Highlights from the 2nd Annual Shooting Touch Gala Celebration

After missing last year's Shooting Touch event, I finally had the chance to attend this year's 2nd Annual Gala Celebration which helps support the Shooting Touch Sabbatical Program.  The event was held at the awesome Reebok campus in Canton, MA and included many celebrities and pro athletes. There were hundreds of items in the silent auction and a handful of some top notch items in the live auction hosted by ESPN's Fran Fraschilla and comedian Lenny Clarke.  Some of the live auction items included Celtics' owner Steve Pagliuca's front row seats for a Celtics playoff game and a fully paid trip to Dallas to watch a Mavericks playoff game donated by Jason Terry among other great auction items. The event was a great success and they were able to raise a ton of money for next year's program. 

The Shooting Touch Sabbatical Program can be best summarized as the "Basketball Peace Corps." They choose a deserving college senior each year to travel overseas and visit numerous countries teaching the game of basketball through clinics and other events. Not only is this program great for the kids across the globe that are learning the game of basketball but it also serves as a life lesson for the Sabbatical Program recipient. It's a great program that I hope to be more involved with in the future as the program continues to grow.

Here is a quick video of the 2010 recipient Tome Barros' journey across the globe last summer. It looks like he did a great job and had a lot of fun along the way.



Here is a write up about Shooting Touch and the 2nd Annual Gala Celebration from SlamOnline.com:



"Basketball is a powerful tool for growth. Tales of personal, athletic and financial growth are well known, but in some ways, they’re just the beginning. This beautiful game has also the power to effect positive social change in disadvantaged communities. That is the mission of the Shooting Touch Program. The non-profit organization strives to positively impact the lives of children both on and off the court with educational and mentorship opportunities.

Shooting Touch recently had its Second Annual Gala Celebration to benefit its Sabbatical Program. The program grants graduating college seniors the opportunity to promote positive growth in needy contexts the world over. This initiative highlights the expanding reach of the Shooting Touch Program. Founded in Boston four years ago, the program now has global aspirations to create “The Basketball Peace Corps.”

ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla MC’d the event for hundreds at the Reebok World Headquarters. Notable attendees included Hall of Famer Wayne Embry, legendary high school coach Bob Hurley Sr., Bobby Hurley, Jr., Raptors coach Jay Triano, Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca, as well as several stakeholders from Reebok. The headliners and everyone else in attendance were united by a love of basketball and an interest in seeing how it can be used as a vehicle for beneficial social change.

Tome Barros, the program’s first sabbatical grantee took the stage and illustrated just what change through basketball looks like. The Dorchester native told stories of his experiences in Senegal, Brazil and Cape Verde. His video presentation on his travels showed how basketball can educate, inspire and galvanize a community. Seeing the smiles of kids learning how to play reminded everyone why they love the game and just what it’s capable of doing. Ultimately through his work, basketball serves as a vehicle to leave a lasting impact that will extend beyond the court in these communities.

He then passed the torch to Leah Westbrooks, the next Shooting Touch grant winner. The forward from Mount St. Mary’s University will follow in Tome’s footsteps and travel to South Africa and Zimbabwe.
In total the gala raised tens of thousands of dollars for Shooting Touch. The night was such a success that the program will be able to send two grantees overseas in next year’s Sabbatical Program. This growth will increase the global reach of the program and open more doors to the power of the game."

If you'd like to learn more about Shooting Touch, please visit their website:
www.shootingtouch.com

Cover of Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass" by @KarminMusic (LEGIT)

Is it me or does this chick from @KarminMusic get better with each song?  She has a great voice and she can actually flow ridiculously well.  The fact that she is rappin' that fast while simultaneously playing the guitar is pretty f'n awesome.  And she's hot on top of it all.  Just a perfect package. 

They even got Questlove and Owen Biddle of The Roots to jump on this one.   Shit's crazy!   These two have blown up so fast, it's ridiculous.  Very impressive. 

AraabMuzik Killin' It on the MPC During Studio Session w/ Alchemist (INTENSE)

I've posted a few other videos of AraabMuzik murdering the MPC in the past but I thought this one was one of his better ones because they actually sounded like decent songs instead of just someone smacking a bunch of sounds as fast as possible.  His actual production work still leaves something to be desired but I will give the dude credit that he is nasty live on the MPC.  He basically treats it like an instrument which is kind of cool in itself.  If he could make it so all of his shit didn't sound the same, maybe he could create a bigger name for himself in the Hip Hop production world. 

Sh'Boss Boys Crush It on America's Got Talent (5, 6 & 7 YEAR OLDS WITH SKILLS)

I don't watch America's Got Talent because it's pretty painful most of the time but I do catch highlights like this once in awhile and then I get pissed that I didn't see it live.  The Sh'Boss Boys are a young rap group from Atlanta made up of a 5, 6 and 7 year old.  They are very talented little guys and they also have a great stage presence.  On top of that, they rap about positive things like getting good grades in school.  You gotta love that.  I might have to start watching just to catch these little dudes tear up the stage again. 

Here are a few more of their original songs.  They aren't bad at all and are probably better than a lot of adult rappers out there right now.  Get these kids a record contract!

T-Pain ft. Chris Brown - "Best Love Song"; Plus Chris Brown's "Fools With You" (NEW R&B)

I thought I'd hit you off with something a little different today and share some new R&B joints I came across recently.  Not surprisingly, they both feature Chris Brown who has been on an absolute tear lately. They are both on the slower vibe but I'm definitely feeling them.  This is the vibe that's been missing from R7B for awhile now.  Hot shit.

"Keep On Dancing" Competition Recap from Beijing, China (POP N' LOCK)

If it wasn't for the YakFilms and YakBattles YouTube Channels, I would never know about these awesome dance competitions that go on across the world.  These two videos give you some nice highlights from the Keep On Dancing Competition that took place in Beijing, China.  There are some serious moves in there and some real creative shit.  Dopeness! 

5 Greatest NBA Finals Moments Legoized (AWESOME)

You might have seen the Greatest March Madness Moments Legoized back in March and now we have the NBA version just in time for the start of the NBA Finals.  They were all pretty awesome but my favorites were the infamous Dr. J reverse layup against the Lakers and Jordan's crossover jumper against the Jazz.  It felt like I was reliving two awesome moments in a completely new way but still felt like I was watching the real thing.  It was strange but very cool, at least in my opinion. I hope they keep making these for basketball and possibly some other sports too.  I could see this being kind of cool for NFL highlights...