LEBRON OVERRATED? JAY-Z "BLOWS THE WHISTLE"

Quotable:"Who the f*** is overrated? If anything, they under paid him. Hate him, that’s only going to make him spend the night out of spite with the chick you’ve been dating..." Jay-Z Stevenson Diss Freestyle "Blow The Whistle"

It seems that another chapter has unfolded in the DeShawn Stevenson (Washington Wizards forward) diss against Lebron James (Stevenson commented on March 17th after a a loss to the Cavaliers that Lebron was overrated.) that has Jay-Z “blowing the whistle.” Perhaps Jay-Z has a personal interest vested in Lebron beyond friendship. Maybe he has secretly signed him to endorse Rocawear in a future campaign? Or could it be he is buying another stake in a ball team, namely the Cleveland Cavaliers? Putting a ring on his finger? Say it ain't so Hov! While Jay has not contested Lil’ Wayne’s crusade against him, he has put on the gloves and battled rap heavyweights 50 Cent, Nas and Jim Jones/Dipset then stooped to giving the Deshawn Stevenson the 15 minutes of self promotion he was looking for in a war of words.
Back in December 2006, Wayne lashed out at Hova boasting, “I don’t like what he’s saying about how he had to come back because hip-hop’s dead and we need him. What the fuck do you mean? If anything it’s reborn, so he’s probably having a problem with that. You left on a good note, and all of the artists were saying, ‘Yo, this is Jay’s house. He’s the best.’ Now he comes back and still thinks it’s his house. It’s not your house anymore, and I’m better than you. I’m better than him, I’m 24 years old. ... I’m 13 years deep with five albums and 10 million records sold.”

The not so young Hov has joined the “Defend Lebron” campaign releasing a diss track entitled “Blow The Whistle” with the help of Damon Jones, James’ Cavaliers teammate, blazing Stevenson with lines like "Who the f*** is overrated? If anything, they under paid him. Hate him, that’s only going to make him spend the night out of spite with the chick you’ve been dating..." You’re really showing your age on this one Jigga. While I respect Jay as an artist and businessman, shouldn’t his energies be focused on his new bride, Beyonce, his growing mega empire and finalizing a historic multi-million dollar deal with LiveNation? The only two capitalizing on the he said, she said mud-slinging are DeShawn Stevenson, a streaky shooting Washington Wizards forward, averaging 11.2pts,2.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists and gimmicky teen rapper, Soulja Boy (Yahh, trick Yaaah!). All these pock shots for publicity are a pathetic attempt by Stevenson to put his name out there like the bricks he puts up off the backboard, oh excuse me his threes (BALLINNNNN'!!!!)

In a retort to Stevenson’s attempt to diminish Lebron’s franchise player status, Lebron blasted back at DeShawn stating, “Responding to Stevenson would be like Jay-Z coming back at Soulja Boy.” So what’s Soulja Boy’s take in all this? Already heralded as a potential “one hit wonder”, Soulja Boy is laughing all the way to the bank with hot singles annoying but infectious “Crank That”, “Yaah Trick!” and “Get Silly” (single he produced for upcoming rap artist, V.I.C) soaring up the charts. He certainly is expanding his portfolio outside the rap game early with the launch of his cartoon, sneaker and clothing lines on the horizon. Call him enterprising, call him wack, Soulja Boy ofcourse didn’t care for “King James” choice words but he did find the inclusion of his name in his metaphor humorous. "If you go to YouTube, you can see LeBron doing my dance," Soulja said. "So what is he trying to say?"

Soulja Boy At Game 3 Cavs vs. Wizards

Perhaps a Crank That contest between DeShawn and Lebron showing who can rock the dynasty the best will settle the score. YYYYOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!

When asked about the Lebron/Deshawn rivalry, Lebron simply snickers,"I said what I've had to say and I've moved on. There is no rivalry. Seriously. There is no rivalry. There will never be a rivalry between me and DeShawn."

Granted this is entertaining basketball in an otherwise yawn inducing series between two lackluster teams,STILL DeShawn vs Lebron = OVERRATED!

Jay-Z - "Blow The Whistle" (Deshawn Stevenson Diss)

READ MORE ABOUT LEBRON VS DESHAWN RIVALRY
Jay-Z Joins Lebron/Deshawn Feud

'STREET KINGS' , TAKING NO PRISONERS

Quotable:“Who are we, detective? We straight nightmares. We the walking, talking existing circumstances.” – Coates (Common)

What are the odds that the best cop drama that I've seen since "Training Day" happens to come from the same gritty, violently realistic storytelling of corruption, drugs and violence from the producer/writer of "Training Day" (2001), David Ayer? Well slim to none but Ayer has done it again! When renegade "hero" cop, John Ludlow (Keanu Reeves) takes to the streets to avenge the death of his ex-partner Terrance Washington(Terry Crews, "Everybody Hates Chris")and to clear his name of his execution , he tests his loyalties to the code he lives by and the badge he has served his whole career. Let's face it, Keanu Reeves hasn't appeared in nearly a significant pivotal role since "The Matrix" trilogy, but he surprisingly delivers as the rogue cop who's plagued by his concious and the death of his wife, when his eyes are open to the corruption of those closest to him.

An all-star cast heads up this sleeper hit led up by Keanu Reeves, Academy Award winner, Forest Whitaker (“Last King of Scotland”), Hugh Laurie (Fox's "House"), Common, Cedric “The Entertainer”, Chris Evans ("Fantastic Four 1 and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer"), The Game and Clifton Powell to name a few. Whitaker brings to life the intensely, power-driven and enigmatic Capt. Jack Wander. He has mentored Ludlow throughout his career, taking him under his wing from his days as a wet behind the ears rookie to his glory days as the unit’s star detective with a special knack for gun fighting.

“I can’t lose you. Who’d do what you do? You are the tip of the spear. Who’s gonna hold back the animals?” he tells Ludlow.

Deep beneath good intentions lies hidden agendas, bigger than Ludlow could possibly imagine and he begins to question the intentions of his mentor and lifetime friend as the bodies and odds stack up against him.

Though Common doesn’t get much screen time as a title character, his ruthless alter ego Coates is a crucial key to uncovering the conspiracy that has Ludlow fighting to stay alive before he either is buried by the department or buried by his secret and not so secret enemies. Cedric “The Entertainer” and The Game provide comedic moments outside Reeves’ smart ass, reckless antics (e.g. The Game taking several blows to the dome courtesy of your complimentary Yellow Pages... priceless!)Some of the best lines of the movie come from Reeves many missions he embarks on to uncover the truth, regain his reputation and to redeem his already lost soul.

Thug Kim: “Fuck that's supposed to mean, white boy? “
Tom Ludlow: “It means you've got eyes like apostrophes, you dress white, talk black, and drive Jew. So how am I supposed to know what kind of zipper-head dog-munching dick you are if you don't?”

“If you're going to do something, do it now. I know you want my scalp nailed to your wall, but then who's going to go in where the law won't? You Captain? You? You gonna clean up the needles and baby parts? No. You need me, and my company of men. You hate me, but you need me.” Ludlow quips at Capt. James Biggs (Hugh Laurie).

All is not what it seems and this suspense filled drama will leave you guessing, unraveling each layer until the riveting climax bursts into a surprise ending you almost never saw coming. Friend or foe, this is their city, their rules and there are no prisoners.

Street Kings 2008 Trailer (HD)

A good flick that may have you keeping your friends close and your enemies even closer, Street Kings is currently in theaters.

BEST COP MOVIES OF ALL TIME

• Lethal Weapon


• Die Hard


• Bad Boys


• Training Day


• 48 Hours


• The Fugitive


• U.S Marshalls

CLUB LOVING

Quotable: "Consider this the audio afterparty..." King Magazine

Since Sean Combs, I mean Puffy aka Puff Daddy or you can just call him Diddy "invented" the remix and made it a staple in the music industry, it only seems fitting for a hot single to comeback with an even hotter remix to keep the request lines ringing and the album release buzz soaring. Riding the demand of hishit single "Love In This Club" featuring Young Jeezy (yeeaaahhhh!!!!) from the highly anticipated album "Here I Stand", Usher is getting more loving in the club this time with Mrs.Carter formerly known as Beyonce with the help of Carter Jr. bka. Dwayne Carter self proclaimed best rap artist of 08', Lil' Wayne.

While this version is more of serenade with Usher assuring his jumpoff of a night of pleasure to come and her expressing her lustful desires with a tinge of doubt, Usher doesn't fail to keep this a club banger. The jury is out on this one until I listen to it a few more times.

Which version brings out your inner exhibitionist?

Usher ft Beyonce and Lil' Wayne - Love In This Club (PtII)

Usher ft Young Jeezy - Love In This Club (PtI)

VISIT USHER ONLINE

ESTELLE, ATLANTIC RECORDS " AMERICAN GIRL"

QUOTA-BLE:
"Let me be different. Let me be that person your not use to hearing...I got to the point, between the last album and this album, where I stopped apologizing for being the person that I am. I feel I owe it to the people to be 100% honest in my lyrics. I'm just satisfied with who I am, and who I'm turning out to be." -- Estelle

Armed with soulful ballads, a dose of British charm and the humility of a star on the rise, Atlantic/Homeschool Records new artist Estelle welcomed Detroiters into her heart and Detroiters welcomed her into theirs, giving us a taste or just a “touch” of her slow and easy like molasses voice with a twang. When I first heard the hit single “American Boy” ft. Kanye West off her soon to be released album, “Shine”, my neck twitched, tilting side to side, feet tapping subconsciously while my conscious mind contemplated, “Hmm, do I really like this song?” It didn’t take me long to overcome and bury my small kernel of doubt. This is the “American” girl and first artist endorsed by and signed to John Legend’s record label Homeschool Records after all. The more Hot 102.7FM boasted about her talents and her upcoming performance and introduction to Detroit on Friday, April 11, 2008, the more she intrigued me. Though Estelle released self-created “18th day” under V2 Records in London, her second album promises to be a sensually tasty treat laced with funk, soul and reggae from artist and producer collaborations such as Kanye West, Swizz Beatz, Wyclef Jean, Will.i.am, Mark Ronson and Cee-lo & Jack Splash.

"Her sound is a unique blend of hip hop, pop, reggae and soul,” explains Legend. “She has a special voice, unlike any other voice out there in mainstream music, and she can really write. She writes hip lyrics with unforgettable melodies. I recognized that in her when I first worked with her in 2004." He continues, "I'm excited and honored to have Estelle as the first artist on my label, Homeschool Records. I believe the world is going to fall in love with her album, as I already have. Estelle is an amazing talent, and she's going to do big things."

Detroit’s movers and shakers, some I knew and surprisingly many I didn’t recognize packed into the second floor of Grand Central Lounge (Harmonie Park, Downtown Detroit), waiting patiently while sipping on array of drinks from the custom bar (including specialty promotional drinks courtesy of Absolut), buzzing with anticipation.

“How much longer before she performs?” I asked Estelle’s DJ and my personal friend from London, DJ Smashrelly (though the promoter that evening was a personal friend as mine as well, DJ Smashrelly placed me and my boyfriend on his guestlist to come down to hear her perform and to finally meet him in person after all these years.) I couldn’t wait to rock out to “American Boy” but something told me that she didn’t need Kanye to carry her music and the rest of the songs from her arsenal would stir in me the same hyped feeling. And I was pleasantly blessed with "Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)", produced by Swizz Beatz, another surefire hit.

Sue me for thinking that Grand Central would have faster food service and that my boyfriend’s salmon would actually be fully cooked. So we unfortunately only caught a song or two toward the end of her performance but the vibe in the room was unanimous, Estelle was a hit! Her stage presence and improvisational style combined with the synergy of her backup singers and her band (featuring DJ Smashrelly) provided the crowd with an passionate live performance reminiscent of her influences Ella Fitzgerald as well as Mary J. Blige and has been compared to Lauryn Hill.

If this is what a genuine original mix of music sounds like, Estelle is that unique infusion your not use to hearing ---- the type of artist that has all but disappeared from mainstream music today. Look for her album to drop on Friday, April 29th.

Estelle ft.Kanye West - "American Boy"


VISIT ESTELLE ONLINE
http://www.estellemusic.com
http://www.myspace.com/estelleonline

THE FOUR MUSKETEERS

One for all and all for four? For the first time in NCAA tournament history, four, count em, four no.1 seeds have finagled and dazzled their way to the big dance-off. Yes, this one is special folks. In a tournament of surprisingly a few and far in between “Cinderellas”, (No.10 seed Davidson surpassed all expectations and wowed fans with its tourney run of firsts before being barely uprooted by Kansas in the Elite Eight and No.12 seed Western Kentucky came within 4pts of blowing past UCLA before succumbing in a loss.), never has four mega conference winning heavyweights ever been assembled under one roof and yet Memphis (37-1), North Carolina (36-2), Kansas (35-3), and UCLA (35-3) will take San Antonio by storm for a tourney showdown of epic proportions!

While the analysts have it, successfully “projecting” the four best teams in the country, there can only be one team left standing and none of these four junior led powerhouses are going down without a fight.


North Carolina Tarheels
Sure Ty Hansborough is a Junior All-American and the ESPN.com Player of the Year but will he break under pressure? The race for Hansborough to win a national title before potentially exiting for the NBA draft is on and poppin’ like Chris Brown going “wall to wall” in his latest music video. The Tarheels have what you would call a winning history (Ranked no.2 All-Time with 17 Final Four appearances, ranked #1 in the nation for the 6th time, won 2 national championships to name a few) and of course there’s the graduation and ascension of the most infamous Tarheel of them all, Michael Jordan. What North Carolina possesses where other teams lack is the selflessness in which they play and the knowledge that each role is important. A role each player executes well. It’s easy to focus on Hansborough yet let’s not rule out the other four McDonald All-American players, Quentin Thomas, Bobby Frasor, Danny Green and Ty Lawson along with the majority of the Tarheels’ recruiting class. With a talented offense like this, North Carolina will work together to create those open shots despite the season statistics indicating the Tarheels’ will be stagnant against high caliber opposing teams. Carolina will defend the perimeter well but must avoid Kansas driving to the hole for easy baskets and keep a holey defense well patched. Coaching experience combined with sheer will and stellar offense might just advance these roleplayers to the NCAA finals.

Memphis Tigers
With a physical and athletic prowess Memphis has managed to silence its critics salivating at the mouth at the thought of a potential downfall at the hands of tourney favorite, the Texas Longhorns. Once the Tigers’ Achilles heel, foul shooting was all but the team’s savior in its 81-67 Elite Eight win over Texas. It is clear that many question whether Memphis deserve the right to play in the Final Four often criticizing their bounce pass style of play, however at this point one should consider how balanced of team Memphis is (perhaps the second most balanced team of the four remaining, next to Kansas.) Their hunger is apparent. Their appearance as NCAA Champions in two of my three bracket scenarios calls for their win over Kansas and North Carolina respectively is no mistake. They have shown that the USA Conference is a force to be reckoned with time and time again, defeating powerhouses Georgetown, USC and punishing teams offensively and defensively resulting in a 37-1 winning record. Of course, Kevin Love is no secret as UCLA’s post big man weapon, yet the contributions of Tigers’ guards, JaJuan Smith, O.J. Mayo, JP Prince, Robert Vaden, Stefon Jackson and Lamont Jordan will be just as instrumental in the Tigers’ ferocity with their opponents beyond this past season. If the Tigers’ can keep the Bruins’ off the perimeter, put up the numbers from the line like they did against Texas and keep Josh Shipp at bay, look for this underdog to tango in San Antonio in the national championship game for a well deserved title.

Kansas Jayhawks
Analysts have been heralding the Jayhawks as the most balanced team since before the tournament began, even going as far as to declare them the 2008 NCAA National Champions (save Dick Vitale nominating fallen Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh will reign supreme, eh Dick? I’m still scratching my head on the reasoning behind that one.) What North Carolina lacks in size, Kansas makes up. Kansas gets two points for both roster depth and overall balance. At their best, few teams have been able to slow KU down on offense. On the defensive end, KU limited Arizona and USC to a mere infant crawl on points and on the boards while keeping a pesky Davidson at bay. Don’t underestimate North Carolina on defense though as their performance has improved nicely during the second half of the season The question is simple. Will the Jayhawks bring their A-game? The key will be limiting Ty Hansborough while creating opportunities for the front court to shine. The Tarheels have struggled with well balanced teams that have a strong front court. Kansas certainly has that going for them. The statistics favor Kansas but stats don’t win championships, defense does. The Jayhawks’ better hope theirs can outweigh the synergy of the Carolina offense now that Ty Lawson is suited up and the Tarheels’ are running full throttle.

UCLA Bruins
One of the critical keys that could be the difference maker Saturday with the Bruins, the collision course destined for the NBA known as Darren Collison (besides built Ford tough forward/center, Kevin Love.) While Collison possesses tenacity, the lack of a perimeter game leaves UCLA with the toughest uphill battle facing them to continue onto the big dance in San Antonio and ultimately clinching its 12th National Championship. Pressure will also fall on a consistently shooting, Josh Shipp whose surgery on his right hip cost him most of the 2005-06 season and has been linked to his inability to duplicate successful shots in practice to successful shots on the court. Though UCLA has held three consecutive Final Four appearances, a national championship still eludes them. Will their thirst to be champions be enough fuel to win over an overpowering Memphis? The Bruins' won't be able to count on coasting with a big lead let alone a miracle win in this matchup and is all to familiar with flirting with disaster (almost becoming an honorary member of upset central at the hands of 9th seed Texas A&M and 12th seed Western Kentucky.)If prepared, UCLA will come to play with an athleticism and defense that rivals that of an NBA team (They can pull down rebounds and shoot free throws with the best of them). They'll need it to stave off star Tigers' defense killers Kevin Dorsey and Chris Douglas-Roberts who can kill D's patrolling the paint and who can deliver one good stroke from behind the arc. UCLA had better stick to what's tried and true, transitionally defense and an attacking offense (nil on the three pointers) if they any hopes of beating Memphis. Talk about a Miracle Mile.

While partial to North Carolina, I have to hold true to two of my three tourney brackets predicting Memphis as National Champions (maybe next time UCLA.) There's something about those underdogs that draws me in. Could it be their struggle mirrors my own? Well that's part of it but to be totally honest it just makes for a better story.This will be Memphis' first national title should they succeed. Plus there's nothing better than a good old fashion "I told you so" that comes with the territory of being underestimated despite your skill level and or talents. A rub it in their arrogant faces feel so to speak ha! Well, tonight to the victor goes the spoils! The chance at a national championship! Roar on Tigers'!

Memphis vs UCLA, Saturday April 5th @ 6:07pm EST
North Carolina vs Kansas, Saturday April 5th @ 8:47pm EST