NBA: Lakers Honor Jerry "The Logo" West With Statue At Staples Center (February 13th-19th)

Many people who aren’t die-hard NBA basketball fans don’t even know who Jerry West is. Its unfortunate that legends who have paved the way and influenced the game as we know it today aren’t even relevant to majority of today’s basketball fans. Not only is Jerry West one of the best basketball players of all-time but he is literally “The Logo”. The default player for the NBA logo is Jerry West and once again he was honored, this time by his former NBA team as player the Los Angeles Lakers as a statue has been put in the Staples Center. During the ceremony sports icons like Magic Johnson, Chick Hearn, Oscar De La Hoya and Wayne Gretzky were in the building. A 14-time All-Star who averaged 29.1 points a game in the postseason, West’s No. 44 jersey already hangs in the Staples Center rafters.

NBA: League Worst Cavs Beat 2-Time Repeat Champion Lakers (February 13th-19th)

I love basketball more than any other sport because I have been in love with it since birth and for the reason that on any given day the worst team in the league has a real chance to beat the best team in the league. I feel like in other mainstream professional sports like Baseball, Football and Hockey that really bad teams having a chance to beat the best team in the league happens less often. This is where the phrase “that’s why you play the game” comes from. On paper it would look like the Cleveland Cavaliers would have absolutely no chance to beat the 2-time repeat world champion Lakers by overall record alone. Then when you go through individual players on the roster and the amount of talent in each position is far better for the Lakers from 1 to 12. But this one night the Cavs were ready to play and the Lakers weren’t point blank period. The effort of the worse team overcame the talent of the better team and that is something that can happen any night in basketball when you give it all you have or just don’t come ready to play. So if you apply this theory to life, which side are you on? Either way if you’re the champ or the underdog, it’s a must that you bring you’re A game when its time to go! #MYOL

#Pointgod Watch: Rondo 12th Career Triple-Double v. Heat, #1 In East (February 13th-19th)

It is clear that Rajon Rondo is the leader of the Boston Celtics. When the Celts are healthy and Rondo is on his A game, the green are unbeatable. In the last meeting against the Heat, Rondo did it all from guarding Lebron James, setting the tempo defensively and distributing the basketball to run the Boston offense perfectly. The #pointgod watch isn’t just about numbers because when a great point guard is on the floor he can severly affect the game without always scoring in big numbers. This is what Rondo did against the Heat with only 11 points but added 10 assists and 10 rebounds for 12^th career triple-double in the most important game for the Celtics to date as the were fighting for 1^st place in the East Conference. Rondo is no stranger to #poingod watch either, I’m sure he’ll continue his excellence after the All Star break.

#Pointgod Spotlight: D.Rose Scores Career-High 42pts v. League Best Spurs (February 13th-19th)

If there was any doubt that Derrick Rose is either in the MVP race or the leader in the race, this is the icing on the cake. As of this week the Chicago Bulls are ranked 3^rd in the Eastern Conference and 5^th overall in the league. The Bulls’ success is because of their leader and franchise player Derrick Rose as he has carried them to become a potential championship threat in the NBA Playoffs this year.  This has all been done with out consistent play from the expected starting frontcourt of Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. If you’ve read the #pointgod watch before you’ve heard all of this info when it comes to the Rose lead Bulls. With this performance D.Rose is definitely leading the pack in the MVP race as he scored a career-high 42 points along with 8 assists, 5 rebounds and only 1 turnover against the NBA best San Antonio Spurs. As a #pointgod, Rose has had the responsibility of running his time as well as being the clear cut #1 option for scoring on the floor. He’s already been on the #pointgod watch before, don’t be surprised to see him again!

#MYOL News: Egypt's President Mubarak Steps Down After 30 Years of Ruling (February 6th-12th)

Power in numbers can NEVER be ignored and again the power of viral video and social media has been an influence in the world’s development. After 30 years of ruling of Egypt, dissenting protests and jailing opponents; Hosni Mubarak has stepped down as the leader of Egypt. "The people of Egypt have spoken, their voices have been heard," Mr Obama said. "Egypt will never be the same again." As a Lane Maker I always say PERSEVERANCE and DIRECTION is EVERYTHING! Especially, in a case where you have a vision and passion for that vision. The people of Egypt knew that they no longer wanted to live in a country that had been ruled by a leader who abused his power for over 30 years and they would not give up protesting and fighting for what they believed in until they got the result they wanted. "The people have brought down the regime," they chanted in reaction to the news of his eventual resignation less than 24 hours later. Opposition leader Mohamed ElBaradei said: "This is the greatest day of my life." "You cannot comprehend the amount of joy and happiness of every Egyptian at the restoration of our humanity and our freedom."The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's banned Islamist opposition movement, paid tribute to the army for keeping its promises. "I salute the Egyptian people and the martyrs. This is the day of victory for the Egyptian people. The main goal of the revolution has been achieved," said the Brotherhood's former parliamentary leader, Mohamed el-Katatni.

Hip Hop History: Diddy and Eminem Featured In Superbowl Commercials! (February 6th-12th)

Hip Hop History is being made every single day! I think people truly fail to realize how legendary this era is and will be when it is all said and done. In previous blogs I have already commented on the new talent that has come about in 2010 and how legendary last year was in the growth of Hip Hop. Hip Hop is still a pretty young genre compared to others like Jazz or Rock N’ Roll. Hip Hop is the genre of these times, hands down! People all over the world have been influenced by the culture that was originated in the South Bronx. Now corporate companies like Mercedes Benz, Brisk Iced Tea and Chrysler have called upon Hip Hop legends Sean “Diddy” Combs and Marshall “Eminem” Mathers to expand and connect with their target market. This isn’t the first time that corporate companies have used Hip Hop icons to endorse their brands but to my knowledge it is during the Superbowl!

Hip Hop History: RIP Big Pun, 10 Year Anniversary (February 6th-12th)

I honestly do not know where to begin with this blog! First and foremost I want to say RIP Big Pun! This man was more than just an MC, he was truly an ambassador for all MCs with his flow/wordplay but most importantly for all Latin MCs, especially Puerto Ricans. Talent-wise Pun is undoubtedly Top 5 MCs of all-time. Like many of the other great MCs like 2Pac, Biggie, Big L and many more his life and rap career was cut short. Pun’s presence will always be felt and will never be duplicated! Rest In Peace Pana!

Hip Hop History: Happy Birthday J.Dilla; One Of The Greatest Producers (February 6th-12th)

Dr. Dre, DJ Premier, Swizz Beats. These are some of the greatest producers of all-time and there is no doubt that J.Dilla is right there. Many Hip Hop fans even make the argument that Dilla was the best producer of all-time. Before Kanye West came along, Dilla was one of the first producer-rappers to make big hits for MC and also be able to get on a track with them. RIP J.Dilla and Happy Birthday!

Hip Hop History: Pink Friday Reaches #1 Album On Billboard! (February 6th-12th)

Greatest Female MC of All-Time? No. I could never give Nicki that title because unlike most Hip Pop fans these days I am a REAL Hip Hop fan who respects and cherishes the art of MCing. Although Nicki is definitely up there as one of the greatest female MCs of all time I just don’t think her skills to kick a flow or spit some lyrics are as good as Lauryn Hill. If there is one crown that Nicki already has is the most successful female MC of all-time. I know some people would disagree and it evens scares some Hip Hop fans out there as this is her debut album. Exactly, her DEBUT album! It is unbelievable how she is killing the game right now on the Hip Hop and Pop side. You cab hate all you want or try and deny the fact that she is killing all of her competition (old school and especially new school) but it doesn’t take away from the fact that it is being done! #MYOL Nicki!

Hip Hop: Flatline - Young Chris ft. Lloyd Banks (February 6th-12th)

Hip Hop: Wale- The Break Up Song (Narrarted By Morgan Freeman) (February 6th-12th)

In the days of these days of the instant internet uploads and easily accessible superior video equipment, music videos have become so monotonous. Every one has all of a sudden become a video director and music videos have been dumbed down to rappers standing in front of cameras and rapping. You might have 3 or 4 different shots in the video but the imagery, storytelling and creativity of music videos online are almost non-existent. I’m not going to say anything about it, watch it for yourself and let me know what you think. Just know that these are the type of videos I co-sign and plan on producing very, very soon!

Hip Hop: Meek Millz Sign To Rick Ross & Maybach Music Group (Febraury 6th-12th)

The first Hip Hop I posted for 2011 was “Pandemonium” which was Rozay’s track featuring Wale & Meek Millz. Well it seems like Pandemonium is going to be created for a long time, in the week January 30^th – February 5^th I blogged about DC MC Wale joining Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group (from Roc Nation) and a week later Rozay has done it again by officially signing Meek Millz (from Grand Hustle). These wer some power moves made by Rozay as he is currently on top of his game. With these two signings Maybach Music Group becomes an official label contender amongst the YMCMB, Roc Nation, Shady Records and G.O.O.D. Music Hip Hop Heavyweights. These 3 MCs on a track bring a collaboration and sound that allows each’s uniquness to shine and make a sound that is fresh to MC lovers ears. Their leader is of his game and on top of the game, there could be some big things in store for MMG in 2011 and beyond!

NBA: Jerry Sloan Steps Down As Utah Jazz Head Coach After 22 Years (February 6th-12th)

The NBA has officially entered the NEW era of basketball. 2_ year Head Coaching veteran Jerry Sloan is probably the last part of the “old school” NBA that existed in today’s game. The simple explanation for Sloan’s resignation is that both the game and more importantly its players have changed. These days players are valued more by franchises than the coaches that coach them. The commercial appeal, branding and entrepreneurship of players in today’s NBA is unmatched compared to the 80’s and 90’s. From the days where Magic and Bird were the only players with featured sneakers on the Converse line or Michael Jordan created his own line of sneakers from the Nike brand a lot of things have changed. Corporate brands have followed suit and offered border line all-stars to endorse their sneakers like Steven Jackson, Monta Ellis, Al Harrington, etc. Obviously the superstars like Lebron, KD, CP3, Deron Williams and more are being offered multi-million dollar contracts which has caused today’s superstars to have their own agendas on top of their teams. With word from a trusted NBA insider, Deron Williams was supposedly changing flight times to stay nights in certain cities as most teams fly out the night of games. Obviously he wanted to make his presence known in the nightlife of major cities to extend his brand and network. So my question is, is the days of NBA superstars simply focused and prioritizing basketball and world championships over? If I was Jerry Sloan and came from an era where basketball was the #1 priority, I would resign too!

NBA: Ray Allen Breaks All-Time 3pt Record With 2,561 Made vs. Lakers (February 6th-12th)

Since the 2007 season when Ray Allen was traded to the Boston Celtics he has become known primarily as a 3pt shooter. Before Ray Ray made his way to Beantown he was a franchise player for two organizations (Milwaukee Bucks & Seattle Supersonics) who consistently made the playoffs and even the conference finals. Since his days at UConn Ray’s game has been silky smooth and can easily cover up the amount of work that he has put in throughout his career. Things like getting on the court for a full workout 3 hours before game time and staying in shape enough to start on championship contending team at the age of 35. All of his hard work has paid off, first and foremost winning a Championship in 2008 and now becoming the all-time leading 3pt FG leader in NBA history! In my days as a basketball player, I was never a shooter but I always heard the phrase “shooters keep shooting”. During a game in the 2010 NBA Finals, Ray hit 7 3pt FGs in the 1^st half but did not hit one 3pt FG in the second half. Sometimes shooters get cold but Ray lives by that phrase, it has made him the all-time 3pt FG leader in NBA history and hopefully it will help bring the Boston Celtics the 2011 NBA Championship!

NBA: Pistons Will Retire Dennis Rodman’s Number 10 Jersey Halftime of April 1 Game vs. Bulls (February 6th-12th)

These days when people mention Dennis Rodman words like freak, drag queen, drug addict are used to describe him. Although Rodman is far from normal he is one of the greatest basketball players of all-time. The irony of Rodman’s personal life is that it matches his basketball career, literally weird! Rodman wasn’t an unstoppable score or dunker or amazing passer but still his impact was felt everytime he was in the building. Rodman took one extremely important part of the game of basketball and made that his job! That job was rebounding. At only 6’7” and 230 he out rebounded players that were bigger and stronger than him on a regular basis simply because of one thing, determination! For his career Rodman averaged 13.1 RPG and his highest average was 18.7 RPG during 91-92’ season. He also has 5 NBA Championships and was an integral part to each one. Determination is something that cannot be over come if the passion behind it is strong enough and Dennis Rodman’s basketball career is a prime example.

NBA:Derek Fisher's 456th Consecutive Game; Longest Active NBA Streak (February 6th-12th)

Often times talent and athletic ability is something that is God-given but can be developed depending on how hard you work for it. But heart is something that cannot be developed, it is also something that does not automatically come along with athletic ability or talent. Everyone that is living has a heart but not everyone that is alive has heart. There is a big difference between having a heart and having heart, the number one difference is Pride and Perseverance. No matter what is going on physically, mentally or emotionally someone is able to put all of those factors aside and complete the task at hand. Having heart is the #1 characteristic of being a Lane Maker. Derek Fisher is the athletic epitome of having heart! Through injury, sickness, his daughter having cancer, 5 NBA Championship and all the other obstacles a pro athlete faces; Derek Fisher managed to not miss one game. Many fans are fascinated by a great dunk or nice crossover, in my book having heart is far more important than all of that and that is why I have he utmost respect for Derek Fisher!

#MYOL News: MTV Catches Up With Professor Bun B At Rice University (January 30th-February 5th)

In 2010, I got the pleasure of interviewing the 5 mic MC Bun B aka Professor Trill (Check out the video below). In my short time speaking to him it becomes evident that he is a very articulate person almost immediately. These days that isn’t something that is expected due to the rappers that are constantly thrown in our face that have set bad examples like Waka Flaka Flame and many more. On January 11, 2011 Professor Trill taught his first class at Rice University in the “Hip Hop and Religion” course ! Truly Hip Hop History and a major accomplishment for Professor Trill aka Bernard Freeman both as an MC and more importantly a man. As a Hip Hop artist becoming a teacher at a prestigous university like Rice, Bun B definitely deserves a spotlight in the #MYOL News spotlight!

Hip Hop History: Grammy Museum Unveils First Ever Hip-Hop Exhibit (January 30th-February 5th)

As the Grammys are approaching, The Grammy Museum will open up the first ever interactive exhibit all for Hip-Hop this weekend. 
The Grammy Museum’s “Hip-Hop: A Cultural Odyssey” will debut this Saturday (February 5th) on the Museum’s second floor, where it will be on display until May 4th. The exhibit, which is based on ARIA Multimedia Entertainment’s book of the same name, takes users on a interactive, visual and audio journey through four-decades of Hip-Hop music. On display are LL Cool J’s Troop jacket and Kangol hat, Grandmaster Flash’s turntables, Run-DMC’s leather pants and jackets from the “Walk This Way” performance with Aerosmith and many other artifacts from various Hip-Hop legends. The Grammy Museum is located at L.A. Live at 800 W. Olympic Blvd, on block form the Staples Center, where the 53rd Annual Grammys will be held on Sunday (February 13th).

-@ashleybankz, inflexwetrust.com

Hip Hop History: National Museum of Hip-Hop Launches Campaign To Build 1st NYC Hip-Hop Museum! (January 30th-February 5th)

The National Museum of Hip-Hop has launched a campaign to raise money to build the first NMoH facility in NYC. It is being built with two purposes in mind: to establish a world-renowned cultural institution that preserves the four original elements of Hip-Hop (Rap, DJing, B-Boying and Graffiti), and to spearhead positive change within the hip-hop community.
- @iBLONDEgenius, inflexwetrust.com

The National Museum of Hip-Hop (NMoH) announced this week the launch of their “Donate-A-Dollah” (DAD) campaign, designed to raise awareness and raise funds to build the first NMoH facility within New York City, among other things. The precise location/borough of the Museum will be determined based on the results of the DAD Campaign. So, the borough with the largest population of official hip-hop citizens will be where the museum is built, which will be — according to the NMoH — the first museum for Hip-Hop, built for the people and literally by the people. The NMoH was conceived with a dual purpose: the first being to establish a world-renowned cultural institution that preserves the four original elements of hip-hop — Rap, DJing, B-Boying and Graffiti. Each element will have its own department within the museum to honor its contribution to the expansion of the hip-hop culture from a Bronx-originated art form to the global phenomenon it is today. The second purpose is to spearhead positive change within the hip-hop community by “galvanizing its human and financial resources to address issues such as drug abuse, juvenile delinquency, degradation of women, and school dropout rates, to name a few,” according to a press release. The organization’s overall goal is to “globally educate, celebrate, commemorate, and perpetuate the diverse positive social achievements of the hip-hop culture”. “If we are ever going to create positive change within our inner-city communities, we must stop depending on out-of-area government officials and corrupt politicians; true changes begins and ends with the PEOPLE,” said Craig Wilson, creator of DAD & President of NMoH. “But before the people (Hip-Hop culture) can exact change, they must first be unified; this, unification, is the underlying focus of the DAD Campaign.” The “Donate-A-Dollah” campaign asks that all fans of the genre donate a dollar to its movement. The donation is a one-time only contribute, it says, capping at one dollar by each individual. “By limiting each donor’s contribution, the National Museum of Hip-Hop is able to utilize the campaign as the first official ‘Hip-Hop Census’, which will demonstrate the global size and power of the ‘Hip-Hop Planet.’ There are millions, if not billions, of Hip-Hop fans worldwide. Just imagine what can be accomplished within our communities when ALL Hip-Hop fans unite,” said the NMoH.

-Ronnie Gamble, ballerstatus.com

For more info and/or to donate, visit NMOH.org.

Hip Hop: Ring Bellz-Cyhi Da Prynce (Video) (January 30th-February 5th)

In the days of these days of the instant internet uploads and easily accessible superior video equipment, music videos have become so monotonous. Every one has all of a sudden become a video director and music videos have been dumbed down to rappers standing in front of cameras and rapping. You might have 3 or 4 different shots in the video but the imagery, storytelling and creativity of music videos online are almost non-existent. This is why I posted this video as Cyhi matches his lyrical wizardry with the visuals in this video. I’m not going to say anything about it, watch it for yourself and let me know what you think. Just know that these are the type of videos I co-sign and plan on producing very, very soon!

Hip Hop: Wale Signs To Maybach Music Group (January 30th-February 5th)

Formerly signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation management label, Wale is one of the best upcoming MCs in the game. This summer he dropped what I believe was the #1 mixtape album of 2010 titled “More About Nothing”. After the release of the mixtape and the major buzz that it created, Wale really began to get recognized by some of the biggest names in the game, one of those being Rick Ross. Wale was a part of the Roc Nation label before the lyrical heavyweights and thrown inheritors, J.Cole and Jay Electronica came along. During the 3^rd quarter of the year, Electronica was welcomed onto the Roc Nation roster and almost less than a month later was on a Mountain Dew commercial. During that time Wale began to be seen with Meek Millz, Rozay and his Maybach Music Group. This past week Wale officially signed and is a part of MMG. As a fan of both Wale and Ross I think that it is a perfect fit for Wale as he balances out the gangster roster with a super-lyrical and intelligent MC. With Ross currently on fire, Masspike Miles doing his thing and Wale officially signed, MMG is starting to build a roster to compete with Shady (Slaughterhouse, Yelawolf), G.O.O.D Music (Big Sean, Cyhi) and Roc Nation when it comes to Real Hip Hop.

NBA: Lebron Scores Season-High 51 Points V. Orlando Magic (January 30th-February 5th)

Every week the bar gets pushed higher and higher! First it was the unanimous rookie of the year selection Blake Griffin setting the NBA season-high in January with 47 points and he added 18 rebounds too! The next week another young superstar Kevin Durant comes along and matches Griffin’s 47 points and also added 18 rebounds to match the season-high. You might know this young superstar’s name. Um, Lebron James? All the other young superstars are very very good players but this guy is clearly the best player in the NBA. He proves it again as he drops in 51 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 6 steals against a possible championship contender and in-state rivals Orlando Magic. I actually had the pleasure of watching this game and it was nothing less than pure domination from Lebron. There is no question that he is the best player on the Miami Heat and even though it may be D.Wade’s team because he was there first, it is clearly Lebron’s when he is on the floor. 

NBA: Top 10 Dunks of January 2011

NBA: Dirk Nowitzki Scores 22,000 Points; 24th Player In NBA History (January 30th-February 5th)

NBA: Celtics Beat Lakers In Regular Season Rematch (January 30th-February 5th)

To all my fellow Celtics fans, this was a great win and a prime example to what would have happened in game 7 of last years finals if Kendrick Perkins was healthy. Lets not take this game too seriously, even though it is a good sign for what may come in this years finals, both teams still have to make it there. It is no secret that the L.A. Lakers haven’t been playing championship basketball all season as they’ve lost to losing teams like Kings, Clippers and been blown out by the Heat on Christmas Day. When Kobe today has to play like the Kobe of the old days, that is not a good thing for the repeat champion Lakers. With Ron Artest, Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum having sub-par seasons and Matt Barnes out with injury the Lakers are currently 3^rd in the Western Conference and 5^th in the NBA. Even with an “average” season for the world champions they have managed to be in the running for home court advantage throughout the playoffs but it doesn’t look too promising as the Spurs, Heat and Celtics are playing great basketball. The Celtics are looking as strong as the 2007-2008 season when they were able to sustain injuries and utilize their bench to win key games throughout the season. KG, Rondo, Marquis Daniels, Semi, Delonte West, Kendrick Perkins and Shaq have all had injury troubles and have missed games this season. When the Lakers have to face a bigger, tougher interior they do not do well as they rely on Kobe’s jumpers. That is when the Celtic’s defense is at their best and they capitalize off of the best defense in the league. This years playoffs are going to be crazy! I’m taking the Celtics, who do you have winning it all?