The Disappointing Brooklyn Nets and the Disgraceful New York Knicks.

Image Credit: EliteDaily.com

By: Kai Jones

Edited by: Dana P. (E.I.C.) 

New York City, the city of big lights, big dreams, and big expensive underperforming basketball teams. Anyone that follows basketball knows that the New York Knicks are in the words of Charles Barkley, “TURRIBLE!” The Brooklyn Nets aren’t quite as bad as the Knicks, because they are in the Eastern Conference. They are still one game under .500. Brooklyn is currently in the 8th spot of the eastern conference. Let’s not get into the despair of the Eastern Conference, where one win the Philadelphia 76ers are 7 games back of the 8th spot! Can either team get back to the near top of the Eastern conference,  where both of them were just 2 seasons ago?

Can the New York Knicks? Probably not. Willis Reed is not walking through those doors. On the brighter side, if the Knicks start to understand the Triangle offense and are able to get healthy, they could make the playoffs. 

Experienced veterans JR Smith, Samuel Dalembert, and Jose Calderon have not played up to their career averages. Calderon is especially surprising as he’s been a great point guard wherever he has been. 

Carmelo Anthony has been performing well. The Knicks do have young talent, but if they are going to make the playoffs, Derek Fisher needs to find the right lineups ASAP! 

The Nets are a little closer to the top considering they’re in the playoffs as of right now. This is a team of overpaid, aging veterans. Jarrett Jack and Kevin Garnett have not played up to their contracts. While Deron Williams and Joe Johnson have played well, they are going to have to continue their winning ways of the past few days when they beat the defending champs. 

It sure is sad to be a New York sports fan lately. The Jets and Giants are eliminated from the playoffs, the Mets and Yankees aren’t splashing in free agency, the Knicks can't win, but there is potential hope with the Nets. Brooklyn, we go hard!

From Great to Disgrace: The Alex Rodriguez Case

Image Credit: USAToday.com

By: Kai Jones

Edited by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

Has there ever been a more polarizing figure in baseball than Alex Rodriguez? If so, Rodriguez is in the top 5 along with Barry Bonds, Pete Rose, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa. However, Rodriguez may be the most talented player out of those five. Not comparing and contrasting these players, but one thing they all have in common is, they all are looked at as liars by the media. What sets Alex Rodriguez apart from the others is that he's played under a microscope in the pressure cooker, New York City. Not to mention it's THE most popular team in the MLB, the New York Yankees. Since he  arrived to New York, he has seen some of his best and worst career moments. His worst obviously would be the steroid scandals.

Rodriguez came to New York already a polarizing figure because he was looked at as overpaid, despite being the AL MVP before he came to the Yankees. He produced in his first year with his new team, and was a big contributor in their playoff run to the seventh game of the 2004 ALCS. This was also the series where he knocked the ball away from Carlos Arroyo, which kept Jeter at first base and took the team to 2 outs in the eighth inning of a close game that could've decided the series. While Rodriguez won 2 more AL MVPs, he received criticism from the media for being a bad fielder (although he converted from a short stop to third baseman specifically for the Yankees), for struggling in the postseason, and for the way he opted out of his contract. Even worse, in 2007 came the opening of Pandora’s box: famous steroid user Jose Canseco accused Rodriguez of being a steroid user as well.

Image Credit: AtlantaBlackStar.com

Baseball was at it’s highest in popularity from the 1990’s to the early 2000’s because offense was it’s peak. The reason? MLB wasn’t trying to stop the steroids because they did not believe they had a problem. Jose Canseco’s first book: "Juiced: Wild Times, Rampant ‘Roids, Smash Hits & How Baseball Got Popular" brought heat towards some of the game’s best players. This caused investigations from the MLB in 2003, which then caused US Congress to investigate. After the MLB investigation, they found that they had a problem and mandated testing. In 2006, former Senator George Mitchell started investigating steroid usage in the MLB. This 21-month investigation became known as the infamous Mitchell Report. This was the beginning of Rodriguez’s unraveling. 

Since steroids became a popular subject to the baseball media, Rodriguez constantly denied steroid use. In 2007, Canseco promised his book would unmask Rodriguez as a hypocrite. In 2009, Sports Illustrated attained Rodriguez’s test results from the MLB’s investigation in 2003, which was supposed to be anomyous and destroyed, but was gathered for the Mitchell Report two years. Rodriguez then tested positive in 2003, one of his 3 MVP years. After this article was released, Rodriguez started doing damage control and went on ESPN admitting to steroid use in 2001-2003, but he claimed to be clean since he came to New York. Through this criticism, Rodriguez went on to have his best postseason as a Yankee in which he won the World Series MVP, and of course the first championship of his career. In 2010, Rodriguez came under fire for being a patient of Anthony Galea, a doctor who illegally brought mislabeled drugs including HGH (a banned MLB substance) to America. Galea later cleared Rodriguez’s name by claiming he only prescribed anti-inflammatory medicine to Rodriguez. Rodriguez dodged that bullet, but he couldn't dodge the biggest bullet of his career, the Biogenesis baseball scandal.

Image Credit: SportsGrid.com

The Biogenesis of America was an anti-aging clinic in Florida. In 2013, the now-nonexistent clinic named several players that it was connected to, and allegedly sold PED’s to Rodriguez. The MLB went on the offense and pressured the owner, Bosch, to release all the players involved in the clinic. Some speculate that the MLB just wanted to finally get Alex Rodriguez, and I somewhat agree. Rodriguez was the one guy who besides media persecution, had eluded punishment in spite of being an admitted steroid user. Rodriguez was still a big name, highly paid player, while legends like Clemens and Bonds have undergone high criticism and legal problems because of their usage. They finally officially got Rodriguez late 2013. Rodriguez was suspended for all of the 2014 season (after appealing from August until the 2013 season was over). Now the situation could get worse as Rodriguez’s cousin and personal assistant are in deep trouble. Yuri Sacart, (Rodriguez’s cousin) is facing federal steroid distributing charges. In addition to that, Sacart is in the hospital after having open-heart surgery. Even worse, Sacart’s wife is threatening to expose every secret the family knows about Alex Rodriguez. The big issue for Rodriguez is the MLB has a policy against distributing steroids, and if Rodriguez is found to have helped his cousin, he could face another penalty from the MLB. With Rodriguez being owed so much money from the Yankees mixed with the combination of the Yankees being embarrassed by Rodriguez, means he will have no help from his team.

This whole situation is muggy and continues to take turns. Not even the writers from The Young And The Restless could have thought about this plot. Will Rodriguez be able to sustain further stains on his soiled name? Can he elude the MLB’s pursuit? Will he be able to collect the 60 million plus that the Yankees owe him? While all these questions are unknown, one thing I am almost sure of is that Rodriguez, one of the biggest offensive weapons in MLB history, will have a heck of a time getting into the Hall Of Fame when this is all over. It really is sad that one of the best players in MLB history has such a stained name and probably will miss being enshrined into the hallowed hall.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: The Lox SHUT DOWN BB Kings with Special Guest Dej Loaf!

by: Dana P. (E.I.C.)

Hip Hop ShortStop has got some EXCLUSIVE footage of The Lox performing at BB Kings last month in New York City! Jadakiss, Styles P & Sheek Louch put on a show that was the absolute BEST we've seen them perform yet! The energy was surreal & the crowd was definitely full of true hip hop heads singing along to every song, as The Lox went onto perform an entire HOUR of non stop new joints & hella classics! 

How Anthony Duclair Can Change Hockey

Image Credit: Anthony J. Causi; nypost.com

What a crazy headline. Perhaps I’m baiting you to read this, because talk about hyping up a guy who hasn’t even played one second in the NHL yet. Over the course of sports history, there have been more Ryan Leaf’s than Peyton Manning’s. The emotion of being excited in sheer ecstasy, while cheering our favorite teams and athletes on, is why we are fans. If things work out right, Anthony Duclair is about to gain a huge fanbase soon.

If you’re not familiar, Anthony Duclair is a 19 year old kid out of Montreal, Canada that was drafted 80th overall in the 2013 NHL draft by an original 6 team, the New York Rangers. I can spare you the several paragraphs of what it means to play in NY, the sports capital of the world & where the media is at its most intense.

Duclair, playing for the Rangers affiliate, the Quebec Remparts, of the QMJHL, scored a hefty 50 goals last year and was named a First Team All-Star at only 18 years old. To put it in perspective, Duclair was born when Derek Jeter was taking his first at bat, in August of 1995. 

Duclair has excited Ranger fans this preseason, scoring a goal in nearly every game he played and bringing a sense of vigor, unbridled enthusiasm and energy, to what has been an elder statesmen team. 

Will Duclair be the next Rangers mega-star, akin to Henrik Lundqvist, Brian Leetch, Rod Gilbert, Andy Bathgate, Frank Boucher, etc? Only time will tell. However, if he can be as good as the hype and if his play carries over from what Ranger fans have seen already from his junior hockey & preseason games, the NHL may be on the receiving end of a huge financial & exposure boom.

It is no secret that the NHL is considered the fourth most major sport, and in some places the fifth. (NFL, MLB, NBA, NCAA Football, NHL.) Many sports media outlets barely give it a byline. It took the Rangers to make the Stanley Cup for New York’s number 1 sports media figure & the icon of all sports radio, Mike Francesa to even talk hockey. Hockey has done itself no favors with the lockouts & a poor commissioner, but I have addressed that already in a previous article, here at HipHopShortStop.com.

So why do I think a 19 year old kid from Canada can become the sports number 1 megastar? It’s not because he’s another Canadian player in the league. It’s not even because he’s a French-Canadian. Simply, he’s a black French-Canadian. For the NHL, this black kid from Canada can become green real fast. 

Image Credit: Bruce Bennett; BlueShirtBanter.com

The NHL is predominately a white mans sport, full of Europeans, Canadians and Russians. It has a miniscule black fan base scattered across the country. Hockey just lends itself better to Caucasians because in some countries, it is the only sport they have. In America, we have many options and for parents trying to make ends meet, hockey is a very expensive sport to have your child play, with the costs of equipment, rink time, traveling, etc. Anyone can pick up a basketball, football or a glove. It’s not the same for hockey.

Hockey has had black stars over the years, but never has there been a black superstar playing in a major market in America. For the NHL to have a potential one in New York City, this can be the time to get African-Americans into the sport.

Nationality & supporting your own has always been a huge and important issue to people. I mean, just look at the Olympics, that’s what it’s all about, people competing and cheering on their own. There is a reason why blacks voted more in the history of the country when Obama ran. They voted for Obama in record numbers, just because he was black and not because of any political party devotion. I mean, do you know any black people who cared about golf until Tiger Woods took over? It is the same principle of Dominicans supporting their Dominican players in the MLB. Japanese people flocking to the MLB over players like Matsui, Ichiro, Tanaka, Nomo, etc. Remember Linsanity? And before him Yao Ming? Linsanity took over the NBA and was all over the media for a month until the Knicks foolishly let him go. Yao Ming generated the NBA billions of dollars in China with TV deals, marketing, etc. If Duclair can be as good in the NHL as he has been everywhere else, he can possibly create a surge of a whole new fan base, the African American market. 

Image Credit: ThePinkPuck.com

When Sidney Crosby was about to enter the NHL draft, the hype was all over the place. Except for injuries and choking in the playoffs, he has lived up to expectations. The NHL even protects their golden goose through officiating. Rules were changed to help increase scoring to help Crosby. However, Crosby, while a league star, never was able to brand himself and the sport in a way a Derek Jeter, a Michael Jordan or a Peyton Manning did, despite being the best. However, Duclair doesn’t have to be the best. He just needs to perform at a high level.

The NHL needs to try to increase scoring. If a 19 year old kid, can take the league by fire & he’s black, the NHL will get new eyeballs watching them. Especially in NY. With the baseball teams done & not great to be begin with, the Same Old Jets, the terrible Knicks, all NY fans have left are the NY Giants. But what about day-to-day? That is where Duclair can make his case.

I am putting way too much pressure on Duclair. We’ve had the Great White Hope in the NBA, but can the Fresh Prince of Duclair be the black jeebus of the NHL? For hockey’s sake, I hope so. For the Ranger fan in me, I fucking hope so! I am not trying to overhype the guy and saying he’ll be the next Gretzky, but there is a ton of potential in the kid and he can potentially draw the NHL tons of money. Sure it means that means the NHL can raise ticket prices even more, but it’s good for the sports overall exposure.

Black or white, Duclair is a good hockey player. I hope he becomes a megastar with that blueshirt on. Facing facts and reality, if Duclair surpasses expectations, we might see more hockey jerseys in the streets. The NBA has cornered the African-American market, changed their marketing to embrace it and has made billions off of it. They might have to start sharing the pie one day.

Anthony Duclair, being already affectionately named The Duke by Ranger fans, (Shirts are already being made by WeBleedBlue.com, soon to be copied by knockoff WeBleedBlue.comscab sites), can always wind up being chronically injured, involved in an NFL type scandal, or just being a bust. I’m excited as a Ranger fan. He hasn’t even played one game yet, and I already have him as the black Gordie Howe. I do not mean to cast insane pressure or speak in hyperbole. I am pointing out that we may not be too far off from a black-golden period for the NHL.

I bid good luck to Anthony Duclair. Playing in the biggest sports market, for an original 6 team fresh off a Cup run at only 19 years old is a rough & difficult task. As a Rangers fan, I hope he kicks ass and takes not only the Calder award, but the Hart award too. 

Keep your eyes open people, we might not be too far off from young people & black people trading in their Lebron James & Kevin Durant jerseys for the Rangers #63 jersey.

The old joke used to be, “Do you know why black people hate hockey? Because the only thing black in hockey is the puck & that gets slapped around.” Hopefully the new joke will be, “You don’t watch hockey, why, because you need your athletes to have rap sheets?”

Sign me up for the Duclair fan train. First stop, right above Penn Station, the next, only time will tell.

LETS GO RANGERS!

Sean McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com
HipHopShortStop.com

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Hip Hop Pioneers Steer The Genre Back In The Right Direction With Their Performances At The Source360

If you're an avid Hip Hop fan, all your dreams would have come true on the evening of September 20 as The Source Magazine hosted their first annual Source360 concert at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. The magazine racked up one hell of a roster as they recruited notable hip hop pioneers  like the Wu Tang Clan and Lil' Kim to grace the stage for a night of good ole fun—  and HipHopShortStop.com was front row and center taking it all in.
The streets of Brooklyn were greeted with sounds straight out of a stereo as notable group Bone Thugs-n-Harmony kicked things off to a great start being that they were the first act to reunite and hit the stage. The group put the crowd in just the right mood as they performed hits like "Crossroads" and "Notorious Thugs" featuring the late and great Biggie Smalls.

Following the Bone Thugs-n-Harmony set, the next group up held nothing back cause it's Dispet for life ya heard! The Diplomats members Jim Jones, Juelz Santana, and Cam'ron did the crowd right after they tossed hit after hit after hit; you couldn't help but to sing along. Not only did the boys have the crowd going crazy , their chemistry and interactions were so strong that on-lookers couldn't help but to acknowledge them as brothers.

The Queen Bee was the life of the party as she showed the crowd that age nor a newborn baby girl was going to slow her down from letting you know that she has still got it going on. Lil' Kim knows how to put on a show as she performed her hit singles from her Junior Mafia Days all the way to her latest tracks off her Hardcore Mixtape. Kimmy Blanco is an entity on her own but she made her set even more memorable by bringing out a couple of celebrity guests on her set like rappers Maino, Havoc of Mobb Deep and Bobby Shmurda.

And finally the moment you've all been waiting for; the headliner of the show—  Wu Tang Clan. With this reunion performance, Wu proves that they're still boss. All living members of the clan were present and accounted for as they passed the mic off to their brothers spitting hard-hitting lyrics that ultimately made history in not only the hip hop genre but also in the music industry. The chemistry the guys possessed on stage put the crowd at a lost for words and instead focused on the group in a positive light as fans held their Wu Tang forever signs high up in the air for the rest of the night.

Watch all the Source360 action come alive here.

— Brittany C. Jackson (@___PXC)

Nasty Nas the Esco: ILLMATIC the Work – IILMATIC the Tour

Image Credit: consequenceofsound.net

It’s Illmatic Year! To celebrate the 20 year anniversary Nas first released the deluxe reissue of one of, if not the greatest contributions of art to our culture – the album Illmatic. Besides some small tweaks, it’s a typical re-release excluding the addition of the track “I’m a Villain." He also took off on a world tour to follow.

Although he’s been touring most of the year, this next stream of shows will mainly support the release of the albums’ behind the scenes documentary also titled Nas: Time is Illmatic. Which will first air October 1st at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival. 

The project which is vividly painted by words – full of some painful and some hopeful stories, still has a life of its own 20 years later. A quote from the trailer – “I gave you what the streets felt like, sounded like, tasted like” – Nas.

Image Credit: consequenceofsound.net

The tour kicks off this Thursday October 2nd at the Main Street Armory in Rochester, NY. The show will include the viewing of the documentary of course which features interviews with Nas' 'Illmatic' producers (Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S., and DJ Premier) and musical peers (including Pharerell Williams and Alicia Keys. 

Salute to the God, Nasty Nas! We’ll be keeping up with him and the rest of Time is Illmatic journey.

Tina Louise 

Twitter: @TinaLouiseMe

Edited by: Dana Pellotta; Owner/E.I.C.

Joell Ortiz Takes Over SOBs New York, with Special Guests Joe Budden, and Royce Da 5'9

Last Tuesday we had the honor and great pleasure of covering the release of Joell Ortiz album, House Slippers at SOBs, in New York City. 

It was a SOLD OUT, packed house, which even included a few "special guests." Joell took the stage to perform hits from House Slippers, as well as a few throwbacks. The crowd was LIVE, with a few diehard fans, singing some of best bars word for word. 

After performing his solo joints, Joell brought Joe Budden and Royce Da 5'9 to the stage, as 3/4 of Slaughterhouse went on to perform some of their songs as a group! 

The 3 spit bars for a good amount time before rapping up the show. Joey saw me on stage, and on his way out he said hello to me with a big hug and kiss on the cheek :) 

Check out the video I took of this historic show I was so lucky to have been apart of!!!

Dana Pellotta

Owner/Editor In Chief 

Jumping Into The Action At The Source360's Weekend Festival Events

The anticipation surrounding the Source360 was sure worth the wait! Although the main event was the Source360 concert in honor of The Source Magazine's 25th anniversary, the publication also put together a weekend full of festival events that were just as exciting as the main event at the Barclay's Center. From Thursday, September 18 to Sunday, September 20th, The Source hosted various festival events out in Brooklyn, NY which included a series of celebrities talk panels, artist showcases, fashion shows and day parties. 

HipHopShortStop.com dove head in to the festival events on Saturday and had an absolute field day. The vibe of the atmosphere was so dope. It was so many events scheduled for the day our only regret is that we didn't get to attend them all! We also got the opportunity to sit in on the "Reality TV- Pros & Cons" panel featuring Tahiry Jose (Love & Hip Hop New York), Melyssa Ford (Blood, Sweat, & Heels), Po Johnson (Lala's Full Court Life) and Karen Gravano (Mob Wives). The panel of sophisticated ladies opened up about pros and cons of pursuing a career in the entertainment industry and especially reality television. The reality stars revealed some of their personal struggles in this field of work and how they have pushed to over come them.

After revealing a couple of details on each of their upcoming projects, we got a chance to chat briefly with the ladies which led to this mini photo op.

[Pictured Above — Top Left: Tahiry Jose, Top Right: Po Johnson, Bottom Left: Karen Gravano and Bottom Right: Melyssa Ford ]

After the reality television talk panel, we headed over to Woodland to grab a bite to eat at the Thank You Brunch sponsored by Coors Light. While surrounded by good music and good people, we sat and ate some delicious chicken and waffles as we geared up to watch the artist showcases later on that day.

We headed back uptown to check out the Soul + R&B  Showcase in Albee Square Plaza and to our surprise we came a across some shocking talent. While checking out the showcase, we came across actress Antonique Smith who is well known for her role as Faith Evans in the 2009 Biggie Small's biopic Notorious. Not only can this lovely lady play the hell out of a role on stage but she can also rock the mic too! Antonique let her voice ring out amongst the streets of Brooklyn as she sang her hit single "Hold Up Wait A Minute." HipHopShortStop Editor in Chief Dana Pelotta and I even got to snap a few flicks with the artist after her performance. You can check out a video of Antonique giving the audience LIFE here.

All in all, attending the Source360 Saturday festival events turned out to be a damn good day. But it wasn't quite over for us yet because we still had to make our way into the main event — the first annual Source360 concert. Stay tuned . . .

— Brittany Chanel Jackson

Twitter: @xPlatinumChanel

Fabolous & friends LIVE at BB Kings New York City September 27th 2014

Image Credit: Instagram @HybridMusicEntertainment

Next Saturday September 27th, LIVE from New York at BB Kings, Fabolous will be taking over as he performs songs from his latest album, The Soul Tape 3, as well as some of his other smash hits! We will be in the building covering this event, so come say hi! 

Show starts at midnight. On the one's and two's will be none other then my favorite DJ, "The Prince of New York," Power105's own DJ Self! Tickets can be purchased at 

http://m.ticketmaster.com/event/00004CFCFD5121FF?brand=bbkingblues&camefrom=cfc_bbking_website or by calling the venue at 212-997-4144. 

Go get those tickets NOW, as this is going to be a SOLD OUT event! 

Dana Pellotta

Owner/Editor in Chief

The Dire State of New York Sports

Image Credit: workinsports.com

New York, New York, big city of dreams. The city I call home, and the city I love more than any other I’ve had the pleasure of going to. One thing about this city that never ceases to amaze me is the love its inhabitants have for their sports teams. New Yorkers love their sports and they are not afraid to tell you about it. The city and surrounding tri-state area of New Jersey and Connecticut will root for their teams through the darkest times and brightest hour because in the end, sports is life. Sports are in the fabric of the people in this city and that will never change. Unfortunately for sports fans of New York Teams, winning is not something that has become synonymous with the greatest city on Earth. It’s to the point where the city’s sports scene has become somewhat of a laughing stock on the national level, and it’s embarrassing to watch. What’s happened to New York sports and what can possibly be done to fix it?

Management Is A Lost Art In The Big Apple…

Image Credit: www.freep.com

There are 8 professional sports teams in New York City or in the surrounding areas of Long Island and New Jersey. But for arguments sake, let’s just say NYC has 8 sports teams. The Rangers, the Islanders, the Jets, the Giants, the Knicks the Nets, the Yankees and the Mets. Before we continue, let’s do a little math. From 2001 to 2013 there was the opportunity for 96 championships to be won between all 8 teams. Out of 96 opportunities, New York City claimed just 3 titles. The New York Giants in 2007 and 2011, and the New York Yankees in 2009; that’s it. Meanwhile in Boston, the sports town New Yorkers hate the most next to Philadelphia, their four sports teams won 8 championships. They have half the teams but almost triple the championships. But why? New York has money, the prestige, the fans, and everything else Boston has. The difference between the two cities is how the teams are run and by whom.

The only organization that I can truly look at and say they’ve had a good plan on how to get things done would be the Giants. The Giants aren’t a franchise that’s concerned about winning the back-pages of New York papers. Year after year New York media and even some fans always call for Tom Coughlin’s head coach. And twice Coughlin has gone on to stop the New England Patriots from adding to their Boston sports titles while adding to New York’s. Imagine had the Patriots won at least one of the match-ups between the Giants. Boston would have quadrupled the amount of trophies NYC had with half the teams. But the Giants window seems to have closed and the era of Eli Manning as star quarterback and Tom Coughlin as two-time winning head coach seem to be over. Other than the Giants every other front office has been pretty much inept. The Yankees have one ring in the last 12 years, but their process of just over-paying past their prime players as not bore any fruit. The Mets owners have seemed clueless since the last time the Mets went to the World Series in 2000 where they lost to the Yankees. The Nets just got to the city but between Mikhail Prokhorov using the Nets as a toy and GM Billy King seemingly operating with careless disregard for draft-picks, the Nets won’t be good for years to come. The Jets have been a joke in recent memory with signings like Tim Tebow, and Rex Ryan Promises couple with Mark Sanchez shenanigans have made the Jets look foolish on multiple levels. No one knows what the Islanders are doing and it’s safe to say most of the tri-state other than Long Island even cares to find out. And the Knicks and Rangers are both owned by one of the worst owners in sports who has no idea what he’s doing and hasn’t know what’s he’s doing for years in James Dolan. Owners of New York teams want to win but have gone about it the way that used to work in the past, just throw money at the best players and let them rise to the top. But the landscape of sports has changed. Players have options when it comes to money and endorsements now that they didn’t in the past. As long as the player is great no one cares about where he plies his trade, as long as he can sell product. Leaving New York to fight it out with other markets and over-paying immensely for older past their prime sports stars. But has New York come out of the worst of it? There are some signs of hope on the horizon.

A New and Improved Way of Thinking?...

As poor as management as been for NYC teams in recent memory, I think we are starting to see a shift in the right direction with at least a few of the teams. The Rangers and Knicks who are both owned by James Dolan are in the beginning stages of sport makeovers if you will. Dolan brought in the Zen Master Phil Jackson to be the president of basketball operations and has claimed he is going to stay out of Phil’s way and let him re-shape the team into a contender like they were throughout the entire 1990’s. I’m already seeing Jackson pulling string behind the scenes and making little changes here and there to quietly get this team back to where they should be. They have Carmelo Anthony as their franchise player, they have a coach in Derrick Fisher that Jackson trusts, and in the summer of 2015 they’ll have cap space to add more pieces around Carmelo. It’s a start.

The Rangers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals last years and had they played smart hockey in the first two games, the Blueshirts could have been Stanley Cup Champions. Unfortunately things didn’t go the Rangers way but it’s definitely a good sign. The Rangers signed their own franchise star Henrik Lundqvist to a long-term deal which shows intent. They have a good roster of old players and younger players with a lot of potential like Chris Kreider that can help them build on last year’s playoff run as well. Head coach Alain Vigneault operates completely different than 99% of the people in the city he’s coaching in. He’s always calm and reserved, not brash, just always there watching and paying attention and tweaking where need be. He’s a stark contrast to former coach John Torterlla who eventually wore out his welcome in NYC. The Rangers are in a good place so let’s hope this continues.

Image Credit: DailyNews.com

It’s far too soon to say the Jets are headed in the right direction but last season they were a far better football team than people expected them to be. This past off-season has been relatively quiet and they made some pretty good acquisitions in Erik Decker, Chris Johnson and Michael Vick to help bolster their rosters. They have Geno Smith that still has a lot to prove, but unlike the Mark Sanchez debacle, Rex Ryan is putting weapons around Smith for him to grow. The Jets have done far too much dumb in recent times for anyone to immediately give them the benefit of the doubt, but it seems that maybe things are definitely changing in the culture of the Jets; and in a season or two they can really start making some noise. No more flashy signings, just really good ones to keep progressing.

The Jury is still out on the rest of the NY sports teams in my opinion. The Mets have some good young arms so lets see what Mets management does to help them. But the three aforementioned NYC teams are the ones that all look headed in the right direction. New York is far too great a city for its sports teams not to be in contention every single year in every single sport. But nothing changes if nothing changes. Only the men with the power and the checkbooks can affect change. Hopefully as a collective NYC’s power player owners wise up and return NY to sports prominence. The City will be waiting. 

By Frantz Paul

Twitter: @LSN_Frantz

DJ SpinKing Takes Over The Power 105.1 Airwaves As Guest DJ For "The Angie Martinez Show"

Image Credit: Dj SpinKing's Instagram (@djspinking)

SpinKing is only 21 living the freaking life! The discjockey turned super-producer is quickly taking over the game working with artists such as rap legend Jadakiss all the way up to club hit-maker French Montana. The music head got his start in the industry by linking up with Diggy Simmons and ever since then he's been on a non-stop flight to the top. The New Jersey native was recently granted the opportunity to venture in to another avenue. DJ SpinKing  got to spin a little on the 1's and 2's as the guest star on September 10 for Power 105's Angie Martinez Show. Being that Spinking originally started off djing house parties just four years ago and is now working 60 to 70  gigs a month, to be at this point in his career already is so phenomenal it's just too good to be true!

The 21 year-old shared this usies with 'The Voice of New York" herself on his Instagram page along with a humbling message about his experience while taking over the New York airwaves.

@djspinking:  Goofie Selfie Thankful & Blessed At The Age Of 21 As My First Time To Dj On @Power1051 With The Legendary Voice Of New York @AngieMartinez !!!! She said I'll be back so stay tuned! #AdultSwimOniTunes#VideoOnMtvJamsSunday#DjSpinKingBaby

SpinKing later shared a short video clip letting his fans in on his exciting time at Power 105.1 for the day.

Spin recently collaborated with Tyga, Jeremih, and Velous for his latest project "Adult Swim." The video for this blazing hot track was just released and shows the boys having some good old fun with some model babes on the beach. With such an impressive musical resumé on him already, onlookers just want to know what he will do next. Look out DJ Khaled. SpinKing might just be up next!

Watch DJ SpinKing's "Adult Swim" video featuring Tyga, Jeremiah, and Velous here.

— Brittany Chanel Jackson

Twitter: @xPlatinumChanel

Remy Ma Spits Fire, Remixing Bobby Shmurda's Smash Hit, "Hot N***a!" ListenHere!

And another one! Who HASNT remixed Shmurda's smash hit "Hot Ni**a?!" Well, a few still haven't touched on the track yet, but being recently released from prison, Remy's got BARS! 

Check it out, HERE!

Dana Pellotta

Editor In Cheif/Owner

Collaborations Hip-Hop Deserved

(Image: offthecorner.net)

Hip-hop music is a beautiful torture sometimes. As much as the genre makes people from around the world understand the struggles of people from different areas of the country, sometimes as hip-hop fans, we're robbed of the opportunity to get what we want from the artists we love. I know I know, I sound selfish because hip-hop has given us so much already. But hip-hop artist love giving fans teasers with collaborations that are so amazing that it makes us as fans fiend for more. So I started thinking about what collaboration I’ve always wanted to hear. And it’s unfortunate to think about it because they’ll likely never happen. But it’s still fun to think about who I want to see make an album together as a duo. So I came up with a short list. And I think hip-hop would have been both blessed and spoiled from these albums had they been created by these genius tandems.

South Bronx…South South Bronx…

One of my favorite lyricists of all time is Boricua legend Big Punisher from the Terror Squad. The man’s bars and lyrics were out of this world, and verse for verse Pun could match anyone in my opinion. Every bar Pun spit in his debut album Capital Punishment was delivered with the precision of a surgeon. Anyone who got on a track with Pun knew it was survival of the illest. He had the perfect flow, and his breath control for a man of his size were only matched by that of the late great Notorious B.I.G. Pun was the co-leader of TS along side fellow Bronx Native Fat Joe. People don’t ever seem to rate Joe highly when it comes to best MC’s ever out of New York, but if you go back and listen to Jealous Ones Envy and Don Cartegena, it’s evident Fat Joe’s rhyme ability can’t be questioned. Between Joe’s gritty NYC style, and Puns penchant for destroying any beat he got on, a collaboration album between the two would have been special for NYC and hip-hop in general. Unfortunately the rap game lost Big Pun in 2000, and the dream I had of this happening ended then. But I think had these two done an album together, that collaboration would have been special.

Straight From The 213…

“And Imma snatch your ass from the backside and show you how Death Row pull off that hoopride/ Now you might not understand me/Cause I’m a rob you in Compton and blast you in Miami” – Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. The 1990’s run that Death Row records had with its core three rappers of Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg is legendary. Snoop was a young upstart with a chip on his shoulder and something to prove to the rap world. Dr. Dre was a young veteran that knew how to get the best out of every artist he ever worked with. Whenever Snoop and Dre were in the studio together it was instant magic. From Nothing But A G Thang to Still D.R.E., the two west coast legends never let fans down when they worked together. I wish we could get a Dre and Snoop album, and since both rappers are still in the studio, it’s always a possibility. But at this point I think it’s more of a pipe dream. Dre has been teasing us with a new solo album for the better part of a decade, and Snoop isn’t the Snoop of old. I would still listen to an album with those two on it, but it’s anyone’s guess what it would actually sound like now. Missed opportunity in the 90’s for both Death Row and hip-hops fans in general.

It’s Panero and Kiss...Two-Thirds of A Brick…

Is there a better tag-team partnership in rap more fun to listen to than Stylez P and Jadakiss from the LOX? The sheer brashness, bravado, grit, and bars that come when these two get on a track together is jaw dropping. You remember the “Fiesta” remix freestyle they put out in the early 2000’s? I still listen to that regularly. To be honest I listen to all the LOX stuff regularly, but there’s nothing better than listening to Kiss and Stylez go back and forth. Every time I listen to Banned From TV I can’t help but think why on Earth did these two never put out any material together as just a duo. Maybe they never did it out of respect for Sheek Louch. Or maybe they just never thought about a Kiss and Stylez album. I know I have been thinking about it for years, and if they dropped that album tomorrow I would be the first to cop it. C’mon LOX, give us a new LOX album and then hit us with the Kiss and Stylez album. We’re here waiting.

From Marcy To Hollywood And Back Again…Back Again…

“It doesn’t matter if I was never signed to the Roc/ because me and Jay we were both signed to the Block” – Sauce Money. Why did Jay-Z never see it fit to sign Sauce Money to Roc-A-Fella records I don’t know, but early in his career, Jay and Sauce Money were absolutely lights out when they jumped on a track together. They’ve both said they are really close friends, and during Jay’s first two albums Sauce Money was there for all of the recordings. Sauce Money is even featured on Jigga’s classic debut album Reasonable Doubt. And I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the best track from Reasonable Doubt was “Bring it on” featuring Sauce Money and Jaz-O. Sauce said the reason the track came out so legendary was because each rapper knew they had to outdo the other or at least try to keep up, and that’s what fueled their bars. That track is my favorite from Reasonable Doubt, and that was the genesis of my thought that Jay and Sauce Money needed an album together. But between Jay building Roc-A-Fella, and his obsession to make Memphis Bleek the next great rapper, Jay lost sight of his partnership with Sauce Money. It’s unfortunate because I think Sauce would have been the best rapper on Roc-A-Fella after Hov himself. I have no idea if they would have ever done an album together, but we would have had more Jay and Sauce money records. What could have been. “Sigh”

Life’s A Bitch And Then You Die…

Last but definitely not least on my list of dream album collaborations is the legendary Nasir Jones, and the legendarily underappreciated AZ. Is there anything in rap history more calming and insightful than listening to Nas and AZ on a track together. It’s poetry listening to those two. There are no punch lines, no happy raps, no non-sense Tom Foolery when those two get together. The masses become more intelligent when listening to these two MC’s together. They don’t try to outdo each other, nor does it ever seem as if either is trying to be great on the track; it just comes out that way. It’s two brothers on the same track with the intelligence of Harvard Professors. An album with Nas and AZ seemed like nothing more than mere formality in the 90’s. I was sure it was coming sooner than later, and I’m pretty sure the hip-hop world thought so as well. But 20 years after Nas’ debut classic illmatic, there’s still no album. And at this point it’s safe to say hip-hop will never see anything more than random collaborations between the two lyrical titans. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be, and maybe as intelligent as these two are they knew their combined talents would not mesh for an entire album. We needed and still need more from these two, but since it may never happen, we must just enjoy the few records they’ve given us.

Those are the albums that I would have loved to see. Luckily I was able to get a Royce Da 5’9 and Eminem album in my lifetime and for that I’m grateful. I’m not holding my breath for any of the duo’s above (not counting Pun because that’s an impossibility) but who knows. Maybe, just maybe hip-hop can get one of these albums in these rappers lifetimes. Fingers crossed.

By: Frantz Paul

SZA and Willow Smith "Turn That Sh*t Up," in Brooklyn!

(Photo Credit whycauseican.com)

On July 15, 2014, several artists took the stage at the Afro-Punk Kickoff, at the Rough Trade in Brooklyn, New York. There were many fans raging with anxiety to witness live performances by artists such as Englewood New Jersey’s own Cakes Da Killa, Pop duo Denitia and Sene, Mykkia Blanco collaborator Princess Nokia, and HO9909. The energy from the performers were definitely reciprocated into the multi-cultural crowd of roughly over 1,000 energetic music lovers.  The connection between the artists and the crowd, was undeniably amazing. While these are the majority of the names mentioned, an unexpected name was revealed during the steady flow of the concert! 14 year old Willow Smith, daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkest-Smith, entered the stage to surprise the crowd with an unreleased collaborative track with SZA! The unexpected duet between the two, was filled with so much compassion and soul. They both admired one another’s vocals as they took the stage. In the beginning of the sultry single entitled “Domino,” Willow’s mic appeared to sound a little toned down, directing whomever was in charge of the sound to “Turn That Sh*t Up,” but SZA took the initiative to hand over her mic and let Willow take full control of the stage. As the two extremely talented artists harmonized with one another, the crowd cheered them on in amazement of the surprise that had risen before their ears. It was as if Willow had became whole again, and was one with her music as she performed, and SZA felt her energy. Together, they did an amazing job. Towards the end of their performance, SZA commemorated Willow’s such "raw" talent, and also dropped a hint of a soon to be collaboration between the two. The “whip your hair” phenomena has let the world know that she definitely has more in store for her music career, and is prepared to share it with the world. Freedom, peace, simplicity and positive vibes are what seemed to be given within every artist that took their place on that stage on the evening of July 15, 2014. This concert really gave you a glimpse of what to look forward to in the up and coming Afro-Punk Festival, taking place on August 23rd and 24th, it’s needless to say that all of the artists definitely “Turnt That Sh*t Up”, including the sound man. 

Click here to watch the performance.

by:: Alexis J. Robinson
Twitter:: @theywant_boosie

edited by:: Dana Pelotta (Editor In Chief/Blog Owner)

More Insight On The 2014 MLB All Star Game

MLB All Star Game

As bad as the home run derby was (and it was bad, more about that here), the All Star game delivered.

Derek Jeter shined on the first play of the game, making a diving grab and throw that would have gotten anyone but Andrew McCutchen out. And he didn't stop there. Jeter went 2 for 2, with a double and a single, and scored a run. He knocked the double off the right field wall as a well lubricated fan yelled, "Overrated!" (Did anyone else hear a bit of a Bostonian accent in that heckle?)  MVP material, right? Well, it would have been had Mike Trout not gone 2 for 3 with 2 RBIs, a triple and a run. He was awarded MVP as MLB prepares to pass the torch to younger players. To ensure its continued success, MLB must do a better job branding its young stars. This was a baby step in the right direction.

One young player not ready to carry the torch is Yasiel Puig. He stayed consistent with his performance in the derby, striking out in all three of his at bats. Yikes.

As I said, the game itself was a good one, and if you cared, you watched it. The American League won 5-3, and as MLB is constantly reminding us because "This time it counts," secured home field advantage for the World Series.

As is usually the case with these events, though, the most compelling story lines didn't come from box scores or defensive gems. First, the players can't seem to decide if the game counts to them or not. Adam Wainwright, the starting pitcher for the NL, may or may not have given Jeter "a couple of pipe shots," as he told Jeff Pasan of Yahoo Sports. Wainwright later backed away from this statement. Try as MLB might, the All Star game seems like an exhibition game still to fans and players.

Jeter got a lot of attention, and if you didn't like it, well, too bad. Any baseball fan should be able to tip their hat to the man. RE2PECT, right? Jeter has respected the game his entire career, played within it, and never tried to become more than the game. His introduction, send off, and the RE2PECT commercial were moments true sports' fans cherish, regardless of their allegiances. Even some Southies will miss Jeetah when he's gone. Too much?



A lot was made over the lack of tribute to Tony Gwynn. Twitter nearly broke from fans expressing their rage. Much of it was exaggerated, and as goes with everything on Twitter, the rest was from people piggybacking a trending topic. I'm in the apparently small camp that doesn't feel an All Star game is the proper moment for a tribute. MLB later said they didn't want to single out any individuals, and, although their phrasing was poor due to the attention given to Jeter, I believe them.

Anyway, we're only halfway through the season, so let's carry the good moments from the All Star game into the rest of the year.

Oh, and next year, if you want the AL to win again, and you want to play your part in that, vote the entire Mets' bullpen in for the National League.

by:: Josh Henderson

Twitter: @verybadwrong

Yankees Core 4 and the end of an amazing ERA

Yankees Core 4 and the end of an amazing ERA

By Frantz Paul 

Photo Credit:cbsSports.com

Well Yankees nation, it’s been a hell of a run we’ve had since 1996. The run I’m talking about is the one involving the core 4 Yankee legends of Mariano Rivera, Andy Petite, Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter. That quartet of greatness has brought Yankees fans across the globe some of the greatest moments in our sporting lives, and we can never repay them for what they brought to Yankees nation. But with the core four almost completely off the playing field with Derek Jeter retiring after this 2014 MLB season, how will we cope and prosper?

The Core 4 And Why Yankees Nation Is Scared… 

As much as the world loves to make a bid deal about the supposed abhorrent amount of money that late great Yankees owner George Steinbrenner spent on players over the years, detractors always fail to mention that the cornerstones of the franchise for the last 20 years were homegrown Yankees. Jorge Posada, Derek Jeter, Andy Petite and Mariano Rivera are all true Yankees to the core and came up with the organization from the outset. With Jeter at shortstop, Petite on the mound, Posada directing traffic, and Rivera shutting the door on batters for years, the core 4 brought the Yankees 5 championships. With those 4 players on the Yankees roster, the Yankees always stood a chance to go deep in the playoffs and bring championships to the Bronx. If there was ever a need for a clutch hit, who was better on an 0-2 count in the playoffs than El Capitan himself Jeter? No one, and all his clutch hits and plays over his career have proved it. Whenever the Yankees needed an Ace to come to the mound and give Jeter and the boys a chance to win, Joe Torre always called on Andy Petite to go deep into the pitch count and make sure he kept rival bats quiet. And crouching behind the batters throwing guys out and quarterbacking the offense was the always-reliable Jorge Posada; who was there for a timely hit when the Yankees needed him. And last but definitely not least is the Hammer of God himself Mariano Rivera. Any man that comes out to Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” is a Legend for that alone. But once Mariano touched the mound, opposing batters knew their number was up. In baseball there are 5 tool players meaning an athlete who excels at hitting for average, hitting for power, baserunning skills and speed, throwing ability, and fielding abilities. Those are the ideal position players. And then there are pitchers that have multiple pitches they can beat you with. Mariano is the greatest closer of all-time and he did it with one pitch his entire career, the fastball. They say the true sign of madness is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result. Batters facing Mariano knew what was coming, were ready for it, swung thinking there would be a different result from their prior encounter with Mariano, only to find themselves walking to the dugout with a broken bat and shattered dreams. Of course George spent money to build a powerhouse team on the foundation that was the Core 4, but it all started with them. But now, there’s only one left standing, and Jeter’s run has come to its end. It looks like there may be dark times ahead for the Yankees and there isn’t another Core 4 waiting in the wings to build on.

The Yankees have Yangervis Solarte who is still relatively young at 27 years old and is a really good 3^rd basemen. And they also have their newest ace in Masahiro Tanaka who has taken Major League Baseball by storm and is just 25 years old. Tanaka is still too early in his major league career for us to know if what he’s been doing in the Majors is sustainable. But if what we’ve seen so far is the real deal, then the Yankees have their future ace for years to come. But barring those two and maybe a few guys in the minors, the Yankees future doesn’t seem like an envious one right now.  The Yankees are an older team who are injury prone and just fighting to stay alive in their own division. The Yankees are playing .500 baseball so far this season, and are 5 back in the division behind the Baltimore Orioles. With players like Tanaka, CC Sabathia, Michael Pineda, Ivan Nova and Carlos Beltran on the Disabled List, the Yankees are short on arms and some hitting. Maybe the Yankees will get all those players back at the right time in August, and start making a run for October. But once the season is over, the Yankees organization as a whole has to really take a look at everything from top to bottom and figure out how this team will get back to winning trophies regularly like the fans were used to under the Core 4. 

We will all miss what Jeter, Posada, Petite, and Rivera brought our lives since the mid-90’s. Hopefully the Steinbrenner’s have something players brewing in the minors that’ll propel the organization back into the forefront after some grooming. If not, Yankees Nation should enjoy what we have left of Captain Jeter, and what the other three Core 4 members gave us, and be glad you were part of it. I know I am. 

Follow @LSN_Frantz on Twitter