I really enjoyed this blog post by DJ Louie XIV at the Huffington Post yesterday. He basically expresses his disappointment at the lack of popular female rappers these days using Nicki Minaj as an example saying that she seems content with releasing more pop-style music (he refers to it as "yet another shaded rendition of 'California Tik Tok on Last Friday Night's Domino') instead of hip-hop.
It's funny because I was listening to Young Money the other day and thinking the same thing. The first time I heard Nicki Minaj was on "Bedrock" and I remember thinking that she more than held on her own that track with guys like Lil Wayne and Drake and wanting to find out who she was. Now that she's seemingly crossed over to the pop side (it seems pretty clear that at this point she has more in common with Katy Perry than Eve), I sometimes forget that she was even on that song.
It's definitely not because a lack of talent. She's exceptional with her rhymes and flows and she's proved it time and time again. DJ Louie mentions "Did It On 'Em" as an example, and I think that's still my favorite Nicki song (actually hearing it for the first time on the radio was the reason I went and got her album).
As much as I hate to do it...I think I'd have to blame Taylor Swift for this. In my mind, "Superbass" was the breaking point where Nicki really started to turn pop, and of course it was Taylor who Nicki credits for introducing that song to a larger audience (of mostly adolescent white girls). Since then, it's been lighthearted stuff like "Starships" and little girls singing her songs on Ellen.
As a sidenote, can you imagine Sophie Grace doing...just about any other Nicki Minaj song? It would go from cutely innocent to wildly inappropriate pretty quickly.
Granted, I have no idea what Nicki's new album is going to sound like. Who knows, maybe "Starships" is as pop as it gets and the rest of the tracks are pure hip-hop. But I doubt it. I think Nicki's smart enough to know she's found a niche where she can be pretty successful. And I'm not saying her songs aren't good, just different. Good for her, but if she continues going in this direction I think it's a pretty significant loss for the hip hop community.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
After the Final Rose
I've made it no secret that Courtney was my favorite reality tv character on this season of the Bachelor, and of course, she won the show. And of course, she's been taking a beating from all sides since then.
To be honest, I felt it was unfair that Ben has been acting all shocked and indignant after the show finished. I mean, even if he didn't know the specifics of what she did or said to the other ladies, he had fair warning. Hearing all those things from the other girls SHOULD have been an enormous red flag already. It's weird that he waits until after everything's done to react to that. Something about the timing feels really disingenuous (did I use that right?) to me.
I honestly don't know how much of Courtney is acting or genuine (although I found it really amusing last week when she said, "I'm feeling real emotions right now" or something like that), but really I think most of the criticism is unfair. At this point she really can't apologize any more (and if it's not real now it probably won't be later anyway) and I don't know what her haters want. Ultimately it was Ben's decision, and for some reason people don't seem to be mad at him at all.
For what it's worth, I think she has feelings for Ben and this point and really does have trust issues with guys. And of course, Ben abandoning her did not help matters. It's hard for me to respect someone who does that and then goes on tv and acts like everything's cool. Everything he says just seems so fake and unspecific and, as a college student, I definitely know BS when I see/hear it.
It's been an interesting season overall. I don't have a lot of respect for Ben or most of the other contestants on the show, who find it totally cool to talk crap on each other and Shawntel but act so wronged when Courtney does it. But hey, that's what the Bachelor Pad is for.
To be honest, I felt it was unfair that Ben has been acting all shocked and indignant after the show finished. I mean, even if he didn't know the specifics of what she did or said to the other ladies, he had fair warning. Hearing all those things from the other girls SHOULD have been an enormous red flag already. It's weird that he waits until after everything's done to react to that. Something about the timing feels really disingenuous (did I use that right?) to me.
I honestly don't know how much of Courtney is acting or genuine (although I found it really amusing last week when she said, "I'm feeling real emotions right now" or something like that), but really I think most of the criticism is unfair. At this point she really can't apologize any more (and if it's not real now it probably won't be later anyway) and I don't know what her haters want. Ultimately it was Ben's decision, and for some reason people don't seem to be mad at him at all.
For what it's worth, I think she has feelings for Ben and this point and really does have trust issues with guys. And of course, Ben abandoning her did not help matters. It's hard for me to respect someone who does that and then goes on tv and acts like everything's cool. Everything he says just seems so fake and unspecific and, as a college student, I definitely know BS when I see/hear it.
It's been an interesting season overall. I don't have a lot of respect for Ben or most of the other contestants on the show, who find it totally cool to talk crap on each other and Shawntel but act so wronged when Courtney does it. But hey, that's what the Bachelor Pad is for.
Monday, February 27, 2012
The Bachelor Final Power Rankings
Well, this is going to be a short one since there are only two girls left, but I've got to keep posting on here for a class anyway, so might as well.
A Word on the Departed
Kacie's back! And then gone. But not before she asked for some answers then laid down in the middle of the hotel. To be honest, I was kind of worried she was going to go in and beg Ben to take her back and give her another chance, so I was actually kind of glad that all she wanted was some closure. It was still sad, but I guess preferable to the "What the F Happened" outburst from last week. But man, Courtney must have really done something bad to these girls in the house that we didn't see given that even Kacie still felt the need to say something to Ben about it even at this stage in this situation. Meh, we'll see what happens at WTA I guess.
And Nicki, bless her heart, she somehow talked herself into thinking Ben was going to propose to her. I don't know, I've got to think that these girls who have been sent home and are watching the Bachelor now feel lucky that they've dodged a bullet with Ben after seeing how he's been on this season. It doesn't seem like there's any logic to his actions and it seems pretty clear that he's only into these women on a very superficial level. Which is fine I guess and honestly that's sort of what I assume about a lot of people who go on this show, but man, I get really annoyed when he throws around his BS. Like how he got rid of girls like Jennifer and Kacie B, who he clearly displayed some chemistry with, and claimed it was only "to protect them." Or my very favorite, how when Nicki accepted his invitation to the fantasy suite tonight he said, "These moments are really important. You get to know a lot about the person." Like really, THAT'S what you're doing on your overnight date. Talking about all the things you didn't get to while you were dating 20 other women over the past eight weeks. Give me a break. Of all the things I hate about the show, it's the fact that the people on this show think we're that dumb and naive that drives me the most crazy.
Final Power Rankings
1. Courtney
Ben's pretty noticably different with her in my opinion, and I think that says a lot about what he's thinking. And really, now that so many women (who he supposedly trusts and respects) have said things about her and he's still keeping her around says it all. I have no idea if her apologies are real or just part of her masterful manipulation (I guess they're not mutually exclusive) doesn't make a huge difference since Ben just eats up everything she says. It's crazy. I give them 6 months until they call of their engagement.
2. Lindzi
It would be interesting to me if she was chosen to be the next Bachelorette after Emily since her parents mentioned she hasn't had a lot of dating experience. And what better way to fix that than by setting her up with 30 guys at the same time?
A Word on the Departed
Kacie's back! And then gone. But not before she asked for some answers then laid down in the middle of the hotel. To be honest, I was kind of worried she was going to go in and beg Ben to take her back and give her another chance, so I was actually kind of glad that all she wanted was some closure. It was still sad, but I guess preferable to the "What the F Happened" outburst from last week. But man, Courtney must have really done something bad to these girls in the house that we didn't see given that even Kacie still felt the need to say something to Ben about it even at this stage in this situation. Meh, we'll see what happens at WTA I guess.
And Nicki, bless her heart, she somehow talked herself into thinking Ben was going to propose to her. I don't know, I've got to think that these girls who have been sent home and are watching the Bachelor now feel lucky that they've dodged a bullet with Ben after seeing how he's been on this season. It doesn't seem like there's any logic to his actions and it seems pretty clear that he's only into these women on a very superficial level. Which is fine I guess and honestly that's sort of what I assume about a lot of people who go on this show, but man, I get really annoyed when he throws around his BS. Like how he got rid of girls like Jennifer and Kacie B, who he clearly displayed some chemistry with, and claimed it was only "to protect them." Or my very favorite, how when Nicki accepted his invitation to the fantasy suite tonight he said, "These moments are really important. You get to know a lot about the person." Like really, THAT'S what you're doing on your overnight date. Talking about all the things you didn't get to while you were dating 20 other women over the past eight weeks. Give me a break. Of all the things I hate about the show, it's the fact that the people on this show think we're that dumb and naive that drives me the most crazy.
Final Power Rankings
1. Courtney
Ben's pretty noticably different with her in my opinion, and I think that says a lot about what he's thinking. And really, now that so many women (who he supposedly trusts and respects) have said things about her and he's still keeping her around says it all. I have no idea if her apologies are real or just part of her masterful manipulation (I guess they're not mutually exclusive) doesn't make a huge difference since Ben just eats up everything she says. It's crazy. I give them 6 months until they call of their engagement.
2. Lindzi
It would be interesting to me if she was chosen to be the next Bachelorette after Emily since her parents mentioned she hasn't had a lot of dating experience. And what better way to fix that than by setting her up with 30 guys at the same time?
Monday, February 20, 2012
The Bachelor Week 8 Power Rankings (aka Eff You Ben F)
A Word on the Departed
Sigh. I can't. It's too depressing.
(h/t faces of rejected bachelorettes)
Week 8 Power Rankings
1. Courtney (up 2 spots)
Ok. So she's been mean to the girls on the show. She's pretty obviously manipulating Ben (whether she has real feelings for him or not). And yet...she does have a connection with Ben and it's so clear, despite the fact that all of the girls hate her and apparently a bunch of unnamed sources from her real life do as well (though it might not all be true). Honestly I liked her date a lot better than the rest of the hometowns, and even with that silly exercise of the fake wedding, it does look like Ben's taking their relationship very seriously. I'm not quite sure how, given the fact that none of the girls like her (which would be a huge red flag to me, just saying) and how she keeps playing the "I'm not sure you're into me" game when the rest of the girls are basically throwing themselves at him, but yeah, he really treats her unlike any of the other girls. I don't know, I really would rather there not be the whole farce of looking for true love when it's pretty obvious that that's not what Ben is looking for at all. Whatever. They deserve each other. I'm sure they'll be a hit at Bachelor reunions.
2. Lindzi (no change)
I'll be honest, she's kind of boring to me. She wears a lot of makeup, and, as I said last week, she seems pretty normal. But she kind of seems like the girl Ben would just be friends with at this point. Although her family must be loaded. Who races horse-drawn carriages as a hobby?
3. Nicki (up 1 spot)
Personally, having been divorced at 26 (or however old she is) would still have been a huge red flag to me. I don't really know why Ben's keeping her around, I guess just by default? She seems bright and bubbly and totally oblivious to the fact that Ben's way more into the other girls.
For real though. WTF was Ben thinking tonight? Kacie was the sweetest, cutest girl there and he just dumps her like that? All that anger and sadness she showed in her exit limo was totally justified in my opinion. They seemed really cute together and honestly there really didn't seem to be much wrong with her (you know, relatively speaking) other than her slight psycho tendencies. It looked like Ben sent her home because of her parents, because somehow it's just so odd that her mom didn't want them living together before they got married and her dad wasn't ready to give his daughter away to someone she'd known for 8 weeks (the nerve!). On Ashley's season of the Bachelorette, I liked Ben a lot. He was pretty chill and always easygoing and fun. But I gotta say, I really lost respect for him this season, and I really can't wait to see what goes down on the Women Tell All and After the Final Rose eps. Don't be sad Kacie, you can do better. Unless you become the next Bachelorette, in which case you deserve what you get.
Sigh. I can't. It's too depressing.
(h/t faces of rejected bachelorettes)Week 8 Power Rankings
1. Courtney (up 2 spots)
Ok. So she's been mean to the girls on the show. She's pretty obviously manipulating Ben (whether she has real feelings for him or not). And yet...she does have a connection with Ben and it's so clear, despite the fact that all of the girls hate her and apparently a bunch of unnamed sources from her real life do as well (though it might not all be true). Honestly I liked her date a lot better than the rest of the hometowns, and even with that silly exercise of the fake wedding, it does look like Ben's taking their relationship very seriously. I'm not quite sure how, given the fact that none of the girls like her (which would be a huge red flag to me, just saying) and how she keeps playing the "I'm not sure you're into me" game when the rest of the girls are basically throwing themselves at him, but yeah, he really treats her unlike any of the other girls. I don't know, I really would rather there not be the whole farce of looking for true love when it's pretty obvious that that's not what Ben is looking for at all. Whatever. They deserve each other. I'm sure they'll be a hit at Bachelor reunions.
2. Lindzi (no change)
I'll be honest, she's kind of boring to me. She wears a lot of makeup, and, as I said last week, she seems pretty normal. But she kind of seems like the girl Ben would just be friends with at this point. Although her family must be loaded. Who races horse-drawn carriages as a hobby?
3. Nicki (up 1 spot)
Personally, having been divorced at 26 (or however old she is) would still have been a huge red flag to me. I don't really know why Ben's keeping her around, I guess just by default? She seems bright and bubbly and totally oblivious to the fact that Ben's way more into the other girls.
For real though. WTF was Ben thinking tonight? Kacie was the sweetest, cutest girl there and he just dumps her like that? All that anger and sadness she showed in her exit limo was totally justified in my opinion. They seemed really cute together and honestly there really didn't seem to be much wrong with her (you know, relatively speaking) other than her slight psycho tendencies. It looked like Ben sent her home because of her parents, because somehow it's just so odd that her mom didn't want them living together before they got married and her dad wasn't ready to give his daughter away to someone she'd known for 8 weeks (the nerve!). On Ashley's season of the Bachelorette, I liked Ben a lot. He was pretty chill and always easygoing and fun. But I gotta say, I really lost respect for him this season, and I really can't wait to see what goes down on the Women Tell All and After the Final Rose eps. Don't be sad Kacie, you can do better. Unless you become the next Bachelorette, in which case you deserve what you get.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The (barely) VaLintine's Day Linsanity Post
The Jeremy Lin experience looks like it's not going to be ending any time soon. There's nothing I can write that hasn't already been written by someone a lot smarter and better than writing for me. I think it's sort of fitting that I'm writing this so late given that I was also late on him in fantasy basketball as well as believing that he can be a viable NBA starter.
And I'm not going to lie, this upsets me a little since I've thought that Lin would be able to play in the NBA since his 30 point explosion against UConn when he was at Harvard. I'll admit, I am a little bit of an NBA hipster.
Still, it seems like there are a lot of people coming out of the woodwork (Asian people, talking to you) who have all of a sudden become NBA/Knick fans and big believers in Lin as the next New York superstar. And I mean that's cool, obviously it's nice to have new fans. But whether new or old, Asian or...not Asian, it sort of seems like there are a lot of ideas of who or what Jeremy Lin is, was, and will be. He's only had a significant role for 6 games, a tiny sample size even in this shortened season, and there's really no way to predict what will happen next week, much less the rest of his career. Having said that, I think that I might be able to help sort out some misconceptions people might have about Lin.
So Jeremy Lin...
-Is a devout Christian.
This is one of the things I admire most about him. There are a lot of pro athletes and famous people who claim to believe in God, yet live with questionable morals. One of the biggest turnoffs people have towards Christianity these days is the hypocrisy of many professed believers. I'm really encouraged that despite all this sudden success and popularity, Lin doesn't hesitate in giving God the glory and making clear He's still the center of his life.
-Is Not a wronged, completely overlooked athlete who didn't get the chance he deserved until now.
Certainly Lin's making the most of his opportunity should be praised, however, it would be unfair to totally kill every other team for passing on him. He's a guy who struggled to earn minutes last year in Golden State not because he's Asian or went to Harvard, but because his play wasn't good enough. He was good, not great, at Harvard and good, not great, in the D League as well. I mean, people don't normally perform better against superior competition. It would be a mistake to attribute his success only to the opportunity he's been given as it totally ignores the hard work he's put in to improving his game.
-Is the only in-shape point guard on the Knicks roster.
Part of the reason Knicks fans love Lin so much, in my opinion, is because it's been a long time since they've had a competent player running the point. Toney Douglas and Iman Shumpert do not have Lin's vision and are much more suited to a scoring guard role. And the injured Baron Davis...look I don't want to say he's overweight, but I heard when he comes back he's going to see some minutes backing up Tyson Chandler at center. Just saying.
-Is Not a totally unselfish, timid, mistake-free (i.e. Asian) player.
Don't take this the wrong way. He often makes the right pass and is a very smart basketball player. I'm only trying to point out that this would be kind of silly and stereotypical to say given that since his breakout New Jersey game, he's attempted 14+ shots in every game and at least 20 in his past three. There are times he puts his head down and drives to the hoop without looking to his teammates. And while he's been making some great passes, his turnover rate has been extremely high (while only seeing significant minutes in six games, Lin is the only player who has turned the ball over eight times twice this season) Still, while he has his ball stopping moments, he's not nearly the black hole that Carmelo or Amare are. And as he's proved both in tonight's game winner and playing against Kobe, he doesn't back down against any challenge or opponent.
-Is extremely proficient at the pick and roll and an exceptional finisher.
This is, and has always been, his primary strength. According to Synergy Sports, nearly half (47.5%) of his plays are as the ball handler in a pick and roll situation and he averages 0.82 points per possession, good for 38th in the league. He's shooting just under 50%, largely due to the fact that he's taken 64.3% of his shots inside the paint, shooting 52.3% there. His shifty dribble and decisiveness get him to the rim and his toughness helps him finish (or draw a foul) when he gets there. The strength of his attack has allowed Lin to both create points for himself and others as once he gets to the rim, he's done a good job of either scoring a basket or finding an open teammate.
-Is Not a good shooter or elite athlete.
Despite his late game heroics tonight (As a sidenote, why do you take a 3 in a tie game? Don't you want to try to get an easier shot?), Lin's only shooting 36.4% from 20+ feet and 71% from the line over these past six games. And while he's clearly athletic enough to keep up with NBA competition, he doesn't possess the natural advantages that say, Russell Westbrook or Rajon Rondo have with their incredible explosiveness or freakish arm length and hand size respectively. The good news is shooting is something that can improve over time (exhibit A: Jason Kidd) and that so far, he seems smart enough to know how to use his own previously mentioned talents to overcome his relatively average physical tools.
But most importantly, Jeremy Lin
-Is a work in progress.
He's made great strides from last season already and there's no reason to believe he won't continue to do so. His teammates love him (see his handshake with Landry Fields and his 1,000,000 hugs with Jared Jeffries) and coach Mike D'Antoni seems willing to see how long he can ride the Lin wave. At the very least, Baron's return will lighten Lin's load. I don't know what it's like to be a Knicks fan, but with this six (and counting) game winning streak after a 8-15 start, it must seem like anything's possible. And right now it feels like the same is true for Jeremy Lin's career.
And I'm not going to lie, this upsets me a little since I've thought that Lin would be able to play in the NBA since his 30 point explosion against UConn when he was at Harvard. I'll admit, I am a little bit of an NBA hipster.
Still, it seems like there are a lot of people coming out of the woodwork (Asian people, talking to you) who have all of a sudden become NBA/Knick fans and big believers in Lin as the next New York superstar. And I mean that's cool, obviously it's nice to have new fans. But whether new or old, Asian or...not Asian, it sort of seems like there are a lot of ideas of who or what Jeremy Lin is, was, and will be. He's only had a significant role for 6 games, a tiny sample size even in this shortened season, and there's really no way to predict what will happen next week, much less the rest of his career. Having said that, I think that I might be able to help sort out some misconceptions people might have about Lin.
So Jeremy Lin...
-Is a devout Christian.
This is one of the things I admire most about him. There are a lot of pro athletes and famous people who claim to believe in God, yet live with questionable morals. One of the biggest turnoffs people have towards Christianity these days is the hypocrisy of many professed believers. I'm really encouraged that despite all this sudden success and popularity, Lin doesn't hesitate in giving God the glory and making clear He's still the center of his life.
-Is Not a wronged, completely overlooked athlete who didn't get the chance he deserved until now.
Certainly Lin's making the most of his opportunity should be praised, however, it would be unfair to totally kill every other team for passing on him. He's a guy who struggled to earn minutes last year in Golden State not because he's Asian or went to Harvard, but because his play wasn't good enough. He was good, not great, at Harvard and good, not great, in the D League as well. I mean, people don't normally perform better against superior competition. It would be a mistake to attribute his success only to the opportunity he's been given as it totally ignores the hard work he's put in to improving his game.
-Is the only in-shape point guard on the Knicks roster.
Part of the reason Knicks fans love Lin so much, in my opinion, is because it's been a long time since they've had a competent player running the point. Toney Douglas and Iman Shumpert do not have Lin's vision and are much more suited to a scoring guard role. And the injured Baron Davis...look I don't want to say he's overweight, but I heard when he comes back he's going to see some minutes backing up Tyson Chandler at center. Just saying.
-Is Not a totally unselfish, timid, mistake-free (i.e. Asian) player.
Don't take this the wrong way. He often makes the right pass and is a very smart basketball player. I'm only trying to point out that this would be kind of silly and stereotypical to say given that since his breakout New Jersey game, he's attempted 14+ shots in every game and at least 20 in his past three. There are times he puts his head down and drives to the hoop without looking to his teammates. And while he's been making some great passes, his turnover rate has been extremely high (while only seeing significant minutes in six games, Lin is the only player who has turned the ball over eight times twice this season) Still, while he has his ball stopping moments, he's not nearly the black hole that Carmelo or Amare are. And as he's proved both in tonight's game winner and playing against Kobe, he doesn't back down against any challenge or opponent.
-Is extremely proficient at the pick and roll and an exceptional finisher.
This is, and has always been, his primary strength. According to Synergy Sports, nearly half (47.5%) of his plays are as the ball handler in a pick and roll situation and he averages 0.82 points per possession, good for 38th in the league. He's shooting just under 50%, largely due to the fact that he's taken 64.3% of his shots inside the paint, shooting 52.3% there. His shifty dribble and decisiveness get him to the rim and his toughness helps him finish (or draw a foul) when he gets there. The strength of his attack has allowed Lin to both create points for himself and others as once he gets to the rim, he's done a good job of either scoring a basket or finding an open teammate.
-Is Not a good shooter or elite athlete.
Despite his late game heroics tonight (As a sidenote, why do you take a 3 in a tie game? Don't you want to try to get an easier shot?), Lin's only shooting 36.4% from 20+ feet and 71% from the line over these past six games. And while he's clearly athletic enough to keep up with NBA competition, he doesn't possess the natural advantages that say, Russell Westbrook or Rajon Rondo have with their incredible explosiveness or freakish arm length and hand size respectively. The good news is shooting is something that can improve over time (exhibit A: Jason Kidd) and that so far, he seems smart enough to know how to use his own previously mentioned talents to overcome his relatively average physical tools.
But most importantly, Jeremy Lin
-Is a work in progress.
He's made great strides from last season already and there's no reason to believe he won't continue to do so. His teammates love him (see his handshake with Landry Fields and his 1,000,000 hugs with Jared Jeffries) and coach Mike D'Antoni seems willing to see how long he can ride the Lin wave. At the very least, Baron's return will lighten Lin's load. I don't know what it's like to be a Knicks fan, but with this six (and counting) game winning streak after a 8-15 start, it must seem like anything's possible. And right now it feels like the same is true for Jeremy Lin's career.
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