bigted

My thoughts exactly man, Josh Howard looking like a punk

Aw you don't have to apologize for anything, it's ok, hope you feel better soon

Yeah but a brother could dream though and it's unlikely that "Exit 13" will turn out like "Big Willie Style" 'cause people don't buy records like that anymore, basically the music industry's like the movie industry now where if you don't do well in your 1st week you're gonna fail, that's why today's a sad day to hear LL had a weak 1st week sales and more than likely this might be his last tour, I see him moving more towards being a record executive in the next few years, that's why he's trying to bring new mcs in the game with his website, the only collab him and FP might do is in a film and maybe a song on a soundtrack if we're lucky, they both accomplished more than most ever had so I can't be mad at all but all good things must come to an end, we likely seen the end of the GOATs and if we've had it's been a hell of a run, "Exit 13" might go down as an underappreciated album like FP's "Lost and Found" has been.... Now on another note speaking of Kardinal Official, I was able to check out his dope freestyle he did on Rap City today, it was awesome, damn shame his album flopped too, he mad talented dude...

Welcome back Turntable, it's good to see you back! Now I don't think LL has ever compromised or sold himself out, he's stayed true to the game, each album he put out has it's own meaning and purpose, some are better than others of course, fans are gonna have their own preference but LL has put his heart and effort into what he's done, I'm not speaking about you AJ you're entitled to your opinion but in general I notice most fans are fickle so it's hard for an artist to please them after awhile... Now he wanted to give a lot of unknown producers a chance to get their shine on with this album as well rather than just have a bunch of big names produce his album, he also got that boomdizzle.com site trying to get some new mcs in the game, I don't think that's selling out.... Anyway come to think of it LL never really had big 1st week numbers and neither has FP, they usually start off slow but their sales stay consistant through word of mouth so I'm really that worried 'cause it's a great album and the fans will buy it gradually, I mean who knows maybe we'll look in a few months and notice that this is LL's 'Big Willie Style'(that only sold 50,000 in the 1st week I think and went on to be one of the highest selling albums in rap history) Ultimately though I'd love to see a great album sell a million in the 1st week, something has to give, btw JJFP should jump on that tour with LL and Janet...

That's sad to hear that LL only sold 43,000 in his first week, Ice Cube's album didn't sell much in the first week either he only sold 60,000 I think, it's sad to see fans abandon these consistant legends while that Lil' Wayne crap sells so much, Nas is right hip hop is dead On a more positive note here I heard that LL's gonna be touring with Janet Jackson, that's something that I'd love to see

Hey I Found That Sporting News Has Playoff Fantasy Baseball Challenge, Anyone Wanna Join? I Could Start Up A JJFP League if anyone's down, holla: http://register.sportingnews.com/baseball/...basic/home.html

That Eagles-Cowboys game was an epic thriller, dissapointing to see the Eagles fall short but this NFC East is a war this year :susel[1]:

:yeahthat: Amen to that brotha, LL did the right thing by keeping his ear to the street to realise that his real fans ain't down with that G-Unit crap

These days it's hard to believe you can't find a music video no matter how rare it might be but I'm sure somebody will gradually put it up if they have it

I'm down but there's no such thing as a playoff MLB fantasy league right? The playoffs and world series is around the corner soon

Hey I found an unreleased song called "New York, New York", check it out, it's dope, I especially like the line where he said, "Just when you thought L was calming down/I pulled a George Bush and I bombed the town": http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...9/20485086.aspx

Queen Latifah Returns to Hip-Hop With Dr. Dre on LP She Nearly Named “The L Word” 9/12/08, 12:00 pm EST Queen Latifah considered naming her new hip-hop album The L Word “just to mess with people’s heads.” The New Jersey rapper/actress has endured much speculation about her sexuality because she doesn’t discuss her personal life and played a lesbian in the 1996 film Set It Off. “L was gonna stand for love though or La,” she laughs. “Since people want to play games, I like to jab back sometimes just for fun, but I’m like, ‘Nah, that’s too much energy wasted.’ ” Latifah calls the new album (due in December) “banging” and plans to hit the road next year. She’s been working with LL Cool J and Dr. Dre. “They pretty much did the whole album,” Latifah said during a small roundtable interview to promote her new film The Secret Life of Bees, which also stars Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson, Dakota Fanning and Sophie Okonedo. “My boy Kenny Flav did one track and I think might do two more. Missy [Elliott] and Swizz Beatz are the only two people I have left. But they’re mixing it right now.” Latifah, whose last album, 2007’s Trav’lin Light, was a collection of jazz and R&B standards, says she “just about” wrote all the rhymes for it. “Dre helped me write some stuff. He wrote some stuff with me and Ludicris wrote a record for me.” Lyrically it covers a range of topics, she says. “A lot of love on there. People, dealing with people, how people do all kinds of things, but then you’re like, ‘You know what? They’re just people.’ “Just like the media,” she adds. “You read something in the paper and just when I start to get mad, I’m like, ‘You know what? They’re just people.’ People do stuff. People will let you down. They won’t be around, but hey they’re just people, what are you gonna do?” The as-yet-undecided first single should drop within the month. And Latifah says since she jetted away for a break, she’s not even sure what the finished product will sound like. “I did all my parts and then I went on vacation. So they put people on it while I was gone and they’ve been waiting to talk to me to surprise me,” she adds (though she is certain Busta Rhymes makes a cameo). “I’m actually supposed to talk to them and find out who the hell is on that damn album. I’m sure there is no one on there I don’t like.”

Yeah that song's a timeless classic

So did anybody get the album today? I got it and have been listening to it nonstop, this is definately some of his best work, btw check out this high review from USA Today I found: http://blogs.usatoday.com/listenup/2008/09...-re-1.html#more LL Cool J, Exit 13: * * * -- Exciting exiting LL has hinted that his 13th Def Jam album will be the last for the iconic label he helped pioneer 24 years ago. Whether that turns out to be true, the Queens rapper is not thinking about bowing out of the game. Exit 13 is his most aggressive album in years, as he not only brags about his legacy, but challenges new jacks who may think he has gone soft to come at him. And when the self-proclaimed G.O.A.T. (Greatest of All Time) is not gearing for battle, he’s smoothing things out for the ladies who love him. He opted to stay shy of the usual suspect big-time producers, going with hungry up-and-comers who energize his sound. Wyclef Jean, 50 Cent, The Dream and Richie Sambora put in cameos, but LL does most of the heavy lifting himself. There is some fat among the mostly muscular 18 tracks — American Girl is particularly corny. Still, there’s no indication that this particular facet of his entertainment career, which also includes TV, movies and books, is getting short shrift. After all, a microphone tattoo does take up the length of his right arm. After 10 straight platinum albums, his last two have only gone gold. But he seems to have gotten his swagger back. He may be hitting the Exit, but he is not easing up on the gas. — Steve Jones >>Download: It’s Time for War, Old School New School, Feel My Heart Beat, Mr. President, Baby (and its rock remix) >>Skip: American Girl, Ur Only a Customer

He's gonna need it since he'll be facing me now

I'm definately feeling good about the start of the season, with the way things are looking my boy Mcnabb's gonna lead the Eagles and my team to glory, this is the stats of a champion folks: Comp Att Yds Pct Y/A Sack YdsL TD Int 21 33 361 63.6 10.9 0 0 3 0

Wow it's great to know a lot of us are following this crucial election for these times for our generation, definately some nice thoughtful posts being made. I personally wasn't that impressed with what Palin said in her speech last night and Gulliani came across very immature in his speech as well and I think that it'll be interesting to see how Mccain does tonight, he needs to come up with something strong

This is a relevant track for these times, one of the most intelligent rap songs probably since Will released "Tell Me Why", check it: http://allhiphop.com/stories/multimedia__m...4/20473559.aspx

Tonight's opening night, in the words of Marvin Gaye let's get it on!

http://www.vibe.com/news/online_exclusives..._exit_thirteen/ First Listen: LL Cool J's Exit 13 Brad Wete The GOAT shows that his raps are still hard as hell. James Todd Smith is guzzling a bottle of Poland Springs water and is sweating through his aqua blue t-shirt. The energy he is expending is the kind most reserve for visits to their gyms, but on this cool New York night LL Cool J stands in front of a programming board in Chung King Studios to give a sneak peak of his last Def Jam release, Exit 13. In blue jeans, all white shell-toed Adidas sneakers, the GOAT’s appearance suggests that he’s been taking frequent dips in the fountain of youth. As he runs through each track, his gesturing matches the mood of the cuts, aggressively adjusting his white Yankee fitted during hard-hitting tracks like the album’s intro “It’s Time for War” and all but blowing kisses to ladies in the room when the up-tempo, and sexually charged “Feel My Heartbeat” shoots out of the speakers. “Time for you to bust out your new red pumps/I’m gonna lick shots, make the box spring jump,” he smoothly suggests on the track. On the Marley Marl-produced “You Better Watch Me,” Uncle L talks about how he’s cashing new checks but many still question his popularity. “Is LL really hot/Y’all keep on debating/Y’all play Cochran/I’ll keep on caking,” he raps over the cut, which adds a devilish baseline to a sample of Audio Two’s 1988 classic “Top Billin’”. The album’s most diverse tracks come via rock collaboration with Richie Sambora and a track that LL describes a “Bollywood, strawberry baby oil music.” With an electric guitar rift and harder percussion, LL and Sambora remix what was once a smooth, club friendly “Baby. ” And on “I Fall in Love” Cool J uses live Indian musicians to help him get his fantasies across. “When I look in your eyes/I fall in love/ Every time I look at your thighs/I fall in love,” he softly raps on the hook. The two tracks will earn the veteran an “A” for an effort to sprinkle some worldliness on his set, but definitely are not the best song offered on Exit 13’s menu. The highlights of the album are the boom-bap, b-boy jam “This is Ringtone M…” where he spits “I’m the center of the bomb. I’m about to explode. Y’all ain’t hip hop. Go write for Vogue.” and the bouncy, playful “Like a Radio,” which features R&B talent Ryan Leslie. LL’s last effort under his current contract at Def Jam is better than just a solid effort. It hits on a variety of issues: From thug gatherings and groupie adventures with Fat Joe and Sheek Louch on “Come & Party With Me” (“You’re killin’ me, baby/You’re like an assassin/And you know that I’m married/Why the **** you keep askin’?”) to “Mr. President”, an open letter to George Bush asking questions about immigration, health insurance and the war over a techno tinged beat. The 40-year-old MC can still reign supreme, when he puts down the movie scripts and focuses on building bars.

I personally wasn't feeling Game that much when he came out 'cause of he was beefing too much but really I've been feeling how he's grown into a better artist over recent times, I'm definately gonna check this album when I get a chance

There's so many albums out right now that I want to check out, I was very impressed with how Ice Cube came back so strong on his "Laugh Now, Cry Later" album which is one of the better albums this decade in my opinion, it'd be awesome if "Raw Footage" is on the same level as that one, can't wait to check to see if it is, Ice Cube one of the most consistant mcs ever, btw "Do Ya Thing" is one of the best songs out right now to me

I gotta say wtf was Mccain thinking here, he criticises Obama for not having enough experience but yet he picks a vp candidate that has limited experience http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/polit...amp;oref=slogin

http://www.newsone.com/article/mlks-speech...-dream-deferred MLK's Speech 45 Years Later: A Dream Deferred or A Dream Achieved? By Casey Gane-McCalla on August 28, 11:26 AM What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore-- And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over-- like a syrupy sweet? Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode? A Dream Deferred, Langston Hughes I, too, sing America.I am the darker brother.They send me to eat in the kitchenWhen company comes,But I laugh,And eat well,And grow strong.Tomorrow,I'll be at the tableWhen company comes.Nobody'll dareSay to me,'Eat in the kitchen,'Then.Besides, They'll see how beautiful I amAnd be ashamed--I, too, am AmericaI Too Sing America, Langston Hughes Two score and five years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. talked about a check given to African-Americans by the founders of this country that had bounced, a check that said ‘all men were created equal,’ that was a promissory note to black people that one day we would have our rights, a check that came back marked ‘insufficient funds.’ Forty-five years later, has the check cleared yet? Today many people would say the same thing that MLK said in '63, that the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity’ In King’s time, the average black family income was 56% of the average white family income, today it's 63%. Today, African-Americans still suffer the sting of poverty: the gap has only been closed by 7% in the past 45 years. In terms of financial equality, we have a long way to go before we realize King's dream. King would go on about economic prosperity saying ‘We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.’ While there are many prosperous black suburbs, and many African-Americans have managed to move into white and racially mixed suburbs, the overwhelming majority of blacks have to deal with the same prospects of upward mobility that King spoke about in 1963. King also spoke about the Negro languishing in the corners of society, exiles in their own land. Given the large amount of African-Americans who still live in poverty in the worst parts of American cities -- a reality made all the more clear during hurricane Katrina -- many African Americans are still exiles in their own land. King said: ‘We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of police brutality.’ So there is no way on earth he’d be satisfied today, with Rodney King, Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo, Abner Louima, and many others being brutality beaten or killed by the police. Still several parts of King’s dream have become a reality no longer are we robbed of our dignity by ‘white only signs’ and when we are tired with the ‘fatigue of travel’ we can stay at any of the hotels and motels across the highways of America. King famously said, 'We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.’ Judging by the high African-American voter turnout in the South and in cities like New York, this part of King’s dream is a shining reality. In this way, Obama has taken King’s mantle and inspired blacks to achieve one part, a very significant part of America’s dream, as black people finally have a candidate they can truly believe in that will inspire them to come to the polls no matter the odds. The Republican party will undoubtedly try to continue to derail King’s dream like they did in 2000, but they will not derail the spirit that brings them to the polls. King spoke of sons of slaves and the sons of slave owners meeting at the table of brotherhood. This is another partially achieved dream. The polls in many southern states have showed that blacks and whites have joined at the table of brotherhood in their support of Obama. In other avenues such as sports and entertainment, African-Americans, have been at the table with their white brothers. The blacks lucky enough to go to college or get jobs in corporate America have joined the table of brotherhood, while the poor in the ghettoes are treated like abandoned step-children. Conservatives have taken King’s statement about his children living in a nation ‘where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character’ to attack affirmative action. What they fail to recognize is that day has not come because of the legacy of racism. Affirmative action is the only chance many blacks have to ‘sitting at the table of brotherhood.’ As racial profiling and racial discrimination in general are both still harsh realities, we are still judged by the color of our skin. While millions of white people will be voting for Barack Obama because of the content of his character, millions will not vote for him because of the color of his skin. Barack Obama can learn a lot from Dr. King’s speech. King put his Dream in the context of the broader American dream, referencing the Constituition, the Bill of Rights and "America the Beautiful." Just as King used the abolition of slavery as a reference point, I’m sure Obama will use King’s speech and the civil rights movement as a reference point. Nineteen sixty-three was not the end but the beginning of the civil rights movement, and so is 2008. As King incorporated whites into his general movement, Obama must do so doubly. King said ‘many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.’ I am a strong believer in not submitting to cynicism and in chasing dreams. While we have not achieved his dream yet, he has put us on the right course to do so. We must continue to fight to make sure that King’s dream is realized. Just like King looked over the mountaintop and saw that he ‘might not get here with us,’ we must fight with the same vision. Although racism will remain a reality for our lives we can fight for progress and equality. Because of Obama's strides, 66% of black parents believe that their children can be president, and while most of them never will, that dream will keep them going, keep them fighting and keep them believing in themselves.

Yeah I figured this forum would be all up on this election, our generation is gonna be impacted very much over what's gonna happen over these next few months, I think it's a tough and important choice to make, btw check out this article on the history that was made last night, it was incredible: http://www.newsone.com/article/history History! By News One Staff on August 28, 06:43 AM On a historic night for America, Barack Obama secured the Democratic Party's nomination for president and emerged for the first time on stage in Denver with running mate Sen. Joe Biden. Obama on Wednesday officially became the first African American to lead a major party ticket. Delegates cried and cheered as former rival Sen. Hillary Clinton motioned to cut the roll call vote short, saying "Let's declare together with one voice right here, right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president." The dramatic move was carefully choreographed to put down any fears of a divided party following the protracted primary battle. The Democrats jumped to their feet as they made history with Obama as their leader. Outside the hall, Republican leaders also hailed the achievement. Tonight, Obama stands before 75,000 people in a sports arena and millions watching on television Thursday to break down a historic American barrier — the first black man to claim a major political party's nomination for president of the United States, a country where many African-Americans were unable to vote just decades ago. Obama, who has made little of his race in a so-far bruising run for the White House, will lay out a case for sweeping political change and drive home the choice voters face between his candidacy and that of Republican John McCain, senior strategist David Axelrod said on the eve the 47-year-old Illinois senator's acceptance speech. Obama's acceptance of the Democratic nomination comes on the 45th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, in which the black civil rights leader spoke of his hopes for progress in U.S. race relations. Given America's tortured racial history, Obama's nomination is a gamble for the Democrats in the Nov. 4 election as they work to wrest the White House from the Republicans and their candidate McCain, a veteran Arizona senator and Vietnam war hero who turns 72 on Friday. The stakes were, of course, equally high for Obama, a relative newcomer to the national stage who rose to prominence after delivering the keynote address at the Democratic convention in 2004 and who is still in his first term in the Senate. While his speech four years ago was widely praised as inspirational, Axelrod said Obama would use his nominating address to convey a more simple message about what he would do for the country as president. "His goal is to talk to the American people about the challenges we face and what we need to do to solve them, and the stakes of continuing to do what we are doing," Axelrod said. "I will leave it to others to decide the inspiration factor." Former Vice President Al Gore also will speak Thursday. Adding a touch of celebrity to the convention's final night, singers Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder and will.i.am were scheduled to perform, with Academy Award-winner Jennifer Hudson singing the national anthem. Obama had been campaigning in battleground states during the week before turning up on the Denver convention stage unannounced Wednesday night after running mate Joe Biden's acceptance speech. Biden used his speech to laud Obama and to tear into McCain, even as he called the latter a "friend" whose "personal courage and heroism ... still amaze me." Delighting the crowd with his appearance, Obama praised the one-time front-runner for the Democratic nomination Hillary Rodham Clinton, and her husband former President Bill Clinton, as well as his wife for their prime time speeches in support of him this week. "If I'm not mistaken, Hillary Clinton rocked the house last night!" he shouted. Obama's wife, Michelle, who delivered a tone-perfect address to open the convention could be seen mouthing the words "I love you" from her VIP seat in the Pepsi Center. The long Democratic soap opera neared an end — and the Obama campaign no doubt heaved a sigh of relief — after rousing speeches on Obama's behalf by the Clintons — Hillary on Tuesday and Bill on Wednesday. They offered unabashed praise for Hillary Clinton's one-time opponent, whom they had sharply criticized during the primary contest. While healing the Democratic Party may still prove difficult after the grueling 18-month primary, the process began effusively Tuesday night when Hillary Clinton said Obama is "my candidate, and he must be our president." Bill Clinton echoed his wife's words the night following, noting that she had told the convention she would do everything possible to get Obama elected. "That makes two of us," he said. For months, the former president had made little secret of his disappointment over his wife's primary defeat. During her campaign, he faced criticism for his outbursts of anger and deprecatory comments about Obama. But his 1993-2001 presidency is warmly remembered by Democrats as a time of peace and prosperity, and Clinton was greeted with a huge and extended ovation as he took the stage. He was interrupted frequently by applause as he praised Obama. While there were no surprises in the convention, drama was heightened as both Obama and Hillary Clinton's names were put in for the nomination. Convention leaders were well along in a state-by-state roll call vote when the New York senator strode into the midst of her delegation as planned and stopped the process, calling for Obama's unanimous nomination "in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory." The delegates agreed with a roar and Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives and titular head of the convention, pounded her gavel on the historic vote. Despite having released her delegates earlier in the day, Clinton received 341 votes to Obama's 1,549 before she called for him to be approved by acclamation. Clinton, who won nearly 18 million votes in the state primaries but could not overcome Obama's delegate total, had wanted the pro forma roll call as a cathartic moment for her huge bloc of supporters. Tensions between the two camps were aggravated last week by Obama's decision to name Biden instead of Clinton as his vice presidential running mate. But in their speeches, both Clintons commended the choice. Biden received the vice presidential nomination by acclamation Wednesday night, and in accepting he declared he had learned the quality of Obama's mind and character while campaigning against him in the primary. "I watched how Barack touched people, how he inspired them, and I realized he had tapped into the oldest American belief of all: We don't have to accept a situation we cannot bear. We have the power to change it," he said.