To all the hip-hop heads out there, do you still want to ride…?
One of Oakland’s finest showed in Chapel Hill on Friday night. I was able to grab one of hip-hop’s last and true all-stars, Del Tha’ Funkee Homosapien, after his show at Cat’s Cradle.
A lot of hip-hop heads adore Del for his futuristic lyrics. (On my end, I still have his tech-filled Hiero lyrics and tunes from ‘No Need For Alarm’ in my Top 100 pushing me through workouts.) Yet, what makes Del more advanced than the average hip-hop artist is his passions for gear, gadgets, comics, ’70s pop culture, and even music theory. His game is well-rounded with a geeky bent that flat-out oozes funk.
With the launch of his new CD/DVD on Def Jux entitled, “The 11th Hour“, Del brought his own production and a return to solid funk lyrics and early hip-hop beats. From the get-go, the sample from ‘Parliament Live’ that asks “Oakland, do you want to ride…The mothership has landed,” should let you know of Del still brings that grimy funk to your headphones.
I caught him in ‘The Loft Space’ upstairs in the Cradle…Those chairs are cush, bruddah.
We talked about his new album, how his style has developed over the past decade, his creative process, sharing music theory with Parliament, what makes Oakland hip-hop special, and a very intriguing subject that I wanted to explore, Del’s ability to adapt his ‘different’ style into a team concept for his many collaborative efforts.
My hope is that someone realizes not only how strong Del’s ability to blend in his work with so many different artists and collaborative efforts, but also how many solid pieces of lyrical work has been developed by Del over the past two decades. Give this player his due…He handles his business well.
P.S. For the Chapel Hill heads out there, you’ll love this one. After the show, Del and his crew were looking for eats. My suggestion was a late-night Hector’s session. When I gave Del the suggestion and a detailed description of a cheeseburger on a pita, his eyes lit up with large grin.
On my end, I’m sticking with my original pre-season call…And I don’t think that I’m being ‘Johnny Carolina’ on this one. So, no drum roll needed, aaight…The UNC Tar Heels.
The other squads that I’m looking to complete the quartet are:
Midwest: Georgetown
South: Memphis
West: UCLA
Here’s my Elite 8:
East - North Carolina vs. Louisville
Midwest - Kansas vs. Georgetown
South - Memphis vs. Texas
West - UCLA vs. St. XavierThe team that I’m looking at doing more than a little something is Clemson. From my point of view, they are very impressive because of their frontcourt. Trevor Booker is a beast! That match-up between him and Tyler Hansbrough in their three-game match-ups were every bit as entertaining as the Duncan/Wallace showdowns in ‘95.
Their press is a strangler, and with Hammonds and Rivers getting hot, that team could do a lot of damage. If Clemson matches-up with Kansas, they could give them a lot of heat.
I’m also thinking that this tournament is going to have more pressure on Bill Self. Can he get a team to drive over the hump?
He had some great teams at Illinois, but couldn’t get over the hump with them. Last year’s Elite 8 finish was underwhelming, and this particular team pulls some bone-headed plays at times late in games. With previous early-round exits…And I understand how much talent that they have, I just can’t make the pull on the Jayhawks.
With Memphis, the Tigers have the best assemblage of talent in this decade. Yet, Calipari is a lot like Self. He took UMass to the Four, but there’s something that seems to hold the team back against established teams in the tournament. Can they play tough, intelligent basketball when the times for dribble-drive don’t call. I think that a gritty team like Pitt could knock them out.
With that said, I have them bouncing out to UCLA, who I adore because they’ve won tight games and most of their players such as Darren Colleson, Josh Shipp, and Lorenzo Mata. And Kevin Love is steady in crunch times. That team has taken a lot of knocks in hostile arenas and still stood tall.
Another team to look out for St. Xavier. If I were an AD for an ailing program, the first guy that I would look toward is Sean Miller. From his father’s coaching roots and basketball fundamental development program, Miller’s knowledge of the game is incredible, and he motivates his players to play on both ends of the court at high levels. The dribbling-drill machine gets incredible defensive play from Drew Lavender and Stanley Burrell, and I think that his Xavier team will be the class of the West region.
Let’s just hope that Coach Miller stays in Cincinnati for a while after the tournament. There’s a good fit with him in that region.
As much as everyone is shaking in their boots with Tennesee, the team that the Heels shouldn’t want to play is Louisville. They not only had a nice run at the end of the year, but also they are athletic and can play both halfcourt and fullcourt.
Juan Palacios is tough. They have David Padgett who is not only playing very well, but also big enough to give Hansbrough problems. And if Edgar Sosa plays with any semblance of human intelligence, Tywon Lawson is going to have to really step up on him to beat him with speed. Also, whether you like of dislike the guy, you can never underestimate the coaching excellence of Coach Rick Pitino.
By the way, I’m not sure that Pitino and Williams have ever had a match-up…How enticing is that one?
Undoubtedly, the guy that has to step up is Tywon Lawson.
Now, the Tywon Lawson that I’ve seen over the past five games has understandably lost a step. However, I don’t know if his game is well-rounded enough to make-up differences in other ways against top-flight point guards like Sosa, McAlarney that will take-over games like we expected. Yet, he still comes up with cheap rebounds and generates fast-break buckets like few others in the game do. The Heels need him badly.
All that said…
On one hand, I want to take shots at how the Heels disappear in games and how the Heels do not blow teams out of late. On the other hand, I’m impressed with how tough we’re playing when down, but also how the Heels closing games. Most of their tough games have not only been on the road, but also with everyone targeting them due to their high rankings.
Yes, the Heels have their faults, but I’m highly impressed that they’re able to come away with big victories.
Now, how many people would like to see a rematch of that Georgetown game with a national audience? Man…I want payback. National Championship Final: UNC vs. UCLA - I would love to see Coach Smith and Coach Wooden sitting together. With Coach Wooden’s fall, I don’t know if this could happen…But it would be too cool.
That’s my call…
** First-round games that I don’t want to miss are: Davidson/Gonzaga, Western Kentucky/Drake
Davidson/Gonzaga - I am all over the point guard match-up between Jeremy Pargo and Jason Richards. City vs. Suburbs…Yet, the Zags have been all over the board this year, and I’m a little down at the progression of Micah Downs. He just can’t seem to break through to the high expectations. I’m rolling with Davidson on that one.
By the way, if Coach Williams had never taken the job. I would have been very happy with Bob McKillop in the Hill. Seriously…I think the guy is a Gold Star Premium Traveler.
Western Kentucky/Drake - I’ve caught Western Kentucky three times now. What a shame that they drew Drake because I like that team a lot. My head and gut says Drake on this one, but my heart is rolling with Western Kentucky. Tyrone Brazelton is a lanky, grimy, point guard from Chicago and Courtney Lee is a solid NBA prospect.
If there is a discrepancy with seeding, I can’t believe that Western Kentucky received a #12 seed. Watch out for that game.
** Tip-Ins: On the ACC/Raycom programming front, did anyone share the same distaste for Raycom’s programming of the ACC tournament?
I don’t think that as a sports viewer, I’ve seen lower schlock than the choice of “Shawty, Get Loose” as the theme for three days of basketball…After listening to Mike Hogewood introduce ‘Lil’ Mama for three days, I truly felt that I was at the State Fairgrounds throughout the weekend. Along with the overload of graphics that consistently pre-empted and cut-off plays, I believe that we have stooped to a new level with television sports programming.
Did Raycom feel that they had to tap into a younger demographic with their programming?
I not only questioned whether or not I had entered a MySpace influenced content, but also actually wondered if I had surpassed the demographic threshold for watching college basketball.
And to top it off…Jason Capel as an analyst? For the amount of quality guys who have come through the ACC over the past decade who are scrambling for a gig, they choose the former Boy Band wanna-be…I kept wondering if was going to “shine his horns.”
I’m writing a request to have him and Joseph Forte in the same in-arena studio next season…Now, that would be entertainment…;)
“Clank your chains, and count your change…” You keep ramblin’.
On Sunday night’s SportsRap, we hit up the selections fresh off the griddle. Here’s this week’s show. We have a look back at the ACC Championship, NCAA Tournament picks, and what’s ahead for the Heels in March.
Picks from Bret Dougherty: North Carolina, Georgetown, UCLA, and Memphis
Picks from Gregg Found: North Carolina, Kansas, Texas, UCLA
Picks from Phil Mitchell: North Carolina, Georgetown, Memphis, UCLA
Tough looks…However, I’m wondering about my Kansas pick. I hate the Tuesday of pre-first round week. Go with the gut.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. May all of your parades be true. What’s wild is what seems to be the lack of commotion that we’ve seen with St. Patrick’s Day in the past. Well, when you consider this year’s 17th falls on a Monday, parade schedules have been shifted to the past weekend the next weekend is Easter, which hasn’t occurred in over 40 years, you may realize why St. Patrick’s Day seems to be more chilled than years past.
Then again, this may be a good thing, and I can harken back to the past when the only Irish that you would see is in the local churches for early morning mass. Nowadays, everyone wears green and takes on the full excuse to get completely pie-eyed throughout the day…Such a classy day St. Patrick’s Day has become, huh?
With that said, Chicago, Savannah, Philadelphia, San Francisco and other cities shifted their parade plans. Even Boston sold down to a Sunday parade. Dublin and NYC are keeping it real…At least some traditions still can stay true.
Corned beef and cabbage is a must…Now, where the hell can I find mine in NC? Start boiling…
Computer problems held me back this week. Man, what an overload without being online! With an overloading C drive and Spring Break shutting down the fat pipes on campus, I had no options. I have never twitched so bad throughout a weekend.
And yes, I am an online junkie…
Well, we’re back on tonight. WXYC SportsRap starts at 9. Check-in tonight here, or tune into to WXYC under the ‘Eclectic’ section of iTunes Radio in order to listen to NCAA bracket talk with myself and DTH Sports Columnist, Gregg Found.
We’ll have the recorded show posted tonight straight out of the Hill with plenty of unfiltered scoop.
Be sure to follow-up here this week. The picks are coming in order to help out those office pools, and I’ll also post updates for Fantasy Baseball Drafts this week. We’re going deep this year.
Special shout to Jim Hawkins who grabbed this shot. This pic seems to have encountered every Tar Heel inbox this weekend.
From this blogga’s POV, Green’s ‘SuperMan’ dunk ranks above David Noel’s yammy from two years ago. Greg Paulus, Eli, Peyton, and the dude with the chrome dome in the front row got a full view.
After the Eve Carson tragedy, tonight’s UNC-Duke game is a tough one to get up for…
After watching ESPN Gameday, I wondered if tonight’s game should have been postponed to Monday night. I also thought about how both Coach Smith and Coach Knight regretted their decision to play the National Championship after the Reagan assassination attempt, and even how Pete Rozelle regretted his choice to play NFL games after the Kennedy assassination.
This is a local tragedy, but the pain and shock is tough on a lot of minds. However, I can understand how sports can relieve pain from a lot of hearts. From that thought, the good thing is that the game will take thoughts away for a bit.
On the game front, the Heels need to get Tywon into the mix early. He has two games under his belt, and he should be getting close to at least 80%, but how is the wind…?
This blogga still believes that the Heels are ten points stronger than Duke with Lawson running the show. However, what I was most dismayed at during the first game was not how we defended their outside shooting, but how often we struggled to get the ball over halfcourt and against pressure ‘D.’ What happens if Tywon is not at full speed?
On the team front, I am extremely impressed with how the Heels have responded to deficits over the last two games. After both the BC and Florida State victories, I like the Heels’ chances, and I truly feel that with Tywon, the Heels should not only be a favorite, but also are a far stronger team at the moment.
Yet, with this tragedy, I really don’t know how these guys are going to respond. There is not one person on Franklin Street who isn’t talking about this tragedy. The few people that I’ve spoken with about the emerging story are disgusted with the pics, and over the past few days, the interactions on Facebook have dwindled to a halt. Yet, that also could be due to Spring Break. How will this tragedy affect a team that has several members who were friends with Eve Carson.
I do not want to jump to conclusions. However, from my point of view, after viewing the photo of an absolute thug using her card at an ATM, I’m enraged, disgusted, and worried at not only how Chapel Hill will be viewed, but also the now changes and fears that will be affect the town over the next months and years.
From a personal standpoint and after observing numerous incidences over the years, I’ve been tired of all of the thugs from Greensboro, Durham, Roxboro, and Burlington coming into town at night and the town not having the police power to push them out of locales where a rough element certainly does not belong.
My fear is that we’re finally going to learn the lesson from a brutal murder that the absolute low-life thuggery that has emerged on Franklin Street over the past decade needs to leave town.
Perhaps the game is a good thing to take minds away from this case.
If you’re in the ‘riser’ student section for tonight’s UNC vs. Florida State game, get in there early. Nike has a special treat for our Senior Night tonight.
In order to celebrate the re-release of the Dunk line and the ‘Be True’ campaign, Nike will be giving out highly limited and exclusive Dunks and other Nike give-aways tonight to commemorate our students tonight.
Enjoy the shoes, they’re smooth. (Finally, a give-away with major taste and class.) If you grab a pair, these shoes could be an ultimate test for establishing your Carolina ‘cool’ in years to come. Rock these in the Pit or uptown, and seen the necks creen…
Last week we had a few uncovered a few tips on The Vael Project. So, we dug a little deeper for you…
Last Friday, I got on the hardline, and interviewed Vael Project founder and designer, Coleman Horn. Check out the interview here.
We touched upon the new designs of the Vael Project, the peaks and valleys of entrepreneurship, and what he does to overcome risk in developing a new venture.
For those of you who are looking for inspiration upon starting up your own gig, take a listen. Coleman did a great job with launching Medium Footwear, and with the reviews that he is receiving so far in the footwear world, this blogga is putting his chips down with The Vael Project.
Enjoy the listen…And get to the simple task of getting things done.
Which is why I chuckle at this story shown on Henry Abbot’s True Hoop today about the mutual fund executive who beat Michael Jordan in a game of one-on-one at Mike’s famed “Flight School”/A-Level Executive Retreat.
Everyone has their story how they got Mike.
Here in the Hill…You’ll never top the legend of the DKE frat boy who hooped on Mike 5-4 with a game-winner from the brick wall. Unfortunately, those chuckleheads paved over the guy’s immortalized footprints that he had cemented to immortalize the victory.
Personally, the story that I want to ask Mike is the duel that he had with Willie Glass in Woolen Gym. Old-school Northsiders still tell of the story that Willie came to Chapel Hill and battled MJ on Court 1. “You chuckleheads still don’t know about Willie…”
Here’s a good video that was posted last week…Check out the dorm room clip. That CBS Sports flag is still the hype…
