Friday, December 31, 2010

Bengals riding offensive momentum to season finale in Baltimore

The Cincinatti Bengals' offense has been reinvigorated since both Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens have been hurt.

Without a "star" receiver, this offense has played better than anyone expected. Quarterback Carson Palmer threw four touchdowns and no interceptions against the Chargers' number one ranked defense in the league and appears to making better decisions. Third year receiver Jerome Simpson caught six passes for 124 yards. Even though he was virtually shut down last week, running back Cedric Benson gained 150 rushing yards against the Cleveland Browns two weeks ago, showing he is still capable of frustrating a subpar run defense.

In recent history, the Bengals have had the Ravens' proverbial number. Under Marvin Lewis' leadership, the team has gone 10-5 against their purple-clad division rivals.

Carson Palmer has orchestrated quite a few fourth quarter comebacks against the Ravens during his time as the Bengals starting quarterback, most notably on Dec. 5, 2004 when Palmer led a 24 point comeback to give the Bengals a 27-26 win.

Since Cedric Benson has sporting the orange and black stripped uniform, he has put forth impressive, "streak-breaking" efforts against the Ravens. Last season, Benson broke the Ravens' streak of 39 games without allowing a 100 yard rusher, gaining 120 and 117 rushing yards in both game against the Ravens. This season, he has not been nearly has extraordinary but continues to do a decent job running out of the backfield.

On the other side, Joe Flacco is the key to the victory for both teams on Sunday. In week two, these two teams met in Cincinnati where obnoxious orange colors and loud crowd noises surrounded the him. He threw four interceptions, making scoring a very difficult task for his offense and much easier for his opponent.
Don't expect that to reoccur. Since the embarrassing 15-10 loss that motivated fans to request Marc Bulger  replace him, Flacco has thrown only four interceptions. The Bengals did not replicate their 2009 playoff season, in fact, have fallen for first to worst in the AFC North.

Ball security has been a crucial part in keeping the Ravens close in every game, win or loss. The Ravens are coming into this game with the hopes of setting a new franchise low for turnovers in a single season (21 turnovers, 2008).


This game is a mismatch on paper but when two division rivals such as these battle, the result is always brutal and unpredictable.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Rhymefest- Super Guy featuring Mike Bigga



Rhymefest and Mike Bigga, two of hip hop's most aggressive rappers, join together to trade lines laced with superhero references. Unfortunately the audio quality is poor but nothing an increase in volume can't improve.

My favorite hip hop albums of 2010

If you dig through my troves of 2010 posts, you may encounter a list of the hip hop albums released in the earlier part of the year I enjoyed the most. As this eventful year comes to a close, I want to present an updated list of four more hip hop albums I have cherished this year.

Kanye West- Monster featuring Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj (Official Video)



Above is the dark, sick, gruesome but still unfinished video for the most successful single from Kanye West's My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy album. All the rappers are present, each with their own unique preference of dress.

Let me just warn you. There is blood galore, a headless woman and many seconds of Kanye West's chest, this video isn't for the faint of heart.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Tity Boi- LO Boots featuring Vado



What do you get when two unlikely collaborators like Harlem rapper Vado and ATlien Tity Boi, one half of Disturbing the Peace duo Playaz Circle, come together? A club beat with a lot of braggadocio. When it comes to this one, I am a fan with reason.

"LO Boots" is the first single from Tity Boi's mixtape #2ChainTuesdays set for release in the near but indefinite future (aka no time soon).

Where have I been?

Give me this opportunity to apologize for the low volume of posts as of late. My computer recently got hit with a virus, thus making blogging very hard to do. In the next day or so I will post my list of favorite hip hop albums from 2010. Keep an eye out for that!

Monday, December 27, 2010

Ravens defense cashed in check Lewis wrote


Ray Lewis publicly stated last week that Browns running back Peyton Hillis would not run for more than 100 rushing yards like he did back in September, the last time these two teams met.

On September 26, Hillis ran for 144 yards on 22 carries, one of which was a 44 yarder off the left tackle, through the right side of the defense.

Yesterday was a totally different story. From the very beginning, the Ravens had Hillis snooped out, keeping him from breaking a run longer than seven yards. His measly 2.9 yard per carry average was outdone by teammate Mike Bell who was somewhat more productive, getting 27 yards with nine carries.

Once the Browns running backs were shut down, rookie quarterback Colt McCoy was left to scramble and force erratic throws in an attempt to keep his team in the game. The result was a three interception outing, two caught by Ed Reed and one by Lardarius Webb, giving them six and two interceptions respectively on the season.

This game marks the second consecutive game the Ravens opposing leading rusher was held to less than 40 rushing yards. If the run defense can maintain their stiff performances, they could cause upcoming opponents lots of trouble.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to my readers all around the world and a "season's greetings" to those who practice a different customs than I this time of year.

David Reed out this Sunday. Who is the next man up?

David Reed has officially been ruled out of Sunday's contest between the Ravens and the Browns due to the concussion he suffered a week before against the New Orleans Saints. His efforts as kick returner and kick coverage team member have rejuvenated the entire special teams unit.

He is averaging 29.3 yards per return and his 103 yard touchdown return is the Ravens' only kick returned for a touchdown this season. His special teams tackles rank in the top 3 on the team.

In his absence, Jalen Parmele is most likely to succeed him as main kick returner. This is not necessarily a downgrade as Parmele's bruising, forward running has proved effective enough to earn him a 25.8 return average during his career.

Considering a weather forecast of now and temperatures in the mid 20's, the field position will be crucial in this game. A shorter, manageable fields for Flacco and the offense will make scoring much more achievable.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Rick Ross' mixtape released today


Rick Ross's new mixtape Ashes to Ashes has been released to the public today via internet and is already being compared to his previous underground mixtape Albert Anastasia EP.

This project boasts features from Ludacris, Wiz Khalifa, Wale, T.I and more.

The mixtape can be heard in its entirety below:

Todd Heap's return makes offense even more dangerous.

The (10-4) Baltimore Ravens travel this Saturday to Cleveland for a divisional game against the (5-9) Browns likely with the services of a returning Todd Heap.

Heap has missed the past two games due to a hamstring injury. He was injured on the first offensive play of the Steelers-Ravens game as he attempted to catch a deep pass from quarterback Joe Flacco.

His presence in the starting line-up will give the run game a better blocking tight end and Flacco another legitimate threat across the middle in passing situations. Heap has 546 receiving yards and 37 catches (fourth on the team in both categories) so far this year despite be unable to perform in the past three games. His 65 yard touchdown reception is the team's second longest reception of the year (Dante Stallworth's 67 yard reception is the longest).

In his absence, rookie Ed Dickson has been a more-than-serviceable solution. Last week he ran 34 yards, breaking through several arm tackles, to get his first career touchdown. He accumulated six catches for 61 yards during his time as the starter. Although he is a gifted receiver, he is not yet ready to overthrow Heap as the starting tight end in this offense.

Sunday, expect Heap to receive at least one touchdown catch on his return as he is three weeks overdue. The Browns have played decent defense against only sub-par competition. None of their last four opponents (Cincinatti, Buffalo, Miami and Carolina) have quarterbacks playing at a level comparable to Joe Flacco. Flacco will have a fine day. With Ray Rice emerging last week against the New Orleans Saints, the Browns focus on stopping the run will open up plays down field.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Vado- Large on the Streets & We All Up in Here (Official Video)



Above is a video for two of Vado's more recent singles, "Large on the Streets" and "We all Up in here", neither of which is featured on his solo debut, Slime Flu. Large on the Streets can be found on a mixtape of the same name and We all Up in here is the latest single from Cam'ron and Vado made available on iTunes last week.

One half of the video is "Large on the Streets" full of punchline ridden bars by Vado over a cold, slow-tempo Big L sample. The second half is "We All Up in Here", a more party oriented cut, reminiscent of early Swizz Beatz material.

T.I - Salute (Prod. by Jake One)

 

T.I uses a Jake One beat to demand a salutation of respect from his peers and listeners

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

What's the deal with Sergio Kindle?

kllk
I dream of the day the Ravens have two fierce pass rushers anchoring opposing sides of the defense.The thought of blocking both Terrell Suggs on the right side and Sergio Kindle on the left would make coaches cringe. The potential Kindle possess makes me so optimistic about future of the Ravens defense.

Unfortunately, Kindle is reported to be uncertain about his health status for next season. After a meeting with an anonymous doctor, Kindle took to his twitter account to update his followers on his return.

"Dr's up here make'n me nervous bout my chances of come'n back next yr!!" said Sergio Kindle yesterday. Minutes later he added,"n yal know its a business so if i cant play next yr, dey aint gon keep me here!! But F*CK IT i gota keep grind'n so i can ball out next yr!!"

His latter statement is pretty accurate. As the Ravens' first of two second round draft picks this year, he is expected to contribute sooner rather than later. If he is unable to play for physical reasons, the Ravens will have little choice but to release him.

I hope his recovery continues to go well so we can see Sergio Kindle in back next year.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Big Sean- Ambigious featuring Mike Posner and Clinton Sparks



This video for Big Sean's "Ambigious" is silly and simple but if you're a fan of Mike Posner, Big Sean or even Clinton Sparks (doubt it), you should check it out. Far East Side Movement is featured in the video but they don't actually sing or rap. This track can be found on Big Sean's Finally Famous Vol. 3 mixtape.

Ways to shut down the Ravens offense

After Sunday's dominating rushing performance against the New Orleans Saints, teams in the league have to develop a strategy for stopping both facets of the Ravens offense or be buried under insurmountable deficits.


Ray Rice displayed his best game of the season against the Saints with over 150 rushing yards and 80 receiving yards. Joe Flacco threw two touchdowns, one to Rice and another to rookie tight end Ed Dickson.

From a defensive coordinator's perspective, these stats would reveal how integral the run is  in Baltimore's offense and shutting it down would make it much more difficult for them to score points.

Joell Ortiz- Roman's Revenge freestyle



Joell Ortiz has been absent from this blog for a while but is making his return with a short but lyrical freestyle over Swizz Beatz's "Roman's Revenge" instrumental originally used by Nicki Minaj.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Rick Ross- 9 Piece featuring T.I

 Rick Ross f. T.I.- 9 Piece

Rick Ross' new mixtape Ashes to Ashes will be released this week on Christmas Eve. One of the tracks features Ross and T.I flexing their rapping muscles over a Lex Luger beat. The track itself is nothing innovative but the collaboration of two of raps most relevant rappers makes it worth at least one listen.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Ray Rice energizes Ravens offense.

Ray Rice rose from the ashes of a season full of poor performances to finish the day at home with 233 total yards, 153 rushing yards and 80 receiving yards.

Much credit is due to the offensive line, who unlike last week, opened up visible holes for running backs Rice and Mcgahee to dash through. Rice's longest run of 50 yards showed how dangerous he can be when running through secondary. The problem is reaching that level.

Rice hasn't broken a run longer than 25 yards since his week two performance against the Cincinnati Bengals. The majority of the season has consisted of runs stopped instantly at the line of scrimmage, hence his unimpressive 3.9 yards per run average. Today, Rice averaged 4.9 yards and teammate, Willis Mcgahee, averaged 7.9 yards.

In the passing game, he provided that dump off option Joe Flacco needs difficult situations. However, his touchdown catch was the result was an extremely accurate pass by Flacco placed perfectly into the end zone for Rice to grab. This and four of catches helped Rice cover up the minimal contribution of Boldin and the rest of the receivers.

Rice's rushing yard total so far this season is 1051, making 2010 season his second consecutive with over 1000 rushing yards. His next game, in Cleveland versus the Browns, presents another opportunity to put up dynamic numbers but only if the offensive line has found a definitive method of blocking for him.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

David Banner & 9th Wonder- Be With You featuring Ludacris




Rappers David Banner and Ludacris and producer 9th Wonder travel with us back to the 70's. Vocals by Marsha Ambrosius featured on the chorus.

Ravens vs Saints. What will happen when the Saints march in?

Be glad the Ravens can still get in the playoffs with an 11-5 record because the likelihood of them winning tomorrow afternoon appears to be somewhat slim. Sunday at 1:00pm, the (9-4) Ravens will host the (10-3) New Orleans Saints in a late season game with big playoff implications.

Quarterback Drew Brees is arguably the best in his position right now and is headed to the Pro Bowl for a. He has thrown 28 touchdowns this season, has a passer rating on 93.6, and effectively orchestrates the number three offense in the league on a weekly basis. The matchup he must be concerned with lies at the opposing free safety position. Ed Reed, who started his season in week 7, had four interceptions in his first four games but since week 11 has yet to grab another. Offenses are beginning to avoid Reed, hence the increase in passing yards allowed by the Ravens as of late.

As of now, the Ravens have no dependable running game. Ray Rice and Willis Mcgahee have failed season expectations and are getting first downs rather infrequently (76 this season), forcing Joe Flacco pick up the slack.

Despite Flacco's fairly consistent play, he has been under constant pressure as of late because pass protection has been horrendous, making him the fourth most sacked quarterback in the league this season. Both the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans disturbed Flacco in the pocket with the safety blitz. The Saints, with Roman Harper, are fully capable of doing the same.

The return of Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas will only make the Saints rushing attack more potent. Chris Ivory has done a good job of running aggressively between the tackles. The combination of these three backs will create a manageable challenge for the Ravens defense.

Roman Harper, Malcolm Jenkins and Jonathan Vilma have all forced turnovers from their respective positions all season long and must be monitored individually when Baltimore's offense is on the field.

Let's be practical for a moment. The Ravens' biggest struggles play into the hands of the Saints. Their secondary is struggling to covering for an entire game, Rice and Mcgahee is aren't finding rhythm in the run game and the offensive line is easily manipulated. I predict the Saints to create more big plays in the form of interceptions, forced fumbles and touchdown passes and to disable the Ravens ability to combat. The Ravens will leave the field with five losses on the season and a much tighter playoff race to compete in.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Lil' Wayne- 6' 7" featuring Cory Gunz





If it sounds like "A-Milli", that's because it was born of the same DNA. The Bangladesh production is supposedly the next single from the Carter IV.

 Best part of the song is the reunion between Lil' Wayne and Cory Gunz, two former partners in rhyme.

T.I tops hip hop charts from the jail cell.

T.I's No Mercy album was the highest selling hip hop album of the week with 159,000 copies sold, reaching number four on the Billboard 200. Without a hit single from the album, T.I managed to sell this album using his reputation and popular feature names.

The incarcerated rapper's album has a extensive list of A-list features including Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Eminem, Trey Songz, Christina Aguliera and more.

The most popular single from this album is the Chris Brown assisted "Get Back Up", in it T.I attempts to uses humanity to inspire listeners to not give up. The slower tempo song does not have a chance of becoming a hit and will soon faze out of radio rotations.

Due to T.I's incarceration, we may see this album become an afterthought similar to Lil' Wayne's I'm Not A Human Being. He is not available to tour, make appearances on various talk shows and radio shows or album signings. This fact does not mean the album isn't worth purchasing.

Below is the video for T.I - Get Back up featuring Chris Brown

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Who is wearing purple and black these days?

The main issue in question is not the Ravens' toughness but their identity. What is this team's specialty?

Directing outrage toward the Ravens for their poor second half play is understandable but recognize that the Texans comeback on teams all the time. In the past, if the Ravens got ahead of a team, that was that. Ray Lewis and co. would feed of their momentum and keep their opponent from getting back into the game. Obviously that is no longer the case as the Ravens have ruined eight fourth quarter leads, including the one they had on the Houston Texans last night.

After the kick returner David Reed ran back the second half opening kickoff 103 yards into the end zone, the score was 28-7 favoring the Ravens.

From that point the offense went sterile and didn't produce anymore points, leaving the defense to tire out while chasing after one of the top offenses in the league. The passing game that was supposed to dissect one of the worse pass defenses in the league became

During a fourth quarter, first down run by Matt Schaub, an exhausted Jarret Johnson chased in pursuit but couldn't catch him. Not only did that play extend the drive but it revealed how tired the Ravens defense, front seven in particular, was.

Now that the game has been won, what do we think of the Ravens now? Are they a flimsy team that can jump ahead with a quick touchdown drive and seven point lead only to lose it? Are they an injured team playing without a few key unsung players? Are they a lucky team that finds a way to win some of their close games?

Whoever they are, they can hold their head high knowing they leave Houston with a 9-4 record and a good chance of making the playoffs as a Wildcard team.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Fabolous- You Be Killin Em' (Official Video)



Lots of things going on in Fabolous' latest black and white video. Fab compliments his woman friend while a car explosion, bedroom scene with Fabolous and Amber Rose all take place. Watch here.

Swizz Beatz- We Keep It Rockin' featuring Maino, Jim Jones, Jadakiss and Joell Ortiz

Swizz Beatz Ft. Maino, Jadakiss, Joell Ortiz & Jim Jones - We Keep It Rockin by RWDmag


This collaboration of New York rappers has the makings of a underground city anthem. The beat is a remake of Tupac's California Love, originally produced by Dr. Dre. This song is the latest addition to Swizz Beatz' "Monster Monday" series.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Rushing through the Texans.


With a game against the Houston Texans offense that's capable of running the ball well but chooses to throw, what kind of game will Terrell Suggs have?

The Texans pass the ball very efficiently as they are currently ranked 10th in league averaging 242.5 passing yard a game and 7th in total offense. Quarterback Matt Schaub has done a good job of pushing the ball down the field without tossing frivolous interceptions.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Dr. Dre - Kush featuring Snoop Dogg and Akon



Dr. Dre has a different ghostwriter, nicer car and a more wrinkles on his face but has kept the formula for making his masterful beats about the same. In this video, he puts the scene on freeze similar to how the rap game has been for the past 11 years since the release of his last album, 2001.

Snoop Dogg and Akon play their usual roles as weed smoker and chorus man respectively. The beat makes this song so refreshing and worth listening to, which shouldn't be surprise since it's a Dr. Dre song.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Ravens and Steelers throw accusations along with fists.

Both teams of Sunday Night Football's slugfest are accusing their opponents of purposely trying to injure their teammates.

Two days ago, Ed Reed claimed in an interview that Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward attempted to deliver a few brutal hits to defenseless players on the Ravens defense. The statement was likely contemptuously driven by news that the league fined fellow teammates Haloti Ngata and Jameel McClain $15,000 and $40,000 respectively.

McClain gave tight end Heath Miller a concussion with a neck-wrenching hit on a play in which Miller never actually had the ball in his possession. Haloti Ngata came screaming through the offensive line to sack Ben Roethilisberger, breaking his nose in the process.

The Steelers believe Ravens guard Chris Chester tried to injure their linebacker James Harrison on a false start penalty against the Ravens that led to a scuffle between players of both teams.

All this publicized bickering between the two organizations proves the physical game we witnessed last Sunday ran deeper than just jerseys and pads. These men put their hearts and souls out on the field and this week their emotions are erupting in a volcanic fashion for the media to capture and broadcast.

However, both teams need to move past what occured five days ago. Baltimore, specifically, must travel to Houston to play the underachieving (5-7) Texans and could be unpleasantly shocked if distracted.

In Houston's two most recent losses to the Jets and Philadelphia (two of the league's better teams), the loss margins did not exceed 10 points.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Yelawolf- Swagga killer

 

Superb storytelling by Catfish Billy over a high-pitched sample. Track is unfortunately not included on his mixtape/album Trunk Musik 0-60 in stores now.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Injuries hurt more than expected.



The lack of healthy blockers in last night's game versus the Steelers came back to haunt the Ravens.

On the first offensive play of the game, Joe Flacco throws a pass to the right-middle of the field for Todd Heap. Heap didn't catch the pass but caught a pulled hamstring, making him absent from the rest of the game.

Heap is an unheralded all-around tight end who is a receiving threat but can also anchor either side of the end of the offensive line to block so losing him crippled the Ravens' quality of blocking.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Someone must go down. I hope it's not the Ravens.

An exhibition between the league's most verocious rivals will be staged primetime tonight so the entire country can witness.

When two aggressive blitzing, hard hitting, mentally tough teams meet on Sunday Night Football, you football fans nationwide cringe at the jaw-cracking hits.

At some point, linebacker Ray Lewis and running back Rashard Mendenhall will make contact with one another. The impact from that collision will make one of those players fall to the ground in shame as the other motions forward in triumph.

Possiblities the battle between Lewis and Mendenhall present are analogous to those of this game. The winner of this game will very likely win the AFC North division, leaving the loser to fight for a wildcard spot and hope the "number one" team in the slips up in the final games of their season.

Let's just hope the Ravens arent the ones lying on the ground in shame when this is all over.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Clipse- Life Change featuring Pharrell and Kenna (Official Video)




This video for the final track on Clipse's 2009 release, Til the Casket Drops, illustrates the pain associated with the incarceration of a family member.

Diddy-Dirty Money- Strobe lights featuring Lil' Wayne



The mastered version of this eclectic dance track is one of the first new Lil' Wayne feature since his release from jail. Diddy-Dirty Money is still promoting Last Train to Paris , their first complete album together, with appearances on Saturday Night Live this weekend and WWE's "Tribute to the Troops" last this month .

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Does Mike Wallace scare you?

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace substantially leads the team in receiving yards with 792, second . He will be counted on to catch a few deep passes Ben Roethlisberger will lob behind the Ravens' porous pass defense.

Don't mistake his low catch numbers for unproductivity. Wallace leads the league with 22 yards per catch (YAC); every time he gets the ball in his hands he makes outstanding plays. This explains why Wallace vs. the Ravens secondary is Sunday night's biggest match up.

Playing with a mobile quarterback that keeps plays alive by shifting in and out of the pocket, allots Wallace numerous opportunities to get wide open for exhilarating big plays. He will make a couple of those plays Sunday night when he matches up with one of Baltimore's corners.

No corner on the Ravens has consistently played well this year. Almost every starter has given up inexplicable big plays on different afternoons.

Steve Johnson maneuvered around Fabian Washington for two touchdown passes and simply ran past Lardarius Webb for his third of the day in the week 7 game; Johnson finished that day with 158 receiving yards. Josh Wilson allowed an 88 yard touchdown pass from Brian St. Pierre to David Gettis, putting the Panthers win seven points of tying the game.

Running back Rashard Mendenhall poses a threat for any defense but the Ravens in particular have inconsistently defended the run. In the week ten game with the Atlanta Falcons, the Ravens matched up poorly against Michael Turner, who was coming off of two consecutive 100 rushing yard games, but only allowed him to run for 39 yards with 17 carries. The next week they let second year running back Mike Goodson run for 120 yards.

A double move by Wallace and play action pass by Roethlisberger is certain to be lying in the Steelers' toolbox just in case they need an immediate big play.

Greg Mattison will have to gameplan to keep Wallace contained. Wallace can serve as the “game breaker”; evident in the Steelers’ 37-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wallace caught three balls for 100 yards, two of them for touchdowns.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Mike Bigga- Ready Set Go featuring T.I (Official Video)




The long-delayed, black and white music video for "Ready, Get, Go", a T.I/Mike Bigga collaboration found on T.I's F*ck A Mixtape.

Joell Ortiz and the Lox- Put Some money on It

Joell Ortiz f. The Lox
 
Joell Ortiz and the LOX use their verses to persuade people to "Put Some Money on It".

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Bugatti Boyz- Another One (Official Video)



Music video for the Bugatti Boyz's (Rick Ross and Diddy) first single, "Another One", is full of pretty woman and alcohol.

It is evident that Rick Ross has begun writing Diddy's verses which depending on your taste may be a good thing or a bad thing.

Monday, November 29, 2010

T.I- Poppin Bottles featuring Drake







Very hot club song by T.I and Drake, produced by T-Minus (Ludacris's How Low), likely to appear on No Mercy.

Did you see the offensive line play yesterday?

The offensive line sent Joe Flacco on a intimate date with the turf yesterday in the Ravens' 17-10 win over the Buccaneers.

Flacco was sacked four times, twice by second year defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. This can likely be contributed to the patched offensive line the Ravens had during the game. Offensive guard Chris Chester was ruled out due to a skin infection on his leg. He has contributed to the solid run game this year; his absence promoted Tony Moll to starting right guard and a noticeable drop off.

On the latter of McCoy's two sacks, he shoved Moll back with relative ease then landed the hit on Flacco. Of course, McCoy did a great job but much of the blame can be placed Moll and of the offensive line. This sack allowance has become an increasing trend in the last few weeks. Flacco has been sacked 13 times in the past four weeks and hasn't completed a game sackless since week 3.

If the Tampa Bay Bucanneers defense, that is currently tied for 28th in the league for number of sacks, can apply vicious QB pressure to Joe Flacco, imagine what the Pittsburgh Steelers defense can do.

Light injuries. Few worries

After a majority of the Ravens roster endured a large part of the season without a multitude of injuries, starters Michael Oher (knee), Dawan Landry (concussion) and Leron McClain (ankle) each sustain individual ails that prevented them from returning to the game.

The influx of injuries could not come at a worse time for the Ravens squad. The game that everyone is calling the "AFC North showdown" will require a supreme performance by healthy, active player.

Fortunately, these injuries appear to be just scares right now. McClain's status right now is day-to-day but Landry and Oher are expected to play next Sunday night. The league has been much more cautious with concussed players this season so it will be important to monitor Landry's health during the week because he could just as easily be ruled out for safety precautions.

If all three players can start against the fellow (8-3) AFC North division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens dodge a bullet and have a better chance of claiming the top spot in the division.

Friday, November 26, 2010

T.I- Amazing featuring Pharrell




This lame track is the result of simple bells and bass drum thrown in a pot with verses from both artists and a chorus by Skateboard P (Pharrell). This song fails to meet the expectation of a collaboration of this magnitude.

I've added Kanye West's Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy to my CD library. Have you?



I have taken the liberty of purchasing Kanye West's new album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. My lucky hand served me well as the copy I bought was the second to last on the shelf. Magazines and various websites have bombared me with pleasant reviews of Kanye's long awaited return to the rap scene so my standards have been set pretty high.

Once I removed the plastic covering, the design of the crimson red tri-fold package astounded me. The front solely has a framed image of a ballerina with a filled glass in her hand but no album title, no artist name. The scarcity of the cover sparks my interest and persuaded me to open it to further observe the product. On the inside is a picture of swords, scales, snakes and sceptres aligned to display "Kanye West" across the entire interior.

A blurred image is shown on the disk; it is likely the controversial image of a naked man and a naked, winged-woman fixed together in a provocative position in which one of the woman's breast protrudes.

The cd is playing now but wait... I think a mistake has been made, I hear Nicki Minaj's animated voice. Is this a Pink Friday disk?

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Thursday games preview importance of game versus Buccaneers

I hope you gave enjoyed your Thanksgiving meal and spent quality time with loved ones today. As you may already know, NFL games on Thanksgiving has become an adorned American tradition.

At 12:30 pm, the New England Patriots rode the shoulders of Tom Brady to a 45 - 34 victory over the Detroit Lions. Brady finished the day with four touchdown passes and no interceptions. The Patriots defense forced Shaun Hill to throw two interceptions despite relinquishing 256 passing yards. The Patriots are now 9-2, guaranteed a winning record on the season.

At 8:20 this evening AFC North competitor, (8-2) New York Jets, are playing the undisciplined Cincinnati Bengals and have a probable chance of matching the Patriots' record. The AFC's crowded upper echelon of teams includes the Patriots, Jets and Ravens.

The Sunday afternoon match between the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is more than just another cross-conference game without implications. The 7-3 Ravens must defeat the Buccaneers to keep pace in a indefinite playoff race and remain one step ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers who lurk only one-half of a game behind.

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Trey Songz- Don't Forget Ya Ring




"Don't Forget Ya Ring", a sex-themed, bass heavy club banger, is a prime example of what is to be expected on Trey Songz upcoming #LemmeHoldatbeat mixtape. This collection will feature rap songs from the seasonal "singer-turned-rapper".

Trey Songz has compiled an entire mixtape of his own rap songs including this one called , and will release it into the underground November 28

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Pass rush always helps, especially from younger players

Last Sunday, Jameel McClain and Paul Kruger, two young Raven pass rushers who penetrated Carolina's offensive line on separate plays, each posted a sack.

Jameel McClain's production came as no surprise considering he has earned plenty of playing time and his ninth start beside Ray Lewis this season. He had 2.5 sacks his rookie year as a backup outside linebacker with the 2008 Baltimore Ravens team. McClain's increased availability is proportionate to his increased playing time, starting over injury-proned linebackers Tavares Gooden and Dannell Ellerbe in 2010.

Paul Kruger, on the other hand, has yet to earn a considerable amount of snaps from scrimmage because of his unreliable pass rushing. Since his 2009 arrival in Baltimore, Kruger has displayed an inability to adjust his technique to different types of opposing offensive linemen. He is most comfortable with bullrushing the opponent, a common pass rushing move that is usually ineffective against stronger, larger o-linemen.

Before the play of his nine-yard sack, he lined up as a defensive lineman in the 4-3 formation, 58 seconds before halftime. Once the ball was snapped he used his hands to thrust right guard, Geoff Schwartz, off his balance then maneuvered around Schwartz to bulldoze quarterback Brian St. Pierre.

I congratulate Kruger's exceptional play for two reasons:

  • Paul Kruger was surprisingly active for this game; also meaning the coaching staff recognized Kruger's talents were useful to either the special teams and/or defensive units.
  • This single sack could signify more snaps for him if he demonstrates improvement in practice during the week and makes positive, noticeable plays when on the field. Kruger's career started slowly but if he keeps this up, it could become more fast paced as the team demands more of him.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Black Eyed Peas- Light Up the Night



Now this is a good Slick Rick sample if I've ever heard one. Black Eyed Peas always knows how to inject a party with an energy. "Light Up the Night" has the potential to elevate the tempo of a party and force you to jirate to the beat. Listen here.

Gucci Mane- Beat it up feat. Trey Songz



I am not a fan Gucci Mane's body of work or what he represents but this particular Trey Songz collaboration found on Burrprint 2 impresses me.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Defense fuels win in Carolina; bucks developing trend


Were you concerned too? Admit it, once St. Pierre threw that 88 yard touchdown pass to David Gettis, you shifted toward the edge of your seat.

Rightfully so, it is almost common knowledge that the 2010 Baltimore Ravens don't know how to maintain a lead, especially one held in the fourth quarter.

Friday, November 19, 2010

N.E.R.D's "God Bless Us All" written about Chris Brown



Frontman of alternative group N.E.R.D admitted "God Bless Us All", a track from their upcoming album Nothing, refers to Chris Brown, 21 year old R&B singer who struggled to revitilize his career after a highly publicized assault incident with former girlfriend Rihanna.

Lyrics in the chorus are as follows, "Hold ya head lil' bruh. Your not dead lil' bruh. You are brown in this world that's black and white lil' bruh, I know how it sounds lil' bruh but you'll be right alright lil' bruh."

Emilio Rojas- FTW featuring Mike Bigga





Quick-tounge rapper Emilio Rojas joined forces with Mike Bigga to create profane but memorable collaboration featured on his Life Without Shame mixtape.

Ravens v Panthers. This one isn't hard to figure out.

The sub par offensive efforts of the Carolina Panthers silently reassures the defensive players of the Baltimore Ravens.

No one in the Ravens organization wants to openly admit this Panthers game is likely to be a squash matchup (serious miss-match obviously favoring one competitor). The fact of the matter is the Baltimore's 1-8 opponent will only defeat the them if they assist them.

If Joe Flacco inexplicably defies the low interception trend he is riding on right now, the Panthers will be given more opportunities to score more points. Regardless of how poor the team, you help them score points by turning the ball over. Flacco has only thrown two interceptions in the past six weeks.

Don't assume Flacco will have a field day against a Panthers' pass defense that features Charles Godfrey, safety ranked fifth in the league for most interceptions by an individual player so far this season. Flacco will have to be careful not to carelessly toss the ball into the Panthers back field.

On the other side of the ball the Ravens have little to be concerned about. Coach John Fox announced that recent quarterback Brian St. Pierre, who was recently upgraded from the practice squad to the main roster, will have his first start as a Panther this Sunday. St. Pierre's recent experience came in the form of four pass attempts as an Arizona Cardinal. One of those passes was a touchdown, another was an interception.

Expect the defense to accumulate sacks, fumbles and interceptions as]they face Brian St. Pierre who still relatively unfamiliar to his team's system and Mike Goodson, who had 23 runs for 100 rushing yards in his first NFL start, get used to playing alongside one another. I will not even explain how stagnant the Panthers' receiving core has been this year. Even Steve Smith who has made the NFC Pro Bowl team his home away from home, has only 365 receiving yards this season.

I predict an ugly Sunday afternoon game in Charlotte comparable to that of an exhibition between football teams of a Division I school and a Division II school.

B.o.B- Beastmode (Official Video)



I forgot how uncommercial B.o.B's music can sound. His return to the mixtape scene should prove to his newer fans the genres of music he can create encapsulates magnificent underground rap. His No Genre mixtape will be released December 7, 2010.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Yelawolf 0-60 hits shelves in seven days


One week from today, the long awaited mixtape turned debut album Trunk Musik 0-60, will become available in music retail stores.

In height of the excitement, I decided to post the tracklist for the album to clarify that the album will differ from the Trunk Musik mixtape. A few of the songs like "I wish and Trunk Musik" are shifted toward the end as songs like Gucci Mane assisted "I just wanna party".
Here featured songs are listed. The highlighted are titles of songs on his previous mixtape:

01 Get the F**k Up!
02 Daddy’s Lambo
03 That’s What We On Now
04 I Just Wanna Party f. Gucci Mane
05 Billy Crystal f. Rock City
06 Pop the Trunk
07 Box Chevy f. Rittz the Rapper
08 Good To Go
09 Marijuana
10 Love Is Not Enough
11 I Wish
12 Trunk Muzik

Monday, November 15, 2010

No franchise quarterback? No fears.

It's fair to say that if one player were responsible for defeating the Ravens last Thursday it was quarterback Matt Ryan. This coming Sunday, the Ravens play the Carolina Panthers, a team that does not have the luxury of a franchise quarterback.

How does that affect the Ravens' odds?

The constantly revolving QB carousel in Charlotte hinders the growth of their offense. The Panthers are currently ranked 32nd in passing offense. Matt Moore was the team starter at the beginning of the season until Clausen replaced him because of poor performances. Neither Matt Moore nor Jimmy Clausen's touchdown passes surmount their number of interceptions.

Injury has eradicated their depth at that position. Matt Moore was placed on injured reserve week 10 and Jimmy Clausen suffered a concussion last week in Tampa Bay so his participation in Sunday's game is uncertain. Third quarterback, rookie Tony Pike who has yet to start a game and only thrown 12 passes at the professional level (non including preseason), may become the starter against Baltimore.

This shift in offensive leadership is the just the opportunity the Ravens' defensive players have been looking forward to. The entire secondary has struggled this season to fend off the Falcons and the Patriots, two of the league's better passing attacks.

Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs and other pass rushers must be salivating at the chance to elevate their sack numbers. The Panthers have allowed their quarterbacks to be sacked an 27 times thus far into the season. Miscommunication between the Pike and the receivers is virtually unavoidable since he hasn't acquired much experience in games. Once Pike starts to second guess himself and hold on the ball too long, the Ravens defenders will light him up.

Needless to say, I pick the Ravens for this game. Besides the Panthers' exceptional pass defense, they boast no other strengths. Flacco will find a way to produce through the air and Ray Rice/Willis Mcgahee will gash their run defense for menacing runs. The Ravens' defense will smother the Panthers defense making them non-existent.

Snoop Dogg- New Year's Eve featuring Marty James (Official Video)



Snoop Dogg and Marty James celebrate New Year's Eve with relative class. Snoop Dogg's wife, Shante, appears by Snoop's side in the video. This record might get a radio few spins around the winter holiday season.

Jay Electronica joins the Roc Nation

Most of the hip hop community was pleasantly surprised this weekend to find out rapper and producer Jay Electronica signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation label; someone apparently not pleased was Diddy, worked side-by-side with Electronica, expressed his disapproval in the form of a cryptic tweet. 

Diddy said, "D*mn it hurts in a whole other way when someone you felt mean really felt was your Friend, Betrays you. It hurts when Breathe"

Jay Electronica took a more direct approach in his response saying,"@iamdiddy you should be more clear than that too brother. betrayal is a serious allegation. real talk".

Beyond the public bickering, Jay Electronica has made a tactical move in his rap career siding with the likes of Jay-Z and J. Cole. Below is the official announcement of his signing along with the performance of "The Announcement":


Friday, November 12, 2010

Terrell Suggs gleams through shrouds of disappointment

Last night's heartbreaking loss to the Falcons sent many Ravens fans to bed aggrevated and upset but one player's excellent performance is worth noting.

Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs sacked Matt Ryan twice, thrusting his season total to a team high 6.5 and pass Haloti Ngata's 5.0.

For his first of the night, he fell on Ryan who was holding on to the ball too long and attempting to shift in the pocket until a receiver got open. The other was much more of a solo effort. Suggs came off the edge in a three man rush and got Ryan down for a loss.

Congratulation to Suggs who has accumulated three sacks in his two games since the bye week.

J.Cole- In the Morning featuring Drake



The song from J.Cole's Friday Night Lights mixtape many have been waiting to hear.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

J.Cole- You Got It featuring Wale



This Roc Nation collaboration will be featured on Cole's upcoming Friday Night Lights mixtape. The Janelle Monae sample grooves nicely with the aggressive drum pattern.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Can lightning strike twice for the Ravens?

Last week Josh Wilson, Lardarius Webb and Fabian Washington all came together to make Brandon Marshall appear non-existent in their win versus the Miami Dolphins last Sunday. Again on Thursday they face an acclaimed big-body, big play wide receiver in the form of Roddy White but will the Ravens contain him.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Lupe Fiasco- SLR



Soulja Boy better duck because Lupe Fiasco is coming right for his head with this super lyrical six minute song.

T.I & Jazmine Sullivan- Dying In Your Arms

T.I. f. Jazmine Sullivan- Dying in your arms || Hiphopdx.com

Intriguing but underwhelming collaboration between incarcerated rapper T.I and young R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan. The potential for this song disappeared once I heard the chorus. The chemistry is between the two is too fabricated making it less of a unified duet and more of a heterogeneous combination of two artists.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Ravens drown Dolphins; refocus on high-soaring Falcons


My fears about Miami coming to Baltimore and upsetting the Ravens never came to fruition and the Ravens now join the Patriots and Jets as one of only three teams in the AFC with six wins.

This impressive accomplishment would not have happened if the Ravens defense didn't play well yesterday. Two weeks after allowing Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson catch eight passes and accumulate 158 receiving yards, the Ravens limited Chad Henne and the Dolphins offense to zero passing touchdowns and ten total points.

Kudos to cornerbacks Josh Wilson and Lardarius Webb who had the unenviable task of covering six-foot-four 230 pound Brandon Marshall who came into the game with 49 catches in previous seven games. Marshall finished the day with five catches and 30 receiving yards, 21 of them from one pass.

The Ravens' this offense is becoming more balanced, evident with Ray Rice's 83 rushing yards and 97 receiving yards. Rice was available for the check down whenever Flacco needed it and also pushed hard through the middle the Dolphins' defensive line for tough rushing yards. Numerous attempts at long pass completions failed but didn't crucially hinder the offenses scoring ability.

Rice did not however have the most impressive offensive play of the day. That honor belongs to Willis Mcgahee who demonstrated open field running moves few thought he had. His 32 yard touchdown catch declared what kind of pace the Ravens would set. The Dolphins fell behind 7-0 two minutes and forty seconds into the game and never regained the lead.

Taking this praise into consideration opens my eyes to the poor red zone productivity. The men in purple finished the day with a 17% red zone efficiency, scoring only once when close to the end zone with a yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Derrick Mason.

Unfortunately celebrations of their post-bye victory will be cut short because the team has been tasked with traveling to Atlanta for a Thursday night game. This showdown between the number one team in the AFC North and the number one team in the NFC South will likely be a small scale shootout. Neither team has excelled at defending the pass this season and both teams have third year quarterbacks making strides toward greatness.

* Ed Reed nabbed his third interception of the year in the fourth quarter vs Miami. After only two active games this season, Reed leads the team with three interceptions.

Rick Ross- MC Hammer featuring Gucci Mane (Official Video)



Spiff Tv and Rick Ross created a video for another Lex Luger produced club banger. As usual, Ross brags on what claims to have and Gucci Mane mumbles through his 16 bars. This is the first time I can recall dancers in a Rick Ross video but I guess that's how Mc Hammer does things, with a "whole lotta dancers".

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Kanye West- Looking for Trouble featuring Pusha T, Cyhi tha Prince, Big Sean and J. Cole




Great addition to the G.O.O.D series. Pusha T, Cyhi tha Prince, Big Sean and J.Cole are all featured on this Blue Dance Raid sample.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Dolphins have never scared me... until now

The 4-3 Dolphins are coming to Baltimore riding high hoping to continue a highly-acclaimed undefeated road game streak.

So far they have traveled far and wide to defeat other formidable teams like Buffalo, Minnesota, Green Bay and Cincinnati in their respective home stadiums.

When I look at Miami’s list of mid-season accomplishments, my mind state about Sunday’s showdown shifts from an optimism that Baltimore extends an impressive winning streak to hoping the Ravens play their best football to compete with the league's best road warriors.

One of the most obvious comparisons to analyze is the tales of the tape between both teams starting quarterbacks, both of whom were drafted in the 2008 NFL draft.

The Ravens' Joe Flacco has been lauded for his exemplary accurate passing in the past few weeks. After throwing four abysmal interceptions against division rival Cincinnati Bengals in week two, the third-year starter has cleaned up his act.

His numbers of his last five games have been astounding. He has thrown nine touchdowns and only one interception, computing to a 104.6 quarterback rating over that time span.

Chad Henne has not been far off the mark. The 6-3, 230 pounder has been generally conservative, surmounting a 100.0 passer rating only once this season. Henne did not throw a touchdown against the Cincinatti Bengals in the team’s win last week despite throwing 37 times; Henne was not the most valuable player in that victory proving that the Dolphins passing attack is analogous to a computer screen.

To the untrained eye it appears that a screen is what makes a computer function but a knowledgeable person understands the CPU makes a computer run. Many people perceive the passing attack as what makes Miami's offense productive but that credit goes to the running game driven by Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown and Patrick Cobbs.

The Dolphins have the number 16 rushing offense in the league, a fall from the number four ranking the same crew had a year before. Nevertheless the three man rotation will be a challenge for the Ravens' regressing run defense that was supposed to be virtually immovable with rookie defensive tackle Terrance Cody and pro bowl player of the same position, Haloti Ngata.

The past few weeks have proven that the Ravens offense could hold their own in a shootout but the defense would falter in the face of the slightest adversity. Clear evidence of this lies in the overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills. Joe Flacco and co. kept pace with the Bills offense (can't believe I just said that) while the defense was bending and capitalized on a fumble forced by Ray Lewis to win in overtime.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Kanye West- All of the lights featuring Various Artists



Kanye West recruits one-third of the entire music industry, specifically Rihanna, John Legend, The-Dream, Ryan Leslie, Tony Williams, Charlie Wilson, Elly Jackson, Alicia Keys, Fergie, Kid Cudi, Rihanna & Elton John for the album version of "All of the Lights".

The number one song on iTunes is...

Rihanna's latest single "What's my name?" featuring Drake is sitting atop the iTunes single chart right now. Although a quiet excitement for the song has been built on the radio, the single has finally hit iTunes and blown up in a major way.

This influx in sales will affect its position on Billboard's singles/radio charts. Last week "Name" peaked at number 50 in the radio songs list but on today's newly updated version it is at number twenty four.

I can feel the support for her upcoming album L.O.U.D bubbling up, can't you?

In you haven't heard it that's ok, click on the following link to hear for yourself.

Rihanna & Drake- What's My Name?

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Lil' Wayne released from jail tomorrow


It's ridiculous to get excited about one person being released from jail especially when their absence has gone almost unnoticed.

Tomorrow, Lil Wayne will step out of prison for the first time in eight months fans and make fans everywhere tune into various sources like Twitter, Facebook and blogs to acquire information about their favorite rapper's whereabouts.

The 28 year old rapper has been serving a sentence in Rikers Island Prison Facility for weapons possession. While in jail, Wayne was rumored to be receiving special privileges and signing autographs for other inmates. Toward the end of his sentence he was sentenced to solitary confinement after being caught with contraband (mp3 player, charger and headphones.

N.E.R.D- Hypnotize You



"Hypnotize You" is N.E.R.D's most recent single from Nothing, their upcoming album. This video featuring uniformed girls all seemingly hypnotized was very simplistic and bizarre but I guess that's the point.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

A toast to a year in action.

One year ago today, a magnificent blog by the name of "Bite My Tongue for No One", spoken with a refreshing and opinionated voice, was born. In its origin it was a way for the public to view another perspective on the Baltimore Ravens and hip hop music. Today, 437 posts later, this online writting log is thriving with the same goals and perspectives.

Monday, November 1, 2010

How much better can Dante Stallworth make this offense?

In January, the Ravens signed Dante Stallworth seven months after he finished serving 24 days of a 30 day sentence in a Miami jail for manslaughter.

Even since the moment Stallworth joined the Ravens offense people have been verbalizing their expectation for him to utilize his speed to stretch the field, be the prominent deep threat for Joe Flacco and open up the shorter/intermediate routes for the other receivers.

Stallworth has not done that yet as a Ravens due to the foot he broke in the third preseason game against the New York Giants. In a press conference following that game, Harbaugh estimated Stallworth to return from that injury after the Ravens bye week.

Well... here we are. This post bye-week the Ravens will reconvene to study and practice for the game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday at 1pm and the great news is, Stallworth is expected to participate in all of this.

What remains to be revealed is how much of effect will he have on this offense?

Without Stallworth, Joe Flacco has distributed the ball to all of his major weapons at different capacities. Anquan Boldin leads the team in receptions with 38, receiving yards with 518 and touchdown catches with five. Derrick Mason, Flacco's favorite target in previous years, has 357 receiving yards and Todd Heap not falling far behind with 357 yards.

None of these men can claim the longest catch by a Ravens this year. That feat belongs to rookie Ed Dickson who leaped over veteran Brian Dawkins for the catch and then dragged him ten yards toward the end zone in the week five shootout between the Broncos and the Ravens.

Once Stallworth returns he will have to work his body back into game form. Remember he hasn't played in a game since preseason and has been unable to run at full speed for a majority of his time injured. TJ Houshmanzadeh is playing the role of the third receiver for the Ravens this year and has caught only nine passes, how much more of an impact do you Stallworth can have?

Yes, Stallworth is younger and faster than TJ but lacks the rhythmic practice and game experience Housmanzadeh has had with Joe Flacco this year.

As much as I hate to admit it, Stallworth's injury was a huge shot in the foot (no pun intended) for his 2010 season. There is more time for him to establish a special place but not enough to shove himself into the status of playmaker.

Because a receiving core featuring Anquan Boldin, Derrick Mason and Todd Heap has already been fermented, Cam Cameron opportunities for Stallworth to run past defensive backs for long yardage catches will be far between.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Tonight I am a Saints fan

As you already know, the Baltimore Ravens are on their bye week so we won't see any game action from them today. The Steelers, however, are headlining the 8:15 Sunday Night Football matchup in New Orleans against the (4-3) Saints tonight.

The sights Saints fans, Ravens fans and many others desire to witness is Drew Brees getting the best of Pittsburgh's stingy defense and the Steelers offense underperforming and keeping the game close.

If the Saints win, Pittsburgh is (5-2) and falls behind Baltimore in the standings because of Baltimore's .5 game lead over the Steelers.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Kanye West- The Joy featuring Jay-Z, Charlie Wilson, Kid Cudi and Curtis Mayfield (Prod. by Pete Rock)




The whole "G.O.O.D Friday" campaign has been simply remarkable. Who would have predicted the weekly series of Kanye West's collaborative and album material to last so long?

Here we are again with another track to add to the list, "The Joy". The combination of Curtis Mayfield sampling and a heavy bassline here is just the sort of work Pete Rock has made living upon. Enoy this laidback groove.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Michael Jackson - 2 Bad (Ghosts)

As we are right on the heels of the Halloween festivities that will transpire this weekend, I would like to resurrect a few "scary" music videos that deserve to be forever remembered.

Do you remember the horror themed short film/ long music video by Michael Jackson that came out in 1997?

Well if not, here is a ghoulish jog down memory lane. Enjoy the great choreography, creepy special effects and most importantly, Michael.

Kid Cudi- Marijuana

 
Kid Cudi's ode to his drug of choice. Link above

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Diddy-Dirty Money- Lovin You No More (Official Video)



Broken objects, shameless plug for Ciroc and broken hearts outlines the theme of Diddy-Dirty Money's video for "Lovin You No More". Yes, Diddy takes another shot at singing but it is more pleasant than past attempts.

Drake is featured on the song and adds a semi-emotional verse to the song.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Lupe Fiasco- The Show Goes On


Sped up Modest Mouse in a Kane Beatz production makes for a very radio-friendly single by Lupe Fiasco.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Common- We can do it now featuring Lupe Fiasco and Jennifer Hudson



Actual song


Behind the scenes of "We Can Do It Now"


The inspirational ode to Chicago by three of the city's homegrown represents Common's return to the hip hop game once again. He hasn't released any new material of his own since 2008 but has been featured in a few songs featuring fellow label mates Kanye West and Kid Cudi.

Lupe Fiasco and Jennifer Hudson slide right in and make the No I.D production sound even better. Hudson opens up with soulful singing and Fiasco has the first verse.

Bye Week couldn't come at a better time.

This week the Ravens are taking advantage of a much needed restoration after seven weeks of hard-hitting, emotional, nail biting football. In the past two weeks the games have been decided in grueling overtimes.

In Foxborough, the Ravens efforts were stalled as Tom Brady and the rest of the Patriots endured through 77 minutes of game action to drive down the field and kick a game winning field goal.

Last Sunday the result was different ending with sighs of relief and smiling faces in Baltimore. After being down 17-3 at one point, the Ravens rallied back to grab a 34-24 lead toward the end of the third quarter. The seesaw game ended with Billy Cundiff kicking a 38 yard field goal for the win.

As exhilarating as those types of wins are, the players are beat up and a little drained. Todd Heap has suffered from neck problems the past two weeks starting with the helmet-to-hemet hit delivered by Patriot Brandon Merriweather. He will surely take this week to rest and let his neck pains heal as much as possible before going back to work next week to prepare for the Miami Dolphins.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Nicki Minaj- Check it out featuring Will.I.Am (Official Video)



Nicki Minaj has performed this song everywhere from the VMA pre-show to Regis and Kelly but never had the video circulating  Believe that this video will be shooting up 106 and Park and other countdowns like it.

This version is unedited so the profanity is in abundance just like Nicki Minaj's money (according to her).

So THIS is what Pink Friday will look like.