BET Awards 2004 - 12:35 p.m.
Another year, another great BET Awards show. There is really no other music award show like it.. who cares about the Grammys anymore? The artists love the prestige, but for the fans it is such a snooze fest. Even MTV's show has been lacking in memorable moments the past few years. Here us R&B/hip-hop fans get great performances by the artists you want to see, without having to wait for the Motley Crue to get off the stage. Hah ha. Is Motley Cure even making music these days?
We all saw the awards, but I thought I'd be generous and dish out my own personal awards. Something to give the propers for specialness, feel goodiness and the great contribution they bring to the show and the entertainment industry on the whole.

First off..
The Enough of the Big Girl Pride Award - Monique's rendition of Beyonce's Crazy in Love uh oh uh oh dance was great. A nice way to start the show. Did anyone notice how out of breath she was after all that booty hopping? Yes.. Yes.. Yes.. she was out of breath.
What I'm tired of hearing is how beautiful she is and the whole big girl thing. It's over. We know you want to make big girls feel sexy, but it's enough already. Your not THAT sexy. For the sake of us all, do it in the privacy of your home. Get a 900 number and have them call you for 3.99 a minute. After a while it's like, who are trying to convince me or you? Get on the Kanye West workout diet and zip it up.

The Pimp Slap Award - Don't know about you but it's strange seeing Bob Johnson on stage in his suit and baseball cap. Like he and Russell exchanged fashion tips. Still, he's the Godfather. When people see him at the awards it's like they want to kiss his ring. Bob Johnson owns the new NBA franchise Charlotte Bobcats and Jay-Z is part owner of the NJ Nets. Before giving Danny Glover the Humanitarian Award, Bob Johnson was onstage and addressed Jay-Z directly. He tells Jay that their teams should meet four times this year, and he's betting the Bobcats will win 2 out of the 4. He asks Jay if he agrees with that.. it seemed like he was joking at first, but with Jay looking shocked that he's being called out, it kinda turned real for a Kodak flash.
That flash was all Bob Johnson needed to open up his palm. He tells Jay you sure you want to bet? "Make it easy on yourself." *Slap* In that instant Jay felt the nickels shift in his pocket. Here you have 3 billion dollar Johnson going up against Jay-Z's couple hundred mil… at best. That had to hurt the ego. Jay did have the cheesy smile.

The Who Knew Award - Goes to Nicole Parker and Boris Kodjoe from Soul Food. All those sex scenes on the show must have carried over to the weekends, when the camera was far, far away. These two are engaged in real life. LL blew that up on stage.. then he looks at them like oops, was that a secret?

The Most Uncomfortable - This goes to Denzel Washington. It was nice to that he was there to receive the award. Suprising, actually. But you could clearly see that he wasn't feeling too comfy. Mister Smooth stuff was all nervous, he hit the mic with his arm, got flustered by the fans in the balcony, and just didn't look as poised as he did when he accepted the Oscar at the Academy Awards. Not to say he wasn't appreciative, you could see the wheels turning as he's thinking.. "Hey.. Uh, thanks. Best Actor.. from BET. Okay, and you judge movies now?"
I liked how he tried to claim his roots by naming all the old clubs from 71 -73. WTF! That's going wayyyyy back. And I'm sure his wife appreciated hearing that he wants to practice his jumper to get that kiss from Gabrielle Union. Nice touch player.

Didn't He Retire Award - My man Jay-Z just did not look in top form last night. I'm talking about his performance. I know for a fact, that he gets a better crowd response and gives a better show than what he did last night. Man.. he was sounding all whiny and shit. The music was thin. Kid Rock forgot his lines for "99 Problems." Not exciting at all. His biggest fan was Beyonce. Boy, are those two in love.

The Who Knew Award II - Who knew Shelia E was still around? She was banging the hell out of them drums.

Best Suit - After his performance Jigga came out in an all white suit that matched Beyonce's dress. I say it again, what a couple. It was good to see so many artists in something better than a white tee. What's better is he brought his man Ta Ta on stage.. Jay said this is the guy that used to always drag hin around the projects to battle people while he's trying to get his hustle on. Clark Kent really encouraged him to get into the biz, but imagine if he didn't have those warm up battles under his belt. Jay-Z did.

Worse Dress - What the hell was Brandy wearing. It looked like she stood next to a hotel window and wrapped herself in the curtain. That thing was an ugly, vomit green and her hair doesn't look good in that brown, auburn, light-brown color. Look at me judging a chick's clothes.

The Janet Jackson Award - Rick James comes out and sings a wild version of "Fire and Desire" with Teena Marie.. The two of them looking like drunk parents at a barbecue. They announce an award for Beyonce and then Rick James comes back onstage all pissed off. Talking about some chick backstage who shouldn't worry about who he is.. "I'm Rick James Bitch!" Yeah, he went with the Chappelle line. The whole place broke up. The bougies were shaking their head. And Bob Jonhson was thinking.. Uh oH!. At least this is on cable.
Listen to Rick's brilliance (Real Audio) - Download It (zipped mp3)

Best Rap Performance - G-Unit had the best rap performance because they regained that outsider thing. No one from the clique was seen during the show, they didn't present any awards. Then after Danny Glover gets his Humanitarian Award. They come busting in like a gang of hoodlums. It's like, oh no who let them in. Not these guys again. And there goes 50 tearing it up like last year. Vivica Fox is sitting in the front section, remembering how 50 used to really tear it up. I mean like really tear it up. Cause you know, according to her they were friends. Really good friends. I mean so close. Like really close, good friend. Like up in the stomach close. What u say? Light the roof on fire..

Old School Record I'll Being Playing This Weekend - Paper Thin, MC Lyte. Did she not kill her one verse performance. That song takes me way back, way back to the early days in the clubs. Not as far back as Denzel, but far.

Justin Who? - The last award goes to Usher. Not that anyone's thinks about Justin Timberlake on the daily, but it was enjoyable to see Janet perform and get love from the crowd. JT would not have received the same love. More enjoyable.. Seeing Usher demonstrate to Justin Timberfake how to do the group dance thing properly. I mean they both learned from the Jackson family..but Usher has it perfected right now. As far as Justin.. Well, I'll let Usher say it himself. "It's weird as hell to know that I'm possibly going to be on the same label as him. I feel like the guy is very smart, but I hate when people try to compare us.. He's pop. I'm R&B man, I create what pop is. He's falling victim to what pop is. Not to say that's bad" But.. "I'm prettier, I'm faster, I'm stronger. I'm Ali, baby. They say Justin was live, but I'll take him in five." - Usher, Entertainment Weekly, June 25 , 2004

Fahrenheit 9/11 Hits Boxoffice Gold - 12:53 p.m.
The movie to see this weekend was Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. Knowing the theatre would be crushed, I waited until Saturday to see it, which left me with enough time to witness the last, desperate gasp from the media to discourage people from seeing the movie. From CNN to FOX to MSNBC.. there was not one channel that didn't have someone saying the film is full of lies and distortions. A guest on one show was damn near frothing at the mouth, as he straight up called it Nazi style propaganda.

As if we don't get half-ass, biased coverage in the so-called legitimate media every day. The network news is famous for tacking big headlines on to 30 second stories. There is no time to get into all angles of the story so you get fluff stuff. If there is anything sad, it's in realizing that the major media doesn't ask the same questions more asked.

For example.. some people are furious that he would suggest that going into Afghanistan was a convenient way for Unocal to build a gas pipeline through the country. Yet here is the story in the BBC .. "Afghanistan Plans Gas Pipeline". The story is dated May 2002, wasn't widely reported in the US; actually I don't remember hearing it at all. It's not the story but the relations between the US and regimes we label as terrorists. Peep the quote.. "The construction of the 850-kilometre pipeline had been previously discussed between Afghanistan's former Taliban regime, US oil company Unocal and Bridas of Argentina."

That's what Moore brings up, if his critics wanted to challenge him they would counter with the fact that Unocal pulled out of the deal way before this story.. in 1998 and reportedly have no further interest in the pipeline. But that would open up the question about the current Afghan president being a former consultant of Unocal and who knows what else. these little known facts are the things that breed conspiracy theories.. which I hate because sometimes they truly sound crazy.

Imagine if Moore said that the hooded prisoners shown in the movie were actually a small portion of what's going on. That there is a prison where naked butt pyramids and Blair Witch doubles are the rule of the day. People would say he's insane. There is so much more, but I'd just be knocking my head on the monitor. At the end of the day Fahrenheit 9/11 is a nice sermon to the choir. Bush lovers won't be convinced that he made a mistake, and those against him get to laugh and point at the screen with that great clip of Bush is shown.. "Fool me once.. uh, um, shame on you. Fool me again.. *uncomfortable silence*.. Then he blurts out something he made up. I was to busy laughing to hear. Oh.. here it is.

DMX Stars in "Get Out the Car B-tch" - 11:01 a.m.
It was a warm, humid night in New York City. The kind of night that fresh white tees become sticky and stank. It was on this night that Earl Simmons and his compadre Jackie Hudgins hopped into a car to go to JFK airport. You see, Earl Simmons was once a multi-platinum rap star. Stop acting like you don't know, cause you own a few of his albums, legit copies at that.

The lifespan of the average rap artist has been shortened considerably. If your out of rotation for more than a year, there is a good chance MTV and the 106 crowd look at you like "who dat?" Short term memories and Miss Jackson's what have you done for me lately-isms are to blame. DMX's last album made as much noise as a bear shittin in the forest: besides raising eyebrows at the grunts and howls, nobody moved or bought the album. Times had changed since he sold a million in a month. Ironically, DMX started the whole releasing two albums in a year thing with his first two joints. Now here he was a victim of his own design. He had lost the people's attention... at least as a rap star.

You see, Hollywood is where Earl still collecting checks with six digits before the decimal point. That's where he was headed last night. As he and Jackie approached the airport Earl Simmons leaned over and asked him for the bottle of his favorite juice: a mix of Remy red and Hennessy. Rob passed him the bottle, Earl passed him the pipe. It's been alleged that Earl has a drug problem.

Feeling high and and crazy as Bin Laden the two pulled up into the airport parking lot. With Earl at the wheel, he made a quick left, a quick right. Damn, no parking spots. Through the haze, Jackie saw a spot in the B12 section. Pedal to the medal, DMX pulls into the spot. They get out and head for the terminal. It's then that Jackie sees a guy in parked car looking at them.. probably a fan. DMX is laughing at the star struck dude. The guy gets scared and rolls up his window. That's when DMX decides to get his joke on. *Knock* *Knock* *Knock*, on the window. "This is the FBI," DMX yelled. "Open the door, mufucka!" Jackie is pulling on the door handle trying to open it himself. No luck. Ol boy has the car on lockdown, and he's on his cell dialing 911.

Within minutes police arrive..on top of those that saw the dispute from across the lot. Now, here they go.. "Oh shit, it's DMX. Dude, I've got all your albums." Star struck mufuckas. It didn't matter, though. Here they have the poster boy for the Angry Black Man Coalition banging on this guy's car window, and this guy tells them the two were trying to steal his car. The next thing DMX knew he was in the back of a squad car Bobby Brown style.

Of course I made up 99.9% of this story.. but it's better than the same two part rehash that nearly every site is posting today. First part, DMX arrested. The second, listing how many other times he's been arrested. You mean to tell me nobody in the press asked what he was doing at the airport in the first place? People don't just hang out in an airport parking lots. I find it hard to believe that DMX is gonna be stealing anyone's car.. times are not that hard. It would be damn sad if he surprised us though. Till the facts come in.. I be gone.

Jeff Benedict Says NBA Players Are "Out of Bounds" - 12:47 p.m.
Jeff Benedict is a lawyer with a Master’s degree in political science and a degree in history. He is also the author of two books about athletes and their history of violence against women. In 1997 he wrote about the subject in general with "Public Heros Private Felons: Athletes And Crimes Against Women." In 1999 he focused on football players with "Pros and Cons: Criminals Who Play In The NFL".

There are cases ranging from armed robbery, to gun possession, to domestic violence. Benedict claims the NBA environment and the public's adoration of celebrities and athletes shields them against prosecution. In particular he says that NBA players are often guilty of crimes against women. Due to their high profile and easy access, groupie love is the norm. In the interview he spoke about Kobe Bryant and expressed shock that Kobe met and hours later got down to bizness with that chick. How many men can do that, he asks.
Kobe's case is mentioned but isn't the focus. Benedict says there are many sexual assault cases that never even make it through the indictment process, simple because.. "If your not snow white your chances of getting a conviction are very, very slim."

He filmed a segment with 20/20 about this subject that he says the commissioner of the NBA, David Stern put a stop to. When you start quoting statistics like 4 out of every 10.. and crime is up from 20 years ago, but we don't really have information from 20 years ago. That's when you begin to think there's some shifting of facts, here and there, for the cause going on.
Listen to the show and let me know what you think.. it's in real player format. "Leonard Lopate Show - Foul Shot"

T.I. Video Shoot Cause of Fulton County Jail Scandal - 3:21 p.m.
It's not quite Abu-Garab, but there is a little prison scandal going down in Atlanta, Georgia. This past Thursday, T.I. aka The Rubber Band Man filmed a video at the Fulton County jail. The short clip was used as an introduction as a concert on Saturday. The video showed him behind bars, explaining to the audience why he couldn't be there. The two officers escort him out of the jail cell, seconds later T.I. bounced on stage to do his thug thizzle.

While T.I. filmed the video a female inmate, 23-year-old Cara Williams slipped on some hospital scrubs and ducked into a hallway. Officials say they don't know how she got off the prison grounds but she eluded detection by blending in with the rest of the jail's medical workers. Once the guards realized she was gone the sirens blared, release the damn bloodhounds! Prisoner on the loose.

A few hours later someone tipped authorities to her whereabouts - she was found at an Amoco gas station off Interstate 285. Cara Williams who was in jail for violating probation on forgery charges, now faces charges for breaking out of prison. I'm not sure how much time she was serving, but it seems dumb to break out of jail when your serving time on a probation violation. How bad could that be? In any case, Cara's escape prompted officials to ask another question.. Who the hell gave the thumbs up for T.I. to film a video in the jail?

The people at the top claim not to know anything an bout it. As if T.I. could just slide in the place with a video crew like the invisible man. He spent an hour filming the video in the North Tower of the jail, an area said to house the toughest inmates, some of whom were moved into the background for the video. Fulton County Sheriff Jackie Barrett says she was unaware that the filming was taking place. "I'm not at all happy about that. We are understaffed, overworked, and to have this occur in the middle of that really, really, really bothers me," she said.

Obviously someone let him in the jail, Barrett says she will seek dismissal of all the deputies involved with the incident. Lt. Wayne Turner one of the deputies being investigated says another officer related to T.I. asked him for permission to shoot the video. He then telephoned his superior, Chief Caudell Jones who gave him authorization. Turner says he knows he'll probably be terminated cause someone has to take the fall and between him and the Chief.. he stands no chance.

T.I. is currently in a work release program in Cobb County. In April he was convicted of violating his probation on 1998 drug charges. His work release program involves working at La Face Records from 11 p.m. until 6 a.m. and the rest of the time he is in custody. I get that and much of this story from Atlanta's 11 Alive. The hours are bizarre, but what kind of a sweet deal is that? Working at a record label, keeping up with what's going on in the industry and preparing for the release of a new album this fall called.. "Urban Legend." He may be under The Man's thumb, but all things considered, he's doing pretty well for himself.

Lil Flip's Response to T.I.

Barbie Launches Her Own Clothing Line
In Brooklyn, on busy Atlantic Avenue there is an absolutely HUGE billboard of Shawn Carter pushing his latest Reebok sneaker. It represents just how far hip-hop has penetrated the halls of corporate america. Imagine a little black boy from the projects growing up to have a sneaker named after him. That's a whole new angle to toss at third graders.. "Look at Jay-Z on the Ave, that could be you. Just leave the crack dealing thing alone."

In today's market, music artists and clothing lines go hand in hand. Dressing like your favorite artist is one thing, but a sign that things may be going too far is when people start dressing like their favorite toys. Ehem.. Barbie is launching her own clothing line this fall. Yes, that would be Barbie the doll.

Earlier this month, Mattel showcased a full line of t-shirts, dresses, shoes and coats at the International Licensing show in New York. These clothes aren't meant for dolls, they're meant to be worn by your children.. and maybe even grown ass women. The Barbie couture line debuted in Japan this spring, along with 16 individual stores. It's been a huge hit for the company, they plan on opening for more stores this year. I can just imagine young Japanese girls dressing just like their Barbie dolls. Why not carry the doll - their twin - around in their purses for the extra cool factor?

It may sound strange that the line would hit Japan first. But they always gets the new technology first. Their cell phone game is crazy. In this case, Japanese girls might have been used as guinea pigs. Keep it on the low before spreading it to malls across America.

With the success of the Japanese line, Mattel will release the With Love Barbie line in the US, just in time for Christmas shopping. Richard Dickson, senior vice president of Mattel says, "It will be a limited debut of the line with a few select pieces. The heritage of the Barbie brand in the United States is very sensitive and whatever we do with it, we want to do it right." And to show that they're serious about this, "We want to reposition the Barbie brand as a fashion icon and not just as a kitsch concept."

Nordstrom recently got first dibs on the line with t-shirts costing between $40 - $60 inspired by the 1959 Barbie. This will sound crazy until someone like say.. Beyonce or Britney Spears is caught on camera wearing a t-shirt with "Barbie" across her chest. That's when demand gets crazy, people at the Bratz raise an eyebrow and Mattel gets real bold and puts out Ken button ups.

Pistons Stamp the Finals With an Exclamation Point - 12:10 p.m.
The Lakers came out in the first quarter with the idea that they were going to pull a rabbit out of the hat, bag that sucka up and take it back to LA. With a 14 -7 lead, it looked like they were finally ready to play ball. I stepped to the kitchen for all of 3 minutes, in that time the score was 14-13 Lakers. Two more minutes and Detroit had the lead, and were right back in the groove. By the third quarter the game was over.

Detroit didn't do anything special last night; it was the same game they've played since the start. They never changed strategy, strictly basketball fundamentals: play defense, rebound, pass and run. This was not rocket science.

The beauty of it is Detroit never lost focus, never got shook. I picked Detroit to win this series because of the intensity of the Indiana-Detroit games. The Timberwolves weren't playing the Lakers with reckless abandon; had Sam Cassell been in that series they would have had something else going for them. But here were the Lakers slap boxing with their West Coast buddies.. meanwhile, Indiana and Detroit were beating the s- out of each other.

With the Eastern Conference being a non-factor for the past few years, the Lakers thought they were going to just show up and collect their rings by default. I knew they were underestimating them, selected Detroit, but had no idea they would blow them out of their shoes the way they did. Detroit swept the Lakers. Had Larry Brown chose to foul in the final minutes of game two.. the series would have been over on Sunday. The problem for the Lakers was they had no respect for Detroit. Shaq said he didn't even watch the final game of the Eastern Conference Finals. Then there's the whole thing about the Lakers not liking each other and some players not happy with their roles on the team.

In the timeless words of Sun-Tzu: "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. -- If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will suffer a defeat. -- If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every  battle.

What's next?.. If Rasheed Wallace signs a long term contract, there is no reason to believe Detroit can't make a run at another title. Before the playoffs, Rasheed's agent said he was willing to sign with the Knicks. Stephon Marbury was praying for that. I can't see that happening now. Why leave a good situation? Detroit has a nice family thing going, from the GM to the coach to the bench. They have a synergy that a lot of players wish their team had. Next season expect coaches to point to that series as a blueprint of how to play the game.

Congratulations to the real Detroit fans!!! There will be a lot of people running out to buy Detroit jerseys in the next few weeks. Not me. I'm all fucked up.. Still waiting for New York to put together a winning team. Sup Kobe!

Michael Jordan Analyzes the Lakers - 3:28 p.m.
Tonight the Lakers face elimination, everyone all but agrees that barring a miracle, it will be the final game of the season. My prediction was six games, but I'll take five.

What's funny is the buzzer hasn't gone off yet and already there is talk about Kobe being worth crap. "Kobe Bryant of the Lakers is a great talent, but not a great player," says Mike Celizic of MSNBC.com

He says the Lakers need to let Kobe go because he doesn't share the ball with Shaq. How Kobe was supposed to be a superstar, the next Michael Jordan, but unlike Shaq, he hasn't shown up in this Final series, so that's not gonna happen. Get rid of him and "use the money to hire someone with more backbone and character, someone like Allen Iverson." Just a week ago every one in LA was fondling Kobe's nuts, now he's the worst thing to ever happen to the team? That's just bizarre. I'm no Laker fan so I'll leave that to ya'll to dissect.

Michael Jordan, you never see him in the crowd, commentating, or anything. On Monday he emerged from hiding to give his opinion of the Lakers futility in the series. Talking to Steve Wyche of the Washington Post, Jordan said, "[Phil Jackson] was dealt some tough cards. A deck with Kobe being who he was, in terms of what he has to deal with personally [sexual assault charges]. You've got Gary, who's never really been in a structured system, Karl, who's only been in a structured system, and Shaq being the focal point. All those guys are adjusting to things, you've got egos to maneuver around and with that comes headaches because some players won't accept their roles."

He went on to say that in Chicago there was no confusion about who did what.. "In Chicago, we were so good because players had to accept roles. The strongest personality was the one there the longest -- me -- then Scottie [Pippen]. Everybody else who came in had to fall in line. You had people who understood what their roles were. Scottie and I never battled about who was number one and who was number two. It made coaching so much easier and it made the system sellable. Now you've got four guys with the Lakers, with one guy willing to sacrifice everything to get a ring, another guy willing to sacrifice but also be an integral part and the other two who have been there for a while fighting over who's the number one option. That's tough."

Who does he think will win the series? "I want Phil to win. Phil is the mainstay and he's a great coach. He's been through a tough year, trying to keep that team together. But that Carolina connection, I love Larry Brown. He's deserved to win a championship for years and he's finally in the position to do it, so I want him to win it. I also want Rip [Hamilton] to win and Joe Dumars to win it, too." He figures either way he can't lose. I figure by midnight the Lakers will have lost the game. We'll hear about Shaq and Kobe arguing in the locker room, and knowing that Kobe is gonna leave anyway.. Shaq throws him a little whup ass.

50 Diss Fest at HOT 97's Summer Jam
A few years ago when Jay-Z popped a picture of Prodigy in tights and brought out Michael Jackson as his special guest, HOT 97's Summer Jam has been the place where anything can happen onstage. Last year, 50 put Ja Rule on blast.. and this past Saturday he did more of the same. Giving "Grannie Awards" to Ja Rule, Joe Budden, and Black Child. He also dissed R. Kelly, Lil Kim, The Source, and gave Beyonce "the most sexiest" award.

It's said that he did a rendition of R. Kelly's "Bump and Grind" with.. "I don't see nothing wrong with urinating on little girls." R. Kelly was the headliner of the show and refused to come out until 50 left the arena.
50's old buddy Bang em Smurf was in the audience. He threw money in his face, which started a fight that required police in riot gear to break up.

Kobe Bryant Saves LA Fans from Slitting their Wrists - 1:15 p.m.
This morning, people in Los Angeles are feeling pretty good about themselves. With 2.1 seconds on the clock, Kobe Bryant hit a shot that saved thousands from severe depression and possible suicide attempts - it's that serious for Laker fans.

Detroit dug themselves out of a 10 point hole to take the lead in the last minutes of the fourth quarter. The two teams exchanged baskets over the next few possessions, when Detroit suddenly looked like they would take the game. There were 9 seconds left in the game, the Lakers down by 3. Then comes the shot.. The ball was inbounded to Shaq, who quickly passed it to Kobe Bryant. Kobe dribbled to the top of the key with Richard Hamilton playing him loosely. The way Hamilton was laying off of him it was clear that Kobe was going to have a decent shot at the basket.

Sure enough.. dribble dribble *Swish* Everyone goes crazy and Detroit, they all but shrunk into their shoes. The game was tied. With all the pandemonium you forgot Detroit was even on the court - in overtime they even forgot they were on the court. Larry Brown not telling his team to foul the first person that touched the ball was a huge mistake. That way they would have still had a two point lead and the ball. Game over. Thousands of LA residents would have been shaking from Prozac overdoses and everyone is happy.

This morning sports analysts are fitting Jordan's jersey on Bryant's back. It's those kind of franchise saving shots that get that whole thing started. Quiet as kept, Bryant wouldn't have been in the position to make that shot without the first half efforts of Luke Walton. This guy came off the bench forcing turnovers, making key passes and the occasional shot. His energy fueled the Lakers who were cruising down the same path they followed in game 1.

So now the series is tied 1-1. The Lakers are walking a little taller, feeling like the champs again.. for their sake Phil Jackson better remind them that it's only one game. Tomorrow the series switches to Detroit. By the time the game starts Detroit will have shaken off the loss and be ready to welcome them to 8 Mile. I still say Detroit will take it in six.. dancing on the Lakers homecourt, it's gonna be fun. Stay tuned.

Ronald Reagan in Your Wallet
I didn't say anything about Ronald Reagan's death because while you never want to say who cares when anyone dies.. For some reason I kept spinning the Public Enemy line.. "Elvis was a hero to most but he never meant -- To me a straight out racist. The sucker was simple and plain. Muthafuck him and John Wayne. Cause I'm black and I'm proud. Already I'm hyped and I'm amped .. most of my heros don't appear on no stamps.' Look at that.. Even if you don't agree, major label rappers don't even put it out there like that anymore..

As far as Ronald Reagan.. one positive is he helped squash the Soviet Union. Once power was sucked out of the Kremlin the Soviets lost all sense of direction. For generations they were hell bent on exporting communism worldwide.. Today, besides holding oil reserves and thousands of nuclear weapons, they're like a neutered dog: still have the ability to bite, but just not as agressive as they used to be. Hah! Sorry to all the Russian readers, but that's the reality

The negative side of Reagan is that on the low he cut a lot of social programs and with the Iran-Contra scandal set the stage for the influx of crack into the hood. That's too deep to get into in this blurb.. many links to that debate exist, this is just one of them. "Matrix: CIA, Contras and Cocaine"

I don't have a direct reason to dislike him, just a little indifferent to the whole thing. The crazy part is the amount of news coverage his death is getting. There isn't a moment that some station isn't talking about the guy. I thought it was just me.. but two prominent newscasters Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather are both saying it's getting to be too much. In the Philadelphia Inquirer Dan Rather said, "Even though everybody is respectful and wants to pay homage to the president, life goes on." And Tom Brokaw.. "I think just about everything is overcrowded these days. The spectrum is so crowded. With all the cable networks, it begins to have a 'video wall' feel to it."

Reagan lovers shouldn't feel bad though.. their hero may live on for years to come. Dana Rohrabacher, a speechwriter in the Reagan White House is set to introduce a bill to replace Andrew Jackson's face on the $20 bill with Ronald Reagan's. Republican congressman, Mark Souder is proposing that he appear on the dime. Yet another congressman says he should be on the $10 bill; Chris Butler of the Ronald Reagan Legacy Project is pushing for the change on the $10 bill.

No word on how Nancy Reagan feels about the $10 and $20 bills, but she is opposed to replacing FDR on the dime.

If the whole idea sounds ridiculous to you.. then brace yourself.. there is even talk of carving Reagan's face into Mount Rushmore. When asked about it Chris Butler said, "is he great enough to be on Mount Rushmore? Yes."

Whoo Kid Kinda Confirms the Jay-Z Aftermath Rumor - 12:48 p.m.
As Keshawnta reported yesterday, the rumors are flying that Jay-Z is signed to Aftermath under the name S. Carter. I got word of it on Friday from my UK connect at radio station 1Xtra. He said Whoo Kid was at the station and he let slip that the rumor was true.
The entire interview is posted on their site but here is the clip where he uh, let it slip.. "Is Jay-Z Signed to Aftermath?" (Real Audio)
For those without Real Audio here's what was said:

1XTRA - "This is the biggest question in music right now and Whoo Kid is about to answer it. Is Sean Carter signing to Aftermath? Let it be known."
WHOO KID - "Well you know I mean.. That's supposed to be classified right there. How you guys know about that?"
1XTRA - "Can you confirm it or deny it, Bro?"
WHOO KID - "(laughs).. That tells you right there.. I mean, I think so."
1XTRA - "WoW! He has answered the question. Thank you, very much."
WHOO KID - "I mean where else would he go?"

I'm not sure if he was serious or if he was just playing along. If he didn't know he could have just said so.. but what fun is that? Why not tell them what they want to hear? It's in the rumor mill anyway. For argument sake lets say it's true.. First of all that's a short ass retirement, which means he probably wasn't serious about it in the first place. Jay would have everyone asking why he's not recording on Roc-A-Fella. Is the beef between him and Dame Dash so deep that he would sign with another label just so Dame sees none of that $$$. That's the only logical reason to sign with another label. If he wanted a Dre produced album he could have recorded it on Roc-A-Fella and made more money for himself considering that he's a co-owner. Maybe he signed a label deal with Aftermath; that same deal he was supposed to be working on with Lyor Cohen a few months ago.

Second.. because it's said he signed on as S. Carter makes sense artistically given that he explained his murder in the "99 Problems" video as being the death of Jay-Z and the birth of Sean Carter. Now if he records a new album he can do so with a new mentality.. maybe rhyme like Talib Kweli or at least get deeper than he was during the paper chase. It's that 45 jersey that MJ slipped on. But you know what happened with Mike.. He found that the 45 wasn't working out, so he went right back to 23. Again.. this is all rumor and speculation.

Check the rest of the Whoo Kid interview - anyone getting their hustle on (or hope to) will appreciate where he's coming from. "Whoo Kid Reveals All: The Secret's Out"

The Detroit Pistons Win the 2004 NBA Finals!! - 1:32 p.m.
That's right, no sense in holding back the inside scoop: two weeks from now the Detroit Pistons will shock the world by beating the Los Angeles Lakers.. on their home court. Las Vegas is shuffling 12-1 odds on this one. I suggest you put up the rent money, car payment, student loan cash, whatever you can get your hands on and have your beans sprout like Jackie's Beanstalk.

If you recall, Jack's Mom gave him this advice about those beans, "If you plant them overnight, by the next morning they'll grow up and reach the sky." And that's what I'm telling you.. bet it all on Detroit.
There aren't any sane people that would co-sign that statement, the best I can do is quote the illustrious Dr. Jack Ramsay, "They are gonna whip some ass." Okay, that's not the quote, here we go.. "It's going to be a more competitive series than people think."

Jack Ramsay is a Hall of Fame coach so when he speaks the words pierce the thickest earwax. In order to beat the Lakers Shaq must be stopped.. stomp a toe! Minnesota didn't take my advice on that one, do it. Ramsay has more practical advice, he says he would use the Hack-a-Shaq and get him caught up defending pick and rolls. As for Kobe, Ramsay says..
"They're going to have to get Richard Hamilton off. He is great with moving without the ball. Kobe is the best with the ball. So Kobe is going to have to get help coming off screens. Rip does a terrific job in using screens and getting open. He's a tireless runner."

When Detroit wins they will do it by strangling the hell out of the Lakers with their defense. They are not gonna be intimidated by the Lakers.. and that will be the thing that will catch them off guard. Once those Kareem Rush/Derrick Fisher 3's start hitting the rim like they're supposed to and Richard Hamilton is hitting midrange jumper after midrange jumper that Hollywood smile is gonna turn to the Mr. Bill face.

By the way.. I'm bullshittin. I won't be putting any beans in the soil. That is too damn risky. But there is no way I can root for the Lakers.. I hear Joe Dumars is planning to hook up with his buddies Isiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman before Game 3. They were all part of the Pistons team that won the championship in 89 and 90. My guess is if the Pistons are down 2-0 by that time, he'll suggest they put on uniforms and insert themselves in the starting lineup.

When Oil Prices Start Affecting Pizza and Ice Cream
Even if you don't own a car rising oil prices will affect you in one way or the other. I've already felt it at the gas pump, but now things are really getting out of control. The NY Daily News is reporting that due to higher costs of producing milk, pizza shops around the city are raising their prices as high as $2 a slice. It's the cost of all that mozzarella, try asking Mario to sprinkle a little extra cheese and you'll get pinched even harder.

Robert Agostino of Pronto Pizza explained, "It's real bad. People don't like it, but a case of mozzarella was $80 four months ago, now it's $145. It's killing us." To cover his costs Agostino is charging $2.25 a slice.

It doesn't stop there. About a week ago I was fiending for some Haggen Daz Vanilla Swiss Almond Ice Cream. I used to down a container a day - that was like 5 years ago. Since I've changed my eating habits I haven't been messing with the stuff like that. But this night I had a serious craving, so it was off to the local bodega. I look and look and look.. finally find it, grab it, and slap the container on the counter. The guy at the register says, "$4.00." I'm looking at him like did you just escape from the nut house? Then tell him that's way too much for a little container of ice cream. He's all offended, but I'm even more offended cause I'm thinking he's trying to rob a brotha in need of the cream.. uhh, that doesn't sound right.

So I go across the street, it's the same routine. The guy says $3.75 which is the same damn thing. I ask this guy why the price is so high and he shrugs saying the people he gets it from raised the price. Oh well, there's no way I was gonna pay $4 bucks for ice cream.. had to go home empty handed. Now it may be me, like I said, I haven't bought ice cream in a long time.. but once oil prices start affecting the snack foods it legitimizes the whole War on Terror. I say we keep Bush right where he is and let him get crazy with it. Blow everything up. I'll be damned if Dunkin Donuts starts advertising $10 donuts; Wise laying out quarter bag chips for $1.75.. not that I eat the stuff on the regular, but when you get that urge there's no need to have the pockets on burn.

BIG "Real Niggas" (7.3 mb zipped MP3) - Download it or listen to that one piece