Arc, the Hardcourt Angels Spring

image via guerreotype

Boom-Dizzle Dropped a Dime on the Jazz: The 2012 Impact of Golden State's Stunning 2007 Upset of Dallas

Out West, the #8 Utah Jazz face a gigantic challenge versus Tony Parker's rejuvenated and #1-seeded Spurs. Brian T. Smith's excellent article for The Salt Lake Tribune shows that it may be easier for David to slay Goliath when some once-fallen Goliaths are now slinging shots for underdog's side.

#33 turns 65

Lew Alcindor by Richard Avedon

“You have to be able to center yourself, to let all of your emotions go... Don't ever forget that you play with your soul as well as your body.” -Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives"

Jackie Robinson

image via The Painted Baseball

Satellite of Love & Basketball: Photo Arrangements by Artist Jenny Odell

Jenny Odell's Google satellite collection "Every Basketball Court in Manhattan" via sbhb

Words with Friends has no respect for my crossover.

Where satire happens ... perennially.

Would have liked to have seen Dolan at least jabbed at, somewhere on this poster.
via Rod @boomtho Benson's SWAG bomb tumblr

Double Venom

Art Director must have been frothing at the fang to have produced so on-point a "Black Mamba" visual, inspired by Kobe's new kicks.

Got Next: Leon Marin "Beyond Limitations"

"So much heart I'm blastin'..." 


It's only one phrase on a 17-song offering packed dense with loaded lines. Yet that mere piece of a refrain to the breakneck-paced second track on Leon Marin's latest resonates, encapsulating the oversized personality and snarling talent that distinguish this young emcee. In just a week since Beyond Limitations was made available for download (and that coming hot on the heels of Marin's video for "NBA Theme Song"), the mixtape has received praise for its consistency and reached thousands of ears, many belonging to hip-hop fans who may have been previously unfamiliar with the Brooklyn artist.

Don't expect the low profile to last. The laudatory blog posts are on point -- Beyond Limitations is rock solid from open to close, while demonstrating a versatile array of flows and styles. There's the loquaciously bitter ruminations of "Jaded" and crass bounce of "Women N Some Cash," offset by the earnest "Strugglin 4 Life" and eminently eponymous "Leon Marin Show." Some songs may call to mind hip-hop's biggest names -- his lyrical contradictions and technicolor expressions make it difficult to avoid Kanye comparisons. But listen, really listen --Marin's word choices and themes bear so much originality, his impact is utterly fresh.

Don't just take it from us -- grab the FREE download below and introduce yourself to one of the next generation's bright stars.

Click here to download Leon Marin's "Beyond Limitations" 

Leon Marin will be performing Saturday January 28th at Paint and Poetry: A Collaborative Effort of All Things Art. 

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Meet Me on the Flip Side

I've always lip-synched along to songs played silently in my imagination. Lyrics can keep you company that way, no matter where you are. It started with Bruce Springsteen's epics echoing across my mind during longer walks home. At some point, Steve Malkmus' four winding verses from Pavement's masterpiece Watery, Domestic EP were recited like a mantra. Later, it seemed that 90% of my mute mutterings were written by NaS and other emcees. With hip-hop I'd become sensitive to repeated incantations that didn't in any way reflect my own experience. It wasn't just that. Some lyrics are just trite, some violent or disagreeable to the point where I wished neither to vocalize nor internalize them. 

With NaS though, I ran into trouble. Here were some of the most masterful flows and displays of lyrical prowess committed to beats. Even if I couldn't own these words, the rhythm with which they were written energized me. And so these 'Flips' were birthed. Some have been posted here, including one based strictly on AZ's legendary first verse from  "Life's a Bitch (and then You Die)". The conception for NaS' verse and development of this entire flip-to-a-more-positive-tip only came this year when our first son was born. Recently I posted the piece, "Life is Rich (and Love is Why)" on my "big kid culture" blog boobuddha. 

Thought the Viper was simply boring us...

...with an unmitigated flow of legalese describing the deepening rift between former Knick Charles Smith and the National Basketball Retired Players Association.

But when Post readers finally arrive at story's end, all is revealed as deadpan prelude to Vecsey's kicker: "There's something to be said, I suppose, for a man who never seems to tire of getting blocked."

Gadget Freak

My co-worker and friend Terance received some well-deserved recognition from the Atlanta Post today. The opening line...

Calling someone a ‘freak’ isn’t generally a compliment, but if you called Terance Thatch a ‘gadget freak’ he wouldn’t even be mad.

...inspired one of my signature, hasty rewrites of a classic jam. (Apologies to Rick James, bitch):

He’s a very 2K boy, the kind who’s Facebook friends with mama
He will always let you hear what’s “now” (once you read up on his tweets)
He likes the toys in his hand, he says the iPad is amazing
When he makes his moves to new grooves in real-time
He Facebooks every step indeed

That boy is nerdy hip now (the boy’s a gadget freak)
The kind of boy you read about (in mobile marketing e-zines)
That boy’s way more than 2K (the boy’s a gadget freak)
I’m really glad I follow him (every time he tweets)
He’s on point, he’s on point, the dude is on point with things, yeaaaaah, he-he-HEH!

Ode to The Truth

O Paul, where are all your other rings?
Dude was wrong about a couple things
It came back to the city of angels, now the fat lady sings
Show's over, Show Time got over, better luck next spring

Pierce is an 'and one' artist, so L.A. got, to guard this

Fearless not flawless, Queensbridge's hardest,

He's to a fault, honest but when he's on it's

Raw regardless. Congrats, Ron Artest

A test defending champs passed, the final exam

Extra credit points to Phil Jackson's plan

Breathe as one, even Kobe be just one man

To repeat, many rose in turn and learned to stand

Big Spain's inside tips and turnaround swish

3rd game's massive 4th quarter from D-Fish

Odom owed em, and showed em he can finish

Team D slowed em, we all know what we witnessed

So Paul, we're in awe of your one ring
Some legends end up never winning
But Boston's had so many true kings
The Truth? The cost of this loss must sting

Well Said

A timely verse on the state of The Association.

Refreshingly the meter owes more to John Ashbery than to Shawn Carter.

boom blip

Been around the world, dwelled coast to coast

Met a few opponents, been a friend to most

Walk among the living, talk with ghosts

DJed radio shows and like an emcee toast

True dub survivor, tryna revive with flows

My inner sphere inscribed in this pithy pop post