Re-Establishment

Lupe is truly on the grind; he said he was gonna go hard before the album dropped but I never expected this! Lu plays Blitzen the reindeer on the new LeBron & Kobe Nike commercial. It's cool check it out. Lupe's getting me excited for the new album. Hope y'all listening to Enemy of the State, new mixtape is dropping Christmas day, with the album following not too far behind hopefully. Stay posted!

Breaking News!!! ( A Little Late)

Less than a week ago, DJ Drama set up a surprise meeting between Jeezy & Gucci on Atlanta's Hot 107.9. The two publicly squashed their beef and agreed to make a major movement together once Gucci is finished serving his jail time, which is directly related to Jeezy. To all who don't know, in 2005 Gucci and Jeezy brought out a song together, "So Icey" and disputes over the song resulted in an attempt on Gucci's life. The two have been battling ever since. This truce is huge for Atlanta and all of hip hop. I can't wait until they finally work together again. They may break album selling records! Here's the interview above. 

New Gucci Video!!!!

Gucci's second single "Lemonade" off his new album that dropped today, The State vs. Radrick Davis. Go BUY it!!!

Homecoming

It was reported early this morning on ESPN that Allen Iverson is back with the Philadelphia 76ers. AI was signed to the veteran's minimum contract but that's not a huge deal for him. The big deal is that AI can finally work on cleaning up his image with his new role as a leader for the young '6ers squad. He finally gets what he's been looking for in a starting job as Philly's young guard Lou Williams is out for probably two months with a broken jaw. I hope AI acts as a positive figure with his new opportunity and maybe promote himself as a sixth man for a contender later on this season or for next year. I personally would like to see AI accept whatever role Eddie Jordan gives him and retire in Philly, where he started, and where he gave millions of kids my age someone to look up to and to idolize. 

Long Overdue!!!!

Great news for all Lupe fans!!! Just as advertised on Twitter and the LupE.N.D blog, Lupe's new Fahrenheit 1/15 mixtape just dropped a few minutes ago, titled Enemy of the State: A Love Story! I don't think I've heard anything from it yet but it WILL be the only CD playing in my car from now on. Please support the best rapper alive. Download it here

POSTER!!!

Last night D-Wade had the craziest dunk I've seen in a while over Cleveland's Andersen Varejao. This highlight WILL be played all season long.

Lupe Announces New Mixtape Release Date!!!

Gucci New Video- Spotlight Feat. Usher!!!

I Told U So Pt.2

In previous posts this year I've been very clear that I thought Brandon Jennings would be an eventual star in the NBA, but now he's making my projections look even better! So far this season, Jenning's is averaging 22, 4 & 5! Those stats look like a player who has been in the league for at least 2 or 3 seasons. Two things I see that Jennings has greatly improved on are his three point shot and his pick and roll game. One of the knocks on his game was his limited range but no signs of that are evident; Jennings is knocking down 2.3 three balls per. So far B Jennings is looking like a young A.I on the court and I KNOW he has the ability to be consistent throughout the season. If this success continues expect to see more and more high school kids skip college ball to go play overseas. I can definitely see how it positively affected Jennings. This guy looks like he could make some noise in All-Star voting and with Michael Redd being so injury prone, the Bucks may shift command of the team into Jennings' hands, making Milwaukee a faster, more exciting squad. I can't wait to see how the rest of the season plays out for him. He's got my ROY vote.

Rivalry Renewed

In just a few minutes (7 p.m) the Washington Wizards will square off against the Cavs for the first time of the young season. With Washington seemingly back to being the playoff team of old, this game should be a great one. After the first week of the season, Gilbert Arenas looks to be finally fully healed from knee injuriy, averaging 28 per. This game should also be an interesting one because Washington and Cleveland had a very entertaining rivalry going on a couple of seasons back. I hope the rivalry can once again have playoff implications because both teams seem to be very good this season. I'm just hoping no fights break out this time.

MVP?

Although the season hasn't been in effect more than a week, Denver's Carmelo Anthony is playing a perfect season. In 3 games this season, Melo has scored 30, 41 and 42. Denver has also won all of those games. On TNT this past Thursday, former NBA player Kenny "The Jet" Smith projected that Melo will win the MVP Award this season. I've been a Melo fan since he was at Syracuse and because he's from Baltimore I'm always pulling for him. I do think it's possible for him to bring the award home if the Nuggets stay in the top 2 of the West this year. I also think Melo is tired of not being mentioned with the league's elite because he clearly has the ability, if not more, to be named with those players. Let's see how the season goes.

Get Your $$$

All sneaker heads probably know this already but just to reassure everybody, the Silver Half Cents drop this Thursday. I will definitely be at the mall Thursday morning to grab them. So just a small reminder for everyone interested, get your money together for Thursday. They should be $190.

For Real Fans

I'm happy to announce Lupe has dropped a couple of new freestyles in the past week. As usual he's dropping fire. This one is a freestyle off of Drake's unreleased track called "Say Something" (Produced by Timbaland). To download this and his other freestyle track "Turnt Up" go to hotnewhiphop.com

Jay Speaks

I'm a few days late posting this but here's a clip of Jay-Z finally responding to Beans' diss track:

Season Opener!!!!

Tonight is the tip off for the 2009-2010 NBA season! Just as I am every season, I'm very excited for a number of reasons. First, is the new faces in new places. I want to see how all of the off season acquisitions will affect each team, for better and for worse. My favorite moves of the off season are Artest to the Lakers, Jefferson to the Spurs and Turkoglu to the Raptors. With Artest, L.A is clearly favored to repeat as champs, with Jefferson the Spurs are back to being potential Western Conference champs and with Turkoglu I see the Raptors back in the playoffs. I also believe the NBA is back in terms of every team being competitive on a nightly basis. Even teams at the bottom of the food chain have talent that will give them a chance to compete. My two sleeper teams of the season are Washington in the East and Oklahoma City in the West. With Gilbert Arenas hopefully healed from injury, Washington has a very deep and young squad that can get them back to being a top 5 team in the East. Additions of Randy Foye and Mike Miller give the Wiz security blankets in case of Arenas getting hurt again. The Thunder also look to have one of the most talented young teams in the entire league. Rookie James Harden gives them a legit 2 guard with Durant, a top 5 scorer in the league, Russell Westbrook, a hugely underrated young guard and Jeff Green, a solid swingman that gives 100% every night. I will be tuned in to every game possible this year. 

New Hope

Today my homeboy and Baltimore's own Trey Robinson dropped his highly anticipated mixtape "Tetris". Trust me when I say, YOU WILL see this man in the big lights. He's the new voice of the 410 and this mixtape will hopefully propel him into a bigger following. Support my man and download the mixtape right HERE

Worth The Trouble?

Early today on ESPN, it was reported that the San Francisco 49ers and rookie WR Michael Crabtree have finally agreed in principle to a contract. Crabtree was very outspoken in his seemingly eternal holdout; the rookie threatened to not sign with San Fran at all in order to re-enter the draft next year if they did not pay him what he wanted. The deal is reportedly worth $32 million over 6 years with $17 million guaranteed. I don't believe that Crabtree is anywhere near as good as his attitude has shown thus far. I also don't believe the '9ers need him to be a successful team this season. Maybe he'll come right in and fit in, but I don't see it happening. Defenses are sure to be overly aggressive towards him because of his illusion of being entitled to acting this way. Let's see how it goes...

NY Bound

This morning it was reported on ESPN that the Cleveland Browns have traded WR Braylon Edwards to the Jets for WR Chansi Stuckey and 2 draft picks. Many stories are surrounding this trade. mainly the story that Edwards allegedly punched a friend of NBA superstar LeBron James a couple nights ago outside of a club. Many speculate that this is the reason why he is getting shipped out of Cleveland. If so, LeBron truly has the key to that city. On a positive note, Braylon is now in a MUCH better situation going to New York to play under exciting, new head coach Rex Ryan and his feisty defense. He also gives rookie Mark Sanchez the big, talented receiver that they have been so desperately searching for. It's also weirdly ironic that Braylon, after having an indirect dispute with LeBron, has been traded to New York, where many believe "The King" will end up in the summer of 2010.

Early Review

Just as I said I would, I grabbed NBA 2k10 yesterday and just like any gamer, I have my likes and dislikes. I really like the additions of shots that 2ksports has added including 40 more runners than last season, more personalized fadeaways, and now leaners. I also like the new move packages that they've assigned to all players; the gameplay is even more realistic now. Now to my dislikes...First off, I use 360 so only Xbox users will relate. I really don't like the complexity of the crossover moves; 2k made it much more difficult to iso your player compared to last year. The next thing that I'm really having trouble accepting is the extremely low ratings that players have. Rookies Steph Curry and Brandon Jennings are both in the 60's!!!??? Blake Griffin and James Harden both have a 76 rating. Are they both that much better than Curry and Jennings? Also, there are only 5 players with a rating of 90 or better: Kobe, D-Wade, LeBron, CP3 and KG(that is in order). I believe Melo, B-Roy, Deron Williams, Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh all got terribly snubbed. Despite my dislikes I still love the 2k franchise and would take it over Live anyday. I haven't actually played against anyone yet so...I'm taking ALL challengers!!! I WILL NOT LOSE!

No Doubt

This weekend(Friday-Monday) I stayed in New York around Times Square and it was a great experience. I lived in Brooklyn last year while going to school at Long Island University and I loved it then too. But this weekend reaaly closed the deal for me that I'm moving back there once I finish college. It's never a dull moment in NY and it has so many resources open to everyone. I will definitely be taking advantage of those resources soon.

Deeper Than Football

Tonight is the HIGHLY anticipated match between the Minnesota Vikings, led by Brett Favre, and the Green Bay Packers...formerly led by Brett Favre. To me this is the most important game of the entire NFL season. As most should know by now, Brett was and still is in many people's eyes, the face of Green Bay but a falling out led to his departure. Now Brett leads Green Bay's division rival and it is sure to be a classic battle. Both teams matchup pretty well. Favre's heir to the throne, Aaron Rodgers has surfaced as one of the best QB's in the league and will surely put up a fight at Minnesota. I've stated in earlier posts that I think it would be humbling for Brett to lose to Green Bay both times this season because of his revenge-driven rage. I'm anxiously waiting for tonight's game.

Rookie Mistake?

Last night the Jets...well, Mark "Sanchize" struggled all the way to the finish against the Saints. In a game where Drew Brees, the NFL Offensive Player of the Year so far, threw for no TD's, New York still couldn't get a thing going. Mark Sanchez threw a (Short) career high, 3 picks in the loss and lost a fumble for a TD in his own endzone. It was bad. But it brings up the question, was it rookie mistakes or is "Sanchize" not as good as his nickname suggests? At least 2 out of the 3 picks he threw were just plain horrible and his defense gave their all. I think it's time to stop the Flacco comparisons and the "premature crowning", as 1st & 10's Skip Bayless would say, and let Sanchez find his own way in the league, not gas him up into something he's not...

Harsh!

President Obama calls Kanye a jackass for his tantrum. Wow, even the president is in on it. Either this is being taken to seriously or Kanye should take a little break from the spotlight.

Kanye's Apology

I'm sure everybody saw Kanye's tirade on the VMA's by now. Last night on Leno, Ye apologized for his actions. Jay Leno also mentions Kanye's dead mom and what she would say about his actions. Check it...

NBA 2k10 Teasers!!!!!

Check these out! 2k Sports has released 2 teasers for 2k10. I can't wait until this drops, October 6th!

Kanye At It Again....

Earlier tonight at the VMA's Kanye threw another one of his famous tantrums. This time he stole the spotlight from teenage singer Taylor Swift who was accepting her award for Best Female Video. He stole the mic and said that Beyonce's video was one of the best of all time. Just Watch. He comes in around the 2:37 mark.

Egg Layer

Jay Cutler's Chicago Bears debut was surely a surprise to say the least;the young stud of a QB had a horrible game against division-foe Green Bay. Cutler completed less than 50% of his passes and threw a career worst 4 interceptions, 3 coming in the first half. Chicago's lack of an experienced wideout is foreshadowing disaster for the squad. To make matters worse, Denver's Kyle Orton, who was traded for Cutler, led his team to victory over Cincinnati. Maybe this was just a shaky start for Cutler and Chicago but I think this will take some time to fix. I project the Bears only going 6-10.

Paying Respect

I know 9/11 is almost over but I still feel obligated to post respect to all those who were killed and that are still affected by this tragedy. Although I have my own views on this whole incident(that Bush had full knowledge of it) it's still a touchy subject for some. So I'm paying my dues to all those still hurting....keep your heads up.

Sky's The Limit

Though it was reported about a week ago that former Bucks point guard Ramon Sessions had signed with Minnesota, the super-talented 1 officially joined the T'Wolves today. I'm a huge fan of Sessions and I'll never forget watching him, on his 1st or 2nd game after being promoted from the D-league, posting 24 assists. It was unreal. With Minnesota having no clear direction this season, I see Sessions coming in and being an instant leader. I project him to average about 16 and 8.5

Questionable...

A couple days ago it was reported that the Cleveland Browns have named Brady Quinn as the starting QB for week 1. No offense, but I don't see any qualities in Quinn that will make him a star. He was surrounded by the Charlie Weiss hype at Notre Dame and has yet to live up to his first round status in the league. I honestly believe that Cleveland was pressured into making this move because Derek Anderson is clearly the better QB. Hopefully the Browns will see what I see soon before they have a repeat season from last year.

The Best

I'm truly sad to say that I missed this but the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan was inducted into the Hall of Fame this evening. I really hope that an encore presentation is coming soon but here is a clip from his speech. He's really the best.

Solid

Today Inside Hoops reported on Twitter that Celtics will be signing swingman Marquis Daniels. This is a solid move all around. Daniels is a reliable scorer off the bench and could fit well on just about any team in the league. This was much needed for Boston who lacked a backup swingman last season. This also keeps them in contention to win the East. Solid move.

Heeee's Baaaack

Just peeped this on World Star, Shwayze's new video and single, called "Get U Home". The song is hot. Shwayze is still kinda under the radar but I played his first album non-stop last summer and I can't wait for the new one to drop. I think it'll be called 'Let it Beat'. Check it out.

Back Again

Last night Mike Vick made his Eagles debut and it went pretty well; he went 4-4 for 19 yards and attempted a scramble. I will be following his season very closely so most of his games will be getting posted....check it out.

What If???

This is a interesting video; MJ tells of how he wanted to sign with Adidas over Nike. Check it out.

Premature Crowning?

The college football season is only a couple weeks away and the Tim Tebow praise is never-ending. ESPN has been flooded with talk of Tebow possibly being the best college football player of all time and he is everything but God, etc., etc. Don't get me wrong, I do believe Tebow is a great player but I'm not too sure that his game will translate to the NFL too well. There are plenty of people divided on this issue; some say he should go number 1 in the 2010 draft and some, such as draft expert Mel Kiper Jr say that Tebow won't even go in the 1st round. I think that I'm more on Kiper's side. To me, Tebow seems like a QB who will struggle to find success in the NFL...like a Alex Smith who also played in Urban Meyer's system. Only time will tell but I think that media is building Tebow up too high and will eventually cause his downfall.

LeBron Speaking On Off-Season Issues

The more things I see and hear about LeBron, the more I think of how insecure and overly cautious he is about his image...check it out though.

Sad Story

Earlier today on ESPN, it was reported that Plaxico Burress has been sentened to 2 years in prison after having possession of a loaded gun and shooting himself in late 2008. I understand the guy had a gun but the fact that he shot himself seems like a pretty good punishment. It's almost safe to say that Plax's NFL career may be over. It seems that black males in the NFL can't seem to stay out of the public eye and out of trouble and that angers me a little; the spotlight is squared on them soon as they make names for themselves. What's even more unfortunate is that Burress supposedly turned down an earlier sentence that would have gave him 3 months time and he would have only served 2. I hope that he can somehow bounce back in 2012...that's of course if Goodell doesn't to suspend him for more time.

Jay-Z- Run This Town Video

Madden 10 Trailer

I'm pretty late with this but here's a trailer for the new Madden...I'm not really impressed.

Big Promotion

Things have really been looking up for Philadelphia 76ers young point guard Lou Williams this summer. First the team gets Eddie Jordan as a coach, whose run-and-gun offense has been proven successful with the Washington Wizards. Second, veteran guard Andre Miller skipped town by signing with Portland. Last and best, Lou-Will was named starter for Philly. I think he has all-star potential now that he has been named starter. In Eddie Jordan's system i believe he can be a poor-man's Gilbert Arenas, minus the jumpshot(which he can develop). I'm excited to see how this season turns out for Sweet Lou; I project his numbers will be around 18 points and 6 assists per. That system is made for a young, athletic team in which the Sixers are...excluding E-Brand.

It Never Ends...

Just as I thought I was done with news on Brett Favre...here we go again. Yesterday reports were released from Fox Sports claiming that an unnamed Minnesota Viking said that Favre will still join the team despite him announcing that he would stay in retirement. I'm so tired of this soap opera with Favre; if you're gonna join the team then join it. Every off-season includes Favre's uncertainty with retiring or playing. As I said in a post a few months ago, I think it would be good for Favre to lose to Green Bay both times this season if he does join Minnesota. He desperately needs a wake up call...

Mike Vick Eagles' Press Conference

YEEAAAHHH!!!

I know I'm about a day late with posting this but...MIKE VICK IS BACK!!!! The former NFL superstar was signed late yesterday by the Philadelphia Eagles to a 2-year deal. I'm glad to know that someone has given the man a second chance because it was well deserved; he has had everything stripped from him including his pride and his fortune. From a football standpoint, the deal doesn't make a lot of sense because the Eagles have a multi-dimensional QB in Donovan McNabb and have plenty of offensive weapons. This deal is much deeper than that though; Vick needs a place to jumpstart his return and I think under McNabb is a great fit. I hate to make this a race thing but I'm glad to see McNabb as a black man step up and accept Vick as teammate despite everything he's been through these past 2 years. I just hope I'll get to see the old Vick someday sooner than later.

Fair...

Earlier this week Cleveland Browns receiver Donte Stallworth was suspended for the entire 2009 season without pay. Most know that Stallworth killed a man by hitting him with his car while he was intoxicated and had marijuana in his system. Stallworth was only sentenced to 30 days in prison and only served 24. It seems to me that he should still be in jail because he killed a human being, Vick killed dogs. I think this suspension is more than fair. Commissioner Goodell said this in a letter that he wrote to Stallworth: "The NFL and NFL players must live with the stain that you have placed on their reputations." That's a lot to swallow...

Coming Soon!!!

Thanks to the 2k sports site, I caught these screenshots of 2k10 and it got me even more hype for it's release! The site mentioned that it would have better features such as more personalized moves and tendencies by players which is why I like 2k over NBA Live. I just can't wait for it to drop; the official release date is October 6th for all systems...so save up! I noticed on the Shaq image that LeBron is throwing up the powder in the background; that's crazy! I plan on getting this the first day it drops.

"The Chosen One"

I'm not a baseball fan by any standards but I had to share this: Bryce Harper is the next great thing in the sport. Today while I was watching E:60, I learned a lot about Harper; he's a 16 year old phenom and is being compared to LeBron James. At only 16, Bryce is 6'3 and 205 pounds of muscle. E:60 showed footage of him hitting a 574 ft. homerun during one of his games...crazy! I'm not sure what the average distance of a homer is but I know that's ridiculous.

A lot of controversy is also surrounding Harper because of his decision to drop out of high school to just focus on baseball. Usually i would think that's a bad idea but if you're this good then just go for it. i hope this kid makes it because I look forward to seeing him in the MLB soon. He's trying to be drafting by the age of 17. Scouts have him projected as the number 1 overall pick in whatever draft he enters. i can't wait to see how this turns out. Hopefully he doesn't flop.

Opportunity Knockin'

Earlier today while I was on the LupE.N.D blog I learned that Lu will be performing at the Brooklyn Book Festival on September 13th. I really wanna go to this because it's a free festival and of course Lupe is performing. I'd also like to revisit Brooklyn because I have a uncle who lives there and I attended my first year of college there. I'm also hoping he'll perform some unreleased tracks. I'll definitely be researching more about the festival.

Lupe, Mickey Factz & The Cool Kids in Tokyo

I grabbed this from Mickey Factz on Twitter, check it.

Throwback Heat

This my throwback joint of the moment: Lord Finesse- Return of the Funky Man. Finesse is one of my favorite old school rappers. He kept it to the lyrics, true underground MC. Check the track...

I Told U So

If anyone reads my blog you would know that I've been posting about John Wall here and there since the blog started. The high school phenom is on his way to the University of Kentucky and I'm sure he'll work his way to the top 5 of the NBA Draft by this time next year. Here is a video of him dunking on Jerry Stackhouse...a former NBA all-star. It's much better than the Jordan Crawford dunk on LeBron.

Tough!

My man Brian Wood is back at it again! A lot of people probably aren't familiar with this line but please get familiar. This is my favorite t-shirt line and I had to grab this t-shirt right here; it's called the 'Moonwalk Alumni' in tribute to the late, great MJ. I wish his site had a shop online option but it doesn't yet. Hopefully it will soon. Anyway, check this tee and others on his blog and site. He's on my blog list so start getting familiar people.

Beating The System

This is a pretty random topic but...THANK GOODNESS for internet tethering. I came across this a few weeks ago and it allows me to get wireless internet on my Mac through my iPhone. I'm glad I came across it because I don't have wifi in my house. Now I can back to blogging! I've been slackin' lately.

Sneak Peak

Even though there are still a couple months before the NBA season takes off, I'm obsessed with league news. This weekend was the 2009 rookie class photo shoot. Just about every rookie in the draft came out to sport their new jerseys. Here I have the 3 rookies who I'm most excited to see this upcoming season: Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry and Tyreke Evans.

Taking a Rewind

For those who don't know, this is the cover to Michael Jackson's 'Dangerous" album. Lately I've been listening to his "Remember the Time" track non-stop. I have no idea why. I've grown to like it more because for the first time I've been listening to the song by itself, instead of watching the video.

Overreacting?

Yesterday it was reported on ESPN that former Giants' receiver, Plaxico Burress was indicted on gun charges from late 2008. To me this whole situation has been overblown. I understand the man had a gun but it was licensed and he shot himself; that's punishment enough. I hate to make this a race issue, but it seems to me that black athletes, especially in football have a price on their heads. Hopefully Plax won't get a lot of time. But if he doesn't, Roger Goodell will be sure to suspend him for a whole season!!! It's a shame.

4 Thumbs Way Up!!!

About a week ago I got the chance to check out The Orphan and it was way better than I expected. To any horror fans out there, please go check this one out. Esther is crazy as hell! I was really impressed with the movie because most horror films with children have a playful or childish plot to it....but not this one. Esther is a true killer in every sense. Please go check this out, it will not disappoint. Hint: The ending is jaw-dropping!!!

Anticipating

I may be about 2 months too early but I can hide my anticipation for NBA 2k!0 to drop. As you can see this year's cover-athlete will be Kobe Bryant; can't say I'm excited about that but he's deserved it. I've heard from a dedicated gamer that this year will be the last of the 2k franchise because EA Sports has bought them out. I hope that's a rumor because many people prefer 2k over NBA Live, myself included; the gameplay and graphics are so much better to me. Nevertheless, I can't wait to get my hands on it. I'm really looking forward to playing with Stephen Curry and Brandon Jennings.

Making Progress

Time for my Lupe update( I do this from time to time): Still no update or announcement on when the album will be dropping but the first single, "Shining Down" featuring Matthew Santos is on iTunes, so that's a good sign. I've been hearing unreleased tracks here and there such as "Fire" and "This is for My Niggas" but I'm sure they won't make the album...I hope my next update will include the release date for the album. If anybody has news let me know ASAP, seriously.

Redemption

Today it was reported that Michael Vick has officially ended his sentence; he finished his home confinement today. I'm happy for Vick. I still believe that he was made as an example and his sentencing was pretty harsh. Nevertheless, I hope some team gives him a chance to play because I think he can still do it. It may take him a while to get back in football shape but any real fan of football or sports in general should be rooting for this guy. Everybody screws up at some point in life. Don't judge.

Represent

I caught some of the ESPY's last night and I had to show love to Baltimore's own Mike Phelps. He grabbed 5 ESPY's last night. It's a positive thing for him because he's been surrounded by negativity ever since pictures of him smoking weed were released. So congrats to Phelps, i support anyone from Baltimore.

No Big Deal

Yesterday in a multi-player deal, the Dallas Mavericks picked up Shawn Marion from the Raptors. It's been a hot topic on ESPN but i don't think this deal makes Dallas much better than they already were. They are a pretty old team and i believe that L.A, San Antonio, Denver, New Orleans, and Portland are all better than them, making them number 6 in the West. I also don't see how Marion will mesh well with Josh Howard. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

Excessive

Earlier this week it was reported that the Cavs resigned their garbage-man Andersen Varejao to a 6 year deal worth $50 million. I understand that Varejao has been a key contributer for a couple years in Cleveland but $50 mil is a bit much. I'm sure the Cavs could have kept him for a much lower price. I also doubt that this move will convince LeBron anymore to stay or leave in 2010.

Baltimore's Own

Baltimore's own Mario is back with his single,"Break Up" featuring Sean Garret and Gucci Mane. This song has been a radio hit in Baltimore for about two months now and it finally has a video. Here it is:

Shocker

Some very intriguing and shocking moves have been made in NBA free agency this past week. Thursday may have been the most shocking of all when Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza basically swapped teams. With Artest to the Lakers, they have to be the early favorite to win the title; Kobe can take a break from guarding the opposers' best player and Artest brings a toughness and heart that L.A doesn't really have. Houston on the other hand seems to be getting worse by the day; Yao Ming may be out for the season, T-Mac can't stay healthy and now they have Ariza who I will never be sold on. Ariza points in the playoffs this season came off of being wide open waiting for a pass. That won't happen in Houston where the team won't consistently have a superstar on the court. It'll be interesting to see how this works out but L.A has just got even better and Houston continues to plummet.

Jumping Ship

Reports have been circulating around the NBA that Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu has basically closed the door on returning to Orlando. Hedo was the key to Orlando's success the past two seasons, leading them to the Finals this year. I'm sure that Orlando's recent trade for Vince Carter has a lot to do with his decision. The two teams reportedly closest to getting Turkoglu are Portland and Toronto. Both seem to be a good fit for him but I think he should choose Portland; they have a great young nucleus and would be an automatic contender with Hedo in the lineup. Toronto would be shaky because Chris Bosh will most likely be gone after next season, leaving Turkoglu on his own. It will be interesting to see where he goes.

Diva?

Spanish superstar guard Ricky Rubio was drafted 5th overall by the T'Wolves in Thursday's draft and he's already showing signs of being a diva. Rubio has yet to show up at any Timberwolves' public functions and is publicly stating that he's getting offers from Spain and Turkey. It seems that he doesn't want to play for Minnesota who drafted another point guard with their 6th pick in Johnny Flynn. I think Rubio may be scared of competition; I believe that Flynn is a better player than he is. I wouldn't be surprised if D'Antoni and The Knicks get their hands on him. He'll be able to roam free in New York.

BAD Move

Last week the Orlando Magic traded away Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee to the New Jersey Nets to get Vince Carter. I keep hearing how good this trade is but to me this is the worst move of the off-season yet. Orlando gave away a backup point guard that led them to the Finals and a solid starting rookie in Courtney Lee. In return they get Vince Carter's huge ego. They now have 4 players who will all be in need of the ball; I just don't see this working. With this trade i see Hedo Turkgolu packing his bags and going to another team. So much for the promising future Orlando...

Tragic Loss

I'm a couple days late but nevertheless, Rest In Peace to Michael Jackson. I listened to a lot of his music growing up and it's hard to believe that he's dead. He was definitely the biggest entertainer of all time and it's sad that he's gone now. MJ was about to go on his last tour next month in the UK and was working on another album. Hopefully it'll still drop because I wanna hear it. My prayers go out to his family. He was a universal icon.

-Michael Jackson, 8/29/58-6/25/09

Cookin'

Yesterday Gucci posted 3 brand new videos on World Star! Say what you want about him, the man is getting his work done. The 3 videos are "Photo Shoot", "I Think I Love Her" and "She Gotta Friend" featuring Juelz Santana. For Gucci fans, "Photo Shoot" and "I Think I Love Her" are pretty old now but the track with Santana is off of Gucci's new mixtape, Writing On The Wall. Here are all 3:

Finally!!!!

Lupe finally leaked the first single off of his new album, Lasers...it's called"Shining Down" and it features 1st and 15th's own Matthew Santos who dropped the hooks on Lupe's "Superstar" and "American Terrorist". I'm a huge Lupe fan and I've been waiting for this song's finished product for some time now. I heard a sample of it a couple months back but nothing since, but luckily it's here now. Hopefully the album isn't too far behind...I'd say a few months away...maybe Winter '09? I hope. Anyway, here is the track download. It's going straight to my ipod.