"...we opted to stay independent and give another lesson in artistic direction..."

- Cliff Robinson is still in the NBA.

I have to repeat that: Cliff Robinson is still in the NBA. Let me just point out that when Cliff Robinson was drafted, I had yet to start the 6th grade.


- If going 60-22 in his first full season didn't validate his Coach of the Year honors enough, Avery Johnson went out and really proved it last night against the Spurs. The adjustments he made from Game 1 were perfect. He replaced Adrian Griffin in the starting lineup with Devin Harris to give the Mavs an edge in speed; he didn't make Dirk the primary focal point on offense to neutralize Bruce Bowen's defense; he had his team rotating to trap Tim Duncan; and he made sure they attacked the basket. Beautiful results. Josh Howard showed why he's the second most important player on the team and Harris out Tony Parker-ed Tony Parker. Maybe he'll end up with Terri Hatcher or Nicollete Sheridan.

By the way, I obviously want the Mavs to go all the way, but should Godfather David Stern decide that he doesn't want that then the only acceptable consolation is Phoenix versus New Jersey. The average score in that series would probably be like 151-147.


- Am I the only one who wishes Tom would just sometimes say, "Yes, the rumors are true. MySpace is shutting down."???


- I feel the urge to address what I think is a misconception about me. Or maybe I just like reading my own words. Either way, here come more punctuated sentences and stuff.

I often get accused of being anti-mainstream, mostly in regards to music, but for other things as well. That is NOT true at all. Well...take out the "at all" part. Because there might be some elements of truth scattered around in that statement somewhere. For example, I've insinuated in this blog that I hate FM radio. I haven't always, but the reason I hate FM radio now is because the vast majority of it is nothing more than the private playlists of executives at ClearChannel. Radio stations once catered to the specific and unique needs of the communities in which they served. However, once ClearChannel was allowed to start buying up stations with the same aggression with which Charles Barkley attacks buffet lines, everything changed. Now radio stations nationwide have become a homogenous group of same-sounding dopplegangers. I will freely admit that I take umbrage with that. In general, I oppose anything that tears apart a community, no matter how infinitesimal it may seem.

Here's the thing about me: any math more advanced than algebra causes my head to hurt; sciences are a foreign language to me; I enjoy most aspects of technology but I'm not as knowledgeable in that area as I would like to be; I enjoy the occasional political discussion but I can't really say that I'm a very politically minded person; and I don't have a head (or much interest, for that matter) for business. However, I love creative art and the artists behind them. Actors, dancers, filmmakers, musicians, painters, poets, singers, writers...love 'em all. As Nicole Kidman said when she won the Best Actress Osacr, "art is important." I could not more strongly agree with that statement.

That being said, there's a caveat. I have very high standards for artists. To earn my respect, they'd better be pretty darn good at what they do. I don't really care how popular someone is; I'm more interested in how talented they are. If someone is talented and blows up, cool. I don't have a problem with that. I'm not one of those guys who thinks that everyone who goes platinum has sold out. I do, however, find artists much more fascinating and appealing when there's a connection between their work and me. And when there's not, that doesn't mean that I can't enjoy their work, but there's always going to be that distance that separates them from me.

"What do you mean, Femi?" Glad you asked.

Ok...I like Jay-Z. I would consider myself a fan of his. But I can't really relate to him. I know this is going to surprise most of you, but I couldn't tell you the first thing about being chauffeured around in a Bentley or having a refrigerator full of Cristal or dating a world famous R&B singer. I have no idea what it's like to dodge cops while slanging on the corner or to own an NBA franchise or to rub shoulders with the rich and famous. No, really, it's true. I've never done any of that. So as much as I enjoy the work he creates, when it comes down to it, it's really just fantasy as far as it relates to me.

Now, contrast that with someone like Pigeon John. He raps about hoping he can afford rent this month, approaching a girl and having her blow him off, purchasing meals at Taco Bell, being kinda skinny, being ostracized because he's not "black" enough but realizing how dope he is anyway. Hey, waitaminute...that's me! That's all stuff that I've been, or go, through. There's instantly that connection. So even though the sounds that both artists create may be pleasing to my aural orifices, one of them very quickly resonates with me on a more personal level. And the fact is that most of the people who are in the latter group tend to be people who are underground or independent artists.

Then there's the live performance factor. If Jay-Z were to come to Dallas, I would probably pass on seeing him. Why? Because he'd most likely be performing at a large venue like American Airlines Center or Reunion Arena. That's no way to enjoy a musical performance. I think even Nokia Theater is too big. Clubs, man. That's the way to go. There's something to be said about the smaller venues that provide more intimate shows. You get more for your money.

But that's what it all comes down to, isn't it? Jay-Z would never perform at places like the Gypsy Tea Room or Rubber Gloves because there's not enough money there for him. And that's good for him, he earned his money by rapping about the same things that he's always rapped about. My problem lies with people who change their art for the main purpose of acquiring more money. I have a term for that. Ready to hear it? I call it "selling out." As I stated in my very first ever post, I liked the Black Eyed Peas when they first came out. I own both Behind the Front and Bridging the Gap. But then they decided that they weren't making enough money. So they changed up their sound. So that they could appeal to a wider fan base. So that they could sell more units. So they could make more money.

And look...I understand that people gotta eat. They gotta take care of their families. No artist in any medium ever starts doing what they're doing with the hopes that a small, niche group of fans are the only ones that ever hear/see/read them. But why did you get into your respective medium in the first place? Was it because you had a passion for what you were doing and knew that you just had to do it? Or did you plan to "get rich or die tryin'?" If you as an artist were to find out that starting tomorrow you would never again get paid to practice your art, would you still find a way to do it anyway?

I guess those are questions that each artist has to answer for themselves.

And I know not everyone's like me. I know some people couldn't care less what's being said as long as they can move to the music or be entertained for a couple of hours by a movie. And if that's what you like, cool. I don't think less of anyone who approaches art that way. All I ask is that you don't think any less of me just because I don't.


- I want to start a blog-writing crew. We'll write dope blogs, practice looking hard and go around finding other blog-writing crews to battle. Who's down?


TITLE TAKEN
Visionaries (Key Kool); "DJ's MC's"