I found out on Twitter late last night. My feed was pouring with retweets of Kidd Kraddick's confirmed death. KISS FM's Kidd Kraddick? Surely not him. 140 characters was not proof enough. I quickly searched online, and sure enough the Kidd Kraddick that my generation grew up with on the radio had passed.
He started the gig on 106.1 when I was in 4th grade. I was at the age where I could make radio station requests in the car, and if I asked nicely I was lucky to wake up with Kidd Kraddick in the morning instead of the boring 1080 news on the way to school.
The drive to school was a mere 18 minutes. It really only took 10 minutes to get to campus but what seemed like forever sometimes to find parking. But in those 18 minutes you got in your daily dose of pop culture news, a few hit songs, and a few good laughs to start your day.
Thoughts go out to his family, friends, and colleagues. A moment of silence should be followed by a moment of laughter, as that is what he brought to all his listeners in the morning. Rest in peace, Kidd Kraddick.
-bObD.
7.19.2013
Big Bang in The Basement.....Triple D
I wanted to go last week. It was the first week of the The Big Bang at it's new venue....The Travis in the basement. Here's the story; I'm a working stiff and my schedule varies so I could not go last week because I had to work at 5am on Friday morning and my body just won't allow me to stay out all night and wake up that early anymore....this ain't 2000 anymore kids. So, I trolled various sites and twitter feeds and saw pics and heard how great it was and I was jealous. I hate missing out on good music and good times.....we can never replicate them. I told myself that no matter what I was going to go this week (plus I didn't have to work until 2pm today!)! So I rounded up some friends that are down to party and we headed out. bObD was winning in a dart tourney at Austin Ave. so she could not go. My homie Elvis said he was down.....We headed down 75 and my friend VerniciaV (her twitter profile) texted me and asked if we could pick her up. She is actress and singer, who does professional musical theatre and sings gigs sometimes around Dallas. She loves music and I had told her about Big Bang, because I had gone to a few when Sober was spinning at the Beauty Bar....Damn, my bad, Big Bang is a weekly jam put on by one of Dallas's best DJ's, DJ Sober. Dude deals in real hip hop, soul, smooth jams...whatever you need, he got. He's also half of that new group bootyfade. They songs be hittin. Anyway, we picked her up from some place called Baboush uptown and skirted out. When we arrived at the Travis, I realized that I had been there before but it was called something else and they were kinda upscale......VerniciaV was dressed nice and cool, but me and elvis had fitteds on and tennis shoes.....The bouncer took one look at us and said "Ya'll here for the basement huh?" And pointed us down the back of an alley. We walked down into the basement and it was chill down there. It was about 10:30 (early), so it was just some scattered people down there and Sober was already spinning some good shit. It's not a big area, but the ambiance was on point. It was dark and moody. they had plants and mirrors everywhere, a section with a pool table and some nice 70's era couches and chairs spread out. There was one main bar and a mini bar with a chick manning the mini. She had on a snapback and a long sleeve silk shirt....long hair coming out of the snapback, weird shit, just like I like it.
I could tell right off the bat that people come to Big Bang for a few things. First and foremost; the music. Sober was spinning a myriad of jams that are right up my alley. He was bumping That Eryka Badu when we walked in...."push up the fader, bust the meter, shake the tweeter, bump it!"....I think that's how it goes, I was geeked. Also, the vibe. So many different kinds on people go there to experience the eclectic mix that Sober brings. He jumped from "Adorn" (which VerniciaV was singing loud in my face ;) ), to oldschool HOV, which me and Elvis where reciting word for word. There was no beef, not much posturing and everyone was there to have a good time. Towards the end of the night, Picnic, the other half of Bootyfade showed up and MC'ed a lil bit. It was dope. We left out about 1 because my com padres had to work in the AM, but I coulda stayed till 2. I will most def be hitting it up again. Here at Words we promote good shit and here in Dallas, it don't get no better on a Thursday night than Big Bang at The Travis with DJ Sober......music transcends yo.
-tshurn
I could tell right off the bat that people come to Big Bang for a few things. First and foremost; the music. Sober was spinning a myriad of jams that are right up my alley. He was bumping That Eryka Badu when we walked in...."push up the fader, bust the meter, shake the tweeter, bump it!"....I think that's how it goes, I was geeked. Also, the vibe. So many different kinds on people go there to experience the eclectic mix that Sober brings. He jumped from "Adorn" (which VerniciaV was singing loud in my face ;) ), to oldschool HOV, which me and Elvis where reciting word for word. There was no beef, not much posturing and everyone was there to have a good time. Towards the end of the night, Picnic, the other half of Bootyfade showed up and MC'ed a lil bit. It was dope. We left out about 1 because my com padres had to work in the AM, but I coulda stayed till 2. I will most def be hitting it up again. Here at Words we promote good shit and here in Dallas, it don't get no better on a Thursday night than Big Bang at The Travis with DJ Sober......music transcends yo.
-tshurn
7.17.2013
"Your thoughts Please?"
My homie Elvis (real name) texted me the other day and posed the title question about Kanye West's new album, Yeezus....at the time I told him that I had only listened to the album all the way thru once. Bye rule, I listen to albums three times before I commit to a critique.
So I took my time and listened to the cd a few more times, the old fashioned way....in the car, to and from work. After the first 2 listens, I didn't know what to think about the new electro beats and the screaming and dark nature of the project. But I always know that with real artists, you have to delve deeper to understand the true meaning of their overall theme....and they always have one. They take this shit very seriously. The craft....so I started to break down the songs' lyrics and the beats. I am notorious for taking time to warm up to albums and then loving them after listening and listening to them. I came to realize after 5 complete listens that I love the album and Kanye's progression.
The album is a classic to me for various reasons. First off, you can always tell when an artist is submerged in his/her craft. Kanye's vision for this album is clear......It's "FUCK YOU". Obviously, that was the mood of the artist at the time of the rendering of the project. Not only was it F u, but it was as one track puts it "I am a God"......"so hurry up wit my damn massage!". Kanye wants the listeners to know that no matter what you think about his personal life or his antics or even his lyric choice, you know that he is still a G.O.D. of rap that is and he was really key in its resurgence.
My boi Elvis, told me that what Kanye does on this album isn't hip-hop, and I told him that I respectfully disagree with him. With new production (daft punk), he has evolved....that's what artists do. Elvis is a devotee to hip hop's golden age, as am I. He is also from Brooklyn, so he really only recognizes East Coast music as "real" hip hop. What Kanye has done on Yeezus is transcend the notion of what hip hop really is. On "I Am a God", the Hindi sample that he incorporates magnifies how hard the electronic beat hits. On "Im in It", Kanye spits about all kinds of sexual encounters, while still reminding the audience that he is on top. The bass timings of this song are eerie and sound like new visions to me. It's like him and Rick Rubin painted a new picture with colors never seen before.....The Nina Simone sample from "Blood on the leaves" is a haunting reminder of where we are still at as a society, it's one of the reasons that some white people think this album goes too far.
Kanye ends the album with "Bound 2". It's a cut that at first I thought was just a leftover from one of his previous albums. As I listened to the lyrics, I could tell that I was wrong in my assessment. He is rapping about being bound to one man or woman and love......how we all want love and need love. The way he paints this particular picture is in a humorous and realistic way..... "Close your eyes and let the words paint 1000 pictures/ One good girl is worth 1000 bitches". Charlie Wilson sings the hook, as well....enough said!
Yeezus is my album of the year so far and I'm sticking to that. I like when an artist has the guts to step out on a limb and reach for greatness. Knowing that he might fall on his face. Kanye doesn't mind falling and he doesn't really care if some of the masses are too closed minded to understand or even try to understand. He does him. He's in his moment....the album is 2x dope. Get into it.
-tshurn
So I took my time and listened to the cd a few more times, the old fashioned way....in the car, to and from work. After the first 2 listens, I didn't know what to think about the new electro beats and the screaming and dark nature of the project. But I always know that with real artists, you have to delve deeper to understand the true meaning of their overall theme....and they always have one. They take this shit very seriously. The craft....so I started to break down the songs' lyrics and the beats. I am notorious for taking time to warm up to albums and then loving them after listening and listening to them. I came to realize after 5 complete listens that I love the album and Kanye's progression.
The album is a classic to me for various reasons. First off, you can always tell when an artist is submerged in his/her craft. Kanye's vision for this album is clear......It's "FUCK YOU". Obviously, that was the mood of the artist at the time of the rendering of the project. Not only was it F u, but it was as one track puts it "I am a God"......"so hurry up wit my damn massage!". Kanye wants the listeners to know that no matter what you think about his personal life or his antics or even his lyric choice, you know that he is still a G.O.D. of rap that is and he was really key in its resurgence.
My boi Elvis, told me that what Kanye does on this album isn't hip-hop, and I told him that I respectfully disagree with him. With new production (daft punk), he has evolved....that's what artists do. Elvis is a devotee to hip hop's golden age, as am I. He is also from Brooklyn, so he really only recognizes East Coast music as "real" hip hop. What Kanye has done on Yeezus is transcend the notion of what hip hop really is. On "I Am a God", the Hindi sample that he incorporates magnifies how hard the electronic beat hits. On "Im in It", Kanye spits about all kinds of sexual encounters, while still reminding the audience that he is on top. The bass timings of this song are eerie and sound like new visions to me. It's like him and Rick Rubin painted a new picture with colors never seen before.....The Nina Simone sample from "Blood on the leaves" is a haunting reminder of where we are still at as a society, it's one of the reasons that some white people think this album goes too far.
Kanye ends the album with "Bound 2". It's a cut that at first I thought was just a leftover from one of his previous albums. As I listened to the lyrics, I could tell that I was wrong in my assessment. He is rapping about being bound to one man or woman and love......how we all want love and need love. The way he paints this particular picture is in a humorous and realistic way..... "Close your eyes and let the words paint 1000 pictures/ One good girl is worth 1000 bitches". Charlie Wilson sings the hook, as well....enough said!
Yeezus is my album of the year so far and I'm sticking to that. I like when an artist has the guts to step out on a limb and reach for greatness. Knowing that he might fall on his face. Kanye doesn't mind falling and he doesn't really care if some of the masses are too closed minded to understand or even try to understand. He does him. He's in his moment....the album is 2x dope. Get into it.
-tshurn
7.16.2013
Put me in, Coach. I want to win.
I've got this list - a list of people I'd like to spend the day with, have a few drinks with, engage in conversation with...if I could ever be so lucky. Charles Barkley, Edward Norton, James Franco, and Bill Simmons to just name a few. The list hasn't changed much over the past few years but a name just recently made its way to the top of that list - Coach Pat Summitt.
A fan of ESPN's 30 for 30s, I was so excited to hear about the release of Nine for IXs, nine documentaries recognizing some of the greatest female game changers in sport history. The documentaries kicked off 2 weeks ago with a telling story of Venus Williams and how she brought awareness to women's tennis - equality was sought out, not just in interest of the sport, but also in winnings. Even those who do not follow tennis know the name; the Williams sisters have dominated the sport, but to learn about how they got to where they are now, that was a story in itself.
While 'Venus VS' was informative, last week's 'Pat XO' was all heart. Pat Summitt is the face of the Lady Vols, a basketball program that has gained more recognition than the men's over the past couple of decades. If you didn't know Pat Summitt before, you definitely respected her after watching 'Pat XO.' Her coaching methods not only made winners out of players on the court, but off the court, as well.
The presentation of the film was ingenious. Pat Summitt didn't usually reveal much softness about her. As a fan, all we saw was the focused Coach Summitt that occasionally blessed us with a smile upon victory. Conference Titles, National Championships, 100% graduation rate, and a handful of the biggest names in women's basketball under her wing - these are the bullets on her resume. The film highlighted clips of friends, family, and colleagues, which provided the fine print between her accolades. A softer side to the hard-ass coach was portrayed. Now you not only respected her, you loved her, too. Loved the way she taught, loved the way she raised her son, loved what she did for the sport, hated how she had to end her term so early but loved how she did it so gracefully and with such dignity.
When I picture Pat Summitt, I either have an image of her staring down one of her players...
or her standing on a ladder cutting down the net...
There are definitely less memorable images to have of someone. Coach Pat Summitt is a legend, and directors Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters did an excellent job of portraying her as one in the film 'Pat XO.'
-bObD.
A fan of ESPN's 30 for 30s, I was so excited to hear about the release of Nine for IXs, nine documentaries recognizing some of the greatest female game changers in sport history. The documentaries kicked off 2 weeks ago with a telling story of Venus Williams and how she brought awareness to women's tennis - equality was sought out, not just in interest of the sport, but also in winnings. Even those who do not follow tennis know the name; the Williams sisters have dominated the sport, but to learn about how they got to where they are now, that was a story in itself.
While 'Venus VS' was informative, last week's 'Pat XO' was all heart. Pat Summitt is the face of the Lady Vols, a basketball program that has gained more recognition than the men's over the past couple of decades. If you didn't know Pat Summitt before, you definitely respected her after watching 'Pat XO.' Her coaching methods not only made winners out of players on the court, but off the court, as well.
The presentation of the film was ingenious. Pat Summitt didn't usually reveal much softness about her. As a fan, all we saw was the focused Coach Summitt that occasionally blessed us with a smile upon victory. Conference Titles, National Championships, 100% graduation rate, and a handful of the biggest names in women's basketball under her wing - these are the bullets on her resume. The film highlighted clips of friends, family, and colleagues, which provided the fine print between her accolades. A softer side to the hard-ass coach was portrayed. Now you not only respected her, you loved her, too. Loved the way she taught, loved the way she raised her son, loved what she did for the sport, hated how she had to end her term so early but loved how she did it so gracefully and with such dignity.
When I picture Pat Summitt, I either have an image of her staring down one of her players...
or her standing on a ladder cutting down the net...
There are definitely less memorable images to have of someone. Coach Pat Summitt is a legend, and directors Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Winters did an excellent job of portraying her as one in the film 'Pat XO.'
-bObD.
7.07.2013
The Eyes of Texas are very much upon us.
NBA off-season has got my head spinning and hurting. It's nerve wrecking for a Mavs fan to sit idly as the organization feebly tries to put together a winning team. A team that can make the playoffs and can be Championship contenders. We were just there. It's nauseating. So is waiting for football season to kick off. And then there's this video...
If you're any bit a Longhorn, you've already seen this video...not once, not twice, not three times...over and over again the video gets me hyped. Chills run down my back, goosebumps have nothing on the raised hairs on my forearms.
I'm ready for the Longhorns to make a leader out of Ash. No more benching Ash and seeing if little McCoy can save the play every other down or late in the second half. This is Ash's junior year - this is it. Time to extend plays confidently, three and outs are unacceptable. His 67.3 completion percentage was nothing to be ashamed of. It is a percentage that needs to be executed to the max this year.
Cue Mike Davis. I've got a soft spot for the Shipleys, but this is Mike Davis's year. #AshtoDavis will be trending every week. 100 yard reception games will be expected, not celebrated. Shipley and Davis have the hands, we just need the running backs to bring it with their feet. A healthy Brown and an improved Gray will complete the offensive palette. The colors will all come together and Longhorn Nation will proudly bleed burnt orange this season.
-bObD.
If you're any bit a Longhorn, you've already seen this video...not once, not twice, not three times...over and over again the video gets me hyped. Chills run down my back, goosebumps have nothing on the raised hairs on my forearms.
I'm ready for the Longhorns to make a leader out of Ash. No more benching Ash and seeing if little McCoy can save the play every other down or late in the second half. This is Ash's junior year - this is it. Time to extend plays confidently, three and outs are unacceptable. His 67.3 completion percentage was nothing to be ashamed of. It is a percentage that needs to be executed to the max this year.
Cue Mike Davis. I've got a soft spot for the Shipleys, but this is Mike Davis's year. #AshtoDavis will be trending every week. 100 yard reception games will be expected, not celebrated. Shipley and Davis have the hands, we just need the running backs to bring it with their feet. A healthy Brown and an improved Gray will complete the offensive palette. The colors will all come together and Longhorn Nation will proudly bleed burnt orange this season.
-bObD.
7.05.2013
What are the chances???
The enigma that is Dwight Howard? What is he thinking? Is it gonna be Dallas, Houston, Golden St., Atlanta, or the incumbant Lakers? Who knows with this guy? Today he could say he is going to sign with Dallas and then do a 180 and return to L.A. before the reports can be fully confirmed. The only real thing that we know about about Howard is that his game is the real deal. Alot of times in America we confuse perception with reality. Ever since Howard had his indecisive moments last year in Orlando he has been vilafied and by response people have deminished his ability. Now, how does that happen? He is the same player that he has always been. He was hurt last year, playing thru lingering back problems and shoulder issues, and the guy still averaged 17-12-2. Not bad for a guy that was visibly hurt throughout the year. There is a reason why all these teams want the services of this guy. Let's remember his assets....He is 6'11'', rebounds at a high rate, shoots over 50 % from the field; blocks over 2 shots per game; and if he is the focal point of the offense (which he should be) he will averaged over 20 points a game. And lets be real, Howard should be more advance offensively, but we can't make the guy something that he is not. He is not an offensive stallwart. I doubt that he ever will be, but with what he does bring he is still the best 5 man in the league. If you call yourself a true fan of any of the teams involved in the D12 sweepstakes then it would be disingenuine to say, "We don't want him". We gotta stop living and breathing off of emotion alone. "I don't like him".....well ask yourself a question....Would you like him if he averaged 23-13-3 next year for your team and led you to the NBA finals? Shit, I know I would. I don't like all the drama, but maybe the guy just needs to mature a little bit and kill his ego. I know alot of grown men that need that (moi included). Anyway, I hope the Mavs get him and we ride off into the sunset with D12 and Dirty Dirk leading us into a new era.....maybe we will find out today, but if I'm going off of history then I doubt it. I won't believe anything till the papers are signed.
-tshurn
-tshurn
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