Talented Father Daughter Duo!

I have been hearing about talented daughter father duo who sings various songs for quite some time now. My family and friends have been telling me to "YouTube" the inspiring duo, so I finally did and let me tell you, I was not disappointed.  Jorge and Alexa Narvaez have got talent!

My mom has been telling me “The little girl is so cute, you have to see her and her father sing!”

 According to Signon San Diego news, Jorge, a single parent and a father of two young girls decided to post a video of himself along with his 6 year old daughter singing their own version of “Home,” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and the video went viral! The clip reveals the unrehearsed and unforced Alexa leaning comfortably against her guitar-playing dad while she displays her heartwarming innocence and talent.

Edward Sharpe’s manager posted the clip on the band’s website, and within a week, more than 1 million people tuned in. The video currently has almost 10 million views.  Thanks to the YouTube fame, Narvaez and Alexa have since been on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” landed a live interview on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show, a news piece on the E! Channel, and emails from Simon Cowell.

The thing I admire most about their talent is it is so unforced and most importantly, you can see how much fun they have singing, and the joy it brings to them.

In Jorge's interview with Ellen DeGeneres, he explained to her: "In my house we follow four guidelines which include family, community, art, and music. With music we like to express it by just having a good time."

Jorge and Alexa have become a YouTube sensation singing other songs like “Unthinkable” by Alicia Keys, and “What’s Up,” by 4 non blondes cover.

I hope it remains fun for them and their new found fame won’t take away from the reason they started posting videos; to just have fun. It’s inspiring to see a talented 6 year old that actually looks and acts like a 6 year old. I’m tired of seeing these talented little girls on TV with make-up on tryin’ to act grown. From interviews and articles I’ve read it seems like Jorge seems like he’s doing a pretty good job raising the young YouTube star and keeping her level-headed.   Keep it up Jorge and Alexa!

What is Music to You?

Music is everywhere and is everything. No matter who the person is or where they're from, music has impacted them in some way.  It is interesting to see what music is to certain individuals so I went around north Portland and asked the most RANDOM people I could find to ask about their views towards music.  To some it meant a lot and to others it didn't; to some it was that one song and to others it was many songs. Music is so diverse...just like its listeners....

Teach Me How to Dougie

Music that people can have a synchronized dance to helps unify and bring joy to people from all over.  It’s so funny to see the reactions from people when "Teach Me to Dougie" comes on by Cali Swag District. "Teach Me to Dougie" has exploded over the last couple of months, and whether I am in my car, house, party, or club, I could count on somebody to hit the dougie when the song is played.
Soulja Boy was the first to successfully start the trend in catchy synchronized dance music in September of 2007, with his hit single "Crank That (Soulja Boy." Since then, others have came out with their own versions of catchy dance music like "You’re a jerk" by New Boyz, and Catdaddy by the Rej3ctz.

Many people have criticized (including me) this style of music and say it is giving hip-hop a bad name. However, I disagree in some ways. Let’s be honest, how serious can you take these artists who put out songs like this? I mean this has almost become a different genre of music in itself, so I don't even like to call it hip-hop. Nonetheless, it’s fun to dance to and people always have a good time when they actually learn the dance (or think they have learned the dance).The bottom line is, it’s fun to do.

My mother even tried to "jerk" when "You’re a Jerk” came out. It was too funny, she was horrible, but we all got a great laugh out if it. When I asked her about it she said

“I think it is great that people who never met each other can be united by a dance that everybody knows,”

“Teach Me to Dougie" is arguably the biggest synchronized dance of all time.  I’ve seen Celebrities, athletes, and entertainers enjoy the song and publicly display their “dougie” skills on camera. NFL stars have hit the dougie in the end-zone after scoring a touchdown and NBA players have dougied during player introductions.  NBA rookie John Wall hit his own version of the dougie in his very first home game by tying in his “John Wall dance” and it instantly became a YouTube sensation.

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My 12 year old little brother even caught on to the Dougie hype. This just proves that it doesn’t matterwhat age you are or how good you are at it, the goal is to just have fun doing it.  Check my brother Brandyn Waterford out gettin’ his version of the Dougie on.

Video by Phil Waterford

OMG Tour

Usher has been one of the best R&B artists of all time. He dates me back to my middle school days of listening to "U Got It Bad" and "U Don't Have To Call," Usher has been through it all with me and he someone who I follow more than just on twitter, but on tour as well. How many artists can you think of that have been hot for over a decade? Not many right? Usher is a true artists and if you haven't seen him perform you are truly missing out.Here is a map of his current tour "OMG." He is currently on the east coast right now but makes his way to the west coast next month. Check it out.



View Follow Usher on OMG Tour in a larger map

The “N” word in hip-hop. Where do you stand?

One of the most ongoing controversial debates about hip-hop is the use of the N word.  Hip-hop critics have been complaining for years, but most hip-hop artist refuse to change the way they do music. In black culture, the N word is used so frequent that it has become generally become part of everyone’s vocabulary. Black leaders have been trying to start a movement to stop the use of this word without having to forego the First Amendment, yet there has been little to no success in doing so.

I asked several people who relate to the black as well as the hip-hop culture how they feel about the word. Trey Williams, age 22, said: “That word doesn’t mean what it once did, and has evolved over time. Harrison Jones, age 34 said: “I say it and don’t even think twice about it, I think rappers are just doing the same.”

It is true that when artists say the N word in their music, it is not meant to hurt or offend anybody. It has become a part of the culture and is not used in a derogatory way it once was.  However, it still remains a very controversial topic.




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Hip-hop artists like Chamillionaire and Jim Jones have both made attempts to drop the N word completely.

Chamillionaire dropped “Ultimate Victory,” an album that was cuss and N word free in 2007.  The Album peaked at number 3 for the U.S Billboard top rap albums. Chamillionaire told the Associated Press: “I never cursed all that much anyway, but he N-word was a different story: “I’ve always used the N-word.”




Photo by Mediatakeout.com




Jim Jones said after Obama was elected for President, he decided to replace the N word with the word Obama. The examples he gave offtheave.com were: “What up, my Obama?” “Yo, did you see them Obamas last night?” “Now that’s a real Obama.”

Most artists acknowledge the influence the N word may have, but refuse to stop putting it in their music.

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According to the Associated Press, platinum artist 50 cent defended hip-hop by explaining “rappers are telling stories based on their own gritty streets.”

“They forget that the art form is a mirror and what we’re writing is a reflection of where we grew up. They can be interpreted as glorifying it on some levels but they’re trying to capture a particular feel. I’ve made it this far without having to compromise myself, Ain’t no changing what I’m doing now,” he told The AP.

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Twista also told the AP: “It would have to pay something real strong to make me change the way I do my music. I’m gonna keep saying it because I know I’m just making good music.”

Photo By Rob Howard

In an interview between Oprah Winfrey and Jay-z, they discussed this issue.

“Oprah:  When I hear the N-word, I still think about every black man who was lynched--and the N-word was the last thing he heard. Is it really necessary that you put the N-word in your music?



Nothing is necessary," he explained to Winfrey. "It's just become part of the way we communicate. My generation hasn't had the same experience with that word that generations of people before us had. We weren't so close to the pain. So in our way, we disarmed the word. We took the fire pin out of the grenade."

Jay-z then went on to add: "It's difficult to teach racism in the home when your kid loves Jay-Z," he said. "It's hard to say, 'That guy is beneath you' when your kid idolizes that guy."

Word's I Never Said. Lupe gets real political.

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Lupe Fiasco has never been one to shy away from his personal views, but his newest single “Word’s I Never Said,” off his latest album “Lasers” is arguably his most controversial song he has ever made. Lupe has always been one of the rare artists who speak out on real life issues, but he gets REAL POLITICAL on this track. He attacks virtually everything and anyone involved in politics from the war on terror, calling it a “bunch of bullshit just a poor excuse for you to use up all your bullets,” to Glenn Beck from Fox News, and radio host Rush Limbaugh calling them both racist. Oh yeah, and President Obama, admitting he didn’t vote for him in 2008 and doesn’t plan on it in 2012 (“Gaza Strip was getting bombed, Obama didn't say shit/that’s why I didn't vote for him, next one either/I’ma part of the problem, my problem is I’m peaceful and I believe in the people”).

The track was produced by Alex Da Kid and according to MTV.com he said: "It's politically charged, it's controversial, and it's Lupe being honest about his opinions on society.

 Lupe starts off by tackling issues such as: 9/11 conspiracy theories (“9/11 building 7 did they really pull it?”), budget cuts/education system (“your child’s future was the first to go with budget cuts/If you think that hurts then wait here comes the uppercut/the school was garbage in the first place/that’s on the up and up”) and TV news (“If you turn on TV all you see is a bunch of “what the f-cks/dude is dating so and so, blabbering bout such and such/and that ain’t Jersey Shore, homie that’s the news/and these the same people that supposed to be telling us the truth”).

He then goes on about the religious conflict between Islam and Judaism, predatory lending practices by banks, and the risks of using manufactured goods in America.

This may seem like a Lupe rant but he does urge his listeners to be proactive in search of solutions.

“Complain about the liquor store but what you drinking liquor for?/Complain about the gloom but when’d you pick a broom up?/just listening to Pac ain’t gone make it stop/if you don’t become an actor you’ll never be a factor.”

Lupe is complimented by Skylar Gray as she sings the powerful hook (“It's so loud inside of my head with words that I should have said, as I drown in my regrets, I can't take back the words I never said"). 

When listeners were asked how they felt about this track the answers seemed to vary.

Danie Remy said “I think it is great that we have musicians getting involved in politics.”

Meghan Kirk said “it is an excellent example of trying to be in a leadership role, however, I do not think they are all qualified.

Derrick Rodgers said “Lupe is real for this one.”

What do you think?

Beats vs Bose: Battle of the Heavyweights

For any music lover, choosing your headphones is a big decision.  The right headphones can change the way you feel and listen to music. I know for me when I purchased my Solo Beats by Dre I started listening to my iPod a lot more. The Solo Beats by Dre and I are soul mates; we’re a match made in heaven.  Which headphones are your soul mate?


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 Purchasing headphones requires research and knowledge of what you are buying so I gladly did that for you. It is no question that Beats by Dre and Bose QC 15 are the best in the business. When comparing there are specific things to look at:

-sound quality

-comfortability

-price

- noise canceling

-style

-reviews

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The Studio Beats by Dre are the biggest in size of the three. They difinatley win for style points (along with the Solo beats) and come in numerous colors. They are built like an actual speaker and using the them is a club like experience. The bass is ridiculous and the overall sound quality is great. The biggest problems with the Studio Beats are they leak a lot of sound. In essence, what makes the headphones good is also its downfall. With that much power and sound it’s almost impossible for the noise cancelling to be extremely effective. They are also the most expensive headphones on the market, at $349.95 and require batteries.



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The Bose QC 15 are the best for overall sound quality and comfortability, but they are without a question, the ugliest.  The Bose fit over your ear perfectly and are the most comfortable headphones I have ever experienced. They come in one color, grey, and are very plain.  For some, this might not even be an issue but for others style may play a big part in their decision.  The noise canceling is amazing and the sound has a great blend of bass, treble, and clarity of the music. They are a little pricey at $299.95 and similar to the Studio Beats, require batteries.  



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My personal favorite is the Solo Beats by Dre. The technology is not as advanced as the Studio Beats or the Bose QC 15’s, however, the sound quality is the best for the price.  At $199.95, they’re $100 less than the Bose QC 15’s and $150 less than the Studio Beats. The sound quality and noise canceling are great.  When comparing the sound and noise quality with the Bose and Studio Beats it falls short, but you get what you pay for and in the end they still rank as one of the best headphones out there right now. They also are the best looking, come in the most colors, and are the perfect size.  They are very comfortable and one of the best things about them is that they do not require batteries.


Everybody has a preference, and hopefully this will help your decision to buy headphones. Here are my rankings:

1. Solo Beats (best quality for price)

2. Bose QC 15 (best overall quality)

3. Studio Beats (most powerful)

RIP Nate Dogg

I thought it was only appropriate to attribute a blog post to Nate Dogg aka one of the most well known artists from the G-funk era in hip-hop. Nate Dogg was known for his successful collaborations with artists like Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Warren G., Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Game, and 2Pac.  Nate Dogg (Nathaniel Dwayne Hale) passed away on March 15, 2011.  Nate had dealt with previous health issues leading up to his death; according to TMZ he had survived two strokes in 2007 and 2008.  Yahoo News explained that his death was due to the complications from these past strokes.

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Snoop Dogg posted on Twitter "We lost a true legend in hip-hop and R&B. One of my best friends and a brother to me since 1986 when I was a sophomore at Poly High where we met. You will always be with me forever and a day. You put the 'G' in 'G funk', you put the '1' in '213' and you put your stamp on everybody you ever did it with. I miss you because I am so sad but so happy I got to grow up with you, and I will see you again in heaven, because you know the slogan about 'all doggs go to heaven."  

50 Cent's: twitter read “I just landed nate dog is dead damn. GOD BLESS HIM R.I.P he meant a lot to west coast hiphop. Iv always been a fan of it. I wrote the chorus to 21 questions I needed nate to sing it for me. He had a way of making everything feel hard.”

According to OK News Warren G said: “It means a lot, you know, because this is something that's being done for a person that we really love. It's deeper than music, that's a brother to us, to me and Kurupt and Snoop and Daz ... it's really deeper than that," he said. "I mean, like, I'm not a psychic or a genie or a gypsy or anything, but I know deep down in my heart he's around us, he's with us ... he's with us in spirit. Everything we do, he's a part of it."

Game released a tribute song to Nate Dogg less than 48 hours after he died called "All Doggs Go to Heaven (R.I.P. Nate Dogg)"

Music Therapy

The great thing about music other than being entertaining, is it speaks to you and certain songs may have deeper impacts than others. Have you ever heard a song and been going through a certain situation and be like, "damn, I feel that."  That's the thing I love about music the most. Music is my therapy and my go-to therapist are R. Kelly and Kanye West. I don't know about yall' but when I have something on my mind or am going through a tough situation I don't really like putting my feelings out there so often times instead of talking about it, I put the purple beats on and let them talk to me. Maybe I am just weird and am the only person who prefers this but nonetheless, I know I can always count on Kanye and Kellz.

Kanye and Kellz are so versatile. Whether its losing a loved one, being pissed off for whatever reason, fighting with your girl, or just needing God in your life, they have covered it. I really admire both of their abilities to have substance in their music and talk about issues that aren't necessarily "money makers." We know through history that music about guns, money, sex, and drugs sell. But what about God, love, and real life issues. Kellz makes music that you can make love to, dance to, music that makes you feel good, and even gospel. I respect that Kanye and Kellz talk about these issues and proved that they could still be successful. Kanye brings up a valid point in his single "Jesus walks,"  when he said:

"radio needs this, they said you can rap about anything except for Jesus, that means guns, sex, lies, video tape, but if I talk about God my record won't get played, huh? Well if this take away from my spins (popularity), which will prolly take away from my ends (money), then I hope that it take away from my sins, and bring the day that I dream about, next time I'm in the club, everybody screamin out, JESUS WALKS!"

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They say you can learn a lot from other peoples mistakes, and Kanye and Kellz are both great story tellers. When I have had problems with my girl in the past, Kanye and Kellz have been there for comfort and advice. Whether its knowing I I messed up in a relationship, to feeling like I was done wrong by a female, to breaking up, to working issues out and appreciating the love of a female, Kanye and Kellz have got it covered. I feel like I have the best of both words because Kanye often tells his story through hip-hop, while Kellz usually sings his story through R&B. One thing they both have in common is their passion. You can't fake passion and you could hear the passion in their voice every time they rap or sing. In Kellz's latest album "Love Letter" you can tell how much fun he wad with it. I fell in love with it from the first time I heard the album. When I listen to  his song "When a woman loves" it really puts thing in perspective for me. I haven't been the easiest person to be in a relationship with and I often take for granted the things that a certain special girl that I hold very close to my heart has done for me. When I hear this song it really makes me realize how lucky I am to have her in my life. Thanks Kanye and Kellz.

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Player Introductions

With sports and music being so synonymous, there is music at almost every sporting event. For basketball, its usually during warm-ups and player introductions. In baseball it's right before the batter goes up to the plate. Well what if life had player introductions. Seriously, picture yourself waking up, getting out of bed and "your" song playing in the background as you yawn and wipe the eye boogers out your eye. What would that song be?

My "life introduction song" would change from day to day depending on my mood and circumstances at that particular time.

But after a fresh cut, with some clean kicks and a new fit only one song comes to mind. So Fly By slim. I could see it now. Just getting out the shower putting lotion on, ready for a night out. Me standing in the mirror with my towel still on after I just shaved. Slap some aftershave on and feel it burn a little bit. Then brush my teeth, brush my hair, put my gear on, spray some smell good on me, put the blings in real quick and I'm ready to go. That's when the announcer comes in and says : and now from Modesto California at 22 years of age... ERICCCCCC WATTERFORRDDD (while so fly is blasting through the speakers)!! Then I hear the crowd roar, fog and strobe lights everywhere, and me feeling like I'm the flyest dude alive!

I just love to have fun with music. I asked other people what their life introduction song would be and received some different responses, some more serious than others.

Korey Thieleke said his song would be "Tryin to beat da odds" by Plies. " From being a foster kid and having nothing in life then being doubted, to finding a way to overcome obstacles and make it to college, I feel like this song explains my struggle," said Thieleke.

John Bailey feels like "The lazy song" by Bruno Mars explains his life, at least lately. "I just like to be lazy," said Bailey.

What is your life introduction song?

BYU...Applaud or Boo Them?

Have you ever heard of a basketball player getting kicked off their team for having…sex? 

BYU standout basketball player gets kick off nationally ranked team for having pre-marital sex with his girlfriend.

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According to the Salt Lake Tribune, sophomore Brandon Davies told school officials last week about having sex with his girlfriend. He was then suspended from the team for the remainder of the season. The School Honor Code is still reviewing his situation on his academic and athletic career at BYU. This is a huge loss for the team, they are currently ranked number 3 in the nation and Davies has played a crucial role to the team’s success this season. Davies has started every game this season at forward while averaging 11 points and 6 rebounds per contest.

Many have said that the school deserves lot of credit for standing up for their beliefs and going through with the necessary punishment. However, others feel that this punishment was a bit extreme and could have been resolved in a different manner. NFL quarterback Tim Tebow has reached out to Davies and feels as though BYU mishandled the situation. Tebow has always been upfront with the media about his strong Christian faith.

According  to the Bleacher Report Tebow told reporters:

“Everyone has their beliefs, and that is fine, but one of the tenets of Christian faith is forgiveness. BYU, a Mormon Church-affiliated school, showed none toward Davies. Everyone deserves a second chance, and you look no further than Michael Vick to see how second chances can benefit a person's life in the NFL.

BYU may have stood their moral ground, but that is not something to be applauding them for. Their views are too old fashioned and while it is their university and their right to have a morality clause like this, they do not do themselves, or Davies, any good by it in the 21st Century.

A university has no business involving itself in the personal relationships of its students. Whether it is affiliated with a church or not, its prime directive is to give their students an education.”

I give a lot of credit to the university for actually going through with their decision and not bending the rules despite the fact that this may have cost BYU a national championship. It sends a message that no matter what your status is, everyone must follow the same rules.  However, I believe these rules are stupid. I agree 100% with Tebow think everyone deserves a second chance and the school should review their code of conduct; at least their punishments. This was Davies first offense and to be kicked off the team, and possibly out of school, for admittingly having sex with his girlfriend is way too extreme. I don’t blame the school for their views on pre marital sex at all, but their punishment and the unwillingness of a second change for Davies is just crazy to me. Maybe if this was his second offense I could comprehend this decision. What are your views towards this issue?

Grandma's First Experience

It’s hard to recall our first experiences with music because music is everywhere and is something that we often don’t even think about. However, for my Grandma, this was a very memorable moment in her life and is something I must share! I had not talked to my grandma in a few months (shame on me) and I randomly received an email from her, with the subject title: “THE MUSIC IN ME.” Ironically I was starting this blog about music at the same time ( I had not told her I was starting this blog)...This is the email she sent me.

Photo taken by Betty Waterford

I had my first musical experience when I was four year sold, in the year 1942. Nobody knew I couldn’t hear, I think everyone thought I was dumb.  I also had slurred speech and stopped talking because I did not want to get made fun of.  School was in a few months and if I could not hear by then, I was going to have to attend a school for the deaf. My mother took me to see several doctors and one doctor said they could perform surgery in my ear canal. After the surgery, I still could not hear. I could still see the sad look on my mother’s face.  After she took me home I remember sleeping a lot and one morning, or maybe it was an afternoon I woke up with static in my ears. Then I felt water dripping and more static. I then remember being sleep in the bedroom by myself and there was a radio on the table (where it had always been). I was sleep but I could hear a voice. I loved the voice I was hearing. In my sleep, I saw a man, He was the size of a puppet and there were strings in his hands. I was on the end of the strings controlling him. For some reason I could not see his face but when I heard his voice I felt so much love in my heart. The voice was……….. Frank Sinatra, I’ve got the world on a string!


SENDING LOTS OF LOVE AND GOOD THOUGHTS YOUR WAY.
- GRANDMA

Music can be a beautiful thing. As you can see for my Grandma, this changed her life and also helped shape her views towards music for the rest of her life.  We all have our own story and some are more impactful than others. However, one thing we generally all share is OUR LOVE FOR MUSIC!

There's No Wrong Way To Listen To Music

It is interesting to see how many people are walking around with their headphones in or bumpin music in their cars as they drive by.  Just in the last couple days I made an effort to pay attention to how many people listen to music in my house.  I caught plenty of people going throughout their day not only listening to music but creating their own music as well.  It is heart warming to see the joy they have for it and the happiness it brings them Music can unite people from all places in the world, it is diverse, it is love.

Beats...

Music has evolved over the years and so have the devices used to listen to it.  We have gone through records, tape players, CD players, mp3s, and now ipods. Headphones have evolved over the years as well.  We’ve gone through the old school plastic airplane lookin’ headphones to the little nubs that fall out of your ears, and now…beats. That’s right; they aren’t referred to as headphones, but just beats.  Dr. Dre is more than a record producer, rapper, and record executive; he has changed the way people listen to music.

"People aren't hearing all the music.

Artists and producers work hard in the studio perfecting their sound. But people can't really hear it with normal headphones. Most headphones can't handle the bass, the detail, the dynamics. Bottom line, the music doesn't move you.

With Beats, people are going to hear what the artists hear, and listen to the music the way they should: the way I do."

Nobody can put it better than Dr. Dre himself.  But what he says is true, if you see someone walking around wearing beats you know they’re serious about music.  By wearing beats you’re making a statement.  Music is something to you.  

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I personally own a pair of beats and they are the color purple for the obvious reason; our school is purple.  It’s funny because whenever we travel for basketball I wear them and people are always asking me if they were given to me by our school.  But I got purple because they represent me and my school.  I think that by Dre making beats all different colors it gives people the opportunity to express themselves even more.  Like me, everybody has their own story.

Music and Sports Intertwined...

In the Hip-Hop culture music and sports go hand-in-hand. You almost can’t have one without the other.  Music is intertwined with sports. There is a mutual respect between rappers and athletes and they each support each other in their own way. In fact, they respect each other so much that things can get ugly when one doesn’t acknowledge the other. For example, Lil Wayne was sitting courtside at the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Miami Heat game this season and was publicly upset that Lebron James and Dwayne Wade did not greet him. Wayne later reported to rolling stones his feelings toward James and Wade.

“Them n—s never speak to a n—. They don’t chuck me the deuce or nothing. N—- spent all that money on them f—– tickets … Come holla at me. We sit right by them little bitch-ass n—-. At least come ask me why I’m not rooting for you.”

This isn’t the first time there has been beef between rappers and athletes and it won’t be the last.


 Athletes want to be rappers and rappers want to be athletes, but we all know how that has gone in the past. Drake said it best in his song "Thank me Now." “I swear music and sports are so synonymous cause we wanna be them and they wanna be us."


”Rapper Master P’s NBA career was over before it started. Bow wow and Romeo claimed they would be NBA stars by now.  NBA stars Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Jason Kidd, and Chris Webber all pursued their rap careers.  How did that go? Let’s just say I hope EVERYONE keeps their day job.

Legacy- Buying vs. Building a Championship

Everybody wants to be associated with a winner. In sports, the ultimate goal is a championship ring or a trophy. Some of the best players get overlooked when talking about "the greatest of all time" if they don't possess that championship milestone. Charles Barkely, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, all considered the best. The best to never win one that is...Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russel, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and unarguably the best player to ever play the game Michael Jordan, these elite group of guys are unquestionably the legends of the game. Why? Because they have the hardware, the rings and trophies, CHAMPIONSHIPS!


The Lakers ruled the 80s and the Bulls ran the 90s. These teams built championships, had early struggles and overcame adversity. As of late it seems as if teams are no longer "building" championships. Now they're buying them. Getting the best group of guys together on one team. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen join forces with Paul Pierce in Boston and have instant success, no real struggle. An all-star line up, instant championships. More recently, Chris Bosh left his team in Toronto to join Dwayne Wade in Miami. Lebron James decided to "take his talents to South Beach". He has been criticized so much for this. Lebron left his hometown in Cleveland where he was considered the only true "star" on the team. While he was there they were perennial contenders, the best regular season record in the league. When playoff time came around they would come out short, facing teams that had multiple all-star caliber players. His impact on that organization was tremendous, they went from first, to worst after he left.


At the end of the day all people (fans) care about is wins and losses...Kobe Bryant got into some legal troubles with an alleged rape conviction. He lost his endorsements, and a majority of his fans. Then he won back to back championships and Finals MVP awards. Now he's back on TV, has a shoe deal and people glorify him again.


Leaving a team, not finishing your career where you started...does this hurt the legacy for guys like Chris Bosh and Lebron James? It didn't hurt for Kevin Garnett or Ray Allen, as Ray went on to not only be an NBA champion but also the all time 3 point leader in history. 


Is the risk worth the reward? Well, If Bosh, Wade and James have success in Miami and can win that championship it would do nothing but solidify them as some of the best players EVER. What elite list do you think they want to be associated with? The Barkley, Ewing, Malone list? Or the Michael, Magic, Larry list? That's a no brainer. Joining forces with the best to win does NOT hurt your legacy. Without the championships there is no legacy.

Old School vs New School...

Don’t get me started on oldies! Being the son of Rose Waterford and Phil Waterford I couldn't grow up without having oldies pressed upon me. Luther Vandross, Prince, Al Green, Teddy Pendergrass, Earth Wind & Fire, Temptations, James Brown, Bobby Womack, Marvin Gaye, El Debarge, Rick James, Teena Marie, Al B Sure, and Howard Hewitt, to name a few! You can put on a song from any of these artists and I will have a story for you. I would like to thank my family for introducing me to this genre of music at an early age for many reasons. Music back then was about love and the finer things in life. These artists would put all their feelings out there and tell you exactly how they felt. Songs back in the day had substance to them. Marvin Gaye, “Whats Going on?” lyrics were so powerful and had so much meaning.  He touched so many lives talking about real life issues, including poverty, the Vietnam War, and drug abuse. Al Green “Let’s stay together” talks about how in love he is with his woman. How many songs do we hear in present day where the opening line is “I’m so in love with you?”


Music has changed, and the emphasis from love has changed to material things such as cars, money, clothes, etc. Now I am not saying that “good” music does not still exists, because it definitely does. All I am saying is it is just not as frequent as it once was. I am not even saying that songs about material things are bad. If I said that I would be a hypocrite because I assure you that I will be in the club in the nearby future getting my freak on to people like Soulja Boy and Wacka Flacka Flame. Nothing against Soulja Boy or Wacka Flacka Flame, I support anybody getting their hustle on making money. So by all means keep doing the damn thing! All I’m saying is, when did the emphasis of music change? I am truly a fan of music; I can pull out my iPod right now and recite every lyric from artists like Luther Vandross to Tupac Shakur, so personally I understand music from back in the day and music in present day.  Watch this standup comedy video of Steve Harvey talking about these issues. There is a lot of truth to what he is saying, plus he’s really funny.

What is music...

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Music is more than a beat with words. Music is a way of life. Music is a culture. Music can motivate you. Music is my drug. Music can take you places that you have never been, and take you places you have been before. Every time I hear Hypnotized by Notorious BIG I think of the summer time in Chicago in my dads two-seater drop top black Mercedes Benz going to baseball practice with my older brother. I was in the back with the enormous sub-woofer to my left while watching my dad and my brothers head bob to the beat screaming out "BIGGIE BIGGIE BIGGIE, CAN'T YOU SEE, SOMETIMES YOUR WORDS JUST HYPNOTIZE ME! I guess you can say actions and words are imitated because at a young age I was doing the same thing in the back seat imitating my two role models. It seemed like that song put extra life into us, and we would all be in a better mood and energized us for practice. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without hearing "Santa Clause is coming to town," or "I saw mommy kissing Santa Clause" by the Jackson 5! I swear those two songs just made Christmas that much better! I could listen to those songs to this day and I can see myself ten years ago opening presents with my family having the time of my life. Music is comforting to me and for every mood that I am in; I have a song for how I feel. I would like to thank Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Michael Jackson, Drake, R. Kelly, Usher, John Legend, Musiq Soul Child, Alicia Keys and MANY MORE for consistently putting out GOOD music with substance. These artists are only a fraction of artist who have had an impact on my life. I could go on and on and fill up this whole page with artists and songs that have impacted me one way or another, but they have all brought joy to my life, comforted me in situations when I needed advice, and have been there through hard times. Now I don’t know these artists personally, but when I put on my purple beats by Dre and zone out, I swear they are talking to me. What is music to you?