Criminology: Spit It Through 'The Wire'

-I discovered The Wire pretty late, so we are surely not the first people on the internet to call it one of the best shows of the decade. I think most viewers would agree that the show is as addictive as Barksdale's red tops.
-The Smoking Section recently ran down the list of Wire characters in an effort to find each one's rap alter ego. While I love the idea of Nas and Jay-Z as streetwise kingpin Avon Barksdale and his business partner Stringer Bell, I was dissappointed that they left Clipse off the list. It is a show about drugs, after all. more

Intro to Cinema: Belly

- Before he became one of the most influential music video directors in history, Hype Williams was just a New York graffiti artist who "wanted to be Basquiat or Keith Haring of the streets." Like his heroes, Williams became known for his use of vibrant color, which is evident from the very beginning of his first feature film. 1998's Belly was not necessarily a critical success, but the above opening scene alone makes it worth watching.
-Coup De Grace recently released Belly-influenced tees and skate decks, which combine the iconic image from the film's poster with the blue and black colors of the opening scene. Add some more Hype to your closet.
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Podiatry: Be Kanye/Nas/Ken Griffey Jr.

-While many assumed the above product to be responsible for Nas' startlingly Kanye-esque photo shoot, a Complex interview later revealed that his colorful outfits were simply a one-time tribute to the man who singlehandedly "saved rap".
-As it turns out, Nas won't be betraying his roots any time soon. His signature Filas are set to drop shortly, according to Hypebeast. The self-proclaimed "Nikehead " chose to go with the brand that defined his younger years as a tribute to his late best friend Ill Will.
-Never one to be outdone, Kanye is also harboring a much-hyped signature shoe. The Air Yeezy is one of Nike's custom celebrity ventures, and unfortunately there is no public release date in sight. We are digging their slight resemblance to a Northwest classic we haven't seen in 10 years.
-We have a big week ahead of us, filled with new music, more kicks, and some features that don't involve Nas! Stay tuned...
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Music Theory: Defending the Title

-As my esteemed colleague so boldly pointed out a few days back, 80% of today's hip hop is in the beats. Everyone is taking their shot at "A Milli", and most of them are upstaging the supposed "best rapper alive" and calling his self-anointed title into question. In reality, the title was never really Wayne's. According to Kanye West (and, more importantly, us), Nas is not only the best alive, but the "best rapper of all time".
-While Kanye himself is famous for bailing on college, Nas dropped out of 8th grade, seemingly heeding Mark Twain's advice to "never let schooling interfere with your education". His independent study of historical and religious texts earned him a spot as the one of the foremost street critics of all time. In the same manner that Jay-Z became the CEO, Nas has become the hip-hop equivalent of a tenured history professor. Untitled is both a lecture on U.S. race relations and a retrospective look at his illustrious career. He quotes James Baldwin, "throws molotovs" for Emmett Till, and continually examines the history of the album's original title, Nigger. The title was eventually changed, but the controversy was discussed by everyone from the corner to Congress. The record is saturated with political and cultural criticism, and even the discussion of Nas' favorite pastime brings out the claim, "I burn so much trees I keep environmentalists angry". According to Nas, "the people will always know what the real title of this album is."
-The first track on Untitled, "Queens Get The Money", is essentially the Anti-"Milli"-- a raw, stripped piano riff over which Nas unleashes some of his best flow since Illmatic. "One Mic" was our generation's introduction to Nas, so we've never doubted his ability to rip up a low-key beat. This simplicity was the basis for East Coast rap, whether in RZA's production of 36 Chambers or DJ Premier's work on Nas' own "NY State of Mind".
-As Untitled progresses, we begin to see more of the radio-ready pop production that has defined the later stage of Nas' career and brought on some harsh criticism. "Make The World Go Round" with Chris Brown and The Game (and production by the latter) is truly the album's guilty pleasure. It's reminiscent of Kanye's "The Good Life", and just as catchy. It's also fuel for the critics' fire.
-Nas made the best rap record of all time when he was 19 years old, and since then he has been hounded for not living up to the high standard set by Illmatic. This has been an unfair demand from the beginning. Nas isn't a teenager anymore, and while Jay-Z is working with Chris Martin and Mobb Deep has been demoted to 50 Cent's entourage, Nas is continually plagued by allegations that he alone "fell off". Realistically, along with Ghostface Killah, he is one of the only original east-coasters to remain relevant. While his approach has changed a bit, the self-taught Street's Disciple is in no danger of losing his title.
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PhysEd: NBA x UNDRCRWN

The last few months have been pretty hectic as far as the NBA is concerned, and we haven't done the best job of keeping our readers up to date. While we were busy praising Akomplice for their NBA-conscious streetwear, another company took it to a new level. UNDRCRWN is obviously more on top of it then we are, so we welcome their help in recapping the latest hoop developments:


-While our PDX affiliates couldn't seem to care less, us 206ers are still reeling from the loss of the Sonics. They can take Robert Swift, but they can never take away those glorious years before Shawn Kemp gave up basketball in favor of weed and fatherhood.


-While the Supes were on their way out, the new Celtics dynasty got to hang a banner in the Garden. Since I'm from Boston originally, I was stoked enough to forget about the Sonics for a few days. Apparently UNDRCRWN decided to get nostalgic with this one, but I can't complain.


-This one speaks for itself. Genius idea, but as we've said before, there is only one. Unfortunately, Nas tees tend to be either impossible to find or pretty much unwearable. We'll be reviewing his new album, Untitled (sort of), later on this week.


-Finally, UNDRCRWN teamed with adidas to design a series of tees for the 2008 NBA Draft, including this one of our boy Jerryd Bayless. Bay is killin it in summer ball like he's got two states on his back. Dare I say, I could get used to this. more

Plagiarism: The Queensbridge Dropout

While we have always been quick to denounce anything with Marc Ecko’s name on it, we were caught off guard upon discovering Complex, his surprisingly stylish monthly buyer’s guide. We were yet again thrown for a loop by this month’s feature on Nas. The true best rapper alive modeled a colorful mélange of everything from Uniqlo to Yves Saint Laurent in an attempt to promote his controversial new album, N, which drops July 1^st. Everything about the shoot was fresh, except for the tiny, nearly unnoticeable fact that Nas looks EXACTLY like Kanye West. The glasses, jeans, and even the jacket sleeves are all eerily reminiscent of the Louis Vuitton Don. Is this a washed up veteran’s attempt to revitalize his career by biting the style of rap’s biggest superstar? Or is it just “your favorite MC, still making some mean cash?” We’re stuck, feel free to comment. more