From: Youtube.com
DMX is back at it! Friday night the dog performed at The Congress Theater in Chicago for The Uncensored Concert.
DMX Performs At The Uncensored Concert
Monday, August 23rd, 2010Rod Blagojevich Blasts The Federal Government
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010From: AP
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was found guilty Tuesday of making false statements to the FBI, but escaped convictions on 23 other counts in a trial that is seen as at least a partial victory for Blagojevich. The jury, which deliberated for 14 days, said it was hung on 23 counts against him, The Ex.-Ill. Gov. Blagojevich says he and his family are victims of federal government persecution. But he says the government was unable to prove he did anything wrong.
A Dangerous Summer In Chicago Targets Children
Monday, August 16th, 2010From: MSNBC.com
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13-Year-Old Boy Shot 22 Times In Chicago
Friday, July 30th, 2010From: CNN.com
Big Boi Performs In Chicago
Monday, July 19th, 2010From: Vimeo
Bun B, GLC And BJ The Chicago Kid: “Happiness Before Riches”
Saturday, July 3rd, 2010From: Ruby Hornet
Closed Sessions: “Happiness Before Riches” feat. Bun B, GLC & BJ The Chicago Kid from Ruby Hornet on Vimeo.
COST EXCLUSIVE: LeBron James: Heavy Lies The Crown
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
May 13th, 2010. I had just seen a young man on the cusp of attaining basketball’s greatest grandeur, once again, fall into the abyss of disappointment. Two years in a row. Only this time, his team of advisers had enough sense to let their star know that it was bad sportsmanship–or maybe, more importantly, bad PR–not to shake hands after a loss. Did this Game 6 on the floor of the Boston Gahden mark the end of a brilliant partnership between a heartbroken sports town and its native son? Would we finally see the man who has lived his entire 25 years on this earth within the corridors of Ohio leave home? The Drive. The Fumble. The Shot. Art Modell. The summer of LeBron. Is this the final act to the tragic masterpiece that will finally push the city of Cleveland to the lowest depths of sports depression? Time is ticking.
The Boston Celtics had sent the Cleveland Cavaliers home early for summer vacation–giving the franchise nearly an extra month to sit at the drawing board and ponder a future without their All-Star. If LeBron James decides to leave the only team he has played for as a pro, it may be the hottest, longest and gloomiest summer Cleveland has ever witnessed. Come July 1st, LeBron James will single-handedly change the future of the NBA; whether he stays in Cleveland or not.
It seems as if the “King James” talk should officially be dead–or, at least, temporarily suspended. To me, you can’t be a king without a crown. And by no means do I think winning a NBA title defines pedigree, because no one can tell me that players such as Elgin Baylor, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, John Stockton and Karl Malone aren’t among the greatest to ever play the game. But the anointment of “King,” without any hardware, just doesn’t cut it. As much as LeBron has accomplished during his seven years in the league–an Olympic gold medal, two MVP awards and a trip to the 2007 NBA Finals–a championship still eludes him. Some, including myself, have questioned LeBron’s true desires. I sometimes wonder what he considers more important: becoming the biggest global icon the sports world has ever seen, or becoming the greatest champion the NBA has ever seen. In an era where Kobe and his Lakers still reign supreme, and an Eastern Conference where the Celtics and Magic still look to be tough match-ups for his current Cleveland squad, it looks like LeBron has some soul searching to do.
After becoming the biggest name in basketball by playing in a small market such as Cleveland, the icon thing is pretty much a wrap. The question is: Can LeBron win a championship in his home state of Ohio? That remains to be seen. He has led the Cavaliers to two straight 60-win seasons, but has come up short when it counts the most. The sexier pastures and warmer climates might be calling his name. But if James bolts without redeeming that painful loss on May 13th that removed his name even further from that elusive championship echelon, that would be a very tough pill for the Buckeye State to swallow.
The lure of the brightest lights shining in the biggest cities might be too tempting for LeBron to pass up. In a legendary free agent class that includes Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson and Carlos Boozer, the opportunity to build a team of “Super Friends” may be the chance of a lifetime. But whatever decision is made, it will fall on the nimble shoulders of James. He’ll listen intently to his best friend and business partner, Maverick Carter. He’ll entertain all of the possible scenarios that NBA inside man, William “World Wide Wes” Wesley, can concoct to bring James more fame, more fortune and multiple championships. He’ll take note of the pitches from his idol and mentor, Jay-Z–as Jigga and Russian billionaire, Mikhail Prokhorov, will try to sell the idea of LeBron building a legacy that will have Brooklyn, China and the globe in the palm of his hand.
He’ll look at the possibility of building a dynasty with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah in Chicago; a city where Michael Jordan’s bequest and statue still looms large outside of the United Center. He’ll dissect the young nucleus of the Los Angeles Clippers and the possibility of challenging Kobe for the sovereignty of the west; but only if Hollywood mogul David Geffen buys the team from Donald Sterling. The possibilities are truly endless, but this decision will be made by LeBron and Lebron only. Can “The Chosen One” leave Cleveland with the night of May 13th at the forefront of his conscious? I don’t know.
But one thing is for sure. If LeBron wants to keep the title of “King,” he has to win a couple of those glorious crowns. And on July 1st, when the clock strikes 12 midnight, the world will find out what city he will make his throne.
COST EXCLUSIVE: A Cool Young History…Part 2
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
There are two songs from Lupe’s brilliant sophomore work of art that capture the miserable triumph of Michael Young History’s antagonistic voyage, The Coolest and Put You on Game. Listening to The Coolest, I imagined Michael Young History’s recalling how he became captivated with the streets, as her cat calls drowned his gullible eardrums in a puddle of sweet nothings, her mesmerizing emerald eyes flashing with the promises of fame and fortune. While those promises were all fulfilled, Michael used so much vigor to love his adored streets that he couldn’t love anyone else; not the mother of his child nor his firstborn. Even though he admitted that his love for the Almighty Lord had been eclipsed by a narcissistic empathy, I find most poignant that in the end, he really never loved himself.
As I listened to Put You on Game, I imagined Michael stopping for a short recess to smoke, taking a long tote from a freshly lit cigarette. Coughing nervously from the nicotine embers, he prepares himself to recite the declaration of devastation that has blossomed from his relationship with the game: from the rape of Africa’s resources, to the bullet holes of gunshot victims turning into mouths to eulogize the honor of being a gangster. The game presented Michael a tempting tonic of lout that he just couldn’t resist. The love that he showed the streets and the game bore fruitless, as this was a scheme that the two forces of vice have run on many like him before.
In this day and age of hip-hop, most artists beef up their résumés with tales of drug dealing, gun charges and bullet wounds so that they can be marketable both in the boardroom and in the hood. But Lupe changed the game, as he is a Westside Chicago-getter who knew the facets of street life, but chose instead to put on a pair of wire-rimmed glasses and talk about his love of skateboards, comic books and the video game Street Fighter 2. Even though Lupe’s catalog of music features a manifold collection of tones and themes, I think his creation of Michael Young History might be the most important weapon in his arsenal. As many who listen to rap are accustomed to the gruesome stories of brutality in the music without an explanation, Lupe has laid out the call for every artist who relays violence on wax to be responsible for giving all the aspects of a gangster’s life. In reality, committing murder doesn’t just constitute as good material for a dope hook.
In the end, Michael Young History sacrificed his freedom for the homage he paid to his deadly counselors. But the streets and the game have quickly forgotten his scent, for they are gleefully roaming the earth to recruit more naive soldiers for their illusory militia. Although he’s no longer in the grave he dreamed of digging out of, he’s among the living dead, a zombie who lost his soul for unnecessary evil. But unfortunately, Michael Young History’s dream of attaining the cool became true.
