Editorial: Centers of Attention

By: Carl Lamarre (@TheRealCl24)

To be frank, the NBA has a lackluster line-up of big men in contrast to the 90′s. We don’t have a velvety smooth Hakeem, a compassionate Patrick, an indomitable force in Shaq, nor a leader in David Rob. It kills me that Dwight and Andrew – the #1 & #2 centers in the league lack the immense drive to be the force that they can be.

This past year, we’ve seen a multitude of episodes consisting of the soap opera between Dwight Howard and his former beau the Orlando Magic. As entertaining as the drama was, the man was a cancer point blank. You got your coach fired – who did lead you to an Eastern Conference title – your point guard’s confidence diminished because of your banter in regards to having an elite PG a la Deron Williams, and you placed the league in shambles because my man, you were the most talked about player who ended up not even playing all the way through the season. Don’t get me wrong, Dwight Howard is a manchild. He’s a relentless defender and rebounding machine. Still, after serving close to a decade in the league, I still don’t believe Dwight’s postgame is favorable to an Andrew Bynum or dare i say Demarcus Cousins. Dwight’s extended episode went for a whole year, and guess what folks, he’s been mum ever since he went to the Lakers, but, if the Lakers fail at a title, or Kobe gets in his ear, best believe this episode will return back to your television. Do I think the Lakers can get a championship this year? On paper, hell yeah. But, realistically, I’m not counting out OKC for the simple fact, you have Kevin Durant who is virutally unguardable. You have Russell Westbrook who will annlilhate Steve Nash and place him in a nursing home. You have a front court consisting of Ibaka and Perkins. Perkins has tangoed with Dwight in the past back in the day when he played for Boston, and did a splendid job on him defensively. So, Dwight is going to have to bring his A game, and leave all the drama behind as he welcomes himself to Hollywood, because as a top 5 player, you don’t get judged by who many views you get on Youtube or by how many people laugh at your press conference. Ask Lebron.

Now Andrew, you’re a talented dude. You’ve earned everything that came to you this past year. You were an All-Star, All-NBA, and posted career numbers as a second option. Now, you’re going to be the cornerstone of a Philadelphia franchise who hasn’t reached an NBA Finals since the Allen Iverson days. You have the tools to be the most dominant big man, but mentally we need to know you’re here. Bynum is capable of posting monstrous numbers as he has before having 20-20 games in the past. But then, he’d revert back into the rookie he was and give you 6 points the next day. I can’t lie, Andrew you’ve gotten real cocky my brother. Launching threes when God knows you’re from for being Peja from deep. That’s just god awful. Laughing in a game at your teammate after Blake postered him against your in city rivals isn’t cool. Now, Doug Collins recruited you. He brings you back home. You’re an hour away from your old stomping grounds in Jersey. You’re with a young core consisting of Jrue Holiday, Evan Turner, Thad Young, and more. This is your team. This is your time to shine. Leave the crazy antics for Metta and LA. This is your time. Lets work my man.

Editorial: NYK Basketball Is All Messed Up

By: Carl Lamarre Everything is looking crazy in New York. Lin is on the verge of walking. Felton has just returned. You have Kurt Thomas, Marcus Camby, and Jason Kidd as essential spokespersons for Jay-Z’s “30 Something” campaign by advocating to still be in the league. Now, you have Grant Hill interested in possibly joining the old folks home in New York.

Landry Fields is gone – you can’t be mad at that – and the Brooklyn Nets are looking well equipped and prepared in taking over Gotham. It’s all messed up at the Garden. Then, you have Jason Kidd being arrested on a DWI. You haven’t even suited up Jason, and already you popping bottles? You already bsin’? I respect Amare, but damn man. We giving you 20 mill a year and you start phasing out of offense, punching fire extinguishers, and then had the audacity after Miami handed NY our asses, to fly out to Miami, and watch their games during the playoffs courtside? You think KG would have went to the finals in Miami to watch Bron Bron close out?

If you look at the Knicks summer league roster, there’s nobody even remotely talented enough to be on an NBA practice squad, let alone a roster. James “Flight” White is the one person who has been granted a roster spot, and is said to possibly be a key rotational player. Well, hopefully Grunfield knows what he’s doing, because Donnie Walsh is back in Indy, feeling comfortable and stress free.

My Nets are looking quite real I must say as far as having the best backcourt in the league. If you wanna contest that and say Nash and Bryant, then fine. But, understand, this tandem will fight off anybody in the league, even Nash and Kobe. Knicks should be afraid, because these Nets are about to roll up in style in November.

By the way, for the safety for of my colleagues, this does no reflect their views, just mine Sincerely yours, CL – Brooklyn Nets Fan

Editorial: We Need Real R&B Back

By: Carl Lamarre and Nadine Barthole Remember the good old days when MTV was all about playing the classics and not reality shows? Or, when you were driving doing 80 on the freeway, and you were bumping those classic R&B summertime tunes? Better yet, when you broke up with your counterpart and needed that one song to help you get over? Well, we all remember and miss those times gravely. These artists were the ones in the 90′s and early 2000′s who had the game on smash in the R&B circuit. Here’s a list of who we miss, and need dearly back in this very limited genre of R&B.

1. Craig David – Before an influx of imports from England rushed over to the US for a promising musical career, one paved the way more than a decade ago. Craig David, known for his signature hits “7 Days, and “Fill Me In” carved his way into R&B with his musical opus Born To Do It. After crushing the competition in the UK with a whopping 6 million copies sold, he was able to deliver a platinum cd in America. But since, he has returned back to the UK, and changed his sound to accommodate the new changes in the era. Known For: “Fill Me In”, “Seven Days”, “Walking Away” 2. Joe – He made innumerable classics throughout his career yet is undervalued and under appreciated. His album My Name is Joe certified his cred as a legitimate R&B crooner in the early 2000′s. With records like “I Wanna Know” and “Stutter” serving as the paradigm for the game, Joe’s poignant records delivered him instant success. Let’s not forget his collaborations with G-Unit, Mariah Carey, and N-Sync. Known For: “I Wanna Know” “All The Things” “Stutter” 3. Avant – The Chi-town native introduced himself with his debut My Thoughts in 1999, and had the world head over heels for his collaboration with Keke Wyatts. There’s no doubt Avant had his fair share of hits stemming from his albums Ecstasy, Private Room, and Director such as “Read Your Mind”, “4 Minutes”, and “Makin’ Good Love.” Ever since Director, Avant slowly faded to black as his two follow-ups Avant and The Letter didn’t fair as well as his previous endeavors. Known For: “Read Your Mind”, “Separated”, “My First Love” 4. Donell Jones – “Where I Wanna Be” was every player’s anthem. This ode to the indecisive men fumbling in love and relationships elevated Jones tremendously. Because the record connected so much to the fans, he was able to solidify his position in the game quickly. He was able to work with the talented Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes on the remix to his smash “You Know What’s Up” while also delivering Pun’s farewell record “It’s So Hard.” He attempted to make strides on coming back to the game tracks like “I’m Gonna Be”, but still, the game is wishing Donell could have a shot at redemption. Known For: “Where I Wanna Be” “You Know What’s Up” 5. Mya- A DC native who is internationally known among many other talents as a songwriter, singer, dancer and model. Her music career blossomed when she released her self-titled album in 1998. Aside from her solowork she was featured on many other successful collaborations with the likes of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Jadakiss and Jay-Z. The Ol’ Dirty Bastard hit “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)” was up for a Grammy in 1988. Jada and Jay were featured on the hit remix to the song “The Best Of Me”. No one can forget the smash single “My love is Like Wo”. Known For: “The Best Of Me”, “Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)”, “My Love Is Like Wo” 6. Jaheim – A true soul man who wooed women with his smooth voice and through his lyrics made men think twice about putting their ladies first. It comes with no surprise that this vocalist was often at the top of the charts. Jah’s 2007 album “The Makings of a Man” has some of his most impressive work. If you feel like you’re missing great R&B the answer lies in one of the most overlooked artist. Known For: “Just In Case”, “Put That Woman First” 7. Tamia – A Canadian born singer who is best known for her massive hits “Stranger In My House” and Fabolous’ “So Into You”. Tamia’s music attracted a huge female fan base because of her relateable lyrics. The ladies sang along to her verses feeling like Tamia was one of their own girlfriends. The songs spoke to relationships and it was not difficult to resonate. The singer had multiple Grammy nominations and a long list of awards. She even dove into the acting scene and left her mark there. Even after battling many personal and family illnesses, Tamia continues to be an inspirational woman and is currently working on her next project. Known For: “Stranger In My House”, “Officially Missing You”, “So Into You” 8. Jon B- Rhode Island born musician captivated R&B fans through his romantic style. He’s been compared to some of the greats and has worked with some of the hottest names in music. The Grammy nominated singer and songwriter created some noteworthy tracks such as the hitter “They Don’t Know” and “Are You Still Down” (with the late Tupac Shakur). Known For: “They Don’t Know”, “Don’t Talk”, “Are You Still Down” 9. Brandy- Music runs in the singer and songwriters family. Brandy had many successful records shortly after the hit “The Boy is Mine” a collaboration with singer Monica. She peaked after the release of her second album “Never Say Never” leaving her as one of the most renowned female R&B artist of her time. Brandy also soared in her TV and film career. She has received a number of awards and accolades for her talents. Although she spent some time on hiatus she has recently been popping up as a feature on several tracks and landed a role on the hit TV series “The Game”. Known For: “I Wanna Be Down”, “The Boy Is Mine”, “Top Of The World” 10. Ginuwine – This kid had bangers point blank. I’m talking before he made the cameo on Honey and Juwanna Mann, Ginuwine melted the hearts of women with this extensive catalog ranging from “So Anxious” to the inescapable “In Those Jeans”, to the captivating “Differences”. Even his feature game was as admirable as he grace Diddy’s I Need A Girl Pt II. Recently, Tyrese indicated a reunion of TGT which consisted of Tyrese, Ginuwine, and Tank. If Tyrese’s words are bond, then this could be something special. Known For: “In Those Jeans”, “So Anxious”, and “Differences”

Best Of Both Worlds 2? Best Rap/R&B Duos To Deliver A 2012 Version

Best Of Both Worlds 2? Best Rap/R&B Duos To Deliver A 2012 Version By Carl Lamarre ⋅ Published 07/02/12 Jay-Z and R. Kelly's 2002 collabo LP, Best Of Both Worlds, started the blueprint. They started the "Best of Both Worlds" series, which transcended the game and brought R&B and hip-hop even closer together. The game has since longed for a duo to come and conquer the vacant throne. Who is capable of delivering the ingredients needed to create the magic these two legends have cleverly done before? Here are some duos we believe could do just that. 1. Drake & Trey Songz - Trey once told us that Drake considered themselves the new school "Hov and Kellz," and always envisioned a possible collaboration album. What makes their chemistry so unique is that before these two became prime time superstars, they both worked with each other as newcomers. These two proved to be an indomitable force on tracks like "Successful" and "The Usual". Let's not forget each have the intangibles -- singing and rapping capabilities -- to provide fans the works on all facets. 2. Usher & Rick Ross - This collabo may be the most intriguing, simply because of the two contrasting styles. Ross' braggadocios swagger added to Usher's cool demeanor have proven to be magical thus far. The two have teamed up already for each other's albums, with Ross sporting his lacy sleek delivery on Raymond's "Let Me See", and Usher returning the favor on Rozay's newest single, "Touch N You." With these two arguably leading their respective genres with a cluster of hits, it would unfathomable for these two to fail if the thought of collab came about. 3. Big Sean & Chris Brown - These two have worked diligently in the past to become the culture's biggest sparkplugs, as far as a hip-hop and R&B duo. They proved to be nearly immaculate and infallible on tracks like Sean's "My Last" and Brown's "Till I Die". Even on the mixtape circuit, the two have dabbled on a few tracks, especially on Brown's "Sh** Got Damn." With hip-hop's young demographics falling in their favor, fans would support their efforts wholeheartedly. 4. Fabolous and Ne-Yo - These two veterans always had the gift for pleasing the women when they were on a track together. "Make Me Better” and "Crazy Love" showed that after years in the business, these two are integral pieces are staples in the industry. They have both reached a certain level of success to the point that a collaborative album would be beneficial on these artists' legacies. 5. Wale & Lloyd - Ralph Folarin has elevated his status in the game as a cunningly smooth lyricist with the ability to woo women seamlessly. He has proven his desire to lure women in with a myriad of tracks dedicated to women on his 2011 Maybach Music debut, Ambition. The one standout track was "Sabotage", assisted by Lloyd, whose empowering vocals delivered a knock out single. These two have collaborated before for Wale's track "Let's Chill," which proved that these two have the innate skills to make a radio single at any given point. Honorable Mentions: Pusha T and The-Dream; Tyler The Creator and Frank Ocean; Joe Budden and Emanny; Kendrick Lamar and BJ The Chicago Kid; and Common and John Legend Read more: http://www.ballerstatus.com/2012/07/02/world-2-top-raprb-duos-deliver-2012-version/#ixzz25zMscdiw

French Montana, Chief Keef Celebrate NBA Star Kyrie Irving's Rookie Season At Alife NYC

(Photos) By Carl Lamarre ⋅ Published 06/29/12 Pepsi Max and Alife held a private event for Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving at the Alife Courtyward in NYC on Wednesday (JUne 27), celebrating his tremendous rookie campaign in which he was awarded NBA Rookie of the Year honors. The 2011 #1 overall draft pick registered over 18 points and 5 assists per game last season for the Cavaliers. With his performance and stellar play, he was named Rookie of the Year. Due to his accomplishment, Pepsi chose him as one of the faces of their PepsiMAX beverage. As part of the campaign, he filmed a commercial spoof, where he posed as Uncle Drew and duped many who believed he was a grandpa with a staggering crossover, lethal jumpshot, and humorous wit. On Wednesday, Pepsi and Alife brought out several impressive rookies from the hip-hop scene to woo and celebrate the Jersey native. Among them included New York's very own French Montana, and Chicago's Chief Keef. Both men graced the stage and performed a bevy of their hits. French Montana delivered "Shot Caller", "Everything's a Go", and his newest single "Pop That," while Keef had the crowd going with his breakout hit "I Don't Like." After the performances, Kyrie hung out with the hip-hop newcomers and ttook pictures to cap the night off ... which also included the release of a limited edition line of tees and hats that featured the term: R.O.Y. (Rookie of the year). Kyrie, French, and Chief, Alife also passed out hundreds of tees to the buzzing crowd who stood outside to converse and watch the performances. Read more: http://www.ballerstatus.com/2012/06/29/french-montana-chief-keef-celebrate-nba-star-kyrie-irvings-rookie-season-alife-nyc-photos/#ixzz25zLvJ4U2

Poem: My Mistakes

Now I'm Moving Forward, Before Was Looking Backwards... Life Was Mapped Out, But I Backed Out As Soon As My Father Packed Out... My Destiny Isn't Complete Since My Destination Isn't Reached... Hesitation And Defeat Left Me Staring At My Feet... My Body Paralyzed, A Pair Of Lies Had A Brother Weak... It Took A Week For Me To Seek My Inner Self, I Couldn't Sleep... I Heard The Talks, I Heard The Murmurs, "He's A Waste Of Potential." I Woke Up, Embraced Failure, Now I'm Facing The Pencil... I Tasted Pain Physically, Now I'm Erasing The Mental... That's Been Plaguing Me For Years, I've Been Raging, Was In Tears, When I Was Caged In With The Fear, No More Crying, No More Acting, Fuck Sticking The Script, I Just Listen, My Ambition Tells Me I Could Finish This... Yeah...I Was In Advance, But I Never Advanced To The Places I Wanna Be... I Thought School Was Overrated, I Hated Paying The Fees... I Said I'm Finished Playing, Now I'm Waiting To See, If I'll Be Playing In The World, When I Take My Degree

Poem: Worries

She Said, Through Lies And Deception, I Look In Your Eyes For Protection Your Brown Eyes See My Outcry She Said, You're Never Comparing Me Though The Age Disparity To Some May Need Clarity I Said, In Order For Our Love To Age, Your Mind Needs To Engage In The Thought Of Being Engaged, Through The Love And Our Reign, Don't Ever Let The Haters Rain On Our Parade.... She Said, I'm Head Over Heels Because My Feelings Are Healed Walking On Cloud Nine, I'm Talking About Lines, In Your Notes That I'm Quoting, I'm Hoping I Found Mine... I Said, I'm Hoping I Keep You, Always Running In My Mind, I'm Loving Your Feet Boo, And Carl... If We Lose? I Said, Never Be A Pessimist, Be Pressed To Be The Best In This. Let's Be Perfectionists In Love, Never Question Us, Or Question If...

Poem: The Chase

I'm Done Chasing... You Kept Walking...I Kept Pacing... I Kept Talking...We Spoke Often...I Lost Patience... Romancism? No Vandalism The Key Here... You Wrote On My Wall, Just For Me To See Clear... You Said, "Carl. Leave Me Alone." I Said "Take Care, But Rememeber Who Hates Sleeping Alone"... Squeezing My Hand, Everytime I Typed On The Keys On My Phone... I Said, Bank On Me, Cuz I Believe In A Loan... Second Chances, Ready To Fall, I Can't Spend The Season Alone... But Still...I Thought...Why Keep Running If The Pain Keeps Coming... If The Pain Keeps Coming, Why The Hell We Keep Loving... Since My Eyes Couldn't See, Guess I Couldn't Read Something...

Poem: Foreign

She Said Love Is Foreign... Because Her Ex Is Killing Her Softly, By Always Running To Lauren... She Said, "Carl. I Need A Folarin." Someone Who Won't Sabotage Our Love, And Full Of Ambition... Never Calling Out For Bitches... Never Roaming Out On Christmas... Saying I Wish I Could Rewrite Life And Never Be On His Wishlist... It's Amazing How Caged In Their Lives Have Become... Before Your Wife Was The One, Now She Filing Custody Just For The Life Of Her Son... She's Tired Of The Numerous Lies... Shes Asks" What Happened To The Humorous Guy? Who Would Never Spread Rumors, But Now Feels Like A Tumor Inside... She Never Cared To Attend A Game...She Just Wanted Attention... She Wanted You To Reinvent Love, Reinvent The Connection... Because She Thought You Had Class, Never One For Detention... Because You Cheated On Her...Now You Facing Suspensions.... From Her Love... You Were Positive Minus The Hugs, She Would Still Remain Faithful... Still Remain Thankful...Because She's Walking With Your Name Tatted Right Across Her Ankle... You Had Something Great...But You Acted Ungrateful... Why Run Away From Love, When You Running With An Angel...

CL - New Day Freestyle (Week 3 Of CL's Road To Redemption)

Support Support Support

Over Jay-Z And Kanye's Watch The Throne Track http://soundcloud.com/therealcl24/cl-new-day-freestyle-week-3-of

CL - Blue Sky Freestyle X Foreign Poem (Week 2 From 2/26/12

She Said Love Is Foreign... Because Her Ex Is Killing Her Softly, By Always Running To Lauren... She Said, "Carl. I Need A Folarin." Someone Who Won't Sabotage Our Love, And Full Of Ambition... Never Calling Out For Bitches... Never Roaming Out On Christmas... Saying I Wish I Could Rewrite Life And Never Be On His Wishlist... It's Amazing How Caged In Their Lives Have Become... Before Your Wife Was The One, Now She Filing Custody Just For The Life Of Her Son... She's Tired Of The Numerous Lies... Shes Asks" What Happened To The Humorous Guy? Who Would Never Spread Rumors, But Now Feels Like A Tumor Inside... She Never Cared To Attend A Game...She Just Wanted Attention... She Wanted You To Reinvent Love, Reinvent The Connection... Because She Thought You Had Class, Never One For Detention... Because You Cheated On Her...Now You Facing Suspensions....

From Her Love... You Were Positive Minus The Hugs, She Would Still Remain Faithful... Still Remain Thankful...Because She's Walking With Your Name Tatted Right Across Her Ankle... You Had Something Great...But You Acted Ungrateful... Why Run Away From Love, When You Running With An Angel... Sidebar: CL - Blue Sky Freestyle http://soundcloud.com/therealcl24/blue-sky-freestyle-week-2-of

CL - Fear Freestyle (CL's Road To Redemption Week 1)

What's going on everybody? It's been a long time since you guys have seen me actively dropping music and that's simply because I've been working on new material. Not only musically, but as well as other things which you will seen within the next few weeks and months. I've used the down time I've have sans performing, and recording to focus on not only writing, but finding out who I am, and what's the message I'm trying to convey. I realized, God gave me the innate ability to write, and pen my expressions in several ways which include, music and poetry. Also, I love interviewing people, and luckily my outgoing personality has helped me craft some successful interviews. So, I decided, every Sunday I will be dropping some new music, videos, poetry vlogs, and even interviews to help people understand who CL essentially is. Essentially, I'm not trying to just be "a rapper". That's too cliche and simplistic for dynamic character such as mine. I want to elevate my brand as a personality, because I feel I got the voice, but more importantly, the pen to do so. Ride out with me. I promise this will be special. Once again, thanks for all your support. - CL

Poem: Single

Single She Hates Being Single... Because Everybody Singles Her Out... You See, She’s Living With Women Who Were Given A Spouse... While She’s Roommates With Infidelity And Living With Doubts... Every Saturday, She’s Playing Donnie Hathaway To Captivate Her Mind... To Remind Her God Is First, And That Men… Are Here To Pass Away The Time... While Her Friends Are Cuddling, She’s Huddling Around Her Little Cubicle... Saying That “I Don’t Need A Man To Tell Me That I’m Beautiful”... Her False Bravado Is Cute But Unusual… You See, At Nights She’s Out Clubbing Always Loving The Scene... Rubbing On Guys, And Always Touching Their Jeans… But Inside, She’s Craving Forehead Kisses... She’s Craving For 30 Second Hugs Instead Of Stepping In The Club... But Nobody Gave Her A Chance, That’s Why She Questions “Where’s The Love?” No Valentine, Nobody Who Grabs Her Mind Nobody With Heart To Steal Her Heart, And Come Past The Line Ain’t That A Shame…. Love Is So Infectious But Affections Are So Rare That’s She Stresses On The Daily, And She Questions If It’s There.

Poem: A Woman's Scars

You See, It’s Hard For Her To Focus When They Focus The Lens On Her... A Model Who Models After The Goddess Of Love... But Encounters Throttles, And Quarrels Every Time She Mixes Bottles And Morals… You See… She’s 22... Her Master Plan Is A Masters, While Mastering Different Ways To Capture A Man... Now Ask Her… Why You Still Single? Her Facial Expression Answers The Question... She’s Behooved By Her Own Past Maneuvers… Past Accusers Said Look Past The Ruler To Measure Her Level Of Insecurity Because… Her Sensibility Gets Derailed By Her Sensitivity... “Like Monica. You’re A Model. Tell Me What You Scared Of... Fingerprints Left On Her Broken Heart... Footprints Left On Her Deflated Soul... She Said Trust Is Hard To Come By... Because Some Guys Run Lies Or Run Game... That Keep Her Off track, So She’s Always Scared To Hop On That One Train... So Could You Blame Her?... If That One Innocent Stranger Says Look Beyond The Danger, And Look Neons Ahead... But Says No...Because She Seen Used Condoms Her Exxes Would Leave On The Bed... She Goes Through Phones... Because She Seen Her Exxes Roam Through Homes... She Seen Betrayal First Hand... Is It Insecurity… Or Being Scarred By That One Man... O

ne Man