It's been a while since the trade happened, and I've chosen tonight to write because this was the night that the season ended. Statistically speaking, the Nuggets have almost no chance to move on to the next round.
There are a couple of ways that I see this series:
1) It's a damn shame the seedings ended up the way they did. Of all the teams in the Western Conference, the Thunder was the worst matchup. They have Lakers-type size and a young, big, energetic backcourt. Nene, not the most dominant guy down low, won't put it in at a high clip, especially with the skill that Ibaka, Perkins and Mohammed defend. They don't foul. Lawson and Felton can't create sufficient space to live up to their potentials as shooters. Sure, they can create, but the Thunder close out extremely well. When the guards penetrate, the Thunder's size causes a lot of missed layups. Defensively, it's impossible to guard the Thunder when Harden, Maynor, Westbrook and Durant shoot the way they've been. They're all dimensional enough that defenders have to respect them everywhere on the court. More heartbreaking for me is the way the Thunder's size manifests itself for them offensively: offensive rebounds. And they dominate the glass. Give me the Lakers, Spurs--anybody but these guys. But these guys is who we got.
2) Taking all of the above into account, who knew what was going to happen? And considering how the Nuggets performed in the second half of the season, there would've been a measure of justice to the Nuggets making a run in the postseason. It's been a triumph of the team concept. They didn't tank to get a favorable matchup. The figurative basketball gods should have rewarded this team, especially in a season in which LeBron and Carmelo so demonstrate the clout of the superstar.
But this season is over now. They're not winning four of the next five. Not against this team, which could well go on to win the championship. (I think they will. The impact of the Perkins trade may prove to be historical. Presti got himself a title this year.)
So what's next for this team? I assume that Felton will start next season (whenever that may be) on another team. He deserves to start. But it is with great regret that I say that. Considering he's under contract, the team could apply its leverage to keep him and guarantee another playoff season. That is how effective having both Lawson and Felton is. But Felton is gone, and rightfully so.
Recommendations:
Resign Nene and Afflalo; make them, Lawson, Gallinari and Mozgov the nucleus of this team. Resign Martin and keep him, Chandler, Koufos, and Andersen as role players. Let JR go and try to trade Harrington. Grant Felton his wish, but make sure a serviceable point guard comes back in return. (I wonder whether Chauncey opts out. He'd be a perfect backup combo guard. It's time for him to recede to the background.)
Last thing for 2010-11: I'd like to thank Masai Ujiri and Josh Kroenke, George Karl and this team for providing for the second-best stretch of ball I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy. It was fun to watch while it lasted.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Carmelo-Era Postmortem, Part One
(For those that don't know, my NBA team is the Nuggets.)
First of all, the Knicks got the better of this trade, at least in the short term. Even with the depleted team, they have enough to feed on the dregs of the Eastern Conference and be at either 5 or 6 going into the playoffs. Even as currently constituted, they could be a perennial 5 seed.
The key to this trade from the Knicks' short-term perspective may well be Chauncey Billups, who is still efficient enough to give them 12 to 15 a game; more importantly, however, is his leadership influence. I understand that that has become something of a cliche, but having seen what he did for Denver a couple years ago, that leadership influence rings true. The problem with Chauncey, however, is his penchant for taking low-percentage shots in crunch time. He earned the nickname of Mr. Big Shot during two deep playoff runs with the Pistons, one of them resulting in a championship. But if I remember correctly, he was sharing a lot of those crunch time shots with Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton. Upon coming to Denver, however, he took it upon himself to take a larger share of those crunch time shots. The problem with that is that in spite of his nickname, he isn't particularly good in the clutch. Statistics bear that out. The irony in Chauncey's penchant is that Carmelo may be the most clutch shooter in the league, statistically speaking.
My contention is that as Chauncey was given much of the credit for the Western Conference Finals run in the media back in 2009, he was shooting and missing the Nuggets out of the playoffs. There were several situations when games against the Lakers were hanging in the balance--often with Denver in the league--in which Chauncey decides to take a long three and provide the dagger, only to miss. I feel that those possessions were best used on Carmelo, and they weren't.
If I were a Knicks fan, I'd hope that Chauncey reverts to his Pistons-era ways and lets Melo or Amare take the shots when the game is on the line. I think Knicks fans have reason to be optimistic to that end because Amare is a much more viable scoring threat in the post than is Nene.
D'Antoni will not be able to push the ball like he wants to now with Billups replacing Felton. Billups is a half-court point guard through and through. I do believe, however, that D'Antoni has the offensive acumen to change his philosophy. I'm interested in seeing how that plays out. Offensively, I believe the Knicks will be more than fine. Stoudemire, Anthony, Billups and Fields are all capable. Defensively, however, they might be the most vulnerable team of any in the top half of the league. Any team with a decent frontcourt (Boston, Orlando, Miami*) will be able to do serious damage. Any team with a scoring point guard (Chicago, Miami*) will be able to do serious damage. That's why they're not sniffing a championship this year. They'll put up 110 a game, but give up 114.
*LeBron is simultaneously a great small forward and a great point guard. Carmelo, however, seems to do a consistently good job of guarding him.
It's hard to speak on New York's prospects going forward because so much is in play. A healthy Chris Paul makes them a title contender. Deron Williams does not. But Paul is over a year away. The new CBA may make it difficult even then to afford him. Without Paul, maybe New York wins 48 games next season and loses in the first round. Does D'Antoni stay in that situation? Probably. But will new GM Isiah Thomas want him around? Will Amare's knees hold up to another couple of seasons in the D'Antoni system? I've jumped to a few conclusions here, but none of them is conceivable.
Ultimately, I'd have to see a lot more before I consider the Knicks a title contender. Even with Carmelo and Amare, I don't see them beating Boston, Orlando, Miami or Chicago. As a Nuggets fan, that provides some consolation. The worst thing that could happen would be to see Carmelo win a championship within a few years of this trade. I think disaster will be averted.
I don't doubt that Carmelo believes he'll be able to win in New York, but I still believe he had just as good a chance to win in Denver as he does now. Denver sheds a lot of bad contracts this summer. Who knows how the Nuggets might have used that money to build around Carmelo? Bryant, Duncan and Nowitzski are heading into the twilights of their careers. We could have seen Carmelo and Durant duke it out over the next decade. Instead, Carmelo can now look forward to spending the next ten years of his career losing to James and Wade, Rose and Howard.
First of all, the Knicks got the better of this trade, at least in the short term. Even with the depleted team, they have enough to feed on the dregs of the Eastern Conference and be at either 5 or 6 going into the playoffs. Even as currently constituted, they could be a perennial 5 seed.
The key to this trade from the Knicks' short-term perspective may well be Chauncey Billups, who is still efficient enough to give them 12 to 15 a game; more importantly, however, is his leadership influence. I understand that that has become something of a cliche, but having seen what he did for Denver a couple years ago, that leadership influence rings true. The problem with Chauncey, however, is his penchant for taking low-percentage shots in crunch time. He earned the nickname of Mr. Big Shot during two deep playoff runs with the Pistons, one of them resulting in a championship. But if I remember correctly, he was sharing a lot of those crunch time shots with Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton. Upon coming to Denver, however, he took it upon himself to take a larger share of those crunch time shots. The problem with that is that in spite of his nickname, he isn't particularly good in the clutch. Statistics bear that out. The irony in Chauncey's penchant is that Carmelo may be the most clutch shooter in the league, statistically speaking.
My contention is that as Chauncey was given much of the credit for the Western Conference Finals run in the media back in 2009, he was shooting and missing the Nuggets out of the playoffs. There were several situations when games against the Lakers were hanging in the balance--often with Denver in the league--in which Chauncey decides to take a long three and provide the dagger, only to miss. I feel that those possessions were best used on Carmelo, and they weren't.
If I were a Knicks fan, I'd hope that Chauncey reverts to his Pistons-era ways and lets Melo or Amare take the shots when the game is on the line. I think Knicks fans have reason to be optimistic to that end because Amare is a much more viable scoring threat in the post than is Nene.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE5UTzKIODhFoqgmfHeGRdf2cvB_wqwNqS0TlQcobQVpkhknUQMdkpfDBD6maR2WMwN_-37ZHh559wmz9Dq8AqSyntWnWEsQ8h7hImTzS26VsZP9NiKKPkZ6Z0B0XHQJHmzB55ZMlVgVPu/s320/story_xlimage_2011_02_R3693_CARMELO_2212011.jpg)
*LeBron is simultaneously a great small forward and a great point guard. Carmelo, however, seems to do a consistently good job of guarding him.
It's hard to speak on New York's prospects going forward because so much is in play. A healthy Chris Paul makes them a title contender. Deron Williams does not. But Paul is over a year away. The new CBA may make it difficult even then to afford him. Without Paul, maybe New York wins 48 games next season and loses in the first round. Does D'Antoni stay in that situation? Probably. But will new GM Isiah Thomas want him around? Will Amare's knees hold up to another couple of seasons in the D'Antoni system? I've jumped to a few conclusions here, but none of them is conceivable.
Ultimately, I'd have to see a lot more before I consider the Knicks a title contender. Even with Carmelo and Amare, I don't see them beating Boston, Orlando, Miami or Chicago. As a Nuggets fan, that provides some consolation. The worst thing that could happen would be to see Carmelo win a championship within a few years of this trade. I think disaster will be averted.
I don't doubt that Carmelo believes he'll be able to win in New York, but I still believe he had just as good a chance to win in Denver as he does now. Denver sheds a lot of bad contracts this summer. Who knows how the Nuggets might have used that money to build around Carmelo? Bryant, Duncan and Nowitzski are heading into the twilights of their careers. We could have seen Carmelo and Durant duke it out over the next decade. Instead, Carmelo can now look forward to spending the next ten years of his career losing to James and Wade, Rose and Howard.
Labels:
Carmelo Anthony,
Denver Nuggets,
NBA,
New York Knicks,
Sports
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Thoughts on the California Golden Bears, Sept. 14, 2010
Nevada: the real test after the test after the tune-up. Simultaneously the real test before the realer test (Arizona).
I don't feel good about this one. The Wolfpack got an offense, and Kaepernick is a beast. And we still have a soft, creamy middle on D. And we're ranked in a poll this week, which usually bodes badly. And despite putting 52 on a BCS-conference school (that I now attend and that I thumbed my nose at today by wearing a Cal cap), Riley still kills drives with the best of them, stats be damned. And we'll be playing in altitude. And we'll be playing on Friday night.I really wish we weren't ranked right now.
It'll be interesting to see how the defense fares against Kaepernick, as it'll be an indicator of what's possible against Locker and the Huskies.
Concrete positives i can glean from two weeks of watching these dudes:
- Keenan Allen is a stud, no homo. The whole receiving corps--and Marvin Jones in particular--is reaping the benefits of having him around.
- Pendergast's defensive philosophy is just so much better than Gregory's. It's so nice to be anywhere close to disruptive. I've never felt this way before.
- Albeit in garbage time, it was nice to see a little second-half scoring this past week. That used to be the hallmark of a Tedford team.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
A Review of The Roots' How I Got Over, Part Two
Or, "Variations on Flames".
07 DillaTude: The Flight of Titus – “SV and The Roots be the family tree, The Roots and SV be the family…” The Roots’ and particularly ?uestlove’s ties to Dilla and SV are over a decade deep and poignantly strong. So I expect to hear nods to Dilla on every album The Roots put out. (I suppose as long as ?uestlove lives to beat a drum, Dilla too will live through, as Dilla’s ever-so-offbeat drum programming profoundly influences the way ?uestlove plays his kit on almost every project in which he is involved, hip-hop or not.) This interlude consciously evokes the same spacey, jazzy minimalism that marked much of Dilla’s output.
Spacey may be an appropriate adjective here, as the interlude is also a nod to Titus Glover, also known as Slum Villager Baatin, who passed away in the summer of 2009. Baatin was the most lyrically abstract member of the group, rapping on any topic through a prism of spiritualism and mysticism. But he was also the most haunted by personal demons, and that tenuous tug between both sides of his personality imposed upon Baatin an enigmatic aura. This interlude serves as the soundtrack to his soul’s journey into the ether.
08 The Day – It’s remarkable how accurately this song mirrors the energy of “Now Or Never” yet so gently pushes the mood over into optimism. With “How I Got Over” being the turning point that it is, “The Day” may be better characterized as “The Day After”. The song feels like the calm, clear-headed hours after a good cry. It’s relaxed, aware and forward-thinking.
Rapper-wise, this is like Christmas in July—that is if I celebrated Christmas. My dream guest cut on one of my albums would feature none other than Blu and Phonte. Having them on the same song together with Black Thought is close enough. If you’re a head, I don’t think much more needs to be said.
Lastly, I like the nifty way ?uesto and company employ the skip device at the end to lead into the next song.
09 Right On – I have Joanna Newsom’s The Milk-Eyed Mender, and frankly, I can’t listen to it. Not my cup of tea, I guess. That makes this track doubly remarkable for its use of the “The Book of Right-On” sample. Newsom’s voice sounds right at home embedded among the additional layers of instrumentation and popping drums. It’s a great beat and the sample makes for a great hook. Thought and STS come with verses that are more mission statements than anything else. I should say that STS’ delivery and inflection doesn’t do it for me here. The lyrics and flow are about perfect in theory, but the execution is lacking. I do appreciate, however, that STS’ verse sounds as if it was patterned after another classic guest spot: AZ’s show-stealing turn on Nas’ “Life’s A Bitch”.
STS’ appearance is the last cameo in what I consider to be How I Got Over’s main narrative. Having soaked the album in, I feel it would have been better served to give STS’ and P.O.R.N.’s verses to Black Thought for two reasons: 1) I think it’s safe to say that Thought’s performance would have dwarfed the others’; and 2) this album would have been his, firmly. As it stands, there isn’t enough Black Thought to say that he is far and away the true star of the show. He emerges more as an ensemble lead.
10 Doin’ It Again – This song leaked a couple of weeks ago, and I hadn’t really liked how it started until hearing the album in full with the transition from “Right On”. As something of a music nerd, I like getting little peeks behind the production curtain, and I especially like getting some open drums from the tape, so ?uesto giving us the roll, a few kicks and a couple snares is like Christmas in July—that is if I celebrated Christmas.
Another thing I didn’t like about this song when I first heard it was that it wasn’t The Roots’ song, per se. ?uestlove gave an interview not so long ago about what effect being Fallon’s house band was having on the abilities of the band. He specifically noted that the new gig was helping their songwriting. So of course, I expected this new album to be mostly original material with a little bit of sampling or covering sprinkled in. Then “Dear God 2.0” leaked, and I was like, “Okay, that’s just one song. As long as it’s just that one song.” Then this song leaks, and now I’m like, “What happened to the songwriting, ?uest?!” I gotta say I was pretty disappointed.
I suppose I’m over that now.
The song really works as part of the whole. It’s a momentum builder toward the album’s resolution, and Thought really shines with the first sort of quintessential-Black-Thought verses Roots fans are accustomed to hearing. I especially love the endpiece to the last verse: “I guess it’s just Philly shinin’/Rock Rolla, bi-polar like Phyllis Hyman.” Nasty. Some may recall that the second verse is the one Thought spit on the BET Awards cipher. I don’t have a problem with that.
I think this song is quite comparable to “Quills”, off the Phrenology LP.
11 The Fire – One can go two ways with this song. One is to think that it’s phoned in musically and lyrically, far too plodding musically and generic and clichéd lyrically. But I take it the other way.
Repeated listening brings out things in a work that aren’t immediately apparent upon first listen. I’ve picked up on motifs in the rhythms and chord progressions of other tracks on the album that I now believe are based on the rhythm and progressions of “The Fire”. Outright and intriguingly, “A Peace of Light” is the most applicable. Try singing the hook of “The Fire” in the parts of “A Peace of Light” that are in 4. It works. Even the color, which is grounded in seriousness, applies. The same doesn’t go for “Tunnel Vision”, which turns the progression on its ear by transposing to the parallel major while still maintaining the reference to the main theme of “The Fire”.
Now think back to the entire modulation of the first side. “A Peace of Light” evolves into “Walk Alone”, which in turn evolves into “Dear God 2.0”, and so on. By listening to the entire album in the context of the strong musical connections of “A Peace of Light” and this song, one can see a thread that finds its apotheosis in “The Fire”.
Lyrically, it makes sense as well, as this is the moral of the story, ably distilled into one word: try.
So while one can listen to the song and think it rather simple—maybe too simple for an act like The Roots—I hear the album boiled down to its essence.
12 Tunnel Vision – The album cover sports a group of seeming wanderers making their way towards a light. If How I Got Over is the struggle towards the end of life’s dark tunnel, then this track is the leisurely stroll into the light of day. It almost sounds whimsical, as if all that’s missing is a little bit of whistling. As aforementioned, this track takes the themes of “The Fire” and spins it, eases it of its tension. It’s a nice, little happy ending. In my opinion, the story really stops here. Whatever follows is strictly epilogue.
13 Web 20/20 - ?uestlove always (ALWAYS.) moves from track to track according to meter. So if one counts the beats of the bars at the end of a song, one should count right into the beginning of the next. He even abided by this practice on the Home Grown!... release. So I’m simply baffled by the transition from “Tunnel Vision” into this track because unless there’s some internal meter that I’m not catching, ?uesto has broken his rule. Shrug.
All that aside, I do think this is a fantastic way to end the album. It reminds me a bit of “Twice Inna Lifetime”, the closer of the Blackstar album, where it’s just emcees going off on a hard beat. And boy, is this beat hard. This is the only track engineered by ?uestlove. It sounds less live, more programmed. The kick is unnaturally punchy. IT. IS. BANGIN’. I love this track so much. Not a whole lot to say about it except it’s dope rhymes over dope beat. Peedi Peedi needs to join The Roots full-time.
14 Hustla (Bonus) – The only redeeming qualities about this song are Black Thought’s verse and the fact that they sampled the YouTube sensation "Best Cry Ever (Auto-Tuned)". But even that fact isn’t enough for me to keep it on my iPhone. It’s coming off as soon as I get the chance.
Frankly, between the transition from “Tunnel Vision” to “Web 20/20” and this song, the end left a bad taste in my mouth. Oh well. The album is still great.
07 DillaTude: The Flight of Titus – “SV and The Roots be the family tree, The Roots and SV be the family…” The Roots’ and particularly ?uestlove’s ties to Dilla and SV are over a decade deep and poignantly strong. So I expect to hear nods to Dilla on every album The Roots put out. (I suppose as long as ?uestlove lives to beat a drum, Dilla too will live through, as Dilla’s ever-so-offbeat drum programming profoundly influences the way ?uestlove plays his kit on almost every project in which he is involved, hip-hop or not.) This interlude consciously evokes the same spacey, jazzy minimalism that marked much of Dilla’s output.
Spacey may be an appropriate adjective here, as the interlude is also a nod to Titus Glover, also known as Slum Villager Baatin, who passed away in the summer of 2009. Baatin was the most lyrically abstract member of the group, rapping on any topic through a prism of spiritualism and mysticism. But he was also the most haunted by personal demons, and that tenuous tug between both sides of his personality imposed upon Baatin an enigmatic aura. This interlude serves as the soundtrack to his soul’s journey into the ether.
08 The Day – It’s remarkable how accurately this song mirrors the energy of “Now Or Never” yet so gently pushes the mood over into optimism. With “How I Got Over” being the turning point that it is, “The Day” may be better characterized as “The Day After”. The song feels like the calm, clear-headed hours after a good cry. It’s relaxed, aware and forward-thinking.
Rapper-wise, this is like Christmas in July—that is if I celebrated Christmas. My dream guest cut on one of my albums would feature none other than Blu and Phonte. Having them on the same song together with Black Thought is close enough. If you’re a head, I don’t think much more needs to be said.
Lastly, I like the nifty way ?uesto and company employ the skip device at the end to lead into the next song.
09 Right On – I have Joanna Newsom’s The Milk-Eyed Mender, and frankly, I can’t listen to it. Not my cup of tea, I guess. That makes this track doubly remarkable for its use of the “The Book of Right-On” sample. Newsom’s voice sounds right at home embedded among the additional layers of instrumentation and popping drums. It’s a great beat and the sample makes for a great hook. Thought and STS come with verses that are more mission statements than anything else. I should say that STS’ delivery and inflection doesn’t do it for me here. The lyrics and flow are about perfect in theory, but the execution is lacking. I do appreciate, however, that STS’ verse sounds as if it was patterned after another classic guest spot: AZ’s show-stealing turn on Nas’ “Life’s A Bitch”.
STS’ appearance is the last cameo in what I consider to be How I Got Over’s main narrative. Having soaked the album in, I feel it would have been better served to give STS’ and P.O.R.N.’s verses to Black Thought for two reasons: 1) I think it’s safe to say that Thought’s performance would have dwarfed the others’; and 2) this album would have been his, firmly. As it stands, there isn’t enough Black Thought to say that he is far and away the true star of the show. He emerges more as an ensemble lead.
10 Doin’ It Again – This song leaked a couple of weeks ago, and I hadn’t really liked how it started until hearing the album in full with the transition from “Right On”. As something of a music nerd, I like getting little peeks behind the production curtain, and I especially like getting some open drums from the tape, so ?uesto giving us the roll, a few kicks and a couple snares is like Christmas in July—that is if I celebrated Christmas.
Another thing I didn’t like about this song when I first heard it was that it wasn’t The Roots’ song, per se. ?uestlove gave an interview not so long ago about what effect being Fallon’s house band was having on the abilities of the band. He specifically noted that the new gig was helping their songwriting. So of course, I expected this new album to be mostly original material with a little bit of sampling or covering sprinkled in. Then “Dear God 2.0” leaked, and I was like, “Okay, that’s just one song. As long as it’s just that one song.” Then this song leaks, and now I’m like, “What happened to the songwriting, ?uest?!” I gotta say I was pretty disappointed.
I suppose I’m over that now.
The song really works as part of the whole. It’s a momentum builder toward the album’s resolution, and Thought really shines with the first sort of quintessential-Black-Thought verses Roots fans are accustomed to hearing. I especially love the endpiece to the last verse: “I guess it’s just Philly shinin’/Rock Rolla, bi-polar like Phyllis Hyman.” Nasty. Some may recall that the second verse is the one Thought spit on the BET Awards cipher. I don’t have a problem with that.
I think this song is quite comparable to “Quills”, off the Phrenology LP.
11 The Fire – One can go two ways with this song. One is to think that it’s phoned in musically and lyrically, far too plodding musically and generic and clichéd lyrically. But I take it the other way.
Repeated listening brings out things in a work that aren’t immediately apparent upon first listen. I’ve picked up on motifs in the rhythms and chord progressions of other tracks on the album that I now believe are based on the rhythm and progressions of “The Fire”. Outright and intriguingly, “A Peace of Light” is the most applicable. Try singing the hook of “The Fire” in the parts of “A Peace of Light” that are in 4. It works. Even the color, which is grounded in seriousness, applies. The same doesn’t go for “Tunnel Vision”, which turns the progression on its ear by transposing to the parallel major while still maintaining the reference to the main theme of “The Fire”.
Now think back to the entire modulation of the first side. “A Peace of Light” evolves into “Walk Alone”, which in turn evolves into “Dear God 2.0”, and so on. By listening to the entire album in the context of the strong musical connections of “A Peace of Light” and this song, one can see a thread that finds its apotheosis in “The Fire”.
Lyrically, it makes sense as well, as this is the moral of the story, ably distilled into one word: try.
So while one can listen to the song and think it rather simple—maybe too simple for an act like The Roots—I hear the album boiled down to its essence.
12 Tunnel Vision – The album cover sports a group of seeming wanderers making their way towards a light. If How I Got Over is the struggle towards the end of life’s dark tunnel, then this track is the leisurely stroll into the light of day. It almost sounds whimsical, as if all that’s missing is a little bit of whistling. As aforementioned, this track takes the themes of “The Fire” and spins it, eases it of its tension. It’s a nice, little happy ending. In my opinion, the story really stops here. Whatever follows is strictly epilogue.
13 Web 20/20 - ?uestlove always (ALWAYS.) moves from track to track according to meter. So if one counts the beats of the bars at the end of a song, one should count right into the beginning of the next. He even abided by this practice on the Home Grown!... release. So I’m simply baffled by the transition from “Tunnel Vision” into this track because unless there’s some internal meter that I’m not catching, ?uesto has broken his rule. Shrug.
All that aside, I do think this is a fantastic way to end the album. It reminds me a bit of “Twice Inna Lifetime”, the closer of the Blackstar album, where it’s just emcees going off on a hard beat. And boy, is this beat hard. This is the only track engineered by ?uestlove. It sounds less live, more programmed. The kick is unnaturally punchy. IT. IS. BANGIN’. I love this track so much. Not a whole lot to say about it except it’s dope rhymes over dope beat. Peedi Peedi needs to join The Roots full-time.
14 Hustla (Bonus) – The only redeeming qualities about this song are Black Thought’s verse and the fact that they sampled the YouTube sensation "Best Cry Ever (Auto-Tuned)". But even that fact isn’t enough for me to keep it on my iPhone. It’s coming off as soon as I get the chance.
Frankly, between the transition from “Tunnel Vision” to “Web 20/20” and this song, the end left a bad taste in my mouth. Oh well. The album is still great.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)