Spmusic Mondays: Something Keeps Pulling Me Back ...
(1 Cent): Salt In The Wound
Ok, this will be the last time I mention my fantasy team for baseball ... but I calculated our points for the week we would have played, and it added up to 398 ... the actual winner of the league (the same team that beat us in the playoffs) scored 395 ... which means, that the Harang for Burnett move that made us lose last week also cost us the championship! Gah!
It pains me to know that we had it in the bag ... I will now proceed to put a bag over my head. What adds to the irony, is that Harang had a monster game: CG, 9K, and the win with only 2 ER's. Now he pitches a good game. Sheesh.
I now add Harang to my list of unforgivable fantasy players, which also includes Tracy McGrady (NBA), Michael Finley (NBA), Carlos Arroyo (NBA), Carmelo Anthony (NBA), and Chauncey Billups (NBA). As you can see, the rest of the list consists of NBA basketball players. This because our fantasy basketball teams always make the playoffs and usually have someone choke or get injured at the end, while this was our first baseball team that was good enough to have a let down by a player in crunch time.
In another month, we (co-owner J.H. and I) will be drafting our '06-'07 NBA fantasy basketball team. I look forward to another year of regular season domination, followed by another major choice to make before playoffs, followed by getting screwed all over again. Every year it's something different. One year it's injuries ... another year it's a new head coach (in real life) not playing their best players ... the next year it's a player having an off year ... the year after that it's a brawl at The Palace and having both Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson off your fantasy team because they were suspended by the league for the whole season (wow, that was brutal ... good times!) ... and then another year you start someone you shouldn't have. I can't wait for this year's anomaly! Go heartbreak!
(2 Cent): Ching-A-Ling
This week's review comes from St. Louis' own Chingy, with his 3rd album entitled Hoodstar. After his very impressive debut album Jackpot (coming from Ludacris' record label Disturbing The Peace), Chingy broke off into his own direction and came out with his second CD entitled Powerballn', which didn't do nearly as well for unquantifiable reasons (methinks the second single, if there was one, didn't get enough air play). I personally didn't think his sophmore album was too bad, which included a couple of good songs, but overall the production wasn't there and it felt like Chingy was trying to pimp off his new crew (G.I.B. or the Get It Boyz) too much.
Hoodstar, on the other hand, seems to come back to Chingy's strength, which is to collaborate with good producers and artists and rap with his unique drawl. Lyrically, he doesn't blow me away with deep raps or anything, but I am a fan of how he says words (i.e. instead of "air" he says "err" and instead of "there" he says "thurr") and does have a good flow to himself.
With all of that said, this CD had only a couple of songs that I wouldn't listen to all the time (aka "filler songs") and had some tracks that are personal instant favorites which more than make up for the average tracks. I would say it would be on the level of the CD's I reviewed for DMX and Obie Trice and give Hoodstar the same rating, an 8 out of 10. Very solid CD and a good comeback from a sophmore slump.
The following are my five favorite cuts from the LP. Looking back, I suppose I am ordering them in sequence of personal likability so they are in "particular order" ... and remember, I try not to include the first radio single (which in this case would be "Pullin' Me Back" featuring Tyrese and produced by Jermaine Dupri) as a Top 5 whenever possible.
**My Top 5 Songs**
1) Track 9, "U A Freak (Nasty Girl)" (Featuring Mr. Collipark) ... I'm quickly becoming a fan of Collipark's productions ... he's done some good songs for the Ying Yang Twins and Bubba Sparxxx and does his thing for Chingy ... an awesome dance party song.
2) Track 3, "Club Gettin' Crowded" (Featuring Three-6 Mafia) ... Three-6 has been making hits for about a year straight and they continue to with their collabo with Chingy ... a harder, more street track on Chingy's "Hood" side of the album ... this is a can't miss hit.
3) Track 12, "Let Me Luv U" ... Produced by the undisputed hit making champion Timbaland, this track offers a softer, hypnotic beat compared to the rest of the album (excluding "Pullin' Me Back) ... this is a track that I put on repeat.
4) Track 11, "A$$ N Da Aurr" (Featuring Spiffy) ... Okay, so the lyrics basically just describe this girl's features but the beat is definitely a club banger ... and if I'm remembering correctly, Spiffy is Chingy's cousin (gosh I hope those are just nicknames) ... and if not, then they sound awfully similar.
5) Track 5, "Bounce That" ... Another club track ... the bass hits hard and it has a beat that is familiar somehow but yet unique ... think of a "Bop It" sound on crack ... hey, I like it.
(1/2 Cent): It Can Happen 3 Ways
The Wannabees (my softball team) start their championship aspirations this Tuesday and Thursday, opening up the playoffs. Basically, three outcomes are possible by this Thursday. One, we can be 2-0 and be only 2 wins from the championship. Two, we can be 1-1 and be surviving in the loser's bracket, and win about 4 more games to be the champions. Three, we could lose both games and be done like the Kansas City Royals.
Tuesday (tomorrow) we will be facing the winner of the team that had to have a qualifying game to even get into the playoff tournament. Supposedly our 4-3 record allowed us to be a "good" team and make the tournament flat out. And to think, I was worried.
I believe that since the first game of the season, collectively, we have improved. I don't think we're impressive by any stretch of the imagination and we do have a couple of "holes" in our defense and line-up, but I do have more confidence in our chances now than 2 months ago. As me and my friend J.H. came up with in about 6th grade, all it takes is "luck, skill, determination: all packed into one" to win it all. Let's hope having just one of those is good enough (hint: it's not skill or determination).
Be sure to write in you comments, questions, ramblings, or critiques this week in time for Grab Bag Friday. Until Thursday, have a great week!
HCP
Ok, this will be the last time I mention my fantasy team for baseball ... but I calculated our points for the week we would have played, and it added up to 398 ... the actual winner of the league (the same team that beat us in the playoffs) scored 395 ... which means, that the Harang for Burnett move that made us lose last week also cost us the championship! Gah!
It pains me to know that we had it in the bag ... I will now proceed to put a bag over my head. What adds to the irony, is that Harang had a monster game: CG, 9K, and the win with only 2 ER's. Now he pitches a good game. Sheesh.
I now add Harang to my list of unforgivable fantasy players, which also includes Tracy McGrady (NBA), Michael Finley (NBA), Carlos Arroyo (NBA), Carmelo Anthony (NBA), and Chauncey Billups (NBA). As you can see, the rest of the list consists of NBA basketball players. This because our fantasy basketball teams always make the playoffs and usually have someone choke or get injured at the end, while this was our first baseball team that was good enough to have a let down by a player in crunch time.
In another month, we (co-owner J.H. and I) will be drafting our '06-'07 NBA fantasy basketball team. I look forward to another year of regular season domination, followed by another major choice to make before playoffs, followed by getting screwed all over again. Every year it's something different. One year it's injuries ... another year it's a new head coach (in real life) not playing their best players ... the next year it's a player having an off year ... the year after that it's a brawl at The Palace and having both Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson off your fantasy team because they were suspended by the league for the whole season (wow, that was brutal ... good times!) ... and then another year you start someone you shouldn't have. I can't wait for this year's anomaly! Go heartbreak!
(2 Cent): Ching-A-Ling
This week's review comes from St. Louis' own Chingy, with his 3rd album entitled Hoodstar. After his very impressive debut album Jackpot (coming from Ludacris' record label Disturbing The Peace), Chingy broke off into his own direction and came out with his second CD entitled Powerballn', which didn't do nearly as well for unquantifiable reasons (methinks the second single, if there was one, didn't get enough air play). I personally didn't think his sophmore album was too bad, which included a couple of good songs, but overall the production wasn't there and it felt like Chingy was trying to pimp off his new crew (G.I.B. or the Get It Boyz) too much.
Hoodstar, on the other hand, seems to come back to Chingy's strength, which is to collaborate with good producers and artists and rap with his unique drawl. Lyrically, he doesn't blow me away with deep raps or anything, but I am a fan of how he says words (i.e. instead of "air" he says "err" and instead of "there" he says "thurr") and does have a good flow to himself.
With all of that said, this CD had only a couple of songs that I wouldn't listen to all the time (aka "filler songs") and had some tracks that are personal instant favorites which more than make up for the average tracks. I would say it would be on the level of the CD's I reviewed for DMX and Obie Trice and give Hoodstar the same rating, an 8 out of 10. Very solid CD and a good comeback from a sophmore slump.
The following are my five favorite cuts from the LP. Looking back, I suppose I am ordering them in sequence of personal likability so they are in "particular order" ... and remember, I try not to include the first radio single (which in this case would be "Pullin' Me Back" featuring Tyrese and produced by Jermaine Dupri) as a Top 5 whenever possible.
**My Top 5 Songs**
1) Track 9, "U A Freak (Nasty Girl)" (Featuring Mr. Collipark) ... I'm quickly becoming a fan of Collipark's productions ... he's done some good songs for the Ying Yang Twins and Bubba Sparxxx and does his thing for Chingy ... an awesome dance party song.
2) Track 3, "Club Gettin' Crowded" (Featuring Three-6 Mafia) ... Three-6 has been making hits for about a year straight and they continue to with their collabo with Chingy ... a harder, more street track on Chingy's "Hood" side of the album ... this is a can't miss hit.
3) Track 12, "Let Me Luv U" ... Produced by the undisputed hit making champion Timbaland, this track offers a softer, hypnotic beat compared to the rest of the album (excluding "Pullin' Me Back) ... this is a track that I put on repeat.
4) Track 11, "A$$ N Da Aurr" (Featuring Spiffy) ... Okay, so the lyrics basically just describe this girl's features but the beat is definitely a club banger ... and if I'm remembering correctly, Spiffy is Chingy's cousin (gosh I hope those are just nicknames) ... and if not, then they sound awfully similar.
5) Track 5, "Bounce That" ... Another club track ... the bass hits hard and it has a beat that is familiar somehow but yet unique ... think of a "Bop It" sound on crack ... hey, I like it.
(1/2 Cent): It Can Happen 3 Ways
The Wannabees (my softball team) start their championship aspirations this Tuesday and Thursday, opening up the playoffs. Basically, three outcomes are possible by this Thursday. One, we can be 2-0 and be only 2 wins from the championship. Two, we can be 1-1 and be surviving in the loser's bracket, and win about 4 more games to be the champions. Three, we could lose both games and be done like the Kansas City Royals.
Tuesday (tomorrow) we will be facing the winner of the team that had to have a qualifying game to even get into the playoff tournament. Supposedly our 4-3 record allowed us to be a "good" team and make the tournament flat out. And to think, I was worried.
I believe that since the first game of the season, collectively, we have improved. I don't think we're impressive by any stretch of the imagination and we do have a couple of "holes" in our defense and line-up, but I do have more confidence in our chances now than 2 months ago. As me and my friend J.H. came up with in about 6th grade, all it takes is "luck, skill, determination: all packed into one" to win it all. Let's hope having just one of those is good enough (hint: it's not skill or determination).
Be sure to write in you comments, questions, ramblings, or critiques this week in time for Grab Bag Friday. Until Thursday, have a great week!
HCP
posted by HCP @ 1:15 PM
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