Where is the Love?

It’s been two weeks since LeBron’s “decision.” I’ve finally accepted what has come to be. With that being said, what I am about to write has nothing to do with LeBron James, the NBA or sports in general.

What I am about to write is something I’ve been meaning to write about for months.

Maybe even longer.

I actually got up the nerve to start writing what you are about to read a couple of days ago. I think I had close to 600 words written before I decided to delete them all. It was way too self-deprecating and depressing. At that point, I decided that what I wanted to write was too personal. Maybe I shouldn’t be so open. Usually I would look at those 600 words as a release. A way to get whatever I needed to off of my mind. But those 600 words didn’t give me that relief, it just made me realize that I didn’t even know what I wanted to say in the first place.

Well, now I have a direction. A new direction and while I have no clear cut destination for where I’ll go with this, it will be a lot more focused and hopefully more poignant than depressing.

This story starts in 2003. One of my favorite groups of all time – this is probably not what I thought then, but I was kid, sue me – released a double album, titled Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. The duo had decided against doing two discs worth of music as a group and essentially released two solo discs. You may be familiar with this group. They’re called Outkast and feature the playalistic-slick talking tongue-twisting Big Boi and the otherworldly Andre 3000.

Before ’03, I would say I was an Outkast fan. Though I never owned any of their albums, I always liked their radio singles. “B.O.B.” “Rosa Parks” "Da Art of Storytellin’ Pt. 1” were some of my favorites. One thing I distinctly remember, is me liking Big Boi more than Andre. I would see and hear a lot more from Big Boi outside of the duo. He was on songs with Missy Elliot and Slick Rick, so since he was the more visible member, I figured he was better.

Back to ’03. I’m a freshman at Meadowdale High School. A disillusioned, skinny kid with no real identity. I cringe when I think of trying to buy tall white t-shirts . I was a sheep following with the herd. It wasn’t until probably 2007, when I was able to completely leave that mindset behind and become the person that people know and love today – I hope.

Ok, so it’s ’03 and I’ve just finished my first month of high school. It was September and the new Outkast album was soon to be released. Being the broke, skinny kid I was, there was no way I was going to have money to buy the real Outkast album in stores, but that wasn’t a problem at all. There was this white kid named Josh, who would sell Cd’s in the library for $2 or $3. When the Outkast album came out, I had to be the first kid to fork over my $3.

(Sidenote: Approximately seven years later, I would end up working with the same Josh at Red Lobster. I never told him this, but he kind of changed my life by selling me that album.)

I remember being so excited to listen to this epic double-album. As a 14-year-old kid, the first two things I noticed about both cds, were 1) Why are Big Boi and Andre only on like three songs together, they’re a effin’ duo for a reason, 2) And what’s up with Andre and all this stuff about love and Cupid and why is he singing, I mean it’s cool, but I don’t get it.

Regardless of my first impression of the album, I still enjoyed it and I was obsessed with Andre’s “Hey Ya” and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t alone in that sentiment because it was number one on MTV’s TRL for what had to be a couple weeks in a row – for all the kids born after ’91 this was when MTV actually played music videos, who’da thunk?

It took me awhile, but eventually I would start listening to the rest of The Love Below, the following year. It was practically all I listened too. And it had a profound effect on me. Can you imagine really hearing “Prototype” at the impressionable age of 15? To this day, “Prototype” might be my favorite song ever. This lyric especially sticks out to me: “If we happen to part/ Lord knows I don’t want that, but hey/ We can’t be mad at God/ We met today for a reason/ I think I’m on the right track now.”

The Love Below and that song, in particular, affected every way I interacted with girls from then on. I will go on record as saying as a 15-year-old kid I shouldn’t have taken Andre so seriously when I was pursuing other 15-year-old girls. Trust me, the results aren’t good. Either way, Andre’s thoughts on love and women planted the seed that would eventually grow into to how I viewed women. And the roots of that seed are still planted rather deep.

A few months back, I read this great article about the Dungeon Family – a collective of artists, including Outkast – and there was a section of the article that hit a chord with me:

[Andre] made The Love Below sessions extra exclusive. Swift was one of the few people who witnessed Andre 3000’s magnum opus about the thing that scares him the most: love. “Dre got an extreme level of passion for women,” he says. “This nigga love women… But I think love and life has disappointed him ... So I think he’d just rather sing about walking down that road of love than to actually experience it.”

My world almost crashed down. If the man who (unintentionally) shaped my biggest ideals on love and women isn’t satisfied with it and would rather live it vicariously through a song then what does that mean for me. I’m only 21, and in no way actively seeking out love – not that I think you can seek it out, I think it’s something you kind of fall into unexpectedly, hence the term “falling in love” – but still I do worry about ending up alone. Even now I recognize that there is love out there, just waiting to jump out the bushes and get me, O.J.-style.

Honestly, I just don’t want to go through life without ever saying I experienced the love… below.

So Far Gone

I don’t know what happened to LeBron James. I wrote a couple weeks ago that if LeBron were to leave Cleveland he would be hated by an entire city and maybe LeBron doesn’t have the heart to do that to his hometown. But if LeBron chooses a team besides Cleveland, on his hour-long special that will be broadcast on ESPN tonight, then I was 100 percent wrong about the Akron Hammer.

I’ve been a LeBron supporter since his first game in a Cavaliers jersey, when he almost recorded a triple-double against the Sacremento Kings, though in a losing effort. LeBron was my Michael Jordan. I saw LeBron do things that I had never witnessed on a basketball court ever. I would defend LeBron to the death, but I don’t think I can do that anymore. Not after this offseason.

I don’t think LeBron is the blame for all the hoopla and buffoonery caused by his free-agency, but he has brought it upon himself. I used to wonder how people could hate LeBron, and in the beginning it was hard to. He lived up to all the hype and then some, but now in the past two summers LeBron’s approval has dropped significantly. From the handshake fiasco to the egotistical shirts to the rumored free-agency tour – that was either cancelled or false to begin with – to the hour-long special airing on ESPN tonight.

Unequivocally, I don’t think he should have this TV special. I don’t care that the money is going to the Boys and Girls Club of America. The only way this special could help his reputation is if he re-signed with the Cavs. Then, for the rest of the duration of the special, he basically royally kissed Cleveland’s ass.

For the past couple of days, I’ve been contemplating how I would feel about this moment. Being a die-hard LeBron fan, I wondered if I could remain that after this moment. Can I forgive LeBron for all of the foolishness caused by this nonsense? I don’t know. I want to. I just can’t imagine living in a world where I’m not a LeBron James fan. And if I’m not a LeBron James fan, am I still a fan of the NBA? I’m in a dark place, as far as fandom goes.

One thing I will say is that LeBron no longer holds the undying affection he received from the media in years past – except for Skip Bayless, who has always been a LeBron-detractor.

Whatever the case may be, I truly wonder if LeBron is aware of the ramifications of his ultimate decision. And only time will tell if that is true.

I do believe that if LeBron were to sign a six-year contract to stay with Cleveland, that he would be able to win a championship, but it would probably be only one.

The Dissection of Drizzy

Saying that Drake is a phenomenon, may be an understatement. Over a year ago, he released a free mixtape titled So Far Gone, which spawned one of the biggest radio singles of last summer “Best I Ever Had.” With just the verbal backing of rap artist Lil’ Wayne, Drake became one of the biggest hip-hop artist period. He went on to be featured on songs with Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige and Jay-Z. Eventually he would sign with Universal Motown through Lil' Wayne's Young Money imprint. The buzz for the release of Drake’s debut CD, Thank Me Later, was beyond a fevering pitch.

Then June 15 came and almost 500,000 people purchased it in the first week. That’s kind of a big deal. With two weeks since the album’s release, I felt it was time for a dissection of Drake and not for a review of Thank Me Later. I’m not too big on music reviews, just because like all art forms, music can mean anything to any person, so instead I’ll try to express what Thank Me Later meant to me.

TML is a very smooth, cohesive project. Majority of the production is handled by Drake’s consigliere, Noah “40” Shebib, which gives TML a musical narrative. I like the production on this album because it suits Drake’s better qualities as an artist. Most of the tracks are minimalist in nature and are somber in sound. I applaud Drake on not having a real single. By that I mean, a song that sounds extra contrived made solely for the clubs or for the kids or whoever the hell rappers are marketing their music to nowadays. The lead single “Over” could never be confused with likes of a “Candy Shop” by 50 Cent or even a “Gold Digger” by Kanye West. If “Over" was just an album cut, it would still get plenty rotation. Though Drake is known for his ability to rap and sing (kinda), it was risky to release “Find Your Love” as the second single, where he only sings on the Kanye West-produced track. Again, I applaud Drake for being slightly unconventional with his album.

In respect to the songs I prefer, I tend to lean towards “Karoake” – another song that features a mostly singing Drake – or “The Resistance” where Drake raps in the second verse, “I heard they just moved my grandmother to a nursing home/ And I be acting like I don’t know how to work a phone/ But hit redial, you’ll see that I just called/ Some chick I met at the mall/ Who I barely know at all.” That’s Drake at his finest. His best quality is that he’s good at rapping about his life and transferring his feelings to the listener.

My biggest gripe with Drake has and will continue to be his flow. He never switches it up. Ever. And that’s his biggest weakness. Sadly, I think most rappers have a hard time switching their flow and the same might be for Drake. He also has a tendency to sound like a Bel-Air version of Lil’ Wayne. Just as much bravado, a lot less gang and gun talk. But, since Drake is able to carry a decent tune and is exemplary with melodies he stands to last a long time in the game.

And I’m very thankful for that.

Second Times a Charm

About a decade ago, I was reading a lot of Harry Potter, getting A’s and B’s on my report cards and watching an ungodly amount of MTV. And if I was watching MTV, I was most definitely watching the Real World. Well at the ripe age of 21, I’m still reading a lot of Harry Potter – not as much since the final book in the series was released almost three years ago – I’m still a nerd, just a tad bit cooler, and I don’t watch an ungodly amount MTV. Actually, I don’t watch much of MTV at all. But, I do still have a sweet spot for the Real World and after 10 years RW is back in New Orleans.

This year’s group will have to do a lot to top the New Orleans cast of old. Off the top of my head I can name Julie the precocious Mormon, Melissa the crazy chick with the glasses, Jamie the quiet heartthrob (pause), David the ladies man and singer – “Come On, Be My Baby Tonight” is classic – and Matt the born-again Christian. That’s five out of seven.

Well this year’s cast seems to have some potential. First off we have Preston the black gay guy – who bears a resemblance to Boston Celtic guard Rajon Rondo, and is from Boston, incidentally – Ryan the hyperactive and straight hairdresser, McKenzie the ditzy blonde, Knight the former pill addict, Eric the aspiring comedian, Sahar the Muslim girl from Michigan, Jemmye the amorous country darling and Ashlee the former college basketball player.

After viewing the first episode of the season here’s how the cast rates on my likability scale of 1-5 (5 being the best, 1 being the worst).

Preston – 4

Ryan – 1

McKenzie – 3

Knight – 4

Eric - 4

Sahar - 3

Jemmye – 5 (gotta love those amorous country darlings)

Ashlee – 4

If you watch the show and don’t agree with my rating of Ryan you may need mental help. But, if you don’t watch the show, then let me describe Ryan in two words. Douche bag – not a word I use often, but is the best description for this guy. It’s the first episode and all the drama in the house can be traced back to Ryan. Not a good sign, if you ask me. Overall, I liked the cast. I see Jemmye providing some great reality TV moments and most of the other castmates doing their part as well. They're in friggin’ New Orleans, how can it not be great? From what I hear, it was taped during the New Orleans Saints’ championship run, which means debauchery galore is in our future.

I can’t wait.

Expect weekly updates on RW: New Orleans throughout the season.

Free Agent Bonanza

The NBA Free Agency began a little over 24 hours ago and while it may be weird to say this, but the unpredictability of this year’s off-season, has been pretty predictable.

While Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James have yet to verbally agree on a contract with any of their potential suitors – deals can only be signed starting July 8 – some big names have already shaken hands. Memphis Grizzlies Rudy Gay agreed to a five year, $80 million contract, and Atlanta Hawks Joe Johnson is expected to sign a deal worth $121 million for six years, according news outlets such as USA Today and ESPN.

In my opinion, those are two very bad deals. Johnson is simply not worth that much. He will be making as much as James, a two-time MVP, would stand to make if he stayed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Johnson was barely able to get the Hawks past a Milwaukee Bucks team missing their best player, in this year’s playoffs. And he basically gave up against the Orlando Magic in the second round.

With Gay, my main problem with is that for the money Memphis is giving him, will he be able to get them to playoffs, let alone to a championship. I don’t even think Gay is the best player on his team – that designation would go to Zach Randolph, unfortunately. That’s an NBA GM for you.

Even with those horrendous deals, Gay and Johnson have had a massive effect on the NBA market. There are five places looking to land at least two high-caliber players in this year’s free agency: Chicago Bulls, L.A. Clippers, Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets and New York Knickerbockers. Each of those teams had Johnson on their list as a backup plan if they weren’t able to land James, Wade or Bosh. With Wade trying to recruit players to the Heat, he’s eliminates himself from the discussion. That leaves Bosh or James. There are two other high-caliber stars who are two notches beneath James and Bosh: Carlos Boozer and Amare Stoudemire, but one is undersized and sucks on defense and the other has had several knee surgeries and is allergic to defense.

One of these teams is going to get royally screwed this year and it may end up being the Heat – the Knicks were destined to take a humongous L this off season. The Heat currently have two players under contract. Both of those players come courtesy of the 2008 NBA Draft, one Mario Chalmers and the indescribable Michael Beasley. If they aren’t able to get two legitimate stars next to Wade, I think he bails. I predict that James will probably go to the Bulls or remain a Cavalier, while Bosh will either land in Chicago, maybe with James, or elsewhere. But, even if Bosh were to go to Miami with Wade, that would be far from enough to compete at a championship level and Wade knows this.

Out of all the top free agents, Wade has been the only one to adamantly say that he plans to remain with his team. With that said, I think Wade has played the free agency as shrewdly as possible. He has appeared to be loyal to the team who has drafted him, while still testing free agency. Today he met with the Bulls, in Chicago, to hear their pitch, even though a couple months back he disparaged their owner for not taking care of his former players.

I believe Wade will wait to see what James does and definitely what Bosh does. Because if those two don’t end up in South Beach, I don’t think he will settle for Boozer or Stoudemire. Which leaves the door open for Wade to go to the Nets and become the face of the eventual Brooklyn squad or even beat Bosh and James to the punch by getting a deal done with Chicago, his hometown. Wade has been playing chess, while the other free agents have been playing checkers. We'll have to wait a couple of days to see if he goes for the checkmate.

I didn't mention some of the dumber signings such as Drew Gooden, John Salmons, Darko Milicic and Amir Johnson. What the hell is wrong with these GM's. Stay tuned for more stupidity

The Purge

I just finished my second week at OSU and it has been what I expected. I think Sinclair has prepared me to succeed on this level, and now it is up to me to decide whether I want to do just that – succeed.

With classes underway, my next goal is to check out OSU’s newspaper, The Lantern. I admit that I’m a bit nervous about applying for The Lantern, since it has been awhile since I’ve written a news story, but I feel like I have a decent enough resume to earn a spot on their roster.

Now let’s get to the good stuff.

This post has been titled the purge because it has been over a week since I last wrote something and I have a lot to say. With the help of Grippo’s potato chips and Minute Maid Lemonade, I plan on post three consecutive blog posts. Numero uno will be about the current NBA Free Agency frenzy that began over 24 hours ago. The second post will be about the new season The Real World, which has returned to New Orleans. Lastly, I will discuss rapper Drake’s debut CD, Thank Me Later.

Let’s GO!!!!