It's the Weekend

Time to trick and treat...

Download: Kool G. Rap ft. Nas "Fast Life" (Remix)

Some of that (great) organic hip hop. Remixed by Buckwild.

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Air Jordan Retro III Doernbecher

Unfortunately no release date on these bad boys yet.

via

Download: Sean Garrett ft. J. Cole "Feel Love"

Roc Nation labelmates Sean Garrett and J. Cole get together for the first single off Garrett's album.

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Daily Dunk: Hakim Warrick

You wouldn't like Hakim when he's angry.

T.I.T.S. for Tatas Breast Cancer Drive

Help my boys @ T.I.T.S. reach their goal and more importantly help breast cancer research.

We would like to Thank everyone that has contributed to the TITS for TATAS campaign. So far we have raised $9,152 for breast cancer research. We would like to get to $15,000 before Sunday. In order for that to happen we need everyone to help spread the word. On our end for a limited time we will be giving those that purchase a TITS for TATAS tee a gift bags full of TITS goodies. Help us reach our goal! Shoptits.com

Download: Crooked I "HHW Reloaded 12 (Hot Toddy)"

The debate is, who kills this beat more? Crooked or Hova? Okay, that's a bit obvious.

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Phil Ivey Cheating?

It's no secret in the gambling world that Phil Ivey has made the smooth transition from the world's greatest poker player to golf hustler extraordinaire, but one 2+2er pointed out that this picture of Ivey shows that he is using more clubs than the USGA maximum 14.


However, after much debate over nothing, it was pointed out that he could have training clubs and could be at the driving range for all we know. So what's the point of this post? That's another one of life's open-ended questions to be mulled over after a good bowl of homegrown.

Air Jordan Retro XIII (13) Altitude Green

These are swine flu. Dropping December 4th and it's looking like I might need two pairs.

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I'm on the plane, hate me now

Yeah, my favorite team is now the Miami Heat.

No, they were not my favorite team last year. In fact, they never were. Until now.

David "bitch ass" Stern actually took my favorite team, the Sonics, and moved them to some small southwest town in the corner of nowhere. After that I contemplated making the Blazers my favorite team because they have B. Roy on the squad and he's the new hometown hero in Seattle. But I couldn't do it. I thought about rooting for the Lakers as my #1 but I couldn't do it. Something about Gasol just gets to me (even though Artest is in my top five athletes ever alongside Van Exel, Neion Deion and Rickey Hendo).

But let's be honest: nothing beats watching D-Wade and Lebron yacking all over the NBA's worst big men night in and night out. So now, the new Miami Heat are my team. I just need to make this announcement formal. Fuck the Celtics, fuck the Cavs, fuck everyone except the Heat. Let's do this.

Download: S.A.S. ft. Vado "The Connect"

This beat is clean. I've never been a big fan of British rappers but S.A.S. does his thing on this and the beat does the rest. Shout out to Syanyde, the best UK emcee out there.
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Throwback Thursday: "Get By" -- Talib Kweli

Few can give you a social snapshot in 16 perfectly-flowed bars like Talib. Eight years after being released, this is still a sick track.

Daily Dunk: Blake Griffin

Well, the man JA Adande already has dubbed "The Blake Show" got his first NBA points. Boy, did he.

Holy Sh*tballs

FML @ This.

New Bobby Fresh Shirts

I'm a fan of the Fresh out the Trunk joints.

Link

Unreleased 1995 Eazy-E Commercials

Since west coast gangster rap is virtually laying six feet deep right now, let's resurrect a little something (damn I miss the mid-90's rap scene)...

Download: Wiz Khalifa "In My Car (The Puff Bus)"

The Pittsburgh kid with a spin on 50's original...

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Random Breezy: Maria Millions

You can get a lot of this if you type "Columbian Model" into the Youtube search. Mucho bueno. However, I will say that this type of chick is a dime a dozen in L.A.

Daily Dunk: Chase Budinger

Congratulations Matt Barnes, you have the first shit stain of the season on your jersey.

Download: T.I. ft. Rocko "I Can't Help It"

Dodging charges and making hits, the life of a rapper.

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Air Jordan Retro VII (7) Premio BIN 23

These dropped in Europe and apparently somewhere in the motherland (Asia), but haven't hit the states yet.

via

Back in Full Effect

It's been a slow year here at the strizzaight but Defi has kept it moving and now I'm planning to get back making 8+ posts per day so be ready for a lot of music, shoe updates, hats, breezies and whatever else pops up. Bookmark and spread the word. We're coming.

The World's Last Honest Man

Malik Turner knows what he wants, and sees no reason to mince words. But finding a like-minded woman (...or two...or three) just wasn't working well for him using conventional methods. So he took it to the streets (or, to be more accurate, to the payphones).

From The New York Post:

"I've posted four or five around the city," Turner told The Post yesterday.

Turner says he came up with the idea for the fliers after co-workers warned him about women who troll Internet dating sites.

..."I go to nightclubs, but it's hard for me to find a woman of my own. I talk to them, dance with them, but sometimes I don't get their cellphone numbers," he said.

...Asked how rigid he was about his ad's criteria, he said, "I'm not interested in anything else."

Ladies, you always say you want men to be truthful. Be careful what you ask for.

Be sure to read the entire flier; this is something special (my favorite part: the specification that women who respond must be "willing to allow a guy to use a condom during sex").

Props to Steph for the find.

LeBron -- "Rise"?

For all of the criticism LeBron James has incurred this year, at least one ally is still standing in his corner: Nike—and their slick admen.



I give credit where credit is due, and it’s all due to the men and women behind this new commercial. It’s a creative, tongue-in-cheek response to those in the media and general public (yours truly included) who have tagged LeBron as everything from a coward to a delusional kid who’s too quick to play the race card. The literal and figurative wink to Charles Barkley, the Miami Vice parody (complete with a Don Johnson cameo), and even the calculated, reserved tone of an affected and besieged man all play skillfully against the stream of vitriol that has quieted only slightly since July’s “Decision”. The commercial will surely win back the approval of many who, prior to his PR downfall, could already be described politely as "fair-weather fans" (though, being an impolite guy, I think the term "dick riders" is a much more appropriate term). And since these fickle individuals are often the first in line at Foot Locker, the marketing people at Nike are on their game; they'll be selling more shoes and sweatbands in no time.

The problem with the ad, though, is this: In the end, all of its polished bravado serves to only amplify the more legitimate criticisms of James. Is he too quick to follow the advice of friends and an entourage who may not be the most talented PR people in the industry? His retort in the ad of, “They’re my friends” is thin, to say the least. (No, LeBron, you shouldn’t listen to them; being your friend doesn’t equal knowing what’s best for you professionally, or what’s best for your image. I love my mother, but I’m not going to rely on her for stock market advice.) Is he too egotistical? Nothing in this ad suggests any true humility on LeBron’s part; in fact, the defiant overtones instead edge the needle towards arrogance.

He starts the ad by asking if he should “admit that [he’s] made mistakes”. In a word: Yes. The poor choices and course of action at the heart of his public relations tailspin over the summer are what I (and I suspect my fellow dissenters) most want to see him show penance over. Has he made mistakes? Absolutely. Should he be forever crucified for them? Of course he shouldn’t. But what he should be able to do is accept his errors; to learn from them, and make himself a better person in the process. And this is where this marketing-friendly “response” to his critics fails. Instead of being humbled by his missteps and vowing to grow from the experience, he remains unapologetic and naively defensive of his decisions.

Nike’s commentary accompanying the ad reads:

This isn't about what LeBron James has done, or hasn't done. This is about the difference between the expectations others may have of him versus the expectations he has of himself. What should he do? The answer is a question.

Despite this explanation being as subversive and haughty as it gets, I offer the following as the definitive question to their answer:

Shouldn’t LeBron expect better of himself?

Download: Joe Budden "Mood Muzik 4 A Turn For the Worst" Mixtape

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NFL Rule Broken Down

If you're a little unsure of just what constitutes a legal hit in the NFL nowadays, Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe has provided a simplified, illustrated explanation via his Twitter account.

From SB Nation.

It's Friday

Time to get ya mind right...

Tail Report: Christian Serratos

Not everything about the "Twilight" movies is terrible. Most of it? Sure. Every last bit of it aside from Christian? Yup.

But Christian's not terrible. Here's a short behind-the-scenes video of her recent FHM photo shoot that proves it.

Politics as Usual

Chitown emcee Rhymefest (a.k.a. Che Smith) has decided to put words to action: The conscious rapper has decided to run for 20th Ward Alderman.

From The Huffington Post:

"The wheel doesn't have to be reinvented," Smith said, according to the Chicago Tribune. "It just has to be reinstated."

Promising to bring economic prosperity to the ward, which includes parts of Woodlawn, Englewood and Back of the Yards, Smith said he would use his hip-hop celebrity to encourage more development projects. He suggested that fellow Chicago rappers Common and Kanye West could be coaxed into helping the ward as well.

'Fest's opponent in the race, Willie B. Cochran, responded to the announcement with a statement that was cartoonishly condescending and insulting:

"You have an intelligent voting public, and if they want to replace an educated public administrator with a rapper who refers to women as hos and bitches in his videos, who uses his performances to promote the use of weapons and gang activity, then the voting public has changed a lot," Cochran said. "I don't see him as being a real threat at all."

Mr. Cochran seems wildly unfamiliar with Rhymefest and his music, which is typically socially responsible. The gangsta rapping stereotype with which Cochran lazily misrepresents 'Fest couldn't be further from the truth. Perhaps, if nothing else, he should look up 'Fest's Wikipedia page:

On October 19, 2006, Rhymefest met with the United Kingdom's Parliamentary Leader of the Opposition, David Cameron of the Conservative Party. They discussed the issue of violent rap lyrics which Cameron had highlighted as a problem and they both agreed that hip hop music should not be banned, but that rappers should portray the positive side of life in their music.

Not exactly the gold-toof'd, malt liquor drankin fool you were expecting, huh Willie?

Throwback Thursday: "Sugar Hill" -- AZ ft. Miss Jones

AZ may forever be known as the most slept-on emcee of our generation. This track was the first single off of his debut album, "Doe or Die", and served as his introduction to the mainstream in 1995 after AZ had caught buzz for his verse on his homie Nas' "Life's a Bitch" in 1994 (you can catch the Queensbridge icon making a guest appearance in this video). This was arguably his most well-known song, and yet even it never really garnered as much attention as it deserved. It's most definitely a classic, though.

Download: Dula-Mite ft. Samson and Juice One 2 -- "Respect My Fresh"

Here's a new track from Young Fly Mistaz' heavy-hitter, Dula-Mite, who teams up with Samson and Juice One 2 for some smooth, speaker-banging braggadocia.

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Kanye's Million Dollar Smile

First he spit through the fire (and the wire); now he's spitting through the ice.

In his latest GTFO move, Kanye West recently revealed that he's had his bottom row of fronts replaced with diamonds and gold.

From New York Daily News:

After tweeting a picture in July that showed the hip-hop artist had a mouth full of bling, West explained on the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" Tuesday that he actually had gold and diamonds inserted to replace his bottom of row of teeth because he "just thought the diamonds were cooler."

That echoes a similar remark he made in an interview for Vanity Fair's Nov. issue, after he was asked why he had "permanent diamonds drilled into [his] bottom teeth."

Personally I can't imagine why anyone would want to intentionally remove their teeth, even if you are replacing them with diamonds. Especially when your ego and arrogance could lead to someone knocking them out at any given moment.

Download: Joe Budden "Inception"

Unfortunately because they couldn't clear the sample, this will be left off Budden's upcoming "Mood Muzik 4" mixtape. It's pretty dope and there's more to come from this dude, who is definitely in my top ten living.

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Daily Dunk: Keion Bell

I feel obligated to post this, even though I personally have an issue with dunkers who appear to dunk over a person — or a group of persons — except they need to gain height and distance by pushing off someone's shoulder. If you clear everyone off straight ups, then it's props all day. But even my 5'10 ass could dunk if you let me vault.

That Old Lost Love Feeling

Stop me if you've heard this one before: A German Chancellor is preaching religious intolerance.

From Yahoo! News:

BERLIN (AFP) – Germany's attempt to create a multi-cultural society has failed completely, Chancellor Angela Merkel said at the weekend, calling on the country's immigrants to learn German and adopt Christian values.

Merkel weighed in for the first time in a blistering debate sparked by a central bank board member saying the country was being made "more stupid" by poorly educated and unproductive Muslim migrants.

In the U.S., Europe is often looked to as being a consistent employer of more progressive and modern political and sociological views. But Merkel's statements reveal an undercurrent of unenlightened, religiously-biased sentiment that America, though often guilty of (see "Ground Zero Mosque"), rarely sees exhibited by her distant relatives in Europe. It's often assumed that European civilization, having experienced the perils and pitfalls of various societal structures for roughly 1600 years longer than the U.S., has already learned from the mistakes and troubling biases that continue to trip up the American political system (see "Tea Party movement"). But it now appears that, at least in the case of Germany, that was only a false hope.

Respect My Gangsta (Fluffy Don't Give a Fuck)

The Hero thinks I post too many animal-related bits. Maybe, maybe not. But, when a cat owns someone this badly, I refuse to apologize for sharing it with Crooked Straight's fans.

I could watch this for hours. Ha.

It's Friday

Everybody get ya mothafuckin roll on...

T.I. to the Rescue

A man who threatened to jump from a 22nd story window of a building in downtown Atlanta was persuaded not to commit suicide by none other than T.I. The famous rapper recorded a video message on a police officer's cell phone, which the cops then took to the suicidal man. Soon after he stepped back inside the window, and was taken to the hospital by police.

From CNN.com:

Harris talked to the man about how a person "can make it through anything," Atlanta Police spokesman James Polite said.

"T.I. just happened to be in the right place at the right time," Polite said.

Harris told Lemon that he went to the scene after he heard on the radio that a man was threatening to jump.

Interesting story; and, if it's true, it's heartwarming to hear. Skeptics have, though, pointed out that this incredible story occurred just 2 days before his probation hearing on Friday, where it will be determined if he will return to prison after being charged in L.A. with drug possession last month. T.I. denies that the rescue was a premeditated stunt.

Throwback Thursday: "Through the Wire" -- Kanye West

This is the video that kicked off the high-flying career of Kanyeezy. It's still amazing that he was able to spit this whole song through a wired jaw; and the highly conceptual idea behind the song's title and topic is a testament to the artistic genius that Kanye possesses. And—to complete my Yeezy cheerleading for the day—I've got to give props to him for the video itself, which serves as a poignant visual representation of where he's been, where he is, and where he's going (as well as gives much-deserved love to Chaka Khan for allowing him to sample her "Through the Fire" for the track).

Tail Report: Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Oooh baby I like it raaawwwww...

[Okay, okay...like I'm the first person to ever use that pun?]

The lack of provocative pictures of Gugu on the internet suggest that someone like Maxim or Vogue need to do a photo shoot of this beautiful British import very, very soon.

DC Police Kill Bumblebee

This is pretty funny. As Michael Bay and his crew filmed scenes for next year's "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" in the streets of Washington, D.C., an out-of-place police SUV rushed through the set and collided with the yellow Camaro used to portray fan-favorite Bumblebee. And luckily for us, a bystander caught it all on film.

From Seibertron:

According to TMZ.com, TF3 was filming when a reported bomb scare caused an Explosive Ordinance Police Vehicle to accidentally enter the set and collide with the Camaro that has been used as Bumblebee.

Daily Dunk: Jason Terry

Franklin High School, 206. Recognize.



Sleeper with the assist via.

Alphonso Smith Does the Carlton

Great catch by the boys over at Dead Spin. And great choice of celebrations by Alphonso.

It's the Weekend

Coming right at ya...

Throwback Thursday: "Triumph" -- Wu Tang Clan

This song is a rap masterpiece, as each emcee contributes pure heat. And they managed to pair it with a video that's still entertaining today, 13 years after it was released.