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November 30th, 2009 by Da Fam Ink
We brought you the first part of this last week. Now watch the conclusion of The Comissioner speaking on business. Real good stuff for all the corporate hustlers out there.
Steve Stoute Talks The Music Biz, Nas & Hip Hop Beef! from the.LIFE Files on Vimeo.
November 26th, 2009 by Phella
CG asked me to add on to his Allen Iverson retirement post but I feel AI is worthy of two entries if not more. Living all of my adolescent life in the DMV area, Allen Iverson is a name we’ve held to a very high regard for over a decade now. From his days at Georgetown where coach Thompson took a chance on him, to setting the league on fire with his patented crossover, Dr.J afro, jewelry and tats. Long before Jay-Z became the epitome of ‘cool’ there was Iverson. Every boy wanted to be him and every girl wanted to be with him.
Needless to say I practiced the dribbles in the mirror, bought the shoes, and at one point even tried to grow the hair. More important than the aesthetics is the hope that AI gave to all of us. He was our height, from our neighborhood, with a past that would make the strongest individual crumble. I remember the stories of him visiting his biological father in jail and giving him the sneakers off his feet. Or the governor pardoning him after serving jail time for his part in a bowling alley brawl which bystanders say he was simply trying to break up. Basically, he had it rough.
That’s why every time I saw him speeding down New York Avenue in his silver Lamborghini or on Florida Avenue with his Rolls Royce Phantom, I made it a point to let him know that I appreciated everything he’s done for the game and for us underdogs. As I grew older I made friends and associates with people close to AI and through them I was able to get an even closer look into his life. A former athlete client of mine is good friends with AI and he knows him simply as “Bubba Chuck”, a nickname used by close friends and family. Everyone of them will tell you that Bubba Chuck is the most down to earth superstar you will ever meet. I can vouch. Two summers ago I saw him stand in the rain barefoot (after giving away his sneakers) shaking the hands of every kid that came to his charity football game.
So with all that said, thanks Allen. I caught the tail end of the Michael Jordan era. Magic and Isaiah were way before my time. Allen Iverson was the only player that could even get my mother to tolerate basketball. If he was playing, the TV didn’t have to go off, even on school nights. When you are who you are and you give your heart and soul to what you do, people tend to like you like that. I’ll remember the “practice” rant. I’ll remember the sub par rap album. I’ll even remember the fiasco that one summer with wifey. But none of those things can overshadow who The Answer really is; a warrior, a humanitarian, a family man, and a basketball legend.
I think this video sums up Allen Iverson and his ability to overcome obstacles.
-Phella
November 26th, 2009 by CG
Not too long ago I had a conversation with a prominent photographer and video director (more on this coming soon), and something I asked him was if he thought heart could overshadow a lack of talent. He preached balance. He said that without talent heart is useless and vice versa; however, those that excel possess both aspects.
I couldn’t agree more. Unfortunately there’s only so much talent you can pack into a 6′0″, 165 pound body (generously speaking). That is where Allen Iverson’s heart took over. The Answer had the skill to set him apart but let’s face it, he was a little guy playing a big man’s game. Heart (along with that ridiculous crossover) earned Allen Iverson MVP awards and NBA scoring titles. Battling through broken tailbones, numerous shoulder dislocations, broken thumbs, hip pointers, and a few elbow contusions (if I recall, AI was the first guy to break out the now common padded arm sleeve in the NBA) Iverson slashed through the lane with wreckless abandon among the trees. He was Dwyane Wade before Dwyane Wade.
Reebok somehow snatched this kid up after he was rocking Jordans during his days at Georgetown. I’d be willing to bet that the peak of Reebok’s sneaker sales was the peak of Allen Iverson’s popularity. He was the cornrow wearing, tattoo having, thug that the corporate NBA was scared of. The people embraced his game though, and along with his game came his merchandise. I remember every year during opening day I would try and catch replay after replay to get a glimpse of what the new Allen Iverson sneaker looked like. He was Michael Jordan after Michael Jordan…and let’s not forget what he did to Michael Jordan.
When I talked about doing a tribute post to AI a friend asked me, “Is it going to include how overrated he is?” Overrated? He’s a franchise player and we in here talking about overrated? Not underrated, not appreciated, we talking about overrated?….Impossible. This is the kid who led his Bethel High School football team to a state title while assuming the role of arguably the best dual threat QB to (n)ever play college football. This is the kid that went to Georgetown, won 2 Big East Defensive POY awards, and ended up leaving school early as the leading scoring in Georgetown history. This is the kid that was taken with the 1st pick in the 1996 NBA Draft and went on to win the ROY award in a landslide. This is the kid that butted heads with one of the most prolific head coaches in NBA history and won. This is the MAN that single handedly lead the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA Finals. Did I mention his best role player was Aaron McKie? No shots. This is the MAN that took Tyronn Lue’s ankles and pride; and then laughed about it….
ALLEN IVERSON CREATED THE CROSSOVER ALLEN IVERSON CREATED THE CROSSOVER ALLEN IVERSON CREATED THE CROSSOVER ALLEN IVERSON CREATED THE CROSSOVER
Let’s be honest, AI hails from the notorious 757 so did we really expect anything less than a controversial, freakish athlete with an entirely too large (uh huh uh…) ego? Did we really expect for him to willingly accept a diminished role and minutes when all he knows is to be the most deadly scorer in the game? I’m sad that his career is going to end this way, in NBA exile. No one willing to take a chance on a quality player because of chemistry issues. I can dig it though, but when all is said and done…fans will remember the excitement he brought to the game, coaches will remember the fear that he instilled in their teams, and I pray that the Hall of Fame Committee will remember what a prominent player he was.
He leaves the game as the 17th leading scorer in NBA history, and one of the only players to average 25 ppg, 5 assists, and 2 steals over his career. The only thing he never accomplished? A ring. Add AI to the list of greats that never fully accomplished greatness; a truly sad story.
On this Thanksgiving Day, I’d like to say that I’m thankful for growing up and being able to enjoy Allen Iverson and his career.
November 25th, 2009 by Da Fam Ink
A mans failure or perceived failure is nothing to celebrate but it is worth noting that a man who’s made a career out of mocking the low sales numbers of others debuts at #5 on the charts during holiday season with just 160,000 units sold. For an elite artist and considering the marketing dollars put into the “actual” project, it’s considered a flop.
November 25th, 2009 by Da Fam Ink
It’s Wednesday and there’s a lot going on this week. Besides the obvious Thanksgiving day tomorrow, several albums were released. Lot’s of parties in all the metropolitan areas. And of course, 50 Cent.
In Stores:
Don’t know too much about Wiz or his record deal structure but it seems he has a pretty good following. Could end up being the fish that saved pittsburgh. Congrats to him and good luck.
Everyones favorite bad girl, Rihanna, released Rated R this week. Def Jam spares no expense on promoting their major acts so she naturally was everywhere this week. From David Letterman to Good Morning America, and even the regrettable (vocally not visually) AMA’s performance. Below you can see her speak about her Christmas wish.
The homie Bobby Ray released “Nothin On You” which apparently will be the single from his debut album slated to be released in April. Sounds like a hit. Listen Below.
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In this weeks “actual” news. After “actually” flopping, 50 Cent justifies his “actual” sales as well as threatens Jay-Z.
That’s all for now folks. Enjoy and be thankful. If for nothing else, for this wonderful site that we’ve provided you free of charge. Shoutout to the whole Da Fam team as well as those that support.
November 23rd, 2009 by Nisarg Lives
Here’s an article (Fortune Magazine) from my stock broker days that details explains the crisis/Recession of the past two years. Remember, this came out in November 2007, ONE MONTH before eveerything went bonkers. (You don’t have to read the whole thing — the highlighted parts on the second page explain all.)
So basically, Stock Brokers, Real Estate guys, and the whole country were riding high, since profits were INSANE during the early part of ‘07. I remember many, many companies making bigger profits than they EVER had before. The DOW was at 14,000 (it’s now tinkering at 10,000). An air of invincibility permeated the atmosphere, and nobody could be touched. Banks and real estate brokers were making so much money, they began lending out loans to people that couldnt afford them (you remember the commercial – “No credit? No problem!”)
All forms of debt — credit card, mortgages, little johnnie’s college fund — are sold as ’securities’ (think of it as a piece of stock) — to investors. So a bank would take a bunch of loans that people owe them, and use that money (which they don’t technically have, even though it’s owed to them), to invest in others stocks. Or they would sell it (as a bond), to other investors. Now this happened millions and millions of times over, in both the credit card and the real estate loans.
Eventually, people couldn’t afford to pay their mortgages (which they weren’t ready to afford in the first place. But remember, we were all ‘Supermen’). So all those stocks that YOUR bank bought with money that was owed to them, but they didn’t really have? Now they can’t afford it. But the thing is, the deal’s already been made. So the guy they bought the stocks from (or whatever it is they buy), wants his money. But he can’t get it, cuz the bank doesn’t have it, cuz the guy they loaned money to buy a house can’t afford his payment, since he never should have bought such an expensive house in the first place.
Now the banks fires employees to save money…people have less money to spend (since they have no job), so they buy less stuff. Now, video game companies, Disneyland, porn shops — everybody’s making less money.
Remember when I told you that these bad loans were being sold off to investors? Well, the investors aren’t only just people like you and I. ‘Investors’ also means big companies — companies like Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan, YOUR bank — they bought it. These are the people that handle the investments of regular Joe’s like us. Your pension, your investments — all go up in smoke because the guy you trust with your money buys some crap loans, in the form of stocks.
Now your dad has to work until 75, cuz his pension’s gone. And Bush wants these companies that I just mentioned to handle ALL of your retirement money, because that’s what a good democracy does. But what happens if stocks decide to fuck up, like they did the last two years? It’s easy for Bush and the wealthy stomach losses, but not so easy for us.
(Never mind the fact that during this time period, coincidentally or not, the Saudis decided to play up-fuck with the price of oil.)
With less money in your pocket, you (naturally) will spend less of it. Now, the company that makes milk isn’t making as much money, since people are buying less milk, so they jack up the price, since they still have to cover costs. Costs such as the cost of transport, which is directly related to the price of oil (duh).
And the cycle continues, becoming a downward spiral of financial losses, job losses, home losses, human losses. It’s vicious, takes no prisoners, and leaves otherwise good people beckoning at the will and call of those with disheartened hearts. Their demonic sense of greed, their bloodlust knows no bounds. You can’t afford milk? Fuck you, pay me. Your kid can’t go to college? Fuck you, pay me. Oh, this is my fault, is it? FUCK YOU, PAY ME!!
And how did this happen?? Was nobody watching?! Well, truthfully — No. Thanks to Reagan, our entire financial system was ‘de-regulated’ in the 80’s. So there’s no real regulatory body that has any real force behind it. I mean, if you say ‘Fuck’ on national TV, or show a tit, the FCC’s on your ass. But if, god forbid, you’re a broker, and make a mistake by investing SOMEONE ELSE’S MONEY into some crap stock– since you never did any research in the first place — it’s Ok…just call for a bailout!!
So, let me get this straight. When it comes to ethics, the insurance companies, real estate & stock brokers, they DO NOT want the government interfering in their business. This is America, a free market, laissez-faire, blah blah blah. But when they fuck up, they want taxpayer money to cover their losses. Losses based on deals that were insanely ludicrous in the first place.
In a culture of idiocy, pride, and greed, I find it appalling that no one wants to take responsibility. These men that boast of their superiority, how they can move mountains (read: markets), can’t even admit when they’re wrong. If the price of milk and oil double, to them, it’s basically ‘Oh Shit, I made a mistake…damn..’
But to the plumber down the street, or the struggling writer, it’s ‘Damn…how will I pay my rent? My kids won’t be eating as much?’ And it’s all because of no fault of their own.
These behemoths of modern economic warfare, with their chests pounding, and war cries of ‘Four more years!‘ and Ivy-League-approved-but-never-went-to-class educations. For all their power and greed, they lack one thing — smarts. They lack the smarts to see the human element of their applications of their farce of an economic theory, they lack the smarts to see that Machismo is great for the schoolyard in 3rd grade and for Razor Ramon, but it’s not practical in running a fuckin’ country. They lack the smarts to see the karmic effect of their transgressions…forcing their profound economic will on the pure powerless.
‘We’ll see what happens when the have-nots turn to Sasquatch’ — who ever though a 50 Cent line would be so applicable.
Ya gotta love it!
November 22nd, 2009 by Nisarg Lives
You gotta give it up to these guys, man. This album, especially, from ‘Cot Damn’, to Fab’s guest verse, to everything in between, straight under the radar. A classic, classic album.
He’s better than Jada. He supplies the hood (/Internet) with a steady supply of hits. His consistency will break your neck. My older post had some of its hottest stuff from this year, but here’s some from years gone by:
04 The Future (Problems) — Styles on a Dre beat? Sheeeesh
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— Styles on a Preemo beat? Shiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeettttttttttt
November 22nd, 2009 by Nisarg Lives
Taken from the last issue of Men’s Fitness. Don’t know why, but this really struck me. Hope y’all like it too
November 22nd, 2009 by Da Fam Ink
All the stuff you might have missed courtesy of WSHH
Unfortunately other genres don’t rip as fast as Hip-Hoppers do so we don’t have the Green Day performance or Black Eyed Peas. They were both great though.
November 20th, 2009 by Nisarg Lives
LIVE From The Fortune List It’s Steve Stoute! from the.LIFE Files on Vimeo.
Check out part one of Javid’s highly anticipated interview with entertainment/advertising mogul Steve Stoute from the roof deck of his New York City office. In this installment Steve talks making Fortune Magazine’s “40 under 40 list this year, partnering with his friend Jay-Z to help run his Translation Advertising last year, why he Mary J. Blige and Gucci teamed up to help women with their FFAWN organization and finishes that interesting story about how it was initially Jay-Z’s idea to extend an invite to 50 Cent for his own Reebok sneaker.
Part two where Steve talks why he doesn’t necessarily want people to compare Nas & Jay-Z, how hip hop beef is like a pimple on an elephant and who he sees as the entertainment industry’s next moguls coming right up!!!!!
November 19th, 2009 by Da Fam Ink
Ironically, this came in via Blackberry Messenger.
10 signs you are going Blackberry crazy:
1- Taking BB to bathroom with you
2- Happiness when getting/stopping in traffic
3- Laughing/Smiling a lot when nobody is talking to you
4- Not giving a crap about what’s going on around or who’s around
5- Back bending and neck problems
6- Make nails longer/shorter “for better control”
7- Fall asleep with BB beside
8- BBM obsession
9- Free advertising/marketing for BB company
10- Make fun of other phones, specially Nokia
November 19th, 2009 by Da Fam Ink
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Absolute flames!
