champs Sports "We've Got the Hook Up" & Foot Locker's "The Educators 2" Commercials Featuring Rondo (FUNNY)

It's only :15 seconds long but this is one of the better versions of the new Champs Sports ads that have been playing on heavy rotation lately.  I love how Rondo got the shivers and freaked out after being forced to wear Lakers gear.  Classic! By the way Champs Sports, that was pretty f'd up. Don't be messing with my mind like that.  Shit ain't cool.

While we're talking about Rondo, I thought I'd hit you off with the new Foot Locker commercial "The Educators 2".  I like what they're doing with these spots.   

"Lighters" Cover by @KarminMusic (DOPE)

Is it me or is this almost as good if not better than the original?  I'm not saying these two are better than Eminem or Royce Da 5'9" but I do think there is something about the energy in this live version that really kicks ass.  Maybe I'm a sucker for a hot chick who can rap, sing and play the guitar all at the same time but I do think this is a really slick interpretation of the original.I think the boys from Bad Meets Evil need to steal this vibe and perform the song with a live band if they ever start touring together.  Shit is hot! 

Sick Shootout Goal by Andreas Athanasiou at NHL R&D Camp (HOCKEY ISH)

I should probably get used to watching hockey this winter since the NBA looks like it's getting nowhere fast with this lockout situation.  If I can see some more cool highlights this, I'm all in.  This is on some streetball type shit but on the ice.  Very cool. 

This move from the up and coming Andreas Athanasiou took place in Toronto for the NHL’s Research, Development and Orientation Camp.  Check out this link if you are interested in hearing about some of the potential rule changes that were tested at this camp that the NHL could implement as early as next year.  They all sound like good moves that could help the flow of the game an increase scoring.

Affion Crockett & Chris Brown's MJ Dance Off From "In The Flow" (FUNNY & GOOD)

Affion Crockett has some moves and he's definitely got the MJ thing down but it's tough to beat Chris Brown in any kind of dance contest.  Chris Breezy went a little freestyle at the end which wasn't really fair but I think Affion should get props for breaking out some classic but underused MJ moves.  You can tell he studied the shit out of MJ's dancing for his entire life.  Dude had it down! 

Hitchustlin' - The Alfred Hitchcock/Rick Ross Mashup (AWESOME)

It's tough to explain this or give it justice so just watch it and enjoy.  It's pretty damn awesome if you ask me.  Even though it's only 46 seconds long, I bet it took hours upon hours to complete because the shit is on point.  Mad props...

Bad Meets Evil ft. Bruno Mars - "Lighters" (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Dope vid.  Simple but effective.  I have to admit, I wasn't a huge fan the first few times I listened to the track because Eminem's and Royce's flow and energy didn't seem to match the beat or hook.  It was almost like it was two different songs that were forced together.  I knew it would be a huge hit but something about it just seemed off.

Now that I've heard it a lot more, I've come around on it and I do think it's a dope track.  I think it was just different enough to throw me for a loop which happens from time to time.  Sometimes it just takes me a little longer to feel it.

Lighters (feat. Bruno Mars) - Hell: The Sequel
 

J. Cole ft. Trey Songz - "Can't Get Enough" (NEW ISH OFF COLE WORLD ALBUM)

Does this J. Cole ever make a bad song?  The kid is ridiculous!  Can we get that Cole World album already or what?  Actually, yes we can.  It's right around the corner, finally.  It will release on September 27 under the title Cole World: The Sideline Story. Shit is going to be HOT!

Girl's Hair Goes Crazy Inside A Car With A 40,000 Watt System! (SUPER BASS)

She's got that boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom bass.  Damn!  This makes me want to put my subwoofer back in my ride.  I really miss that extra pop and feeling like I was sitting in a massage chair.  Plus I loved pissing people off when I drove by.  I don't think I'd ever go for this ridiculousness but it is kind of cool.  

Wiz Khalifa, Curren$y & Big Sean - "Proceed" (EXTREMELY HOT)

Woah.  This is that shit!  Damn!  I can't stop listening to "Proceed".  The beat is ridiculous and all three dudes brought the heat.  It's a perfect summer joint.  It's laid back but still has some energy.

I know Wiz, Curren$y and Big Sean are all cool with each other so I hope they are planning on doing a proper album together because that shit would be legit.  A mixtape collabo is alrady in the mix so hopefully it's a sign of more to come.

Here are a few joints that are supposedly from that mixtape for which I can't find a name:

Anne Hathaway's Lil' Wayne Style Paparazzi Rap (ACTUALLY DECENT)

I thought this was gonna suck but I have to admit that Anne Hathaway actually has a little flow.  If she got hooked up with a real rapper and did some training, I think she could actually be halfway decent.  It doesn't hurt that she's kind of hot too, even though she could use a burger to pack on a few more pounds and give herself some curves.  I'm not going to complain though.  I'd still get after it...

Thursday Throwbacks: Bone Thugs & Harmoney - "For The Love of Money", "No Surrender" & "Thuggish Ruggish Bone"

Yeah man!  That's my shit.  Remember when Bone Thugs was not only relevant but also one of the most popular groups in Hip Hop?  I can't believe how much they've fallen off since then but it is what is.  Not everyone was made to have a long career in the Hip Hop game.  It's just surprising they haven't had a minor hit here and there since their style of rapping and singing is popular these days with artists like Drake and Nicki Minaj.

Obviously songs like "1st of the Month" and "Crossroads" off of the E. 1999 Eternal album are what brought them to the mainstream but I'm a huge fan of the Creepin on ah Come Up album that includes "For the Love of Money", "No Surrender" and "Thuggish Ruggish Bone". It was only 8 songs long but every single one was unreal. So sick. 

Kobe Drops 45 Pts. & a Buzzer Beater in Drew League Game (NOT BAD)

With the NBA in a lockout, I'll take any NBA highlights or news I can get these days, even if it includes Kobe Bryant.  You might have seen this last night since it was all over SportsCenter and PTI but I thought it was cool enough to post here.  It's not like there was crazy defense being played as the final score was 139-137 and Kobe looks like he scored an "easy" 45 points but you still gotta give him props for taking and hitting a big shot. The dude covering him actually played some pretty good D at the end and got a hand inches from the ball but it wasn't enough. 

I love how the pros are playing in leagues like this to stay competitive and also give the fans an up close look at their game that they would never get otherwise.  At least something good is coming from this lockout. 

Swizz Beatz Feat. Alicia Keys "International Party" (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

I'm not sure how I feel about this new Swizz Beatz joint yet but I think it's starting to grow on me.  I liked it in a small snippet in the new Reebok "Reethym of Lite" commercial but I don't know if it works as a full song.  It's kind of futuristic crazy shit that might not be for everyone but it's definitely pretty cool. 

I'm also a big fan of the Reebok Kamikaze III that Swizzy is promoting so that always helps as well.  I finally saw these in person the other day at Champs Sports and they are nice quality.  I wasn't sure how they would turn out but I always knew they had potential.  I think I might have to pick up a pair now.  I just can't decide on the color. 

The Game feat. B.o.B. & Wiz Khalifa - "Standing' On The Corner" (HOT)

Game seemed a little out of place on this track at first since I could see Wiz and B.o.B. doing a track together because of somewhat similar styles but once I heard it all the way through, it just kind of worked.  This is a really hot song actually.  There's something about it that's kind of different and it's just on some smooth shit.  Very nice. 

Lil Wayne Feat. Drake - "She Will" (NEW ISH OFF THE CARTER IV)

I never thought I'd do this twice in one day but here's another joint featuring Drake.  This time it's on Lil Wayne's new joint "She Will".  As I've mentioned many times before, I'm a little sick of Weezy and Drake's style and same basic rhymes but I'm actually feeling this one.  Maybe they are hearing all of the complaints and starting to switch their styles up a bit. 

"She Will" is off of Wayne's "The Carter IV" album which is set to drop August 29th.  It looks like it's going to be another banger based on the tracklist, although a lot of these songs have been floating around for a few weeks/months now.  I don't even mind though since everything I've heard has been quality and it will be nice to be able to listen to it in one package as it was intended, instead of just a bunch of random singles.

1. Intro
2. Blunt Blowin’
3. MegaMan
4. 6 Foot 7 Foot – Cory Gunz
5. Nightmares Of The Bottom
6. She Will ft. Drake
7. How To Hate ft. T-Pain
8. Interlude ft. Tech N9Ne
9. John ft. Rick Ross
10. Abortion
11. So Special ft. John Legend
12. How To Love
13. President Carter
14. Its Good ft. Drake & Jadakiss
15. Outro ft. Bun B, Nas, Shyne & Busta Rhymes

Taiwanese Baller Rips and Dunks On LeBron (SORT OF)

Nobody gets more fired up than me when someone actually dunks on LeBron but I'm not so sure I can give full credit on this one.  This Taiwanese baller gets props for picking LeBron's pocket and finishing the play with a dunk while LeBron trails him but I wouldn't say he dunked on him like some people are claiming.  Had LeBron been playing at full speed and really wanted to stop the kid, he would have pinned the ball with two hands against the glass or just pull the ball out of the kids hands while he was in the air.  You could tell LeBron slowed down and let him have his glory.  This was all a part of Lebron's Nike Tour in Taipei, Taiwan.

The Game Feat. Drake - Good Girls Go Bad (NEW ISH)

Not bad.  I wasn't sure what to think with Drake on this track but he actually brought some heat.  I was expecting some wack lullaby shit from him but he actually flowed and the song itself is harder than I expected.  Not bad at all.

Kanye West & Jay-Z - "Otis" (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

DOPE!  Now that's how you do it.  Simple but effective.  I love that Jay and Yeezy chop the top of a $500K Maybach like it ain't no thang.  Ridiculous. They also brought the heat on their feet.  Jay rocked the Air Jordan 1 Banned while Kanye was sporting the Air Jordan VI Black/Infrared joints that he wears on a regular basis. 

Air Max 90 Burger (TASTY)

WOW!  Now that's how you make an f'n burger right there.  I don't even think I could eat this thing because it's such a work of art.  Actually, who am I kidding.  Not only is this awesome looking but it looks tasty as hell.  I think I would probably tear into this thing after taking 100 different pictures.

I know they didn't have many choices but I'm not sure I'm a fan of the ketchup air max unit in the sole. You gotta have the ketchup inside or at least closer to the meet.  Having it sit on the table is no bueno.  Still dope though!

Nike Blog – This is a Nike Air Max 90 made out of a hamburger. Created by Swedish designer Olle Hemmendorff, it features a sesame baguette, beef patties and tomatoes and pickles on the inside, a Swoosh cut out of cheese and an air unit drawn with ketchup. Hemmendorff decided on the hamburger to create the shoe because he wanted to use “the most powerful, most durable, and most delicious material known to man.” Via delish.com

Ultimate Batting Practice (FAKE BUT KINDA COOL)

Yes, this is ridiculously fake but you've gotta give props for the creativity.  They've already received 1.5+ million views since August 8th so you have to respect that. as well.   It's not easy to create a successful viral video these days since everyone is so skeptical.   This is pretty cool though...

Aloe Blacc - "Tonight Downtown" Sponsored by Tanqueray (FUNKY)

Here's some smooth new ish from one of my favorite new artists, Aloe Blacc.  Even though "Tonight Downtown" is a Tanqueray sponsored song, you won't hear any forced mention of the brand in the lyrics like you might with some other sponsored joints.  They just decided to team up with Aloe because they liked his vibe and thought his music was a great fit for their brand.

You might recognize Aloe Blacc from his rising hit "I Need A Dollar".  Even though the song has been out since April 2010, I really just started listening to his music recently because it's finally getting some airplay on Sirius/XM.  I don't have HBO anymore so I've never seen the show How to Make It In America for which this is the theme song.  Otherwise, I think I would have been hooked on it a long time ago.

I actually kind of like it when a good song takes a long time to build but finally makes its way to the mainstream.  It just proves that good music can still be found by the masses without radio forcing it down our throat every hour.  It might still happen now that it's a hit but at least it didn't start out like that. 

Snoop Dogg ft. Deion Sanders - "Fame" (INTERESTING)

So I guess Snoop and Deion got together to create a new song to celebrate Prime Time's recent induction to the Football Hall of Fame.  Was this necessary?  No.  But when you are rich and famous, why not.  It's not bad but it's also not very good either.  You would think after all of these years, Deion would be a little better at keeping up with the beat during his rhyme.  His lyrics are actually half way decent this time around but you know Snoop probably helped him out with that.

You might not remember but Deion actually had a rap album back in the early 90's and had a fairly decent hit with "Must Be The Money".  It doesn't exactly hold up now but I was a big fan of this joint back in the day.  There was something smooth about it and it worked perfectly with Deion's arrogant persona. Looking back at it now, it's pretty bad but it captures the vibe of that time perfectly.

Kenny Dobbs & Exile Face Off In 2011 LA Live Nike 3 on 3 Dunk Contest (NASTY)

I feel like I say this all the time but why can't the NBA just let these professional dunkers take over the dunk contest at NBA All Star Weekend instead of forcing players to do it?  The contest is stale, big names don't want to do it in fear of getting hurt or embarrassed and the most of the guys they can convince to do it aren't even good dunkers.  If half of the players are just random dudes anyway, we might as well let these prime time dunkers do it anyway.  If anything, it would re-energize the contest and get the fans interested again.  These guys are doing crazy shit that no pro would ever dare try even if they were capable of doing it which most are not.  This is on some video game shit.  Every one of these dunks was incredible.  Who wouldn't watch this?!?!

Puma X deadmau5 Commercial (SICK)

Now that's how you make a solid sneaker commercial!  Just highlight some regular people wearing dope kicks and add some sick beats in the background and you'll have a winner.  Well played, Puma. 

Worst Soccer Flop of All Time (RIDICULOUS)

This is exactly why most people in the U.S. can never take soccer seriously.  Yes, there is lots of flopping in the NBA but at least they actually take some contact first.  I've seen people falling on the ground without even being touched literally hundreds of times in soccer matches from across the world but this might be the worst one EVER.  Such a joke...

Jordan, Magic and Bird in NBA 2K12 Preview (SICK)

I've been busy as hell all week with work so I haven't been able to post anything but I thought I would at least hit you off with something cool I stumbled upon last night.  Michael Jordan is back in NBA 2K12 and this time he's bringing along all of the greats like Dr. J, Kareem, Magic and Bird among others.  MJ, Bird and Magic will all get their own covers as well. 

It's looking more and more like there won't be an NBA season next year so if I am going to be getting my fix via video games, I might as well have lots of options from the past and present.  I hope they don't tweak the game too much when compared to 2K11 because that game was probably the best basketball game I've ever played.  I'm still playing it at least once a week and not getting sick of it.  So dope.