Natural Hize

Collaborations I Want to See

2011-01-07T09:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some producer/emcee collabos that I would like to see come out with full-length LP's:

DJ Premier & Ill Bill
Pete Rock & Ghostface
9th Wonder & J. Cole
Large Professor & Sean Price
Marco Polo & Royce Da 5-9
Oddisee & John Robinson
Apollo Brown & Magestik Legend
Statik Selektah & Inspectah Deck
Jake One & Joell Ortiz
Illmind & Planet Asia
Exile & Sene
Nottz & Phonte

Tell me what you think. Am I dreaming?

What to name the Sonics?

2008-07-10T20:14:00.000-07:00

So the Oklahoma City NBA team needs a name. I don't know why I'm so interested in this, but I suppose it's been a while since an NBA team has been named. The Bobcats was a joke (sorry, Bob), so hopefully O.C. will get this one right.

The names being thrown around O.C. newspapers are Barons, Outlaws, Thunder and Thunderbirds. Where to start...there's no way David Stern allows to the Outlaws to even make it to the final ballot. Thunder just sounds "Chippendales" dirty, and Thunderbirds is just flat-out 1970's. I prefer Barons, but have no idea how that connects to the city or a team without Baron Davis.

So here is my take on some possible names:

Oklahoma City Okes- It's dumb and simple, but it could be catchy
Oklahoma City Lariats- It just sounds better than lassos
Oklahoma City Ranchers- "Jolly Rancher" references could get old
Oklahoma City Westerns- If Washington can be the Nationals, they can be named after the conference too
Oklahoma City Chaps- Sounds cool, but being named after leather pants is lame
Oklahoma City Durants- Cleveland can then officially become the 'Brons

Too bad Bulls, Broncos, Chiefs and Wild are already taken by other professional franchises, because those would have been nice fits in O.C. If I get any other great ideas, I'll chime in. Clay Bennett, are you reading this?

MLB All-Star Snubs

2008-07-06T12:53:00.000-07:00

I think the fans and managers got it fairly accurate this time around. Fantasy baseball definitely helps the casual fan make better picks. However, there were a few big time snubs that I need to point out...

AL
John Lackey- I like him over Saunders and Kazmir.
Jermaine Dye- I like him over Manny and Ichiro, but Seattle needs a rep. He could still get in with a fan vote.
Carl Crawford- Same deal as Dye. It would have been nice to see Crawford instead of Drew, considering the Rays dominance over the Sox so far.

NL
Cole Hamels- I like him more than anyone named Dan Haren. The biggest snub of the bunch!!!
Jose Reyes- I like him over Guzman and Tejada, but the Nats needed a rep.
David Wright- Would have chose him over Aramis Ramirez.
Brandon Phillips- It's a shame he plays the same position as Utley and Uggla.
Derek Lee- I can understand Pujols, but McCann as a first baseman?
Carlos Lee- Should have gotten in over Ludwick, Fukudome and Soriano. Hopefully, the fans will elect him as a reserve.

NFL Banter

2008-07-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

Which NFL "star" are you most sick of hearing about all the time?

a) Chad Johnson
b) Brett Favre
c) Pac Man Jones
d) Terrell Owens

Brett Favre

2008-07-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

I predict it here first...Brett Favre will be starting sometime this season for...the Atlanta Falcons! Think about it 1) He wants back in the NFL 2) The Packers are ready to move on 3) The Falcons have a rookie QB in Matt Ryan 4) Favre was drafted by the Falcons so he may still have some small inkling of loyalty to them 5) Arthur Blank could surely use Brett Favre to bring the fans back. Thoughts?

The 2008-2009 Wizards

2008-06-26T20:54:00.000-07:00

Here's my quick preview of the Washington Wizards 2008-2009 roster...let's hope Gil and Antawn are really on it!

Starters:

G- Gilbert Arenas
G- DeShawn Stevenson
F- Caron Butler
F- Antawn Jamison
C- Brendan Haywood

Reserves:

G- Antonio Daniels
G- Nick Young
F- Darius Songaila
F- Oleksiy Pecherov
F- Andray Blatche
F- Dominic McGuire
C- JaVale McGee
IR- Etan Thomas

Active NBA Hall of Famers

2008-05-23T06:23:00.001-07:00

Here is my take on which current NBA players will be bound for Springfield...

No Doubt (7):

Kobe Bryant
Tim Duncan
Kevin Garnett
Allen Iverson
Jason Kidd
Steve Nash
Shaquille O' Neal

More To Prove (7):

Ray Allen
Vince Carter
Grant Hill
Dirk Nowitzki
Yao Ming
Tracy McGrady
Paul Pierce

Only A Matter of Time (2):

Lebron James
Chris Paul

Early Fantasy Baseball All-Stars

2008-05-21T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's not quite midseason, but it's never too early to give out some fantasy hardware. Here are the 2008 Fantasy Baseball All-Stars:

C- Geovany Soto
C- Brian McCann
1B- Albert Pujols
2B- Dan Uggla
3B- Chipper Jones
SS- Hanley Ramirez
OF- Lance Berkman
OF- Nate McLouth
OF- Josh Hamilton
OF- Carlos Quentin
OF- Ryan Ludwick
CI- Kevin Youkilis
MI- Chase Utley
Utility- Miguel Tejada

SP- Cliff Lee
SP- Brandon Webb
SP- Edinson Volquez
SP- Shaun Marcum
SP- Cole Hamels
RP- Jon Papelbon
RP- Carlos Marmol (41 K's in 29 innings!)
RP- Joakim Soria
RP- Brad Lidge

Most Valuable Player- Lance Berkman
Biggest Surprise- 1) Lance Berkman's Hunt for the Triple Crown 2) Chipper Jones' .409 batting average 3) Cliff Lee's Cy Young resurgence
Out of Nowhere Star- So many to choose...McLouth, Quentin, Ludwick, Volquez?
Rookie of the 1/2 Year- Jacoby Ellsbury
Biggest Dud- 1) Victor Martinez 2)Robinson Cano

Active Baseball Hall of Famers

2008-05-21T12:16:00.001-07:00

I have always been interested in the Hall of Fames, and trying to forecast which players would be elected down the road. Here is my take on active baseball players who will be future Hall of Famers:

The Sure Things-

Craig Biggio
Tom Glavine
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Trevor Hoffman
Derek Jeter
Randy Johnson
Greg Maddux
Pedro Martinez
Mike Piazza
Mariano Rivera
Alex Rodriguez
Ivan Rodriguez
John Smoltz

The Most Likelys-

Barry Bonds- The steroid cloud is hovering above him, but the numbers put him with the best players of all time.
Roger Clemens- See Barry Bonds.
Chipper Jones- Just shy of 400 homers, and getting better with age. His 13 seasons with the same team should be a plus for voters.
Jeff Kent- His career numbers (369 HR and 1461 RBI) are fantastic among second basemen.
Manny Ramirez- Hard to argue with 498 homers, 1632 RBI's and a career .312 average...not to mention two championships.
Gary Sheffield- The numbers are there, but the off-field issues could haunt him.
Curt Schilling- Currently has 216 wins, but will his post-season heroics mean more to voters?
Sammy Sosa- The home runs are phenomenal, but will he get put in the same breath as McGwire and Bonds?
Ichiro Suzuki- In MLB, he has a .332 lifetime average with 1,647 hits. At age 34, he may not reach American baseball milestones, but will his Japanese league statistics sway voters?
Jim Thome- Has hit over 30 home runs eleven of the past twelve years. Currently has 515 home runs and 1422 RBI's, but will 500 HR still be the benchmark next decade?

2008-05-05T06:25:00.001-07:00

2008 Hip Hop Update

Here is a quick list of the 10 Best Albums to come out so far in '08...

9th Wonder and Buckshot- The Formula
C.R.A.C.- The Piece Talks
Dagha- The Divorce
emc- The Show
Guilty Simpson- Ode To The Ghetto
Little Vic- Each Dawn I Die
Pete Rock- NY's Finest
Roots- Rising Down
Siah & Yeshua dapoED- The Visualz
Torae- Daily Conversation

Best Song- Oddisee, J-Live and Posdnous- The Upgrade
Best Album- emc- The Show
Biggest Disappointment- Gnarls Barkley- The Odd Couple

2008-05-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

NBA Year-End Awards

First Team All-NBA
G- Chris Paul
G- Kobe Bryant
F- Lebron James
F- Kevin Garnett
C- Amare Stoudemire

Second Team All-NBA
G- Baron Davis
G- Allen Iverson
F- Dirk Nowitzki
F- Carlos Boozer
C- Marcus Camby

All-Rookie Team
G- Juan Carlos Navarro
G- Kevin Durant
F- Jamario Moon
F- Thaddeus Young
C- Al Horford

Most Valuable Player- Kobe Bryant
*This is a toss-up between Bryant and Paul. Bryants has the edge in points, three's, rebounds and blocks while Paul gets the FG and FT percentages, assists, and steals. Bryant gets the edge for playing injured and leading his team to the best record in the West. Paul will get his one day...

Rookie of the Year- Al Horford, Jr.
*It comes down to rebounds vs. points between Durant and Horford. Horford gets the edge because he helped lead his team to the playoffs

Most Improved Player- Danny Granger
* A phenomenal season (20 ppg and 6 rpg) lost on a lousy team

Comeback Player of the Year- Peja Stojakovic
* Played only 13 games in 2006-2007 and returned to be a key contributor (16.4 ppg) for the Hornets

Most Underrated Player- Al Jefferson
* Marcus Camby, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu all come to mind, but it's hard to argue with a guy who averages 21 and 11 for a rebuilding team like the Wolves

Most Overrated Player- Jason Kidd
* Hard to knock a future HOF'er, but his stock only dropped after his trade to the Mavs. Devin Harris is 10 years younger...I would take him and all those draft picks back.

NBA Finals Prediction- Pistons vs. Hornets
* Everyone wants to see Celtics vs. Lakers, but I think the upstart Hornets and the reliable Pistons are going to rise to the top. The Jazz were my pre-season pick, and I think they still have an outside chance

NBA Mid-Year Awards

2008-01-31T07:22:00.000-08:00

So the 2007-2008 season is nearing the All-Star break. Let's dish out some half-way hardware...

MVP- Chris Paul
He does it all for one of the league's best teams. He ranks second in the NBA in assists and steals.

ALL-NBA FIRST TEAM
G- Chris Paul
G- Kobe Bryant
F- Shawn Marion
F- Caron Butler
C- Amare Stoudemire

ALL-NBA SECOND TEAM
G- Baron Davis
G- Chauncey Billups
F- Kevin Garnett
F- Dirk Nowitzki
C- Marcus Camby

ROOKIE OF THE 1/2 YEAR- Jamario Moon
The 27 year old rebounds, blocks shots, and plays solid defense. With all respect to KD's 19 ppg average, his team has 10 wins and he has the early rep of being a gunner.

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
G- Kevin Durant
G- Juan Carlos Navarro
F- Jamario Moon
F- Yi Jianlian
C- Al Horford

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER- Rudy Gay
Honorable Mention- Jose Calderon, Mike Dunleavy, Al Jefferson

COMEBACK PLAYER- Grant Hill
He is averaging 15-4-3 for the best team in basketball. The man knows his role...

MOST UNDERRATED PLAYER- Hedo Turkoglu
Anyone notice that he's averaging 19-6-4 for a first place team? Note- I have the privilege of watching Caron Butler all the time, so I may not realize how underrated he truly is.
Honorable Mention- Danny Granger, David West, Gerald Wallace

MOST OVERRATED PLAYER- Dwayne Wade
I know he's not 100%, but how can a team with 9 wins have a starter in the All-Star game?
Honorable Mention- Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Zach Randolph

NBA FINALS PREDICTION- Phoenix vs. Detroit
Celtic fans, hasn't Boston had enough success for one year! Keep an eye on those Hornets though!

THE BEST OF HIP HOP 2007

2008-01-15T08:48:00.000-08:00

Here is my take on '07's best albums, mixtapes, instrumentals, EPs, and r&b joints. Feel free to add your 2 cents, but don't try to convince me that any ringtone rap belongs on this list. This is real music, where record sales and radio airplay don't always judge success.

20 Best Hip Hop Albums of 2007

Black Milk- Popular Demand
Blu & Exile- Below The Heavens
Brother Ali- The Undisputed Truth
Common- Finding Forever
Ghostface Killah- The Big Doe Rehab
Hell Razah- Renaissance Child
Jay-Z- American Gangster
Kanye West- Graduation
Killah Priest- The Offering
Little Brother- Getback
Nas- Hip Hop Is Dead
NYGz- Welcome 2 G-Dom
Percee P- Perseverance
Phat Cat- Carte Blanche
Polyrhythm Addicts- Break Glass
Prodigy- Return of the Mac
Sean Price- Jesus Price Superstar
Special Teamz- Stereotypez
Talib Kweli- Eardrum
Wu-Tang Clan- 8 Diagrams

Honorable Mention- Boot Camp Clik- Casualties of War, C.L. Smooth- The Outsider, Camp Lo- Black Hollywood, Marley Marl & KRS-One- Hip Hop Lives, Jeru the Damaja- Still Rising, The ARE (Oh No & Kay)- Dem Damb Jacksons

15 Best Hip Hop Mixtapes and Compilations of 2007

9^th Wonder- The Dream Merchant 2
DJ Premier- A Tribute to James Brown: The Foundation of Hip-Hop
DJ Soul- Assorted Donuts: A Tribute to J-Dilla
DJ Statik Selektah, DJ Premier, Royce Da 5'9– The Bar Exam
DJ Warrior, Black Milk, Bishop Lamont– Caltroit
Dub Floyd & Wally Sparks- Hip-Hop Docktrine Two
Guilty Simpson and DJ Rhettmatic- Stray Bullets
HMD- One Pursuit
J. Dilla, Busta Rhymes & Mick Boogie– Dillagence
Little Brother & Mick Boogie– And Justus For All
Marco Polo- Port Authority
Sean Price- Master P
Skyzoo, Mick Boogie & DJ Kayslay- Corner Store Classic
Statik Selektah- Spell My Name Right
Termanology, Statik Selektah, Tony Touch, DJ Deadeye- 50 Bodies

10 Best Hip Hop Instrumental Albums of 2007

Beastie Boys- The Mix-Up
Bumps- Bumps
DJ Babu- The Beat Tape, Vol. 1
Madlib- Beat Konducta, Vol. 3-4: In India
Modill- Midnight Green Instrumentals
Oh No- Dr. No’s Oxperiment
Peanut Butter Wolf- B-Ball Zombie War- The Instrumentals
Prefuse 73- Preparations & Interregnums
Various Producers- Thisish Vol. 1, Hosted by Large Professor
Yesterday’s New Quintet- Yesterday’s Universe

5 Best Hip Hop EP’s of 2007

DJ Jazzy Jeff- The Return of Hip Hop
J-Live- Reveal The Secret
Show & A.G.- Live Hard
Supastition- Leave of Absence
Talib Kweli & Madlib- Liberation

10 Best R&B/Soul Albums of 2007

Alicia Keys- As I Am
Amy Winehouse- Back To Black
Chrisette Michele- I Am
Kevin Michael- Kevin Michael
Keyshia Cole- Just Like You
Joss Stone- Introducing Joss Stone
Mark Ronson- Version
Ozomatli- Don’t Mess With the Dragon
Rashaan Patterson- Wines & Spirits
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings- 100 Days,100 Nights

MY REAL ’07-’08 NBA ALL STARS

2008-01-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

When the teams are announced, expect to see familiar names like Dwayne Wade, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Shaquille O'Neal. At last check Yi Jianlian was leading Caron Butler in votes, and Luis Scola was 8^th among Western Conference forwards. What I present to you is my real and true NBA All-Star team. My list does not take Hall of Fame credentials or jersey sales into play. This is strictly about stats and victories.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Starters

G- Chris Paul
G- Kobe Bryant
F- Shawn Marion
F- Dirk Nowitzki
C- Marcus Camby

Reserves

G- Baron Davis
G- Allen Iverson
G- Steve Nash
F- Carlos Boozer
F- Tim Duncan
F- Amare Stoudemire
C- Yao Ming

Notes- The West is absolutely loaded from top to bottom! The toughest spot to fill was the final reserve Forward. There’s Brandon Roy who scores, rebounds and has led his upstart team to a great record. There’s Rudy Gay, who does it all (especially steals and threes), but he does it for a lousy team. There’s Carmelo Anthony, who scores a ton of points. At the end, how can you deny Tim Duncan? He rebounds, blocks shots and is the bona fide leader of the World Champions. I wish there was a Guard spot for Manu Ginobili and Deron Williams, but which superstar would you bump? Chris Kaman is also deserving, but his awful team hurt his chances.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Starters

G- Chauncey Billups
G- Lebron James
F- Kevin Garnett
F- Caron Butler
C- Rasheed Wallace

Reserves

G- Jose Calderon
G- Mike Dunleavy
G- Paul Pierce
F- Antawn Jamison
F- Rashard Lewis
F- Hedo Turkoglu
C- Dwight Howard

Notes- Yes, Lebron is technically a SF, but let’s not act like he doesn’t have a SG mentality. It was tough choosing journeyman Turkoglu over young superstar Chris Bosh, but Hedo tops him in points, threes, assists and steals. It was also tough picking the underdog Calderon over the future Hall of Famer, Jason Kidd, but Jose plays on the better team, and rarely turns the ball over. The other players that warranted consideration were Michael Redd, Gerald Wallace, Josh Smith and Richard Jefferson. They all put up big numbers on losing teams, so it’s hard to lobby too much for them. As much as I respect what Ray Allen is doing for the Celtics, Pierce and Garnett held the definite edge.