Drake: Better Than Good Enough

My Review of Thank Me Later – But you can thank me now.

Expectations are a trip. They are a powerful force. They can have you searching Kobe and Lebron for the next Jordan. They can have you thinking Obama is going to instantly give you a job. They can have you thinking that just because you go to college, you’ll be stepping out into 6 figure pay days (I wish).

When I first popped open the TML CD, I was too excited. I haven’t bought a CD since buying The Carter 3 album, and that CD played non-stop in my car for at least 3 weeks with no skip, no radio, no pause. Needless to say, C3 had my expectations up pretty high for the next CD I was to purchase.

When I finally put the Drake CD, I’m not going to lie, I was definitely disappointed. I was expecting a mix between ‘Best I Ever Had’ and ‘Forever’ type songs with a couple ‘Shut it Down’s’ sprinkled in. I was not expecting a CD that made me think more of Kanye than Wayne. I skipped through the CD quickly to find something I could ride to, it was the summer after all, and I wanted something to let my windows down and bump. But I got that first taste at number 11 with the already leaked ‘Miss Me’ and again with number 14 ‘Thank Me Now.’ I had already heard Miss Me, so I didn’t get that first thirst quench until the CD was over, and I was hurt. All I could think about was that the savior was a phony, the blog sites are going to rip him, and it’s another Harold Minor, not Kobe Bryant.

Despite my initial disappointment, I liked his CD, and kept playing it, trying to see how much it would grow on me. But for about a week, I expressed to everybody my let down with Drake’s first CD, saying that though I liked it, I expected so much more. People would argue the artistry in it, its deviance from normal rap and hip hop music these days, his creativity. But that’s not what I was EXPECTING, so I was disspapointed.

Then, one night, my girlfriend and I were laying around watching MTV like we do every night (reality junkies), and a Drake special: Better Than Good Enough, came on. We’re watching Drake finalize his CD before its release, and I’m singing every song he performs. I’m feeling his every word and his every emotion that prompted him to record what he did, and I’m realizing, that two weeks after its come out, I’m still bumping this CD that I was initially disappointed with.

I honestly don’t understand why people can’t get into Drake’s music. He’s as seemingly honest and open in his work as anybody. In a time where toughness, bravado, and machismo is lauded, he’s not that. He raps about women that he’s lost, he raps about his insecurities with fame, he raps about whether or not he likes the person he’s becoming. The feelings he has inside are the feelings most 18 - 25 year old young men are feeling or have felt, and he presents it in such a way that those older and younger can relate.

I’ve heard people call him a gimmick because he’s mixed race and that he already had a built in marketing plan because of Degrassi. They say he’s not honest and puts out only what the public wants to hear. Some people say he’s not lyrical enough to be considered a lyricist. Some people think he’s not authentic enough and natural as a hip hop artist. Besides the fact that maybe you just don’t like his music for a whatever reason, I don’t see how people can apply these thoughts to Drake’s artistry, and don’t see how you can’t respect his music and his come-up.

Drake does not seem real or authentic in this hip hop/rap world because he’s not. He did not come up as this rap superstar spitting rhymes in the halls or on the corners. He’s into music (and I say this like I know him lol). He’s never claimed to be the best, or the coolest, rap artist. He only claims to be himself. What he is a mixed race kid that grew up in Canada with his white mother. He grew up with a love for music and had an apt for acting. All of his missteps early in his career are a result of that. I have been critical of his video choices, his presence, and his whole swagger from day 1, but then I realize he’s not Jay-Z, Wayne, 50, Diddy, or even J. Cole. He’s Aubrey. He uses his real name (lol – how rare) when rapping. He seems uncomfortable and not authentic because he’s not comfortable and is not what we would call authentic in this rap world. He said it in one of his songs about how he’s still trying to learn to be in the business. It was evident at the BET Awards that this whole thing of being a rap superstar is new and foreign to him. He didn’t grow up in American schools where he was in the rat race to be the coolest in the school. His own buddies say he was a nerd coming up and they where apprehensive about letting him hang with them.

But that’s the expectations thing. We expect Drake to be something he’s not.

What he is …….
… is talented, on a lyrical level (Say What’s Real – So Far Gone) and on a pop level (Everything he puts out now).

… is marketable because of his appearance, pedigree, and his running crew.

… is new to the rap-star thing.

… is one of the few positive music acts that we have right now. He is that mix between J. Cole and Wale and Soulja Boy and The Party Boys.

We just have to have realistic expectations of what we expect from him and out of him and understand what he is. But more importantly, we need to know what he isn’t.

And since I’ve adjusted my expectations, I LOVE his CD, and am still listening to it. But when that J. Cole drops ………….

The Lebron James Fiasco

When did competition and love for the game take a back seat?

With the Lebron James Fiasco in full-effect, hoping to come to an end tonight at 8, I’m brought to write again to get my thoughts out on him and the state of the NBA and its young superstars.

First, as a basketball talent, I love Lebron. He is by far the most gifted player in my generation. When you group his athletic ability, vision, instincts, and strength, there is nobody that can compare in the NBA. Who out there is as strong as him, that can jump as high as him, that can pass as well as he can?

The biggest knocks people have on Lebron is his competitive nature and his shooting ability. Both are gifts of some, but can be an aquired skill of others who work at it. So, to me, in MY OPINION, Lebron is the most talented basketball player in the game; but that doesn’t mean he’s the best, IN MY OPINION.

My thoughts on Lebron as a person is still up in the air, cause I don’t know him and don’t like judging.

BUT, this Lebron fiasco of a situation is starting to get old quick for me. I understand that Lebron SAYS he wants to win a championship, and wants to be on a team that gives him a chance of doing so, I just think in the current landscape of free-agency, Lebron, and everybody else in the league, get too caught up in the aspect of sacrificing your team through creating all this cap space, some making that a 2 year process, and putting all hope in getting better in the summers by scooping up the best free-agents. What happened to drafting well, grooming your team and developing young players, and adding pieces throughout the process. It’s the get-rich-quick scheme of pro basketball. How often do such schemes pay-off? Boston made it work, but LA couldn’t get it done. Look at Portland, Oklahoma City, Chicago, and Orland (to some degree). Teams that use the draft to make good decisions on whom to build around, COMPETING to get better, and building a true team.

At the end of the day, its MY OPINION that Lebron is making more out of this than he should be. His intentions are stretching beyond basketball and seems to be centered around money and his wish to become this big-time mogul. I was with Lebron and his having the fun with the dancing and pre-game antics, but as a basketball player, coach, and someone who loves the game, I am thinking Lebron is starting to make a mockery of it with his actions.

Magic and Bird and Dr. J created an outlet for using their basketball and celebrity to make money outside of the game with their Converse endorsements, and Mike Jordan took that to the next level and created branding in sports, but, as Jordan put it in his book, Driven From Within, their endorsements outside of basketball were driven solely on their ability to play basketball, and the basketball was all of the aforementioned sole purpose during their careers. Their competitive drive in the game pushed them to make money. Everything else they did was extra. As Jordan also stated in his book, the marketing plan is now flipped to where you come in to the league with everything before you even have to compete and prove yourself. The competitive nature is sometimes lost.

As a true basketball fan, you have to respect the fact that all Kobe cares about is being the best basketball player and winning championships. Everything else to him is secondary. He’s criticized for everything under the sun, most stemming from his focus on his sport and lack of relationship with everything else, but he is old school where basketball is pure and from the heart.

It seems these players today are doing more off the court than on. And its cool to have a life and they are young and should enjoy it, but understand what this is all about too. Understand what basketball is all about, what being a champion is all about. The NBA is turning into a league of entertainment instead of competition, and this free agency can be a very dangerous benchmark for the way the business of the NBA will be conducted in the future.

MY TOP 5 POINT GUARDS RIGH NOW

The league right now is ripe with point guards. Every generation of players, a certain position gets its shine. With Charles Barkely, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan, the NBA saw its greatest era of power forwards. Jordan and Clyde Drexler led a league of dynamic scorers from the wing. Right now its seeing a great group of young point guards, and everybody is arguing over who is the best.

I only put in 5, with a special 6 thrown in there because of what Rondo has been doing the last couple of years, but there are definitely more that could be added to the list.

Chauncy Billups – I didn’t add him because as good as he is, he hasn’t been as dynamic and as talented as these other guys. His ability lies in his leadership, knowledge of the game, and his ability to make big shots. But he's a winner.
Jameer Nelson – He can really shoot it and is a leader on the Magic. He’s not the quickest PG around and his height really limits his ability to create his own shot.
Russell Westbrook – He might be the future. He’s soo athletic, and he’s big and strong and hungry. He’s still learning how to play the point, but once he figures it out and he matures, he could make this list.

6. RAJON RONDO – I love the way Rondo plays. He is a throwback point guard that runs his team. He’s pass first, defensive minded, and can dominate a game without scoring a lot. But, he can dominate without scoring because he doesn’t have to. He’s playing with 3 hall of famers. I’m not one criticize him or knock him because he’s so fortunate, but his game is highlighted because of it. Teams don’t really guard Rondo, they put his defender on the free-throw line with their hands out, so I can't put him higher than this. But, Rondo does produce. When he plays well, the Celtics win, and they won a lot making it to the finals. He can do everything well, except shoot, and he rebounds and plays defense and gets to the basket great. And his interior passing is unbelievable. He has also definitely learned how to run a team, which will serve him well when a team is completely his in a couple of years. That will be Rondo’s true test - when the Celtics game plan is centered around him, and the defensive focus of the opponents is about him as well. When teams did focus on him, he tended to struggle a little bit more. I want to see him perform when the spotlight is on him and he’s the main attraction.

4. TONY PARKER – The only two on this list to have championships are the last two, which is hard for me to do, but while they played a big part of winning those championships, those two PG’s came into the situation as a piece of the puzzle, not the person being built around. Parker had serious trouble circumventing his way to an already championship team and winning over his hall of fame coach, and his troubles early on were well documented. But with Tim Duncan on his last legs, and an injury plagued Ginobili aging, Tony Parker is a main piece and reason for the Spurs to be in the title hunt every year despite being one of the oldest teams in the league. He gets to the basket at will. His shooting as somewhat improved, but its his fearlessness of getting in the paint that is his calling card. He is one of the best scoring point guards in league, and shoots at such a high percentage because of his ability to get to the teeth of the defense. His production dropped this year to just under 17 points and 6 assists a game due in large part to injury, but a couple years ago when he was healthy he had his best year at over 22 and 7 assists a game, and his production always increases in the playoffs. I put him a little lower on the list because he's starting to peak out at his ability level. His game hasn’t changed much over the years in terms of him improving his shooting and his assist numbers have been consistently hovering and the high 5's and low 6's throughout his career.

3. DERRICK ROSE – After the top 3, it gets increasingly harder for me. If you give me the choice between Tony Parker, Derrick Rose, and Rajon Rondo, I’m taking Rose on his strength, athletic ability, and the fact that he’s got this nasty look in his eyes. All three of these guys have definite shooting problems, and teams back off because of their speed and quickness. Of the three, Rose is the only guy that is getting it done as the focal point of an offense. Rose is the main scorer and the leader, night in and night out for the Chicago Bulls. Without Rose, the Bulls are a lottery team. Unlike with Rondo and Parker, a team’s defensive scheme against the Bulls starts with the point guard, and he still produces at a high level. Its not as hard to get 18 and 7 when a defense is backed off a little focused on hall of fame teammates as is the case with Parker and Rondo. Rose gets it done scoring, and also as the leader of a young and promising team. If I’m a free-agent, that’s definitely a team I’m looking at, as long as Rose is at the point. He can take over a game but also knows how to get his teammates involved. His averages of 20 points and 6 assists in his second year trumps both of the other guys, and he's only getting started.


3. STEVE NASH - These top 3 are in another class, right now, when it comes to point guards. Nash has been doing this for so long, and every year when people think he's going to fall off, he keeps going. If you want a contract extension or want to make more money, take a cut, go play with Nash, and he'll get your stats and your pocket book back up. No matter who he plays with, he makes them better. He can't play a lick of defense and probably won't ever win a championship a a bi-product of it, but he is the truth when it comes to point guard play. His first few years were riddled with injuries and playing behind all-stars Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson so he won't pass John Stockton on the career assists list, but he has set the standard for assists the last 6 years, averaging at least double figures in the stat in 5 of those years. Age hasn't slowed him down, yet, and losing Amar'e in free agency is going to cause an effect, but as of right now, he's right there.

2. DERON WILLIAMS – Deron Williams got my respect back in high school when I was forced to play him, with all the big time coaches in the stands, and he got the better of me. He could easily be at the top of any list, because his size and strength allows him to get anywhere on the court at any time, and his ability to outplay Paul in many of their head-to-head battles. He’s got a consistent mid-range jumper, can knock down the three, and if you give him any kind of a gap, he can attack the rim and finish through contact or just as easily dunk through traffic. His game is so under control at all times, and, despite his large frame, he has the ability to get his shoulders past defenders with his speed and ability to use screens. He benefits from playing under Sloan, who doesn’t get a lot of recognition because he hasn’t won the championships, but his track record shows his ability to coach. He has to find a way to get things done and get his time past mediocrity in the west, which isn’t easy, before he can be the best.

1. CHRIS PAUL – DON’T SLEEP ON CP3. He’s been hurt for the past 2 years with various injuries, but when he’s healthy, he does more for his team than anybody in the league, not named Steve Nash. Tyson Chandler and David West both got paid off of Chris Paul’s leadership. He took to the Hornets, with no other big-time superstars (unless you call Peja in 07 a superstar) to the conference semi-finals. People today are quick to forget, but CP3 is more than the truth. When he was last healthy One place that he does get his knock is though is his head to head battles with Deron Williams. D-Will does get the better of these battles, but I put CP3 over D-Will because of how far, when healthy, he gets his team and his better performance when they don't go head to head. When he’s healthy he’s got the ability to go for 22 points 11 assists and almost 3 steals a night, all stats are better than Williams. And when he's healthy, his team wins.

Carlos Boozer: What’s Your Destination

Carlos Boozer is the biggest BUM in the NBA. He just agreed to sign a contract with the Bulls, and while I’m happy he’s ‘getting paid,’ I can’t help but wonder what he’s been chasing ever since he came into the league.

He was drafted by Cleveland where he played for a few years, then infamously backed out of a vocal agreement with the team to sign with Utah; the Cleveland team he left already had a young Lebron James as its budding superstar. I understand not wanting to leave money on the table, but is that all he’s chasing?

Now he’s leaving Utah with one of the top 2 young point guards in the league, a great franchise, and a great coach to go to Chicago. He has a great situation in Utah, and if he can get healthy, they have a chance to build and create opportunities to win a championship. He will definitely have those opportunities to build in Chicago, but at 29, with a very young core in Chicago, how long before he runs out of opportunities to build and his window closes. He’s already injury plagued, I just wonder what it is he’s chasing after.

Ok, I admit, Boozer is not a bum. That was more of my emotions coming out, and I think he’s’ a very good player. He has the potential to help get a team over that edge of becoming elite, but he keeps running from teams every time they’re in that process of building. He’s not a Kevin Garnett, ‘I’m gonna save a franchise and lead them to a ring,’ talent. He’s the type of player you get to pair up with another star (Lebron in Cleveland, D-Will in Utah, Rose in Chicago) and build around them. But the key word is build.

Maybe Boozer senses his time is running out and that they haven’t done enough in putting players around him and D-Will, or maybe he fills that as a great a coach Jerry Sloan is, if he can’t win a ‘chip with Stockton and Malone, he’s not gonna win one (although Jordan stopped a lot of people from winning them). Whatever it is, I hope he finds it before he’s in that Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Mike Finely phase of taking a check just to get a ring.