CLASSIC

I don't usually watch YouTube videos over and over, but I just can't help myself. Jay-Z has teamed up with Rhapsody and MTV in anticipation for The Blueprint 3 with an ad campaign to help promote the album (as if it needs it). This 60 second spot is just a reminder of how important albums were in hip hop before ringtones, blogs, leaks, auto-tune and a bunch of other shit unfortunately happened. Recreating every one of his album covers flawlessly, Hov shows you to be the best you gotta put in the work. Respect the discography.

VIDEO: SHE DON'T WANT A MAN

Asher Roth and Keri Hilson take it to the club with this track off Asleep In The Bread Aisle. Everything from a wing-man, late night Chinese food, and getting tossed out the bar are in this video. Asher definitely did his research before filming this video.

FRIDAY 5: UPCOMING VIDEO GAMES OF 09

I'm just like every normal guy on the face of this earth, I enjoy playing video games. When responsibility comes knocking, the dualshock controller starts rocking. I'm still waiting for that Madden online franchise to pop off and show the Madden Nation why the Eagles are the team to beat. Here are 5 games I can't wait to get my hands on before the end of the year in the Friday 5: Upcoming Games of 09.

5. Tekken 6

GAME: Tekken 6
RELEASE DATE: 10/27/09
WHY: Besides Street Fighter, Tekken is the only other fighting franchise I mess with. There's just something about the capoeira fighting style that makes kicking ass look so good. Where else can you see a robot droid fight a panda bear in an ancient temple?

4. NHL 10

GAME: NHL 10
RELEASE DATE: 09/15/09
WHY: I'm not going to lie, I got hooked on the last installment of this game. There was just something about getting a well set-up goal, until someone found one of the biggest bugs in video game history. No one scores that many wrap-around goals, but this year with over 250 new goalie animations that issue should no longer be a problem.

3. NBA 2K10

GAME: NBA 2K10
RELEASE DATE: 10/06/09
WHY: The 10th game in the NBA 2K series has the potential to be the best yet. The king of basketball games for the past few years has made EA's Live look like a budget series title. The people at 2K sports have never really made drastic adjustments to the game, and for good reason because they have never really had to. I'll give a pass on the cover athlete.

2. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

GAME: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
RELEASE DATE: 11/10/09
WHY: There are hundreds of titles claiming to be the realest depiction of war in the first-person shooter genre, but the COD series has them all beat. Mission settings in the game will include Russia, the desert in Afghanistan, a military base in Kazakhstan, and the level I'm most excited for, the City of God in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

1. DJ Hero

GAME: DJ HERO
RELEASE DATE: 10/27/09
WHY: The music based genre has been taking over the gaming world for the past few years. Instead of releasing another installment of Guitar Hero, Activision has decided to cater to all the DJs and bar stars out there with DJ Hero. With a brand new turntable peripheral, the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff, Jay-Z, Daft Punk, Eric B. & Rakim, the Jackson 5 and a host of other music icons to scratch with, this game looks to surmount the success of Guitar Hero and make millions of people think they could actually spin on the 1s and 2s.

CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN

Usain Bolt made himself a household name in last summer's Olympics in Beijing. He would win the race and play it up for the crowd with 15m to go. The Jamaican Lightning Bolt has not let up since. This week at the 2009 Track and Field World Championships in Berlin, Bolt did not only break the record in the 100m but also in the 200m. It almost seems effortless for Usain and makes me wonder if he'll even pick up the bobsled, because apparently sprinters make the best bobsledders. FEEL THE RHYTHM!

Track and Field World Championships 200m Final

Track and Field World Championships 100m Final

THROWBACK THURSDAY: BIG PIMPIN'

One of my favorite summer jams of all time. I definitely should not have been watching this video when I was 10 years old but what are you going to do, it's just that Jigga-man, Pimp-C and B.U.N. B.

VIDEO: RUN THIS TOWN

One of the most anticipated videos of the year, from the most anticipated album of the year. Jay-Z along with Kanye West and Rihanna show you who are running things. The video was directed by Anthony Mandler who also did the Death of Auto-tune video.

"You trippin' when you ain't sippin', have a refill"

TUESDAY'S 10: MINKA KELLY

Minka Kelly, 29, is best known for her role as Lyla Garrity on the hit series Friday Night Lights. The series' 4th season starts this October and she is also rumored to star in a new series on the CW network. She is also currently dating Derek Jeter, which explains why the Yankees are the best team in baseball. Suck it Boston.

THE YEAR 3000 AND BEYOND

U.S.S. Planet Express clear for takeoff! Kid Robot has teamed up with Matt Groening and David X. Cohen the creators behind one of my favorite shows, Futurama, to bring you 12 iconic characters and 2 chases from the 31st century. They are now available at your local toy retailer including Foosh right here in Edmonton.

Unfortunately if you purchase Zapp Brannigan, you will have to deal with his "very sexy" learning disability, "sexlexia".

MONDAY'S MASHED-UP POTATOES: 08/17/09

ARTIST: Fabolous feat. Jay-Z
TRACK: When The Money Goes
LINK: HERE (via Nah Right)

ARTIST: Mr. Hudson feat. Kanye West
TRACK: Supernova
LINK: HERE (via Daily Motion)

ARTIST: The Clipse feat. Pharrell & Keri Hilson
TRACK: All Eyes On Me
LINK: HERE (via Xclusives Zone)

ARTIST: Wale
TRACK: Pretty Girls
LINK: HERE (via Please Don't Stare)

ARTIST: Raekwon feat. Ghostface Killah, Polite & Inspectah Deck
TRACK: Iron Chef
LINK: HERE (via Nah Right)

FRIDAY 5: BEST JORDAN PACKS

It seems like every month Jordan Brand decides to drop a new pack that puts a major dent in the bank accounts of Jordanheads everywhere. Here are the Friday 5 Best Jordan Packs, which proves that 2 kicks are better than 1.

5. Air Jordan 7 DMP 60+ Pack

PACK: Air Jordan 7 DMP 60+ Pack
JORDAN'S: Air Jordan 7 "Raptors"/Air Jordan 7 "Magic"
RELEASE DATE: 08/15/09
CONCEPT: The latest installment of the Jordan packs comes from MJ's 64 point game loss to the Orlando Magic in January of 1993. Michael wore the Air Jordan 7 during that game and with such a great individual performance this pack was modeled after the two teams in that game. The Black/Red 7 represents the Bulls and the White/Blue 7 for the Magic.

4. Air Jordan 1 "Old Love/New Love" Package

PACK: Air Jordan 1 "Old Love/New Love" Package
JORDAN'S: AJ 1 White-Black-Varsity Red/ AJ 1 Black-Varsity Maize-White
RELEASE DATE: 04/21/07
CONCEPT: The history of the Air Jordan 1 speaks for itself. The "Black Toe" Jordan 1's were the most sought after pair of the model. This package hits on Michael's two loves, basketball and racing. The Black Toe Varsity Red Air Jordan 1's are the “Old Love” of basketball and the Black/Yellow Air Jordan 1's are the “New Love” of motorcycle racing as yellow and black are the official colors of Jordan Motorsports.

3. Air Jordan 5 "Toro Bravo" Pack

PACK: Air Jordan 5 "Toro Bravo" Pack
JORDAN'S: Air Jordan 5 Black 3M/Air Jordan 5 Red Suede
RELEASE DATE: 05/30/09
CONCEPT: The Toro Bravo were special bulls raised for the infamous Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. The black 3M Air Jordan 5 which stood for brute strength, unmatched aggressiveness and great cunning both the Toro Bravo and Michael are known for. The red suede 5's represents Michael's passion for basketball and also the red bandanas and cloths used during the Running of the Bulls.

2. Air Jordan 11/12 Countdown Pack

PACK: Air Jordan 11/12 Countdown Pack
JORDAN'S: Air Jordan 11 Black-True Red-White/Air Jordan 12 White-Black-Taxi
RELEASE DATE: 12/20/08
CONCEPT: The most anticipated and well-received of the Air Jordan Countdown Pack phenomenon. Two of the most coveted and iconic Jordan's to ever release were the last pack released in the CDP series and sold out faster than you can say MJ. This made Christmas extra special for those who saw the red and black box under the tree.

1. Air Jordan 6/11 Defining Moments Pack

PACK: Air Jordan 6/11 Defining Moments Pack
JORDAN'S: Air Jordan 6 Black-Metallic Gold/Air Jordan 11 White-Metallic Gold-Black
RELEASE DATE: 01/28/06
CONCEPT: The pack that started it all. The Defining Moments Pack from 2006 saw the Air Jordan 6 MJ wore to win his first championship against the Lakers in 1991, and the Air Jordan 11 Mike wore in 1996 to win the title versus the SuperSonics. Each sneaker was designed with gold accents to symbolize the championships and drive for excellence Michael had in these moments of his career that helped shape his legacy as the G.O.A.T.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: FLAVA IN YA EAR REMIX

BAAAADDDD BOOOYYYY! COME OUT AND PLAY!

WHY NBA PLAYERS SHOULDN'T RAP

First Shaq and AI, even Tony Parker decided to pick up a mic SMH, now four of the NBA's rising stars decided to grace us with their rhyme skills. Rashard Lewis (aka Ice-O), Mo Williams (aka Fog Raw), Andre Iguodala (aka Chief Blocka), and Kevin Durant (aka Velvet Hoop) lay down some bars for the Nike Hyperize. This is "The Hyperizers" with "Don't Criticize (Hyperize)". Mo Williams definitely has the dopest rapper name.

TUESDAY'S 10: ARIANNY CELESTE

In honour of last Saturday's UFC 101, I've decided to make this week's 10 ring girl Arianny Celeste, 23. She is the reason a lot of people order sixty dollar pay-per-views even if it's just for a glimpse of her umm, talent. The numbers 1 through 5 never looked so good.

MONDAY'S MASHED-UP POTATOES: 08/10/09

ARTIST: Jay-Z (feat. Kanye West & Rihanna)
TRACK: Run This Town
LINK: HERE (via Freshly Served Hip-Hop)

ARTIST: Peter, Bjorn and John feat. Wale, Rhymefest and Young Chris
TRACK: Nothing To Worry About (Kickdrums Remix)
LINK: HERE (via Xclusives Zone)

ARTIST: The Clipse (feat. Pharrell)
TRACK: I'm Good
LINK: HERE (via Complex)

ARTIST: The Roots
TRACK: How I Got Over
LINK: HERE (via okayplayer)

ARTIST: Daniel Merriweather (feat. Wale)
TRACK: Change
LINK: HERE (via OnSMASH)

LUCKY NUMBER 7: NIKE AIR MAX LEBRON VII

I don't remember the last time a pro-athlete had seven signature shoes on the same brand since Mike. Last Friday, the 7th day of August, Bron Bron introduced the world to the Nike Air Max LeBron VII. Maybe these will be the pair of kicks he'll be in when he finally hoists his first championship above his head, but my money is on the Bulls like every year. The shoe drops on October 24th with a $160 USD price tag.

"The Nike Air Max LeBron VII is designed to deliver maximum comfort and stability. It features an innovative, basketball-specific Max Air airbag unit, a cushioning first for the company, and a Flywire engineered upper using higher tensile-strength cable than in previous performance basketball shoes."

I definitely think this is an upgrade from the King's last signature shoe the Nike Zoom LeBron VI. With the success of the Zoom Kobe 4, Lebron decided that the lighter Flywire approach was the way to go. The details in the LeBron VII from the 'Twenty and Three' on the toe of each shoe, the 7 FW strands and LeBron's signature on the tongue, and the 23 FW stripes on the midsection are nice touches to this signature model.

(via Hype Beast)

RECAP: UFC 101 DECLARATION

BJ Penn def. Kenny Florian (Submission rear-naked choke)

Just like Forrest Griffin I can accept that I lost (more later), in terms of picking Kenny Florian to beat BJ Penn of course. In the City of Brotherly Love, the Prodigy showed why he is the master and why KenFlo is just another student in the lightweight championship bout. In control of the fight from the very start with great takedown defense, BJ Penn secured the rear-naked choke at 3 minutes, 54 seconds of the fourth round retaining his title and his spot atop the 155 pound weight division.

Anderson Silva def. Forrest Griffin (KO punch)

For all those Anderson Silva haters out there I just have one thing to say, 'Are you not entertained?'. He proved just why he is considered to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in all of mixed martial arts at UFC 101. After knocking Griffin down twice with a flurry that would make Rocky proud, and toying with Forrest dropping his hands and simply bobbing and weaving his head to avoid punches, Silva laid out the former light heavyweight champion with one jab 3 minutes, 23 seconds into the first round. KO of the Night Year (at least a candidate).

I guess Rashad Evans is part of the film crew until the next Ultimate Fighter starts. Who knew?

FRIDAY 5: UPCOMING ALBUMS OF 09

Here is something new on the menu courtesy of hypeFEAST. Every Friday I'll be counting down the top 5 in anything and everything. These lists come from my head and if you don't like it, start your own blog.

This week's 5 deals with the albums I can't wait to bump on my iPod while stuck in traffic and amidst all the construction on the 106 bus from the university to my place. These are the Friday 5 Upcoming Albums of 09.

5. Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part I

DROPS: 09/15/09
LISTEN NOW: Too Many Rappers (feat. Nas)
WHY: MCA, Ad-Rock, and Mike D have been doing it longer than I've been on this earth. Give the boys from Brooklyn their respect. MCA >>> Cancer

4. Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon: The End Of Day

DROPS: 09/15/09
LISTEN NOW: Make Her Say (feat. Kanye West & Common)
WHY: Ever since his A Kid Named Cudi mixtape dropped he's been giving Lebron competition for hottest thing coming out of Cleveland. G.O.O.D. Music definitely in the building.

3. The Clipse - Till The Casket Drops

DROPS: 10/20/09
LISTEN NOW: Kinda Like A Big Deal (feat. Kanye West)
WHY: Any time I hear The Clipse I can't help but put on a mean mug on. The third studio album from the duo with a majority of the productions coming from Pharrell and Chad. Enough Said.

2. Wale - Attention: Deficit

DROPS: 09/22/09
LISTEN NOW: Chillin' (feat. Lady Gaga)
WHY: Wale is one of the dopest rappers I've heard since Mr. West, (see. The Mixtape About Nothing, 100 Miles and Runnin', Back To The Feature). Definitely representing DC to the fullest and who else do you know can get Gaga on a hook?

1. Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3

DROPS: 09/11/09
LISTEN NOW: D.O.A. (Death Of Auto-tune) + Run This Town (feat. Kanye West & Rihanna)
WHY: Are you serious?

HONOURABLE MENTION

Dr. Dre - Detox

DROPS: 2009?!?
LISTEN NOW: -
WHY: I have a feeling when this album finally drops hell will freeze over and the world will come crashing to and end due to global warming and a nuclear shit-storm, but at least we'll have something to ride to.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: CHILDREN'S STORY

Slick Rick The Ruler, one of the greatest storytellers to ever pick up a mic on either side of the pond, helps put us to sleep with this classic bedtime story. Here we go.

WHAT MORE CAN I SAY?

Seeing Hov do his thing on stage is definitely on my bucket list along with a date with Cassie and dunking on Lebron. Things you do before you kick the bucket.

Jay-Z & Eminem Performing Renegade (DJ Hero Live)


Jay-Z No Sleep Till Brooklyn (Beastie Boys Cover) + Brooklyn Go Hard (All Points West)

CUDI & KERI GET COMPLEX

Mr. Solo Dolo himself Kid Cudi and Ms. Keri Hilson grace the covers of the August/September issue of Complex Magazine. It is the magazine's 5th annual Style & Design Issue and is sure to help out those dealing with their Ed Hardy/MMA clothing phase of their wardrobe. Let's keep it in the octagon guys. Issue hits newsstands Aug. 11.

UFC 101: PRODIGY/KENFLO & SPIDER/BESTSELLER

IT'S TIME! This Saturday marks UFC 101: Declaration which will see BJ Penn return to the lightweight division to defend his belt against Kenny Florian and also middleweight champion Anderson Silva move up to the light heavyweight division to fight former champion Forrest Griffin. These co-main events look to follow up the success of last month's UFC 100. Nothing against BJ and his pool-jumping ability, but KENFLO FTW!

TODAY WAS A GOOD DAY

Fresh off his gold-medal in skateboard street at this weekend's X Games 15, Paul Rodriguez along with some friends including Kobe Bryant, Ice Cube, and Nike SB's newest acquisition, Eric Koston show you what a good day looks like. This is a dope commercial for P-Rod's 3rd signature shoe from SB and the classic Cube track just puts it over the top.

TUESDAY'S 10: CASSIE

Cassie Ventura, 22, is an American singer who also modeled early in her career. She is best known for her single 'Me & U' in 2006 and her appearance in Kanye West's 'Stronger' music video.