I was 15 years old when 2Pac was killed.
I was 22 years old when I finally realized that he wasn’t going to rise from the grave and release a postmortem platinum album that would change rap music forever.
So much for the “7 Day Theory”…
Until recently if you asked me who is the greatest rapper of all time, my answer would be 2Pac and that was that. I was stubborn to the point where I wouldn’t even give another great rapper credit. They weren’t 2Pac, so there was nothing to discuss. It wasn’t until last year that I let myself be consumed with the lyrical genius that is Jay-Z. I remember when my buddy told me a story about Jay-Z in the recording studio that completely changed my opinion of him.
Apparently this is how things work when Jay-Z records an album:
First he finds a beat that he likes. Then he puts his head phones on, sits in a corner by himself and focuses on that beat for about 15-20 minutes. When he’s done, he strolls into the sound booth and spits the entire song in one or two takes tops. Then they move on to the next track.
Do you have any idea how insane that is? I can’t even think of an analogy that would make sense, let alone do it justice.
After hearing that story, I had to get one of his albums. I mean, I’d heard all of his hit songs but I never really took the time to explore an entire record. So I started with The Blueprint last summer and never looked back. For the better part of a month I would turn it on and sit down with Bill Simmon’s The Book of Basketball and just fade away into my own universe. It was heaven. Before long I wanted to hear more, so I moved on to The Black Album and Reasonable Doubt. Trying to pick a favorite album from that group is like picking a favorite Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, it’s bound to start an argument.
I was at a Lakers game earlier this season when Jay-Z was in the house. The game happened to fall on the same night as the American Music Awards, which meant there were an inordinate number of stars in the house that night. I never really realized how big of a star Jay-Z was until the following events took place:
With 9 minutes left in a blowout victory over Oklahoma City, Jay-Z gets up from his court side seat and decides it’s time to roll. As he and his crew make their way to the exit, the crowd starts to lose their mind. Guys snap photos, girls start screaming, for a brief moment everyone forgets they are still at a Lakers game. Even the players stop and watch him make his exit. At one point, Kobe walks away from the team huddle and raises up his hands to form a diamond to the sky. Jay-Z notices, then returns the hand gesture as he leaves the arena.
This all actually happened. At that moment, I knew Jay-Z was kind of a big deal.
With the playoffs starting this weekend, I thought it would be appropriate for me to channel my inner Jay-Z and dedicate one of his songs to each of the Lakers players. Every song has special relevance to the Lakers, and hopefully they will serve as a guide as they defend their title.
Without further ado, I present to you the ultimate Jay-Z playlist, dedicated to the Lakers.
Next Page: Phil Jackson
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Phil Jackson
Song: Run This Town
Lyrical Message:
“Victory’s within the mile/Almost there, don’t give up now/Only thing that’s on my mind/Is who’s gonna run this town tonight”
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVA-xTBeHyM
No home court advantage in the NBA Finals? No problem. This is an old hat for Coach Phil Jackson. So while Lakers Nation and the local media are clearly worried about the Lakers chances this postseason, Phil doesn’t seem the least bit bothered. Of his 10 NBA Championship teams, only half of them finished the season with the best overall record in the league.
Phil knows this, which is why I think he’s more concerned about his team’s recent downward spiral than he has let on. With a 3-4 record in the month of April, the Lakers aren’t exactly riding a wave of momentum into the Playoffs. To make matters worse the tailspin started long before the calendar turned to April, as their meager 16-12 record since the All Star Break attests. The Western Conference Playoffs will be no cakewalk for the champs, as Dallas, Denver, Utah and even Oklahoma City smell blood. Now it’s up to Phil Jackson to pull his team out of this funk.
Often criticized for his relaxed demeanor during games, pundits scream that Phil’s reticent behavior will cost the Lakers a victory. Sometimes even the most ardent Phil Jackson supporter has to wonder if the Lakers have replaced him on the sidelines with a wax sculpture from Ripley’s. To be honest, I wouldn’t doubt if this was a part of their contract negotiations this off season.
In his defense, Phil prides himself on doing most of his coaching at practice and allowing players to execute his plans during games. The way this team has struggled, Coach Jackson needs to grab his team by the reigns and take control right now. If ever there was a team in need of a leader on the sideline, it’s this listless version of the Lakers. In the past two decades I have never seen a Defending Championship squad display less urgency at a critical time of year. If the Lakers are turn things around, Phil needs to hammer home three points: (1) Get the ball to Pau, (2) Reign in Kobe’s shot selection, and (3) Get productive minutes from the bench. If Phil can deliver that message to his team and get them to execute on the floor, he’ll be running the town of Los Angeles in June.
Next Page: The Lakers Bench
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Song: Dirt Off Your Shoulder
Lyrical Message:
“The love me, from the bleachers they screamin/All the ballers is bouncin, they like the way I be leanin/All the rappers be hatin, off the track that I’m makin/But all the hustlers they love it just to see one of us make it”
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR5I4n912UQ
At the beginning of the season the Lakers depth was supposed to be a key strength, but by the All Star break it was clear their unimpressive bench play was a major liability. The so-called “Bench Mob” has earned a great deal of criticism for their inconsistent effort this season. What’s funny is Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown, Sasha Vujacic, DJ Mbenga, Luke Walton and Josh Powell all have Championship rings in their trophy room. At some point in the last 2 seasons, each of them stepped up at a crucial moment to help propel the team to victory. Which begs the question: what’s the problem guys?
When you take a look at their body language, it’s obvious that somewhere along the line they lost their confidence. I mean, it’s gone. An incessant bickering between selfish teammates has replaced a once beautiful blend of team basketball. As individuals the Lakers bench is nothing to fear, but as a collective group they are a force that can stand up to any second unit in the league. Over the last two post seasons, the Lakers bench played with a certain swagger that comes with success. Once the criticism started to mount, that swagger disappeared quicker than Sammy Sosa’s English in front of Congress.
Great players have the ability to pick themselves up off the mat and live to fight another day. You need to have a quick memory in the NBA, a league where you’re only as good as your last shot. If you ask me, it’s time for Phil Jackson to sit them down and deliver this message: “If you feelin like a pimp, then go on brush your shoulders off.” Otherwise, don’t bother showing up.
Next Page: Andrew Bynum
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Song: Hollywood
Lyrical Message:
“When your fame starts it’s a chain reaction/Locomotion like when the train departs/Stranger things have happened/Rappin, stackin, platinum plaquin”
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLQj3GOcjjo
I’ve had this whole section planned out for weeks. Come to think of it, I was listening to this track when it dawned on me how apropos many of Jay-Z’s songs were to the Lakers. Of course I’m a complete freak and relate seemingly everything in my life back to the Lakers, but this time I really felt like I was onto something. It hit me when Beyonce sings the chorus, “It’s the lights, the action, Hollywood”. This was a perfect message for young Andrew Bynum, who will finally get his first REAL taste of playoff basketball.
Then he got hurt. Again.
So when I heard he injured his Achilles tendon, was I instantly worried about the Lakers chances in the postseason? Of course not, I was livid that an entire section of my column was dead in the water! I wondered if I would be better served switching his song to 99 Problems or Hard Knock Life? Needless to say, I’m just going to roll with it. The song is too perfect. Andrew has made a name for himself by dominating in December and January before going down like clockwork with some sort of leg injury. It has become so predictable I am starting to think this script was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
I told myself this year would be different. This was the year he would bring his game to the playoffs and etch his name into Lakers lore. Of course that was too much to ask. I swear this dude is stuck in a horrible episode of the Twilight Zone, he must have done something awful in a past life because God seems to take particular pleasure in ending his season early every year. Of course, he is a multi-millionaire, so whatever he did it couldn’t have been that bad.
If by some slim chance that Andrew can stay healthy for an extended run through the playoffs, he will see that the postseason is a whole different animal. Bynum came to the NBA straight from high school, so he never experienced March Madness. Since he’s been a pro, the limited playing time he had in the playoffs hasn’t allowed him to show off what he can do. This year is his time to earn his fame. It’s his time to see what the real Hollywood is all about.
Next Page: Derek Fisher
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Song: Heart of the City
Lyrical Message:
“Can I live? I told you in ninety-six/That I came to take this sh*t, and I did handle my biz/I scramble like Randall with his/Cuuning-ham but the only thing running is numbers fam/Jigga held you down six summers, damn, where’s the love?”
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9XZds9hmXI
Aside from pretty much being the coolest lyric ever, this rant by Jay-Z typifies what it’s like to be Derek Fisher in Los Angeles. He came to us as an unheralded rookie in 1996 and quickly formed an unbreakable bond with a 17-year-old rookie named after a steak. He quietly went about his business, knocking down 3-point shots (no one in Lakers history has hit more) and playing tough defense year after year.
When he left the Lakers for greener pastures in 2004, the Lakers weren’t the same. During the 3 seasons he spent away, the Lakers won a total of 4 playoff games and failed to get past the first round. Since he’s returned, they have won 30 playoff games and advanced to the NBA Finals twice. His clutch shooting in the 2009 Finals directly led to the decisive Game 4 victory in Orlando. He has hit countless momentum changing shots over the years and always seems to play his best when the spotlight is shining brightest. He is a mini-Robert Horry, and will go down as one of the most accomplished players in Lakers history.
So as he’s struggled his way through the 2010 season, you’d think he’d be cut a little slack right? Not a chance. Instead, Lakers fans and local media have been quick to point out his deficiencies and label him “washed up”. Where’s the love? How quickly people forget that Fisher is clearly the heart of this Lakers team, and if I were a betting man I’d put money on the fact that he still has something left in the tank. If LA is a Lakers town, then Derek Fisher is clearly the Heart of the City.
Next Page: Lamar Odom
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Song: Show Me What You Got
Lyrical Message:
“This is a state of emergency/What do you want me to do? I’m sorry/Let’s go get em/Show me what you got”
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FS4U-HAHwps
I don’t know about you, but I’m sick of using the word “potential” when talking about Lamar Odom. At what point in time do you stop looking for potential and accept a player for who he is? Well, with Lamar Odom it’s just not that easy. The man has the natural ability and god given talent to be one of the all time greats. He’s 6 foot 9, handles the rock, finishes strong at the rim with both hands, shoots from outside, rebounds like a machine…the dude does it all.
The Clippers had high hopes when they took Lamar 4th overall in the 1999 NBA Draft, but inconsistent play and a innate love for ganja curtailed his career in LA. That inconsistency followed him throughout his career, especially when he arrived in Lakerland. He was greeted by an anxious press corps that was ready to anoint him Scottie Pippen to Kobe’s Michael Jordan. Needless to say that never happened.
It wasn’t until Pau Gasol arrived in town when the Lakers finally broke through and made it to the Finals. In fact, you can argue that Pau’s arrival in La La Land was the best thing to happen to Lamar’s career. The added pressure on Pau’s shoulders certainly lightened the load for Lamar, and let him settle into a comfortable role as the 3rd best player on a championship team. In the playoffs last year, we were given a glimpse of how great Lamar Odom can be. Remember those reverse layups around Dwight Howard in Game 5 of the NBA Finals? Remember his clutch 3 pointers against Denver and Houston?
Lamar’s got all the talent in the world, and this year the Lakers need him more than ever. If only he would put it all together, this Lakers team will not lose to anyone. If only Lamar could step up and shoulder more of the load with Kobe and Andrew banged up. If only he could live up to his potential and….
There I go again.
I think it’s time for Lamar to just show me what he got.
Next Page: Ron Artest
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Song: Takeover
Lyrical Message:
“Hey lil’ soldier you ain’t ready for war/R.O.C. too strong for ya’ll/It’s like bringing a knife to a gunfight, a pen to a test/Your chest in the line of fire with ya thin ass vest”
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAnGnevKxJE
When the Lakers were presented their 2009 Championship rings back in October, Magic Johnson, Jerry West and 7 other former Lakers joined in on the celebration. Derek Fisher led the crowd in a 3-2-1 countdown to unveil the team’s 15th championship banner. Commissioner David Stern and Team Mascot Jeannie Buss were there to personally pass the rings out to each player. Kobe Bryant flashed his 4th ring to the camera sporting the biggest smile west of the Mississippi. It was a grand culmination to what certainly was a summer long festival of love. While seemingly every Laker in team history was drunk with Laker-love, newest Laker Ron Artest made a point not to be involved.
This wasn’t his party, and no one knew that better than Ron Ron.
With the playoffs starting this weekend, it’s safe to assume that no one in purple and gold is more pumped up than Ron Artest. This is why he took less money to come to LA. This is why he left a good thing in Houston. This is what we’ve all been waiting for, and we can’t deny that the mindset and focus of Ron Artest will have a direct effect on how far this Lakers team goes.
The way the brackets are set up right now, it’s possible that Ron Ron will go face-to-face with Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James. That’s a foursome with 3 MVPs, 2 scoring titles and 17 All-NBA appearances and counting. Before Ron Ron arrived, the Lakers had 9-time All Defensive team member Kobe Bryant to handle most of the heavy lifting on defense. With Kobe creeping into his thirties, he needs to save his energy for the offensive end if the Lakers hope to repeat.
Enter Ron Artest, the fiercest defender of the last decade. Ron is quick, physical, and 100% certifiably insane. Young Kevin Durant is about to get a close up view of what playoff basketball is all about, and don’t think Ron Ron isn’t happy to introduce himself. If Artest was loony enough to do this to Kobe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFy1V44x6is), just think what he has in store for Durant. I can’t wait.
What makes Artest so entertaining is that you have absolutely no idea what he might do. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he takes his jersey off and attempts to strangle Durant with it. The one game suspension would be worth it, because Durant would have nightmares of an enraged Artest for months. He’d never be the same. Instead of the traditional chest bumps during pregame introductions, I say they just cart Artest out like he was Steve Buscemi in Con Air. Oh wait, you mean you didn’t see Con Air? Let me set the scene. Buscemi played Garland ‘The Marietta Mangler’ Greene, an imprisoned homicidal maniac who was forced to wear a creepy black face mask and had to be escorted onto The Jail Bird (a plane full of convicts) by a full police battalion. You’re telling me that wouldn’t terrify everyone in the building not named Nic Cage? But I digress.
When Jay-Z released Takeover, it was a direct shot at fellow rappers Nas and Mob Deep. The track had teeth, and Jay-Z came right out and verbally assaulted both rappers then stood there waiting for a reaction. This is what we need from Ron Artest. It’s time for him to takeover.
Next Page: Pau Gasol
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Song: Encore
Lyrical Message:
“Can I get an encore, do you want more?/Cookin raw with the Brooklyn boy/So for one last time I need ya’ll to roar/Now what the hell are you waiting for?”
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL3TH7cmX-g
I was getting lunch with a few buddies when I heard the news: Pau Gasol was traded to the Lakers….for Kwame Brown. All my expectations changed that day. No more would I cry myself to sleep as visions of entry passes bounced off Kwame’s stone hands. Pau’s first game in LA, a smiling Kobe Bryant interrupted the post game interview by screaming “Me Gusta!” into John Ireland’s microphone. I think it was the first time Kobe had smiled since he left Colorado, but since I’ve done my best to block those 16 months from my head, I suggest we move on.
After acquiring Pau the Lakers went on a league wide killing spree, ripping off a 41-12 record en route to the Finals. All that came to an abrupt stop in Boston. After getting manhandled down low by the brutish Celtics front line, the press labeled Pau “soft”. During the 2009 Playoffs, he used that experience as motivation and successfully annihilated anyone in his path. If the Lakers are going to repeat, they need Pau Gasol to come out in Spanish Bull Fighter mode ready to dance.
This year the Lakers are the hunted, and they’ll need an encore performance from Pau to once again reach the Promised Land. Of course, that assumes the rest of the Lakers have the mental capacity to understand their best option to put the leather ball through the metal rim is a 7 foot 1 Spaniard with a scraggly beard. Was it me, or did anyone else want to rip their eyes out watching the Lakers ignore Pau Gasol for most of the 4th Quarter against Portland? It was as if they were purposefully ignoring Pau Gasol, instead opting for bad clock management and forced jump shots. That’s when Phil Jackson needs to stand up and backhand every member of the Lakers team for insolence. Perhaps Phil should strap a shock collar on every Lakers not named Gasol and deliver 100 volts of hell to their throats every time something like this happens. You think they’d get the picture?
With Kobe banged up, the Lakers need Gasol more than ever. Just like last year, it’s up to him to demand the ball and handle his business once he gets it.
Next Page: Kobe Bryant
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Song: The Ruler’s Back
Lyrical Message:
“Well in these times, well at least to me/There’s a lot of rappers out there trying to sound like Jay-Z/I’ll help you out, here’s what you do/You gonna need a wide lens ‘cause that’s a VERY big shoe”
httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-6_WMgmphs
From 1998 to 2001, there were a lot of rappers who thought they could take control of Hip Hop. Needless to say, this didn’t sit well with Jay-Z. In Jay’s mind, he was sitting by idly while members of the media were crowing other rappers “King” of hip hop. When he decided to return, Jay-Z had to come out with something big, and he did. When he released The Blueprint in 2001, he opened the record with a simple message: I’m Back and I’m the Man.
It’s been a tough year for Kobe Bryant. He has battled through paralyzing back spasms, a severely sprained ankle, tendinitis in his knee, numbness in his elbow, and a broken index finger on his shooting hand. At the same time, LeBron James has ascended to absurd levels of dominance with one eye popping game after another. The verdict is in: LeBron James is officially the best player in the league, not Kobe Bryant. In a childish, insult laden rant published in Rolling Stone magazine, one “writer” even had the gall to claim Kevin Durant was the 2nd best player in the league, pushing Kobe down to 3rd or 4th.
While this was clearly an attempt to take a shot at Kobe, he just shrugged it off. Kobe knew that the regular season will come and go, but the Playoffs will live forever. A part of me thinks Kobe has played possum the last few months, giving everyone else in the league the idea that they have a chance to usurp the Lakers. This is not outside the realm of possibility. Remember, Kobe is the same guy who allegedly let his opponents creep back into blowouts during high school games just so he could have the satisfaction of beating them again. The dude is wired differently than you and me, I honestly believe Kobe relishes in crushing your spirit more than he enjoys basking in his own victory. He’s so cold blooded that he wants you to lose, and know that you lost to him.
Taking things a step further, no one is more acutely aware of where they stand in terms of legacy, and no one wants to ascend to the top of the NBA more than Kobe Bryant. Now that the Playoffs are here, I expect that we will see a different Kobe. A more focused Kobe. A Kobe you will fear. Now is his time to remind you, me, and everyone else out there that until someone knocks him off his throne, he is the King.
Now is the time that he announces, The Ruler’s Back.
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