Spmusic Mondays: Say What, Say What?
(1 Cent): I'm Not The Psychic Miss Cleo
In the middle of last week, the St. Louis Cardinals ended up beating the New York Mets in Game 7 of the NLCS. It was an amazing turn of events, capped off by the Mets being down 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning ... with 2 outs ... bases loaded ... and having your best (if not most expensive) player at bat ... with 2 strikes. I sat there thinking to myself, "Wow -- just like you imagine when you're a kid." I mean, the only thing more intense would be having this situation occur in the World Series itself ... but still, a Game 7 to reach the World Series? Drama, momma. The table is set for the win but the Mets are also 1 strike away from going (staying) home. What happened next? Carlos Beltran, who was at bat, strikes out on a nasty curveball -- looking.
It was crazy. Dude didn't even swing! How can you not swing in that situation? Was he too nervous? Did he freeze from the pressure? Did he think it was going to be a ball? I mean, you're supposed to swing at anything close with 2 strikes on you ... especially in a Game 7. You don't look for the ump to bail you out ... especially in a Game 7. It was just an odd way to end things from one of the oddest postseasons I can remember.
You see, basically every team that has advanced has been an "upset." In a way, the Dodgers were supposed to win because the Mets had lost 2 of their key guys in their starting rotation (Pedro and El Duque), while the offense between the two clubs were basically even -- the Mets won. The Padres were supposed to beat the Cardinals because the Cards were playing injured (Rolen, Edmonds, Eckstein, Pujols) and were without their star closer (Isringhausen) while also were floundering into the playoffs by almost blowing their division lead ... and the Padres were the healthier team with home field advantage -- the Cards won. The Yankees were supposed to destroy the Tigers because of their experience, their all-star at every position line-up, and just overall offense while the Tigers had no experience and were lucky to hold on to the Wild Card spot to make the playoffs -- the Tigers won. The Twins were supposed to beat the A's because they had more offense, they had Johan Santana pitching with Joe Nathan waiting to close out games, and finished up the regular season on a tear while the A's had a weak offense and were known to choke in the first round of the playoffs -- the A's swept.
From there, the Mets were supposed to beat the Cardinals because of the offense they showed they had against LA ... but were beaten in Game 7 by striking out looking with bases loaded. The A's were supposed to beat the Tigers because Detroit had gotten lucky and the young guys (pitching staff) would be crushed under the pressure ... and Detroit swept them because the A's offense came back down to normal.
This bring us to now, the World Series, where I predicted the Tigers over the Mets in 7. Of course, the Cardinals beat the Mets so it's St. Louis against Detroit. I'll stay with my same prediction, albeit the NL representative has changed. The Tigs over the Cards in 7. The series is already tied at 1-1. With the way things have shaped up thus far, I would not be surprised to see the Cards win it all. Baseball is too unpredictable. I'm loosely paraphrasing that one Nike commercial (that probably paraphrased the actual person who stated this line) that said, "That's why you play the games."
(2 Cent): He Can't Stop, 'Cause He Won't Stop
Now, this might be because Diddy is my favorite artist from back when I first started listening to Hip Hop ... but I am going to say that his album Press Play is the best (Hip Hop) album I've heard all year, closely beating Busta's The Big Bang. Diddy called this album a mix of Hip Hop and Soul; I call it different than anything he's ever put out before and that we've heard thus far. There are tracks that make you want to dance until New Year's and some R&B soul songs that you can vibe with -- a great combination of the two genres.
With Diddy, you're not getting the "best rapper alive" or most talented MC ... but he can still hold his own on the mic and has always been one of the best producers out there. I liken him to Roger Clemens right now. He probably won't over power you with the best stuff in the league anymore, but is always on top of his game because of his work ethic and he gets the job done for a great performance.
If I could choose just one thing that impressed me most about this album, it would be the array of different sounds each song brings. Not one track sounds the same. He brings powerful producers to help him creatively with the tracks, such as Timbaland, The Neptunes, Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Mario Winans just to name a few. For help with the vocals, he brings in Christina Aguilera, Nicole Scherzinger (lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls), Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Brandy, and Jamie Foxx to name a couple. For guest rappers, he showcases Big Boi (one half of OutKast), NaS, and Twista. Compile all of that to the desire Diddy has to be the best and what you get is the strongest solo album he has put out (well ... his first CD No Way Out was probably his best ... but that CD had a lot more samples from other songs while Press Play has more new, unique songs).
Sure, I might be biased because I'm going to give Diddy a 9.5 out of 10 ... but if you want something that you've not heard before ... if you want a mix of R&B soul and dance Hip Hop ... then this is the CD for you. You will not be disappointed. Press Play had a radio hit as its first single -- "Come To Me" featuring Nicole Scherzinger -- with every other track a viable candidate for 'next hit.' If any other artist came out like this, we would deem them the next great rapper. As for the Bad Boy CEO, it just confirms his place in Hip Hop history as one of the greatest.
**My Fav Five**
1) Track 4, "The Future" -- As soon as this song started, I was like, "Whoa ... this is raw ... I love it" ... this beat seems like an ode to old school rap, with the bass and background sounds just hammering away through your subs ... at the same time, there's a futuristic sound to it in the background -- makes me think of some type of ultramodern machinery moving or something ... words can't describe ... just listen.
2) Track 9, "Diddy Rock" (Featuring Timbaland, Twista & Shawnna) -- A crazy dance beat ... I love the little, "doot-doot-doot" beeping sound in the background ... Timbo and Diddy on the chorus harmonzing ... Twista laying down a phat verse ... it doesn't get any better.
3) Track 17, "Last Night" (Featuring Keyshia Cole) -- Diddy somewhat takes a backseat in this song to allow Keyshia to blast those killer vocals, but does some pseudo-singing of his own ... awesome use of bass and beat ... I can't help but bob my head and sing along too.
4) Track 7, "Tell Me" (Featuring Christina Aguilera) -- This beat mixes a somewhat raw Hip Hop beat (or "gutter") with a somewhat symphonic sound with Aguilera's awesome vocals ... Diddy is outdoing himself, for real.
5) Track 8, "Wanna Move" (Featuring Big Boi, Ciara & Scar) -- Big Boi not only graces this track with one of the dopest raps this side of the Mississippi, but also helps co-produce the beat ... as the title says, this joint just makes you want to move ....
(1/2 Cent): What To Do Now?
Since my softball season is over, I was left to ponder what I would do with this 1/2 part of Spmusic Mondays ... and I suppose since NBA season is one week from tomorrow ... and me and J.H. are doing another fantasy basketball team together ... I would keep ya'll updated on those happenings. We do ours through CBS Sportsline ... no rhyme or reason to it. As usual, I'm always very optimistic at the beginning of the season, because we have not missed the playoffs in years (actually, I can't remember when we have). Again, as usual, it comes down to one last injury at the end of the season to royally screw us over. Let's hope we can break this curse and bring home the gold ... or money ... er, win?
If you have any suggestions about what sports or music topic you would like me to write about, or if you have anything else for Thursday or Friday you would like to read about, hit me up at HCP2007@gmail.com or click on the Comments link below.
HCP
In the middle of last week, the St. Louis Cardinals ended up beating the New York Mets in Game 7 of the NLCS. It was an amazing turn of events, capped off by the Mets being down 2 runs in the bottom of the 9th inning ... with 2 outs ... bases loaded ... and having your best (if not most expensive) player at bat ... with 2 strikes. I sat there thinking to myself, "Wow -- just like you imagine when you're a kid." I mean, the only thing more intense would be having this situation occur in the World Series itself ... but still, a Game 7 to reach the World Series? Drama, momma. The table is set for the win but the Mets are also 1 strike away from going (staying) home. What happened next? Carlos Beltran, who was at bat, strikes out on a nasty curveball -- looking.
It was crazy. Dude didn't even swing! How can you not swing in that situation? Was he too nervous? Did he freeze from the pressure? Did he think it was going to be a ball? I mean, you're supposed to swing at anything close with 2 strikes on you ... especially in a Game 7. You don't look for the ump to bail you out ... especially in a Game 7. It was just an odd way to end things from one of the oddest postseasons I can remember.
You see, basically every team that has advanced has been an "upset." In a way, the Dodgers were supposed to win because the Mets had lost 2 of their key guys in their starting rotation (Pedro and El Duque), while the offense between the two clubs were basically even -- the Mets won. The Padres were supposed to beat the Cardinals because the Cards were playing injured (Rolen, Edmonds, Eckstein, Pujols) and were without their star closer (Isringhausen) while also were floundering into the playoffs by almost blowing their division lead ... and the Padres were the healthier team with home field advantage -- the Cards won. The Yankees were supposed to destroy the Tigers because of their experience, their all-star at every position line-up, and just overall offense while the Tigers had no experience and were lucky to hold on to the Wild Card spot to make the playoffs -- the Tigers won. The Twins were supposed to beat the A's because they had more offense, they had Johan Santana pitching with Joe Nathan waiting to close out games, and finished up the regular season on a tear while the A's had a weak offense and were known to choke in the first round of the playoffs -- the A's swept.
From there, the Mets were supposed to beat the Cardinals because of the offense they showed they had against LA ... but were beaten in Game 7 by striking out looking with bases loaded. The A's were supposed to beat the Tigers because Detroit had gotten lucky and the young guys (pitching staff) would be crushed under the pressure ... and Detroit swept them because the A's offense came back down to normal.
This bring us to now, the World Series, where I predicted the Tigers over the Mets in 7. Of course, the Cardinals beat the Mets so it's St. Louis against Detroit. I'll stay with my same prediction, albeit the NL representative has changed. The Tigs over the Cards in 7. The series is already tied at 1-1. With the way things have shaped up thus far, I would not be surprised to see the Cards win it all. Baseball is too unpredictable. I'm loosely paraphrasing that one Nike commercial (that probably paraphrased the actual person who stated this line) that said, "That's why you play the games."
(2 Cent): He Can't Stop, 'Cause He Won't Stop
Now, this might be because Diddy is my favorite artist from back when I first started listening to Hip Hop ... but I am going to say that his album Press Play is the best (Hip Hop) album I've heard all year, closely beating Busta's The Big Bang. Diddy called this album a mix of Hip Hop and Soul; I call it different than anything he's ever put out before and that we've heard thus far. There are tracks that make you want to dance until New Year's and some R&B soul songs that you can vibe with -- a great combination of the two genres.
With Diddy, you're not getting the "best rapper alive" or most talented MC ... but he can still hold his own on the mic and has always been one of the best producers out there. I liken him to Roger Clemens right now. He probably won't over power you with the best stuff in the league anymore, but is always on top of his game because of his work ethic and he gets the job done for a great performance.
If I could choose just one thing that impressed me most about this album, it would be the array of different sounds each song brings. Not one track sounds the same. He brings powerful producers to help him creatively with the tracks, such as Timbaland, The Neptunes, Kanye West, Just Blaze, and Mario Winans just to name a few. For help with the vocals, he brings in Christina Aguilera, Nicole Scherzinger (lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls), Mary J. Blige, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Brandy, and Jamie Foxx to name a couple. For guest rappers, he showcases Big Boi (one half of OutKast), NaS, and Twista. Compile all of that to the desire Diddy has to be the best and what you get is the strongest solo album he has put out (well ... his first CD No Way Out was probably his best ... but that CD had a lot more samples from other songs while Press Play has more new, unique songs).
Sure, I might be biased because I'm going to give Diddy a 9.5 out of 10 ... but if you want something that you've not heard before ... if you want a mix of R&B soul and dance Hip Hop ... then this is the CD for you. You will not be disappointed. Press Play had a radio hit as its first single -- "Come To Me" featuring Nicole Scherzinger -- with every other track a viable candidate for 'next hit.' If any other artist came out like this, we would deem them the next great rapper. As for the Bad Boy CEO, it just confirms his place in Hip Hop history as one of the greatest.
**My Fav Five**
1) Track 4, "The Future" -- As soon as this song started, I was like, "Whoa ... this is raw ... I love it" ... this beat seems like an ode to old school rap, with the bass and background sounds just hammering away through your subs ... at the same time, there's a futuristic sound to it in the background -- makes me think of some type of ultramodern machinery moving or something ... words can't describe ... just listen.
2) Track 9, "Diddy Rock" (Featuring Timbaland, Twista & Shawnna) -- A crazy dance beat ... I love the little, "doot-doot-doot" beeping sound in the background ... Timbo and Diddy on the chorus harmonzing ... Twista laying down a phat verse ... it doesn't get any better.
3) Track 17, "Last Night" (Featuring Keyshia Cole) -- Diddy somewhat takes a backseat in this song to allow Keyshia to blast those killer vocals, but does some pseudo-singing of his own ... awesome use of bass and beat ... I can't help but bob my head and sing along too.
4) Track 7, "Tell Me" (Featuring Christina Aguilera) -- This beat mixes a somewhat raw Hip Hop beat (or "gutter") with a somewhat symphonic sound with Aguilera's awesome vocals ... Diddy is outdoing himself, for real.
5) Track 8, "Wanna Move" (Featuring Big Boi, Ciara & Scar) -- Big Boi not only graces this track with one of the dopest raps this side of the Mississippi, but also helps co-produce the beat ... as the title says, this joint just makes you want to move ....
(1/2 Cent): What To Do Now?
Since my softball season is over, I was left to ponder what I would do with this 1/2 part of Spmusic Mondays ... and I suppose since NBA season is one week from tomorrow ... and me and J.H. are doing another fantasy basketball team together ... I would keep ya'll updated on those happenings. We do ours through CBS Sportsline ... no rhyme or reason to it. As usual, I'm always very optimistic at the beginning of the season, because we have not missed the playoffs in years (actually, I can't remember when we have). Again, as usual, it comes down to one last injury at the end of the season to royally screw us over. Let's hope we can break this curse and bring home the gold ... or money ... er, win?
If you have any suggestions about what sports or music topic you would like me to write about, or if you have anything else for Thursday or Friday you would like to read about, hit me up at HCP2007@gmail.com or click on the Comments link below.
HCP
posted by HCP @ 10:44 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home